Sindiso Khumalo's studio space in her light, spacious London flat is filled with things that inspire the fashion and textile designer. A David Bowie LP shares space with family photos, a book on Julie Verhoeven, African art and plenty of other bits and bobs that hint at the influences for Khumalo’s often colorful graphic prints. Born in Botswana, Khumalo grew up in Durban, South Africa and has called London home for more than a decade. While her home studio features her sketches and mood-boards, the actual textile printing for her Sindiso Khumalo brand takes place in South London, in Bermondsey’s Printall Studios. Her collections are then made in South Africa, where Khumalo is happy that her company gives her an opportunity to help the country’s unemployment problem. “It’s important to me that the clothes have integrity, that the workers are paid a decent wage, and I work closely with the people who make the clothes,”.
When it comes to her design identity, she says: “I always say I’m a textile designer, first and foremost, and then I’m African, I’m a woman, I’m a mum, I’m a Londoner. I’m all of these things that influence what I do.” It’s a background that has resulted in striking collections, whether her prints are in black and white, or feature some of the color palettes that she often finds in nature. “Nature is the best designer—things work! I look at corals or tropical fish, and their colors, because to me they’re the most interesting color combinations.“
Now, the designer has entered a new market: children's clothing. Unsurprisingly, Khumalo’s playful designs work perfectly for kids and the patterns look just as good when coordinated or mixed up.
Text: Cool Hunting by Cajsa Carlson Images: Sindiso Khumalo studio
