Sari for Change is a cultural design house rooted in the Sacred Economy - transforming discarded heritage textiles into contemporary garments while enabling women to build independent livelihoods.
Where it Began
Sari for Change began with a single sari.
Founder Rayana Edwards spent over 35 years in the fashion industry - as a buyer, designer, stylist, and business consultant - working across Kenya and South Africa.
She had built businesses, opened stores, and understood both the beauty of fashion and the waste within it.
As a single mother of four, she understood what it means to build, to provide, and to create opportunity where there is none.
That belief in resilience and women’s economic independence sits at the centre of Sari for Change.
After closing her Johannesburg store, she began working with a sari gifted to her by her great aunt.
What if this material could be reimagined, rather than discarded?
What began in a garage has since grown into a model that connects material, skill, and livelihood.
This thinking became the foundation of what Rayana termed the Sacred Economy - a system rooted in giving, where saris are donated, skills are shared, and garments are created as pieces to be worn, kept, and passed on.
Evolving Culture
Creative Director Iman Ganijee brings a perspective shaped by layered identity - born in Kenya, raised in South Africa, with Indian, Cape Malay, Arab, and Yemeni influences.
Her work reflects a belief that culture evolves - shaped through movement, exchange, and reinterpretation.
Textiles carry this - holding shared histories, similarities, and connections across regions.
Each garment becomes a meeting point - of cultures, histories, and contemporary expression.
Design Language
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The Frill Kimono
Inspired by the colour and celebration of Cape Malay dress - an ode to the Kaapse Klopse and a culture rooted in textile expression.
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The Imanii Puffer
Brings together the visual language of the Maasai blanket and East African khanga textiles - both rooted in colour, symbolism, and everyday expression.
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The Lungi Set
Draws from the traditional lungi in Indian dress, reinterpreted into a contemporary silhouette.
Worn Globally. One of a Kind. Zero Waste. Made through the Sacred Economy.
Building Livelihoods
At the centre of Sari for Change is a structured, tiered training model.
Tier One
Foundational sewing skills
Tier Two
Small garment development
Tier Three
Women are supported in establishing home-based workspaces - enabling them to earn independently and begin building their own businesses.
