The Capitec handmadeAFRICA festive market at Oxford Parks hosted over 50 designers from across the continent over the weekend. During the event, four new designers entered the South African stage for the first time. These include: Dye Lab, Sari For Change, Xammi Namibia and Crispy Skateboards. They each brought something unique and authentically African to the country, celebrating its cultural diversity and people through their products.
Specialising in traditional artisanal hand-dyed textile techniques, Nigerian fashion veteran, Rukky Ladoja founded Dye Lab in 2020. Cloth indigenous to the Yoruba community of Nigeria is made from batik wax, whereafter the techniques of Àdìre make it into contemporary products.
The label’s iconic signature product is a modern twist on the traditional Nigerian garment, Agbaba. It now contains whimsical, colourful prints, with each piece being hand-designed, hand-dyed and handmade.
Ladoja says: “Dye Lab was born of a vision to create a global brand that championed local resources in every aspect of its value chain – from textile sourcing to design techniques and production.”
Today, the brand focuses on incorporating local resources and local talent to deliver their end product of silhouettes that are flattering to all women.
Melody Rohlfs launched Xammi Namibia in 2023, and it is taking the continent by storm. Her company revolves around sculpting feminine forms and wombs in abstract ways. She does this to honour the collective female as life-givers and nurturers of the planet.
Paying homage to her birthplace of Namibia, Rohlfs captures its remarkable diversity in her creations. She does this by using a variety of textures, earth tones, geological features and intertwining different types of clay.
Sari For Change modernises the upcycling of saris into innovative garments like kimonos, jackets and dresses. The brand prioritises reducing waste and preserving the essence of heritage textiles.
Additionally, Sari For Change has upskilled 120 women in sewing and business skills, which has impacted 240 families and saved 15 000 saris from landfill waste.
Garreth van Niekerk, Creative Director of handmadeAFRICA says: “This is why we are so excited to have Sari for Change on board – their purpose is so closely aligned to the communities we aim to support.”
Last but not least, a local father and his three sons founded Crispy Skateboards in 2019, with the vision of creating handmade, premium skateboards. The surface of the skateboards transform into a canvas for artworks by prominent South African artisans.
The skateboards are either made for skating or collectible art deck. The company is also involved in outreach programmes that sponsor local skaters and community organisations such as Girl Skate South Africa.
Van Niekerk says they have been “bowled over by the positive response [they’ve] had from designers since the first edition of Capitec handmadeAFRICA, and are proud to be able to say that each and every one of the brands showcasing their exquisite products upholds [their] vision to bring the continent’s best ethically and sustainably produced contemporary design to South Africa.”
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