Visual Lexicon | Entry 01 | The Gathering

A Library of shapes

AN ODE TO AFRICA.

Lulasclan is an ode to Africa, a celebration of its soul, rhythm, and beauty translated into textiles that speak of home, heritage, and human connection.

From velvet cushions to linen tableware and bespoke lifestyle pieces, each creation carries the warmth of the continent and the artistry of the hands that shape it. Every thread tells a story, one of authenticity, craftsmanship, and belonging.What began in 2016 as a humble garage studio making scatter cushions business has since blossomed into a homeware and lifestyle brand and alongside it grew a Textile and Product Design Studio, home to South African artist and designer Bonolo Chepape.

Her journey traces back to the small mining town of Rustenburg, North West, where her love for pattern, colour, and storytelling first took root in the dusty air of her childhood.It was in her mother’s garage, once a modest tuck shop that her creative world began to unfold. Between serving customers and waiting for someone to buy their daily bread, Bonolo would sit with scraps of paper, sketching and dreaming. That little space, filled with the rhythm of everyday life, became her first studio, the place where imagination and purpose found each other and the seeds of Lulasclan were quietly sown.

At the heart of Lulasclan lies the spirit of family, the belief that when a family works together, dreams are shared, generations are uplifted, and a home is built where everyone belongs. This philosophy forms the cornerstone of Lulasclan’s creations, pieces designed to foster connection, grounding us to the world around us and to the people we share our lives with.

Each object is more than just a piece of design; it carries stories, meaning, and the invisible threads that bind us together.This spirit was embodied by the matriarchs of the Chepape clan, Anna Chepape (Bonolo’s mother) and Tshupi Letsie (her aunt). Both self-taught seamstresses with an unshakable entrepreneurial spirit, they became the hands and hearts behind Lulasclan’s early beginnings. With determination and faith, they rolled up their sleeves and stitched together the first pieces that would carry the family’s legacy forward.

Their words still echo through the studio: “We are doing this for all of you.” It’s a statement that became a promise, a reminder that Lulasclan isn’t just about creating textiles; it’s about creating opportunity, shifting narratives, and weaving a new way of doing things.

It’s about creating spaces that evoke a sense of belonging spaces that mirror the many layers of who we are, that welcome others in, and where every thread is woven with stories of unity, creativity, and the boundless beauty of Africa.

Design as a transformative tool for change.

Our greater vision is to drive transformation and change through peoples lives, using design as tool to positively impact the society and community in which we operate by supporting our declining textile industry through working with locally sourced suppliers to providing employment opportunities to women who come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, and passing down our knowledge to aid them in becoming skilled artisans in the design sector.

Supporting Our Creative Community.

Working along-side talented female run agencies in photography or raising talents in fashion & modeling, Lulasclan hopes to create platforms where talents from various fields can come together with a purpose of creating meaningful work that is beautiful and brings every one together.

We are Makers.

Our process involves sourcing quality base fabrics from local fabric suppliers and using digital printing technology that uses eco-solvent inks to transfer our designs. Our perfectionism and attention to detail has been informed by design learnings and experience. Pushing ourselves to grow, to perfect and to evolve with every piece we create.

Our Blueprint.

1. Cultural & Heritage Provenance

2. Quality & Craftsmanship

3. Authenticity

4. People & Community

5. Care for the environment & Care for people

6. Circular Economy through Collaboration.

Shapes & Meaning

An introduction to some of the shapes explored to construct The Gathering pattern. A pattern that holds multiple expresssions in translations.

Each shape carries its own language, drawing from memory, history and the many ways in which stories are translated into visual expressions.

Through the arrangement, interaction and repetition, individual shapes find new meaning, revealing the stroy, revealing the traces of inspiration and design structures informed in its composition forming a collective composition that holds multiple expressions within a single pattern.