Publications
Saleh Abrahams is a young vibrant and energetic South African furnishing fabric designer, with this massive magical Eurocentric showroom in leafy Constantia, called Constantia Fabrics, where one will be mesmerized by his huge range of top quality handcrafted designs and plain fabrics, suitable for both curtaining and upholstery. From his fabrics, Saleh can undoubtedly be grouped amongst the best in the world in his field of design excellence, and understanding the market trends. This is confirmed over and over by the numerous publications that acknowledge and feature him, and his designs.
Saleh comes from a family of fabric merchants, and although he tried his hand at other things, he quickly discovered his passion in fabrics and fabric designs.
It’s not always been easy for this young stutterer, from a struggling background, to break into a market where the main players established themselves over many years, are well capitalised and already had the lions share. Where most young people just get right into it; Saleh had to overcome all the trauma associated stuttering, and holding conversations with people he needed to deal with. It is in his expression of the inspiring combinations of colour, design and texture, where Saleh’s his true passion can be found.
Saleh started his primary schooling in Grassy Park, a suburb on the Cape Flats of Cape Town. He struggled, was ridiculed and teased for stuttering, and his parents sought help from the Waldorf School in Constantia, where whilst he was working on his speech, he’s passion for design and colour developed. Saleh’s Mother had a good eye for colour and design, and so it was like a natural emulation and expression of his mother’s love, with whom he has a very close relationship.
Starting out from his home, he’s business has grown to a 350 square meter showroom in Constantia, from where he reaches all the corners of South Africa, and even beyond, into Africa, Europe and Australia.
Saleh is a self-taught textile designer, with a very meticulous eye for perfection. With his versatile and diverse sense of colour and design, Saleh is now focusing on artisanal inspired handcrafted designs and prints. He’s latest are his African Weaver and Indian Block designs, which after three months, are already in its third reprints.
Each design is locally manufactured in Cape Town which allows him to be part of the hands-on process that tends to set Constantia Fabrics apart from other fabric houses.
Amongst the many accolades, the recently awarded SMME award from the Africa Growth Institute, as the runner up to the top in the trade sector, confirms that Saleh and his team must be doing something right.
Saleh showcased his latest designs at Decorex at the CTICC in Cape Town where he launched three of his new designs namely the African weaver bird, Indian Block design and the multi-coloured polka dots.
From 23 - 26 June, Saleh exhibited his designs at the ICT, OIL & GAS and Creative Industry Trade Mission in Ghana, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea supported by Wesgro. Addition to that, Constantia Fabrics will exhibit at Decorex, Johannesburg taking place from 6-10 Augusts as well as at the Homemakers Expo from 27-30 August 2015 at the CTICC in Cape Town.
