Anna sui

http://www.wgsn.com/content/wgsn/unifiedsearch.html?q=anna%20sui&tags=&type=all&t=all&_charset_=utf-8

While browsing on the www.wgsn.com  website I came across a fashion designer that was very interesting.  Her name is Anna Sui and has jewellery pieces with her clothes that are big and very colourful. What I really like were the long statement neck-pieces.

isiqhaza

I looked up a few images isiqhaza on line and I tried designing my own on Rhino

designing

One of the ladies who had bought my neck-pieces at the design Indaba contacted me about making her a pair of earrings. I sent her a pair of earring but she wasn't happy with the silver shepherd’s hooks and jump rings, she said she preferred cooper. That was very confusing for me because I know it is not good for you to have copper on your ears but, what the customer wants. the customer gets.

the workspace

I was invited to the Work space at the graphic design department by Ruan and it was very interesting to see what they do. I was approached to design an Isiqhaza for their community development program. The brief is to design the Isiqhaza in a way that I could teach people who don’t have any jewellery back ground and don’t have any work shop skills. For me that is the difficult part I’m so use designing something I know I will be able to do if not I will find a way because if got the facilities. I also looked for my surname on the Kwa-Zulu Natal communities map and I saw my surname on the old map but it wasn't there on the more resent map so I was encouraged to look up the Xulu people and research what had happened to them

jewellery that sells

I didn’t’ sell any of my silver pieces at the Design Indaba but most of leather and bronze pieces were sold with in the first two days. I think people want more creative piece and they don’t want to pay too much for it. So it’s better to use cheap materials to make something very interesting that people will buy.

fashion

One of the most innovative guys was Thabo Makhata.  This girl is a fashion designer who uses sotho blankets to make beautiful coats. And we also became very good friends.  

fashion jewellery

One of the emerging creative that I really loved and was inspired by their work was Katherine-Mary Pichulik. She made jewellery from ropes and I love her bold style and the bright colours she uses. 

exibiting

I had such an amazing time at the Design Indaba and felt very privileged to be a part of it and to be surrounded by such talented people; It was an experience that I will not forget.   During the exhibition a lot of people came to my stand and I got a lot of complements for my jewellery which did a lot for my confidants.  

exibiting

I realized how important presentation is at the design indaba. If your presentation is not is not inviting chance are people won’t come and see you work. When exhibiting your work you must put just as much effort to the way your display looks as you put in your work. 

designing

Using braiding to attach the leaves was a good idea but I didn’t have enough time to really look at it and explore the different ways of braiding so I ended up with a lot of unresolved work.  I will probably go back to it but I think I should really look it up first and see how other people do it.

making affordable jewellery

For the Design Indaba I was trying to make as many pieces as possible.  I wanted to make big statement pieces and I didn’t have enough silver to make them in the scale that I had wanted them to be in. So if I wanted a big chunky chain I would make it out of bronze and I used colour leather thong if I want something small and long. The colour of bronze and the leather ended up complimenting the leaves which came out beautifully.

Design Indaba

it was such a surprised to sell all of the patinated earrings because it was the last thing i did and i was really just trying to have a lot stock for my stand. it was very amazing to hear what people had to say about them so i think i will  be making more of them in the future to sell