Bramley resident and uber-fashionable upcycler Unathi Mgolombane took a beat off from her busy schedule of turning Sandton’s trash into treasure, to talk about how she became inspired to upcycle trash into fashionable art.
Mgolombane (31) moved to Sandton from the Eastern Cape in 2001, when her mother began working in Wynberg.
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Mgolombane arrived for this interview adorned in an impossible-to-miss infusion of some of her pieces into her outfit. She reflected on how art had always been a part of her existence, even before she had gained the confidence to express herself through her creations.
“Art’s always been in me, a part of me, from the way I have dressed since childhood,” Mgolombane said. “I think it started for me when I would make dresses for my dolls: I would cut the clothes I was no longer using, and make dresses for my dolls. From there, I became the doll: I’d make things for myself, and then go out there.”
Where recycling is a well-known concept, Mgolombane said a lot of people were not aware of what upcycling entailed.
“Upcycling is giving new life to something that’s been discarded: it’s creative reuse towards revamping a thing, giving it a new purpose.
“Everywhere I go, in Bramley and surrounding areas, I’m picking something up, because there’s always something there. Anything interesting, I pick it up. Walking is the time to find treasure. I have my eyes open for something amazing everywhere I go.”
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Mgolombane’s big break in art and fashion came when she became one of the 2024 winners in the recently launched Woolworths Youth Makers competition. She shared how the opportunity had opened doors for her across South Africa, particularly in Umhlanga Rocks, Cape Town, and Sandton.
“We started in Cape Town, and we were recently in Sandton City. The response in Sandton was great. It was awesome being in a vibrant space, with different people. It was a beautiful audience, and people received me well; and, it was awesome when the profits came back.”
Building from the successes she has achieved, Mgolombane aims to open a studio at her home in Bramley and participate in more market day opportunities across Sandton.
Mgolombane concluded with a reflection on the institution which empowered her to be able to overcome her shyness and express herself through arts and crafts.
“I studied craft and design at iMbali Visual Literacy Project in Newtown. There we learned several skills to sustain ourselves without having to depend on machinery – because machinery is not easy to get.”
Contact Unathi Mgolombane on 063 398 0385 if you have a market on the horizon.
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