Celebrating a Year of African Daydreams
Wow, where has the time gone!!!! Today marks a year of researching, writing and posting as African Daydreams turns one; and what a year it has been! Before I started the blog I was the person who dismissed blogging as a waste of valuable time… I take it back… the fact that I not only created, but have managed to maintain a blog for a year is a miracle in itself… I started African Daydreams at a time of great change in my life and I guess the writing and researching became a cathartic process for me to make sense of what was happening. Many factors influenced the decision to set up the African Daydreams, and it has evolved into so much more than I imagined it would be. It has been a challenging, highly rewarding process… and I still get so excited every time I discover a new brand. There are enough sources in the media eager to keep re-telling how hopeless Africa is, bypassing the fact that the continent is so much more than a homogeneous one-sided story. The whole issue of whether Africa can successfully re-brand it's collective image is fuelling many a debate and is one that resonated with me; and when I read some downright offensive comments accompanying a thought-provoking article on the Economist online entitled - ‘Can "Africa" get a make-over?’, I rose to the challenge hoping to prove the naysayers wrong the only way I know how; visually and in the process work on finding ways to do better. I’m not turning a blind eye to reality; I know that seemingly insurmountable problems exist but for every disheartening story of famine, extreme poverty, conflict, exploitation and disaster unfolding across the continent so too are there stories of hope, togetherness, economic success, thriving business’ and endless creativity all leading towards sustainable change. The winds of change are blowing; yes there is still work to be done, but great things are happening; you only have to look at the past decade of African fashion to see how far things have come, and if everyone with a vested interest did even a small bit, just think how much further along things could be. These t-shirts from Ugandan-based business, Def.i.ni.tion sum things up perfectly...

By living vicariously through the creativity of others my own creativity has been reignited; I now realise I had lost something and needed to get it back. Thank you to all who have read my musings, thank you to all who have got in touch, for your words of encouragement and introducing me to some wonderfully inspiring brands. Looking back on a year’s work I see a vibrant continent; one of individual countries each with their own take on creativity and innovation, and I can only anticipate what is still out there waiting to be discovered...

...you know what, creatively Africa is holding its own!

CrOp by David Peck
David Peck is an American fashion designer whose innovative custom made prints are turned into elegantly, quirky fashion collections. Launched for Spring/Summer 2011, CrOp by David Peck is a collection of some gorgeously feminine dresses, skirts and tops. It was the prints and the inspiration behind them that especially caught my attention; the collection entitled ‘Common Threads’ was based on a collaboration with Houston-based photojournalist Jamie Leigh Collier, whose photographs taken in different locations around Uganda were then translated by David into stunning custom fabrics used to make up the collection. Placed side by side you can immediately see the evocative quality the photographs bring to the clothes. I’ve fallen in love with the different variations of the beautifully printed Bridgette dress.

Based on collaborations with other creative individuals who share in the common goal of giving back, CrOp stands for ‘Creative Opportunities’ and David aims to develop a community of artists who can work together to devise new opportunities. As a designer who has made a commitment to sustainable design practices the CrOp collection is made using 100% organic and certified fairtrade fabrics. David’s signature custom made prints use methods that have minimal impact on the environment and 10% of every CrOp collection goes towards a charity related to the inspiration behind each collection produced.

Trained as a fashion designer in Paris, David went onto launch his eponymous collection in the city in 2006, moving to New York in 2008 where he launched Untitled 11:11, and has now moved to Houston where he launching CrOp by David Peck in 2010. Mixing Parisian elegance with American practicality, the influence of David’s time spent honing his skills in some of Paris’s most famous luxury fashion houses is evident in the quality and luxury that go into his designs.

...evocative prints that carry stories within their imprints

Baobab Collection
What an unexpectedly busy week its turned out to be; and as it draws to a close the soft glow of a candle filling the air with a soothing scent can be the perfect way to lull yourself into a blissful state of relaxation… such an indulgence, for setting the mood and the thought that came to mind when I came across the Baobab Collection, a luxury collection of colourful candles and home fragrances inspired by Africa. Created in 2002, The Baobab Collection found its inspiration amidst the magnificent landscapes of Tanzania where founder, Valérie Bietlot was inspired by the intense colours and fragrant perfumes she came into contact with, and began creating products at her coffee table. Imbued with its African heritage, the production of Baobab Collection’s products moved to Belgium in 2004 when Valérie returned home.

[Image credits: Baobab Collection - top,  Masaai Spirit Candle; 
centre, Verde and Victoria Falls; bottom, African Morning Dew and Zanzibar Spices - Apropos]

Subtle, designed to delicately distil their perfumes throughout the interior, every aspect of Baobab Collection’s luxurious home fragrances are handmade by skilled craftsman with thought, care and attention to detail; from the glass vases individually hand blown by skilled glass blowers, right through to the luxuriously sophisticated, yet simple black packaging that makes them an elegant finishing touch to stylish interiors as well as beautiful gifts. Available in five sizes the coloured and scented candles are poured into the transparent glass vases; and appealing to their male customers there is also the platinum edition; an encased candle that is referred to as the ‘Gentleman’s Candle’. The ‘Maxi Max’, the largest of the sizes weighing in at ten kilograms and almost 40 centimetres high, was designed to give of maximum light and fragrance; I would think ideal for large open spaces. Described as ‘colourful scented dreams’ the candles come in eight exclusive colours, each with its own signature scent chosen from across the continent, bringing with it a bit of ‘Africa’ into the home. 

A well-known perfumer in Grasse - a French town acknowledged as the perfume capital of the world - further developed the fragrances, which comprise base notes of strong Cedar Sandalwood overtones. Wonderfully descriptive names point to the source of inspiration and include: Madagascar Vanilla, Miombo Woodlands, Masaai Spirit, Serengeti Plains, White Rhino, Victoria Falls and Zanzibar Spices, the website details the notes found within each fragrance. In addition to the candles, the Baobab Collection’s range also includes diffusers and incenses and everything you need to make your candles burn beautifully; lighters and wick trimmers.

…envelop yourself in sublime sophisticated scents of Africa

Le Ndomo
Creating beautiful richly patterned fabrics using natural dyes, Le Ndomo is a social enterprise that was set up with the aim of addressing the issues relating to youth unemployment in Mali.

Le Ndomo embodies the philosophy of teaching the young people a technical skill, training those taking part in the programme with the local knowledge of fabric creation, skills that go into creating the fabric ranges Le Ndomo produces. Le Ndomo endeavours to instil the values of traditional African society within the young people they work with, and encourages participants to strive for personal development through the enhancement of personal values like responsibility, personal commitment and teamwork in achieving desired goals.

Using 100% organic cotton, fabric is woven in the traditional style as well as also employing contemporary looms for wider fabric. Le Ndomo has conducted extensive research into the use of vegetable dyes and the designs produced, including some stunning geometric ones, use natural dyes mixed through different techniques such as Basilan which gives yellow ocher and brown; Bogolan which gives black, brown and yellow ochre; Gala which gives different shades of blue from natural indigo and Green which is obtained by adding Basilan yellow ocher to Gala Indigo blue. The printed fabrics are then used to produce fashion accessories such as scarves and home furnishings like cushions, throws and runners. Le Ndomo also offers workshops and lecturers upon request for those wanting to learn and find out more about natural dyeing.

…naturally beautiful fabrics

Corinne Hamak
Beautifully bright and stylishly simple I love the organic forms in London-based jewellery designer Corinne Hamak’s ‘Africa’ collection. Reminding me of the intensity of African sunsets, vibrant red and yellow hues mixed with silver and gold metals make for complementary pretty, chic pieces. The Africa collection was inspired by the Ghanaian artform of creating beads using glass that has been ground up. 

Born in France to an Argentinian father and French mother, and raised in Israel on a kibbutz, Corinne’s cosmopolitan upbringing and subsequent passion for travel have had a big influence on her contemporary precious metal jewellery creations. Drawn to colour Corinne’s inspirational influences also include nature and the beauty within African landscapes. Fascinated with the healing properties within stones, Corinne works with various precious and semi-precious gems.

…cute, colourful accessories that bring a little sunshine into the darkening days of autumn

Stoned Cherrie Ceramics
I love a good cup of tea, and for me any time is teatime! So was rather taken with some quirky teapots and teacups courtesy of Stoned Cherrie. The renowned South African brand is branching into the homeware sector, launching a range of hand painted ceramics that embody the Stoned Cherrie Afro-chic spirit. After a decade of producing some of African fashion’s most iconic collections Stoned Cherrie’s founder, Nkhensani Nkosi is ready to expand the company beyond fashion borders reaching further into the consumer lifestyle sector and having already taken first steps with its furnishing fabric ranges. The realisation of the ceramics range takes Nkhensani’s artistic endeavours of dabbling in pottery and painting from personal to public.

Continuing Stoned Cherrie’s love affair with retro inspiration the design aesthetic is bold, rich in pattern and sees the ceramics painted with geometric shapes and patterns centred on the shape of the heart; the universal symbol for love and are mainly painted in black and white colours enhanced with brown, ochre and aqua accents. In developing the range Nkhensani was inspired by the concept of creation; exploring unity and the oneness of spirit that relate to the fact that no matter who or where you are in the world, love is at our core.

You will however have to wait a while to get your hands on them, the ceramics homeware range is currently being shown at trade fairs and will only be available to purchase from Stoned Cherrie online in February 2012.

...visually striking

Information sourced from:
www.timeslive.co.za; and
www.visi.co.za

Bulldog
So... having a name like Bulldog doesn't exactly conjure up images of anything tender; however it is the name of a range of men's natural skincare products that are designed to... look after and care for the skin naturally. Producing products that contain no harsh chemicals like Parabens, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, artificial colours and synthetic fragrances Bulldog was founded in 2006 by Simon Duffy and Rhodri Ferrier who saw a gap in the market for a line of natural skincare products aimed squarely at the male grooming sector; products that needed to be more than just re-packaged women’s products, and ones that could be used with minimum fuss. A small company based in London, Bulldog’s founders continually conduct research into suitable ingredients and the affects they have on the skin and body to ensure that only the best, safe and natural ones make their way into the final products. Presented in distinctive white and brown packaging, the Bulldog range includes shave gels, moisturisers, balms and face scrubs; that contain natural active ingredients and unique essential oils to keep the skin looking good; and one product in particular caught my attention; the Bulldog Eco-System Moisturiser.

Carrying the Fairtrade mark, the Eco-system range consists of a moisturiser and shave gel containing natural certified Fairtrade ingredients sourced from across the globe. The Eco-System Moisturiser contains a unique blend of eight essential oils to hydrate the skin along with Fairtrade Sesame Seed Oil from Nicaragua, Brazil Nut Oil from Peru, and organic shea butter from Ghana; which I discovered upon reading the product description comes from the Akoma Cooperative Multipurpose Society in Bolgatanga, Ghana – I did a profile on Akoma Skincare a few months back and included information about the cooperative in the write-up... it is always good to see product sources linking up and working together to make change. The Akoma Cooperative Multipurpose Society is an enterprising group that was established to enable women within the community to collect, process and sell Shea nuts and butter to a wider market. Selling the shea butter is not only helping to generate a source of income, but over the next five years the cooperative will be using the fairtrade premiums it earns to renovate, the currently dilapidated Pusu-Namogo primary school affecting change directly within the community. Environmentally aware, all Bulldog products are produced and packaged in the UK and all packaging is recyclable; and as their name would suggest Bulldog is an animal friendly company; no products are tested on animals.

…care for your skin and wellbeing with man’s best friend

Additional details:
Moisturiser priced at: £7.49
For further information about Bulldog visit: http://meetthebulldog.com
To purchase online visit: http://gbstore.meetthebulldog.com
To find a nearest stockist visit: http://meetthebulldog.com

Project Sierra Leone
Recently introduced to Project Sierra Leone I was instantly taken with the range of beaded clutch bags on display; a simple idea turned into striking fashion accessories I can immediately see them developing into a fabulous range of design-led products that are not only cool for carrying around day or night, but lend themselves to multiple uses such as make-up and toiletry bags. 

Having lived away from Sierra Leone for 17 years, Project Sierra Leone's founder Margaret Kadi returned to her home country in April 2010 for a holiday and was infused with the renewed sense of energy and activity she could feel around her. During her holiday Margaret met and connected with an inspiring group of artisans whose craftsmanship she admired and made the decision to work with them to help their products reach a wider market. Margaret asked the artisans to create a selection of products, with simple designs that she could take away with her and source appropriate market; and in September 2010 project Sierra Leone was officially born. In addition to beaded clutch bags Project Sierra Leone’s product lines include raffia handbags, embroidered Kaftans and beaded placemats, all locally hand crafted using locally sourced materials. All bags are lined with high-quality cotton wax cloth.

To be able to effectively grow the business and help the artisans as best as she can Margaret made the decision to return to Sierra Leone and run the business full-time, and made the move earlier this year in June 2011; a decision she acknowledges was a good one. At home and working directly with local artisans to produce the fashion and home accessories collections marketed under Project Sierra Leone means Margaret is on hand to oversee matters like product development and fix any arising issues as quickly as possible; and more importantly be more than just a name to those she works with. Like many areas of Africa, craftspeople are reliant on passing trade and tourists to create a sustainable living which can be susceptible to factors like fluctuations in tourist seasons, given that the main ethos of Project Sierra Leone is to help the artisans earn a sustainable income, the artisans Margaret works with are paid the full price they set for each product and are given an advance equating to a 50% deposit for commissioned orders. As of this week the Union Jack Beaded Clutch bags are available to purchase on Agnes and Lola, with more stockists planned for the future. 

...chic accessories, beautifully beaded

Gloria Ssali
A long held passion for clay saw Ugandan-born ceramicist, Gloria Ssali give up a career as a pharmacist to pursue her dream fulltime time. Having moved to the UK with her family aged eleven; it was during a class she took during her senior school years that Gloria was first introduced to clay modelling and was instantly drawn into the craft. To achieve her goal of becoming a full-time artist, four years ago Gloria returned to college to train as a ceramicist experimenting with techniques and learning about the different types of clay. Describing her career change as a new chapter in her life, Gloria uses her artform as a platform to share her life experiences and reflect the beauty of the world around her through the diverse cultures that have had an influence. Gloria’s faith is also a strong presence within her work, everpresent through biblical depictions and devotions. In 2010 Gloria was awarded the ‘Best Tile Cultural Heritage’ award from Elit-Tile, an invitation only international tile competition held every two years in the Dominican Republic.

I prefer Gloria's abstract compositions, the free flowing nature makes them interesting and although there are recognisable items like vases, quite a lot of the pieces available are presented as tiles upon which images are painted on with glaze; this means that you can mount the tiles directly onto the wall or floor, even set into furniture like tabletops according to you interior requirements or simply opt to frame the pieces and display as artworks. I was particularly drawn to the ‘Love’ series, which look like shards of broken pottery gathered from an ancient excavation sight; a factor which gives them the quality of precious collectibles. I would have the four pieces in the ‘Love’ series 1-4 framed and hung on the wall as shown. Gloria retails her ceramic creations through Fine Art America, a site that allows a customer to purchase original works of art or should they wish purchase a copy of the original piece as a paper print, framed print, stretched canvas or greeting card according to preference. The dotted patterns prevalent throughout her work and seen in the Bikira Maria, above remind me of batik techniques and the effect that the wax and dye have on the finished fabric.

...intriguing art pieces, each time you look at them different images and patterns

Additional information sourced from:
www.harrow.ac.uk

Ebotan Interiors
Dress the table with exquisite dinnerware from Ebotan Interiors; that aspires to communicate and preserve African oral traditions through symbolism, colour and texture. Designed by Josiane Raphael based in Maryland, USA, Ebotan tableware cherishes the dining experience of bringing families and friends together to share a meal and tell stories around a beautifully laid table whether elaborate or simple in its decoration. In a combination of African and European artistry the beautiful, timeless collections are produced in Limoges porcelain.

With a background in architecture and product design Josiane established her business Ebotan Interiors, specialising in high-end interior design, and citing her faith as a strong motivator chose the name ‘Ebotan’, which means ‘blessings’ in the Beti language of Cameroon. Designing tableware was a way of expressing her African heritage; Josiane grew up in Cameroon and as the eldest of six children recalls how when it came to setting the table for dinner each child was assigned a specific task; Josiane was always entrusted with the delicate items in the family home, putting out the fine linens and china that came from Europe. This daily ritual instilled in Josiane the desire to create meaningful objects that can be passed down through the generations complimenting the oral traditions, this echoes the western tradition of passing down culture through the inheritance of objects like rare dishes and jewellery.

Five stunning dinnerware collections named Ebotan, Sanaga, Okavango, Akan and Kita; depict legends, culture and places from across the continent; from mighty animals roaming the African plains to using precious metals of gold, silver and platinum that represent Africa’s mighty ancient kingdoms. The Sanaga dinner service named after Cameroon’s largest river tells the tale of the legendary ‘golden crocodiles’, portraying messages like unity, friendship, fraternity, and strength through the illustrations. The Akan collection takes the user on a journey through the ancient Akan kingdom’s gold mining history along what was known as the Gold Coast; round gold pieces placed along the edge are known as ‘weights’, once a form of currency in use over many centuries and later used to make jewellery for kings and queens. The Kita collection pays homage to the culture of weaving richly hued luxury fabrics, often worn by members of royalty and dignitaries. The Okavango collection refers to the region for which it was named, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and depicts lush vegetation in vibrant green hues combined with the warm earth tones of the Kalahari. Images of the Cheetah, an elegant and endangered species are surrounded or hidden amongst the greenery. To complement the dinnerware range’s Josiane also created a range of cutlery called Minga that celebrates women and children through elegantly rounded forms and sculpted images on the handles. 

…elegant tableware to be cherished, telling our stories through the generations