How the BIRKENSTOCK creative workshops unlocked a new summer story

“Growing up in Germany, BIRKENSTOCK came into my life early on. They were a part of every summer and I so clearly remember when my mother let me choose my first pair. They were these incredible black patent leather sandals, with red polka dots.” Project Dyad’s Jessika Balzer tells the story with the kind of fondness reserved for objects that shape who we become – the things we live in, travel with and grow up beside. “I have such vivid memories of them being stacked up by the door, or kicked off around the fire,” adds designer Sindiso Khumalo of her time in London. In these memories lies something universal: the idea that BIRKENSTOCK aren’t just shoes, but companions, woven into everyday rituals and the small seasonal joys that ground us.

This summer, BIRKENSTOCK invited Cape Town’s creative community to do something unexpected: to make one of the world’s most recognisable silhouettes entirely their own. Through two exclusive workshops – a decorative accessories session led by Project Dyad’s Jessika Balzer alongside LVMH prizewinning designer Sindiso Khumalo, and a group styling session hosted by Sindiso herself – it opened a new conversation about what it means to wear BIRKENSTOCK in South Africa today.

fashion

Vault on Bree was host to the final First Thursday soiree with G Star and Wanda Lephoto

What emerged wasn’t simply a weekend of craft and creativity. It was a celebration of personal style, local design heritage and the sensory rituals that define a South African summer. And, perhaps most importantly, it reaffirmed that BIRKENSTOCK is more than a shoe. It can become a canvas; one that invites reinterpretation, colour, character and story. A classic transformed into something unmistakably individual.

Birkenstock X Sindiso Khumalo X Project Dyad - Guests were treated to a styling session to adorn your Birkenstocks

THE NEW RULES OF SUMMER STYLE: WRITTEN IN LEATHER, COLOUR AND STORYTELLING

At the decorating workshop, guests discovered just how open to reinvention a pair of BIRKENSTOCK can be. Jess, known for Project Dyad’s architectural silhouettes and pared-back approach, introduced leather charms designed in collaboration with Sindiso, merging her minimalist language with Sindiso’s story-rich world of prints and indigenous botanical references.

Sindiso, whose work is grounded in sustainability, textiles and narratives of African womanhood, saw the collaboration as a celebration of shared aesthetic sensibilities. “We realised we had so much in common, especially colour,” she explains. “The charms draw from protea forms, indigenous florals and even the sun.”

In their hands, the charms became a story-making toolkit: fluid shapes, graphic cuts and a palette that merged their signature tones with BIRKENSTOCK’s unmistakable cobalt blue. The result? An invitation for every wearer to write their own summer story.

HOW CHARMS TURN A SHOE INTO A STORY

“The charms were designed so that anyone can tell their own story, stacking shapes and colours in a way that resonates with them,” says Jess. During the ideation process, she drew directly from Sindiso’s prints, simplifying forms, adapting them for footwear, and crafting them from offcuts to ensure each customisation remained sustainable.

Some guests kept it pared back using only a single, understated shape. Others built sculptural, layered compositions that mirrored a more eclectic, maximalist aesthetic. Together, they proved just how skilfully a BIRKENSTOCK can adapt to different moments, moods and lifestyles. As Sindiso reflects, “Every BIRKENSTOCK becomes unique because of the wearer; it’s their world, their story. Our charms just make that visible.”

SINDISO KHUMALO ON THE ART OF SUMMER STYLING WITH BIRKENSTOCK

For many, Sindiso’s styling workshop became a masterclass in elevating BIRKENSTOCK into a fashion piece without losing the ease that defines them. Shaped by the rhythms of South African life, her approach to style is playful in pattern and palette; refined yet relaxed, anchored in breezy silhouettes and joyful prints.

Over the course of the workshop, Sindiso unveiled five distinct outfits, three of which captured particular attention.

For the first look, Sindiso brought one of her signature dresses to life: the Collared Black Stripe Dress, a fresh take on her Miss Thandi classic. With its open, structured collar, Zulu stripe detailing and symbolic cow motif, the dress blends heritage with refinement in a graphic black-and-white palette. She paired it with the Arizona Big Buckle in black, a sleek counterpoint to the dress’s soft movement, and finished the look with a black Crystal Birch hat adorned with cowrie shells. The result was effortless and modern: a look that moved between cultures, textures and stories.

Sindiso’s second look was a study in softness and quiet sophistication. She paired the Pulani Gingham Dress, lightweight cotton muslin with a pleated collar, frill detail and hand–block-printed gingham, with the Arizona Hammered Buckle in Zinfandel. Project Dyad’s Wave Bag in Stone, a compact leather sling with ruched detailing, completed the outfit, balancing femininity with modern, crafted accents.

The third highlight revisited an archival piece from Sindiso Khumalo SS22, a two-piece jacket-and-skirt suiting that pays homage to the University of Cape Town’s Jagger African Studies Library, lost to a mountain fire in April 2021. Maps of Africa salvaged from the library inspired the printed imagery, while ceramic buttons added artisanal detail. Sindiso paired the set with a pair of Suede Boston in Taupe , grounding the historical narrative in modern, wearable ease.

Each look illustrated Sindiso’s approach to summer style, with lessons on colour and individual expression:

Start with comfort, then layer expression.

Sindiso sees BIRKENSTOCK as the grounding point of an outfit. “They’re so versatile, meaning it allows you to play with whatever you feel comfortable and confident in: light dresses, airy fabrics, soft prints. No matter what, you’ll still feel put together.”

Dress to your lifestyle.

For Sindiso, summer is about rest, family, friends and joy. Her current favourite shoe, the BIRKENSTOCK Gizeh Big Buckle in Cognac, complements that perfectly: “stylish, simple and ideal for long, hot days.”

Let colour guide the mood.

The decorative accessories Jess and Sindiso created let participants shift the tone of their BIRKENSTOCK instantly, from paired-back neutrals to sunlit brights to layered maximalism. “Colour is a form of storytelling,” she says. “Choose what resonates.”

Across South Africa, BIRKENSTOCK have long been woven into local summer style, moulding themselves to our lifestyles just as they mould to our feet. From early-morning market runs and sea-soaked coastal walks to gallery openings and sunset dinners, BIRKENSTOCK moves the way South Africans move: freely, instinctively and with a beautiful blend of practicality and personality. In every step, they tell a story.

Explore the full BIRKENSTOCK collection and find your perfect pair at www.bashafrica.com.