Meet Olivia Kennaway | Founder & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Kennaway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process around starting Asha Eleven really centred upon creating a platform in which our community or those who engage with us may be able to be inspired or educated in a way towards a more sustainable future on both an environmental and social aspect. Encouraging and inviting them to really question their actions and allowing them to understand the influence of their consumer decisions. By creating a platform (and a brand) which not only shares an offering of sustainably made clothing and lifestyle goods but which shares the process and creates awareness around the impact of each and every part of this potentially damaging industry.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Asha Eleven was born in Cape Town out of a love of creativity and a passion towards sustainability. The brand, whilst predominantly women’s wear fashion, encompasses a lifestyle and a feeling which ultimately says ‘I care’ and I’m committed to doing things differently, to being a part of change and taking responsibility for my decisions.

Creating really unique and stand out prints is something I love from a creative perspective and is also something which our community go mad for. Our prints are probably what garners the brand the most attention – however when I created Asha Eleven, I wanted our customer to understand that yes, it’s easier to make a commitment to a higher level purchase for something stand out and amazing like a printed occasion dress – but that actually, sustainability is truly in effect when it is fully integrated throughout your wardrobe. And so that is why along side our statement pieces we also have our Core Collection. A range of ‘sustainable basics’ – your everyday plain t’s, classic trouser cuts and so on. These pieces are focused mainly on two things; one, high quality, sustainable textiles (like hemp and organic cotton, tencel etc) made in a positive social impact factory and two, really great cuts which are timeless. I think for a lot of people there is the impression that oh, it’s just a white t-shirt, i can pick that up from a cheap high street retailer. But the truth is, not only is that t-shirt going to last probably less than a year – the impact on both the environment and the people who churn those t’s out for next to nothing is probably one of the most detrimental parts of the fashion industry.

Seeing the shift in our customers behaviour over the four or five years we’ve been going has been really inspiring. Convincing people to pay maybe 3 times the amount for a t-shirt than a high street store was hard and the traction was sticky to be honest. Now however, it’s one of our fastest moving products and it’s so great to see that consumers are understanding and making these more informed positive purchasing decisions. To be a part of that shift feels really fulfilling and motivating.

I think probably one of the parts of the business I am most proud of is our Upcycling project. Even though we’re a small brand and produce less that 2000 units per year, we create waste – a lot of it. It was not something I had planned before we started but after I got to see with my own eyes how much waste there was, I was driven into action. It honestly blows me away how much product we are able to create out of our waste. After the last Spring and Summer season we created products with a total retail value of over $25,000 – out of waste! So not only are we saving it from landfill; we’re creating awareness with our audience and we’re creating value. And – probably the most rewarding and amazing part for me – we sold out of our ‘waste’ products to the point that we couldn’t make anymore because the useable waste was all used up!

We have just launched a Suzani inspired collection which probably feels like my greatest accomplishment to date. Of course, after using our garment off cuts to create our range of upcycled goods, there is still waste left over – itty bitty waste that it’s hard to make something from. I was hell bent on using all of that up too and actually fully closing the loop on our entire production process. After lots of researching and talking to people in the recycling industry, we have found a company that could recycle these itty bitty bits into a sort of batting (like a quilt inner) that we could then use as an insulation and warmth for our winter jackets. This means that we are successfully using up absolutely every piece of material in our whole process and fully closing the loop on our material consumption.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Cape Town is an absolute mecca for all things creative, it’s also a culinary haven! Day 1 we would get straight stuck into it with an East city and Woodstock tour. A breakfast bagle at Max bagles Harrington Street and a coffee from Just Like Papa would fuel us for the morning. A pop in at the Pichulik Atelier and the New Hemporium at the Hemp Hotel. We’d then head to Woodstock to view some gallerys and local design. What If The World, the Woodstock Exchange and ending at The Old Biscuit Mill where we’d have lunch at The Pot Luck Club. Dinner and cocktails back in the city centre at Haccienda on Bree Street would end the day.
Day 2 we’d start the day going up Table Mountain, a 1-2hr hike takes you to the top where the most icredible 360 degree views of the whole Cape Peninsula. We’d scoot down in the Cable Car and head straight to Bakhoven beach for a swim and some breathwork in the icy Atlantic. After a casual lunch in Camps bay we’d lounge on the beach for the rest of the day.
Day 3 it’s helluva tourist-y but a visit to the V&A Waterfront is an absolute must, popping in a The Watershed which houses some of the best local design, including Asha Eleven 🙂 a lunch at Harbour House on the quays followed by a visit to the Silo District and the incredible Zeitz Mocaa museum and ending with sundowner cocktails at the infamous Silo Hotel.
Day 4 we’d head out of the city to visit Cape Point National Park. A drive along The False Bay we’d stop in at Muizenberg to watch all the surfers long boarding before grabbing a coffee and a pastry at Kalk Bays Olympia Cafe and browsing some of Kalk Bays retail delights. After some exploring of the Park we’d head back along the Atlantic side stopping in at Scarborough Beach for a swim, Noordhoek for a craft beer at The Aegir project, taking a slow cruise along Chapmans Peak before settling in for a sundowner at the Twelve Apostles Hotel.
Day 5 we’d head straight out to Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands and grab our Tram ticket for a full days tour of some of the best wine estates in the country.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many shout outs but to mention a few; Eckhart Tolle and Yvon Chouinard for their books A New Earth and Let my People go Surfing – both which I read shortly before starting Asha Eleven and who really influenced the way in which I approach things. Kathi and Matthew, my mentors, guides, healers – for allowing me to grow my personal container along side the business. My partner, Wes for his endless support and believing in me.

Website: ashaeleven.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha_eleven/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashaelevencapetown

Image Credits
Rogers Ouma, Katinka Bester and Asha Eleven