Growing up between a rural location near the Valley of a Thousand Hills and Hammarsdale, a township west of Durban where books and resources were limited, Samkelisiwe Mhlongo-Setshedi became a maker. Her innate creativity and fascination with design defined her childhood and eventually led her to create slow fashion bag brand St Reign.
Samkelisiwe meticulously created clothes for her doll collection and by the time she reached Grade 8, she was crocheting, crafting tops and skirts. It was the judgement of her high school peers that made Samkelisiwe temporarily set aside her hobby. “Of course, the high school kids were mean and said crochet was such a ‘grandma’ thing to do so I stopped doing it at school,” Samkelisiwe recalls.
Her late aunt Flo played a pivotal role in Samkelisiwe’s creative development by introducing her to magazines like True Love, Bona, and Elle. It was through these publications that she discovered design. Growing up surrounded by women who were makers and crafters further fuelled her curiosity.
“Design was a natural thing for me to be curious about because I grew up around women who were makers and crafters. My mom, Thembi, was a hair salon owner. She would enter hair competitions and created these amazing elaborate sculptural hairstyles with wool. And, my grandmother always mended clothes,” Samkelisiwe says. These influences continue to inspire her work.
Design was a natural thing for me to be curious about because I grew up around women who were makers and crafters
Samkelisiwe pursued a career in fashion, and her fascination with bags led her to explore leather craft. To her, bags represent functional art, providing an expansive canvas for creative expression while remaining practical and portable. Leather, as a material, captivated her with its versatility. In leather craft, Samkelisiwe discovers new possibilities with each creation. All St Reign bags are made using ethically sourced and local leathers.
Beyond leather dyeing, Samkelisiwe has ventured into decorative techniques such as weaving and patchwork. In her efforts to minimise waste, she transforms leftover leather scraps into woven or patchwork designs. Currently, Samkelisiwe is exploring wet leather moulding, pushing the boundaries of the material to create moulded shapes.
When asked what feeds her creativity, Samkelisiwe cites three essential elements: God, solitude, and rest. She finds inspiration in prayer during creative blocks and spends time alone to fuel her imagination and to make space for new ideas to flourish. Rest plays a vital role too, as she finds that taking breaks from work and allowing herself to recharge leads to renewed creativity.
When asked about what feeds their creativity, Samkelisiwe cites three essential elements: God, solitude, and rest
Samkelisiwe’s accomplishments extend beyond her recognition at Design Indaba 2020 and status as a 2022 Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards finalist. In 2021, she was invited to participate in the Future of Fashion Indaba by Rewoven, where she showcased alongside esteemed designers like Lukhanyo Mdingi. She also received nominations for the Fashion Industry Awards SA as Accessory Designer of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. Additionally, St Reign debuted at Mozambique Fashion Week in collaboration with designer and creative, Fikile Sokhulu.
Looking ahead, Samkelisiwe is excited about her upcoming projects. This year, she is exploring fabric bags – using deadstock, and thrifted fabrics. “A few years ago, a friend introduced me to thrifting and Instagram marketing Since then, I noted that no matter how many thrifted items we buy and wear, there is always going to be more available because we still live in a society that loves consuming ‘stuff’ and maybe we need to find other ways to use them.”
No machine, no matter how advanced can replace work done by the human hand
Samkelisiwe is also currently working on a travel range, with a focus on crafting high-quality weekend bags. “Everyone needs a good quality travel bag, and this is not a purchase that you make often. So, I want to offer those well-made, value-for-money travel bags that you can use for a lifetime or pass down to your kid. Leather gets better with age and use as well so I look forward to seeing customer’s purchases years from now as they take pictures on their travels,” she says.
Recognising the significance of preserving age-old leather crafting techniques like the saddle stitch, Samkelisiwe emphasises the value of passing down these skills to future generations. “For every craft, we must pass it down to the next generation because even though society keeps evolving, nothing will replace handcrafting,” she says. “Trusted techniques and methods of crafting can never be outdated, they will always be relevant because we are always going to need craft. No machine, no matter how advanced can replace work done by the human hand.”
Samkelisiwe Mhlongo-Setshedi, founder of local handcrafted leather accessories, St Reign
