By: Tlalane Tibisi
MASERU
From the designs showcased in the media and those imagined in minds of clients, Paki Liboche stitches every piece with precision and a commitment to clients’ satisfaction.
Liboche, the founder and the sales person of Black Rabbit, says the name just came to his mind. “Some people think I named my brand Black Rabbit because my totem animal is symbolised by a hare but that is not the case. Black Rabbit just came to mind when I was considering having my work branded,” he said.
Black Rabbit began its operations towards the end of 2021, after one person sees Paki and his son’s trousers on Isaac Kolisang’s photoshoot and demanded a pair.
Thereafter, more and more people contacted him for inquiries as he kept posting on Facebook.
Although most artistes are inspired in order to design, Liboche is just driven by love and support of the people who believe in his work and the desire for change.
“I never got any inspiration; I am just motivated by people who admire my work. Now, I design with an aim to change the space of tailoring in order to bring innovation in clothing and fashion for people to get what they dream about or see on television,” he remarked.
Liboche said many tailors in Mohale’s Hoek, where he is based, have not yet had an idea to sell their products as readily available, therefore he saw it as an advantage to make market accessible products.
He then prices his clothes influenced by factors like the time he spent doing such a piece and the cost of the material used, which he sources from within Mohale’s Hoek and the surrounding districts.
With no emotions to his designs, he makes every item suit everybody and make them enjoy what they have spent their money on. “All I want is everybody for wearing my clothes to feel free and happy with what they would have bought,” he said.
So far, Liboche’s proudest moment was selling his designs to Prime Minister, Hon. Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane. One of the biggest challenges he has faced was to register with the Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL). He struggled to find assistance on how to register, but is now in the process.
On the other hand, his ambassadors have been doing an incredible job advertising him on social media, as he stated that they are running trends on his brand. “My ambassadors really try to run adverts in an acceptable manner, even I do post but I can say, I am not a trendsetter, so I only post activities that advertise the brand. Whereas, my ambassadors post to influence the target market,” he said.
Dedication is key in every journey and Liboche has been proving that with commitment to serving his customers and the desire to make them comfortable in what they have spent their hard-earned money on.