The Handmade Contemporary (HmC) Fair is an annual exploration of the finest in product design and craftsmanship that the African continent has to offer.
If it’s gorgeous you’re after and quality and flair you resonate with, then we know just the place for you to celebrate the finer things in life.
Now in its eleventh year, the handmade contemporary (HmC) Fair is known for meticulously curating beautiful things and has created a vibrant point of access for South Africans to engage with the world of craft and design. you can also be the first to buy the works of tomorrows design icons. The best part about it is its emphasis on building platforms for local talent, fostering global brand awareness and bringing talent from around the world together that might not otherwise have the opportunity to connect. We spoke to the HmC team to find out more.
Glamour: Why focus on local craft and design?
HmC: To us, the answer is simple: our local craft and design is impressive enough to compete with the best in the world.
HmC provides a credible platform to showcase that, and take the goods to the right market. Our extraordinary talent creates unique, beautiful, perfectly crafted goods steeped in history and culture. The sector also has the potential to create jobs and empower women, which is crucial to building a flourishing continent.
G: Why the emphasis on local creativity?
HmC: Consumers buy goods for several reasons: quality, value for money and uniqueness. Perhaps the most important thing is that if consumers don’t know about our products, they can’t choose to buy them. For so many historical and political reasons, we’ve been conditioned to believe that anything from overseas is better than what we have to offer. It’s our job to persuade consumers that’s not true, and foster a culture of buying local goods.
G: Why create a point of access?
HmC: The global spend on design is significant, it’s growing, and products from Africa should have access. Our quality, innovation and creativity is outstanding – consumers need to know about it. HmC and HmC online marketplace provide excellent platforms to showcase this work.
G: What’s next?
HmC: We’ve already taken HmC from an in-real-life experience to an online one. Next is to curate HmC more often, in different ways and spaces, both in South Africa, on the continent and around the world. HmC also sees itself as a collaborator in forging innovation, so, for its next edition, HmC will move to the rooftop of Sandton City.
