Set in an old sheep shearing shed, Wool World: Beneath Karoo Skies reimagined the space as a sanctuary of tactile beauty and unfolded through four sections that reflect the cyclical rhythm of nature. The rawness of the shed became part of the storytelling about wool at the Karoo Winter Wool Festival on the Dwarsvlei Farm in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape during the first weekend of July.
“Working in an existing sheep shearing shed, we were met with a vast, open volume and existing structure,” says Nisha Van Hoven. “There are subtle reminders that you’re in a working farm, and we wanted to honour that. The intention was to preserve its natural beauty while layering the space.”
With clear intention and guided by the space, the team, led by the Hoven Studio and Lezanne Viviers, curated within that reality, evoking a full sensory experience that took visitors through the life cycle of wool from land and labour to craft and creation.
Left to right: Artwork by Nina Kruger, frame by VIVIERS interns Amélie Zeelie and Carlize
van Zyl, frame by VIVIERS interns Warren Francis and Gean Potgieter, rug by Maddelein
Anderson, throw by Babylonstoren, teddy by Karoo Baba. Image: Karla Muller
Left to right: frames by VIVIERS interns, tapestry by Gerrit Myburgh, blanket by Babylonstoren
When Cape Wools invited Lezanne to curate a fashion showcase for the Karoo Winter Wool Festival, the designer wanted to showcase wool beyond fashion and explore multiple expressions of the material through art, interior design, and fashion. With this vision in mind, she leaned on the power of collaboration, and together with multi-disciplinary design studio Hoven, they created an immersive journey into the beauty and versatility of South African wool.
Although the works varied in form and expression, the spirit of interconnectedness pervaded the shed, creating a sense of unity amongst the featured participants through a shared reverence for the material.
Lezanne’s belief that “nothing exists in isolation” is more than philosophical; it’s a hallmark of her curatorial and design ethos. The exhibition broke boundaries between disciplines, artists and between the individual and the collective. In the stillness of the shearing shed, shokunin met Ubuntu.
Art and fashion have always played a crucial role in the festival’s programme, offering depth to its focus and grounding the experience in culture and emotion. This year, attendees were treated to Wool World: Beneath Karoo Skies, an evocative cultural experience, an immersive multi-disciplinary installation.
Left to right: Frames by VIVIERS x Wrapt Knitwear, cocoon installation by Tali Lehr-Sacks, tapestry by Coral + Hive. Model wears hat by Crystal Birch, necklace by Anika Lötter, knitwear by VIVIERS, jacket by Luthando Pase. Image: Dicker and Dane
Left to right: Cushions by VIVIERS x Stephanie Benrum, rug by Maxhosa, tapestries by
Maddelein Anderson. Model wears hat by Crystal Birch, dress by Maxhosa, crochet Necklace by Anika Lötter. Image: Dicker and Dane
Left to right: Frames by VIVIERS x Wrapt Knitwear, cocoon installation by Tali Lehr-Sacks, tapestry by Coral + Hive. Model wears hat by VIVIERS x Owen Mason, bag by VIVIERS x Cape Cobra Leathercraft, coat by VIVIERS x Owen Mason, skirt by VIVIERS. Image: Dicker and Dane
Tapestry by Leila Atelier, knitted artwork by Wrapt Knitwear x Nelisiwe Xaba, cushion by VIVIERS x Stephanie Bentum, hand towels on wagon by Anette Matthews. Model wears hat by VIVIERS x Crystal Birch, jewellery by VIVIERS, knitwear by Quenti Alpaca, cardigan by Polo South Africa, scarf by Rita Trafford, trousers by MMUSOMAXWELL. Image: Dicker and Dane
The Karoo Winter Wool Festival takes place annually to celebrate one of the region’s most iconic natural resources, wool. Since its inception in 2022, the festival has grown into a platform that not only showcases the versatility of South African wool. What started off as a celebration has now evolved into a movement, drawing people to the provenance and significance of this remarkable fibre.
The festival offers live demonstrations, discussions and a market featuring small businesses selling yarns and wool-based products. It brings together all players in the wool ecosystem. From farm to fashion, attendees are taken through the full value chain.
As the sun dipped behind the mountains and the cold Karoo air settled in, the shearing shed stood transformed and alive with memory and shared creative energy. Wool World: Beneath Karoo Skies was more than an exhibition but rather a quiet act of reverence for the land, the fibre, and the many hands that shape it. It reminded us that creativity is not a solitary pursuit, but a collective gesture. One rooted in place, shaped by tradition, and guided by care. The festival and the installation offered a moment to pause, connect, and remember what it means to make together.
- Iterations of Wool World: Beneath Karoo Skies will be held at Decorex 24-27 July at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, as well as at Africa Textile Talks on 31 July at Workshop 17 at The Watershed in V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
- Main image by Karla Muller, featuring cushions and rug by Maxhosa, top by Theo Blatcher, throw by Maddelein Anderson, and throw by Babylonstoren
