Renowned artist and creative director Vincent van de Waal in collaboration with his Patta co-founder business partner, Edson Sabajo, honoured living icon Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu Archbishop on his 90th birthday.
The duo will produce exclusive limited edition T-shirts celebrating Archbishop Tutu’s life and legacy.
These are no ordinary T-shirts as they will display a painting of the anti-apartheid and human rights activist. All proceeds of the T-shirts sale will then be donated to the Tygerberg Hospital Children’s Trust.
THCT is a fundraising body supporting mother and child patients at Tygerberg Hospital, one of the African continent’s biggest providers of paediatric and critical care for more than 44 000 child patients each year.
Only 200 Patta T-shirts in black and white design will be available for worldwide sale on Archbishop Tutu’s 90th birthday on Thursday, October 7, and each shirt will retail at €70 (R1 212).
A further donation of 20 Euros, to make up 90 Euros for the Arch’s 90 years, will get you a special commemorative art print signed by Sabajo himself.
One of the Trust’s ambassadors Tutu Tygers have partnered with Patta on this great initiative, to help provide high-quality care to Tygerberg’s paediatric patients.
“Patta is proud and honoured to collaborate with the Tutu Tygers, adding to the legacy of the Archbishop Tutu.
“We recognise his work as a global leader for peace and social justice. We look forward to creating more opportunities for the children of Tygerberg, through further collaborations with the THCT,” says Sabajo.
Elaborating on the painting and the inspiration behind the T-shirt, van de Waal said: “On the T-shirt you see an image of Desmond Tutu himself. So that’s quite clear. I think there was no better way to draw him.
“I mean to use a picture was maybe a bit different. But to make a drawing myself we both felt was a bit more personal.
“And then I also used all kinds of colourful hands that I saw on a picture that Jason shared with me and it was a picture taken with the Tygerberg Hospital kids in South Africa.
“And there was Desmond Tutu surrounded by all these kids laughing and we found the energy in this picture.
“In the background of this picture was sort of a wallpaper with all these colourful hands.
“So, I knew the picture meant a lot for the hospital and for the people who work there because you see the energy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu very, very well in the picture. So, I used that to design something they could relate to,” he said.
The T-shirt will be retailed off MarketPlace on the Paystack platform, with a total of 50 T-Shirts exclusively sold through the Archive store in Cape Town’s Greenmarket Square.
Sabajo will be in store on October 7 to meet and greet the clients and will also co-host a design workshop on social impact with THCT CEO Jason Falken on October 12, for the benefit of young local designers and brand managers.
“We are very proud of this collaboration with Patta and extremely thankful to Edson, Guillaume and the Patta team for the warm manner in which they have come on board to support the Trust’s fundraising efforts in aid of Tygerberg’s young patients and also to celebrate the 90th birthday in October of our Patrons, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mama Leah Tutu,” says THCT CEO, Jason Falken.
He adds: “The Tutus are icons who have dedicated their lives in selfless service to our country.
“The Tutu Tygers and all at the Trust are committed to continuing to celebrate and uphold their legacy through our work in support of caring for Tygerberg’s children.”
Patta is one of the leading black-owned brands within street wear, championing inclusivity, diversity, sports and music, as well as providing spaces for community, education and serving as a platform for creatives.
They have expanded from a singular Amsterdam location to now having chapters in London and Milan as well as being carried in over 40 highly regarded stockists worldwide.
Founding Tutu Tygers are Proteas legend Vernon Philander and Springboks Juan de Jongh, Ashley Johnson and Cornal Hendricks.
For more information follow the Tygerberg Hospital Children's Trust.