The Ellis sisters’ fashion label, The Joinery, is ecofriendly and aims to prove that ethical and organic can be ‘sexy and exclusive’.
From the tie-and-dye floating dress in hemp to the clean and functional designs of Stella McCartney, the road to ecofashion was not always paved with good intentions, great style and socially and environmentally friendly clothes. But the collapse in April of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh, and the death of over 1 000 workers, once again turned the spotlight’s glare on the precarious working conditions often found in the garment industry and the pressing need for durable change.
In 2012 South African sisters Kim and Natalie Ellis created an organic and ethical label, the Joinery, which they hope will contribute to the process of change. Growing up in Amanzimtoti near Durban, a small town “with a great sense of community”, the Ellis sisters spent some time immersed in London before moving back to South Africa to discover “a plethora of extremely talented women who, due to the downfall of the [local] textile and manufacturing industries [were] highly skilled yet unemployed”.
The Joinery was born, as the encouraging fusion of a women’s sewing co-operative based in the Cape Flats and the design expertise of the Ellis sisters.
Their spring/ summer 2014 range is about “slow fashion”, with key trans-seasonal pieces: “Our Kita swing Kimono shirt can be worn flowing and open on top of your summer bikini, or buttoned up with a bolo tie for a winter boho look.”
This year, the brand was selected to be part of the Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives and the range will soon be available online.
Full story by in the Mail & Guardian
