Handbag – Tsonga

Our Handbag - Tsonga in tan leather, made from a 100% South African Cow Leather, combined with a multi colour tribal design woven fabric. The leather we use, gets buffed, coated in oil and burned through an ironing press to achieve the desired effect. Once in use, the oil disperses into the hide, hence softening the leather from inside out. This creates a 2 tone distress appearance with soft velvet touch.

We also use South African Shweshwe fabric to line the interior of our Handbags for strength and style. This Handbag - Tsonga comes with a durable metal zip at the top for the purpose of securing all your personal belongings inside. As well as another zip pocket inside for smaller items. All NAVA Apparel bags are handmade by South African craftswomen.

Artist Inspiration: Tsonga a Bantu language spoken by the Tsonga people. Mutually intelligible with Tswa and Ronga. The name “Tsonga” often used as a cover term for all three, also sometimes referred to as Tswa-Ronga. Xitsonga language standardised for both academic and home use. Making it the base language for the Tsonga people. Like with many other languages, there are various dialects within the Tsonga language group.
See our Tsonga Collection Here.

Shweshwe a printed cotton fabric widely used for traditional South African clothing. Manufactured in a variety of colours and printing designs characterised by intricate geometric patterns. Shweshwe described as the denim of South Africa. Traditionally used to make dresses, aprons and wraparound clothing. Shweshwe clothing traditionally worn by newly married Xhosa and Sotho women, known as makoti. Xhosa women also incorporated the fabric into their traditional ochre-coloured blanket clothing. Aside from traditional wear, shweshwe used in contemporary South African fashion design for women and men from all ethnic groups, as well as for making accessories and upholstery.

Follow us on Instagram.