12 JANUARY '26

As always, the new year brings with it a new energy of clarity and a focus of direction.

I am so grateful for all that this journey unfolds, teaches and becomes both through intention and in response.

Heading into 2026 I have decided to separate LEILA ATELIER, the brand which has housed my studio from my artistic practice as Leila Walter. Eleven years after graduating with a Fine Art degree I am finallly ready to take ownership of my role as an artist and this will become the primary focus of my work. LEILA ATELIER will continue to function as the container for my obsession with tactile, physical textiles and will be influenced by the research from my art practice. This will exist alongside my art practice as an accessible and intentional collection of limited edition pieces to love and live with.

As such, most new offerings and energy will be poured into leilawalter.studio where you can experience the continued unfolding of this path,

thank you for joining me on the journey,
Onwards and upwards! x

  • "Weave, stitch, mould, felt, sculpt - all methods to celebrate the textures of winter.

    When Surfaces Speak returns to the tangible
    within a world that increasingly prioritises the digital and the abstract. It is an invitation to
    look more slowly, and to perceive with more than just the eye.

    During the quieter, colder months of winter, we return to our senses and to the quiet beauty of everyday things that reconnect us to the world that surrounds us."


    The Ateljee at La Motte Wine Estate, Franschoek

    12 JULY - 5 OCTOBER 2025


    Curated by Nina Kruger

28 JULY '25

It is an absolute honor to present 'Stratum: A triptych' as the backdrop to this years edition of the ever inspiring TWYG African Textile Talks.
Here's a quick snap before they are finished up and installed.
Hopefully more to follow soon. Huge gratitue to Tandekile for the invitation and trusting my vision.

  • 'Gates of The Sun' 2025

    As Featured in the Winter 2025 edition of House and Leisure's 'Harvest' Edition Shop the look

    Huge gratitude to the team for selecting this work in their 'rust & sage' edit

09 JUNE '25

Terra Forma (2025)
Bringing the deep textural resonance at LIM's latest winter curation

22 FEB '25

My latest work 'May Your Waters Find Stillness' looking so at home at LIM,
Continual gratitude to this visionary store and their trust and gorgeous presentation of my work

  • Honored to have our 'Gamut Cushion'
    -
    handwoven with locally sourced, natural handspun mohair & cotton
    -
    featured in the latest issue of House & Leisure 'Unwind' summer 2025 edition of 'Shop the Look'

April 2024

I am incredibly grateful to have had the experience of creating out latest shoot in collaboration with two very close friends whose creativity I admire deeply and have great respect for. It was also just a lot of fun to have such keen and supportive team mates to bounce ideas off and be inspired by.
My huge appreciation to Storm Ross for her stylistic genius & flowers as well as Skye Russell for her skillful capturing of light & texture on film.
Such a beautiful thing to create in collaboration, and to capture analogue production in analogue images.

SHOP THE MASON
Logo of LEILA ATELIER

January 2024

I truly love the end of the year holiday season. I'm a huge fan of setting intentions and reflecting on what has come. This January I've been feeling the new year energy particularly strongly and what it's been undeniably calling me toward is a rebrand.

It feels big and risky, but I've learnt that fortune favours the brave and that my intuition can't be ignored. So here we are, beginning the transition from the small seed which was Crosspolynations into a new, simplified foundation as LEILA ATELIER. I am proud to put my name behind the work I create, curate & collaborate on and can't wait to materialise my wildest dreams from this new grounded base.

A bounty of hand dyed, hand spun skeins of mohair in the afternoon sun

January 2024

A note on materials.

This is a conversation I find myself having often enough that I feel it poignant to put it in writing here.

When crafting anything, ones possibilities are limitless, but to create something, to be able to move ahead at all, decisions need to be made and the choice of raw materials is a fundamental one.

from the start of this studio practice, 100% natural has been an absolute non negotiable. The resonance of natural fibre revealed itself to me in my earliest days of weaving and it is not something I will ever abandon. But even that decision is not much of a limit, the breadth and richness of options within natural fibre is undeniable. I would love to explore a variety of materials, especially silk & linen. But the reality is that South Africa is a fibre rich country. We have a history of industrial scale cotton production, a wealth of wool and are the world leading supplier of Mohair. As such, the decision to focus on using locally sourced fibres is one made with simple clarity, and that before even considering the environmental cost of international shipping.

And so where we stand currently is an offering predominated by locally sourced natural cotton which is easy to use, to wash, to live with and then select items using luxurious mohair and wool produced locally, or from vintage stashes.

If you have any further curiosity on the topic, I love talking about materials, supply chains and intentional decision making, please do get in touch.

Enjoying community during our inaugural open studio day

November 2023

Weavers are known to be somewhat quiet, introverted types who dedicate long patient hours in solitude to the craft.

But the reality is that connection is what lies in the root of all craft, of all experience.

As such, we've just celebrated our inaugural open studio day, a practice which I hope to make a regular occurrence moving forward.

The true value of handwoven, and hand crafted textiles is an absolutely sensory experience, something which can be led toward but not entirely communicated through images. It's an honour to share this experience and to show the intricate process behind the product.

If a Saturday morning surrounded by textiles with a glass of bubbles and a foray at a loom sounds like a good time to you, sign up to the newsletter or check in on instagram to make sure you've got the next one in your diary

November 2023

Although I'm definitely missing the energy & spirit of my dear studio mate, his recent departure has allowed the expansion of the studio into quite a beautiful thing.

The flow has become much more functional and with the additional spaciousness I've been able to really focus on creating a retail area in the studio in which our stock can be beautifully displayed & easily engaged with.

The energy in the studio is really quite magical, it's a place of lightness, warmth and calm. There's an undeniable air of grounding and the invitation to pause and engage with the senses.

If you'd ever like to pop by and feel it for yourself, please do get in touch. x

November 2023

Working with interior designers to create unique pieces to finish their projects with has been one of the greatest joys of the year. I love engaging with their vision and finding ways to craft special pieces which add a little magic towards materialising it.

I've recently put together sample packs of our standard cloth weight & colour options. If you're working on a project & feel that our products are aligned, please get in touch, so that I can share them with you.

  • Two luxurious, handwoven natural cotton cushions sit against an original handwoven artwork in the afternoon light
  • The hand stitched corners of two unique handwoven cushions
  • OCTOBER 2023

    A Sweet moment in studio of two one of a kind cushions named SILT.

    Borne of an intuitive meandering through memories of a road trip shortly after intense floods while weaving my way through the cloth which would eventually become this once off pair. Featuring a black border detail, reminiscent of many traditional cloths handwoven in India which I encountered on a previous trip.

September 2023

And now for what is probably the most exciting news to come out of this studio this year. My dearest studio assistant Zanele is now a weaver !

Late July this year I fell running a trail and broke my wrist. It was a seriously tough time, on top of the physical pain I was entirely incapacitated and feeling the pressure of looming deadlines and all the rest that goes with business.

I quickly decided to adopt the mindset that this was the best thing to ever happen to me, which allowed me to release my grip on control and find ways to expand beyond myself.

Zanele was thrilled to finally be given the opportunity and me physically forced into the patience I needed to instruct and guide her. It has been such an incredible delight to see her becoming empowered and energised by the practice and I am so excited for the opportunities our expanded production capacity will bring.

Creating a natural habitat in the studio invidious shades of earthy neutral tones

September 2023

For those of you who may know, I've been sharing the studio with my dear friend Kyle for the last 11 months. He has been the most wonderful companion and support, bringing calm, balance and focus to the studio through his practice as Colour Yoga With Kyle.

This month he leaves to pursue his dreams in Portugal. I will miss him, and the variety of colour he brought to the studio.

Its a bittersweet moment as we loose a companion but gain the entirety of the studio. As consolation I have painted the wall the colour of Leila, a warm earthy tone with loads of texture which brings to life my ancient palazzo dreams and I am delighted to share it here

MORE FROM THE ARCHIVE

JOURNAL

OBSCURA

OBSCURA

Ex Hotel and Crosspolynations present Obscura a free-standing folding screen, combining the traditional hand skills of joinery and weaving.

OBSCURA

Ex Hotel and Crosspolynations present Obscura a free-standing folding screen, combining the traditional hand skills of joinery and weaving.

STRIATION BATCH II

STRIATION BATCH II

Introducing the limited edition second batch of 'Striation Rugs'.Woven by hand in our Cape Town studio using South African Cotton, Mohair & vintage wool. These rugs are both luxurious and...

STRIATION BATCH II

Introducing the limited edition second batch of 'Striation Rugs'.Woven by hand in our Cape Town studio using South African Cotton, Mohair & vintage wool. These rugs are both luxurious and...

CROSSPOLYNATIONS : From Cone to Cloth

CROSSPOLYNATIONS : From Cone to Cloth

What goes in to the making of a cloth? To describe in words alone would fall shallow,so we decided to capture the process in motion. Thoughtfully collected by Chantel Clark and...

CROSSPOLYNATIONS : From Cone to Cloth

What goes in to the making of a cloth? To describe in words alone would fall shallow,so we decided to capture the process in motion. Thoughtfully collected by Chantel Clark and...

Kamers/MAKERS 2021

Kamers/MAKERS 2021

In the last week of October I had the absolute honor to take part in Kamers/Makers Blaauwklippen and share what I’ve been working on all winter. I am absolutely overwhelmed...

Kamers/MAKERS 2021

In the last week of October I had the absolute honor to take part in Kamers/Makers Blaauwklippen and share what I’ve been working on all winter. I am absolutely overwhelmed...

THE ORDER OF FLOW

THE ORDER OF FLOW

A while back we came across Alan Watts’ 1968 Lecture ‘Stop Thinking About Life’ in which he describes the Chinese character ‘Li’ as a form of natural order, beautiful patterns...

THE ORDER OF FLOW

A while back we came across Alan Watts’ 1968 Lecture ‘Stop Thinking About Life’ in which he describes the Chinese character ‘Li’ as a form of natural order, beautiful patterns...

THE JOIE COLLECTION

THE JOIE COLLECTION

I recently had the privilege of creating a collection of custom wall hangings for The Joie Collection, a new curated collection of locally produced beautiful home accessories. I am so grateful for...

THE JOIE COLLECTION

I recently had the privilege of creating a collection of custom wall hangings for The Joie Collection, a new curated collection of locally produced beautiful home accessories. I am so grateful for...

LEILA ATELIER ON SOCIAL