The Art of Everyday Joy with Yay Abe

We’re thrilled to introduce a collaboration that blurs the boundaries between art and design: the Yay Abe x Something Good Studio collection. The first chapter of a long-term creative partnership, it begins with three beautifully conceived standout pieces that set the tone for what’s to come – wearable art in its truest form.

Bringing Russell Abrahams’ (AKA Yay Abe) bold, joy-filled illustrations into the world of knitted textiles, this collection transforms his signature visual language into wearable and functional works of art. From the everyday comfort of the From Her Vase blanket – destined to become a cherished heirloom – to the laid-back cool of the Peace Vessel tee, and the refined elegance of the Rooted coat, the collection offers something for everyone. Created through an unhurried, collaborative process that honoured the craft at every stage, each piece carries the shared vision of artist and makers alike: to create garments and textiles that are as enduring as they are beautiful, and to treat wearable art with the same reverence as any work hanging on a gallery wall.

More about Russell

Cape Town-based artist and illustrator Russell Abrahams (AKA Yay Abe), known for his vibrant, uplifting style, has worked with brands from Woolworths to Adidas, The Lion King to the US Open. In recent years, he’s shifted more from fast-paced corporate collaborations to painting, embracing a slower, more deliberate way of making that values process, craft, and the people behind it. While he continues to collaborate with major brands when the fit is right, this partnership with Something Good Studio – the first of its kind in his practice – embodies his current ethos: every detail considered, every maker appreciated, and every piece treated as a work of art to be lived with and cherished.

From Her Vase

The centrepiece of the Yay Abe x Something Good Studio collection, this intricately patterned knitted blanket transforms Russell's most elaborate artwork for the series into textile form – a masterful fusion of craft and storytelling that honours the quiet beauty of connection, care, and daily rituals.

This piece was inspired by a study on how women are often depicted in illustration – fragmented, objectified, or isolated – Russell sets out to reimagine women as whole beings, engaged and present in everyday life. Here, the scene centres on a female figure seated next to a vase marked with a peace sign, an emblem that runs throughout the collection. From above, water cascades down toward her, nourishing the vessel and the plant that blooms from it – a symbol of generosity, growth, and renewal.

Russell’s formal approach is influenced by the ornate motifs of blue-and-white china – cherished family heirlooms in many South African households – and the bold, timeless compositions of Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera, whose work Russell encountered first-hand while painting a mural in Guadalajara in early 2025. Through this confluence of different sources, the design carries a sense of both intimacy and monumentality.

For Russell, the blanket is more than a functional object. Bold and textured, it’s intended to be lived with and used – wrapped around shoulders on cool mornings, or offered to a guest. Yet it’s also crafted to be cherished as a work of art, the kind you might frame and hang on a wall.

A feel-good piece, rich in colour and spirit, it embodies both warmth and artistry – something to keep close, in every sense.

Peace Vessel Tee

This is not your average graphic tee. The Peace Vessel, carries a small but potent fragment of artwork produced for the blanket – a vessel bearing a peace sign – reimagined for the everyday. Embroidered onto the pocket of this unisex tee, it is a sign that is emblematic of the whole collection that was created in the true spirit of collaboration and mutual respect for one another’s artistry. 

Staying true to Romaria’s craft, the stripes aren’t printed but knitted directly into the fabric – a signature of Something Good Studio’s knitwear brand that gives the tee its rare, enduring quality. It’s a detail that might go unnoticed at first glance, but for Russell, it’s the mark of a garment made with care – a piece that “stands on a pedestal” for its quality as much as for its art.

Whether you wear it as a laid-back “vessel of peace” or give it as an offering to someone you love, this tee carries the spirit of generosity and connection in every thread. 

The Rooted Coat

The Rooted Coat is the elegant, grown-up sister of the Yay Abe collection – a piece for those who are rooted in their confidence and self-worth.

Inspired by the idea of flowers growing upward from strong foundations, Rooted is about wearing your confidence from the ground up. The blooms rise from the hem, a visual reminder of self-worth and quiet strength. The coat’s refined cut and knitted detail give it an effortless sophistication. The kimono-like silhouette remains understated, while flowers bloom from the bottom upwards, adding an organic richness to its simplicity.

The coat draws from Russell’s own early roots in botanical illustration for major brands. This experience has had a profound impact on his creative journey and flowers have sustained an important place in his work. While his bold graphic style has brought him wide recognition, here he reclaims the delicacy of floral imagery on his own terms, embracing its symbolism in both personal and universal ways.

A design that speaks to confidence grounded in self-worth, and the beauty that blooms from this inner strength.