When Aurora James launched her footwear line in 2013, she set out to honor the style of traditional South African shoes and materials, but with a modern take informed by her experiences living in Los Angeles and New York City.
James was inspired to found Brother Vellies after numerous trips to Africa, mainly as a way to do her best to honor and keep the local apparel traditions alive when she started noticing a more widespread adoption of Western clothing styles.
The majority of Brother Vellies’ production is done in workshops located in Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa. While the shoe styles are rustic and simple in shape, what differentiates them and makes them such show-stopping pieces is that they utilize unconventional materials like sustainable kudu leather, pelts from animals native to the region, denim, and cork, as well as structurally-unique design elements.
All of Brother Vellies’ shoes are fabulous enough to make you want to get dressed in the morning, but here are a few of our favorite pieces:
Eve Doodle Mule
$795
Aquarius Clog
$595
Tuesday Mule in Tomato
$455
2020 Boot
$1,050
