Brother Vellies is Redefining the Meaning of Luxury
Brother Vellies is a luxury retailer that aims to preserve traditional African craftsmanship and invest in the indigenous communities where its products are made. The brand was notoriously founded by Aurora James in 2013, at a Brooklyn flea market, with just $3,500 of her own money. James is Canadian, yet due to the state of systemic injustice experienced by Black women in the United States, to this day she has never been granted a business loan. In 2015, Brother Vellies won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. The win was attributed to James’ intuitiveness in consumer habits, anticipating a trend where consumers take more interest in the brands they are buying from, and are encouraged to purchase if the brand aligns with their values (Vogue).
James is from Toronto, but spent much of her young life in Jamaica. In Jamaica, she was exposed to different methods of artisanal craftsmanship through the interest of her mother to immerse herself in Jamaican culture. In 2011, James was traveling across the African continent to find traditional artifacts still being made. She became distraught to find that so much of the traditional craft had been wiped out. “In Africa, about 40 percent of apparel manufacturing has died out due to used-clothing imports” (Vogue). James was able to locate an independent artisan workshop in Namibia through a friend of a friend, where they developed the first shoe designs for Brother Vellies.
“‘When I was going to Africa, I was struck by how I would see Ed Hardy and Nike. I’d have conversations with people and that’s what they wanted to wear, whatever Kanye [West] was wearing, so their local traditions and local apparel were kind of dying out. I started my company with the goal of not letting that happen, to the best of my ability,’” James told Business of Fashion. Brother Vellies’ designs honor traditional African techniques while incorporating modern styles.
The name of the brand was inspired by the origin story of Clarks. “‘When the British came to South Africa and saw the shoes they made - the veldskoene, or vellies, a rawhide design originated by the nation’s Khoisan people - they took those ideas and founded Clarks,’” James told Vogue. “‘When I went, there were a few workshops still making them, and they were at risk, so I started working with them on new colors and shapes. Brother Vellies was born out of that.’”
Today, the brand has workshops in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mexico, Burkina Faso, and Haiti (Brother Vellies). Friend of James and former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth spoke to Vogue on the innovative breakthrough of Brother Vellies’ business model, “‘[It’s] the idea that you can have this Black-owned luxury product made by indigenous Black artists on the African continent… And to know that by buying into this brand you’re also investing in a micro-economy that is going to enable Black women to provide for their families and become economically independent - it speaks to a new idea of what luxury is.’”
Aside from values of social responsibility, Brother Vellies also embraces sustainability, from manufacturing tactics to fair and just treatment of its artisans. The brand does not put its products on sale. Brother Vellies’ website reads, “[Our products’] value is assigned based on materials and fair labor practices, which are unaffected by the traditional commercial consumption cycle.” The products, ranging from shoes to handbags to specially crafted home items are made using natural and recycled materials. The brand’s website describes, “At our core, you will find vegetable-tanned leathers, soling from recycled tires, hand carved wood, floral dyed feathers along with a collection of other by-product materials sourced from farmers across the globe.”
James also has influencer-appeal to her look and way of life. Friend and designer, Brandon Maxwell told Vogue, “‘People want to know what the values are of the brand they’re spending on, and Aurora lives those. Women don’t just want the product - they want to be like her, and that is a very special combination.’” Prior to starting Brother Vellies, James had a background in fashion. She worked as a model agent and as the fashion director of GenArt - an organization that hosts showcases for emerging designers, with alumni including Zac Posen (Business of Fashion). As creative director and founder of Brother Vellies, James’ bio on the brand website details a background in fashion, journalism, art, music, photography, and horticulture joining her passion for artisanship, design, and humanitarianism to create one-of-a-kind pieces that will last forever.
Footwear by Brother Vellies.
Taking a closer look at Brother Vellies’ designs, we see African inspired designs with modern accents. The brand uses refined leathers, wooden soles, raffia and feathers, all dyed natural colors. There is an incorporation of animal prints and hides as well as traditional African prints (see above). See top left for the classic vellie loafer in a dark leather. Some of the designs are traditional, while others incorporate a modern twist. For example, the platform pump (top right) features a natural wooden platform dyed black, with green velvet and snakeskin in a Mary Jane inspired silhouette. This shoe fuses African styles with the 1930’s-40’s classic Mary Jane and 1980’s sky-high platforms. This shoe translates to the onlooker that the wearer knows fashion and embraces unique color and pattern. The style of platform is very popular today and is present in other Brother Vellies’ designs as well. See bottom left, this sandal incorporates an interesting geometric design with the negative space between the wooden sole and the heel, while sporting Pan-African colors. This sandal feels art-like, funky in style, and flattering to the foot while worn. See bottom right for a natural raffia woven sandal with an eclectic wooden platform. Stylish adaptations of the classic woven leather huarache are shown below. Brother Vellies designs translate that the wearer cares about purchasing responsibly and wearing consciously-made products, without forgoing utmost style.
Footwear by Brother Vellies.
There are few brands like Brother Vellies’ business model. Similar brands include Jo-Anne Vernay which produces luxury footwear from vegan leathers and pineapples, Chelsea Paris produces shoes in Italy inspired by the designer’s Nigerian heritage, and Kkira Feet which offers shoes inspired by styles of Uganda.
Brother Vellies is not the only socially conscious brand in James’ portfolio. It would be inappropriate not to mention the revolutionary organization James created amidst the unprecedented time of 2020: The Fifteen Percent Pledge. This organization was created from an idea James had in response to the protests of 2020 sparked by the unjust murder of George Floyd. James took to her social media immediately as the idea started ruminating in her mind - in part to hold herself accountable to act on the initiative (Vogue). The idea: if Black people make up 15% of the United States population, why not ask major corporations to ensure that 15% of their shelf space is produced by black owned businesses? The idea received an overwhelming positive response by James’ following and investors took interest as well. Today, 28 global corporations have taken the pledge and the organization has been able to shift almost $10 Billion dollars of revenue to black owned businesses (15 Percent Pledge).
Aurora James has sought to redefine the meaning of luxury footwear and leather goods through the manifestation of Brother Vellies. By practicing conscious craftsmanship and employing Black women across Africa, James’ efforts create a circular economy while offering new, sustainably sourced products unlike anything else in the American luxury market.
