piece at the Design Indaba

Last edited: February 22, 2010

Posted by Business and Arts South Africa

piece is coming to Design Indaba to present a collection of unique jewellery, conceptualised and customised for the live broadcast of M-Net Face of Africa Finals held in Feb 2010 in Lagos.

The collection is a collaboration between piece founder Eugenie Drakes, Master Beader Beauty Maswanganyi, Kristen Malan - winner of the AngloGold Auditions 2009 competition, and Mijou Beller. This marks the return of Maswanganyi’s work to Design Indaba – in 2005 she attended as an Emerging Creative.

Paying tribute to the people and creative power of Africa, this collection features ostrich shell beads made by the Bushmen in Namibia using the First Peoples’ techniques that are some 30 000 years old; trade route connections with Persia, China and Europe are reflected in the colourful glass beads which were used as a means of barter; cast bronze beads acknowledge the importance of the African Blacksmith within ancient rural communities; hand made precious wood beads from Mozambique display Africa’s natural abundance as do magnificent cowrie shells, long used as currency in West Africa and believed to promote fertility; coral, symbolising rank and wealth, protecting the land’s fertility and rarest amber, ever seen as an investment and mark of status.

Inspired by ancient tradition and realised within a contemporary context, these majestic works can be seen in an unforgettable show on the fashion ramp. And for the discerning buyer, a new range of jewellery drawing on the collection will be sold by piece at the Indaba.

Established nine years ago, piece continues to celebrate Southern African artistic expression. The store in Johannesburg is a treasure trove of colour and imagination, with accessories for person and home. Expect the unexpected - this is craft with attitude where old meets new and contemporary design meets ancient tradition. Every piece has a story to tell – the history, the places, and the people that created it. Piece is constantly exploring new ideas with Southern Africa’s new and established crafters.