ABOUT

Hi, I’m Anja, the hands behind Anoek.

Behind every bag is… me!

A little about me

 

I actually studied Education and worked as a Learning Support teacher until 2023.

I fell in love with leather after my very first course back in 2018 (that’s also where the name Anoek was born).
 
I grew up watching my mom paint, sew, crochet, make pottery… basically, if it involved creating something beautiful, she was doing it. I guess creativity was always going to find me too.
 
Since starting Anoek, I’ve stitched over 14 km by hand – that’s about the distance from Paarl to Wellington! Every single stitch on every bag is done by hand.
 
Owning Anoek has been one of the biggest adventures of my life. It’s been almost three years already, and if all goes according to plan, I’d love to still be stitching 30 years from now.
 
Thank you for supporting a small business, choosing handmade, and making it possible for me to do what I love every single day. It truly means more than you know.
 
— Anja

I’ve attended Anoek’s workshops and use several of her leather pieces daily, they age beautifully while maintaining exceptional quality. Her signature hand-stitching gives each item a unique, unmistakable Anoek touch. All my future leather accessories will definitely be made by her.

Bri-an

Ek het ‘n pragtige handsak wat met die hand gemaak is, en jy kan regtig die aandag aan detail sien in elke steek. Die kwaliteit van leer is fantasties en dit voel duursaam en uniek. Elke produk is eg handgemaakt, wat dit nie net ‘n produk maak nie, maar ‘n sak met karakter.

Mandi

Always a warm and welcoming environment to walk in to. The studio is vibrant and the products in the store are of exceptional quality and originality. If you want to get something special that will last for years this is the place.

Niclas

#lovedbyyou