Proudly made in Africa
WORLD AFRICA DAY: LOCAL BRANDS THAT REFLECT OUR SPIRIT
We deliberately chose denim as a medium of expression because it has similar qualities to the African spirit and soul. Thato Matabane Founder of AfrikanSwiss
Celebrating the creativity of the continent through fashion and design.
With the world celebrating World Africa Day, what better way to show off the best of the continent than to embrace the local fashion brands that are changing the game and putting Africa on the map.
AFRIKANSWISS DENIM:
AfrikanSwiss founder and model Thato Matabane’s passion for design started in 2005 with reconstructing old, worn out jeans into denim jackets which he sold to friends and people in the neighbourhood.
Realising he had talent, he joined forces with self-taught designer and now brand director Bongani Mwale, who has worked with leading brands Ole and Loxion Kulture, to relaunch the concept of denim for contemporary trendy men and women.
“We deliberately chose denim as a medium of expression because it has similar qualities to the African spirit and soul,” said Matabane.
“Like the warp and weft that is denim, the African spirit withstands the test of time and can not be easily broken or torn apart.
“Through refinement, its true glory prevails.”
Their common mission being to celebrate Africa’s rich heritage and culture through the medium of denim, AfrikanSwiss has become a trendy brand for denim lovers and wearers.
Their recent collection celebrates the Khoisan people, who are believed to be the earliest inhabitants of Africa.
The lives of their ancestors are depicted in rock paintings across Africa.
THEO OF BATHU SNEAKERS:
Bathu is a proudly South African shoe brand established in 2015 by Theo Baloyi.
He worked on the concept for 18 months before officially launching the business in 2016.
“During those 18 months, I worked on the proof of concept, research and development, registering with all the authorities on factory approvals, quality controls etc.”
Taking inspiration from his upbringing, he chose the name Bathu, a slang word mainly used in townships to refer to a shoe.
After leaving a corporate nine to five job as an accountant in the United Arab Emirates, Baloyi discovered his entrepreneurial calling.
“During my travels I used to buy a lot of unique, limited editions sneakers. This led me to the realisation that there was no prominent sneaker brand from Africa,” Baloyi said.
“This sparked the idea to start Bathu shoes, but I didn’t want to import sneakers. I wanted to design and manufacture them locally.”
The concept was to tell South African stories through unique sneaker designs. “Our aim is to build a shoe brand which Africans can proudly affiliate with.
“Our design was inspired by the trend for colourful socks which was going on in 2015.”
Influenced by that trend, Baloyi and his team set out to create a trendy, comfortable and affordable shoe that could compete with global sneaker brands. You can buy online (www.bathu.co.za) or call 071-854-7323
HERITAGE LEGACY:
Dynamic duo Phenyo Seleka and Lerato Bogopa of handwoven bag range, Heritage Legacy, are inspired by appreciation for the vast range of African craftwork that has existed for centuries.
Their different bag names and ranges are inspired by tradition, culture and biological inheritance.
The Will bag represents inheritance from one person to another. The Whirl bag symbolises continuity in a round spiral form.
The Lineage bag represents
the continuation of DNA through species.
The bags are created from cream-coloured mokolwane tree branches. The branches are handpicked carefully to ensure that the indigenous plant is not damaged. Then the roots, leaves and bark are pounded using a kika
le motshe (pestle and mortar) to make different coloured dyes.
The dyes are transferred to the mokolwane branches through a boiling process that ensures that the coloration is permanent and does not run or rub off.
The branches are then left to dry for a day before weaving commences and different patterns are woven into the bags which are stitched together.