Sizwe Sibiya
ULebogang Quiteria Kekana owazalwa ngo-1983 ngasekupheleni kwenkathi yobandlululo e-Katlehong, eGoli, wakhula waba ngomunye wabasiki bengqephu abaqavile ezweni.
UKekana uthole ukuhlonishwa kwezohwebo emhlabeni jikelele, okuyiphupho elifezeka ezinganeni ezimbalwa zaselokishini eMzansi.
Ngeminyaka yango-1990, wafunda esikoleni edolobheni elincane lase-Limpopo elibizwa nge-Blood River ngaphambi kokuthi abuyele eGoli ukuyoqhuba izifundo zakhe e-Tshwane University of Technology, eyayibizwa nge-Pretoria Technikon ngaleso sikhathi.
Kwaze kwaba ngu-2010 lapho uLebogang onekhono athola khona ithuba elimfanele ngesikhathi ehlangana nomsiki wengqephu uGeorge Malelu kwi-Mpumalanga Fashion Week – into eyabikwa okokuqala e-Youth Village.
Abasiki bengqephu bahlanganisa ubuhlakani babo base benza uhlobo lwemfashini olubizwa nge-Quiteria & George, olunikeze uLebogang ithuba lokufunda kwabahamba phambili ngesikhathi egqokisa izihlabani emicimbini ye-red carpet.
Bendawonye bagqokise izihlabani ezifana noBoity Thulo, uDineo Moeketsi kanye no-Uyanda Mbuli ukubala nje abambalwa. Bake bamenywa emicimbini yemfashini esezingeni eliphezulu emhlabeni wonke.
Babeyingxenye yeviki lokuqala lemfashini i-French European Indian (i-FEI) e-Eiffel Tower e-Paris eminyakeni eyisithupha edlule – isonto lokuqala lemfashini emlandweni ukunikeza ithuba lokukhangisa endaweni eyingqophamlando.
Umdidiyeli we-FEI Fashion Week nomdidiyeli womculo uDanny Moodliyar ubize laba bobabili njengabafanele umcimbi, ngemuva kokubona umsebenzi wabo kwi-Durban Fashion Fair ngo-2016.
“Ngiwubonile umsebenzi omangalisayo owenziwe i-Quiteria & George ngelebula labo lemfashini futhi bangaqinisekisa izinga labo lokuzinikela, ubuhlakani kanye nokwenza kahle emsebenzini wabo,” kusho uMoodliyar.
Ngo-2019, uLebogang waqopha umlando nomlingisi ophinde abe umsiki wengqephu u-Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa ngesikhathi bethunga ingubo kaBeyonce yekhonsathi ye-Global Citizen.
Uphinde wadonsela ilebuli yakhe yemfashini ukunakwa i-Quiteria Atelier, eyagqokisa u-Enhle Mbali nabanye osaziwayo abaningi ababesohlwini lwama-SA Film and Television Awards ngoNhlaba ngo-2021.
U-Enhle Mbali, waqokwa njenge-Best Dressed Celeb yi-TimesLive ngemuva komcimbi, wagqoka izingubo eziningi ezahlukene ezazenziwe nguLebogang kuma-SAFTAs.
Kodwa ngoNtulikazi nyakenye, imboni yathola izindaba ezibuhlungu ezivela kwithimba lakhe zokuthi ulashwa ngamakhemikhali ngemuva kokutholakala ukuthi unomdlavuza we-myeloma, owakha emangqamuzana amhlophe egazi abizwa ngokuthi ama-plasma cell.
Ngenkathi ithimba lakhe labathungi kwi-Quiteria Atelier limatasatasa labelana ngeqoqo lalo langoMbasa ngo-2022 ku-Instagram, umndeni kaLebogang umemezele ukuthi udlule emhlabeni eneminyaka engu-37 ngeSonto ngomhlaka-17 kuMbasa, ngenxa yomdlavuza.
Ushiye emhlabeni indodana, abazali kanye nezingane zakubo.