In this insightful interview, Leila, the founder of Leila Atelier, opens up about her journey into the world of weaving. From being deeply influenced by her father’s craftsmanship to her inspiring travels in India, Leila shares the experiences that have shaped her work. She reflects on the meditative rhythm of weaving, the importance of sustainability in her studio, and the beautiful, grounded energy that drives her creations. Join us as we explore her passion for textiles, the ethos behind her craft, and a glimpse into her life in the serene city of Cape Town.
This interview below was completed by Lelia, the founder of Leila Atelier.
kanju: We read on your Instagram that your father is an all around “craft genius”, how has he influenced you in your weaving journey, are there other early experiences that shaped your path?
Leila: Both of my parents are incredibly creative and this has definitely had a huge impact on my path. I grew up in a household that really valued natural materials & resourcefulness with particularly vivid memories of taking things apart, and reading through craft books and trying my hand at the skills in school holidays. On the weaving journey in particular, my father is a carpenter & an engineering maestro so his help has been invaluable in fashioning all sorts of tools & contraptions for the studio. Wood is such a huge part of the craft, the looms, the shuttles and much of the other equipment is all wood and so it's been very helpful to have his skill & support down here on the southernmost tip of Africa where there are not so many weaving resources readily available.
kanju: Being inspired by the rich, global legacy of textiles led you to India near the start of your weaving journey. If you were to reflect in a short journal entry about this time in your life what would it say? How long did you spend in India and where, and what were the most powerful moments in influencing your journey into textile arts?
Leila: Wow, where do I even begin. The truth is I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for when I went to India. Textiles have always played a role in my life, throughout the crafts of my mother in my childhood and whenever I travel I’ve always collected cloth. A lot of the textiles in Africa I was familiar with were printed. When I got to India and really connected with the construction of pattern through the structure of the cloth rather than applying pattern as a surface treatment this really opened up a new world to me. I spent seven and a half months traveling through the country, from right up north in the Himalayas to right down south on the coast, although mostly to the west of the country and never making it to the east, studying the traditional textiles of the land. I ended up buying a laptop as I had left mine at home in SA thinking I was on holiday, but my research became voracious, and I simply had to organize it all. I was particularly fascinated by the relationship of cloth to land. Which fibers & pigments were used based on what was locally available & how these were often transformed into the most suitable textile to dress for the particular conditions of that environment's weather systems was particularly mind blowing to me. I had quite a time traveling by local bus to tiny town which many locals hadn’t even heard of before hunting down traditional textiles I had read about and the thrill of beginning to see these cloths in the fields and villages from the window of the bus as I approached some sought out town or other remains a vividly elating memory.
Our designs are always inspired by ancient forms which have stood the test of time and are reinterpreted in a minimal contemporary way so as to appeal to contemporary interiors while not being trend oriented and thus hopefully stand resilient to changing fashions.
kanju: How would you describe the Lelia Atelier ethos?
Leila: Ethics are really at the center of everything we do. We work as far as possible with sustainable materials, using almost exclusively locally produced & processed fibers to reduce the effects of manufacture on the environment & to consider circularity in our material choices. Our focus on wellbeing extends to the larger environment through our consideration of waste production and how what we do effects the larger systems around us. Our designs are always inspired by ancient forms which have stood the test of time and are reinterpreted in a minimal contemporary way so as to appeal to contemporary interiors while not being trend oriented and thus hopefully stand resilient to changing fashions. People are also central to our practice. Creating a healthy work environment for myself and others has always been a major priority & the opportunity to create work which is fulfilling & economically supportive of local women in a way that supports their needs & desires is a really fundamental guiding principle in all our developments.
kanju: Could you please tell us a bit more about your business partner, Ulla?
Leila: Well that’s one way to put it! Ulla is my first loom. She is an absolutely gorgeous four shaft countermarch floor standing loom which was built in Sweden in the 1950s using the most exquisite Oregon pine. She’s the loom that I really learnt to weave on and develop and produce the products that I really established the business on. Ulla is the most wonderful smooth loom to weave on, so when in mid 2023 I broke my wrist & forced me to let go and train my dear studio assistant Zanele to weave, Ulla became her loom. Every time I sit down at her to finish something off I get a little bit envious, but I am foremost grateful for these resources & personalities in the studio.
kanju: You have described preparing the loom to weave is a meditative process, could you speak more to this feeling.
Leila: Weaving is a very quiet and rhythmic practice. It often feels like a very elaborate form of counting. There is a sharp awareness that needs to be maintained, so the focus is there, but it is also a very slow and repetitive practice. The body is busy, but the mind needs to be quiet, alert, focused. In this way it mirrors the typical meditation state quite closely.
kanju: How long does it take to prepare the loom with a new design? Forgive us for our naivete, we are sure it might be different each time. Though in our highly mass-produced world we would love to hear about the attention to time hand-loomed pieces take.
Leila: New designs often develop through repetition of previous designs & finding refinements. In this way again the practice is very similar to meditation, through attentive repetition insight & clarity arises. Therefore you could say a new design takes many, many hours and then arises at once in a moment of inspiration. In terms of technically setting up the loom, this depends on the width of the new design & some other specs, but typically prepping the loom for a run of a design will take around 9 – 11 hours to prepare the warp, set up the loom & cut and clean when complete, this is excluding the actual weaving of each product.
The softness of our cloth comes from the spin of the yarn & the density with which it is woven. As handweavers we are able to use yarns which are different to those used in industrial production.
kanju: How and where do you source your raw materials? What is special about them? The cotton is the softest we have EVER felt! What about it makes it so special?
Leila: Thank you! You are too kind. The Majority of our home textiles are hand woven using locally sourced cotton. We love cotton because it is grown in our country & processeed, spun & dyed locally. It is a natural fiber which, unlike many protein fibers, is really easy to care for & you can safely pop it in the washing machine. The softness of our cloth comes from the spin of the yarn & the density with which it is woven. As handweavers we are able to use yarns which are different to those used in industrial production. I spent a lot of my early days weaving really refining the structure of our signature cloth, this is achieved by spacing the warp yarn & beating the weft yarn into place very particularly with an inimitably handwoven feel.
kanju: What is the dying process for your thread colors? Are there any items or materials that you use to dye the thread with that we would be surprised to hear about?
Leila: Our cotton colors are dyed by an amazing local hand dying company which uses very ecologically conscious practices. They dye both protein (wool etc ) and cellulose fibers (cotton & bamboo). The first requires acid based dye and the latter alkaline. After the dying is done, the chemistry of these two processes cancel each other out, producing water which is safe to pour back into the environment.
There have been a lot of moves lately to recycle materials, to use fashion waste, which is a serious problem, and I’ve been sampling this way of working.
kanju: In the material world of textiles, We’re curious—what recent discoveries or trends have been filling your heart with joy?
Leila: There have been a lot of moves lately to recycle materials, to use fashion waste, which is a serious problem, and I’ve been sampling this way of working but I’ve decided that the greatest technology in my opinion is that directly related to the land, the earth. So I’m very interested in going way back to the basics, Mohair in its raw form, Cotton, linen. I’m interested in textile as an agricultural product and about looking at really healthy cycles of production, starting from the seed, the land, how we use the sun & care for our soil, using materials which are intrinsically good right from the beginning rather than trying to reuse materials which are quite toxic and the result of a really toxic industry and approach to production.
kanju: What recent fruits of the loom as of late are you most excited about? (please include an image if possible.)
Leila: Things are always growing, shifting, developing in studio! I’m really excited about our latest offering of limited edition artworks which are available for pre order, The Chiaro & Chiaroscuro were the first of these, and we’ve recently added two Ilala Palm (a locally indigenous palm from Kwa-Zulu Natal) and two Mohair hangings (which is from the Eastern Cape & spun in Cape Town). These are really exciting, unique, textural pieces aimed to bring a bit of the grounded & resonant energy of nature indoors and to elevate interiors with a sense of harmony & natural balance.
kanju: Let us join you on your journey... what is a typical day in the life of Leila? Or is there one?
Leila: I come into the studio almost every weekday. I’m generally in 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, if I have my way. We’ve made a really beautiful, light, spacious & energetically resonant space. It kind of feels like my dream playroom, everything I could possibly imagine needing for my creative experimentation is here, with looms and loads of table space. Honestly it’s my favorite space and there is little I love as much as being able to work in peace & freedom. It feels very expansive, We’ve got great natural light, a view of the iconic table mountain & a really cozy lounge area including a daybed covered in the best cushions & inspiring textile books & interior magazines when I need to put my feet up, have a cup of tea & get reinvigorated. Of course as a business owner I’m often pulled into loads of computer admin, which is just a part of the job & I’m glad I get to do that in this beautiful space too. The studio is also open to the public Monday -Thursday or by appointment if you’re ever in Cape Town & would like to experience it yourself, we’d love to meet you!
kanju: What kind of selfcare do you do to find rest, comfort and to reconnect to the sensuous experience of living?
Leila: I really like to take my time in the mornings, I’m usually in studio by 9 but being able to not be hurried at home in the morning is one of the biggest perks of self employment for me. Then I’m quite religious about my asana yoga practice. A 17:30 yoga class is the perfect excuse to get me to leave at the end of the day, as I’m so enraptured by my work that I often need a structured appointment to get me out. Meditation has also been a huge recent game changer, I practice a technique called Vipassana which I do in community once a week and really effects the way I move through all things in life.
I’m incredibly lucky to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and really feel great even just looking at the mountains & sea even if I don’t get out into them, just the presence is so grounding to my soul. I’m also drinking a lot more herbal tea than coffee these days, which I feel is really supportive to my nervous system & of course spending time with people, both in the studio & outside of it is the single most enriching part of life for me.
kanju: For those who have upcoming trips or dreams of traveling to South Africa, what are some of your favorite places to eat, play, and stay?
Leila: COME TO CAPE TOWN. Honestly, I’ve traveled, and there are gorgeous places in the world, but this city is exceptionally special. 1. Pop by my studio for a cup of tea & connection. 2. If you’re physically able you must climb either kloof corner at sunset or Lion’s head (a little more strenuous) at sunrise. 3. Enjoy a day on the beach on the Atlantic Seaboard. 4. A meal at Between us. 6. A run or cycle on the promenade. 7. A yoga class at the lighthouse. I could go on forever here so I’ll stop myself at those.
Lelia’s journey is a testament to the power of creativity, sustainability, and deep connection to nature, as she weaves her passion for traditional craftsmanship into every piece at Lelia Atelier. Shop kanjus’ full Lelia Atelier Collection.
