You should know by now that we are all about supporting and celebrating local here at Monochrome.
So when we learnt there was a new Namibian brand that produced leather bags and accessories, our little hearts were over joyed.
KOVA is one of our favourite brands right now, here’s why:
It’s Namibian, duh.
Created by Petrina Auino-Mwandingi, an entrepreneur and Naturopathic doctor by profession, who co-owns “Nature’s Way”
I had the idea as far back as 2013. I was frustrated at the fact that it was so hard to find a simple leather tote in Windhoek. One had to shop abroad or online for a tote despite the fact that leather was a readily available material produced locally. Customizing bags was also a bit tricky as you needed to find people who could make what you wanted. This made me decide to seriously look into making my own bags. I used to sew occasionally so I figured that I could surely make myself a cute tote……with the help of You Tube, you can do anything! I went ahead and bought a leather sewing machine and then I had no choice but to make it happen!
The name makes so much sense!
The name KOVA is derived from the Oshiwambo word ‘Onkova’ meaning leather. I wanted to focus on producing quality leather bags and accessories so I played around with the word and quickly settled on KOVA.
It’s relatively new and has so much potential to be a big name in the country and internationally!
The process was initially slow, mainly due to my own procrastination fueled by some self-doubt. Once I got over that things moved much faster. I got my sewing machine out of storage and got an experienced lady to train me on the basics of working with leather and how to operate the machine. I also spent lots of time on YouTube watching tutorials and experimenting with my machine and working with leather. Eventually I dedicated Sundays to working on my new craft and learnt through trial and error until I created some great pieces that I was really happy with.
They are A1 on execution! Have you seen their first collection?
This is the very first collection (I didn’t even think of it as a collection! wow!), which is really just made up of pieces that I was trying out as I don’t really see myself as a designer per say. I used mostly local bovine (cow) and game leather to make simple totes, purses, clutches, sling bags and some small leather accessories. I made very minimalist items that were still stylish, but simple and practical. Most of the bags are unlined and raw on the insides, but I also incorporated some Ankara/ shwe-shwe African print fabric in some of the purses.
It’s made for us!
Any woman or man that loves simplicity and practicality combined together in a stylish but classic way. The ultimate KOVA client appreciates the quality and durability of leather and loves how each piece is unique and even better with age.
Our products can be viewed on our website www.kovanam.com which is currently serving as our online catalogue. The online shopping function is still under construction but will soon be functional. In the meantime prospective clients can contact us directly for purchases. We’re also going to be at various markets such as pop-ups and city markets in the future.
Follow KOVA on Instagram:
