Teabag bra to be auctioned in aid of CANSA may fetch more than a pretty penny

In an effort to place the spotlight on the fight against breast cancer, a leading lingerie brand created a beautiful bra made almost entirely of used Rooibos tea bags. Breast cancer affects one in every 27 women in South Africa.

The Rooibos bra was recently unveiled to mark the start of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and will be auctioned at a high-profile fundraising dinner in aid of CANSA’s women’s education programmes.

“The novel idea, which was the brainchild of the SA Rooibos Council (SARC), Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and lingerie retailer, Storm in A-G Cup, has been months in the making,” said Adele du Toit, spokesperson for the South African Rooibos Council.

The Council has also been overwhelmed with the support from the public as thousands of used and dried Rooibos tea bags poured in from around the country.

A total of 450 tea bags were used in the final design and, the natural red colour came from the tea itself which gave the designers the depth in colour they had been aiming for. “It also creates awareness of Rooibos’ cancer-fighting properties,” said du Toit.

ALSO READ: Donate your hair to CANSA urges young girl

Isla Lovell, owner of Storm in A-G Cup says they’ve never shied away from a challenge and creatively it was a very rewarding project to work on.

“We were immediately drawn to the idea as we often use Rooibos tea to dye our undergarments and have always flown the flag high for breast cancer survivors – our extensive mastectomy bra range is a testament to this. Our primary challenge came with using Rooibos tea bags for a garment that inherently relies on stretch to fit, so we had to adapt the material to the final product. We were surprised at how versatile a product Rooibos is – we experimented with the leaves, tea bags and even made beads from the packaging. Pretty much all the detail, including the delicate rose, have been fashioned from Rooibos tea bags,” said Lovell.

The Rooibos bra forms part of several other CANSA initiatives this spring to create widespread awareness of breast cancer and other cancers affecting women.

“Detecting breast cancer early means a much higher survival rate. Regular screenings and mammograms are critical – we need to have less women affected by cancer and having to face that journey,” said Lucy Balona, spokesperson for CANSA.

To follow the Rooibos bra campaign, go to https://www.facebook.com/rooiboscouncil.

Download The North Coast Courier mobile app, now available free from the Apple iStore and on Google Play, for IOS and Android phones.