Brother Vellies: sustainable shoes from the artisanal heart of Africa
‘Love does strange things to people,’ says Aurora James, the Toronto-native, New York-based founder of Brother Vellies, the footwear and accessory brand winning a loyal following for its sometimes-fluffy, always on-point, sustainably crafted creations. It was love for humanity and the planet that drove her to set up the line, which is now a regular sell out at MatchesFashion.com and Opening Ceremony, and love that inspires her on a daily basis.
This is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve so that others can wear the benefits on their feet. She describes herself as ‘an excavator of my own heart on a fairly regular basis’ and it's important to her to create a ‘world where people can afford to take care of themselves and their family.’
James launched Brother Vellies in 2013 with a collection for S/S 2014 after being inspired by her travels in Africa, particularly Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco. Since then the label has become a buzz brand: last year it was one of the CFDA Fashion Fund winners.
The name of the brand comes from the colloquial name for 'Veldskoen', a traditional desert boot favoured by outdoorsy African types. ‘I brought in the word "Brother" because I felt like there was a connection between certain groups, religions and tribes there that could be understood and appreciated through different cultural apparel,’ she explains. ‘They wear Babouche, for example, in many parts of Africa. In South Africa, when they would see the Babouche, they'd say, “those are from our brothers in the north”.’
Her own ‘love affair’ with shoes began in her mother's closet. ‘She had a great collection of Inuit mukluks, and a lot of other traditional apparel - vintage kimonos, indigo pieces from Africa. I would daydream about the women who wore these things a million miles away from Canada, where I lived. I got lost in this world of fashion and culture.’
But James' route to designer was not a linear path. In 1999, at 15, she started an internship at Next Models in Toronto then, in 2006, studied fashion and journalism in an ill-fated university career. ‘I got kicked out of the Ryerson University journalism programme in either second or third year. I actually don't remember,’ she recalls. Simultaneously, she took a job with Jeanne Beker at Fashion Television, which was a strong influence on her imagination. Later, she washed up in LA working as a creative consultant for brands including Elite and Thomas Wylde.
Her first trip to Africa was in 2011, to Morocco, and it created in her a desire to develop and sustain jobs on the continent. ‘We don't need any more fashion in the world, unless that fashion can be used as a vehicle to crest positive change on this planet. I liked the idea of empowering communities through my favourite form of art,’ she says. ‘The continent of Africa is perhaps in the direst need of opportunity right now. I want to give opportunity to people who feel the world has forgotten them.’
At her A/W 2016 presentation in New York earlier this year, Lenny Kravitz's It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over played over a scene set to resemble a nature sanctuary (complete with live butterflies) inspired by a recent trip to the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. Standout styles included a new line of handbags trimmed with tufts of animal hair and an incredible yeti-like pair of tall boots covered in shaggy goat hair.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Brother Vellies website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which features a 1990s-inspired riff on the G-Wagon
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Cathay Pacific’s new business class Aria Suites take flight
Cathay Pacific raises the bar for business-class travel with the launch of the much-anticipated Aria Suites
By Lauren Ho Published
-
‘There are no shortcuts’: Ten years of Hereu, the cult Spanish shoe brand where craft is front and centre
Dal Chodha visits Barcelona-based shoe and accessory brand Hereu as it reaches a milestone decade in business
By Dal Chodha Published
-
Inside John Lobb’s sumptuous new Kyoto store, housed in a traditional wooden ‘machiya’
John Lobb’s inviting new Teruhiro Yanagihara-designed Kyoto store is introduced with a series of images starring lauded Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda
By Jack Moss Published
-
‘Sensuous physicality’: Issey Miyake reveals barefoot sneaker collaboration with New Balance
The Issey Miyake x New Balance MT10O is based on minimalist running sneakers from the 2010s, designed to replicate the feeling of running barefoot
By Jack Moss Published
-
These gravity-defying Santoni heels are a sculptural wonder
A closer look at Santoni’s Victoria pumps, which are defined by the architectural rigour of their gently slanted heels – an ode to the heritage footwear brand’s roots in Le Marche, Italy
By Jack Moss Published
-
John Lobb’s ‘Cannon’ sneakers are an exercise in minimal design
John Lobb’s sleek ‘Cannon’ sneakers continue the British heritage shoemaker’s foray into sportier terrain – crafted with all the precision of its classic styles
By Jack Moss Published
-
These innovative Dior shoes bridge past, present and future
Inspired by an ornate Dior pump from 1962, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s just-released ‘62-22’ shoes give the classic design a futuristic update. Watch how they are made in this special short film
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Superga’s ‘Artifact’ collection celebrates over 100 years of craft
Designed by Teppei Sugaya, the ‘Artifact’ collection by Superga explores the Italian shoe brand’s historic archive, with each launch arriving with a film celebrating artisans and hand-craft around the world
By Martha Elliott Last updated
-
Givenchy’s TK-360 ‘single-knit’ sneaker provides a contemporary approach to savoir-faire
Photographed on a sculptural artwork by British artist Ewan Macfarlane, the TK-360 sneaker by Matthew M Williams encapsulates the designer’s contemporary approach to Givenchy’s historic association with savoir-faire and craft
By Jack Moss Last updated