As claimed by an itinerant Irish businessman who once carried my suitcase all the way from the main train station to my hotel near Bellevue the day before my Zurich Opera Chorus audition, “Bahnhofstrasse is the most expensive street in the world”! Indeed the entire old city of Zurich is teeming with chic, pricey stuff for would-be sovereigns, tourists and the Swiss locals. Rarely, however does one happen upon exquisite merchandise that remembers the ones who brought it to fame, as it were. Fortunately, there is at least one spot amid the glitter and glam where we found the opportunity to exercise not only our pocketbooks and vanity, but also our consciences.
Located on the second floor at Torgasse 6, between the Limmat Quai and Niederdorfstrasse, in the heart of Zurich’s old city, GILL (Southern African Crafts) a little jewel of a shop, brims with a vast and florid array of humanitarian items sourced by the shop’s creator, Gillian Zimmermann, from her trips back to South Africa.
We found recycled treasures by Inini, glass plates and bowls, beaded cushions made by a poverty-alleviation group and recycled tin and wire radios that actually work. Imagine a telephone-wire woven basket holding your daily bread! Themba Masala’s desert creatures filled with Kalahari sand and recycled paper, stand out as vividly-painted fish, a feast for the eye.
Delightful are Shumba’s hand-stitched felt animal gift cards from Zimbabwe; tempting are the newly designed white Zulu clay pots crafted by a talented Vryheid-district group. This Southern African oasis also houses the traditional and world renowned Zulu beer baskets made by Hlabisa master weavers and exquisite candleholders produced by Bambanani Ceramics, a skills training facility.
From house wares to jewelry and personal accessories to furniture and textiles: Fact is, good deeds abound here under the guise of beautiful do-dads. All unique, handmade, and affordable, one’s purchase makes a direct contribution to one of the many accomplished yet struggling African craftspeople.
Continually sought after for her trend savvy and creative design skills, Zimmermann’s personal involvement, support, assistance, and input with various South African co-operatives and project groups has enabled many of these rural women and men to further their craft businesses over the years. On one of her recent trips she met a street vendor called, Givemore, and together they developed a “xmas giraffe” made from recycled Fanta and Coca Cola tin cans. Another twist includes Zimmermann’s take on safety-pin bracelets by using the same materials, but making tea lights, which are more marketable here than in Africa. A colorful collection can be found in her store.
After seven years of this work, Zimmermann’s passion and devotion to supporting these craftspeople is quite palpable. Knowing that one’s purchase makes a difference in the world is what makes the difference in purchasing it. Owning a gorgeous handmade piece that supports a good cause rather than a factory-produced item seems like an easy choice. Also a great investment as it turns out.
These items are one-of-a kind and rarely repeat themselves. If you see something you like, grab it! It may be snagged and gone the next time you pop in. Enough said. A Zurich “must see”, this globally-conscious haven makes merely picking out a wedding or birthday gift, or simply indulging in something scrumptious for yourself a practice of reaching out. www.southernafricancrafts.com
Emily C. Stern is an opera singer, painter, soap-maker, and freelance writer. Originally from San Francisco, she sings currently in the chorus of the Zurich Opera and has lived in Zurich for six years - 25 August 2005 Swiss News December 2005
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