Business Spotlight: Honeyguide Atelier.
Some brands feel less like businesses and more like worlds of their own where story, history, and instinct come together to create something quietly powerful. The Honeyguide Atelier, founded by Olia Danckwerts, is one of them.
A creative whose journey has wandered through the fashion capitals of Europe, the exquisite backdrop of Victoria Falls, and the wild creativity of motherhood, Olia has created a brand that reflects a life lived with deep intention. Before Zimbabwe became home, she spent over a decade in fashion first as a model, and then running a PR agency that worked with premium and luxury European fashion brands and later, she transitioned into film production.
A trip to Zimbabwe changed everything. “I came with a film crew,” she recalls, “and by day three, I met my now husband, and I decided I was staying.” From there, a new story began to unfold one rooted in nature, family, and making things by hand.
While working in film, Olia fell in love with vintage fashion, thanks to costume designers who introduced her to Berlin’s hidden thrift stores and flea markets. That love deepened during the COVID lockdown in Victoria Falls, when her mother and husband gifted her a sewing machine. Living in a tent in the bush with her young son, she began sewing 1940s-style dresses inspired by archival patterns and romantic silhouettes. She posted one online, and it was snapped up immediately. “That’s when it all really began,” she says.
What followed was the evolution of Honeyguide, a label that began with nostalgic dresses and grew into a unique range of functional, elegant safari wear. With sketches in hand, Olia reached out to a close friend in Berlin, who was a veteran pattern maker in her seventies, and together, they began crafting garments that felt timeless and rooted.
The name Honeyguide came from birdwatching trips with her husband. “The honey guide bird leads people to wild honey,” Olia says. “That’s how I saw the brand, guiding people to beauty, to hidden treasures.” Years earlier, she’d unknowingly tattooed a swallow on her arm, later learning that it was a migratory bird that flew from her hometown in Russia to Southern Africa. “It felt like I’d marked my journey before I even knew it.”
Now based in Harare, The Honeyguide Atelier has entered a new chapter. The climate allows for a broader creative palette coats, layers, and texture. But its heart remains the same: a focus on artistry, skill, emotion, and meaning. Instead of expanding into mass production, Olia has taken a more personal path. Honeyguide now includes wardrobe editing, where she helps clients rediscover the value of what they already own. “It’s about building better, not just buying more,” she explains.
The Honeyguide is an evolving atelier, a creative circle, and a philosophy wrapped in fabric. It offers an intentional approach to style, one that values individuality and the quiet confidence of pieces chosen with care.
Get in touch with Olia:
https://www.instagram.com/honeyguide.atelier/?hl=en
https://www.thehoneyguide.org/
