Collection: About IY Apparel

Nothing beats the feeling of looking trendy while supporting a good cause. Another exciting new range in the Elle & Elle line-up is IY Apparel – a brand which does exactly that.

IY Apparel, based in Durban, South Africa, offers an exclusive range of handcrafted bags, including shoppers, beach bags, wine coolers, lunch and picnic coolers and toiletry bags. The outer fabric is laminated to ensure the fabric is waterproof and some of the trims are 100% genuine leather. Inspired by nature and in sync with current colour palettes, the vibrant fabric prints will make a statement wherever you go.

However, at IY Apparel it is not all about beautiful products, but about creating a sustainable income for the Ingane Yami (IY) children’s village on the outskirts of Durban. Five per cent of IY Apparel sales go to the village. Ingane Yami, which means ‘my child’ in Zulu, was established in 2010 in response to the orphan crisis in KwaZulu/Natal. Today it is a vibrant community with a school, community centre, creche and sports fields, and is home to 20 orphaned children.  

‘At IY Apparel we are passionate about making beautiful products. But that is not all the business is about. The IY story evolved with people and purpose in mind, and the creation of products that carry a message of hope. We believe that at Ingane Yami children’s stories are being rewritten. Lives are changed from hopelessness and despair to ones of love, belonging and a bright future.’