Earth Age

Earth Age is a South African accessory and wearable art brand founded in 2020 by Amy Kunz, Elektra Georgiadis, and Ashley Wager. The brand celebrates the feminine collective, the natural world, and artistic expression through meticulously handcrafted hats, bags, and jewellery. Earth Age blends fashion, function, and creativity to create timeless pieces, each reflecting the unique touch of the women artisans who make them. Sustainability, cultural heritage, and ethical collaboration are central to the brand’s ethos, with all items designed to be durable, meaningful, and naturally biodegradable.

Twyg Award Winner

Features

Resources and materials

Works exclusively with natural and recycled materials, including hemp, cotton, merino wool, mohair, and recycled glass beads and pendants
Hemp sourced from Hemporium via certified international farms
Cotton locally spun and dyed with Oeko-Tex-certified non-toxic dyes
Merino wool and mohair sourced from regenerative, non-mulesed farms in the Karoo, naturally dyed with plant matter and tannin-rich waste
Recycled glass beads and pendants handmade in Ghana and Zimbabwe, supporting small artisanal economies
All materials fully traceable and ethically sourced from trusted suppliers

Making and manufacturing

All products handcrafted in Earth Age’s Woodstock studio by founders and a team of over 20 women artisans
Crocheters work from home with flexible hours, visiting the studio weekly
No toxic chemicals used; wastewater from dyeing is pH-balanced and reused for irrigation
Waste is repurposed: excess yarn woven into new pieces, fabric offcuts stored for patchwork, small remnants reused creatively
Daily recycling practices implemented; non-recyclable plastics are eco-bricked and stored

Social and cultural

Centres women’s empowerment, offering safe, inclusive, and flexible working conditions
Supports skilled immigrant crochet team from Zimbabwe in obtaining work documentation for formal employment

Product and design

Focus on timelessness, tactility, and technique, using hand-fraying, crochet, beadwork, and layered textures
Every piece undergoes meticulous quality control to ensure durability and longevity
Designed to be cherished, with materials that are natural and biodegradable, ensuring end-of-life pieces return safely to the earth

Packaging and distribution

Hats and bags packaged in reusable drawstring bags made from offcuts and deadstock fabric
Jewellery and smaller items packaged in recyclable paper boxes and bags