Wren consists of me, Wendren Milford and a few local seamstresses …and how can I forget – a fuzzy-wuzzy curious cat called Mischief and my three musketeer dogs.

Wren started with unique, one-of-a-kind bags, then moved to little bird pouches and has just introduced cushion covers into the range.

The Wren Bags (currently their is only one style with two different sizes: The Big Town Wren Bag and the small town wren bag) each have their own personality – just like you, because each one is unique and exclusive. A lot of time is spent making sure the colours and patterns of each bag works together creating a almost post-modern look.

The little bird pouches are made using the left-over fabric bits from the bags. In this way we are able to keep our wastage at a minimal. The little bird pouches are adorable – they are perfect to fit all the little bits and pieces you need to keep with you always and the tail doubles up as a wristlet so that your bird never gets lost.

The cushion covers are made using soft shweshwe fabric, tied at the top and with colourful inside tucks to hide and hold the inner cushion. They are sophisticated and fun.

All products are supremely hand-crafted. I am an admitted perfectionist so a lot of care is put into the making. This is to ensure that the bags will last you a long long time. However, when the work load gets too much for me I ask the help of two very special seamstresses from the local community.

Inspiration for the label comes from nature. Colour, print and form are key influential features prevalent in the designs.

Wren is motivated by sustainable principles. In whatever small way Wren always tries to incorporate sustainability into each design. For example, the English linen and cotton’s used for some Wren bags come from the ends of the fabric rolls that would have been thrown away. In the packaging of Wren bags sustainability is also brought in as the bags are wrapped with out-of-date South African maps that have been folded into paper bags.

‘Local is lekker’ is an important aspect to the Wren label. Wherever possible Wren tries to promote the local design community and industry of South Africa. For example, the famous and traditional South African indigo and resist dyed fabric known as Shweshwe or Ujamani fabric is used as the base fabric for some bags.

In all these ways Wren bags are authentic and conscientious South African design – bags not only with reason(s) but that capture the appreciation for beauty as well.

Shop for Wren products at etsy.com or en.dawanda.com