Weaving with South Africa's diamond fibre
Based on the edge of the Great Karoo, Frances V.H Mohair is a weaving studio specialised in making mohair textiles. Frances van Hasselt, who was raised on his family mohair farm in the Karoo, established the atelier in 2017, identifying a lack of products made entirely locally. South Africa produces the most mohair in the world, however 80% of the fibre is exported in a relatively raw form. At Frances V.H Mohair every step of the making happens on-site, by hand: from washing and opening to spinning and dyeing, weaving and embroidering. What started with just one master weaver has bloomed into a studio of 15 women, most of whom had no previous textile expertise.
The studio treats South Africa’s ‘diamond fibre’ with deep respect, creating most of its pieces with mohair from Frances’ family farm. To keep the fibre’s famous raw softness and character, it is opened by hand rather than machine, after which it is hand-spun into yarn. Today, Frances V.H Mohair is known for its rugs that showcase the rugged, raw beauty of mohair, for art tapestries that tell narratives from the area, and for small, limited edition apparel collections.
Where
Frances V.H Mohair
