SA feathers shake it up on Paris stage at the Olympics

The build-up to this year's Olympics started off with much controversy and the official opening ceremony ruffled up plenty of feathers. Locally sourced ones that is.

As a leading producer of ostrich-derived goods, Cape Karoo International has been a beloved spot for ostrich feathers. Its high-quality offering has tickled the fancies of major brands in the streets of Paris, making them a go-to for the likes of Chanel, a brand that got them on the shoulders of Grammy and Emmy-winning performer Lady Gaga.

“We actually sourced feathers for Chanel and they gave them to Dior, who went and made it for Gaga,” said Cape Karoo International's MD, Francois de Wet.

Sharing that their team was proud of their feathers turning heads globally, De Wet said it was a monumental moment for locally sourced goods.

“We couldn't believe it. We saw them go from the boat to the big screen. And it was not just the star of the show, but it was also worn by the amazing dancers on the stage.”

Sustainability in the South African textile industry has also seen designers embrace recycled materials and put a global spotlight on local mohair suppliers. Cape Karoo International has done this with its ostrich feathers as well.

De Wet explains that this is all possible due to the unique flocks found with South African farmers that can produce enough eggs to get feathers that meet their market demand. Cape Karoo International focuses on multiple levels of transparency as seen with their safety and traceability approach, where all ostriches can be located back to a specific farm. They also live by the credo of ensuring the ostriches have a healthy welfare and cruelty-free environment. Feathers are produced for major fashion houses such as Hermes, Prada and Gucci.

Their plumes are cleaned and treated according to the necessary legislations, especially with long body feathers which can often be seen in kitchen tools like feather dusters.

“Sometimes they use it just as is, where it's white, but sometimes it's coloured pink and black like you saw at the Olympics. We also do all the dyeing in Oudtshoorn,” said De Wet.

“The value of high-quality ostrich feathers are underestimated in South Africa,” says De Wet, adding there's been growing interest seen in international galas and events.

“The more we see icons and events in the world using ostrich feathers, the better it is for our industry. This helps us make sure that we can pay the farmers who have the raw materials to sustain jobs, to continue with production.” 

This is especially a great feat in De Wet's eyes, who saw Oudtshoorn recover from a great drought that hit their farms seven years ago. The arid conditions were especially hard on farmers with ostriches, making this a moment for the plumage industry to hopefully get more buyers to turn their gaze to producers like De Wet.