Pichulik

Founded by Katherine-Mary Pichulik in 2012, Pichulik is an ethical South African jewelry brand offering charismatic adornments, made from unconventional, locally sourced materials. The brand’s mission is to create “bold jewellery for brave women”—and rope is the medium the designer works most closely with. Pichulik discussed her choice of the material to CNN, saying, “Ropes were used for restriction, I guess now – through their re-imagining—they are [used] for liberation." Female empowerment is certainly key to the designer’s aesthetic: "Its using a material such as rope, which does have a history of withholding, but through these pieces and through the creation of them—and through the wearing of them—you're able to expose who you truly are, and perhaps feel a freedom of self."

Though her career began by chance—she grew up making pieces from discarded pieces of her mother’s broken costume jewellery—she launched her line with the idea to craft assemblages that are cross-continental. The pieces “represent what the brand is about; they are the materialization, the metonym,” she told CNN, explaining that she sourced materials from across the continent. In the past six years, Pichulik has grown to become one of South Africa’s most prominent brands, and has been featured in publications such as numerous international editions of Vogue, and WWD. As the brand continues to grow, the designer stays true to homegrown materials, ensuring that Pichulik pieces remain as unique as the women who wear them. The designer has since launched a contemporary ready-to-wear label with a focus on natural fabrics and clean silhouettes.