Spotlight on Tenele Zwane of Subtle-T Designs: Floral Crochets for Spring

Sep 12, 2024

Photo: Tenele Zwane via Woolworths

We’ve seen a lot of trends emerge from the Runway for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, and one particular trend that’s becoming increasingly popular is crochet knits. Their intricate stitches add character and texture to any outfit, and the versatility of their design makes them ideal for spring’s fluctuating temperatures. Tenele Zwane of Subtle-T Designs specialises in crochet. Her floral crochet designs beautifully capture the blooms and blossoms of the spring season.

Photo: The Khahlana dress by Subtle-T Designs

Subtle-T Designs is a luxury crochet resort-wear brand founded by Tenele, who was recently one of the winners of the Woolworth’s Youth Makers competition. Tenele’s crochet journey began during her first year of studying fashion design at the Tshwane University of Technology. Her textile lecturer had encouraged the class to try to take up a skill in knitting or crocheting as a way to make some money on the side during their studies. Enthusiastic to learn, Tenele “grabbed some yarn, a crochet hook and went straight to the campus library”. She looked up a quick video tutorial on how to crochet a purse, and to her surprise, the skill came naturally to her: “It felt like second nature to me”.

Tenele completed the purse in less than an hour and took it straight to her lecturer who was very impressed with Tenele’s craftsmanship. She believed that Tenele could make a business out of selling crochet bags, and that’s exactly what she did. Tenele began making bags for her friends and family while taking the time to refine her skills and learn a new stitch as she was going. By her final year, she showcased a full collection of crochet dresses that was inspired by the desert. This won her “Best commercial range” award which Tenele took as a sign to further her craft in crocheting and create a brand.

Photo: The Desert Collection by Subtle-T Designs |Photo: The “Goddess” Dress (shot by Estrela Studios)

Tenele’s use of colour in her designs are very much reminiscent of nature, by which Tenele is deeply inspired. She is especially drawn to the beauty of African landscapes: “I notice how different landscapes have different colour palettes, and how they change from day to night, from spring to winter, before rain and after rain etc”. Tenele brilliantly infuses these hues into her designs as she believes that the beauty of nature’s colour palettes can “compliment any and all skin tones”. Her conscientious use of colour makes her designs “bold and vibrant” yet earthy which beautifully captures the unique hues of nature. Tenele is also inspired by music and her travels: “Music tends to set a mood for my collections and my travels create the backdrop for where I see my customers wearing the pieces”. Her love for nature, music and travel thus come together to form the “fabric” for her collections, and this gives her designs “cohesion and a sense of storytelling”.

The Zimbali line is another collection that beautifully captures nature’s flora. Tenele crafted this line during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since it was advised to stay indoors during that time, she found a way to make being at home more fun; she spent time journaling, sketching, doing yoga and crocheting. Tenele also spent a lot of time in her mother’s garden, which eventually became a place she could find peace and solace:

“I would watch my mother plant new flowers and vegetables in her garden and I began to pay attention to the various flowers and colours that formed there. I realised that we both had a connection to this garden, and that we viewed the garden as a place of solitude and to spend time with ourselves. So the garden was a metaphor for self-care and self-nurture. “

The Zimbali collection is made up of five pieces: the Khahlana dress, the Mbali dress, the Mbali sweater, and the Mbali twin set (top and skirt). All five pieces combine unique stitches that showcase the beauty of nature’s botanics, especially in Africa. Tenele’s favourite piece from the collection is the Mbali sweater. It’s a statement piece that “can brighten a basic outfit because of how bold it is [...] especially if the base outfit is neutral or lacking colour”

Photo: Tenele Zwane

Tenele suggests keeping it simple when styling the Imbali pieces as they are quite bold and colourful: “Accessorise lightly, wear heels, sandals or sneakers etc”. Tenele sports her Mbali sweater with a pair of jeans and sneakers, or with a maxi skirt and sandals or kitten heels. The beauty of Tenele’s pieces is that they are diverse. Both the Mbali sweater and the Mbali dress can be used as cover-ups at the beach, or add a pair of shorts with the sweater for a more complete look.

Aside from offering bespoke and beautifully crafted pieces, Subtle-T Designs prioritises eco-conscious and sustainable fabrics. Tenele handcrafts and customises her designs offering each client a timeless piece of longevity. Presently, Tenele is working on her existing collections and trying to find ways to ease production while also making it more efficient. She is also trying to expand on her current designs by offering different colour options to her customers.

Tenele is excited about both the 3D and crochet fashion trends for spring:

“or me, it’s the ability to push the boundaries of yarn and textiles that excites me. It really inspires me to think outside of the box in terms of how much I can experiment and manipulate yarns and textiles, and what the result of that could look like.”

Tenele’s zest and creativity is inspiring and we cannot wait to see what captivating stitches she crafts in the future.