THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS- BONOLO MASHILO
This week as we mark the end of Women’s Month Timeless News spoke to a 29 year old business person of interest, the Ntwane born snazzy fashion designer and the CEO of bmashilodesigns.com, Bonolo Mashilo who has dressed Queen of Limpopo Pop Music Makhadzi and other well-known personalities. Writes Thulane Madalane
Thulane Madalane: Who is Bonolo Mashilo and where were you born and raised?
Bonolo Mashilo: Bonolo Mashilo is a dynamic and accomplished fashion designer, creative director, and CEO of bmashilodesigns.com I truly believe that I am a risk taker who believes that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to. I’m definitely a small girl with a BIG God and I’m grateful for all the blessings that I’ve received and everything that God has carried me through.I was born in a village called
Ntwane Lesehleng, in Limpopo. My early childhood years were spent being dressed up by my grandmother in frilled tutu dresses made of lace, tulle and chiffon, and overly decorated braids.
TM: What kind of family do you come from?
BM: I come from a close-knit family where we’re all able to share and talk about anything and everything. I admire how much my family and I love and appreciate one another, supportive, my family is truly supportive and that is evident because of how much they believe in my dream more than I believe in myself and for that I am truly grateful.
TM: Who was your childhood role model?
BM: My mom, she made me believe that anything is possible which has had a positive impact on how I carry myself and I pour that into my brand. She is my source of strength which is why I have her date of birth tattooed on my right arm which is my strongest arm and my arm of creativity.
TM: What challenges did you face both at school and in your neighborhood as a young person and how did you overcome them?
BM: I faced a challenge of learning and understanding my career, I think that part of choosing the path less travelled meant that I’d be required to explain my chosen career path to people because they didn’t understand and that proved to
be a challenge, I think that that’s one of the challenges that comes from being the first creative in the family to choose a career as a creative. I overcame the challenges by proving that it can be done through working consistently, pushing the limits. I also realized that I have control over own actions. I make sure that I show up for consistently and work hard all the time.
TM: You are the CEO of bmashilodesignu.com tell us where did your journey begin?
BM: As much as one would say that my journey began when I was working from the garage at home, I truly believe that my journey began the moment I decided to resign from my corporate job as a fashion buyer to pursue my dream of starting my own design studio, a design studio which would be so much more than that because I saw it as starting my own legacy. I changed my mindset ,trusted the process and believed that I could pursue my dream then that’s when the journey to greatness truly began.
TM: what advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue the similar business interests as you.
BM: If it’s something that you truly love and enjoy then please take the time to allow yourself to learn all that you need to learn, there’s no time limit to learning and having knowledge better equips you for whatever you may encounter during your journey. Learn about your target market because what makes your business is your customers and the relationship
that they can create with the brand. Know where you’d like your business to go so that you are able to work towards that and remember that it is not always going to be easy. As much as it is encouraging to have people tell you that you’re doing well and you should keep doing what you’re doing, it is also important to believe in yourself enough to trust that you can do it and that you are capable of doing anything that you put your mind to as long as you also put in the work.
TM: You have dressed lot of high profile celebrities like Makhadzi, the cast of the now defunct popular Telenovela The Queen cast on Mzansi Magic and many more, how does it feel to see your creations donned by the A-Listers of South African entertainment industry?
BM: As a creative it feels amazing to see your ideas come into fruition so I will definitely say that I am honoured to know that I am able to create masterpieces that can be seen by so many different individuals and that my brand is able to make so many people feel amazing because more than anything we want to make sure that every single individual feels like the best version of themselves when wearing in our designs.
Picture Credit: bmashilodesigns.com
TM: Your Designs are on high demand by both ordinary people and celebrities, how do you keep up with demand of your products?
BM: As a business it is important to take note of the difference that having a high productivity rate makes, you need to be willing to get the work done no matter how long it takes because every client needs to get the best from bmashilodesigns.com. I believe that I have an amazing team that is always able to keep up with the demand and adapt to any changes that we encounter.
TM: Since you started bmashilodesigns.com in 2017 what has been the highlight of your career so far?
BM: The highlight of my career has been being able to provide employment and change the lives of my colleagues. I love the fact that I can be supportive in many ways.
TM: How soon can we expect to see your designs South African Fashion Week, Joburg Fashion Week, even better New York or Milan Fashion week?
BM: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, my responsibility is to show up consistently and the rest will fall into place.
TM: South African entertainment calendar has many big events like South African Traditional Music Awards, Metro FM, Miss South Africa and many more, which one do you aspire to showcase your designs on in the near future?
BM: Miss South Africa, I love what that they stand for women empowerment. One of the things that I want my creations to do is make women feel like the best versions of themselves and I like that Miss South Africa, the goal is to see bmashilodehighl.com being part of Miss South Africa in the near future.
TM: Please share your social media platforms for your potential clients?
BM: You can find us on all social media platforms:
Bmashilodesigns on all social media platforms and for online shopping people can www.bmashilodesigns.com.
TM: Lastly do you have any self-help projects that are meant to empower young women who want to be next bmashilodesigns.com in the near future?
BM: I have mentored over 50 upcoming designers, and I truly believe that that’s my greatest calling in life. I have taught my mentees and interns the ins and outs of business within the fashion industry and helped them learn skills to better equip them on how to navigate the industry.
