On July 15-16, 2017, the first Industry Girls Network Design Indaba took place at the beautiful Parklands venue in Borrowdale. Wow! What an inspiring exhibition. A show like this is a great reminder of how much talent and expertise exists in Zimbabwe today. Clever and creative artists, sculptors, designers, decorators, builders, landscapers, chefs, musicians and more showcased their brilliance in a fun-filled atmosphere unique to Zimbabwe.
The Industry Girls Network (IGN) was created in 2014 on the premise of formulating a platform for female business owners in Zimbabwe to network and share resources and ideas in order to grow their businesses. The group promotes integrity and professionalism in business, and this was evident in the top-quality services and products that were on display over the weekend.
All of the stands were artfully put together; the winner of the Best Stand at Design Indaba was Jane Taylor of Collaborative Craft Projects, who certainly deserved the prize for her ingenuity. In the art hall, the incredibly talented artist, Nicole Sanderson, exhibited her mesmerising oil paintings. The weavers caught everyone’s eye! As equally striking were the attractive handmade tiles and ceramic pieces from Burnt Earth Designs, who offer a variety of unique décor options.
Two new businesses that were launched at the Indaba are Organikks Events, who are now open as a lovely venue for private functions, and Foliage, founded by Selinda Mellor, who offers absolutely beautiful olive trees and topiaries of all shapes and sizes for hire. Her plants give any function an elegant and sophisticated appeal.
On the furniture side, Ingrid Tucker exhibited her spectacular creations of mosaic art with her Strelitzia bench and snakeskin table. Car tyres seem to be a big craze in the furniture design world of today, whether they are covered in basket weave to make a seat, or used as the back of a chair. Luxury duck down and feather pillows and duvets from Feather Comfort, charming fabric designs from Blue Olive, innovative paint techniques from Paint Express and stunning basins and light fittings from Copperwares are only a few of the fabulous products and services that were on exhibit.
In addition to the design stalls, delicious food and beverages were available for hungry customers. They could choose from tasty Vietnamese catering from Phomo, pizza from Pizzazz, ice creams, coffees and, of course, a full bar was available. Several exhibitors put on workshops and demonstrations, and the live music in the background topped off what was a fantastic Indaba!