Tana Africa

I  recently met a local designer called Tana who designs bags and jewellery made from leather and crocodile skins.  In the process, I agreed to do a bit of modelling for her(See a few pics below!!!).  Tana is named after the 'Tana' which is a river in Kenya where her father used to hunt crocodiles. Tana has always been in  the fashion industry, she started by working in knits, then moved on to working with leather. Currently she has shops in Harare and one in Lusaka. Being African she needed to find a medium that is distinctively African and for her real game skin leather speaks of the wild and nature which is her first love. She is captured by the uniqueness of these leathers and she believes that ostrich and crocodile leathers are sustainable choices. 

Tana’s leather workshop and home are on a game farm just outside Harare. It is a family run business and they live for the protection and conservation of animals and our national heritage. She works with a small team of people, each specializing in their own area but also needing to be comfortable with doing  it all  from  floor sweeping, designing, pattern making, mechanics , sales, accounts and game capture. Having to juggle so many roles keeps everyone on their toes and makes for diverse work. The team is very supportive and  she finds that  it's a marvel to work with so much talent. Her inspiration comes from her environment and the animals. Her designs are the result of her  enchantment with the African silhouette, which has  a zen and dramatic majesty for her. She believes that ‘It's not hard to be motivated by what surrounds us, what we  do is a lifestyle choice and like everything it has its challenges, but we are driven by what we do and we love the combination of beauty and usefulness. We are delighted to be a part of giving people a piece of the charm , wealth and wonder of our Africa.’

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