Mia Melange Catalogue January 2022

www.miamelange.com
@miamelange
miamelange
info@miamelange.com
+27(0)823574044
7BirdStreet,Stellenbosch,
SouthAfrica

ABOUT
Mia Mélange is a proudly South
African brand that handcrafts
interior décor and lifestyle
products using predominantly
100%cottonrope.
Our team of talented artisans
makeshighqualitybaskets,bowls,
planters, bags, ottomans, and
more.Eachoneofourproductsis
carefully designed and produced
with great care and attention to
detail.Thedesignsareinspiredby
alovefornature,texture,natural
materials and ancient crafting
techniques. We combine all of
thesetocreatecontemporaryand
functionaldesigns.
Wemakeallourproductsinour
studio intheWinelands townof
Stellenbosch.
MADEIN
SOUTHAFRICA
LOCALLYSOURCED
MATERIALS
ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY
WOMAN
EMPOWERMENT
Mia Mélange products are
proudly made in South
Africa, in the Winelands
town of Stellenbosch. Our
studioandshopiscentrally
locatedwhereourteamcan
arrive and leave work in a
safeenvironment.
AtMiaMélange,weonlyuse
locally sourced materials for
all our products. Our cotton
is South African grown. All
our ropes are braided in
CapeTownandourthreadis
alsomadeinCapeTown.Our
packaging is all locally
made.
AtMiaMélange,westriveto
be as environmentally
friendly as possible. Our
manufacturing technique
ensuresthatwedonothave
waste material. We reuse
offcut materials for smaller
products and we reuse
packagingmaterials.
We strive to empower
women, especially single
moms, by teaching them a
valuable skill that enables
them to earn a decent
income and independently
takecareofthemselvesand
theirfamilies.

✔
FAIRLABOUR
PRACTICES
HANDMADE
QUALITYOVER
QUANTITY
GIVINGBACK
Wevalueourartisansdeeply
and we believe in fair
remuneration. We strive to
create a safe and enjoyable
work environment for our
team. We take a genuine
interestintheirlivesandtry
to be as supportive as
possible.
Mia Mélange products are
handmade with love, care
andattentiontodetail.Our
artisans are incredibly
talented and have taken
yearstoperfecttheircraft.
We strive to create labourintensiveproductstocreate
employment.
At Mia Mélange, we pride
ourselvesonourquality.Our
t a l e n t e d a r t i s a n s a r e
meticulousandtakepridein
their work. We strive to
create products of the best
quality possible. We also
striveforexcellentcustomer
service.
Mia Mélange is passionate
about giving back in our
community. We regularly
donate to local causes and
run promotions to benefit
otherlocalsmallbusinesses.
Wealsogivebackwithinour
team t h ro u g h va r i o u s
initiatives.

PRODUCTS
MiaMélangemakesarangeofhomedécor
and lifestyle accessories. Our homeware
range includes bowls, table baskets and
liddedbasketsinavarietyofsizesthatare
used for storing items such as keys,
jewellery, television remote controls,
bedside table accessories, cotton wool in
thebathroom,stationeryorbusinesscards
intheoffice,orfruitandvegetablesinthe
kitchen.Wehaveacollectionofplacemats
andcoastersforthediningroom.
Thelargerbowlsandbasketsareusedfor
storingitemssuchashandtowels,bathroom
essentials, kids toys, hair dryers and
straighteners,andmagazines.Themedium
andlargefloorbasketsareusedaslaundry
baskets, or to store blankets or throws,
towels, toys, and are often also used for
larger pot plants. Mia Mélange makes a
rangeofpotplantholders,includinghanging
planters.
We also make ottomans and lampshades.
MiaMélangehasarangeofbags,including
shopperbags,clutchbags,andnetbags.We
often make custom products for interior
designersforinstallationsinhomes,lodges,
hotelsandoffices.

MATERIALS
Mia Mélange believes in sourcing local,
sustainable, high quality materials. Our
products are predominantly made from
100% cotton rope. Farmers who are
membersoftheBetterCottonInitiative(BCI)
growthecottoninSouthAfrica.Theyarns
arespuninSouthAfricanmills.Theropeis
braided locally in Cape Town. A company
thatiscommittedtorunningtheirbusiness
in an ethical, socially responsible and
environmentally sustainable manner
manufacturesourthreadsinCapeTown.To
achieveavarietyofcolours,wedyetherope
used in some of our products. We use
productsthatpasstherequirementsofthe
ECOPASSPORTbyOEKO‐TEX®certification.
OEKO‐TEX®providesanindependenttoolto
manage and verify the chemicals towards
greenerchemistry.

PROCESS
MiaMélangeproductsaremadebycoilingropeand
stitchingitinplace.Weusehighquality,tightlybraided
ropewithtightstitchingtoachieverigidshapes.Our
teamofartisansistaughthowtosewinthismanner,
andhowtoshapetheproducts.Weareabletoachieve
arangeofshapes,includingroundbowls,cylindrical
planters,largefloorbaskets,ovalbaskets,rectangular
baskets, uniquely shaped clutch bags, net bags, and
evenhatsandjewellery.Weusethenaturalcottonfor
mostofourproducts,whichresultsinabeautifulivory
colour. We use two methods to achieve different
colourways.Thefirstisusing dyedropeorcolourful
polyropeinourproducts,andthesecondisbyusing
different colour threads. We also sometimes use
naturaljuteropewiththeivorycolourcottonrope.

HISTORY
MiaDanielifoundedMiaMélangein2014.
Miawasbornintoamulticulturalfamily,toa
SwissmotherandanIsraelifather.Herfamily
travelledoftenandlivedinmanydifferent
countries, giving Mia her love for diverse
cultures.Aftergraduatingwithadegreein
textiledesign,MiarelocatedtoSouthAfrica
and established the brand Mia Mélange.
Mélange means ‘mixture’ or ‘blend’ in
French.Italsoreferstoatypeofyarnthatis
commonly used in the textile and fashion
industries. Mia Mélange basically means
‘Mia'sMix’.Attheendof2017,Miamoved
back home. Before she left, Mia sold the
business to Jeanneke Malan who shares
Mia's values and is committed to
maintainingMiaMélange’shighstandardof
quality, unique designs, and core ethics.
Jeannekehasabackgroundinarchitecture
and urban design. She is a proud South
Africanwhoaspirestocreateopportunities
forpeoplefromthelocalcommunity.

TODAY
TheMiaMélangestudio,wherewehandcraftallourproducts,andanadjoiningretailshop,is
locatedinStellenbosch’shistoricaltowncentre.WealsohavearetailoutletattheWatershedat
theV&AWaterfrontinCapeTown.MiaMélangesupplieshandcraftedproductstoselective
design shopsacrossSouthAfrica.Ourproductsarestockedinexclusivestoresworldwide,
includinginNorthAmerica,Europe,theUK,Asia,AustraliaandAfrica.
We supply interior designers across the world.
Ourproductshavebeeninstalledinlodges,
hotelsandhomesacrossSouthernAfrica,
Rwanda, Madagascar, Europe, the
UnitedStates,Japan,HongKong,
SoutheastAsia,theMiddleEast
andAustralia.
Mia Mélange has been featured in the
media many times, in print and online. Our
products have been exhibited at various
national and international expos. Most
recently, one of our products, exhibited by
MbareHome+Gift,wonaBestNewProduct
Award at the Handmade® Global Design
section of NY Now in New York in February
2019.
WORLDWIDEDELIVERY
MiaMélangeshipsworldwide!Weworkwithreputable
courier companies who offer a fast, reliable and
affordableservice.
DUTYFREE
MiaMélangeproductseligiblefordutyfreeimportinto
theUSAundertheAGOAagreement. Forimports into
Europe,MiaMélangeusesEUR1certificatesforreduced
ornilratesofimportduties.

TEAM
Mia Mélange believes in
creating opportunities for
peoplefromourcommunity.
Weaimtoteachthemembers
of our team valuable skills,
provide them with an ability
toearnadecentincome,and
e m p o w e r t h e m t o b e
independent and able to
supportthemselvesandtheir
families.

UNEMPLOYMENTINSOUTHAFRICA
37% 42% 67% 44%
WOMEN
BLACK
AFRICAN
WOMEN
YOUTH
(15‐24)
YOUTH
(25‐34)
ThemostrecentemploymentstatisticsreleasedbyStats
SArevealsthatunemploymentinSouthAfricaisatits
highestleveleversinceitstartedwiththesesurveysin
2008. Youth and women are the hardest hit. The
unemployment rate among women in South Africa is
37.3%.BlackAfricanwomenarethemosteffected,with
anunemploymentrateof41.5%.Youthunemployment
ofthoseaged15‐24is66.5%,and43.8%forthoseaged
25‐34.
EMPLOYMENTATMIAMÉLANGE
84% 79% 63% 47%
WOMEN
BLACK/
COLOURED
PEOPLE
BLACK/
COLOURED
WOMEN
YOUTH
(21‐34)
TheMiaMélangeteamis84%female.37%ofourteam
areblackAfricanwomenand26%arecolouredwomen.
21%areyouth(15‐24)and26%are21‐34yearsold.Of
thenewartisanswehaveemployedoverthelastfew
months, five are women; four fall under the youth
category(undertheageof34);andthreeofthemare
blackAfricanwomen.Weareverygratefulthatweare
able to play a small part in lowering South Africa's
unemploymentrate,particularlyforthosehardesthit.

IVORYCOLLECTION

STITCHEDCOLLECTION

LIQUORICECOLLECTION

BLACKBLOCKCOLLECTION

MIDNIGHTCOLLECTION

MOONLIGHTCOLLECTION

JUTECOLLECTION

JUTE&CHARCOAL
COLLECTION

JUTE&BLUE‐GREY
COLLECTION

GREENERYCOLLECTION

BRIGHTSCOLLECTION

MBIZICOLLECTION

COBBLEGREYCOLLECTION

CELEBRATESPRING&SUMMER
COLLECTION

LOADSHEDDINGCOLLECTION
Readmoreaboutour
LOADSHEDDING
COLLECTIONHERE

MACRAMÉ
SUNSETFOG
COLLECTION

MACRAMÉ
OLIVEFOREST
COLLECTION

SUNNY‐SIDE‐UPCOLLECTION

JUTEJUNGLECOLLECTION

JUTEJUNGLEPLACEMATS
COLLECTION

LEATHER‐TRIMCOLLECTION

FRUITPASTILLESCOLLECTION

TASSELS
Readmore
aboutour
TASSELSHERE

EARRINGS
Readmoreaboutour
LOCKDOWNEARRINGS
HERE

CUSTOMISATION

Mia Mélange manufactures
custom products on request.
Wecancustomiseshapes,sizes
and colours. We offer custom
design for large retail outlets,
wholesale customers, interior
designers, corporate gifting
customers,etc.

UNPACKING&MERCHANDISING
PACKAGING
Please note that when we pack our
products, we often fold them. Due to the
productsbeingmadefromrope,itiseasyto
bend the products back to their original
shape.Pleasevisit care.miamelange.comfor
aguidetoreshapeproducts.
TASSELS
Thetasselsarewrappedintissuepaperto
reducetheriskoftanglingduringshipping.
Please remove the tissue paper when
merchandising. Tassels can be gently
combedwithasmallcomb.
MERCHANDISING
In our experience, merchandising
collections together produces the best
results.Weusuallydisplayeachcollectionby
themselves. As an alternative, the Ivory,
Stitched (Black) and Liquorice Collections
canalsobemerchandisedtogether.Wehave
learnt that our products sell best when
merchandised in a group as apposed to
beingscatteredacrossastoreandusedfor
displayingotherproducts.
MAINTENANCE
To ensure the products remain in good
condition, always use a tray or plastic
container for displaying plants in the
baskets.Ourproductsaremadefromrope
which is a textile that can fold. When
stacking our products, ensure that the
bottom products do not carry too much
weight to prevent them from folding.
Reshapeanddustoutproductsoften.
Please see the care guide for cleaning
instructions:care.miamelange.com
MiaMélangeproductsaresometimesfoldedto
ensuretheyarenotdamagedduringdelivery.

PRODUCTCAREGUIDE
MiaMélangeproductsarehandcraftedand
variancesmayoccur.Notwoproductswill
be exactly the same. Dimensions, shapes,
stitchingandcolouringmayvaryslightly.
Our baskets are made of rope, which is a
textile.Atextileisaflexiblematerialmade
bycreatinganinterlockingnetworkofyarns.
Thismeansthatourbasketsareflexible,and
theyarenotasrigidaswicker,wood,plastic,
metal or any other non‐flexible material.
Withpropercare,ourbasketswillmaintain
theirshapes.Ifyourbasketbecomes'floppy'
overtime,reshapethebasketbyshakingit
out and firmly stuffing the basket with
blankets,towelsorpillows.Pleaseseethe
carevideosonourwebsite.
Whenusingourproductstoholdpotplants,
please be sure to use a waterproof pot
withoutholesatthebottom,oralternatively
please place a tray in the cotton planter
underneaththepotplant.Ourplantersare
NOTwaterproof.

MiaMélangeproductscanbecleaned
withoutsoaporwater,ortheycanbe
lightlyspot‐cleanedwithsoapandwater.
Smallerproductsaremachine‐washable.
Forproductcareinstructionsand
videos,pleasevisit:
care.miamelange.com
HOWTOCLEANWITHOUTWATER&SOAP:
HOWTOMACHINE‐WASHSMALLERPRODUCTS:
HOWTOMACHINE‐WASHBAGS:
MAINTAININGTHEBASKET'SSHAPE:

Pleaseemail info@miamelange.comforthepricelist.
MiaMélangeofferstradediscounts,wholesaleprices,andbulkdiscounts.
PleaseseetheTermsandConditionsontheProductList.

HandcraftedinSouthAfrica
www.miamelange.com