Podcast Ep. 2 | Frances Van Hasselt on the Karoo and building a Mohair Industry for South Africa
Frances VH Mohair is a women-led mohair farm and studio in the Karoo that aims to build a textile industry for South Africa, by South Africans
In the episode 2 of Custodians of Crafts, we venture into South Africa's Karoo region, the global epicenter of Mohair production and home to Frances VH Mohair. Founder Frances Van Hasselt welcomes us to her extraordinary farm-studio, where she's revolutionising mohair's narrative through a distinctly South African lens.
I met Frances for the first time at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen last year, where she was speaking on a panel that was weighing-in on the importance of land-level players within the industry and their involvement in policy and decision-making. Her words explaining how “Fashion begins with Rainfall” still give me goose-skin.
Mohair is an ancient and sustainable natural fibre that comes from Angora goats when they get a hair cut. South Africa, and specifically the Karoo desert, is home to Angora goat farming and produces the world’s largest supply of mohair. Yet, some 80% of mohair is exported in raw form with little done locally to beneficiate and celebrate its unique qualities.
Working purely with mohair, FRANCES V.H Mohair is one of the only textile studios developing a variety of products informed by the full life cycle of Angora goats and the environment to create work that allows for the raw material to define the final piece.
To acquire knowledge and technical insight into ways to work with mohair, van Hasselt spent time abroad in various textile centres - most notably, residencies in Japan and Italy.
In this episode, Frances brings her expertise to showcase innovative ways to incorporate design using locally available materials, examining the natural cycles that influence the creative process. She challenges fashion's first principles and delves into luxury from an artisanal point of view, revealing the profound craftsmanship that defines true quality.
Her role in creating an inclusive, sustainable supply chain specifically adapted to the ecosystem of the South African textile industry earned her a Mandela Washington Fellowship. Their work for Kate Otten Architects, ‘Threads’ was on show at the 2023 Venice Biennale.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, below:
Watch the podcast with the divine visuals of the Karoo and the exquisite Mohair products:
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