Tayla Nguskos Smith, Flourish (2015)

Social Fabric aims to help build South Africa's textile industry through development of an innovation pipeline. We profile Tayla Nguskos Smith, a South African fashion designer who works with mohair in unconventional, experimental ways. This started whilst she was still studying where she was taught that as mohair is an expensive fibre she needs to handle it with care and delicacy. Instead Tayla challenged this by coating her mohair garments with paint. Noticing that the effect is like the bark of trees, she further embellishes with mohair embroidery and beading to invoke lichen.