Founded by Heather Adonis in 2007, Jaydu Creations has been manufacturing accessories while also empowering people in its community in Seawinds. “We wanted to create a business that would not only be a part of this family, but also benefit the community,” says Heather.
With this pursuit of community empowerment in mind, Heather also started a non-profit organisation – Smart Kingdom Kids Academy – that focusses on youth development. For every purchase of Jaydu Creations product, part of the proceeds goes towards supporting Smart Kingdom Kids Academy.
Jaydu Creations was a finalist in the CMT or Manufacturer Award category at the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards 2021. We caught up with Heather to find out more about Jaydu Creations, her work within the community, and how Smart Kingdom Kids Academy came about.
When and why was Jaydu Creations established?
I started Jaydu Creations with my late husband, Glen, in 2007. With everyone in my family working nine-to-five jobs, I found that my life got swept up by work and I wasn’t spending quality time with the people I loved. We started Jaydu Creations as a family business to generate income and as a chance to better the lives of my family, my kids, grandkids, and future generations.
What is the significance of the brand’s name?
We came up with “Jaydu” as a way of combining the names of my first three grandkids, which all start with ‘Jay’. The second part of the name comes from my youngest daughter. Combining these names felt like a great way to keep the business centred around the family.
What materials do you use?
We use many different textiles, depending on what our clients want. But, we try to use recycled and sustainable fabrics, such as hemp, Piñatex, or Rewoven materials. We also focus on upcycling in our production process, which means refashioning garments and trying to use offcuts and deadstock that would otherwise go to waste.
How do you minimise your waste?
We produce in small batches and make to order. This way, we don’t have excess stock or textile waste. We also save all of our offcuts. We’re constantly trying to find new ways to use our waste and create new products.
Why do your employees work from home?
As most of our staff are women, and many of them are mothers, we wanted to give them the flexibility to care for their families while still being able to earn a living. This has become a very efficient system, especially since the pandemic. We are also situated in a volatile and dangerous area in Cape Town, and we didn’t want our workers to feel unsafe when coming to work.
How do you work to empower your local community?
Our factory is based in Seawinds in the Cape Flats. When starting this business, we also wanted to create jobs and opportunities for the community to alleviate crime and unemployment. We offer skills training to young, aspiring seamstresses and designers. We also have weekly art and craft sessions for the youth and children in the community.
Can you tell us more about Jaydu Creations’ non-profit organisation, Smart Kingdom Kids Academy (SKKA)?
Problems of crime, unemployment, and drug abuse are all too common in Seawinds. I started Smart Kingdom Kids Academy in 2016 as part of Jaydu Creations’ social upliftment scheme. From the beginning, Jaydu was more than just a business. I wanted to continue being able to help my community, and so, SKKA became an official non-profit organisation. SKKA creates a creative and stimulating environment for children to learn, grow and expose themselves to new skills. We donate some of the proceeds from Jaydu Creations directly to the organisation.
What plans do you have for the future of Jaydu Creations?
The future holds exciting new plans. As the pandemic eases and our economy recovers, we started the new year running. We’re hoping to expand our ranges by making new designs. We also want to improve our marketing strategies and business acumen.
- Images supplied
- To find out more, head over to the Jaydu Creations website
- Jaydu Creations was a Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards 2021 finalist in the CMT or Manufacturer Award category
