Voorskoot Vygie
*Voorksoot; Afrikaans for apron. One of the oldest forms of human adornment and widely used as protective layering in everyday practices.
*Vygies; Karoocentric members of the world’s largest succulent family. There are 2000 species of Vygie and 95% of them grow only in arid South Africa, mainly in the Karoo.
Voorskoot Vygie is a capsule collection of 21 one-of-a-kind textile mappings based on timeless, detailed textures That tap into the unique visual nuances of the Karoo
There is nothing more symbolic of hope than a Vygie hibernating to stay alive, waiting for the rains to come. And when they do; their generosity of spirit lifts the great Karoo plains, transforming the dust into a tapestry of primary purple, acid orange, never-seen-before greens. Sheets of celebration stretching out in front of you.
You cannot capture this so you try abstract it, twist it into small, simple, once-off threads that stem from this place; Mohair grown on goats that compost the ground and enjoy a Vygie for breakfast. Vygies that bloom in brights and fold into rounded, abstract forms that dress the land in fleeting moments of liquid
A collaboration between South African designers Frances van Hasselt & Leandi Mulder
VOORSKOOT VYGIE FILM
this collection pays homage to Vygies;
The ancient, desert plant life that overcomes adversity with diversity. Making up the food bed of the Karo, they bring life and colour to the plains when all else has returned to dust.
Each piece Has been hand-woven by phenomenal women artisans and made from the finest mohair yarns from South Africa.
The concept of a Voorskoot aims to encourage a personal engagement with fabrics; A re-connection to the threads we choose to cover ourselves in.
Asking us to play dress-up and reimagine how we wish to show up and be seen in the world.
Each tailor-made, free-form piece reflects the fibre of its origin and the personality of the maker. Its end-function determined by the wearer.
Funky, foreign and seemingly undefined; and yet the materials, the vygies which inspire the design and the ancient practice of hand-weaving are some of the oldest life forms,practices of making, and human adornment
CREDITS
Photography: Ane Strydom
MUH: Inga Hewett & Richard Wilkinson
Models: Jackie Burger, Fransiena Moos, Marlene Steyn, Kim Winter, Mary-Anne Botha
DOP: Alison Scorgie
Creative Directors: Leandi Mulder & Frances van Hasselt
Director: Marcus Hebbelmann
Sound: Gellyblik & Waldon Paul
Online Editor: Conley Van Der Westhuizen
Titles: Derrick Pitts