H&M teams up with local design heroes Neimil

Since its arrival in the country in 2015, H&M has established itself as a firm household favourite among many South Africans.

Its latest initiative to support and promote local design and small businesses might just make it the most beloved international brand of all time. Its first partnership with lifestyle brand Neimil, founded by uber-stylish creative power duo Keneilwe Mothoa and Lubabalo Mxalisa, will launch later this year and is guaranteed to add a whole lot of chic appeal to any space.

Neimil’s exclusive range of décor products tells a cultural story through bold colourways, graphic patterns and natural textures that celebrate local culture and diversity in a unique and beautiful way. The entire range was handcrafted alongside a talented team of African women to ensure the artwork created by Neimil was recreated skilfully through traditional weaving and embroidery methods in a range of cushion covers, bath mats and placemats.

“Through this partnership, H&M aims to support small business owners and promote the local design industry in SA. We are so excited to offer our customers the opportunity to shop this beautiful collection at selected H&M stores, and to include locally made, handcrafted products in our existing H&M Home product selection in-store,” says Caroline Nelson, H&M SA country manager.

Mothoa says: “The ethos of Neimil is to tell authentic stories through our products and to always reinvent the narrative of what handcraft is. Expect a piece of ourselves in this collection, a feeling of love and warmth. H&M is giving us a platform to share our story and our craft with the world, and supporting us in its stores to help us grow. This felt right, and this is why we are here.”

The Neimil collection will be available in-house at H&M stores in Sandton City, V&A Waterfront and Menlyn Park from November 4 2021.

This article was paid for by H&M.