4 minute read
Lifestyle Guide with Zina
A LOOK INTO THE COLLECTIVE BOUTIQUE:
The Collective Boutique sells exclusive, timeless and sophisticated clothing, footwear and accessories created through the imagination of small-scale designers in Namibia and South Africa. “Our flagship store was established when we first opened our doors in Windhoek in 2018”, says owner Nikita Rix-Venter. “A mere 18 months later we opened our second store in Swakopmund. Now our magnificent team consists of six local women.”
Both boutiques stock a handful of incredible designer labels. These designers create their garments in their private studios. Together with their seamstresses from the local communities they spend months perfecting their styles, selecting the finest fabrics from exclusive fabric houses, or even going the extra mile to print their fabrics themselves, and then sew the pieces together by hand. Hence Nikita’s belief that each garment is a piece of art and an investment.
”Once completed, these extraordinary products are shipped to our beautiful stores where we showcase them. We sell each and every product under the designer’s own name, thereby promoting their creative work to the world”, Nikita says. ”We aim to provide our clients with a very special experience every time they visit our exquisite shops. We have created a space where they are free to explore new styles, experiment with colours, learn about themselves and their bodies, gain confidence, and learn to love themselves unconditionally – all while our in-house stylists treat them like royalty.”
The Collective Boutique not only makes a difference in the lives of small-scale designers and local communities, but also runs its own community project in the Mayuni Conservancy of Bwabwata National Park alongside African Monarch Lodges. The Sijwa Sewing Project has created shopping bags for the boutiques in which clients receive their purchase. The project currently employs four women, and each woman feeds a household with eight people.
“In 2022 we plan on taking a renowned fashion designer to The Sijwa Project to teach the ladies how to make clothing. They will create one-of-a-kind garments which the designer will showcase at the South African Fashion Week in April 2022, and tell the story of The Sijwa Sewing Project in the heart of Namibia’s Zambezi Region”, Nikita says.
By purchasing a designer garment from The Collective Boutique, you are not only investing in a beautiful, high quality product for yourself, but you are also creating opportunities, changing lives and helping local people to reach their dreams.
PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BITES
INGREDIENTS
• 2 large bananas
• 1 slab of dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp chopped peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
METHOD
1. Cut bananas into thin slices.
2. Spread one layer of peanut butter on one layer of banana and add another layer of banana on top.
3. Place bananas into the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Chop up a dark chocolate slab and place into a bowl. Melt the chocolate in a microwave until smooth.
5. Dip the frozen banana pieces in the melted chocolate.
6. Line a plate with parchment paper and place the dipped banana cakes on the plate.
7. Sprinkle coconut flakes, chopped peanuts, cacao nibs and sesame seeds on the chocolate side of the banana cakes. DO THIS BEFORE THE CHOCOLATE SOLIDIFIES.
8. Once done, place the plate in a fridge to set. Take out of the fridge and enjoy while chilled.
