New Painting and Designs inspired by Thandi in progress by Azi, Founder & CEO of FashWand.
So happy to be kicking off 2023 with a new collection featuring a very special and incredibly precious Rhino named Thandi. Thandi is a rare survivor of a tragic poaching attack which took place in March 2012. With the help of dedicated individuals and skilled veterinarians, Thandi survived the poaching attack. Amazingly, Thandi now has four calves (Thembi, Colin, Mthetho & Siya), she is pregnant and even has one grandson!
From a young age, Azi always had a deep love and fascination for wildlife. As a child, she spent hours drawing and observing animals and even rescued an injured grebe while surfing at Newport Beach as a teenager. This love deepened as she grew older, leading her to study fine arts as an undergraduate, where she painted over 200 unique paintings and textile designs inspired by beautiful birds and wildlife. She also pursued a career in robotics, earning a Ph.D. in Applied Sciences and leading multi-million-dollar technology programs and cross-
functional teams.
As she grew her career, Azi discovered she could combine her expertise in entrepreneurship and design with her passion for art, fashion, and wildlife. In 2016, she founded FashWand LLC, a company with a mission to inspire and empower individuals to protect wildlife through exquisite, luxurious fashion, arts, and décor. FashWand takes an innovative approach to fashion by combining fine art, fashion, science, education, and wildlife conservation while creating luxurious eye-catching eco-sustainable fashion.
By designing a Collection for Thandi, and sharing her beauty and story through striking fine art and fashion pieces, Azi hopes to inspire and empower individuals to help End Poaching and to Save Rhinos. The Collection will also support anti-poaching technology programs and it will help raise funds for, adopt and protect Thandi and her family.
We are looking forward to sharing more details with you about Thandi’s Collection, and we can not wait to launch her Collection! Stay tuned to discover more about our inspiration behind Thandi’s Collection and to find out about the launch!