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other likeminded designers so that they can grow together.
EDITÉUR PLUS
They preach sustainability and encourage their designers to
utilise every piece of material so as to minimise their waste
wherever possible.
The process of creating fish leather is rather fascinating,
Emile is excited by the entire process, seen as it is something
so often overlooked as being a durable leather product, eat-
en in restaurants even. To start the process they source the
fish skins from an importer in Cape Town. The skins are then
transported to Uitenhage where they are put through a tan-
ning process, mostly done by hand, and converted to crusts.
These crusts are then dried and dyed to make fish leather.
The fish leather is then taken to their bag designer who will
take them with when purchasing calf or cow hides in order to
highlight the fish leather and match the colour. The designs
are then drawn up to best utilise the materials. These designs
are cut out of cardboard at first to ensure no material wast-
age. Once the cardboard design has been assembled and ap-
proved the bag is ready to be made. The patterns are then cut
out and the bag assembled and stitched by hand.
Their design concepts come from combining a few different
aspects: firstly market research; they look at what is sell-
ing and what is current, they also determine colour combi-
nations from the same research. Then they add their own
unique twist to each product whilst still ensuring three key
factors: practicality, style and unique design. Their design-
ers are scattered around the Western and Eastern Cape and
design under the Ocean Hide brand, except for their shoes
whom they collaborate with Bolton Footwear Group. We feel
that our products are made a wide variety from different age
groups to different ethnic groups.
Emile’s favourite event is definitely SA Fashion Week, “They
bring together new and old designers into one big showcase
event.” His greatest success in his short fashion career to him
has been to bring the different processes together, from the
sourcing of materials to the tanning to the design, to produce
a unique item. He is planning to turn his young, growing busi-
ness into a success locally and then expand abroad.
Advice that Emile gives people that are starting up some-
thing: “Play to your strengths and don’t be afraid to ask for
help wherever you can. Persevere in attaining your goals.”
EDITÉUR PLUS / THE FIFTEENTH ISSUE