Some of the projects we've collaborated with Soul Design Jewellery on
One of our first clients, we love working with Soul and the places and stories we get to tell with them! Last month we headed down to Cape Town to create a video with Soul Design Jewellery. We were excited to work with them again, having captured another part of their jewellery making process in Kenya last year. We'd just finished a video in the Kruger National Park so it was quite a long drive, in the tiny pink Chevy Spark but with South Africa's epic scenery out the window and a quick stop in the Karoo and Pretoria we made it to Bo-Kaap.
Our film followed Nonthu and Abi who create and design Soul Design Jewellery's pieces and we visited them in their studio which is also Abi's home. The entrance to Soul is a beautiful handpainted blue door with flowers and vines flowing around it. Inside you will find a tapestry of travels and experiences, photos, drawings and keepsakes.
We also wanted to capture the city of Cape Town it's mountains, markets, sunsets and beautiful beaches. As well as Bo-Kaap the area where you can find Soul, a Cape Malay area rich in history and culture. We visted the Cape Town flower market and other shops around Cape Town where Abi sources materials to create Soul's Jewellery.
What we really wanted to capture was how much Abi and Nonthu love what they do! Nonthu talked about the fun journey you take when making a piece of jewellery and Abi chatted about how much she likes hearing all the stories from the eclectic and interesting people who come to visit the studio.
You can check out the video below !
SOUL IN KENYA
Soul Design Jewellery finishes their pieces in Cape Town, but a lot of their jewellery starts its journey in Kenya. Recently I was back in Nairobi for some other videos so we decided it would be a good time to catch up with Fred, Francis and the rest of their team at their workshop and capture some of the process of working with brass.
"When I started this business I started producing some designs and took them to the market, there after I got one client called Abi James from Soul Design Jewellery. From there up until today, we are still working together."
It was also cool to meet Francis' son Alphonce (he's in the photo on the left) who had joined the team after Francis had spoken about it last time we were here.
"I want to bring my son and train him at this job, by next year you will find that one guy here!"
- Francis
Freds workshop is bustling and busy with other creative businesses around it. In the same building there are tailors busy sewing and next door there's a sign maker.
"I really enjoy working in a workshop and being able to kind of connect with design literally with my hands and with people and try out different things, different techniques that are going on. So for me I just love that connection to a workshop and being able to play."
-Abi
LITHA'S STORY
Litha is the 5 year old son of Soul's studio manager, Nontembe. In 2019, aged only 4 years old, Litha underwent open heart surgery and was fitted with a pacemaker. It was a really tough time for Litha and Nontembe, so Soul created a piece of jewellery that would mark his recovery and look brightly to his future. We created this film to tell Litha's story and enjoyed some delicious ice cream at the same time!
If you would like to learn more or buy a Litha bracelet click here.