Created as a pageant cut for married women, Mrs Botswana has scheduled a fashion show themed “Diamond and Pearls” for July 31 to illustrate the sartorial talent of local designers as part the process for crowning this year’s Queen
Mrs Botswana is a brand for healthy marriages and happy families. They organisers hold that families are the bedrock of nations and so they conduct regular workshops on family values.
“We chose that theme of “Diamonds & Pearls” because these two stones are rare and precious, just like our Mrs. Botswana ladies and what they ultimately stand for, which is that no matter how much pressure is put on them, they will always come out shining like diamonds and pearls,” said Thato Donald of Keno Suits, who is a Mrs Botswana judge of longstanding. “We have engaged GTC students to make designs for showcasing on the occasion as a way of empowering upcoming stakeholders in the fashion industry.”
Donald disclosed that this will be the last time of Keno Brand’s association with Mrs Botswana. “Mrs Botswana is the first of its kind as a pageant that celebrates a woman in all the hats that she wears during her lifetime,” he explained. “Mrs Botswana was born when Keno Brand, which started as a men’s brand, was approached to support by sponsoring the winner with an outfit. We did not hesitate. Over and above the outfit, we volunteered to become judges.”
Because fashion is about the latest designs and an expression of who you are, it should embody the grace and modesty of the modern wife. “What we are looking for is creativity,” Donald told Executive Life. “We want that lady who will come up with a design that embodies who a woman, a wife, a mother, a leader, a public figure and possibly the next Queen all wrapped into one.”
“Generally what stands out is how the ladies convey the knowledge they acquire about the theme of anti-GBV and child protection and how they interpret it with their community-based projects. In terms of their outfits, we are looking for the one lady who manages to design a dress that best defines her and brings out the compassion, love, care and botho, all the qualities of Thari ya Sechaba.”
Mrs Botswana is known not only for hosting pageantries but also for building an all-rounder wife in a time where a lot is being compromised when it comes to what it means to be a “Mrs”. This year they have broadened the margins and are incorporating topics that could help enhance marriages and homes.
“What is different this year will be what we decided to include in the ladies’ training,” said Donald. “Our workshops are usually based on what I could refer to ‘traditional teachings’ like child care, cooking and cleaning. This year we have included a topic that some may consider controversial but is at the core of marriage. In collaboration with the famous Dr Gure, sex education has been featured in the workshops.”
Mrs Botswana 2021/22 current, Tebo Bakwena, will be usher in the new Queen.
