Top Picks for a Proudly South African Christmas
Tag: Proudly South African
Proudly South African Christmas Gift Guide
It’s that time of year again (I cant quite believe it), to round up some of my favourite finds for Kids this Festive Season. You are guaranteed to always find a focus on open-ended, educational toys up on my blog, with a few good old superheros chucked in (because, boys…..). This year I feel it’s even more important however, to focus on our beautiful array of talent here in South Africa. To support proudly South African entrepreneurs and my goodness, we have a huge amount of talent and creativity in our country.
I’ve divided my gift guide into 3 different articles this year, Local, educational and good old “off the shelf” items.
Lets Kick off with our Proudly South African Stuff:
From top left to right:
I’ve made no secret about my love for Thornewood treasures, we have the rainbow stackers, the rainbow peg dolls and next up on my wish list is the incredible rocker. The benefits of rockers are endless and in the pre-school years development is key! They are perfect for rainy days indoors and add in an extra element of fun to any play! From R1300
Dovetail Studio is another one of our favourites and Ang knows the way to my heart! This exquisite sensory table is sure to last a lifetime, but the best part is you can cover the basins to covert it into a functional table as well! R1890h
I feel like I’ve been a part of Charlie Loves Studio right from the start and the pieces just keep getting better and better. This Christmas these gorgeous “My twinkle tot” dolls need to be on your wishlist! R225.
I’m living my best “engineer” life with Stumped Toys, seriously these are the kind of gifts my dad would adore. They have a fantastic range of wooden toys, but my absolute favourite has to be the “Knock a Block” set. You can choose from a starter or bumper version depending on your budget and let your little builders create away! From R335
No Christmas would be complete without a customised stocking from the incredible “Little Banner Company”. No only are you supporting one of the nicest people I know, Claire’s creativity is endless. From bunting to tree decorations, check out her awesome selection. Customised Stockings start from R220.
Busy Books are my thing, I adore them, I really do appreciate the time and investment it takes to create them but my goodness some of them are super pricey. We have been loving our Hedgehog Busy Book from Mums Palette and it is the perfect addition to any holiday bag or trip and it’s the most affordable one I’ve seen! Busy Book from R550.
Calico Ceramics make the cutest DIY Painting Kits for children to paint and play. These would make the perfect stocking filler or table gift for Christmas Dinner (my mum always bought us little gifts for our side plates). R230
Imagine Play has the most beautiful range of open ended wooden toys, I found it impossible to choose just one. Top of my list are these “Village Dwelling” houses (R425) and these “Bright Roller” Sets (R950).
No gift list would be complete without these “Gem stackers” from Liv Bespoke. I’ve seen them all over instagram and I adore how they add in an extra element to traditional building blocks, that and they are just so pretty! At just R220 they are pretty on your pocket, and on your playroom shelf!
Imagine Play has the most beautiful range of open ended wooden toys, I found it impossible to choose just one. Top of my list are these “Village Dwelling” houses (R425) and these “Bright Roller” Sets (R950).
Land of Lark – Probably the most expensive item on my wishlist for the kids this year, but my gosh, would you just look at it! This Wooden “Pop-up Playhouse” is absolutely incredible. With all its gears and levers its such a great addition for any playroom. R3900 (Check out their Ndebele Birchwood house while you’re at it).
They also have the cutest range of play-mats in bonded leather which are great for messy play and crafts. My favourite is the Africa Play-Mat for hours of adventuring fun! R1980
That’s it for my South African round up! Stay tuned for the next 2 days for my educational and more commercial gift guides! I still cant get over the talent we have here in South Africa. Everyone goes on about “Nordic” designs etc, but honestly here in South Africa, the quality is incredible!
Support local this year and let’s rebuild our economy together!
Bring On The Clean – With Housewife’s Cleaning Products
Let’s face it, lockdown has pretty much brought out the inner “Martha Stewart” in us all. Whether its baking, cleaning or DIY-ing, we have all focused on things we usually wouldn’t have time to do ourselves. For a large portion of South African’s, that includes cleaning.
Now more then ever we are more focused on keeping things clean and hygienic, with an uncertain economy we are all more cost conscious but we also need to focus on supporting local. Enter Housewife’s Cleaning Products. A proudly South African brand that produces a full range of cleaning products, from a braai and grill cleaner, all the way through to a “spot stain remover”. It’s a proven fact that cleaning helps to curb anxiety, and with products that are so affordable, we can all get in on it!
I was sent the range to review pre-lockdown and over the past 40 days, I have been testing them throughout my home. There are a few “hero” products in the range that I would certainly recommend to anyone who is unsure where where to start.
Firstly the super economical, lemon scented, Housewife’s Dishwashing liquid, compares strongly to leading brands. Trust me, my sink has been used multiple times a day throughout this period and I have really been impressed with how long this lasted. The Thick Bleach is another winner and I use it on my toilets and down the drains to keep them fresh and deodorised. The Multi Purpose Cleaner is a fantastic all round surface cleaner and I have been using this on counter tops and bathroom basins. Our floors have been mopped daily (actually sometimes multiple times a day) with both the Floor and Tile Cleaner as well as the Pine Gels (my favourite being the lavender).
Pine Gel has a bit of a “bad rep” in South Africa, for being a “cheaper” or a more “low budget” cleaning product, but I challenge this. When diluted to the right ratio, it creates a wonderful floor cleaning agent with minimum wastage and no residue and is an incredibly versatile multi-purpose cleaner. Housewife’s pine gel creates a wonderful foam, which for some reason always leaves me with a sense of satisfaction. Talking about floors, Housewife’s Carpet Cleaner is also on my #itsrecommends list.
Lastly, I also highly recommend the Grill and Braai Cleaner, having tested this on my most stubborn, grease riddled grills. Leave them to soak overnight and in the morning you’ll have a grill that looks new!
Overall, I have largely been impressed with this extensive range of cleaning products, seriously, they literally have every room and every appliance in your house covered. They even offer a range of luxury hand wash and bubble bath, so after burning all those calories cleaning, treat yourself to some me time with a bubble bath!
Housewife’s cleaning products are available through selected retailers, including Spar, PicknPay and OK Stores.
GIVEAWAY
I’m giving away a full range of Housewife’s cleaning products for you to try out yourself! Head on over to my Instagram page, and make sure you are following Housewife’s on social media to enter!
Love Local – Meet Lauren From Natralogic
A while ago I featured on my instagram stories the most amazing, vegan friendly, organic, pregnancy safe cosmetic products from Natralogic. All proudly made in South Africa. I can honestly say I have been using Natralogic for a little over a month now and I’m slightly obsessed. In fact, as bad as it sounds, I can’t get over the fact that something of such high quality and “prestige” is literally manufactured in our own back yard! That’s a whole different story however, and in a few weeks when I post my review of the range I’ll be launching a giveaway to go with it. Whether you are pregnant or not, trust me, this is not a giveaway you’ll want to miss out on, so keep your eyes locked on my page ๐
For now I want to tell you more about Lauren’s journey in creating Natralogic. I’ve said it before but motherhood opened my eyes to a hugely creative, influential community of strong powerhouse mama’s. They continue to inspire me and push me further everyday and Lauren’s story is no different. So read on to see how she went about starting this incredible range, and what her plans are for the future. I hope her story inspires you to go out there and achieve your dreams, it is possible!
Tell me more about yourself and what you currently do?
I was born in Cape Town but was raised and schooled in Durban. I attended the University of KwaZulu-Natal and after qualifying, I began a career in the cosmetic industry as a formulation chemist. I currently work as a Consulting Cosmetic Research and Development Chemist with a cosmetic manufacturer in Durban. I have been with my husband Donald for 15 years and we have been married for 8 years. We have a 4-year old son, Connor, and live in Hillcrest, Durban.
ย How did โNatralogicโ come about?
When I became pregnant with Connor, I became very discouraged in trying to find safe and effective skincare products to use during my pregnancy. The majority of products available in South Africa for pregnant mothers contained harmful ingredients that are not recommended for use during pregnancy as they have been associated with miscarriage, bleeding complications, congenital disabilities, disruption in foetal growth and some are known carcinogens. The limited natural products that I could find were mostly just thick oils and balms that made me feel so sticky and hot, which as you know isnโt ideal during pregnancy, and did not have sufficient concentration levels of active ingredients to be effective. Being involved in the skincare industry, I was fortunate to be able to develop products to use during my pregnancy, which I made sure contained only the safest, most effective natural ingredients. This then inspired me to launch Natralogic, South Africaโs first all-natural skincare range developed specifically for the needs of pregnant women, with the intention of helping other moms feel empowered and at ease over their pregnancy skincare choices.
What did you study โ was it in this field or something different?
I hold a Master’s Degree in Pure and Applied Chemistry from the University of KwaZulu-Natal where I graduated with several Certificates of Merit and Deans Commendations. I also hold a 2-year Diploma in Cosmetic Chemistry from the Society of Cosmetic Science South Africa where I graduated top in the country and received the Norman Sanan Award for most innovative product design. During my studies, I also published several articles in peer review Journals including the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics and the Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Review. My Master’s thesis at the time of publication was also considered to be a viable cure for cancer.
Whilst my Diploma in Cosmetic Chemistry is very specific to my field, my Masterโs Degree in Pure and Applied Chemistry is probably more suited to pharmaceutical research and development. This Masterโs Degree has however given me a greater understanding of how various cosmetic ingredients interact with each other, resulting in high quality formulations, and at what levels these ingredients become effective or harmful to the human body.
What was your first job and how did you progress to this?
ย When I finished University, my first job was as a laboratory technician which wasn’t very challenging and at times extremely tedious. It was always my dream to work in the cosmetics industry and in 2011 I was lucky to find a job with a cosmetic manufacturer in Durban. I have since left that company and currently work as a Consulting Cosmetic Research and Development Chemist with another cosmetic manufacturer in Durban. Over the years I have been involved with the formulation and manufacturing of some of South Africaโs leading brands including, Woolworths, Lil-Lets, Clicks, Sorbet, Oh So Heavenly, Island Tribe and The Tan Lab to name a few.
Whatโs the best part of your job?
I know this may sound really cheesy, but the best part of my job really is being able to do what I love. I love cosmetic products and more importantly, I love developing and creating new and innovative products. Also, having been fortunate enough to work with so many leading brands, it is uncommon for me to meet a woman who hasnโt used at least one of the products I developed and I find it very rewarding to have been able to develop products that can improve and add value to peopleโs lives.
What have been the highlights of starting your own business?
Seeing my passion actually materialising into something real. When I started this journey 4 years ago it was my dream to develop a product which was truly the best at what it was formulated to do. At times I was ready to throw in the towel and give up, but somehow everything seemed to come together in the end, and for me, that sense of achievement has made everything worthwhile.
What is the most challenging part?
They say that the three most stressful things in life are getting married, building a house, and getting a divorce. Iโve already done the first two and hopefully never do the third, but I would have to say starting a business is probably the next item on that list. Getting things up and running required a lot of time which is something I had very little of while working full-time and being a mother to a newborn baby. But like everything else on that list (except divorce) it has been all worth it in the end.
Describe a typical day in your life.
I get up in the morning, get Connor ready for school, head off to work, pick Connor up 5:00 pm from his Nanaโs house, make him dinner, feed him, bath him and get him ready for bed. After he is asleep my husband and I try to watch a little TV together and I try to get into bed by 9:30 pm (I need my 8 plus hours). Somewhere, somehow, I managed to fit Natralogic in between all of that. Luckily, I have some repose on the weekends which is then dedicated to family.
What are the โsecretsโ to your success?
ย I am not really sure if I would call Natralogic a โsuccessโ at this point. Weโve done well so far but there is still a long way to go. However, in every other aspect of my life, I have always strived to never accept anything but the best. Iโve applied this same principle to formulating Natralogic and this principle hasnโt let me down yet, but check back in a year or two and hopefully by then, I will have all the tips you need.
How do you balance being a mummy and starting your own business?
I know it may sound like I have everything worked out, but to be brutally honest, I donโt. My life is a chaotic whirlwind of commitments. However, I have found that it all really comes down to priorities. If you make something in your life a priority then you will always find the time. Fortunately for me I work on a contract basis so my days are somewhat flexible and I am always able to attend all the important events in Connorโs life. But when I am not with my family, I am formulating products for other leading brands, and when I am not doing that, I am squeezing in as much Natralogic time as possible. Donald has also been a huge help with the โbusinessโ side of Natralogic, a couple of times working until the early hours in the morning. I really could not have gotten this far without his support. My mom and dad are also a huge help with Connor and I am greatly indebted to them for all they do for me.
What is your dream for Natralogic?
ย To one day become a household name in SA for pregnant women.ย Right now, I honestly believe Natralogic to be the best quality, safest and most effective product available on the market for pregnant mothers. This range has more quality and safety certifications than the vast majority of any other brands available, both locally and internationally. We use only the safest natural and organic ingredients which have been chosen by a unique 7-step pharmaceutical grade ingredient selection process. I hope that one day all women realise the importance of using safe products on their skin, especially during pregnancy.
Any tips for people wanting to take the leap and start their own business?
Starting a new business is actually a bit like having a baby. Just like a baby it will keep you up at night, youโll spend all your extra cash on it and just when you think you have solved one problem, another problem will start. But it is important to persevere and just like having a baby I can guarantee you it is all worth it in the end.
Love Local – Kelly Ann from “Party Playdough”
The โlove localโ series focuses on local, proudly South African individuals, making waves in their
industries. Breaking boundaries, creating empires and being the best inspiration of locally produced/manufactured products.
Meet Kelly-Ann Gibbon. The founder and creator of “Party Playdough” is the beginning of an empire. Kelly-Ann creates unique party packs especially designed for childrens parties, as well as the cutest mixed-media/ educational playdough sets. She has won two awards through “MommyMall”, last year walking away with winning the “Mompreneuraward” and this year being awarded the “Naomi Butow Business Excellence Award”.
Read on below to find out more about Kelly Anne and her career journey thus farโฆ
Tell me more about yourself and what you currently do?
I am a full time working mom ๐ who loves her job. I qualified as an oral hygienist from the University of the Western Cape in 2005, and was awarded the Golden Key international Honours
society award. I really really loved studying and if I ever get the chance I would love to study dentistry. I work in private practice currently along side a dentist, we see clients everyday and provide great high quality service. Our clients are everything to us. I run a recall system which means I am responsible for recalling our patients on a regular basis to maintain their oral hygiene and healthy mouth all year round. So from 8-3pm I am a oral hygienist but then I magically transform to a mommy and playdough queen after working hours ๐ I love being active so I am quite sporty, I’ve run a handful of half marathons and love training. I also do pole dancing as a sport as well as sup boarding.
How did โParty Playdoughโ come about?
As a mom, I have catered and planned many parties for my kids. It’s lovely but there is a lot of
sugar that is involved in party planning. Professionally I am helping my clients avoid the effects
sugar can have on their teeth and I think it’s only fitting that I came up with a Sugar-free party
pack don’t you think ๐ It’s really a educational and fun twist to our usual sugary and unhealthy
sweetly loot bags we have so frequently handed out. I make handcrafted Playdough, specifically
tailored to your party theme. Glittery or plain, and in any colour under the sun ๐ I’m always up for
a colour challenge ๐ so far it’s been a beautiful journey. I pride myself on the fact that my dough is
NON toxic and super soft, with NO harmful preservatives or chemicals. I use a natural preservative
, being salt. So if your child takes a little bite out of their Playdough biscuit they so delicately created don’t stress please! Apart from Party Packs I supply mixed media sets too. These are Playdough sets with a theme attached to it. I have many, dinosaurs, silly spiders, under the sea etc. They have been a massive hit and I love creating new themes, currently I’m busy developing a few more which will blow your minds. These sets are aimed at imaginary, educational play, to inspire your child to explore and just have great fun all while improving their fine and gross motor skills.
What was your first job and how did you progress to this?
As most people, I started off as a waitress at spur ๐ I had to earn some extra moola and progressed to
more academically challenging environment as I realised I needed to further myself. As time passed I became incredibly interested with the idea of being in the dental industry and gravitated I
suppose to where I am today. I really love children and I enjoy my job.
What have been the highlights?
My highlights? There are many.. the birth of my business in 2015, winning the “Mompreneur
award” last year, this year being awarded the “Naomi Butow Business Excellence Award” at the
Cape Sun hotel. My online shop is active and I’m very proud of this development, thanks to my wonderful friend Nelia Smit who designed this for me!
Working hard and really being elevated by these awards surprises because it lifts my spirit to
continuously aim higher and work on my business ideas everyday!
Whatโs the best part of your job?
Best part….. hmmm.Thats a tricky one but I’d say I pour my heart and soul into my orders so when I get messages and pictures from very happy mommy’s and little customers I smile from ear to ear,
be a use their joy is my joy !
What is the most challenging part?
Time management is a big issue for me why are there only 24 hours in a day. Why cant a supplier
be open at 11pm when I run out if stock ๐
Describe a typical day in your life.
I feel horrible writing this, because my morning are chaotic but here we go.Wake up at 5:30am,
prep school clothes and lunch boxes, I then organize breakfast for everyone. (I’m addicted to tea so I’mprobably on my second cup by 6am ๐ ) get everyone up with their breakfasts waiting and inspire them to move it along…. eeeeek the clock is ticking….. I’m always stressing about traffic. Make myself semi decent and try remember to brush my hair. I’m always rocking a mommy bun, not sure I even know where my hair brush is? Fight traffic into town, start up my surgery, I see my first client at 8:15 am. I work straight through till 3pm and jump into the car to collect my monsters from school, juggling school meetings/sports practices/my business orders and queries in between all this chaos is hard, but some how I have mastered the task…. or at least I think I have. We eat a nice warm meal together every night, that quite important to me and discuss our days because if we don’t, I have no clue what is going on in their little lives. My kiddos go to bed at around 7:30pm and that when I start admin work, and my orders. It’s more often than not a very long day for me as I put my head down at 1am. It sounds more crazy than it actually is, I can’t imagine my day being any less hectic to any other mommy out there, but that’s my routine in a nutshell.
We love to break routine, there’s nothing more dangerous than getting stuck in it, so weekends we are All up.early, breathing in the fresh air, eating brekkie on the beach and catching some waves and sun rays, skate boarding or having adventures around us in our beautiful city, you only live once right?
What are the โsecretsโ to your success?
I sometimes wonder myself but if I carefully think about it, I’d have to say my passion and
dedication to my quality control because in my opinion, having handmade goods can either be a
success or just overlooked. I wanted my dough to really stand out and be special, something every
mom wants to order for their kids. I am quite particular with finer details so I focus on those as I
really feel it and it sets your product apart from the next one. My Playdough is Non-toxic and
handcrafted, specifically tailored for every order. I pride myself on high quality finishes and
beautifully packaged, to create a-wow- factor….
How do you balance being a wife, a mother, all while running a successful business?
So this has been a constant worry because there is only so much you can do. I would not call myself blemish free in this department….. I think I’ve made enough mistakes along the way to realise that as soon as you feel you have a sense of balance in this department, life will come along and totally throw it out of sync…. but to be very honest the answer is to do your best, and have a good support system. Call on those favours, drop the kids off at granny so you can go for a run around the neighbourhood and don’t sweat the small stuff. I’ve burnt many a dinner dish because I’m juggling too much.
What is your dream for Party Playdough?
I dream that this business Will continue to grow from strength to strength and be a constant form
of joy to children all over the world, because yes, even though I’m rooted in the mother city, I have
packs travelling all over the world. Canada, Amsterdam and the USA! I want the playdough love to
travel far and wide and I hope my kids will draw inspiration from my hard work and always know
that what I do, I do for them and their futures.
Currently I’m in partnership with adventure clubs, gazoome play center and bash in Cape Town. I
am their resident Playdough supplier. Negotiations are underway to be in a few wimpy and
Colcacchio stores in the very near future and start branching out even more…
I am the ultimate “Party Playdough” fan and her mixed media kits are amazing! To learn more or order your own Playdough or Mixed Media sets visit www.partyplaydough.co.za
Ill be giving away one lucky reader TWO mixed media sets of your choice!
Simply make sure you are following and have liked, Party Playdough on facebook and Instagram and comment below on what your dream “mixed media set” would be.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PartyPlaydough/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partyplaydough/
Love Local – LABEL Collections
The โlove localโ series focuses on local, South African, women who are making waves in their industries. Breaking boundaries, creating empires and being the best inspiration of strong, driven women to society. This week I’m featuring the incredibly talented Nadia Turton, Founder and creator of โLABEL Collectionsโ. Nadia began working in the retail industry where she learned the basics and gained an idea of what she liked before graduating from Cape Tech with a degree in fashion design. She spent two years in London before returning to Cape Town where she gained experience designing for retailers Truworths, Foschini and Edgars before finally launching LABEL Collections.
I have always been a more โclassicalโ style when it comes to fashion trends, preferring items that I can wear year after year and perhaps mixing it up with one or two key pieces. I have always admired LABEL Collections style and cuts and when I found out the company was local, I had to find out more!
LABEL Collections is about luxury, quality, simplicity and integrity.
With the intention to design pieces that are for longevity and not landfill, always chic and comfortable, reflecting the confidence and versatility of their global customer.
Subtle signature LABEL Collections details allow us to evolve rather than re-invent. We love that you can purchase less and receive so much more wear, season after season, out of every LABEL Collections piece. Team the first seasons dress with this seasons coat for an instant wardrobe update.
Their collection is produced locally, where Nadia personally sources the fabrics and trims which are then created into our beautiful, easily wearable Cape Town made garments. Limited quantities of each style are produced, keeping it exclusive. Their goal is to create jobs and support positive social, cultural and environmental shifts.
Feminine, contemporary, effortless chic designs set LABEL Collections apart.
Nadia, creator of LABEL Collections, lives in Cape Town with her husband and two boisterous pugs.
Stalk away @nadiaturton
Label Collections : www.labelcollections.com and instagram : @label_collections
Read on below to find out more about Nadia and her career journey thus far.
Tell me more about yourself and what you currently do?
More about myself, well I love surfing, trail running, mountain biking, Gin and all things pretty. My favourite thing to do is spending time with family and friends and sharing a few G&Tโs and see who can create the best G&T.
What I currently do? EVERYTHING โ haha, So a quick run down of the process of getting a garment onto the online store and into boutques coutnry wide: First I research trends, including silhouetes, fabrics, trims, garment finishes and then I put a mood board / inspiration board together. From here I decide which direction weโll be going this season โ so many different trends and influences to be considered, I then adapt it to fit the brand and our ethos. Next step is to design the new collection, broken down into assortments โ so tops, bottoms, caots / jackets, dress (knits & wovens). Once I have the basis of the collection, I then start to weigh up each design. Does it fit the brand ethos โ is it chic, comfortable, easy to wear, easy to style and does it have longevity, would it be able to be worn for more than one season? Only once it has ticked all these does it crack the knod to be included into the collection. From here we source and purchase fabrics, have patterns made and then we go into production. When I see final products, I feel like a kid on Christmas day. It is the best feeling (and never goes away) when you see the actual garment made and ready to go to store. In between we arrange photo shoots for the online store and a lot of admin.
How did โLabel Collectionsโ come about?
After designing at various studios and for the retailers, I decided to branch out on my own and start LABEL Collections.
What did you study โ was it in this field or something different?
I studied Fashion Design. Traveled for 2 years and then started working as a designer at a studio who supplies the major chain stores.
What was your first job and how did you progress to this?
My first job ever was as a casual sales assistant at Stuttafords and then at Juanita Pacheco while studying fashion design. At Juanita Pacheco I learned a tremendous amount about owning a store and implemented those systems when I owned my own boutique store.
What have been the highlights?
Selling my first collection to a boutique.
Seeing someone besides family and friends wearing one of my garments
My first magazine feature
Opening my own factory and employing my first ever staff member and growing from there
Owning a boutique store
Everytime I receive an order from our online store โ it still makes my day EVERY SINGLE TIME!
I am grateful for every single customer and brand follower we have!
Finding and building an incredible team to work with.
Whatโs the best part of your job?
Seeing people wear the garments I have designed and the LABEL team has made!
It is so rewarding for us and makes what we do so worth it.
What is the most challenging part?
The most challenging part is to not produce everything we love and want to.
It is definitely that edit we do after conceptualising the collection. It often takes us weeks to decide on the final collection.
Describe a typical day in your life.
Every day is different, but I normally start with COFFEE @ 5:30 maybe 6 am if I am really lazy. Then I do something fun like surfing, riding, running or yoga, it starts the day right and somehow makes me more focused.. And then at about 7:30 / 8 am I start with emails, then at about 9 am with my rounds (going to fabric suppliers, trim suppliers, pattern maker, graders, cutters and then the factories). And then back to the office for more emails, research, processing orders, sorting orders etc. Work never stops, I am always thinking about the collections, always searching for something awesome to use or incorporate or just be inspired in general. I try and switch my Mac off at about 4:30 / 5, otherwise Iโll continue and never stop.
What are the โsecretsโ to your success?
I donโt think I have any โsecretsโ. I think it is just perseverance and grit. Trust your gut. Keep the end goal in mind โ always.
How do you balance it all?
It is easy โ only kidding. Somedays better than others!
What is your dream for Label Collections?
To grow the company and by doing so, to create jobs and support positive social, cultural and environmental shifts with in our local community and South Africa. We would like to continue to design pieces that are for longevity and not landfill, always chic and comfortable, reflecting the confidence and versatility of our global customer. To continue to build a community around our brand with followers and fans that are as passionate about and love the brand as we do. We really do love and value our customers and followers.