SHELLI is not just a fashion label, it is a bridge between African heritage, contemporary artistry, and global luxury. Founded by South African designer Shelli Weltsman, SHELLI transforms macramé from craft to wearable sculpture. Each piece embodies intention, structure, and storytelling, celebrating individuality, strength, and the timeless elegance of African design.
In this exclusive feature, Shelli opens up about her journey, her creative philosophy, and her mission to position African craftsmanship on the global luxury stage.
TTYBrand Africa: Let’s meet you. Who is Shelli beyond the brand, and how would you describe the woman behind SHELLI?
Shelli: I’m Shelli Weltsman, a South African designer and artist and the woman behind the luxury macramé label S H E L L I.
As a mom, I understand that the most complex structure I will ever build isn’t a macramé design, it’s the life and the values I pass down to my children. Being a mother is my first and most profound act of creation. My children are the rhythm behind my knots.
The woman behind S H E L L I is intentional, observant, and conscious. I’m a bit of a disrupter and never one to follow life’s traditional path.
Being neurodivergent shapes how I experience life with sensitivity, intense focus, and an awareness of detail, emotion, and pattern. It is what makes my thinking unconventional, my intuition sharp, and my creative process instinctive.
I navigate the world intuitively and independently, trusting a way of seeing that doesn’t follow convention. This way of being has shaped me as a woman; independent, perceptive, and deeply self-aware. It is from this place that I create: not to fit in, but to give form to a perspective that is unapologetically my own.
TTYBrand Africa: How did your personal journey shape the vision for SHELLI, and at what moment did macramé become your chosen language of creative expression?
Shelli: Art has always been a central part of my life. I’m an abstract contemporary artist, expressing my inner world on large canvases since I was a child.
But as my journey evolved, I felt a pull to bring those abstract thoughts into the physical dimension. I shifted to macramé because I needed a medium that was more tactile, something I could pull, knot, and tension with my own hands. If my paintings were the map of my mind, SHELLI is the architecture.
Macramé became my language when I realized I could ‘sculpt’ my perspective into forms. The fluid stroke of a painting turned into the strength of a knot. Thanks to my unconventional way of thinking, what started off as wall pieces became wearable art.
I was honoured to be selected to design the swimwear segment for Miss South Africa 2023, a moment that carried immense pride and emotion for me. Sitting and watching my designs take centre stage was deeply affirming, a quiet recognition of years of work, intuition, and belief in my vision. Seeing my pieces worn with confidence and presence on such a platform reinforced my commitment to creating designs that celebrate strength, femininity, and individuality.
I have also designed for local public figures, extending the work beyond the runway, with pieces sold internationally. My macramé wall pieces have also been featured in galleries and in the She Impression art exhibition, as well as styled shoots for magazine editorials.
TTYBrand Africa: Luxury today is being redefined beyond price tags. What does “luxury” mean to you in the context of handcrafted, limited-edition design?
Shelli: For me, luxury lives in the depth of the thought process and the rigorous design logic behind every single placement. It is knowing exactly why a knot exists where it does and how that tension holds a singular perspective together.
My work is luxurious because it is an intellectual sculpture. My process is slow and tactile, I don’t create to fit a trend, but to give form to a specific internal architecture. It’s an intimate exchange between my vision and the person wearing it. Luxury is not defined by its cost, but by its soul.
TTYBrand Africa: Your pieces are often described as sculptural and intentional. Can you walk us through your creative process, from the first idea to the final knot?
Shelli: The transition from my first idea to the final knot is a move from the abstract to the tactile. I am calculating angles, testing the strength of the fiber, and using mathematical repetition to create a visual rhythm. By the time I reach the final knot, the piece has moved through several lives: it began as a mathematical concept, became an architectural blueprint, and finished as a wearable sculpture.
It is an unapologetic expression of a mind that sees the world in patterns, structures, and systems. I calculate precisely where each knot must live to achieve the desired silhouette transforming a fluid cord into a rigid, sculptural form that maintains its integrity while in motion.
Lately, I’ve been exploring high-fashion realism, brought to life through a blend of creative eye for detail and modern digital craftsmanship.
TTYBrand Africa: Heritage plays a powerful role in craftsmanship. Are there cultural, historical, or personal influences, particularly from Africa, that quietly live within your designs?
Shelli: I look at the way traditional African structures and textiles use repetitive patterns to create strength, and I translate that into my own design process. It’s about more than just a ‘look’ it’s about the way a shape holds space.
Every SHELLI piece is a tribute to that sculptural heritage, using the cord to build forms that feel both ancient and futuristic. I’ve always seen the world through patterns. For me, Africa is the ultimate source of that inspiration.
TTYBrand Africa: As both founder and creative director, what early challenges did you face in positioning macramé within the global luxury fashion space?
Shelli: The greatest early challenge was breaking the ‘craft’ stereotype. In the global luxury space, macramé was often viewed through a narrow, bohemian lens. My mission was to reposition it as structural, high-end art.
Because of my unconventional approach to life, I didn’t see cord as a craft supply; I saw it as a medium for architecture. I had to prove that the same level of intellectual labor I put into a large-scale contemporary canvas was being poured into every knot. I wasn’t just making a garment; I was engineering a wearable sculpture.
TTYBrand Africa: Sustainability and craftsmanship are now central conversations in fashion worldwide. How does SHELLI contribute to this shift, especially from an African creative perspective?
Shelli: Sustainability is found in the rhythm of the process. Because my design process involves a deep level of thought for every knot, I cannot mass-produce. SHELLI represents a ‘slow luxury’ that respects the human pace.
The durability of macramé, its structural tension and strength means these pieces are built for longevity. From an African perspective, craftsmanship is about creating something that carries a story across generations.
TTYBrand Africa: What kind of woman or collector do you envision when you design a SHELLI piece?
Shelli: I design for the woman who views her wardrobe as a gallery of her own convictions. She isn’t interested in fitting in; she is interested in giving form to her own perspective.
The woman I design for isn’t just looking for an outfit, she’s looking for an extension of her own power. She is sophisticated, unconventional, and she chooses pieces that echo her own multi-layered journey.
TTYBrand Africa: Looking ahead, what legacy would you like SHELLI to represent for Africa and within the global fashion and art landscape?
Shelli: For Africa, I want SHELLI to represent a new kind of creative power. My legacy is a disruption of the conventional. I want to be known as the artist who refused to use a template, who saw math and architecture in a piece of cord, and who turned a ‘different’ way of thinking into a global design language.
I want SHELLI to be evidence that African craftsmanship is the height of global innovation, rooted in shapes that are ancient and a vision that is futuristic.
