Engineer-turned-furniture designer Mpho Vackier, founder and creative director of TheUrabnative, shares the personal objects that have inspired and shaped her.
WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Marijke Willems, Sarah de Pina, Supplied
Joburg-based design studio TheUrbanative is known for contemporary furniture and products that mix modern, minimalist shapes with rich African stories. Mpho Vackier and her team create designs that feel rooted, fresh, stylish – and deeply personal. Read the stories behind her most treasured objects, and you’ll understand exactly why.
My grandmother’s 1960s Coffee pot
“This coffee pot belonged to my grandmother Lydia, who I am named aft er. It is the only piece of hers that I have. The spout once broke, and we repaired it with glue and a touch of gold leaf, which feels fi tting because her strength always shone through the cracks. I oft en look at it and wonder when she bought it. Was it from the time she lived in Sophiatown before she was forced to move? Did she pack it carefully and take it with her because it mattered to her? I used to think it was such an odd and slightly ugly thing, but as I have grown older, I have come to love it more – and I’m grateful that I held on to it.
“My grandmother was gentle but sure of herself. I did not always understand her, but I learnt a great deal by watching how she moved through the world. This coffee pot reminds me of where I come from, and of the woman I learnt so much from about showing up as your most authentic self, every single time.”
Haberdashery Warrior by Anastasia Pather
“This artwork is one of my most treasured. Anastasia’s work explores the balancing act women are expected to perform. We must be everything to everyone all at once while navigating a world shaped by patriarchy. In her ‘Pretty Face’ collection, she plays with the idea of confidence as a kind of armour. She wraps strength in beauty. Prettiness becomes a shield that allows us to move through spaces that are not always kind to us. There is a quiet resistance in that approach.
“Haberdashery Warrior was one of the first artworks I ever purchased for my own collection. Buying it felt like a declaration that I was starting a life that would hold beauty, art and intention. It still brings me joy every day, and it holds pride of place in my home as a reminder of feminine power, creativity and the parts of ourselves that deserve to be seen and celebrated.”
My telescope
“When I was young and proudly nerdy growing up in Soweto, I dreamed of being an astronaut. Before engineering. Before design felt possible. I was obsessed with space, the idea of seeing worlds beyond our own. I wished I could have a telescope so I could feel a little closer to the stars.
“When I met my husband, I told him about that childhood dream of nerdy little Mpho who wanted to explore far away galaxies. While we were still dating, he remembered that story – and, on one of my birthdays, he surprised me with this telescope. He delivered a dream I had carried for decades. This telescope represents the way he supports every idea I dream up – even the ones that seem wild, unlikely or sometimes forgotten. He shows up with his whole heart, and he has done that since the beginning. When I look at this telescope, I think of the girl who wished for the stars, and the love that reminds her she can still reach for them.”
Moeke’s knitted baby toy and birth announcement bear
“When my son was born, my mother- in-law, and his Moeke’chocolat as she’s fondly known, brought a handmade wool baby toy and a customised birth- announcement bear filled with Belgian- chocolate-covered almonds (suikerboon), which is a traditional way of celebrating a baby in Belgium. The almond symbolises new life and fertility and, since the almond tree blooms early and its kernel is hidden inside its shell, it became a metaphor for the promise of growth. It was thoughtful, and personal.
“These two keepsakes sit where motherhood, heritage and belonging first came together for me. They remind me that, from his very first day, my son belonged to more than one world – and both were ready to love him.”
My son’s bracelets
“When my son was in Grade 9 and 10, he travelled to Nepal and Japan on school trips, and each trip came home with two bracelets. He chose them himself, carefully, and handed them to me with a mix of pride and awkwardness that made it even sweeter. That small moment was the beginning of a tradition. When he travels, he brings me a bracelet; when I travel without him, I bring him cheesy touristy keepsakes that crack him up. It has become our inside joke and our way of staying connected.
“I cherish these bracelets because they carry a piece of him. They remind me that even when he is on the other side of the world, he is thinking of me. They hold the feeling of watching him grow more independent while still wanting me to be part of his adventures. Whenever I wear them, which is oft en, they keep him present in my day-to-day life, even when he is far from home.”
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
“My favourite book and the one I return to almost every year is The Night Circus. It inspires my imagination in a way few other stories do. Every time I open it, I’m transported to a world that is magical and mysterious, but also somehow familiar. I know the characters and the scenes vividly in my mind, like they live there. It feels like stepping into a space where creativity is allowed to run free.
“I tell everyone about this book because it reminds me of the power of storytelling. It explores big themes like love, sacrifice, creativity, time and community, which continue to resonate with me each time I reread it. The story unfolds visually and emotionally, and I fi nd myself imagining the circus in my own way. That feels close to the way African stories are oft en told, where you build the characters in your mind and the magic exists partly in what is left unsaid. It reminds me to stay curious and to keep imagination at the centre of what I do.”
The kilted skirt
“I grew up in a matriarchal family filled with strong women. All my aunts and my mom have worn this kilted skirt. As a girl, I used to watch them heading out into the world in it, and I would wonder when it would be my turn. Now it is mine and I treasure it.
“The fabric is worn down in places, and the pleats do not sit quite as sharply as they once did, but that makes its history feel even richer. I have no idea who it belonged to first, but each woman who’sworn it has added something of herself to it. Some of the strongest women I know chased their dreams in this skirt. They made big decisions. They built families. They found their voices. And now it has become part of my story too.
“Every winter I bring it out and put it on. It feels like an heirloom passed down through generations, even though it was never formally declared as one. When I wear this skirt, I feel all of them with me. It reminds me of where I come from, and of the women who raised me to stand firm in who I am.”
My thrifted Vivienne Westwood boots
“I fell in love with these boots the first time I saw them. Thrifted, slightly worn and bursting with personality, they are joy in shoe form. I love how whimsical they are. Whenever I wear them, I feel a little spark of freedom. Vivienne Westwood believed fashion could be a statement. She used design to challenge norms, stir imagination and celebrate individuality. Her work was rooted in craft , heritage and a touch of rebellion. These boots feel connected to that same spirit in their own way.
“They take pride of place in my dressing room. They reflect how I see creativity – bold yet grounded, playful yet real. They remind me to embrace whimsy in my work; to trust my ideas and stay curious about what design can become. I wear them for the style… and for the story they carry, one of discovery and fearless expression.”
The Nyika overcoat
“The Nyika overcoat is the result of a collaboration between TheUrbanative and Romaria Knitwear. It’s part of the Kusafiri collection, which opened a new creative door for me. It allowed me to explore clothing design, something that has always been close to my heart. My mom was a seamstress, and for many years I believed I would become a fashion designer. This piece feels like a quiet nod to that early dream.
“The name Nyika is a Swahili word meaning wilderness or hinterland. The design draws from the patterns and textures found on the Nyika Plateau in Malawi, known for its wildlife and rolling whaleback hills. Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good kimono-inspired silhouette, so this piece feels like the perfect fit for my personal style and for my creative journey. The Nyika overcoat represents the power of collaboration, the joy of storytelling through fashion, and the belief that old dreams can evolve into new realities.”
The Wambo pod chair
“The Wambo pod chair is part of our Outdoor Collection, yet its story and roots reach into both the African Crowns Collection and my grandmother’s garden, where I spent my childhood summers. Its woven mesh reminds me of her world – the textures of outdoor living, chickens roaming and afternoons under the trees. The form, with its long, curved ribs, draws from the remarkable eembuvi plaits worn by the women of the Mbalantu people of the Ovawambo tribe in Namibia, where hair could grow into elegant lengths that became a symbol of beauty and identity.
“The Wambo pod is special to me because it shows how stories can live in material things. It carries the memory of the women who shaped me, and a celebration of African heritage that continues to inspire my work. It proves that design can be functional and rooted, contemporary and full of history, personal and proudly communal all at once.” | theurbanative.com
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