Swedish fashion brand & Other Stories has partnered with South African designer Sindiso Khumalo to create a sustainable collection featuring ready-to-wear clothing, swimwear, and accessories. The collection will launch on April 13 in & Other Stories stores in London and Dublin, as well as online.
The Collection
The collection is inspired by vintage portraits from the 1800s of women from Africa and the African diaspora. It features a range of sustainable textiles, including organic cotton, recycled cotton, linen, and recycled brass. The pieces are designed to be comfortable and functional. The collection also includes accessories such as a sarong, a raffia bag, earrings, and a necklace.
Cultural Elements
“It’s essential for me to use more sustainable materials and to create garments that are going to be long-lasting”, says Khumalo. The collection also features cultural elements that highlight Khumalo’s African heritage and history, such as the Protea, a South African indigenous plant, and the Nguni cattle, which are featured in prints. The pepper red colour is taken from the traditional Zulu Nkehli, which is adorned on a Zulu bride on her wedding day. The cowrie shell, seen in print and the accessories, represents prosperity, wealth, and good fortune in both African and Afro-Caribbean cultures. The collars, which are a Sindiso Khumalo signature, are embroidered, with crochet patches, and detachable to be worn atop other garments.
“I like to bring cultural elements that represent who I am into textiles. They become visual vignettes that frame our collections. The starting point for the co-lab collection was working with materials that were sourced in a more sustainable way”, Khumalo says, commenting on the collaboration. Karolina Ekman, Co-Lab manager at & Other Stories, adds, that Sindiso Khumalo is the future of fashion.
& Other Stories’ collaboration with Sindiso Khumalo is set to be a hit with fashion lovers. The collection showcases Khumalo’s African heritage and history, while also being modern and authentic.
