Advertisement
In the world of design, decor and dinnerware, the George-based business Wonki Ware is a household name in South Africa, and abroad. Recently I met up with Wonki Ware’s founder and creator, and Kingswood resident, Di Marshall to find out more about her extraordinary business, and her vision for the future.
Two decades in the making
Di originally worked as a creative in the advertising industry in Cape Town. After the birth of her sons, she took up pottery as a hobby before moving to George 20 years ago. The studio she established at what is now the distinctive Wonki Ware and The Pottery lifestyle centre at 42 York Street formed a place for like-minded people to gather and create. Di’s own unusual creations were refreshing at the time, and were soon getting attention. Her friend Janice Wilensky (now owner of Blink in Sea Point) handled sales, while Di handled the designs.
The Conran connection
Di says that the product created its own brand – there wasn’t any real marketing or organised promotion. There was simply sheer enthusiasm for the product. It was this that prompted the doyen of design, the late Terence Conran (of Habitat and The Conran Group), to become, in his own words, ‘potty about Di’s pottery’.
Advertisement
When Conran came out to South Africa to undertake a project for Woolworths, he spotted one of Di’s works on a host’s dinner table and decided to come to George to find out more. Di and her team were happy to show Conran what they were doing, without fully realising his reputation, or the happy implication. Conran took Wonki Ware back to his stores. Today Wonki Ware is the Conran Shop’s largest dinnerware supplier and is a recognised brand abroad.
An extended family affair
While Di’s two sons have flown the coop, so to speak, the three are all closely connected. ‘We rely on each other. My sons have been brought up to share their privilege, and not squander anything. They have also been brought up with art, so it’s second nature to appreciate it.’
Taig is a jeweller and blacksmith in Cape Town. He designs and creates metalware for the store. Dillon and his wife Jocelyn started The Pottery restaurant and lifestyle store in George, and have just opened a new world-class outlet at Ballito Junction in KZN. Dillon and Jocelyn also live at Kingswood with its lock-up-and leave lifestyle, and the airport conveniently close by.
The design and business of pottery
Di is very involved in the day-to-day management of the business. Clients love the intimacy of the product, so Di has to keep her hand on it by working from the beautiful studio in her Kingswood home, where she has converted her braai room into a pottery studio. There is plenty of space and light for Di to work at her art – whether it is painting, sculpture or pottery. Indeed, Di says, that while she works in various media, it’s clay that sustains her and is the love of her life. ‘You can make anything from clay. It is truly the most amazing medium.’
‘How do people live without art?’ asks Di. She ‘lives in art’, and collects other artists’ work. She says artists need to work at their talent – put in the hours and develop their skill. ‘To be an artist is to be in touch with your Self, whether it’s good or bad. So if there are days when I can’t create, in my psyche, then I explore why I’m down.’
Every single Wonki Ware piece is designed by Di – the shape, the pattern, and the colour. She is trying to pack enough design into her lifetime so that her grandchildren, and maybe even great-grandchildren, can benefit from her legacy. Her designs are carefully archived for future use.
Currently Di is working on a range of bold designs inspired by local indigenous flowers that have been carefully collected, pressed and studied. These pieces will be Di Marshall Concept collectibles but she will then ‘translate’ them into designs that can be replicated for Wonki Ware. Her team of 80 people, working from a state-of-the-art warehouse factory in George Industrial, create the finished range, which is sent to stores all over the world. Since Wonki Ware came on the scene two decades ago, its imperfect charm has changed the face of dinnerware – and dinnerware designers across the globe have introduced ‘wonky’ aspects in their own products.
Outlets
The iconic old house where Wonki Ware started now houses the factory shop (where you can mix and match wares at factory shop prices), The Pottery Garden restaurant and clothing stores, and the terracotta pottery which is still at the back. As long as Di has anything to do with it, the old house is staying as is. It’s a refreshing vision among all the shiny new buildings popping up along York Street. There is a Wonki Ware concept store in Broadacres, Johannesburg, where pieces sell at full retail prices, and orders can be placed. Blink in Sea Point also stocks Wonki Ware. And then there is the close relationship with Poetry in South Africa – Wonki Ware is Poetry’s main dinnerware supplier.
Flat structures
Generally Di has to rely on her people 100%, and she can, for the most part. Obviously there are challenges from time to time, but even with 80 people in the staff, says Di, ‘we don’t have managers as such – everybody has their process – so if something is not up to standard, then it is sent back to the previous stage. It’s a self-managing process, with a very flat structure. In order to get the orders out, say 80 pieces to make per day, the system has to run efficiently. It’s an expensive business to run, but we don’t hold accounts. We never have. Whatever we buy, we pay for immediately. As we grew slowly, and established a track record along the way, access to funding became available over time.’ Di has taught herself everything she needs to know about business – and she is firmly of the belief that if one starts a business purely on a spreadsheet, without passion and commitment, it’ll most probably fail. In Wonki Ware’s case the synchronicity of minds between the people who joined her at the outset was critical. They all contributed their abilities and skills, and their willingness to learn and innovate. Key artisans who started back then are still with Wonki Ware.
The effect of Covid
Di closed the factory before lockdown was officially announced, as she wanted to protect her staff. The factory remained shuttered for four months, and some orders lay at the docks, while a backlog grew. When the factory was finally able to open, the team knuckled down and worked seven days a week to catch up.
‘When President Ramaphosa urged South Africans to “pay your bills”, he meant businesses too – if you don’t pay your bills and the people along the way suffer, the energy always comes back to you somehow down the line.’
When not creating in her studio, Di practises yoga (she is a qualified teacher but prefers to ‘teach’ herself) and loves walking with her two staffies. Di is also fond of horses but doesn’t have any at present as she prefers having them living on her property, rather than at livery elsewhere.
Travel and empowerment
When not working in her studio, and in a normal year,Di travels regularly. She doesn’t set out to meet clients per se, but she does visit stores, and takes photos of products to show her team at home. Di often takes localinterns along with her to expand their world view as part of her commitment to empowering young South Africans.While Wonki Ware receives requests for internship opportunities from all over the world, preference is always given to local youngsters. Wonki Ware offers a two-year apprenticeship, and most artisans end upworking in the business afterwards.
Di’s favourite destination is Tokyo. Japanese buyers love Wonki Ware’s honest look, and Di appreciates that compliment from a culture in which perfection is the norm. The Japanese appreciate and respect the craft of pottery, and are truly aesthetically aware. Di is planning trips to Croatia, Bali and Mauritius in 2021.She is looking at doing a three-month pottery internship in Bali. Di clearly doesn’t take lightly the freedom that she enjoys, and she knows that what she learns will be shared in some way when she returns.
Commitment to the future
Di is fully committed to contributing to the future of the people who work for her, as well as their families. Although her own sons are all grown up, she now accommodates,supports and nurtures seven foster children. Di doesn’t want to live in any other country in the world. She says she belongs in Africa, and ‘has purpose here in SouthAfrica’. She says that she’s been saddened to see South Africans living abroad weep when they’ve seen Wonki Ware and admit how much they miss this magnificent country and family and friends. Di’s parting words were: ‘Whatever you do with your life, it must have a positive effect.’ I think one can safely say that Di’s life has had a superbly positive effect.
EXTRAS – A magnificent move to Kingswood
Di moved from Heatherlands to Kingswood two-and-a-half years ago. After a few years of contemplating a move to the estate, it took just one week to sell her beautiful Cape Dutch house and purchase the first house she viewed.
Di feels that Kingswood is ‘the most magnificent place in which to live’ and is very happy here – she particularly loves the sunsets. Ironically, even though she is the daughter of a professional golfer, Di doesn’t play golf.
‘It’s an easy place – wonderful people, well organised and well run, and there are good calibre people managing it. It’s almost like a farm, with a rural feel and expansive views. Where else in the world do you find an estate golf course literally in town? It’s amazing and has the best of every world. George has the most marvellous atmosphere. We can blossom here and flourish with healthy, fresh air.’
www.wonkiware.com
