We’ve previously featured her collab with furniture brand Popstrukt, and she’s been on our panel discussions at Decorex. Definitely time, then, for an in-depth interview with the talented Bonolo Chepape, founder of interiors brand Lulasclan.
WORDS Steve Smith
She’s a multidisciplinary textile artist and surface designer, an illustrator, an entrepreneur, and the founder of homeware and textile design studio Lulasclan – a brand known for its bold, geometric-patterned, Afro-modern aesthetic. Originally from Rustenburg, Bonolo Chepape was accepted at Wits to study medicine before the world of design got her attention. A trip to Mozambique ignited a passion for patterns and textile design – a talent that was recognised at the 2018 100% Design Africa showcase, when Bonolo was awarded Best Textile Design. From there, a stellar rise has seen MRP Home and H&M collabs, and the start of her own brand.
How did Lulasclan come about?
“I started Lulasclan because I was searching for homeware for my new apartment. I struggled to find pieces that truly represented African contemporary aesthetics, and which resonated with me – much of it was beige and grey, or depicting safari as a concept of what Africa is. That realisation sparked an idea: if the pieces didn’t exist, why not create them myself to offer a different narrative of what Africa looked like to me, and how I experienced it? “I love cultural design and art, so I already had piles of sketches, drawings and patterns gathering dust; it was a dream of mine for my works to be in galleries.
I figured the sketches would work on functional homeware pieces. It would be a medium to get my works across commercially and share them with others who appreciated African design – and it would provide me with pieces that I loved! “Our first items were scatter cushions. With the help of my mother and aunt, I was able to test the idea, to see whether or not there was a market for such colourful and cultural pieces.”
Where does the name Lulasclan come from?
“The name Lulasclan comes from my love for different languages. I’ve always seen culture and language as being intertwined. “Lula” is Zulu for “easy”, and easy is a direct translation of my name, Bonolo. It just sounded nice and soft. The “clan” speaks to the various facets of design that I love and which I draw inspiration from. In my Pedi culture, every surname is tied to a specific clan; it seemed fitting to incorporate the idea of family, culture, people, design and art coming together. It has also informed my design approach: I always look at things as a family, combining different elements.”
Can you describe Lulasclan’s design philosophy?
“Lulasclan’s aesthetic and design philosophy are an ode to Africa. Through pattern design, I explore my relationship with my roots, reflect on my childhood memories, and honour and celebrate the diversity of Africa and its people. It’s a harmonious balance of colour, shape and form in a contemporary style that showcases the evolution of cultural mark-making. We believe in capturing the enchanting magic and inherent beauty of Africa and its vibrant cultures by transforming everyday home and lifestyle pieces into pieces that tell a story. Our cultural background is our blueprint, guiding us as we explore ways of representing heritage design that both retain its essence and meaning and elevate it. It’s about showcasing the similarities and connections that form when people and cultures unite through the visual language of pattern.”
Can you tell us about the challenges you’ve faced?
“The challenges I’ve faced as a South African designerwere mostly about my use of colour. There was this idea that it would be too much, or too bold, for an interior space. I later realised that the people drawn to our aesthetics were not into trends – they wanted pieces to represent their personality and tell their lived story. This reinforced my positioning and spoke to how I approached collections that were trans-seasonal. It also helped me understand that reaching my ideal clients might take time… and patience.
“Another challenge was broadening my reach As a designer with limited capital, I couldn’t aff ord heavy marketing or product development – so I found a way to use collaboration as a tool to showcase how textile designs could be translated into various mediums and surfaces. I think this helped people see patterns as a multi- faceted form of art – and at the same time, it allowed me to tap into product designs that I could see come to life through another person’s skills and experience. The collabs allowed me to focus on what I do best while creating a place where I can tap into other types of functional homeware pieces, collaborating with designers who are amazing at their own craft .
Have there been any milestone moments or projects that have significantly shaped Lulasclan’s growth?
I think attending Shoppe Object new York and Maison Objet in the previous year really created a shift in the business, the exposure has been one that I’m truly grateful for, it sharpened the view on which spaces / partners and retailers our products speak too, as well as allowed us to export internationally aiding us in slowly growing our international foot print.
My creative process is influenced by …
thoughts I’ve been pondering on, whether exploring an idea, or nostalgic memories that I’ve kept at bay whilst researching or gaining further experience on the subject matter over time. I read a lot, I write a lot, and design and create patterns each day. These daily micro processes hone my skills, making it an act of love that I practice everyday, whether there is a collection in the making or not.
This phase is usually to pin down and gain clarity on the story and feel of a collection. This organic and less structured way to ideation then takes a more structured approach when I’m ready to put ideas down to paper and the story is concrete. I gravitate towards which ever medium can best translate the idea or the information download. Sometimes I sketch or out the idea and other times I go straight to the technological tool which is my design software. I try not to hinder the design flow with too much thought especially during this phase – for me it needs to be as organic and intuitive as possible.
Once the designs are finalized I then look at the application and medium that can best tell the story of the pattern. I will look at fabric choices, sourcing suppliers, makers and manufacturers, and applicable printing or making techniques. A product development and sampling phase is then crucial in testing key aspects of quality, durability and supply of raw material. After the final phase of testing and inspection, I then take the product to market – this process involves feedback with our clients a form of a beautiful co-creation that happens where we gain market feedback to further enhance or improve the product, so sometimes no one item is the same.
What do you hope people feel or experience when they engage with your designs?
I always say, it brings me joy creating every design, and that is the feeling I want people to experience when interacting with the work, I would love that this joy is something that collectors of our homeware experience every time they sit down to sit at a table wrapped in our tablecloths or sitting on a couch along side our scatters its always been about sharing this feeling with people so that they too can share it with the people they love it’s about having people experience a little piece of this African Joy.
What advice would you give to young designers looking to build their own brands in South Africa?
The advice I would give would be, just start somewhere, anywhere, the reality is you won’t have all the answers figured out at the start of the journey but the beautiful puzzle you are building will all start to make sense along the way, so have grace on the process and on the growth, every step amounts to progress and that’s always better then not taking a step at all.
Any future plans?
“I never know where the journey will take us – but I’m busy with our fourth collection, and I’m looking forward to working with other South African craft communities and organisations. Our focus this year is on exploring new materials and mediums. And as for collaborations… I’m always keen to explore working with other South African designers and brands!” | lulasclan.com
Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.
