Maker, designer, and entrepreneur Frances van Hasselt
creates beautiful mohair rugs that reflect all the uniqueness of their origins in the South African Karoo
Rustic studio with woven decor
The Karoo is an arid yet uniquely beautiful part of South Africa. “Our rugs are inspired and informed by the places, spaces and people of the Karoo,” says Frances. “We try to replicate its dusty plains, the rich colours of delicate vegetation, its textured landscapes and crisp light.”
Making one of her rugs is a uniquely creative process for Frances. “When I am in the Karoo, I make sure that I spend time outside walking, as this is where most of my ideas and inspiration come from,” she says. The light and the colours, the patterns formed by the region’s gravel roads and folded mountain ranges—all of these unique signifiers of place are reflected in her graphic designs. These might be inspired by “the tiniest folds of a veld flower or the balancing act performed by rock formations,” she says—adding that for her, nature’s most valuable lesson is that “of simplicity.”
Frances walking among grazing sheep
Hands gently holding white wool
Geometric handwoven wall art piece
Colorful yarn textile on rocks
Threads being woven on loom
Furthermore, in Frances’ view, “a sustainable, circular economy does not start in factories.” For this designer-maker, weaving and finishing a rug are the last few steps on an intricate supply chain that “starts with rain, the delicate ecosystem of the veld (landscape), the role of herdsmen, the importance of healthy animals to produce quality mohair.” She’s also very aware that the resulting raw fibre also has to undergo multiple processes—washing, cleaning, dyeing, and spinning, most of which is done by hand—before the yarn ends up on her loom.
As Frances takes care to explain, her rugs also reflect more than one single person’s creativity: she is a collaborator, both with her clients and with local traditional textile workers. Another of Frances V.H’s aims is to offer sustainable employment and training in a part of the world where jobs are scarce.
Frances weaving beside sunny window
Decor table with dried florals
Wall of woven fiber hangings
Wool basket under framed weavings
One result of this multifaceted approach to what she creates is that no two days of Frances’s working life are the same. She spends time finding her inspiration in the Karoo landscape around her, formulating her designs, and collaborating with clients. “All our work is made to order, so I have a very close relationship with clients,” she says.
But she is also occupied with promoting the Frances V.H brand, sharing its story with the world, and of course, “there is always something happening in the studio, from dyeing yarns, to spinning, weaving up new orders or playing around with different finishes.” And as this is a working farm, there’s plenty of everyday administration, logistics, packaging of orders, and fixing of equipment forming an inevitable part of running a business such as hers too.
Colorful wool spools on table
TrooRa Magazine
Words
Robyn Alexander
