The RUBY BEADING CIRCLE

DOING GOOD

The RUBY BEADING CIRCLE has grown from a seed that was planted by a Masters thesis in Sustainable Development at the University of Cape Town's Political Science Department.

The idea was to develop a flexible, sustainable business model for utilizing local womens' traditional beading techniques in a contemporary, fashion-forward context. The majority of these women were previously unemployed, or struggling to support single-headed households with menial jobs.

The first projects involved customizing jeans and accessories for flagship Levi stores; and evolved into a successful, stand-alone brand of beaded jewelry and accessories for The Young Designers Emporium (YDE). RUBY is now available in the top 15 YDE stores in the country, and a string of leading boutiques in SA and abroad.

Last year RUBY purchased a house in Makhaza, Khayelitsha (Cape Town) to be used as a convenient, local base for the women to work from, pick up supplies, collaborate on new designs, or hone new skills. The idea is to evolve this centre into an exciting, informative stop (and shop) for "township" tour busses, and visiting groups.

Over the last ten years, this framework has proven itself to be a highly successful business model for RUBY, and the many families that benefit from the project.