Mothusi Casper Lesolle

Mothusi Casper Lesolle
Born
💼 Occupation
Known for	Contemporary African fashion, cultural advocacy through design
Label(s)	iZaura

Mothusi Casper Lesolle

Motswana fashion designer, stylist, and social entrepreneur, best known as the founder of the fashion label iZaura. He is widely recognised as one of Botswana's leading figures in the creative fashion industry, with a career spanning design, media presentation, mentorship, and community engagement. His label has been showcased at major fashion events across Africa and has received coverage from international media including CNN.

Early life and education

Lesolle holds a degree in Political Science, though he set aside a corporate career to pursue fashion full-time. He has described working in fashion as a lifelong subconscious ambition that crystallized when jazz musician Nnunu Ramogotsi sought his creative input for the launch of her debut album. The experience of selecting and producing her outfit for the event marked, in his own words, the birth of his clothing line.

Career

Prior to launching his label, Lesolle worked in the media industry as a fashion stylist for a magazine and as a presenter on both radio and television. In 2013 he formally established his clothing line under the name iZaura by Mothusi Lesolle, later shortened to iZaura. The name was drawn from an 1980s television series he and his mother watched together, set against the backdrop of African slavery and the transition to freedom, a narrative he saw as parallel to the evolution of the fashion industry.

The label was conceived primarily as a women's clothing line, with a focus on ready-to-wear attire. Lesolle has described his design philosophy as one that blends contemporary aesthetics with cultural identity, seeking to bring versatility and boldness to Botswana's fashion scene. In an early interview he stated an ambition to incorporate elements as bold as a dress worn with matching horns, reflecting his commitment to challenging conventional fashion norms in the country.

In 2011, Lesolle co-founded Colour in the Desert Fashion Week, an annual showcase that draws fashion houses from across Africa. The event includes training workshops aimed at helping emerging designers operate their brands as professional businesses, and has been credited with launching local Botswana brands onto the international stage and connecting designers with internship and collaboration opportunities in countries including Tanzania and South Africa.

In 2014, Lesolle showcased iZaura designs at the Festival for African Fashion and Arts in Kenya, one of the continent's foremost fashion events. That same year, he collaborated with designer Aobakwe Molosiwa of Gilded Sands to produce costumes and styling for performers and presenters at the annual 34th Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) Awards, including costume design for dancers accompanying artists Samantha Mogwe, Kearoma Rantao, and others.

In 2016, Lesolle was interviewed by CNN as part of coverage on Botswana's fashion industry, during which he spoke about his work and the role of indigenous materials, particularly the traditional fabric known as leteisi, in his designs.

Public engagement

Lesolle has been active in using his platform for social causes. Through a partnership with the Dignity Foundation, iZaura supported improved access to sanitary pads for young girls from low-income communities. He also established the Donate a Prom Dress programme, which provided designer garments to young women from underprivileged backgrounds for their school prom events. The programme reached refugee girls who had been separated from their families, enabling them to wear iZaura designs to the Maruapula School prom.

Through a fashion business clinic, Lesolle has mentored and guided young designers in monetising their creative work and building connections with more established names in the industry. He has described his identity within fashion as that of a designer who advocates for fashion with a purpose.

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