Admin l Tuesday, Dec. 04, 2018
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Quiteria & George, a South African haute couture designer duo in partnership with Manualrossa Apparel produced an attire that was worn by Beyoncé at the Global One Festival South Africa on November 2, 2018. The dress was an inspiration of the “METAMORPHOSIS” line recently showcased by Quiteria & George at Africa Fashion Week. Quiteria Kekana, co-designer at Quiteria & George says, “We have always made it our mission to one day dress Beyoncé, but we never thought that the day would come so soon. This dress was designed with the purpose to showcase our capabilities and is reflective of all the positive changes taking place.”
George Malelu, co-designer at Quiteria & George adds “Growing up, I never would have imagined that one day I would be part of history making like this. We are extremely proud of our work and that a mega talent was able to it in our lifetime. We are also grateful to the collaboration with Manualrossa, which shows what can be achieved when brands work together ”
Enhle Mbali Maphumulo, Founder at Manualrossa Apparel expressed excitement and gratitude that she was involved in the production process of a gown that drew much of the world’s attention. “Having recently launched two stores of my design brand for pregnant women in Johannesburg and New York – I am happy that I could collaborate in this historical creation, and represent not only South Africa’s fashion industry, but its talent.”
In 2018, Quiteria & George has designed for various other well-recognised shows including the Miss South Africa pageant, Arise Fashion Week in Nigeria, Afrimma Fashion Show as well as Dakar Fashion Week by Adama Paris.
Quiteria Kekana was born and bred in a town called Blood River near Polokwane in Limpopo. During his formative years, he was educated at Ernest Primary School and after secondary school he furthered his education at Pretoria Technikon now called Tshwane University of Technology. Quiteria was lured into the fashion industry when he discovered the freedom to express himself with fabric – which is ever evolving. This discovery fuelled his determination to pursue a career as a designer and inspire the youth of his hometown to explore the arts as a career choice.
Quiteria lives by the motto: “Stay true to yourself”, because the only thing that sets people apart and make them outstanding is their uniqueness, different lived experiences, and how they interpret the world.
George Malelu was born and bred in Maseru, Lesotho. He attended Islamic primary School and Methodist High School before pursuing his tertiary education at the National University of Lesotho. While there, he discovered his passion for fashion and decided to apply to study at Studio 5 School of Fashion in Johannesburg. After learning everything he needed, George decided he was ready for the industry and dared to pursue his career as a designer. His life motto which is a passage from the book of Job in the Bible: “I learned to take the good with the bad. So, in every situation, I harbour faith that better times are coming,” inspired him to be persistent.
George believes fashion chose him. He says he grew up in a fashion-oriented home as his mother is a dressmaker, while his father watched “The Bold the Beautiful” a lot.
