I chatted to owner, Elizma, and asked her how the OneLove brand and shop came to be.
Looking back with the gift of time, the story unfolds like a fairy tale and one can see the various pieces coming together like a jigsaw.
 

“It’s all about passion and not giving up,” says Elizma. “While it may look glamorous from the outside, it’s been a lot of hard work!”

 
Rewind to 2008. Finding herself as a new single mum to two small children was the main catalyst for Elizma needing to think out of the box. Ideas were sparked on a trip to Spain after seeing a woman gorgeously dressed and wearing an eye catching and unique local Spanish label. The initial thoughts were to franchise this label in South Africa however the timing just wasn’t right for the Spanish brand.
 

Cue further brainstorming and assistance from her mom who happens to be excellent at patterns and needlework, and the seed to start creating her own clothing was sown. She bought a second hand overlocker to add to her mom’s existing sewing machine, sourced local fabric from various sources (even from thrift stores) and they started sewing colourful skirts. A muso friend, who used to perform at various markets, agreed to display the skirts for her. To her surprise, all 10 pieces sold at the very first market, and Elizma had her first orders. And so the OneLove journey began.
 

They added dresses and tops and about 8 months later, her friends encouraged her to open a shop in Hermanus. Putting her fears aside, Elizma took a giant leap of faith, said Yes, and had to borrow money for the first month’s rent. The first of September that has just passed, marks 10 years since that day.

The new home studio means that they won’t have foot traffic they had before however it has become a destination shopping experience.

I asked Elizma how she feels about the current global situation.
She tells me that it’s been extremely stressful, particularly with wanting to support all of her small overseas suppliers and their families. Many of her suppliers have had to move back to their villages where it’s easier to live off the land. How will they survive going forward?
 
She is choosing to focus on being grateful that the business is still running and for every sale, no matter what size.
 

She had a trip booked to India earlier this year and plans to expand into more sustainable fashion. All of this is on hold and it’s a process of trusting that the next shift will happen in the right time.
 
And so her current mantra seems very fitting and a good one to adopt – “Grow with the flow”