Sandy Tabatznik

There’s a warmth to Sandy Tabatznik’s voice, which makes it easy to get a real sense of her lived experience when she talks. We start the conversation by considering the notion of women supporting women, which Sandy doesn’t frame as a trend or a strategy – it’s simply a fact of life. “In our Lalela Female Empowerment programmes, we encourage our girls to look to each other for community instead of competition,” she says. “I think this is a lesson that also stands in the world of business. There is room for everyone at the table.” It’s a quiet, but radical statement that feels practical and rooted in decades of experience (and a deep belief) in shared success. “At Lalela, we’re constantly seeking to empower not only the young women in our programmes, but also our female teachers, community leaders and staff. Our leadership team at Lalela has a female majority and together, these women have created an environment of care, creativity and respect that we are deeply proud of.”

THE STANCE: ISSUE #1

On Sisterhood

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She speaks about Marfa Stance less as a commercial partner and more as an extended global family.

"Marfa as a brand is notoriously generous, known for sharing their retail and pop-up spaces, as well as their depth of design knowledge and resources. They've been an incredible supporter of our Lalela Scarf, giving us advice, inviting us into their orbit and sharing our brand with their customers. We're super grateful and always look to return the favour."

For Sandy, the ethos of true sisterhood isn't built through slogans or social media metrics. The face-to-face method is more her style. She describes, "By telling a story and engaging with the customer directly, I believe you build community from the get-go. Looking into people's eyes and being able to truly engage is what Marfa has done really well. Watching the Marfa team interact with customers is a bit like observing choreography. The interactions are equal parts genuine and thoughtful, making the customer feel like part of a family instead of a quick sale. They do a brilliant job of bringing in other brands into their spaces and popping up in people's homes. I love how they share what they love and continue to grow the network and awareness of so many amazing female-founded businesses."

For anyone new to Lalela, Sandy explains, "100% of profits from the sale of our Lalela Scarf products are donated to Lalela, which allows us to provide after-school arts education programmes across South Africa and Zimbabwe." When asked about the origins of the name, she shares, "We chose the name Lalela because it means to listen in Zulu. Listening isn't just in the name – it's the foundation of everything we do. We believe meaningful change begins with truly hearing the communities we serve and the students in our programmes. All of the prints in our line are original artworks created by our Lalela learners, with hangtags that tell their stories. Knowing our students have their creativity and hard work celebrated and shared around the world makes it all worthwhile."

Sandy's own story begins in Johannesburg, South Africa (now known as Gauteng), in a childhood shaped by imagination and fabric. "I was always a huge fan of fashion from a very young age." As the youngest child by eight years, she was the lucky beneficiary of her parents' travels. Smiling, she says, "My mom would bring me pieces from BIBA in London. I even remember having an airplane dress – not to fly in but to wear to meet people at the airport. It was navy, red and white and I would wear it with white socks, black Mary Janes and a beret to match." With no television in Gauteng, she turned to dolls. "I was obsessed with Barbies until I was about 12, but it was more about the clothing than anything else." Her mother's influence looms large. "My mom definitely inspired me, her handiwork was next level. She used to sew twin outfits for me and my Barbies."

Her first job came early and with characteristic determination. "It was at a cool girls' clothing store called Foxy. I begged them for a job and remember saying, 'You can pay me 50 cents a day, I just want to work with fabric!' I was only 12 at the time. My first job as an adult was with Redken – I can't remember my title but I had a lot of fun and slept under my desk a lot! Eventually, I moved to New York and went to The Fashion Institute of Technology. I worked 15 years in the Junior industry as head designer. I started a company called Sleeping Partners making bed linen, baby bedding and pyjamas, with everything made from fashion fabrics."

"There is room for everyone at the table"

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After her third child, Sandy bumped into New York-based friend and entrepreneur Andrea Kerzner (founder of Lalela), who was heading to Uganda with the aim of creating art with former child soldiers – and then onto Cape Town to start Lalela. The timing mattered. "It was during the World Cup and all schools in South Africa were closed for six weeks. In these times of school closures and holidays, children become even more vulnerable. I was immediately inspired and had always wanted to find a way to give back to the country that I, as a white person, benefitted from. I was deeply affected by Apartheid and felt that because of my white privilege it was actually my duty to give back."

Asked why Marfa Stance resonates so widely, Sandy doesn't overcomplicate her answer. "The sheer simplicity of the brand and the practicality that Georgia Dant (founder and creative director) always thinks about allows you to be creative. No two coats are ever the same. Connection with the wearers and lovers of Marfa Stance is also crucial. The world is such a mess… It's nice to find a likeminded, responsible community with a shared interest. Marfa Stance feels like a brand of people, a brand of trust for women of all ages."

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Lalela provides after-school arts education to children from under-resourced communities to spark creative thinking and awaken the entrepreneurial spirit.

www.lalela.org

Welcome to The Stance. A natural extension of the conversations, places and most importantly, the people who have long shaped the brand. This printed record celebrates our community – and takes a closer look at how the connections we've made have played a part in defining the shape and unique spirit of Marfa Stance.

Across its pages, are stories from our global collective. Long-form interviews with humans whose lives, practices and points of view reflect a shared sensibility, rather than one single aesthetic. United by the way they move through the world with curiosity, creativity, and conviction, these conversations lean into the value of slowing down.

A publication is the original anti-scroll – something permanent you can live with and return to, time after time. Forever evolving with enduring, timeless appeal, The Stance mirrors our approach to clothing. It's an invitation into the Marfa Stance world, their voices, values, and the rhythm of their universe.

[6] ON COMMUNITY: Phil Winser

A Stance On: Community

“They’re like children. I don’t have a favourite!”. A diplomatic response from Public House Group co-founder, Phil Winser. As someone who originally wanted to be a farmer, his career pivot towards hospitality was “a calling”. After twenty years shaking up the food scene in New York with The Fat Radish, Phil turned his attention back to his homeland in 2020. A conversation over a pint with friend James Gummer gave the duo an idea to put some serious love back into the classic British pub. A combination of beautifully restored historic buildings, brilliant atmosphere, domestically brewed beers on tap and spectacular menus that celebrate local produce have meant their establishments consistently sit in London’s ‘best of’ lists. Olivier van Themschse joined the business in 2023 to officially launch Public House Group as a business following the success of The Pelican.

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Phil Winser

A Stance On: Community

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[7] ON JOURNEYING: David Prior

A Stance On: Journeying

Some people have an air of always being mid-journey, even when they’re sitting still. David Prior fits that bill. He is wanderlust, personified. Born in Australia, he left early, propelled by what Australians often refer to as ‘the tyranny of distance’, moving to Italy in 2006 to study Gastronomic Science in Piedmont, then to California in 2009 and finally, to New York in 2014. Clearly, geography matters to the founder of esteemed travel company Prior, although taste and cultural literacy matter more.

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David Prior

A Stance On: Journeying

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[8] ON CONNECTION: Georgie Greville

A Stance On: Connection

Reinvention has never been the aim for Georgie Greville. With a successful career threaded through the realms of music, film, beauty, culture and entrepreneurship, what sounds at first like a dream résumé has morphed into more of a life philosophy. At the core, she personifies deeply embodied creativity, but when she speaks, there’s a force of clarity that flows – announcing with candour that these skills are now being used for the good. The lure of corporate pizza has lost its appeal and Georgie’s expertise is no longer for sale. Her defiance is inspirational.

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Georgie Greville

A Stance On: Connection

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[9] ON COMPATIBILITY: Legacy + Andreas

A Stance On: Compatibility

The shared world of New York-based Legacy Russell and Andreas Laszlo Konrath is shaped by language, images and history. Curator, writer and author Legacy grew up in the East Village, with Andreas arriving from London after a long, meandering education through skate culture, art school, and the early-2000s visual economy of magazines and music. Together, they model a way of living with work, rather than inside it. Their respective practices are distinct, but in constant conversation.

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Legacy Russell Andreas L. Konrath

A Stance On: Compatibility

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[10] ON CAPTURING: Richard Haines

A Stance On: Capturing

Richard Haines has spent a lifetime looking at stuff. At clothes, people and posture. He clocks those small daily decisions we all make that reveal something bigger about ourselves. This observational prowess gives his drawings a very specific kind of documentary authority. When he talks about sitting down with a blank sheet of paper and an ink pen, there’s no mythology attached. “I have a pretty deep, primal relationship with drawing. When I’m doing it, I’m not thinking – it’s more of a meditation. If I end up with something I love I’m a bit surprised.”

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Richard Haines

A Stance On: Capturing

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[1] ON CARE: Mickalene Thomas

A Stance On: Care

American artist Mickalene Thomas has just returned from Paris. She's been busy with her latest exhibition at the city's Grand Palais. After eleven days away from home she's relieved to be back in New York – it's a contradiction we're all familiar with. Travelling is so liberating; it's great to get away, but always good to be reunited with your own bed, your own pillows, and your own space.

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Mickalene Thomas

A Stance On: Care

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[2] ON LEGACY: The Elgorts

A Stance On: Legacy

There are some families where creativity runs through the genes. For the Elgorts, this inheritance is something they practise and finesse with commitment, forever sharpening their skills. Image-making, movement, and performance might sound like a bunch of separate disciplines, but for Sophie, her father Arthur and mother Grethe, they are overlapping ways of engaging with the world.

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The Elgorts

A Stance On: Legacy

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[3] ON RESTORATION: Titouan Bernicot

A Stance On: Restoration

There are some families where creativity runs through the genes. For the Elgorts, this inheritance is something they practise and finesse with commitment, forever sharpening their skills. Image-making, movement, and performance might sound like a bunch of separate disciplines, but for Sophie, her father Arthur and mother Grethe, they are overlapping ways of engaging with the world.

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Titouan Bernicot

A Stance On: Restoration

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[Feature] ON BEING READY

On Being Ready

On Being Ready

Words by Katherine Bucknell

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[4] ON VALUES: Mike Anders

A Stance On: Values

For a man who manages the wealth of some of the world's most influential individuals, Mike Anders doesn't speak like a traditional finance expert. Laidback, warm and super charismatic, he seems remarkably uninterested in money as an end goal. His enthusiasm centres around people instead – on the notion of trust, listening, and the idea that good conversations and true connections are where life's real value lies.

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Mike Anders

A Stance On: Values

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[5] ON SISTERHOOD: Sandy Tabatznik

A Stance On: Sisterhood

There’s a warmth to Sandy Tabatznik’s voice, which makes it easy to get a real sense of her lived experience when she talks. We start the conversation by considering the notion of women supporting women, which Sandy doesn’t frame as a trend or a strategy – it’s simply a fact of life. “In our Lalela Female Empowerment programmes, we encourage our girls to look to each other for community instead of competition,” she says. “I think this is a lesson that also stands in the world of business. There is room for everyone at the table.” It’s a quiet, but radical statement that feels practical and rooted in decades of experience (and a deep belief) in shared success. “At Lalela, we’re constantly seeking to empower not only the young women in our programmes, but also our female teachers, community leaders and staff. Our leadership team at Lalela has a female majority and together, these women have created an environment of care, creativity and respect that we are deeply proud of.”

Read Article

Sandy Tabatznik

A Stance On: Sisterhood

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