I Heart Market
Saturday, 6 April : 9am - 2pm
Moses Mabhida Stadium lawns
The iconic Durban I Heart Market takes place this month on Saturday, 6 April from 9am to 2pm on the breezy lawns of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The market, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, is focused on providing a selection of carefully curated locally made goods, with artisan food, crafted apparel and everything in between for the whole family.
“The market’s philosophy is all about the creative process of “making”,” explains owner and manager of the I Heart Market, Anna Savage. “It has become a place where people who have side projects going on and who want to take it further, or those who simply love to create, have opportunities to test out their products in a safe and honouring environment, where like-minded people come to shop and share.”
“We live in a society of relentless consumption, where the possessions we’ve had for a few months tend to outnumber those we’ve had for a few years,” says Anna. “It’s often cheaper to replace something than it is to fix it so we keep on buying inferior items. Products at the I heart Market are carefully designed with attention to detail, resulting in quality products that will live through your most ruthless spring clean or Marie Kondo declutter, as well as the test of time.”
Anna says that there are so many stories to tell about the experiences of some of the “I heart makers”. “For example when her house started filling up with pottery, Gwyneth Gosling decided to see if anyone would buy some so she started Beachcomber Pots which now enjoys great support at the market and beyond.”
Nikhil Tricam started leatherwork as a hobby and would post pictures of his work on social media. With a positive response and a surge in orders, he took on an assistant. After a short while, he says that his small business, NT Leather Studio was sustaining his assistant’s family and this gave him the drive to keep growing.
“There is a lot to be said about shopping local and supporting entrepreneurs,” says Anna. “Shopping like this means no more soulless transactions with dead-eyed sales assistants. When you’re shopping local, you can meet the person who makes the things you love. You can ask them all the questions and if you have any feedback, no more braving the call centre, they can hear it firsthand. Many traders develop new products or change existing ones based on what you are saying. And that’s pretty cool, we think!”
For more information about the I Heart Market go to www.iheartmarket.com
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