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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