SAY HELLO TO NATURAL BORN CUSTOMS

Natural Born Customs is a handcrafted customisation service working predominately with Converse sneakers for adults and kids. Founded in 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa by British born London based individualiser / artist Saskia Lichtenstern, Natural Born Customs is on a sartorial path that celebrates the power of individuality.

At the inception of the brand, Cape Town had a severe lack of independent stores and markets where Saskia could find things to express her own individuality and so she began customising her own clothes, sneakers and furniture. Finally, her various creations caught people’s attention, and she started receiving requests from people who wanted her to create ‘one-off bespoke’ pieces specifically for them.

Saskia introduces a Pandora’s box of skills into each customisation instead of the same old ‘just paint’ process which means her product is more unique than anything else in the market. She painstakingly applies intricate hand stitched embroidery, in addition to buttons (old & new), paints, lace, old keyrings, vintage patches, treasures from Christmas crackers, hidden gems found in foreign markets and car boot sales, studs from eBay, dissembled 2nd hand jewellery, quirky pieces of fabric from odd little fabric shops, denim from her old blue jeans, ribbons and trims, Swarovski crystals, pom-poms and badges: all of which she has meticulously gathered from all over the world.

Natural Born Customs – customises the ‘beige’ out of life and turns it into Technicolor. Always a leader, never a follower, Natural Born Customs will also transform additional fashion items: jackets, bags and high top sneakers to homeware: tables, chairs, lampshades, walls and beyond. A collaborative process between Saskia and the client, she purchases the sneakers for size and colour and then works closely with the client to determine the final design.

Natural Born Customs only make an original and no two designs are ever identical. Some items may be slightly similar but the detail will always make it special. This sophisticated process usually takes at least two – three weeks from when the customer places their order to receiving the final product. Each pair is hand stitched with love and thoughtfulness in an intricate and painstaking process that cannot be rushed.

“If a person is looking for fast fashion, instant gratification style, then quite simply they won’t appreciate the genius of what I do.”

With no specialist design training, Saskia has turned what was a creative passion into an upwardly moving business. “A degree in imagination and originality? That stuff can’t be learnt, you are born with it and I was born with buckets full.”

“I am different. I am a one of a kind. I am an artist. I am a customiser!”