Everywhere you go there is a unique trend or fashion item you can mainly find in a specific country. For place like the US may will say smock dresses and black heels were a popular trend at some point. Argentina gave us leather jackets and evening rompers while Japan gave us wide legged trousers and flat sandals. Places like South Africa on the other hand don’t just follow or create fashion trends, they also offer the world clothing, accessories and other items that are manufactured in the country as well.
In the 17th century, he first Dutch settlers in South Africa crafted the first Khoisan inspired footwear. The shoe was first made from vegetable-tanned leather. What we now know as the Veldskoen or Vellies became a favourite for many classes and it was worn by farmers and safari guides. Brand such as Sapmok make a variety of designs of this shoe, from trendy to traditional and designer type styles. These shoes are exceptionally made for both men and women with a variety of colours makes.
There are various hats or headgear you can find in South Africa and many, like the Isicholo which is worn by Zulu women, are influenced by culture. Established in 1935, the brand Mary and Simon follows a more vintage and contemporary way of headpiece designs made by well-oiled machinery from the 1960s. With designs that are suitable for both men and women you can choose hats that cater for a western, safari, hemp and leather ensemble, to mention a few.
Inga Gubeka is a South African designer known for his company Indalo Décor which is widely known for its unconventional and creative use of wood where items such as backpacks, purses, clutches, phone accessories and other décor items are created. Gubeka chose wood for these items because he wanted to create a product that is not only appealing but also one that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The word “Indalo” is from Zulu origin and it means nature. The bags, purses, clutches and accessories are not only made from wood but also leather and they have become wearable pieces of art that every person in the limelight might want to try.
We’ve looked into shoes, hats and accessories, now we talk furniture. This seems like a wide stretch and we should be looking into the fashion aspect of things but what is not fashionable about a wood piece from Pinda by Siyanda Mbele? These pieces show a tribute to tribal carvings that are inspired by different South African cultures. The pieces feature prints and patterns from carvings inspired by the Ndebele, Zulu and Venda cultures and they also have modern day patterns.
Another worthy souvenirs you can look into are porcelain jewellery pieces from Nina Bosch, laptop sleeves from Wren Design and sleepwear from Home Time. Nina Bosch offers handmade earrings, necklaces and bracelets with creative organic shapes dazzled with a touch of gold splashes in some pieces. Wendren Setzer on the other hand creates interestingly designed items such as laptop sleeves, handbags and shopping bags from biodegradable products. Wren Design has a sustainable approach to the production of their items and Setzer achieves this by making use of coffee bean bags, treated paper and PPC cement bags. Kim Saunders and Nicky Franklin figured out that quality plus cotton equals prolonged comfortable bedtime when they launched the local PJ and loungewear brand Home Time in 2013. Their comfortable ensembles including trousers, strap tops and sleepwear are guaranteed to give you comfort while you sleep or simply lounge about.
Another exciting brand you can easily feel enticed towards, especially if you are a skincare fanatic or if you are all about self-worth is Wass. The Cape Town based brand offers a wide range of skincare products that are natural and season specific. So, if you feel like you need a detoxifying body balm in the spring or a hydrating mandarin lip balm best suitable for use in the crisp winter season you should choose a brand that hand makes, hand pours and labels their own products. Most of us feel better knowing that the products we are using are not tested on animals, and that they are not polluted with chemicals and toxins. If that is what you need in a product then Wass guarantee to deliver on your needs and wants for skincare.
South Africa is known for unique cuisine but what about the dessert and other taste bud ticklers such as wines? Esona not only has a beautiful boutique estate where they make their unique wines, they also make the most visually appealing bottles you can find. The estate offers its enthusiastic guests a tasting room with a deli and somewhat of a quiet day of playing on your taste buds with the winery’s finest collection. Still on drinks, Pienaar and Son takes you into a world of quality spirits with a local flavour, crafted by the father and son duo who built their gin empire on greatness. The gin is made from South African grown and harvested maize and it is also infused with citrus. They also have what they call the Orient gin which contains vanilla and mandarin orange. Additionally, the distillery promises a tour and tasting if you ask nicely (by appointment that is).
The icing on the toffee flavoured cake rounds up our tour with sweet toffee pieces from Darling Sweets. This brand is famous for their sweet tooth sensation, handcrafted toffee. If you have only had the traditional toffee and craved for a different taste to it you might want to try their bird’s eye chilli, red wine, chocolate or sour fig flavours and yes, we are still talking about toffee. They also offer honey and toffee spread and their promise to us is that their products have no artificial colorants, flavouring and preservatives.
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