Collaboration with Top SA Designer Luke Radloff of Uni Form Opens New Horisons

Bespoke clothing items, produced from cotton of which the majority is grown locally stunned audiences at the most prestigious fashion show on Earth.

This was not only a great achievement for the Uni Form creative director Luke Radloff and Barrydale Hand Weavers, but for the South African Fashion industry at large.

The garments and textiles told the South African story to a new audience and in doing so reinvigorated interest in an immensely creative part of the world.

A Rare Roadtrip Discovery
Barrydale Hand Weavers had joined forces with the then unknown SA designer in 2019 following a coincidental meeting.

The Johannesburg based Radloff had, by chance, stopped over in Barrydale en route to Cape Town when he discovered the material he would use when he launched his fifth solo collection in 2020.

He was since named GQ Magazine’s top designer in 2023 and he had also won the Nicholas Coutts Artisanal Fashion Award which focuses on designers who create fashion that foregrounds the skills of garment workers and local communities.

This was two of three top awards Radloff received last year although one of the biggest personal rewards for the designer is that he had produced this exceptional work alongside a company that sees great value in a traditional craft that is greatly contributing to the upliftment of the community.

Labelled as a national treasure in the fashion industry, Radloff was selected as the first laureate of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation x Orveda residency program where he had enjoyed rare access to a collection of work by the greatest couturiers on the planet.

The return of an old friend
He then planned his next trip to Barrydale and over a few days and, with the assistance of the local master weavers, developed the range that took Europe by storm.

The result for the Barrydale Hand Weavers is that they are now being mentioned in the fashion world – specifically the sustainability aspect of their business.

rom a small weavery that started in the Karoo Art Hotel nearly two decades ago, Barrydale Hand Weavers today not only produces world class textiles for homes, it is also a source of sustainable income to more than 30 families.

What is equally astounding is that the quest for international recognition is not something owners Kate and Arran Bastable seek to achieve.

(During 2022 Barrydale Hand Weavers had designed bespoke garments that were used in the blockbuster movies The Woman King) —> Read that article HERE

“It is mind blowing for both ourselves and the staff here to see our work showcased at international stages, but it is not something we look to do. It just happens organically,” said Arran.

Radloff had previously worked in the film industry and it was during extensive travels in Africa that he started to gain a better understanding of African style – which he wanted to interpret in his own way.

This prompted him to start Uni Form and he has since been focused on creating contemporary and luxury clothing using African craft.

It would be fair to say that his relationship with Barrydale Hand Weavers is a match made in heaven and as far as brand stories go, this one developed as naturally as the cotton used in the breathtaking garments that were in Paris this week.