Last November we launched the Nature Reunion scarf, made with Genna Shrosbee of Beagle + Basset.

“Every scarf in our Nature Reunion collection begins in the same way: as an inspiration received through meditation, born from time spent deeply immersed in the natural world.”

Our very first scarf emerged from time spent in the forest, and this next creation, Guardian of the Threshold, was born from our profound and longstanding relationship with the Leopards of Londolozi.
We made just 100 of the first Nature Reunion Scarf. The response to them was more than we had planned for. Guests who had bought one, told friends, who then told their friends. Readers of the blog who had long since visited the boutique, began writing in to ask where they could purchase one or why we didn’t have an online store yet?

Thank you to each and every one of you for recognising and valuing the thought, detail and creative journey behind the pieces. It has been such a joy to bring them to life, and even more beautiful to see how deeply they have resonated with you all.

Every one was hand painted, every one found a home, and then there were none left. Before reaching the point of no stock, we always knew there would be more iterations of this collaborative creation- but good things always take time. Over the last few months, we have been in a beautiful creative and visionary process- walking alongside Genna and her talents, to come up with The Guardian of the Threshold.

Why only 100?

One of the first things I learnt at Londolozi, is that a leopard sighting is never promised. You can spend a whole morning/afternoon on drive, with a ranger and tracker reading every track in the sand or sign on the surrounding earth, and the leopard simply decides not to be found that day. Perhaps, that is exactly why it means so much when she does appear.
No two sightings are ever the same either. The light is different, the tree is different, the way a leopard looks back at the vehicle is different.

We wanted the scarf to hold some of that feeling. The first run of the Guardian of the Threshold is 100 scarves, and because each is painted by hand, no two of them are quite alike.

Where it began:

The design started with a brief from Bron Varty-Laburn our Creative Director;
Its inspiration reaches far back.
At the heart of this design is the original Londolozi brand image, an image that has been part of our story for as long as she can remember. Over the years, it has inspired so much of what we have created, represented and come to believe.

“When I look at this image, I feel something deeply powerful. I see the protector of all living things. The guardian of the natural world. A presence that stands at the threshold between worlds, holding the delicate balance of life. This holds a sense of guardianship, that gave birth to the idea of Guardian of the Threshold.” – Bron Varty-Laburn

From there, we began exploring the visual language that could bring this feeling to life.

Gold became an important element, symbolising the sacred, the eternal and the preciousness of life itself.
We drew inspiration from the Tree of Life, its sacred geometry and the extraordinary intelligence of nature: its infinite capacity to regenerate, restore and renew itself. The never-ending cycle of life, in which everything is connected and nothing truly exists in isolation.
And then, of course, there is the leopard orchid.
For us, the leopard orchid has always represented a beautiful interplay of dualities. The masculine and the feminine. The animal kingdom and the plant kingdom. Strength and softness. The seen and the unseen. The inspiration for Guardian of the Threshold began to take form.
Ultimately, we distilled this vision into the following words, which became the creative brief for the scarf…
CHOCOLATE BROWN/BLACK/WHITE/ DOTS. LEOPARD. LEOPARD ORCHID. SACRED GEOMETRY.

From the above, Genna set to work on the first artwork. The initial design process, surprisingly, only had a few tweak requests before we landed on what we felt was the perfect rendition- a balance of the word LONDOLOZI, woven into the sacred geometry. The palette also settled into deep, earthy browns.

Only once the scarf was painted and almost in production, did Bron put words to the original vision – something I am always in awe of when working alongside her in my role of merchandising. Her words are woven through the rest of this post, because I don’t think anyone could say it better.

The Guardian of the Threshold- Artwork by Genna

THE TRAILS: Ancient Routes of Movement

If you have been out on drive, you will have noticed the narrow paths that run through the grass and between the trees. They were made by animals walking the same way, again and again, for longer than anyone can say. Genna traced these trails across the silk.

“Threads of the sacred animal pathways that mosaic Londolozi are woven into its design, ancient routes of movement, memory, and belonging.” ~ Bron Varty-Laburn

THE FLOWER OF LIFE AND THE LEOPARD ORCHID: Softness and Strength

The leopard orchid returns from our first scarf. This time it sits alongside the Flower of Life, an ancient pattern of overlapping circles that forms a flower-like shape. Look closely and you will see the two echo each other.

“At its heart lies the sacred geometry of the Flower of Life, echoing the exquisite form of the Leopard Orchid, where softness meets strength and beauty arises from resilience.”

THE LEOPARD: Guardian of the Threshold

The threshold is not a place you will find on a map. Bron describes it as the space where the wild and the everyday meet, and where something quietly shifts in you.

“Here lives the medicine of Leopard; the quiet guardian of the threshold, where mystery and wilderness collide, where dreaming becomes waking, and where the unseen gently reveals itself.”

The Making:

Each scarf begins as organically certified silk. Genna then colours it with cutch, a natural brown dye made by boiling the heartwood of the Acacia catechu tree. This gives the silk its warmth before a single brushstroke goes on.
Genna then paints each one by hand. In the words of the card she wrote to go in each box:

“No two are ever quite the same. The brushstrokes shift, the colour settles differently, and every piece carries its own small imperfections and character.” ~ Genna Shrosbee, Beagle + Basset

Working with Genna has been a true privilege. While I was first introduced to her brand in a personal capacity, many moons ago, we have had our own full circle moment when I moved from customer to client of Beagle and Basset.

Finding Your Own;

The Guardian of the Threshold is at the Living Boutique for guests staying with us at Londolozi. For everyone further away, the first run of the Nature Reunion scarf taught us a lesson in online availability- with Genna graciously keeping some units to dispatch directly to you! Follow this link to purchase yours.
I’ll leave the last words to Bron:

Held in the embrace of nature,
a reunion with the wild,
a remembering of your true nature.