Beautiful Crochet Items From Moonbasket
To find out more about Moonbasket… click: https://www.bonsela.co.za/designers/moonbasket/
Paper Art
By Keri Muller. She is creating these wonderful pieces using cards and vintage books.
More to see on: http://simpleintrigue.blogspot.com/
Lalesso
Lalesso is a summer clothing and lifestyle brand created by 2 Cape Town girls who’s passion is fashion with an African feel. They use “khanga” fabrics from East Africa and have shifted their production to Kenya working with Soko – an independent, charity based, eco and ethical clothing production unit that supports local talent and provides employment to Kenyans – www.soko-kenya.com.
Have a look at www.lalesso.com for more information and garments.
Missibaba’s Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Collection Launch
To find out more about Missibaba… click: https://www.bonsela.co.za/designers/missibaba/
Design Indaba 2011
My favourites…
Tyred Furniture
Sean Smith started working with tyres because he wanted to create furniture that is chic and enjoyable, fun and durable. TYRED Sustainable Lifestyle Furniture helps the environment, as only recycled tyres are used but the project is also making a social impact by employing men “from on the side of the road”. Each chair costs R2000 (around 200 €), of which R800 (around 80 €) goes to a chosen charity www.employmen.co.za – R800 (around 80 €) goes back to the designer and R400 (around 40 €) to production.
In retrospect of the Design Indaba 2010: This amazing collaboration with a couple of SA young, up & coming designers has been created – a series of about 10 original custom made tyred chairs with all kinds of motives… If I had to choose.. these are my three favorites.
For for more information check out www.tyred.co.za
Stefania Morland
This high-end fashion designer is one of South Africas jams when it comes to unique and playful garments! Stefania’s latest collection is beautifully shot by the German fashion photographer Burkhard Henrichs – just in time for the upcoming fashion show at the Design Indaba.
“Layering pieces and expertly constructed garments that can be worn in more than one way create a more complex look and allow our customers freedom and creativity of expression with our clothes.” says Stefania.
Here is a sneak peek…
For more information on the designer got to: www.stefaniamorland.com
Wire Art
Scooby’s designer Richard is a Zimbabwean artist living in Cape Town. As a child Richard made his own toys by using any recycled goods he could find in order to have fun with his friends. Arriving in Cape Town, his creativity soon garnered interest from local designers. Using metal and wire, Richard creates expressive art that can be used practically as coat or necklace hangers or simply as decoration for one’s home.
To view more Wire Art products by Scooby click: www.bonsela.co.za
We are taking orders for personalized Wire Art by Scooby and deliver for free within South Africa!
Ethical Fashion
This is one of the most important topics I would like o focus on. Empowering of African Women! We are looking into various program’s with this aim and are following their amazing work.
“More than 1 billion in the world today, the great majority of whom are women, live in unacceptable conditions of poverty, mostly in the developing countries. Poverty has various causes, including structural ones. Poverty is a complex, multidimensional problem, with origins in both the national and international domains.”
UN Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality
One of the biggest campaigns in 2009 was the collaboration of Max & Co. (Max Mara Group – www.maxandco.com) and Int. Trade Centre. Product development through an ethical fashion team was instigated in order to select the final groups of micro manufacturers. The project “Africa & You” has involved around 500 women with different backgrounds, skills and from different countries: a group of 250 single women (most of them are HIV positive) living on the outskirts of Dagoretti (Kenya), a group of informal producers (the Bidii Shoemakers, who also work in beading) from Korogocho, near Nairobi, a group called the Crochet Sisters (a sisterhood of about 100 people providing work for orphans and refugee women from Zimbabwe) , a group of 150 bone beadmakers in Kibera (the largest slum in Kenya and in Africa) and a group of tie-dye manufacturers in Kwawangari.
Bantu Beach Wear
This African swimwear brand is one of my favourites! Bantu’s mission is to introduce the world to African beach culture by creating a hot line of beach and resort wear, accessories and skincare products using indigenous prints, labor and materials. All 100% made in Africa – says Yodit Eklund, Bantu’s founder.
Yodit has started Bantu in 2008 to show the world that there are amazing things that come from Afirca, fashion that can compete with many international brands – it was important for her to make people realize that Africa is not only about black diamonds, pirates and war. There are so many beaches in Africa, from Cape Town to Casablanca and from Dakar to Zanzibar which made Yodit create an ambassador program that pairs underprivileged kids with surf instructors who will teach them the fun of surfing. Her desire to create awareness around Africa and the desire to give back to the African community by creating jobs makes this brand unique.
The Bantu bikinis are reversible – they combine colourful prints copied from traditional wax cloth fabrics onto the swimwear material Lycra and the Brazilian cut for the sexy look of an African queen.
For more information check out: www.bantuwax.com – loving the tunes on the cool website by the way…