An in-flight magazine first sparked Christopher and Alison Notley’s interest in the “noble and aristocratic” alpaca. It's an interest which took them farming in the Western Cape in 2004. The couple...
Fashion
Q&A: How Kerry Bannigan uses fashion media as a force for good
New York-based Kerry Bannigan is a fashion disruptor in all of the best ways possible. After graduating from university Kerry knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur who could drive positive change....
How decolonised African fashion is inhabiting the V&A Museum
The Africa Fashion exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, seeks to reconsider and reflect the rich makings and functioning of Africa’s recent fashion history and industry. Since countries...
We’ve all heard of SHEIN. But why are people buying from them?
Online retailer SHEIN is regularly the subject of discussions about how it is responsible for the rise of ultra fast fashion, relies on exploitative labour practices, and creates garments containing...
11 Fashion designers in South India respond to their deep connection to nature
Text by Shirin Mehta. Interviews and styling by Akanksha Pandey. Photography by Carl Van Der Linde. With strong ties to various parts of South India, designers who have spent a significant part of...
Q&A: Phumelela Malinga creates inclusive gender-neutral clothing
The first thing you will notice about local brand BY PHUME’s designs is that they are unafraid to go against the grain. Started by Phumelela Malinga, a mechanical engineering graduate Design Indaba...
Notes to nature
Leandi Mulder is a designer with a deep understanding of natural fibres and textiles. Her MA Fashion graduate collection Notes to nature is an expression of this and acts as a love letter to the...
Issey Miyake gave fashion a sense of joy
Throughout his career, Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, who has died of cancer at 84, rejected terms like “fashion”. But his work allowed much of the world to reimagine itself through...
Veldskoen adds a star quality to its footprint
Veldskoen launched the new Ranger Boot that leaves a positive impact in more ways than one. Called the Ranger Social Impact Boots, the shoes have messages imprinted on their soles that leave...
Fashion is political
What does politics have to do with fashion? The answer is everything. Fashion conjures society’s dreams, challenges its norms, and reflects what it believes about itself. As Dr. Rosie Findlay,...
Q&A: NOKI connects upcycling with African storytelling
NOKI is a Mozambican upcycled jewellery and lifestyle brand. The handcrafted product reflect a commitment to creating wearable art and storytelling medium. Founded by Mozambican-Spanish Maputo-based...
Why fashion is a feminist issue
Fashion is political. The industry perpetuates deeply entrenched systems of exploitation that disproportionately affect women. Over 70% of the total fashion workforce is women, and yet, women hold...
Q&A: Nonhlanhla Blessing Ndlovu turned a hobby into Crochet Couture
Twenty-one-year-old Nonhlanhla Blessing Ndlovu taught herself how to crochet from YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a lockdown hobby and a way to soothe her anxiety has bloomed...
Essential Elegance
Trends may come and go, but elegance will always remain in style. These pandemic years have allowed us to pause, reflect, and examine what is truly essential in our lives. For many, this lens has...
An Open Letter on Textile Fibre Indexes
At the crux of the ecological and social crises are many conflicting ideas about how to address challenges in order to affect change. As the fashion and textile sector as a whole seeks to navigate...