I think the day reality will slap me hard in the face will be the day when I'm sitting in my studio with my partner and bitching over finances - our finances. The initial working process will be as surreal as the idea of me being my own boss. After all, I will still be quad-attached to my current company so we'll see.... I suspect I'll be going through haze-daze for many days when the business officially begins.
So... meet Anne. My business partner (feels weird saying that). We met at the University of Brighton, both as second-year students. She was the Textile Design student and I was the Fashion Design student. Both of us were the only foreign students of our year in the faculty amongst a bunch of about 40 obnoxious drug-abusing British students. We were the outcast of our faculty and we were each other's strength through our trials and tribulations (you cannot start to imagine the 'fokken-kak-hel' we had experienced with our ever-so-lovely Breet-ish classmates).OK.... at this point I've got to clarify this. I'm the anti-British (to-death-do-we-part), Anne is still pro-British. Wait! Further clarification. Not British. ENGLISH. I do appreciate the other British - the Irish and the Scottish (especially the men... oh yes... Scottish men. Their natural unkempt rough-featured face.... oh yes please!).
Anne is South African, AFRIKAANS (note: afriKAans, not afriCAns; white, not black; NOT a racist statement. Admit it. You guys read/hear "Afrikaans", immediate association to black-Africans). She is currently working as a Quality-Auditor at one of major retail groups in SA and don't even bother to question, "How did a Textile Designer become a Quality Auditor?". If we can answer that question, neither of us would be stuck in our jobs in the first place. That's life. You don't always end up doing what you are qualified in. But NOW is the time that she and I are finally heading towards the direction of fulfilling our dreams.....
Since our days as students, it has been a standing joke between both of us, "One day we will set-up our own business in SA, do our own designs...." blah blah blah. Yeah right! What was the remote chance of that? Hellooooo.... The only thing South Africa and Singapore have in common is that both countries start with 'S'. We are talking about CONTINENTS here. The distance between SA and Singapore is not like a bored Singaporean taking a 20 minutes drive to reach the causeway of Johor. We are talking about non-stop flight time of 11 hours. The thought of us even meeting up again after graduation was not even a question. It was a silent acknowledgement in August 2000 that it was most likely a permanent goodbye.
Then we went our separate ways, back to our own country of origin. We lost contact. Oh yes we did. For some bizarre reasons, our emails never reached each other (so much for modern technology?), till Christmas in year 2002, when I suddenly received an email from her, "Would you like to come and work at SA?"
At that point in time of my life, I was frustrated.... like EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED. I hated my job and as usual, hated my life in Singapore. No idea how anyone could love that life in Singapore but again, maybe that's me. Note : I hate the life in Singapore, the culture, the lifestyle but not so much the country itself. And yes, I HATE the weather.
Anyway, so I received that email and though it was crap of a job being some weird assistant for a Chinese school but I just thought, "What the heck! That meagre pocket-money could be enough to sustain me for my exploration of South Africa." Me being me, no further considerations needed and obviously with fear-factor at notch-zero, I packed my thing and started my new life in this mystically-alluring country. And that was that! The story of how Anne and me reunited in the works of God's little mysterious ways.
That's only the gist of the story about Anne and I.
Maybe one day I'll write our story......
Maybe... but just not now.
SOUTH AFRICA FASHION WEEK (SAFW)
::: And all that Felt.... :::
FELTWORK: Fabric development and manipulation
Transform fleece into felt with a wide range of effects to produce truly original pieces.
Raw wool is felted, hand dyed and produced into an accessory of your choice, be it a handbag, scarf or slipper. Felt is so versatile and strong that it can be used to make blankets and seamless garments.
Anne van de Westhuizen:
Anne started off as a lab technician in the Clothing Department at a technikon in the Transkei. She made the bold move of resigning from her job and selling all of her possessions to go and further her studies in England. A risk she has never regretted. With the help of several bursaries and scholarships Anne completed her Honours Degree in fashion and textile design at Brighton University. She received a great deal of exposure during the time when she was studying.
Some of Anne’s final year work was featured in British magazines and design books. Anne was consequently employed at the Marks & Spencer head office in their Accessory Design Department. She also sold several designs to chain stores in Switzerland, UK and New York. Upon returning to SA, Anne was employed as a garment technologist for an established retail group. Anne continues to design and develop her own fabric, using it in the manufacturing of accessories and garments. She loves design research and will continue to live her dream every day.
-- Article extracted from SAFW's catalogue of workshop hosts
Anne is here at Johannesburg for the weekend (leaving this afternoon... *sob*). She hosted two days of 'Felting' workshop for the SAFW. I shall not even begin to comment about the glaring political amusement park attitude of SAFW... it DOES matter if you're Black or White, though of course, an attempt at camouflage discretion (translucent almost) between SAFW DISorganisers and the Arts and Culture Department.
Shush now bitch (me).
My only reason for existence at SAFW was to give moral support to Anne. I volunteered as her little assistant, pretending I know about Felting even though my knowledge on this subject is as complete as me with make-up. The workshop turned out to be a success. No major hiccups except on the first day when the DISorganisers so-nearly collapsed when the participants created a soapy-mess as they splashed water to clean off the soap. The organisers were pre-warned of the messy affair but they took it too lightly.... till the actual mess-process started did they actually freak out. IDIOTS.
I gaped in awe as I saw Anne working with the wool oh-so-familiarly and her gentleness never fails to amaze me. We are such stark contrast of each other. She is so delicate with her fingers, and I am just so.... nevermind. It was such an inspiration watching her work with the felt as familiar creative pangs started creeping in.
"This is what we should be doing. Something creative. Not in our damn jobs of no satisfying returns", I kept thinking to myself.
I hit a creative high as I started visualising garments and accessories we could create together. I was imagining possible experimentations with felts and raped my mind with design ideas. I missed being creative. I missed research and developments. I missed being in my little creative world and pretending that the rest of the world doesn't exist. I missed everything there was to miss about doing design - except the bitchiness and superficiality.
Back to reality zone.... not about my little roaming thoughts....
Apart from hosting the Felt-Making workshops, Anne also collaborated with some crafters from the Free State (Province name; does not literally mean that the state is liberated or free and easy.... just FYI, Free State was known to be 'Orange State') to put some product ranges for the exhibition. Felt-everything. Interesting I must say. All the products are HAND-FELTED, which accentuate its aesthetic value of authenticity.
::: HANDMADE FELT Accessories for Sale :::
All products are 100% WOOL
::: HATS :::
::: BEDROOM SLIPPERS :::
::: TALL BOX-BAGS :::
::: LONG BOX-BAGS :::
::: LITTLE BOX-HANDBAGS :::
PRICE LIST (Prices excluding postage/shipping cost) :-
(prices in US$ and SIN$ are approx. conversions; may differ depending on exchange rate)
- Hats @ R280.00 / US$43.10 / SIN$77.80
- Bedroom Slippers @ R200.00 / US$30.80 / SIN$55.60
- Tall Box Bags @ R320.00 / US$49.20 / SIN$88.90
- Long Box Bags @ R320.00 / US$49.20 / SIN$88.90
- Little Box Handbags @280.00 / US$43.10 / SIN$77.80
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