01 Aug 2018

Lorato Mongwaketse is inspiring people to live by the quote, ‘wearing a hat versus not wearing a hat is the difference between looking adequate and looking your best.’

Mongwaketse who operates from a shop at BBS mall said she acquired some skills from her mother who was a fashion designer.

“I used to make caps from off cut materials and sell them for five Pula. Years later, I financed and started Weslo hats in 2015,” she said.

She said her cliente were those who attended church, weddings and bridal showers, explaining that some of those events were themed, hence everyone wore a hat.

To her, designing is a gift as she never runs out of creative ideas. She said venturing into manufacturing made more money and people gave ideas on a daily basis in terms of preferred colour and designs.

To perfect her craft, Mongwaketse was trained by one woman in South Africa. “Although I was never taught how to do vintage hats, I learnt the craft on my own,” she said explaining that vintage hats sold more than all the other hats she made.

“I have achieved a lot of things and I can take care of my children, sustain my life and I managed to buy additional equipment.”

Moreover, she has managed to move to a new office last year since she could not withstand the increased flow of customers at her home.

She said the achievements had enabled her to have working hours, thereby separating home from business.

The Kanye native explained that it took a few hours to make a hat but there were times when she often got overwhelmed by orders thereby resulting in delays.

The ambitious woman has since opted to market her services through Facebook, business cards and depend on her customers to spread the word about her business.

Weslo hats have won two awards since inception being best in accessories during the Women’s Exposition awards in 2016 and 2017.

Mongwaketse assured her customers that distance should not be a barrier since goods were often delivered countrywide through courier services.

The hats are selling from P250 and prices vary according to size, embellishments and design.

At the moment, the company has one assistant who has gone on to further her studies. ENDS