By Estelle Arielle Bouchet
Ostrich Leather is now actually seeing an increasing demand from the key luxury houses. The very happy Renaissance of this precious leather is not a random event. The ostrich Leather production is intimately associated with KLEIN KAROO, Finest Ostrich Leather company situated in the charming city of Oudthoorn (South Africa), located within an hour’s drive from George airport. Since the mid 70’s, KLEIN KAROO has been providing the best Ostrich Leather.
The foundation of the Klein Karoo Group in South Africa started with the establishment of the Klein Karoo Agricultural co-operative in 1945 by producers from the region. Ostrich farming however originated on an organized basis around 1864 in the Klein Karoo Valley nestled between the scenic Outeniqua and Swartberg mountain ranges.
With fluffy, attractive and colourful ostrich feather plumes being the fourth export earner to the country after gold, diamonds and wool at the time, the international demand reached a peak by 1913 and Oudthoorn flourished economically. A rapid decline in the need for the ostrich feathers from the sunny Klein Karoo followed due to non-coordinated marketing, excessive supply as well as export declines due to World War I. The ostrich population dropped radically from almost 780,000 to 23,000 by 1930. Revival only followed after reorganization and the foundation of the Klein Karoo Agricultural Co-operative.
Today the co-operative consists of Klein Karoo International for leather, feather – and choice ostrich meat exports as well as Klein Karoo Seed for grazing pastures and vegetable seeds and a smaller division for packaging and exportation of top quality stone fruit from Klein Karoo. Since 1945, the House of KLEIN KAROO International Finest Ostrich Leather has been producing through a long process, the most magnificent leathers from the best ostrich farms.
For this year 2014, KLEIN KAROO announces eight emblematic gorgeous Collections, under such names as Kalahari Desert, Victoria Falls, Indian Ocean, African Summer Sky, Pearls of Pastels…. Let us discover ostrich leather universe through new collections of luggage from Prada, bags from Tiffany, Lous Vuitton or Hermes and the outstanding South African brands like CAPE COBRA and Lorenzi.
EAB Press & Image
Estelle Arielle Bouchet is an editor, a journalist and an internationally renowned journalist specialized in Art, costume, High-end Jewellery and Fashion. In these capacities, she collaborates with magazines as Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, AD, World of Interiors, German Vogue, German ELLE. She is also the editor of « L’Orient, le Jour » (Lebanon).
