Every year Design Indaba Expo unleashes a fresh wave of creative talent on the world as new designers launch their brands at the event. You can almost measure the health of the South African creative industry by the number and quality of new exhibitors at the fair.
Design Indaba Expo 2015 is on track for a record number of new exhibitors. Last year, there were more than 500 exhibitors in total. We know negotiating all that beautiful stuff can be overwhelming so we present here a preview of newcomers to look out for.
In the jewellery sector, Durban-based jeweller Rollin Vintage showcases its bespoke pieces made from antique cutlery while Jess Gouws of Yellow Jewellery, who first showed her work as part of the Emerging Creatives programme, will dazzle visitors with her intricately crafted pieces.
Three new exhibitors making interesting work in the handmade sector are Mia Mélange, Afro Delft and Studio Famille. Mia Mélange makes hand-cast, silk-screened ceramics and cotton rope baskets while Afro Delft present its limited-edition tableware designed by Anna-Carien Goosen. The mother-and-daughter team behind Studio Famille will exhibit textile products and jewellery.
New in the fashion and accessories sector is Love, Africa Studio featuring the work of jewellery designer and self-taught graphic artist Friedel Harmsen.
Newbies to notice in the furniture and homeware sector are Leg Studios and The Block Shop.
Design Indaba Expo 2015 takes place at Cape Town International Convention Centre from 27 February to 1 March 2015.
Afro Delft
Pretoria-based Afro Delft produces limited-edition ranges of tableware featuring Anna-Carien Goosen’s original prints. The quirky designs, which are applied to the products by hand, are inspired by the humour of daily life in South Africa. The enamel tableware features images from the Afro Chic, Cosmonaut and Sun Bird ranges.
Leg Studios
Leg Studios has previously been known for its installation and exhibition designs but branches out with its LSD range of furniture smalls at the Expo. The locally manufactured pieces play with different substrates and textures, including laser-cut steels plated in bright polished copper, brass or dark chrome. The Art Deco-inspired Halōs table lamp pictured here shows the distinctive patterns that unite the collection.
Studio Famille
Mother-and-daughter team Carla Maxine Kruger and Isobel Sippel will be exhibiting under their design collective, Studio Famille. The luxury products include intricately detailed jewellery designed by Kruger and handmade textiles and soft furnishings by Sippel. Pictured are Kruger’s Sock necklace in sterling silver chainmail dip-plated in rose gold and one of Sippel’s shibori-dyed pure linen pillowcases.
Mia Mélange
Surface and textile designer Mia Danieli makes handcrafted products under her home décor label. The locally-manufactured products include hand-printed ceramics, cotton placemats and printed tea towels. Look out for Danieli’s hand-sewn cotton rope baskets, which offer a modern take on traditional woven baskets.
Yellow Jewellery
Jess Gouws, who was an Emerging Creative in 2014, designs experimental pieces that turn used objects into wearable art. Bullet shells, photo negatives and vintage clock gears are just some of the objects you’ll spot in her repurposed pieces. Pictured is the Star quartz barnacle ring in sterling silver.
The Block Shop
Husband-and-wife team Richard and Alice started creating bamboo blocks for their kitchen and now design and manufacture them locally for The Block Shop. The range of boards, which can be customised, serve different functions: snack platters with space for crackers on the side, a “dippy egg” board for kids or the carving board, which has a slight slope and channeling grooves to collect the juices.
Love, Africa Studio
Inspired by the free spirit of Africa, Friedel Harmsen has created a contemporary product range of fine art prints, accessories, jewellery and botanicals for Love, Africa Studio. She’ll be exhibiting products featuring her three series of designs: one inspired by the artist Pierneef, the other by botanicals (pictured) and the third by minerals.
