Meet our Talented Artisans
Meet our Talented Artisans
South Africa
Semi Precious Jewellery by Mijou
The super stylish and artistic, Mijou from France, migrated to South Africa in order to fulfil her vision of creating exclusive jewellery pieces while at the same time empowering and assisting disadvantaged women.
She employs a community of local Xhosa women. The pieces created for La Luna Lifestyle are all one of a kind and made from semiprecious stones, shells, and various other materials. The previously disadvantaged artisans are now assured of a livelihood enabling them to care for their extended families.
Cape Town, South Africa
Embroidered Bags by Lulu
Lulu has empowered a community of Xhosa women in Cape Town who have all been impacted, in one way or another, by the AIDS virus. The ladies have learnt the skills of crochet from their mothers and grandmothers.
Lulu directs their talents by designing an exclusive and stylishly, fashionable range of handbags and accessories that her team then crochet. Their work has been exposed in major stores and galleries in Europe. La Luna Lifestyle are grateful to enjoy exclusivity of this
Zimbabwe, South Africa
Wooden Beads by Larry
Larry founded a team, of Zimbabwean artisans who are skilled at creating natural dyes and pigments.
These artisans are from the Ndebele tribe who are renowned for painting their faces and huts in vibrant colours and designs. They have acquired their skills from their forefathers and have translated these into dyeing wooden beads to create striking necklaces and bracelets.
We work closely together in creating colorways to complement our ranges.
Madagascar
Handwoven Raffia by Zoline
Having been born into an illiterate, male dominated, Madagascan family, Zoline was determined to elevate her status within the community. Her dream was to start a factory specializing in creating handwoven raffia accessories. She could then employ and empower underprivileged women within Madagascar.
La Luna Lifestyle have teamed up with Zoline and her wonderful team and together we create exclusive accessories to complement our ranges.
Cape Town, South Africa
Sculpture by Maureen
Maureen is an extremely talented and gifted sculptor. She studied and worked within the field of Actuarial Science and gave this up to pursue her passion for art and sculpture.
Love and fun are overriding themes in her work; love of her surroundings, her city, its people, the sea, the land, its animals, flowers, and trees. She combines these ideas with vibrant colours and playful overtones.
Maureen sculpts and fires her ceramics at her tranquil beachside studio in Cape Town. Her work has been featured in galleries throughout the world.
La Luna Lifestyle is privileged to be the exclusive distributor of Maureen’s work within Australia.
Zimbabwe, South Africa
Homewares by Simon
Belinda wanted to create a specific chandelier for La Luna Lifestyle’s Homeware range and begun searching for someone who would be able to create it. She saw Simon sitting at his makeshift roadside workshop and was somehow drawn to him.
Belinda decided to take a chance and offer him the commission. Like a spider spinning silk, miraculously a beautiful chandelier began to develop. As the piece grew, so did his broad radiant smile and beautiful character.
Simon is a self taught, Zimbabwean artisan and now fulfils any artistic commissions that we may have using his skills at interweaving wire work with bead work.
Sabrina & Baby
Sabrina and her sister, Baby, were both retrenched after having worked in a large clothing factory for over 20 years (they were 13 and 15 when they began working there). They had no material assets or security in their lives barring $40 which they’d saved. They put a lay-by down on a second hand sewing machine and began to do odd jobs for people.
Now – 12 years later – they have their own factory employing up to 40 people.
Java
Nurul
Nurul and her husband have established a large business working with craftspeople from Java. They have 600 artisans all working independently from their home bases.
These artisans will be given designs and orders, together with the materials required, and are paid according to the items that they produce on a weekly basis.
Nurul and her husband regard the artisans as their family and subsidise all of their children’s tertiary education.
Kadek
After a tragic motorbike accident which left Kadek paralysed from the waist down, he was not willing to give up on his zest for life and decided to hone in on the skills that he could still utilize.
He is now regarded as a master wood carver and has a team of people working for him.
Kadek has expertly created the artistic wooden amulets for La Luna Lifestyle.
