Shades & Layers
Shades and Layers is a podcast focused on black women entrepreneurs from across the globe. It is a platform for exploring issues and challenges around business ownership, representation and holistic discussions about the meaning of sustainability in an increasingly complex global context. Conversations are wide- ranging and serve not only as a Masterclass in Entrepreneurship but also provide wisdom and tools for Successful Living. It is a space for meaningful conversation, a place for black and other women of color to be fully human and openly share their quirks and vulnerabilities.
Guests include prominent figurers in the beauty, fashion and wellness industries both in the Northern Hemisphere and the Global South.
Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo of USO Skincare discusses her journey from being product junkie to creating an African science-based skincare range. Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair is a brand development whizz who discusses supply chain and distribution of her haircare brands. Katonya Breux discusses melanin and sunscreen and how she addresses the needs of a range of skin tones with her Unsun Cosmetics products.
We discuss inclusion in the wellness industry with Helen Rose Skincare and Yoga and Nectarines Founder , Day Bibb. Abiola Akani emphasizes non-performance in yoga with her IYA Wellness brand and Anesu Mbizho shares her journey to yoga and the ecosystem she's created through her business The Nest Space.
Fashion is all about handmade, custom made and circular production with featured guests like fashion designer Maria McCloy of Maria McCloy Accessories; Founder and textile/homeware designer Nkuli Mlangeni Berg of The Ninevites as well as Candice Lawrence, founder of the lighting design company Modern Gesture. These are just a few the conversations on the podcast over the past three years.
Shades & Layers
Nthatuoa Crafts with Nthatuoa Makhapa (S6, E3)
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This week, we have nothing but love, and you will find out why as you listen to the interview with, my guest today, Nthatuoa Makhapa. She is the founder and creative director of the knitwear brand, Nthatuoa Crafts where everything is made by hand and inspired by her home country of Lesotho.
Launched in 2019, the brand is growing from strength to strength along with its founder who will, for example, be joining a cohort of other young African leaders for the Mandela Washington fellowship in Washington DC this coming June. Nthatuoa is also the recipient of a grant from the African Development Fund Business Plan Competition she entered in 2022.
Along with these achievements, Nthatuoa shares with us, her passion for knitwear and preserving the ancient craft of crocheting and other artisanal skills. She talks about how she has become an environmental and social justice advocate. And how she moved from being a hobbyist to full-time entrepreneur who also lends her crafting skills to other designers.
Love and Storytelling are at the core of the Nthatuoa brand, and it stands to reason, as Nthatuoa means ‘beloved’ or ‘loved one’ in Sesotho.
Thank you for sharing your story @nthatuoa_com 🧡🧡🧡
LINKS AND MENTIONS
- Cape Town Boutique MeMeMe
- ReWoven - Cape Town-based Textile Rcycling company
- Lukhanyo Mdingi - South African fashion designer and 2021 LVMH Fashion Prize winner
- Munkus - South African premium fashion brand
- Mandela Washington Fellowship - Six week leadership training for Sub-Saharan African young leaders
- African Development Bank
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