Style and chic is in the bag with trendy handbags
It’s time to strap on these fashion items, writes Nontando Mposo
ANEW bag is a great basic for updating your wardrobe this winter. From backpacks to bucket and shopper bags, there are a number of options that are trendy, distinctively African statement pieces that can be carried in all seasons. Here are two local brands that are proving to be popular: The brand “Okapi” is named after the elusive antelope, otherwise known as the “African Unicorn”. Its latest “Icons campaign” celebrates the modern woman. Cape Town-based Hanneli Rupert speaks to us about her brand.
Tell us about yourself?
I am the founder and creative director of Okapi and the African concept store Merchants on Long (Street). I trained as a painter, which I pursued professionally for several years before launching Okapi and Merchants on Long.
What inspired you to get into the bags and accessories business?
I have always been engaged in creative professions. With regards to Okapi, the ethos behind the brand is multifaceted. I wanted to support sustainable industry, skills development and job creation in Africa from locally sourced materials. I think it is also very important for the world to see that African luxury is indeed possible and available.
Tell us about your latest collection, the “Icons campaign”?
The Icons campaign was created as a way to celebrate existing Okapi clientele – creative, independent, successful women who are icons in their field.
How would you define the Okapi brand?
The vision behind Okapi is to produce luxurious, artisanal handbags and accessories entirely handmade in South Africa from locally sourced materials, a simple approach to creating honest and sustainable job opportunities and skills growth locally.
Every element of an Okapi bag is entirely traceable, sustainable and ethically sourced. Wherever possible we choose to work by hand and place a particular emphasis on nature conservation throughout the production process.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I am inspired by the natural world around me. The majority of Okapi’s materials are organic and come from bi-products. I look at the materials available to me and then design around them to bring out the best aspects of their natural beauty.
Describe the “Okapi Bag” customer?
The “Okapi Bag” customer is independent and successful. She has an interest in owning something with a unique meaning which will grow with her over time. It appeals to a sophisticated consumer who cares more about what goes into the product than the logo and wants something authentic, timeless and of good quality.
What advice would you give those interested in getting into the industry?
You have got to believe in yourself and your brand. Listen to what other people have to say, but know who you are and what you want. Set your goal and work towards that and don’t change that. Also, take time to reflect on your goal. It’s very easy to get distracted and go down the wrong path.
Okapi is available online at www.okapi.com and at Merchants on Long in Cape Town. The price range starts at R1750. Khula Wear is a wearable art label featuring up-and-coming South African artists on handbags.
Van Erven founded the brand over a year ago when she moved from The Netherlands to Joburg. Produced by a small manufacturer in Cape Town, the collection of unisex bags is called “I am a piece of art” and includes shoppers, satchels, holdalls, carryalls, laptop bags, and backpacks. The bags display artworks by photographers and painters Anastasia Pather, Kwanele Mboso, Audrey Anderson, Tanisha Bhana and David Theron.
Tell us about yourself
It all started with a chance meeting at a Cape Town café through an introduction by a mutual friend on another continent. Bregtje “Bee” Cals and I met for coffee and it changed our lives.
Also, moving to South Africa three years ago I founded 1GIANTleap – a start-up incubator in Joburg focusing on aspiring entrepreneurs and, as a result of these experiences, the idea for Khula was born.
How did start Khula Bags – and why bags?
I felt the need and desire to give a voice to the alternative narrative expressed in the artworks of South African artists – providing a canvas for their work, a “voice” for their stories and providing additional income for the artists with an honest share of the sale of each bag.
How do you go about selecting the artists you work with?
This is a very intuitive process: we visit art galleries, exhibitions and studios, and we fall in love with an artwork. We know we are in love because we are captured by it, mesmerised.
The artist shows a piece of his or her soul by showcasing their work, and when that resonates with you, you almost certainly have a personal connection.
How many artists are involved in the project?
At the moment five artists. Painter David Theron is inspired by the meeting point of art and science, and capturing 3D onto a 2D canvas; photographer Tanisha Bhana is fascinated by human and nature decay, and beautifully portrays the eternal cycle of birth-death-rebirth; photographer Kwanele Mboso portrays everyday situations in the Joburg inner-city in an abstract way, emphasising the beauty of the inner-city life through a play with light and shadows; illustrator Audrey Anderson captures Newtown situations and changes within that area, and fingerpainter Anastasia Pather dives into topics of gender equality and the reversal of gender roles, while symbolising Joburg as a city of gold through the use of gold leaf.
Is the project sustainable?
It is. Local production is difficult and expensive, but we believe we can reignite the local industry and hold on to our vision.
So far we have sold 2 000 bags in one year (the first collection was produced in March 2015), and for the next collection we're expecting to produce another 3 000 bags.
Furthermore, we sell in about 50 retail stores in northern Europe, one in New York, and about 10 in South Africa.
Describe the “Khula Wear” customer?
The Khula customer is an art-lover and craves uniqueness and originality. More than just a love for the artwork and the bag, they feel they can express a part of themselves through the brand, and want to belong to a community of like-minded individuals.
What advice would you give those interested in getting into the industry?
I would tell them, just start. I run a startup incubator (1GIANTLeap) through which I mentor start-up entrepreneurs on a daily basis. And even though we support entrepreneurs in the IT (Web/App) and Green Innovation (solar lighting, etc) sectors, a start-up is a start-up. It takes a lot of persistence to grow an idea from merely a concept into an enterprise, and incredible amounts of work.
And contrary to popular belief, it’s not just the brilliance of your idea that determines whether or not you’ll be successful. And when people tell you that your idea is impossible to realise, rather than arguing with them, you put your head down and work very hard to make it possible.
What would be your ultimate goal for the Khula brand?
The ultimate vision is to make art accessible to everyone, anywhere.
To change the perception of South Africa and Joburg in particular, to showcase its talent and its beauty. We also hope to create lots of jobs in the manufacturing industry: so far we have helped create eight jobs via our Cape Town manufacturer, all women from the townships in Cape Town, with the potential to create many more.
Where can people buy a Khula Wear bag?
The bags are available via our online store www.khulawear.com. We do ship globally.
Cape Town: The Brom well in Woodstock.
Joburg: Nonna in Parkhurst, Ingenuity in Monte casino, M’pho Art gallery in The Zone in Rose bank, Maria McCloy at Workshop New town, Antsy at Market on Main, and Fine Living by David Muirhead in Sand ton
Social media: Instagram: @khulawear, Facebook: K hula, website: www.khulawear.com