Li likes local mohair

The star of South Africa’s textile exports, mohair, just seems to get more and more popular. And with world trend forecaster Li Edelkoort on board, this soft and versatile thread is being unravelled by designers across the globe.

Mohair South Africa has teamed up with Li to forecast the future of mohair at the Spinexpo in Shanghai. With a stand of their own, the power team will present an innovative take at craft, like it has never been seen before.

Tired of an unimaginative approach to fashion, Li feels that consumers will soon take pleasure in doing creative things themselves. With the rediscovery of the beauty of handmade, once-off items, Li believes that crocheted, embroidered, patchwork, hand-knit, fringed and yarn works will soon be the most covetable items around.

Renamed DIYY (Do it Yourself Yourself), the movement has already gained momentum, with handmade and personalised garments and accessories taking preference over their mass-produced counterparts. And with this trend comes the rise of haberdashery stores and online forums, which are bringing fellow knitters, stitchers and many other ‘ers’ together.

Mohair has been chosen as a favourite material to incorporate into these handmade items. Its versatility means that it can be incorporated into all types of handmade textiles, from silk-like furry yarns to chunky entangled blends. The fibre’s absorption abilities also trump its competitors and it is able to achieve the most saturated brights and the deepest natural colours – all the while staying irresistibly snug. “Intuitively, consumers will soon crave its pure, wild beauty,” says Li.

Want to hear more of Li’s predictions? Well, you’re in luck. She is due on our shores at the end of the month and will be giving a lecture entitled “Bliss” on 29 September. This seminar will look at summer and lifestyle trends and all the major movements due to hit in the upcoming months.

The seminar, presented by Design Indaba, costs R950 and tickets are available at Computicket. Spaces are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

More information: www.designindaba.com, www.trendtablet.com, www.mohair.co.za