{"id":40722,"date":"2025-09-29T15:02:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T13:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?p=40722"},"modified":"2025-09-29T15:02:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T13:02:58","slug":"fashion-with-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2025\/09\/29\/fashion-with-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"Fashion with soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Akiko & Co gives Japanese heirloom kimonos a new life, offering rare pieces made to be worn and cherished for their rich history.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"Born in Umdloti and rooted in Japanese tradition, Akiko & Co. is more than a boutique \u2013 it\u2019s a collection of rare heirlooms, each handpicked for its unique artistry and history. The brand offers wearable art that celebrates legacy over trends, rarity over mass production, and meaning over waste. We chatted to owner Kayla Botha about her business\u2026<\/p>\n

What inspired you to start Akiko & Co?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve always loved what\u2019s rare and meaningful. While living in Hawaii, where there is a big Japanese influence, I discovered the beauty of Japanese kimonos, which are created to last generations. In a world of fast fashion, I wanted to slow things down and to honour pieces that carry history rather than trends.<\/p>\n

What does Akiko mean?<\/strong>
\nAkiko means \u2018bright child\u2019 in Japanese. It reminds me of my children, Noah and Lula, and the way seasons change, but legacy endures. That\u2019s sustainability too: knowing what we pass down will outlive us.<\/p>\n

What makes you different?<\/strong>
\nThese are authentic Japanese heirlooms, often with crests or artist signatures. They\u2019re one-of-a-kind, never repeated. In a culture of mass production, Akiko exists for women who value rarity, heritage, and pieces that won\u2019t end up in landfill but in family archives.<\/p>\n

\"\"How do you source them?<\/strong>
\nI work with trusted overseas collectors. Each piece is handpicked in Japan for its rarity, artistry and soul. I keep the collection intentionally small, so the pieces are fewer, better, more meaningful \u2013 this is at the heart of sustainable fashion.<\/p>\n

Do you struggle to let go of pieces?<\/strong>
\nYes, some feel like museum treasures. But sustainability is also about circulation. These pieces are meant to continue their journey, to be loved and cared for by the women they truly belong to.<\/p>\n

Is Akiko or art?<\/strong>
\nBoth. They\u2019re wearable art, but above all, they\u2019re legacy. In Japan, pieces were never disposable. They carried story and soul. That ethos is exactly what the fashion world needs today.<\/p>\n

What has been your proudest moment?<\/strong>
\nWhen customers (my muses) send me photos or reels in their heirlooms. Seeing them give new life to pieces that are decades old \u2014 that\u2019s sustainability in its truest form: extending life, creating new stories, keeping culture alive.<\/p>\n

\"\"What\u2019s next for Akiko & Co.?<\/strong>
\nIn the next two weeks, we\u2019re launching our own Mono\u00ef de Tahiti oil from Tahiti made with handpicked Tiar\u00e9 flowers. It\u2019s a centuries-old ritual and the oil feels like liquid silk. Just like our heirloom pieces, it\u2019s about ritual, natural origins, and respect for tradition.<\/p>\n

How do you want women to feel in your pieces?<\/strong>
\nRare, radiant, and powerful, like the most beautiful version of themselves. And at peace knowing their piece carries history, not waste.<\/p>\n

Details:<\/strong> www.akikoco.co.za<\/a>; IG:<\/strong> @akikoandco<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Akiko & Co gives Japanese heirloom kimonos a new life, offering rare pieces made to be worn and cherished for their rich history. Born in Umdloti and rooted in Japanese tradition, Akiko & Co. is more than a boutique \u2013 it\u2019s a collection of rare heirlooms, each handpicked for its unique artistry and history. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":40723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,479],"tags":[12684,5580,12688,414,12685,12686,12687],"class_list":{"0":"post-40722","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fashion","8":"category-people","9":"tag-akiko-co","10":"tag-boutique","11":"tag-bright-child","12":"tag-fashion","13":"tag-japan","14":"tag-japanese-heirloom-kimonos","15":"tag-japanese-tradition"},"yoast_head":"\nFashion with soul - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2025\/09\/29\/fashion-with-soul\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fashion with soul - Get It Ballito & Umhlanga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Akiko & Co gives Japanese heirloom kimonos a new life, offering rare pieces made to be worn and cherished for their rich history. 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