The passion to make ecological and economic change to the lives of women in South Africa is what brought Lynn, of All Women Recycling, and Wendren, of Wren, together.
With shared goals Wendren & Lynn have to created a range of products that combine plastic-made-fabric and Wren’s reclaimed cement paper.
The plastic based fabric used on the outside in the collaboration is a recycled based plastic fibre (polyethylene terephthalate chips) that they is made into a polyester fibre, similar to felt. 50 plastic bottle make one linear meter. Apart from keeping plastic bottles out of landfills and the ocean, the recycling of plastic also helps to create job opportunities as a source of income for informal collectors.
The plastic based fabric used on the inside of most of the products is called Stitch Bond. This fabric is a non woven 100% polyester fabric that is manufactured locally in Cape Town. The bulk of this product is part of a national recycling project where empty water and cooldrink bottles are recycled. Polyester is easily recyclable.
For All Women Recycling, this process has served to emphasize that alternative, sustainable textile production is possible and that we do not always have to rely on expensive, carbon intense, fabric or materials from other countries.
The paper that Wren is known best for is the same paper used to make cement packaging bag. This paper is collected as unusable paper rolls from printing factories in South Africa. This special paper is fused to fabric to make it stitchable and strong, and is coated with nano liquid glass (an environmentally friendly coating) to make it water resistant.
For Wren the process of taking an everyday material and challenging its perceived use and value is exciting.
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Creating a range of paper based accessories to store and make accessible the mohair and merino wools and knitting supplies developed and sold by South African local brand, Cowgirlblues.
In this design collaboration, carefree prints & colours from Skinny laMinx come to life on Wren products.
The Promenade in Sea Point is one of designer Heather Moore’s a favourite places in Cape Town, because there is just so much to see. Waves & surfers, paragliders & windblown trees, pram pushers & wheelchairs, dogs & joggers all make up a passing parade that’s one of the enduring pleasures of Cape Town life, & one that’s free for all to enjoy.
Alongside the passing parade, the Promenade has a wealth of mid 20th Century architecture, which adds a particular charm to the stretch of Beach Road from Mouille Point to Three Anchor Bay.
After years of walking, driving, cycling (and once even rollerblading) past the mosaic wall of the public bathrooms on Beach Road, Skinny laMinx designer Heather Moore stopped to sketch the design, and realised that it was the first time she’d looked at it properly.
The result of taking the time to slow down and look closely at this unnamed piece of midcentury public art is the PROMENADE collaboration with The Wren.
This range of screenprinted paper laptop sleeves, bags and wallets screenprinted in playful colours on the Wren’s signature paper material, expresses the freewheeling joy of an aimless summer stroll along the Sea Point Promenade.
The Wren’s slogan is “Take a Story With You”, and the story of PROMENADE is a reminder of the everyday beauty available for all to see, just as long as we take a moment to slow down and enjoy it
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Transforming nostalgic narratives into products that you can accompany you along your journey of everyday. Original lithographs and pressed ferns on photographic paper were discovered by the Evolution team deep in the archives of South African museums and brought to life in these print reproductions.
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When a giant roll of the “wrong” reel-end paper arrived from the packaging factory we did not know what to do with it. We tried it and the product was very shiny but a staff member liked it and choose to use it. Several months later we fell in love with how the silver paper had aged!
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Inspired by a visit to the Escher Museum in The Netherlands Wendren returned home resolving to develop a range that captured some of the magic and trickery of Escher’s art that is found in African folk stories and fabrics.
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Designs by Cape Townian Illustrator Lauren Fowler and textile designer and founder of Wren, Wendren Setzer.
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A timeless game connecting dots, creating lines and blocks. This design is a visual documentary of two students playing.
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Doodle, draw or colour in on Wren paper using any alcohol based ink or pen.
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