EUNIE DESIGNS IS A FASHION CUT ABOVE THE REST
Takes artistic approach to fashion
Eunice Masire who is based in Palapye, is making strides in the local fashion industry, setting herself apart with her intricate attention to detail in her garments.
The 30-year-old, who hails from Mokobeng, completed her secondary education at Moeng College and later went on to complete a fashion design course at Gaborone Technical College. She said to her, fashion is ‘everything,’ and growing up, she always admired people with great fashion taste. “I always felt a sense of belonging among well-dressed people. My mother also made me love fashion because she dressed well.” Masire established Afrifirm Clothing and supplies in 2019, and started trading her fashion house as Unies Designs. She said fashion is her first love, and that seeing someone looking their best at a function dressed in clothes that made fulfils her.
“The feeling that comes with seeing someone light up because of a dress or suit I made gives me the best feeling ever.” However, being a fashion designer has its fair set of challenges, she contended. She noted that it’s sometimes difficult for Batswana to thrive in fashion because many clients prefer foreigners.
“Our people tend to prefer foreigners for reasons best known to them.” She said another challenge is that is difficult to find quality fabric at an affordable price.
“We constantly deal with issues of hiking prices, and people always expect the best but complain about our prices, not knowing that we spend a lot,” she said. She said to overcome this challenge, she is forced to compromise in some instances. “Sometimes we just offer the service at a lower price. S for price hikes, it is beyond us so we just need to find a way of minimising costs,” she explained. She noted that social media has helped increase her nationwide footprint. The ambitious designer dreams of dressing high profile individuals, and the average man and woman on the street with a taste for fashion. “I want to dress anyone who likes stylish clothes and looking fabulous,” she said. Masire said fashion can be a road full of setbacks, changes and a lot of artistic work. “Being in the fashion industry means going with trends, so I need to be up to date with the latest trends. The need to fit in and be relevant to moments is quite an experience. The journey is exciting, challenging and draining...Basically, it takes patience to pull through in this industry, but it is worth it.” To see more of her designs check out her social media pages: Afrifirm Clothing (Unies Designs).