The Nature Of Luxury

African makers are redefining the meaning of luxury, and the world is paying attention.

- Zodwa Kumalo-Valentine

Exclusivity has always defined luxury – and in turn, luxury brands have come to dictate what consumers should possess in order to unlock or maintain a certain status. But now a trend has emerged in which consumers desires have little to do with labels, or even with premium prices, simultaneously the world’s gaze has fallen on the African continent, where makers are not simply creating products for the sake of conspicuous consumption; they are developing collectable, bespoke items and brands around experiences. The art of telling the story of a traditional craft or expressing the beauty of a culture through the details of a finished object, is capturing the market’s attention.

Founder of local collaborative design label The Ninevites, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg, explains: ‘I used to think luxury was a fancy thing you buy, but it’s shaped by a whole lot more. For example, in South Africa, freedom of movement is a luxury for many people. Not taking that luxury for granted makes you see things differently. Having the space and time to do things you enjoy doing redefines how you see the world – and the choices are determined by things that matter to you.’ Deep in the heart of the Karoo, a collective of women work with Mlangeni-Berg to create the already iconic Sankara rugs that put her on the design map when they were voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa in 2017. A marriage of bold but simple contemporary, geometric design with Ndebele patterns, the label’s unique selling points are not only the beauty of the pieces it makes, but its commitment to sustainability and the exploration of a time and labour-intensive craft.