In Studio with Zydia Botes

COMPILED BY Jo Buitendach PHOTOS Sarah de Pina

For the powerhouse behind Something Good Studio and Romaria Knitwear, it’s all about collaborative design, making connections and a calm, happy workspace.

I launched my first baby, Something Good, in 2018,” Zydia Botes explains from her peaceful studio space in Ferndale, Johannesburg. Her label was born from a need to slow down and make something meaningful; today, the collaborative brand works with artists and designers to create eye- catching blankets and textile pieces. Not one to rest on her laurels, Zydia is also co-founder of luxury knitwear label Romaria, which creates timeless, non-seasonal clothing.

How the brands were born

“I studied the business side of fashion with the goal of becoming a buyer. Instead, I ended up working on the supply side of the industry for 10 years. I was overworked and travelling constantly, always pressured by delivery dates. I needed a change. I wanted to look into how design could have a positive impact on my life, and the life of every person connected to the project. This meant challenging mass production and focusing on quality and the making process.

“I discovered some really cool artists and illustrators on Instagram and had the idea to translate their art into blankets. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and I’d said that before the age of 30 I would like to have my own business. I put a proposal together and I sent it out to a few of my favourite designers and artists, with the idea that it would be a once-off project. It was a shot in the dark, yet their feedback was so encouraging; they loved the concept of having their artworks transformed into blankets.

“From there, we put together an exhibition with six artist-designed blankets, all created by women. Then the Sunday Times featured us, and I started receiving orders. I decided to pursue Something Good, and resigned from my job within a month.

“Romaria Knitwear started after my now-business partner, Carla Pinto, introduced herself to me at 100% Design. As a fashion designer, it was one of her goals to make a knitwear collection. We made our first three items, and they sold out immediately. We then officially started our brand and named it Romaria, which means ‘pilgrimage’ in Portuguese. (Carla was born in Portugal.)

“Over the past six years, Something Good has become a sought-after brand. An important part of the business includes partnering with luxury lodges in the creation of their own custom textiles.“

Learning the craft

“I was tenacious in the beginning – a small business reaching out to established suppliers and manufacturers. I couldn’t afford to invest in huge quantities. I wanted the best quality of natural fibres, made in small batches. It was the complete opposite of how most companies approach product development in the mass market. Up until then, our suppliers had made products like bulk acrylic school jerseys. I wanted cotton; it’s amazing to live with, and you don’t have to put blankets or knitwear away in summer because they breathe.

“A couple of factories later, we finally secured the manufacturing partners we work with now. It has taken some persuasion, but they understand our vision, and they’ve expanded their natural fibre offerings since our inception. Our supply base stretches all over South Africa. We’ve learnt that each factory has its own expertise.

“I travelled to the factories and spent many days there, asking them to teach me as much as possible. There are so many tricks to textile design. I learnt my craft by being hands-on and by spending enough time with the manufacturers to make me feel super-confident about the product. I needed to understand all the processes, so that if there was an issue during production, I would know enough to perhaps suggest an alternative, or at least communicate the situation to our customers.”

Developing a design approach

“The key to our approach is collaboration. Something Good Studio and Romaria Knitwear are both collaborative businesses, and all our designs, patterns and artworks are made with either artists or designers. Collaborations are so much fun, because you’re always learning from and challenging each other. We all think completely differently, but we somehow make it work – and the result is always so much better than we initially thought it would be.

“I am a connector of people. I can make unexpected partnerships happen. It makes for beautiful storytelling – and every single one of our items tells a wonderful tale.”

Choosing a space

Our studio space for both brands is at my home in Johannesburg. My husband and I were already living here when I started the business – we had enthusiastically bought a fixer-upper and, at times, felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of the project, to the point that we considered selling it. Then I started Something Good, and my husband acknowledged an opportunity to utilise some of the unused spaces. He knew we needed a large area and suggested we renovate his old study. Everything in this room was green: the carpets were green, the curtains were green – it was dilapidated. The revived studio has become a light space to live a calm life, which was one of the main reasons I wanted to break away from the intensity and stress of my previous career. That said, even though our production is mostly done in the Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and we visit the factories often, all the stock arrives here, and we package and process all orders here. We are very hands- on and we quality-check everything. We are ever-evolving and so is our studio – we have lots of space to grow here.“

Future plans

“We try to take things slowly, in the sense that we don’t necessarily push ourselves or chase seasons or trends. We really nurture relationships and spend time developing new additions. A big milestone for Something Good Studio was the Latitudes Art Fair in May, where we launched our new textile artworks collection. The series is called ‘Written in Thread’; our first soft sculpture was a breathtaking work by artist Renée Rossouw. Stay tuned for more exciting pieces from this collection!” somethinggoodstudio.com | romaria.shop

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