About Mantsho
Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung is the first design house to collaborate with global giant H&M. The Mantsho x H&M collection was sold in H&M’s flagship and online stores worldwide.
Palesa Mokubung holds a Bachelor of Arts in fashion design and is known for creating her own unique prints and textiles. She was named “the African trend dictator” by True Love Magazine in 2019.
She was honored with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” at Free State fashion week, received a GQ best dressed award as well as the Haig Club Clubman Disruptor Award In 2014 she was recognized by the Carol Bouwer Mbokodo Award for her outstanding and valuable contribution in the
field of Arts and Culture in South Africa.
Mantsho has showcased at South African Fashion Week and all over the world multiple times including at the BRICS show in 2018.
More About Mantsho
Palesa is very passionate about empowering young designers and imparting knowledge and skills because she understands the gap that exists between fashion schools and the industry. In 2019 she mentored 10 young designers from the Eastern Cape for the annual Buyelekhaya fashion show festival.
Mantsho was established in 2004 and her designs are a perfect balance between functionality and aesthetic which leaves a woman feeling comfortable and sophisticated. Mantsho design house makes clothes that embody African finesse and is inspired by a generation of Africans that are both global and still embrace their culture through their love for bespoke garments, prints and textile.
Mantsho has been attracting a big following amongst women who want to stand out from the crowd and consider themselves as style leaders amongst their circle, women who are driven, sophisticated and classy.
Awards & Achievements
Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung was the first African designer to collaborate with global fashion retailer H&M in 2019. She made history with this collaboration by giving the continent its recognition and the acknowledgment it so served. It also meant a real win for African designers.
She expresses a great love for Africa, for textiles and for women, most importantly she wanted this to be an encouragement and inspiration for all those designers who are well worth the global recognition but have not yet been discovered.
When she went to register for an art course in
fashion it had been the shortest queue and it
was easy to make the choice but once the
choice was made, she decided to be good at it.
Her inspiration is women, the African
aesthetic, and the history of fashion.
Mokubung works closely with her talented
brother Mojalefa Mokubung in designing them
and the brief is to always make the flower
bloom.
Mantsho launched an exclusive collaboration with 1st
for Women Insurance and Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi
on 28 September 2020 to encourage South African
women to live fearlessly.
The collaboration coincided with 1st for Women’s new
fearless campaign that featured Tunzi – a global icon
and an icon of strength, courage and resilience.
The T’s feature Mantsho’s characteristic and
quintessential bold prints symbolizing a path of a
woman who is ready to deconstruct in order to rebuild
and is emblazoned with the word “fearless” - making
them a statement T with a confident edge.
20% of the proceeds from the sale of the T’s are donated to the 1st for Women
Foundation to assist in the fight against women abuse.
The Mantsho designs represent courage coupled with a good dose of colour and
charisma.
Official campaign shots
Mantsho Rugs
Mantsho is an empire in the making
and part of building an empire
requires one to diversify in order to
grow their audience. It has been
Palesa’s dream to feature in the
field of home decor. Her home
decor style is afro antique with a
modern twist.
The design is a celebration and an
extension of our african sensibility
and finesse of which the Mantsho
customer values as a lifestyle. Each
colour way speaks a different home
language of your choice. The
"Mantsho Rugs" serve as comfort to
take your shoes off and be a part of
our footprint in our new home
decor chapter
What does this mean?
This venture symbolizes transformation and
evolution for Mantsho, it shows off the
brand's true artistic character, personality
and lets the customer into our home.
