Growth & Good Feeling | News from the Mungo Mill

Summer in Plett begins in earnest. It happens quickly; the last chill of spring winding up into warmth. The feeling is tangible; it brings energy, vitality and excitement. Our flagship store hums with visitors from near and far, and days roll out with the promise of a picnic or a sea swim. The jasmine that flowers in the doorway, slowly collecting bees and butterflies from September, bursts forth into a cloud of white, sweet-scented stars.

Summer brings with it our annual Swim Club. A five-day early morning swim challenge with the shared goal to reconnect, revive and raise funds for a worthy cause. This year we’re aiming to raise R90,000 for I AM WATER, to support their incredible work around ocean conservation, and in offering transformative ocean experiences for youths in under-resourced communities.

It’s also the season that marks the launch of our latest Kids of Kurland Kikoi. Every year we invite a class of students from the Crags Primary school for a mill tour and workshop in textile design. Guided through the creative process, each student has the chance to design their very own kikoi colourway, of which a single design is chosen and woven to life on our looms. 2023’s kikoi, ‘Beach Nature’, was designed by Zodwa Maduna, and is now available in our stores and online. The full proceeds of its sale will go back to the Crags Primary, funding a much-needed additional teacher at her school.

Summer has also brought newness and innovation. To pass through the Mungo Mill was to witness a wealth of colour; from threads first pulled together in the warping department, woven into vivid vision on our looms, passed hand-to-hand in the CMT, and then pressed and packed for rooms around the world. The season brought a new dog blanket into the range – the Fido. Designed for our beloved canine companions. As well as another run of Linen Changing Towels, which flew off the shelves almost overnight, and can now be seen out and about on the beaches. The iconic Vrou Vrou was revived anew into the Cedarwood, a statement piece blanket full of texture and warmth. And the Boma Cloths took new inspiration; reimagined in a palette of soft and spicy colours.

Perhaps most exciting of all, new doors have opened for us in South Africa. Now you’ll find us on 2 Ryneveld Street in Stellenbosch, carrying all your favourites, and keeping good company with a mix of up-and-coming boutiques, galleries and cafes.

For a while, our looms will rest. Our team will go home for a well-deserved break. But we’ll carry on that festive feeling well into the new year. One that speaks to growth, that feels alive, and rings of good feeling.

Here’s looking at you, 2024.