The cat is out. Decorex Africa has announced the theme for 2024 and it’s “Designing for Impact”.
At the Decorex Africa events set to take place in Cape Town June 6 to 9 and Joburg August 1 to 4, creatives will be showcasing their designs inspired by the theme.
They have to make sure that all their products are sustainable and eco-friendly.
“We all need to step out of our comfort zones and embrace innovative approaches that recognise the power of our collective impact,” says Bielle Bellingham, Executive Creative Director of Decorex Africa.
“We need to make radical changes to our relationship with our home - the planet. We need to create sustainable solutions that are accessible and affordable to all, shaping a future where sustainability is not a privilege but a universal reality.
“This year’s theme acknowledges that design is an attitude of resourcefulness and resilience and should reflect a holistic and robust approach to problem-solving for our country and continent. Are you with us?”
One of the organisations that will be participating in this year’s Decorex Africa is Circular Squared, a Cape Town-based non-profit that champions circular economic thinking and urges aspiring entrepreneurs in manufacturing and retail to adopt regenerative practices.
The Head of Sustainable Design at Circular Squared, veteran artist and designer Heath Nash, is working with a local furniture brand, Wunders, to make furniture using scraps.
Wunders previously partnered with Decorex Africa’s Future Talks series in 2023, where it supplied brightly coloured seating made using its own factory’s waste materials, and that’s what Decorex is looking for - creatives who turn waste into useful products that can last for generations.
And there are so many of them. For example, in Estcourt, KwaZulu Natal, there is an old lady collecting used plastic and turns them into crotchet hats, handbags and baskets.
Those are the people who use their creativity not only to make a profit but to save the planet and kudos to them for doing that.