Mother Nature Couture

ABOUT US

Mother Nature Couture is the perfect amalgamation of impeccable African fashion constructed in classic design textiles, and dominating signature patterns crafted for human sophistication catering for women, men and children. The fashion line also includes beaded jewelry and exquisite handbags for the ladies.

Over the years the isishweshwe fabric has shrugged off its colonial origins to become a symbol of urban Afro wear in South Africa. Mother Nature Couture uses patchwork and quilting incorporating tasteful isishweshwe designs to create classic, authentic and artistic fashion items that are captivating, and uniquely stylish; and impenitently employs 100% of cotton and indigo dye fibres for extra comfort and durability.

Mother Nature Couture is simply effortless beauty and elegance, and an authentic proudly South African creation. 

THE BRAND

The Brand

An avant-garde, eclectic ‘stylish, timeless and contemporary, haute couture’, and inventive fashion brand that expresses true African elements through inspiring designs that defy conventions and exude pride and distinctiveness with its astounding traditional patterns and beadwork, symbolism and colours.

Meet Siphiwe Sosibo.

Siphiwe, which means ‘we have been given’ in IsiZulu, is the last born out of her parents’ four children and has a bubbly personality to match her gusto for life. She was born and bred in Pietermarizburg, a small town in the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal revered for its rich heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and influential traditional regalia.

As a young child, Siphiwe Sosibo remembers how she would disappear out of her mother’s sight at retail clothing shops to a point that her mother would plunge into despair and request an SOS message over the store’s intercom for her daughter to report to the till counters urgently! She would emerge a few minutes later with a heap of hanged clothing her hands could manage to hold.

Growing up Siphiwe would sketch designs and asked her mother to sew them for her. Of course back then, no one thought much about fashion designing or that she would end up a designer herself.

She would later as a teenager enjoy shopping with her friends, and going to the flea markets, small boutiques and even hospices or salvation army shops – just to find unique custom-made clothing. Her peers would always be amazed at how strikingly different her outfits were, and was dubbed a “trend setter”. To this day most of her friends and relatives are not surprised she’s in the fashion industry.

As an ambitious and aspiring designer, she is best known for the way she creatively fuses traditional African fabrics with modern tailoring techniques for a contemporary yet comfortable look — transforming ordinary prints into urbane designs that embrace elegance.

In 2009, she founded her own fashion label, Mother Nature Couture, and began selling beautiful designs at various places in and around the city. She has since grown to become a household fashion brand with a delightful retail boutique which operates at Pietermaritzburg’s Oribi Airport, and attracts frequent shoppers and travelers of diverse backgrounds. Siphiwe continues her stellar repute beyond provincial and South African borders as her name makes waves in the fashion space.

Siphiwe studied Human Resources at Wits University. She later took up au pairing in the USA and enrolled for voice over classes in Chicago, which she later converted to a course in music. Following her stint abroad, she returned to South Africa to pursue a solid career in fashion, arts and crafts. Her passion for the arts sparked her lessons in fashion, and she registered for a fashion designing course which she completed in 2008. Thereafter, Siphiwe started attending fashion expos, workshops, and entered fashion designing competitions and scooping top finalist on many of them. It is at that time that she was introduced into the KZN Fashion Council and the Alliance Francaise, and later acquired the funding and assistance of Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA).

In her unwavering commitment and pursuit to pay it forward, Siphiwe is also involved in programmes geared to inspire other upcoming fashion designers.

The fashion line | Mother Nature Couture

Mother Nature Couture is the perfect amalgamation of impeccable African fashion constructed in classic design textiles, and dominating signature patterns crafted for human sophistication.

Specialising in fashion and art and a fusion of craft, the fashion brand produces ready-to-wear clothing creatively designed for women, men, and children, and includes beaded jewelry and exquisite handbags for the ladies.

Over the years the isishweshwe fabric has shrugged off its colonial origins to become a symbol of urban Afro wear in South Africa. Mother Nature Couture uses patchwork and quilting incorporating tasteful isishweshwe designs to create classic, authentic and artistic fashion items that are captivating, unique, stylish and with vivid shades of colours; and impenitently employs 100% of cotton and indigo dye fibres for extra comfort and durability.

International stage | From Africa to Italy and London

During the tough and unforgiving intricacies of getting a fashion label off the ground, Siphiwe managed to learn French, one of the most beneficial languages in the fashion industry worldwide.

As an emerging talent, Siphiwe’s impressive designs in the apparel and clothing, and fashion accessories have won her some prestigious awards. Some of her career achievements include winner of the Best Dressed Designer Gold Cup and Best Young Designer Golden Horse Casino in 2008, consecutive top finalist awards at the Durban Vodacom July, and Most Creative Collection, successfully raising her profile in the industry. She has also been profiled in the Famous Media Feature magazine, and featured in the internationally-renowned Africa Fashion Week London magazine. Siphiwe’s Mother Nature Couture fashion label is certainly the best of South African culture and tasteful urban designs.

Since launching her own fashion label, Mother Nature Couture, Siphiwe’s work has grown in leaps and bounds. Her passion and tenacity for African haute couture has earned her the ultimate recognition of being selected to showcase her finest designs at the 2018 Torino Fashion Week in Italy. This ambitious event is a pit stop for fashion beginners, and emerging fashion designers who find inspiration, and innovation in traditional textile brands. Importantly, it calls a global audience of fashion designers from all over the world with a specific focus on innovation, tradition, and modest fashion.

So what’s the next runway stage for Siphiwe? It’s the Pure London Show in July 2018; UK’s most unmissable destination for fashion, buying and inspiration connecting buyers, designers and retailers with manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world under one roof at the London Olympia.To date, Mother Nature Couture has exhibited its fashion line at local and international stages; Durban Summer Fair, Hilton Arts Festival, Sea Expo, Kenya International Trade Fair, the Tendence Fair in Germany, where retailers and buyers from large trading organisations order must-haves for a successful autumn/winter season and the coming spring/summer, St Helena Parade, and a showcase at Africa Fashion Week London in 2015. Her client base continues to grow rapidly, and consists of prominent figures from her hometown.

Mother Nature Couture is simply effortless beauty and elegance, and an authentic proudly South African creation.