We chat to Kathryn du Toit and Nikki Wainwright, founders of Oui Oui Life.
What do you get when two fabulous North Coast moms swap school pick-ups for style drops? A brand that’s as breezy as a Salt Rock sundowner and as effortlessly chic as a French girl on holiday. Meet Kath and Nix, the creative duo behind Oui Oui Life – a local label that’s all about beach-to-bar staples and cool coastal fashion.
Becoming business besties
Saved in each other’s phones as “Grace’s mom” and “Annabelle’s mom”, Kath and Nix were first linked by their daughters, but it wasn’t long before coffee dates turned into deep chats, dream boards and creative plotting. With a shared love for fashion, design and their KZN lifestyle, they decided to stop dreaming and start doing. Oui Oui Life was born.
How do you pronounce that?
We’ll save you the struggle – it’s pronounced “we we”. Inspired by the fashion-meets-artisan energy of brands like Loewe, Miu Miu and Hermès (which, let’s be honest, we all mispronounced once), Oui Oui is French for “yes yes” – and that’s exactly what the brand is: a big-hearted yes to all of life’s little pleasures.
Style that feels like a salty hug
How would the founders describe Oui Oui in three words? Unapologetically easy-breezy style.
Each piece is inspired by a laid-back yet luxuriously sun-soaked lifestyle – and no two are ever quite the same. “We find a thing, do a thing, add a thing… and voilà!” say the pair, who are big on creativity, small-batch production and heartfelt collaborations.
And the goal? To make you feel like you’ve just stepped off the beach and into your best life.
Here’s how they put it:
“It’s a feeling, a scent, it’s the sun on your skin
a taste on the tip of your tongue
that warm salty sea air
it’s easy breezy, lemon squeezy
it’s a North Coast kinda vibe.”
What’s next for Oui Oui?
While the brand’s first drops have been all about wearable fashion staples, things are just getting started. Expect handcrafted jewellery, local leather pieces and more North Coast-inspired goodies in the months to come. And while the current collection is only available via social media, dreams of a bricks-and-mortar studio are bubbling.
Details: IG: @oui.oui.life
