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.
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…