Okapi’s Hanneli Rupert on the beauty of Africa and sustainable design

You were originally a painter, what inspired you to branch into luxury goods? I have always been engaged in creative professions. With regards to branching into Okapi I was inspired to demonstrate that African luxury is indeed possible and available whilst supporting sustainable industry, skills development and job creation in Africa from locally sourced materials.

What inspires your designs? I am inspired by the natural world around me. The majority of Okapi’s materials are organic and come from bi-product, therefore reducing waste. I firstly look at the materials I have available to me and then design around them to bring out the best aspects of their natural beauty. I like to leave little or no waste which is one of the reasons Ostrich is such a key source for us. Almost all aspects of the birds are used from the shells and shins to the leathers and feathers which we use as clip on accessories. 

Take us through the process of creating an Okapi bag; how do you work with the farms and craftsman that form part of this process? Okapi bags are an entirely traceable, sustainable and authentically African luxury product.  All elements of the bags are designed, sourced and manufactured in South Africa. For our materials, we work closely with the farming communities of the Karoo and source our leathers as a bi-product of existing farming practices.

At the core of Okapi is also an ethos of creating trade not aid and we continually strive to collaborate with and support the grassroots craft groups in and around South Africa within our collections. For example, in our current collection one of our partners included ZenZulu - a fairly traded eco-community project based in the KwaZuluNatal which focuses on intricate Zulu weaving methods with a contemporary twist. We also partnered with Monkey Biz a group which focuses on reviving traditional African beadwork and creating stable jobs for their creatives in and around the Cape Town area.

The names of your bag styles have very powerful names. Why did you choose these names? Okapi takes inspiration from the names of African goddesses to name our bags. For example the Yemaja is named after the Goddess of Wisdom while our structured tote the Aziri is named after the Goddess of Love. In Africa there is a wealth of myths and legends which have never really been illustrated. Discussing those legends is a way of showcasing the authenticity of Okapi.

How often does Okapi release new bag styles and individual products? The idea behind Okapi is that a bag grows with its owner over time therefore we are not seasonal. We introduce exciting new colours and skins on existing designs and also place a special emphasis on introducing new accessories throughout the year so that an Okapi bag is constantly evolving and expressive of its owner.

Okapi is stocked across the world, how has it been received by international consumers? One of the most distinguishing factors of Okapi is the emphasis which is placed on quality and the authentic story behind the brand. This has been really well received by international consumers and we hope to expand on this in the year ahead whilst always keeping our roots in Africa.

What’s next for the Okapi label? I would like to continue to grow the business and design timeless pieces that are not only of exceptional quality but also have a strong, authentic meaning behind them. As I mentioned we place a large emphasis on customization and I would like to expand our offering of this with the idea that the customer can eventually create their own variations of the classic Okapi designs and add to this over time.