Melissa Ranea | August 15, 2024
Jessica Thembelihle Mahlangu is a resilient, ambitious young lady, who is grounded in life’s simplest of pleasures. She cherishes moments spent in nature, reveling in the beauty of the outdoors and finding peace in its tranquility. As a devoted mother to her 7-year-old daughter, Jessica values the heartfelt connections in her life, often finding inspiration in positive affirmations and the universal language of music, regardless of genre.
“I discovered crocheting or rather started paying it more mind during lockdown” said Jessica. Before my grandmother passed she would make these beautiful blankets and gift them to us, little did we know the sentimental value they would grow to possess.
Watching her make these blankets, never did I think I would fall in love with this craft at such a young age. Fast forward to her passing and my aunt got heavily invested in making anything and everything, and decided to continue the craft in upholding her memory.
Leehle’s Crocheteria was established in 2022, we are 100% black, youth and female owned. At Leehle’s we offer meticulously crafted hand crocheted items, you name it, we’ll make it for you, and our pieces are all unique in their expression and our crafting processes are artistically inspired.
Leehle’s Crocheteria currently offers meticulously crafted such as :
*Hats
*Beenies
*Bucket hats
*Bags (made from recycled t-shirt yarn)
*Handbags
*Clutch bags
*Laptop bags
*Shopping bags
*Chunky knit blankets (on requests)
*Workshop sessions
*Any On request personalised product (crocheted)
I am thoroughly a big fan of the bags, from a creative aspect and the endless possibility in designs one can execute, the variety of options in materials all contribute to sustainability as they are made from recycled processes.
Our designs and colours are inspired by various expressions, forms, functions and making it fashionable. The more research and travel I do based on this skill set the more I learn how this craft has been adapted and innovated throughout time and transference, and how it’s been used as a sense of expression whether as a consumer or the crafter.
Finding new and innovative ways to create fresh designs while employing a timeless skill set: Our colours are a reflection of various cultural experiences, we want to express the multi cultural world we exist in though the use of colour.
What experience do you hope Leehle’s Crocheteria clients have when wearing your brand?
Referencing from what inspires the products, the ethos of our brand is “where every piece finds purpose”. When a woman carries a handbag she loves and feels confident in, she is more likely to hold her head high, walk with a purpose, and feel empowered in her own skin.
This confidence can radiate to those around her, leaving a lasting impression, not leaving out our use of sustainable materials, and that is essentially the core experience we want our customers to experience and that the same sentiment translates throughout our extended market as we branch to accommodate men and children.
Will you be adding more products to Leehle’s Crocheteria? If yes, what can we look forward to? Yes, we are looking into launching various ranges to compete in the higher market product offering, there are cool local collaborations in the pipeline so stay tuned.
Readers can contact and purchase our products through the following channels:
• Follow us on our social media pages (Instagram and Facebook) and send us a direct message (DM).
• Reach out via business WhatsApp at 067 9665 468.
• Visit us at the Rosebank Market on Sundays.
• Stay tuned for our website, coming soon.