Meet Rosemo Couture’s Boss Lady
’MAKERESEMESE LETUKA
MASERU – Fashion designer, Rose Moleboheng Molatelle, is the designer to talk to and the brains behind Rosemo Couture. After dropping out from the National University of Lesotho (NUL)’s Faculty of Education in 2015, she enrolled with the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) where she graduated in 2019 after obtaining a Fashion and Apparel Design Associate Degree.
“I am a fashion designer; I have always loved fashion as an exciting profession for me because I get to understand and survey where my interest and passion lie. “Fashion to me is not only a profession; it is a platform that gives me detailed clarity that becomes the fulfillment of my dreams,” she says. “Above all, I am the founder of Rosemo Couture, which has been the most beautiful and amazing journey of my life as boss lady at the fashion house.” Rose also says owning a business is one hell of a responsibility “because even when a person invests all their heart and soul into it, there is no guarantee for success.”
She is aware, though, that it needs one who is passionate, patient and focused as well because those are the core traits of a successful business upbringing. She says the most challenging situation since she jumped into the business was the year 2020 when Covid-19 knocked every business down. “During the lockdown period business was very bad as the huge sales portion of my couture collapsed since there were no weddings and no ceremonies to help the business get revenue.
“However, through passion, which is the ghost that haunted me even when I was on the verge of giving up, I stood up and thought of another production strategy that will bring quick cash and up my sales to sustain the business,” she continues. She adds that it took her about a month doing sleepwear and her business was back on its feet. This is when her options were opened up and she was flexible enough to challenge growth.
Rose then released her sportswear line mid-2020, indicating her stock was sold in a blink of an eye. “That was one of the amazing steps I took, it left a mark in people’s minds that Rosemo Couture is an existing brand.” “My target market is the youth; the production is balanced in both male and female and a bit of children here and there since they are the regular clients. “By the year 2022, my wish which will be granted is to see Rose as the owner, the CEO of the officially registered Rosemo Couture running its day to day operation as professional as it should be,” she says.
“Honestly speaking, fashion has not reached the bridge or climax point of recognition, there is still lack of intimate connection with fashion and people in Lesotho, especially on the twist of approach. So it is kind of difficult to pick a person and make a request because I feel like it would not serve the purpose. “My role model, Gert Johan Coetzee, followed by Orapeleng…those guys did it for me. And they are still doing it for me even now,” she says.