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Merchants on Long expands homeware collection
As an advocate for showcasing African craftsmanship, art and design in a luxury light, Merchants on Long’s approach to homeware is informed by the same principles that inspired its original roots in fashion: a reverence for handcraft, the support and celebration of local, and the promotion of sustainable practices.
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By consciously selecting a cohort of designers that align with its own brand ethos, Merchants on Long has amassed a portfolio of pieces that not only celebrate craft and creativity, but that makes an art out of the rituals and daily routines of home life.
The selection, in addition to showcasing African diversity, is driven by a desire to seek out pieces, crafted with skill and artistry, from brands and studios that impact their communities and industries positively.
Its collection ranges from established brands to new and rising talent, all underpinned by the same commitment to quality, whether they uphold and preserve a traditional craft or push the boundaries in contemporary design.
Homeware range
Studios such as Tintsaba Master Weavers, which was founded in 1985 to empower women in rural eSwatini keep the ancient craft of weaving alive through its intricate creations. Like them, Design Afrika empowers rural weavers, while Noni Designs and AAKS continue the legacy for a new generation.
Expert woodwork too, celebrates time-honoured handcraft, with Hohodza and People of the Sun serveware and Okapi table accessories bringing the beauty and texture of timber alive.
Ardmore Studio, Afrika Tiss, Kisany Living Linens, Aranda, Endela, SMTNG Good Studio and Siafu Home all celebrate the deeply ingrained textile tradition found throughout the continent in joyful, tactile and colourful pieces that weave a story around their respective
African cultures.
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On the other end of the spectrum are designers like Studio Ananta, Sidai Designs, Zenzulu, Noni Designs, Bros on the Road, and MonkeyBiz whose work all translates traditional beading techniques into striking contemporary pieces, straddling past and present.
Collective African Art Centre and FLOC walk a line too – between disciplines this time – with decorative pieces that blur the boundaries between art and functional design.
Like them, balancing the practical and the aesthetic, Jen de Charmoy, Jan Ernst, Lene Ehler, Clementina Ceramic and Klomp’s ceramics range from the minimal to the whimsical and span centrepieces to serveware.
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Simple luxury is another common thread, with mohair blankets by Frances VH, elegant artisanal ‘it’ candle ranges Skinny Bitch, OKRA, Côté Bougie, and Flowers du Vallei wines adding a layer of indulgence to even the simple act of sitting on a sofa or around a table.
“The pieces we have curated may differ in style and use, but what they have in common is that they bridge the divide between function and decoration – artworks that you can live with, that beautify your space but also serve a purpose,” says Jeanine Benjamin, COO of Merchants on Long.
