Admore launches their scarves range
“We are inspired by African fauna and flora and our scarf collection is a celebration of life and colour. Our designs include the rare and elusive King Cheetah which finds solace in its companion, just as we also seek to connect with others through our art.” Ardmore.
Ardmore is an iconic luxury South African brand founded by Fée Halsted in 1985. Fée started teaching ceramics to talented local people on her farm, Ardmore, in a remote corner of South Africa. After a few years, she relocated the Ardmore studio to a picturesque smallholding in the Caversham Valley in the Natal Midlands, where it remains to this day.
In 2010, her children Jonathan, Catherine and Megan joined the business. Today the bustling studio is home to over 70 African artists whose beautiful and original ceramic works are much sought after by international collectors and auction houses.
Ardmore has extended its creativity beyond sculptural ceramics to include hand-painted designs, which have been translated into fabric and interior products, and collaborations with international design and fashion houses.
It was the purchase by Fée of an enchanting jungle silk scarf in London 40 years ago that provided the inspiration for the Ardmore brand – a brand which features colourful, quirky designs based on African flora and fauna. The Ardmore story has now come full circle with the launch of a new silk scarf collection which, for Ardmore fans, is the ultimate way of keeping the designs close to their hearts.
The Sabie Kings design, used for our Silk Scarf and Safari Wrap, was inspired by the alluring Sabie King Cheetah, first observed in 1926 in Fée’s birthplace of Zimbabwe. As the two cats play together, their tails become entwined amidst the indigenous aloes and impala lilies. The Ardmore scarves are created in South Africa and made in Italy. They are designed by Catherine Berning and illustrated by Sydney Nyabeze. The scarf collection includes four styles: the 100% Silk Scarf, with hand-rolled edges, available in three sizes (90x90cm, 70x70cm and 45x45cm); and the larger 135x135cm Safari Wrap, in a Wool/Modal blend, also with hand-rolled edges.
The Royal Zambezi design on the smaller Silk Scarf draws inspiration from the abundant wildlife and lush vegetation of the Zambezi basin. A leopard sits regally amongst passion flowers and lucky beans, both of which are associated with survival and love in Zulu culture. A palette of vibrant primary colours is used to add a sense of fun and a pop of colour to this striking scarf.
All Ardmore scarves will be available online, at the Ardmore store Johannesburg and the Ardmore ceramic studio Kwa-Zulu Natal.
