Design Indaba 2015
Cape Wools SA provided a platform for South African Designers working in wool, to exhibit at the Design Indaba Expo, during the past week. The expo forms part of the Design Indaba conference, held annually in Cape Town for the past ten years and aims to put young design talent in contact with overseas buyers and media, whom are attending the conference held in the Cape Town Convention Centre during February.
“Design Indaba inspires and empowers people to create a better future through design and creativity. Design Indaba has become a respected institution on the global creative landscape, based on the foundation of our annual Festival that has attracted and showcased the world’s brightest talent since 1995. We have broadened our through-the-year offering with our online design publication that features the best of the world’s creativity and attracts over half a million visitors each year.”
South African Merino wool is produced according to a strict Code of Best Practice and the Merino mark is the consumers guarantee of buying the best quality wool. Designers are encouraged to work with wool and use it in their existing design fields, to broaden their product ranges and discover the particular properties that make the fibre work for them. The expo offers them a chance to show these products to prospective buyers and media representatives.
The designers
1. Ronel Jordaan Felt, with The Lalibela pouf: Outer made from 100% merino wool 21 Micron -Hand felted.
Inner 100% polyester made from recycled plastic bottles(PET)
2. Krafthaus
“Individual pieces are made from pure Merino. The quantity of layers of combed wool determines the thickness of the product. Soft Lambswool is used preferably when the product comes close to the skin and blended with Mohair, the soft drape and sheen becomes a delicate and luxurious fabric with a crinkle-like texture.”
3. Tamara Cherie Dyson, Young Designer Award 2011 Winner, Elle Rising Star Africa 2014 Winner; “A luxury women’s ready-to-wear brand showcasing discreet indulgence through carefully considered design, an underlying minimalistic approach, and a flawless aesthetic”.
4. Hendrik Vermeulen Couture; currently showing at NY and Milan fashion week.
5. Karoo Moon, Hand spun wool yarn and decor product “ A simple desire, by mother and daughter team to empower the single mothers and widows amongst their staff by teaching them the art of wool-spinning, evolved into buzzing home industry, a sought after pure wool product and the birth of a family business”
6. Casamento Furniture; “We produce furniture that we love to sit on, lie on, live on.. products full of ideas and inspirationnature, music and ethnicities play a large role in what we create. “
6. Hinterveld Merino wool accessories; ‘Sierra Wool Shawl, A combination of contemporary design and African flair in 80% Merino Wool and 20% Kid Mohair.”
7. Cowgirlblues fine Merino accessories and yarn, ‘Cowgirlblues is a Cape Town-based dye house and design studio specializing in wool and mohair. We take a hands on approach to manufacturing our signature products, each of which is individually crafted, using a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques. Our natural raw materials come from animals reared sensitively and sustainably on Karoo farms. Products are finished and dyed by hand in our Cape Town studio. And all of our materials are handled, touched, held, worked, softened and coaxed into their final form.”
8. Colourspun natural wool yarns
9. African Expressions, commercially spun wool yarn; “African Expressions was born from the desire for Africa to share her natural beauty with the rest of the world. Through our unique range of yarns we express the essence of that which makes Africa magical. Our network of local farmers breed stock bearing excellent fibres to ensure our yarns are naturally soft to the touch, easy to knit and luxuriously versatile. Our farmers enjoy a close and special relationship with their herd and the animals enjoy a life unsurpassed, ensuring the production of a better quality of natural fibre for the benefit of all lovers of knitting.”
10. Core Merino performance wear, High performance garments made from South African Merino wool.
11. Naturelle wool beds; “We are South Africa’s premier manufacturer and retailer of 100% wool and natural fibre mattresses, bedding and baby bedding products. We pride ourselves on offering unique, affordable and luxurious beds and bedding. Wool is the most complex fibre on earth and the best in the world to sleep on and under. It is safer, longer lasting, hypo-allergenic, more breathable and luxurious than any other synthetic alternative.”
12. Aranda textiles, “With over 61 years of experience, Aranda Textile Mills offers the market’s highest quality blankets. We offer a selection of blankets and throws ranging from classic designs to contemporary colours and patterns. Our craftsmanship, combined with a commitment to on-going product development, has enabled us to secure our place in the competitive global market. “
Wool facts:
Merino wool is a natural fibre and adapts to the temperature it is worn in. It repels odours and dirt and
the modern wool garments are washable and easy care. The fibre is tota”y biodegradable and the garment wi” disintegrate completely once discarded, becoming part of the earth it was harvested %om. M erino wool is a renewable source and designers are now even making recycled wool items %om old, discarded clothing, making it even more eco-%iendly.
The global ‘Campaign for Wool’, as launched by The Prince of Wales in 2010, aims to create awareness about the finest fibre. S everal of the designers featured on the Cape Wools stand, take part in this campaign.
Result:
The Design Indaba Expo 2015 was well attended by a good mix of retail, media and general public from the higher LSM groups. The designers had many enquiries from visiting international fashion and decor buyers during the Buyer’s day on Thursday and hope to follow these up with orders. The ongoing publicity through Cape Wools SA, Campaign for Wools and the local media will be crucial to support their efforts. Young design student and school groups, visiting the stand on Friday, made contact with more established designers and were inspired by their work. They could also enquire about working with wool and where to find the raw materials they would need. There were also many students wanting to know more about career opportunities in the Wool industry.
Stand:
Lights provided by The Artisan; http://the-artisan.co.za/
Stand design and build by Deep Design; http://deepdesign.co.za/
Full size images and detailed information available from the designers or from Cape Wools SA (www.capewools.co.za) or Dalena White on merino@capewools.co.za