If, like us, you enjoy shopping for one-of-a-kind, thoughtfully crafted items, you’ll be familiar with Kamers/Makers – the large-scale pop-up markets in South Africa where you can shop for a dazzling array of fashion, decor, art, jewellery and design by some of SA’s established and up-and-coming talent. Even though we only just arrived in the country, we just had to drive to Johannesburg for this.
The platform not only offers our young designers a platform to gain recognition and sell their wares, it also allows members of the public the chance to purchase (and take home) some unique products and designs.
The spring edition in Johannesburg, ran over 6 days, and was all about shaking off the winter hibernating blues for a vibrant social setup. Over 130 local ‘Makers’ displayed their latest collection of handcrafted fashion and decor, plus a variety of artisanal food and wine stalls. And a small selection of items is available for online sale throughout the year.
For the 2019 season, KAMERS/Makers joined forces with Consol Glass as part of their mission to reduce the environmental impact of their markets. The partnership initially started as a project to help reduce plastic use at the market but has since grown into more than that. At the Spring market, Consol unveiled their new pop-up shop, which will be an ongoing feature at future markets. Their hope is that soon all plastic at KAMERS/Makers will be replaced with glassware from Consol Glass as a drive towards ZERO plastic catering.
On 27 August, the market kickstarted the season with a special champagne preview event in aid of their venue, St John’s College’s, unique intern programme. This Moonlight Night Market hopes to drum up funding for the Realema Teacher Intern Programme offers financial assistance for aspiring teachers to return to their communities as passionate and qualified educators. See here for more details.
Alexander and I both loved the market and we’ll definitely be going to the Pretoria edition in December. Stay tuned.
Here’s an impression of the market.
Mo’s Crib is a South African based eccentric home décor design unit which specializes in manufacturing sustainable handmade décor items. At Mo’s they are passionate about the sustainability of the environment and that is where they draw their inspiration. They produce high-end quality homeware and decorative pieces which is practical and timeless and is inspired by nature, cultural diversity and ethnicity that is cultivated around the globe.
Kamers / Makers market in Jobourg
The Lollipop League makes vintage handmade candies. The candies are made in small batches from vintage recipes and processes, in nostalgic, interesting flavours. Their candies make perfect gifts for every occasion, or a delightful treat for yourself.
MORGANE & THE QUEEN is a contemporary brand of jewellery. Each piece is handcrafted with great care by Morgane, a creative jewellery designer who is passionate about the process of transforming raw materials into jewellery. (the bracelet with the Africa pendant is Morgane’s.)
Nanas creates beautiful pieces that are not only comfortable and affordable but is also of high quality. The brand aims above all else to help elderly women, that do not have a steady income, to create something beautiful and also earn something to sustain themselves. They also want to make products that bring back the nostalgia, like wooden toys, delicate knitted sweaters and many more.
Alexander wears a T-shirt by Bellerose and jeans by Levi’s available at Orange Mayonnaise.
