You’ve read stories about upcycling, recycling and reconstructing unused clothes to avoid them reaching the dump. But have you thought of what happens to the textile waste that is left on factory floors during the making of our clothes? Many hundreds of thousands of tons…
Ostrich feathers have been given a new role in our lives along with an updated look. Thanks to Pascale Theron we have Feathered Fabrics. The Johannesburg-born designer creates soft, natural and artisanal textiles using ostrich feathers. Pascale who presented her Feathered Fabrics at the 2019…
When Steph Mundy first moved to Johannesburg from London, she looked for the perfect jumper. Unable to find what she wanted, she looked for someone who could knit her one from a sketch she had drawn. When others saw it, they asked her to design…
There is a good chance that when you read “denim”, Levi Strauss & Co will spring to mind. Not only because the brand has been around for 166 years, but because it has been grabbing headlines recently. Levi's is one of 28 companies globally which…
This month Bekah Vogel has tried and tested three beauty products which contain mostly natural ingredients and are plastic free. By featuring these products, we hope to promote better beauty care, both for you and for the planet. We don’t expect brands to have achieved…
Crisp packets litter the landscape of many Midlands villages. Tetrapak is often burnt, plastic bottles bob in wetlands and take-way plastic tubs clog gutters. There is one ton of plastic for every person on Earth, much of it is packaging material that has been used…
We’re delighted to announce that the inaugural Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards are open for nominations. These awards, sponsored by PET plastic recycling company, PETCO, recognise Southern African designers who have implemented a sustainable design approach and foster ethical practices in the fashion industry. The winners…
Mx Blouse, the gender non-conforming musician whose pronouns are they/them, was delighted when Amanda Laird Cherry's head designer Brendan Sturrock offered to dress them for their recent Durban concert. The outcome of the one-night opportunity turned into a series of powerful gender-fluid fashion images. When…
Katekani Moreku who was brought up in a small village in Bushbuckridge in the north east part of South Africa is as surprised as his family that he has become a fashion designer. Welverdiend is not a place where art and design are considered career…
Christa Dee talked to Camilla van Hoogstraten about her new clothing brand, Christa & Louella and about exploring ways to think about the future: Christa & Louella is an eco-luxe brand designing and making fashion for a sustainable future. I believe in finding ways to…
The fashion industry has been talking about sustainability for a good while now. The environment, living wage, circular economy, climate change are subjects high on everyone’s agenda. This week one of the most important fashion summits took place in Copenhagen with a high-profile list of…
When was the last time you mended your clothes? Have you ever? Do you keep the spare buttons that come with your purchases? As a larger woman with size 9 feet, I tend to treasure the clothes I do have and will do all I…
By now most people interested in fashion have heard of orange fibre, fungi fashion and grape leather. The teams behind these innovations were previous winners of the Global Change Award founded by the H&M Foundation. Soon everyone will know about Kenyan nettle fibre. One of…
If you love fashion, you're in for a treat this month. We're celebrating South African fashion at SA Fashion Week (3 – 6 April) in Johannesburg and next week at AFI Cape Town Fashion Week (11-13 April). We'll be thinking a little more seriously about fashion at…
Today’s world of fashion gives ‘Zero Fs’ to the planet. The industry is mostly concerned with creating ever-changing trends and making dirt-cheap virgin clothing which is sold fast and cheaply via sales, bargains and two-for-one deals. All done without considering waste, pollution, resources and ethical…