Twyg Sustainable Fashion Award Winners

Lara Klawikowski

Without a doubt the occasion’s biggest winner and a standout example of a brand strongly led by principles of sustainability and ethics, South African designer Lara Klawikowski walked away with both Twyg’s Innovative Design and Materials Award, and the Changemaker Award. It’s a deserved honor for a designer who has admirably committed to using sustainable and recycled fabrics, and who, since debuting her eponymous brand in 2010, has consistently taken the avant-garde, and made it accessible. And for Klawikowski, it all begins with the material. She’s a obvious lover of delicate cloth, and soft textures, something evident in the bridal collection (called “Strange Flowers”) for which she was honored. A collection of bespoke designs that embraces up-cycled and biodegradable materials, the range is a fine example of graceful restraint. Boasting a floral aesthetic that’s inspired by unusual, organic textures and shapes found in nature, each of her garments were precisely constructed inside her Cape Town studio, where she actively accepted (and downright conquered) the challenge of prioritising environmentally-minded practices through her use of plastic refuse bags—both pre or post-consumer—never once allowing the material to dull the garment’s elegance. Klawikowski also sought to minimise textile waste through innovative pattern cutting practices and utilising cut-offs wherever possible, her application of unusual draping and exceptional tailoring lending the material an unmistakable element of polish.

Matsidiso

The recipient of this year’s Accessory Award—which honors brands that embrace ethical labour practices, and sustainable materials—footwear and accessory brand Matsidiso has become something of a fixture on the feet of many a local since it was founded by the American Jinae Heyns and her husband Christian. From brogues and mules, to slides and block heels, their range puts bright, jovial colors in the spotlight, employing leathers that are either a bi-product of the meat industry, or come from local farms that operate within restrictions and utilise best practice regulations. Comfort is also key for the Heyns’, and though each shoe they produce is easy-going enough to don for a casual daytime engagement, there’s an irrefutable quality of refinement to many of them that shines just as bright after hours. Deriving the brand’s name Matsidiso from the Sotho—one of South Africa’s eleven official languages—word which refers to the peace that comes after difficulty, they’re on a mission not just to create beautiful, thoroughly-wearable shoes (since the brand’s inception, they’ve also begun producing bags and earrings) but to confront the destructive mass production cycle through the creation of a label that pushes the message of sustainability as far as possible. Termed by their creators as ‘Shoes For The Liberated’, the phrase is reflective of the kind of liberation they seek to impart to the trust of women in Cape Town who construct their shoes. Empowering their team with the tools they need to gain their own financial freedom and grow into greater roles is of vital importance to the Heyns’, as is evident in their continuous offering of up-skilling opportunities to team members, as well as the provision of pension plans, and educational funds for their family members.

The Seen Collective

The Seen Collective is a knitted jumper brand founded when London-to-South Africa transplant Steph Mundy was stumped by a fruitless search for the perfect jumper. She ultimately decided to have one made based on her own design, a decision that spurred the establishment of The Seen Collective. Taking home Twyg’s Nicholas Coutts Award (named for the late South African designer and awarded to someone whose work is led by weaving, embroidering or botanical dyeing), she’s aided by the talents of a group of women living at the Gerard Fitzpatrick House and Nursing Home in Johannesburg, who collaborate with her on the designs, and hand-knit each of the made-to-order pieces. She and her team use only South African fibres that are sourced from cruelty free producers, as well as locally sourced kid mohair and merino wool blends. Much of their yarn comes from the dusty Karoo area of the Western Cape, which is then hand-spun and hand-dyed by an all-women rural-based business in the Eastern Cape. The Seen Collective’s offerings overflow with effortless, versatile basics, their colors reflective of the bountiful and diverse shades of South Africa’s landscape, sunsets, and sunrises. Rendered in oversized shapes, they’re a luxe wardrobe staple that’ll go with everything, but looks particularly tasteful when paired with items that are slightly more fitted, the juxtaposition of forms delivering a smart and contemporary aesthetic. Through their work, each member of The Seen Collective has rediscovered a sense of purpose according to Mundy, solidifying the designer’s belief that purchasing one of The Seen Collective’s jumpers is an investment in something greater than simply another item of clothing; it’s an investment in the empowerment of women and community, and an active choice to make the world a better place.