ARM CANDY IN THE CITY JOHN JACOB - STYLE ICON CARTIER’S STYLE AND HISTORY TIMELESS TIMEPIECES
December 2013 | www.cheektochic.co.za
2 | Editor’s Letter
Welcome to the very
first edition of Cheek2Chic
Those who followed my newspaper column over the past 13 years will recognise the name, and hopefully become as devoted to the digital version as they were to the column. The digital revolution has reached South Africa with a vengeance and being in print once a week is no longer sufficient. These days social media like Twitter and Instagram get the news out there immediately, unlike 20 years ago when print was king. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a place for the printed word but digital information is moving with a terrifying speed that was unknown two decades ago.
all day every day - just the way that God and the internet intended. There is a lot for “arm candy” enthusiasts this month, from Louis Vuitton’s book on city bags to fantastic timepieces launched in 2013, as well as interviews with some luxury brands and their designers. Don’t hate me but I will also be travelling to Paris for the “Cartier - Style and History” exhibition being held at the Grand Palais. The exhibition promises to be mindboggling and I promise to reveal all the scoop and gorgeous imagery on my return.
I began a website, www.cheektochic.co.za, in 2011 to help me acclimatise to the digital world (there is a lot to learn - it’s such fun!), and the site has gone from strength to strength, reaching 190 000 hits last month.
This month’s style icon is designer John Jacob Zwiegelaar and I interviewed him at the chic coffee shop at the Luminance store in Hyde Park, a store which he helped design.
The “Cheek to Chic: People, Places, Parties” brand grew from a small single column once a week to a two-page newspaper spread which ran the best of the best every week. Cheek2Chic is essentially a society magazine with a luxury feel and look and will continue that tradition.
And of course, there are the society pages ... all the who’s who and beautiful people in South Africa. There’s a two-page spread on the BlackBerry Pink Polo which was held at one of South Africa’s most beautiful polo venues, Lanzerac, Val de Vie; Food Wine and Design, a fabulous champagne festival sponsored by Absa; a new range of diamonds; the new Marni fragrance and a whole lot more.
The best analogy for the combination of the website with the magazine is to view the website as a car, and the online magazine as the pimped-out stereo system! It’s an irresistible combination. Online magazines are fast becoming the crème de la crème of the digital world and, I’m sure you will agree, this is an online magazine with a whole lot of style. Readers will be getting a whole lot of cheek and chic -
So, enjoy and please have a “cheektochicalicious” month.
Sarah Cangley Cheek2Chic Editor
3 | Contents
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ARM CANDY
The “big bag” families of Louis Vuitton and their origins revealed, in a new book called “Louis Vuitton City Bags: A Natural History” | Okapi luxury leather
TIMELESS TIMEPIECES
The most fabulous luxury watches for 2013 - and 2014 - from Geneva. The latest on ladies watches
CARTIER ON SHOW
Cheek2Chic goes to Paris to discover some of Cartier’s most famous stories at the Cartier - Style and History exhibition
JOHN JACOB ZWIEGELAAR
Meet one of South Africa’s most stylish people, whose body of work includes Vergelegen, the Luminance store in Hyde Park and many other blue chip properties
PINK POLO AND BLACKBERRIES
Val de Vie, one of the Cape’s most beautiful polo estates, host the annual BlackBerry Pink Polo tournament
STORY OF AN AFRICAN WINE FARM
One of Cape Town’s oldest wine farms lends its name to the Lanzerac Ready to Run Stakes which opens the Cape racing season
FASHION
GQ magazine’s best dressed dudes in their finest duds - what gets the GQ stamp of approval
FOOD WINE AND DESIGN
The Sanlam Investments FoodWineDesign Fair round up over 100 talented winemakers, designers and food artisans at Hyde Park Corner
BY INVITATION
Luminance | Marni | Absa Capital Champagne Festival | Elevate Launch | Picnic en Blanc | Sivana Diamonds
4 | Luxury
THE BIG BAG THEORY
L
ast month Rizzoli International Publications in New York released the first comprehensive book on Louis Vuitton’s “big “bag families”, called “Louis Vuitton City Bags: A Natural History”.
Through a system mimicking the scientific classification of plants and animals the book chronicles the development of the City Bags, tracing the origins and history of these specific bag “families” back to the turn of the 20th century. The book examines the earliest specimens to today’s most sought-after collectibles, including Louis Vuitton’s collaborations with artists like Takashi Murakami, Stephen Sprouse, Richard Prince, Yayoi Kusama and Rei Kawakubo. Lesser known designs and one-off projects by the likes of Zaha Hadid, Shigeru Ban, Vivienne Westwood, Helmut Lang, Andree Putman, and of course, Marc Jacobs are also featured. The City Bag story began with the Steamer, a resort bag that was designed in 1901 to be packed inside much larger steamer trunks and wardrobes that were once the cornerstone of this company and featured the trademark monograms of the house. Three other pieces of hand-carried luggage served as the City Bags’ direct, generative “ancestors” — the Vanity, the Alzer and the Keepall — and were themselves packed inside trunks and wardrobes. Within the space of 100 years these bags have diversified into a dizzying array of soft-sided handbags for every conceivable function demanded by modern women. From day-bags to work bags to clutches, these City Bags are distinguished by their witty and often practical aesthetics. Profoundly influential, they are now known to millions by their descriptive names (Speedy, Papillon, Alma, Lockit, Noé, Bucket, Neverfull, Sac Plat and the Pochette), and are ever evolving into more fantastical forms.
“A dizzying array of soft-sided handbags for every conceivable function” Reflecting changing preferences in the design of fashion accessories, and not incidentally, the political, economic, and sexual emancipation of women, “Louis Vuitton: City Bags” is an ambitious volume on the creation and cultivation of a cultural phenomenon. The City Bags represent the most successful line of accessories in the history of modern fashion—and were instrumental in making Louis Vuitton synonymous with modern luxury. The book is exquisitely illustrated with new and archival photography, historical graphics, landmark editorials and advertising campaigns and is available for sale at Louis Vuitton stores.
Twiggy carries a Toilette pochette in Monogram canvas Picture supplied by: Bert Stern, Vogue UK, 1967
6 | Luxury
NOร Drawing by Martin Mรถrck, 2013.
STEAMER BAG Photograph by Nick Veasey, 2013.
8 | Luxury
Spring-Summer 2012 Advertising Campaign
10 | Timepieces
BAUME ET MERCIER CLIFTON10057
CLOCK W
WORK
12 | Timepieces
Every year top watchmaking brands such as IWC, Baume & Mercier, Panarai, JaegerLe-Coultre, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Roger Dubuis unveil their latest timepieces at the SIHH (Salon International Haute Horlogerie), one of Switzerland’s most exclusive watch exhibitions. Friends of the brand include celebrities from around the world who fly in to Geneva for red carpet events and new and exciting breakthroughs on the horological front. The brands vie with one another to create the biggest buzz around their products and the IWC stand in 2013 attracted attention with its new Ingenieur range in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz while Roger Dubuis went back to the age of King Arthur to celebrate its Excalibur range. Top retailers, who include Elegance Jewellers, Picot & Moss and Charles Greig Jewellers from South Africa, are also invited to the SIHH to buy new timepieces for their clients. Cheek2Chic will be viewing the exciting new timepieces for 2014 at the show, so don’t miss next month’s edition.
Pictures supplied by: Getty Images
14 | Timepieces
Although there has been a movement in recent years toward women wearing bigger, bolder watches, the ladies’ watch is very much a focal point for designers as it lends itself to decoration, becoming an expensive piece of investment jewellery. In 2013 many luxury brands, even those known more for their men’s watches, released interesting new ladies’ watch collections at this year’s Baselworld and SIHH, combining the latest movements and technology with a powerful feminine sensibility. The most beautiful ladies’ timepieces presented this year included the Cartier Crash watch, which was first presented in 1967. The new 2013 model combines both craziness and chic. Vacheron Constantin also focuses on watches for women, bringing out the Malte Ladies watch and the Patrimony Lady, an exquisite 36-mm luxury item for the wrist from one of the industry’s oldest watch brands. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Duoface is another timepiece that looks better on a women’s wrist. With its two dials the Reverso offers a second zone-time indication for globetrotters. Luxury watch brand Piaget also focuses on ladies’ watches. In addition, the brand has been involved with polo for over 30 years and brings its expertise in both high jewellery and watchmaking to its iconic polo watches. The Piaget polo watch was first launched in 1979 and ties in with the natural affinity between this glamorous sport and the premium watch. The latest Polo watch has a watch face encrusted in diamonds, something that appeals to every woman’s heart. The brand hosted an exclusive champagne reception in Palm Beach this year to introduce its Couture Précieuse collection of high jewellery, along with a selection of its latest timepieces including the Altiplano 43mm, which is the world’s slimmest automatic watch, the new Gouverneur and two striking black-on-black Piaget Polo FortyFive models in ADLC-treated titanium.
Picture supplied by: PIAGET
The famous Patiala necklace made for the Maharajah of Patiala by Cartier
16 | Cartier
CARTIER STYLE
members of the same famous family. Cartier is a brand that has more human stories attached to it than any other jewellery house. It has a proud tradition and history that goes back to the crowned heads of Europe in the 19th century and today is a world renowned jeweller to the stars, royalty and the very rich (as well as owning boutiques around the world which sell luxury goods such as eyewear and leather goods). Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Barbara Hutton, Jean Couteau and even General de Gaulle have all been associated with this famous maison.
Brooch belonging to the Duchess of Windsor.Cartier Paris, 1940
T
he Duchess of Windsor’s famous flamingo brooch. Princess Grace’s engagement ring. The panther, the love bracelet, the Tank watch, the mystery clocks. All high profile
The “Cartier, the Style and History exhibition”, being held at the Grand Palais in Paris from December 4 2013–February 16 2014, has been beautifully curated to include all these stories and more. The iconic pieces which Cartier is so well known for will be displayed at this important exhibition and journalists from around the world as well as the general public will have a chance to admire them. From tiaras to exquisite timepieces, the exhibition tells the tale of the innovative visionaries who helped build the foundation of a tremendous empire.
Dedicated website, http://rouge.cartier.com/grandpalais
AND HISTORY
N. Herrmann, Collection Cartier © Cartier
Cheek2Chic will be carrying an in-depth article on the exhibition later this month – so please log on to www.cheektochic.co.za after December 12 2013.
© Cartier
18 | Cartier
GLORIA SWANSON’S BRACELET Cartier Paris, 1930
CROCODILE NECKLACE Cartier Paris, special order for Maria Felix, 1975
WALLIS SIMPSON’S PANTHÈRE CLIP-BROOCH by Cartier Paris
PANTHER CLIP BROOCH Cartier Paris, 1949
The Taylor-Burton diamond necklace from Cartier. Picture credit: Š Cartier
20 | Style Icon
J “
ohn Jacob Zwiegelaar set up John Jacob Interiors in 2005. He has since made his name as the creator of unmistakable, highly bespoke, glamorous work underpinned by attention to detail, a feel for individual clients’ requirements and client satisfaction.”
Pictures supplied by: Zebra Square
Cheek2Chic interviews John Jacob Zwiegelaar, who was recently voted most stylish designer in South Africa at the SA Style Awards. He is the creative eye behind the Luminance store in Hyde Park, Vergelegen and many other beautiful spaces.
1
WHAT MAKES THE LUMINANCE BOUTIQUE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SPACES?
The architecture and form is not so much about embellishment but about a neutral space for the product to speak. It is not static but a dynamic space. In most boutiques there are big, open volumes that don’t allow things to change with the times.
2
THE SHOP IS QUITE LONG AND THIN, ISN’T IT? IT JUST SEEMS TO KEEP GOING.
There are, in fact, three different stores going on: the boutique, the products and the homeware. I “pinched” the entrance in, and made the store inward-looking. This gives it the appearance of largeness and walking into a different world.
In the hanging spaces the clothes are against a plane of light. The warm light is the colour you read in the shop.
5
TELL ME ABOUT THE COLOURS IN THE STORE?
We used optic white. White is a colour that you don’t find in nature because it is always neutralised by something. So the colours in the store feel neutral, soft and harmonious as opposed to something plastic. We neutralised it with umber. I developed a range of paints for Studio 8. The white I use on the ceilings and walls is from my range. The colour palette is neutral in the tea room, just a bit richer and warmer. We used very pale colours in the stone.
6
THE ARTWORKS ARE PRETTY STUNNING TOO AREN’T THEY?
I commissioned a lot from various artists with composition, proportion and colour in mind. You won’t find something in the paintings jarring.
If it were too open to the centre and opened out on to a piazza there would be a completely different feel. But I closed it off from the centre.
I love “the king of colour” Jamie Drake’s work but then we are all blessed with our stylistics at the core which are elemental to our personalities.
My treatment creates an “enfilade” of rooms which is very neo-Classical. It is an architectural room, one walks from one room into another like in a Palladian villa.
7
3
TELL ME ABOUT THE FLOWERS IN THE STORE WHICH ARE ALWAYS GORGEOUS.
I am trying to achieve installations rather than floristry. Scaling is everything for me. The flower installations change the feel of the store dramatically. This gives Luminance the feel of a gallery which is why the design of the shop is successful.
4
AND THE LIGHTING WHICH IS AMAZING?
The lighting is super-flexible to create a strong focal point throughout layers of constant newness. We had a budget on lighting so it could be properly executed.
TELL ME ABOUT THOSE FANTASTIC WINDOW DISPLAYS!
There are little worlds in the front, canvases one can say, which are hot and “now, but don’t interfere with the overall concept of the store. We can do something crazy in the windows to inform people and most boutiques can’t do that as they have glass with open spaces where you can see the merchandise. People think one large space makes an impact, but in actual fact this creates confusion. You need to create a different environment for these things. So the store is like a magazine with blank pages and every month we fill in the colours.
8
IS THIS THE FIRST OF OTHER LUMINANCE STORES?
Yes there will be other Luminance stores in the future.
www.johnjacobinteriors.com
22 | Style Icon
Q&A 9
YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE IS CLEARLY UNDERSTATED SOPHISTICATION. TAILORED, CUSTOMISED AND CONTEMPORARY PIECES WITHIN A GOOD SHELL AND A NEUTRAL PALETTE. IT’S ALL ABOUT HAVING “GOOD BONES” FOR YOU Yes, I see my environment as needing good bones. A frame needs good posture and to be contained within its structure. Most ageing in humans occurs when people bend forward, instead of standing straight. The challenge for me was the variedness of the space but it all has to work together. The cosmetic section is competing for space with the other sections so you have to contain this and feel as though you are in one architectural structure. One way of getting around this is that all the rooms have the same mirror details and proportions.
10
YOU PAY A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND QUALITY, DIDN’T YOU?
It is all very well to over-detail, I call it “robust detailing”; but in terms of luxury brands it’s about quality, not about being overdetailed. It is very easy to get carried away with detail. Everything here is very simple. There is no joinery, all the shelves are positioned away from the walls. It’s very practical too. The mirrored spaces open up into storage spaces.
11
ARE YOU VERY ANALYTICAL AND LOGICAL OR MORE OF A CREATIVE TYPE?
I have an intense need for order, clarity and peace. My focus is on everything being harmonious even when things are modern. That’s my signature style I would say.
12
YOUR STYLE HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS GENERALLY RESTRAINED YET INFINITELY ELEGANT. YOU WERE IN PAUL DUNCAN’S STYLE ICONS BOOK, WEREN’T YOU? Yes, Paul interviewed me for the book.
13
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE?
“Live Life Beautifully”. I am an authentic person which makes people trust me. If I think it can be better or that I made a mistake I will say so. I am very dedicated to what I do and the best that I can make it. If my clients come with a bad brief or concept I will invest a lot of energy into showing them why it’s bad. I will even take some of them to Paris and show them good design.
There are little worlds in the front, canvases one can say, which are hot and “now” but don’t interfere with the overall concept of the store. We can do something crazy in the windows to inform people and most boutiques can’t do that as they have glass with open spaces where you can see the merchandise
24 | Polo
TIME TO THINK T
he BlackBerry Pink Polo, held at the magnificent Val de Vie grounds in Franschhoek, has made pink one of the hottest colours on the polo calendar.
Over 2000 people arrived in super stylish “shades and shoes” to enjoy a brilliant summer afternoon with event organiser Edith Venter and her right-hand woman Tammy Theron in one of the many hospitality areas. Grey Goose had set up a beautiful blue and white lounge that proved popular with gorgeous celebs like GQ Best Dressed man Siv Ngesi, Bailey Schneider and actress Natalie Becker who got compliments for her “banging body”. The cocktails
PINK
flowed throughout the afternoon thanks to the Grey Goose “hostess with the mostest” Leigh Hofmeyr. Pink macaroons were a big drawcard at the BlackBerry VIP area where the polo crème de la crème were gathered. Among them were Tanya van Graan and her fiancé Kasper Kristofferson, who were celebrating their impending nuptials. The charity fundraiser event was held in aid of Reach for Recovery, and is traditionally pink because it ‘s held during Breast Cancer Awareness month. A market area on the other side of the field was introduced this year and was extremely festive after the game!
Grey Goose had set up a blue and white lounge that proved popular with gorgeous celebs like actress Natalie Becker who got compliments for her “banging body� Photographer: Blane Venter
26 | Racing
A GRANDE OLD D One of the oldest and most loved Cape wine estate, Lanzerac Hotel & Spa, has lent its name to a new race on the Cape racing calendar, the Lanzerac Ready to Run stakes, in conjunction with the Cape Thoroughbred Sales. This year’s inaugural R2-million Lanzerac Ready to Run race was held at Kenilworth and attended by the vibrant young racegoing community of Cape Town as well as the “horsey set”. The estate which was founded in 1692 and originally named “Schoongezicht” (meaning “a clear view” as on a good day you can see Table Mountain perfectly) has had an august yet interesting history and the facade of the old manor house, flanked by its two lions, is one of the most recognisable in an area which is renowned for its beauty. Marcus Jooste of Steinhof, who is heavily involved in the South African racing scene, bought the hotel in 2012 and promptly set about modernising and improving the estate. He has introduced a tasting area for the estate’s famous Pinotages and other wines (such as Mrs English and Le General, named after two colourful characters in Lanzerac’s history) as well as a brand new deli, designed to look like the original Cape Dutch buildings. Guests can picnic in the grounds or partake in chocolate and wine pairings. The old manor house retains much of its charm and the original cobbled floor and wooden shuttered windows are designed to keep out the heat which is intense in the summer months. “It gets so hot here that the sun seems to stand still,” long-standing staff members remark. Fortunately the huge shady oak trees which line the driveway and grace the green gardens help keep the sun at bay and guests can enjoy the grounds and peaceful tranquillity which embrace this beautiful estate.
Pictures supplied by: Greater Than PR & Lanzerac
DAME GETS RACY
28 | Racing 1
This year’s inaugural R2-million Ready to Run race was held at Kenilworth and attended by the vibrant young racegoing community of Cape Town 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Gabby du Toit & Michaela Christodoulides Traditional white horse Ingrid & Marcus Jooste Thandi Khupe, Hakeem Kae-kazim & Natalie Becker Siv Ngesi & Katlego Maboe & 7. Pampering at Lanzerac Hotel & Spa.
Pictures supplied by: Greater Than PR
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3
6
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www.okapi.com/za
30 | Local
LUXURY LEATHER VIDEO FEATURE
CLICK TO VIEW MAKING OF THE HORN VIDEO Okapi is a locally made artisanal luxury range of products created by South African painter Hanneli Rupert in 2008, which uses only sustainable and ethically sourced products and packaging. The range aims to combine exceptional quality and craftsmanship with an international yet uniquely African look and feel. The range was named after the “African unicorn� and a distinctive feature of these handbags is the signature Blesbok leather and the exotic Springbok horns. The Okapi range, which is also sold at Merchants on Long in Cape Town, was recently introduced to Johannesburg. The Luminance store in Hyde Park held a cocktail party to celebrate its new label.
Pictures supplied by: Zebra Square
32 | Fashion
BEST DRESSED MEN
So what gets the GQ stamp of approval? “Use trends with a key to your own style; no mullets, they only work on New Zealanders; thrive on looking awesome; always keep your shoes clean; build up a great sneaker collection; three piece suits and timepieces; find stuff that nobody else is going to have; and belts.�
Left to Right: Abey Mokgwatsane; Sergio Ines; Lungile Radu; Brr Roger; Lunga Shabalala
N OF THE YEAR 2013
Pictures supplied by: GQ
34 | Fashion
BEST DRESSED MEN
Left to Right: Mayihlome Tshwete; Nicholas Christowitz; Khuli Chana; Van-Lee Johnson; Siv Ngesi
N OF THE YEAR 2013
Pictures supplied by: GQ
36 | Food and Design
FOOD, WINE AND
Pictures supplied by: Mike Turner
D DESIGN FAIR The fair is all about the best in
the
very
creative
South
African design market
The recent annual Sanlam Investments FoodWineDesign Fair has become South Africa’s go to-event for inspiration as well as a jolly good time. Over 100 winemakers, designers and food artisans set up shop on the rooftop of Hyde Park Corner and the vibe was infectious enough to spill over the rooftops and the tops of the jacaranda trees into the social media, bringing an ever increasing number of visitors to the fair. The fair is all about the best in the very creative South African design market and foodies can also shop and feast to their heart’s content. This year’s stalls included, inter alia, Ooh la la Nougat, Yswara Teas, the Toeporn sock people, the DTI village with 20 artisans featuring beading, art and paper crafts, artworks from Stephan Welz & Co, Italian hats from Inverni and Borsalino, cosmetics from Malee Natural Science and an absolute feast of goodies from local restaurants and Cape wine estates. Bombay Sapphire and Thirst set up a cocktail bar while a jazz trio played cool toe-tapping tunes. For three days those in search of style, soul and good design sipped, stopped and window shopped to their hearts’ content. There was charcuterie, port, cupcakes from Belle’s Patisserie, olives, pregos, Meerlust wines, vegetarian options from Gingko, organic chocolate and coffee, and Italian goodies from Il Tartufo and Mastroantonio. The fair is managed and created by Artlogic, which initiates and produces other excellent high-end events with corporate sponsors such as the Winter Sculpture Fair presented by Mastercard, the Africa Cycle Fair and the FNB Joburg Art Fair.
38 | Food & Design Fair
“For three days those in search of style, soul and good design sipped, stopped and window shopped to their hearts’ content”
“Bombay Sapphire and Thirst set up a cocktail bar while a jazz trio played cool toe-tapping tunes�
Photographer: Mike Turner
40 | By Invitation
Luminance in Hyde Park has become one of the city’s hotspots to shop, eat, windowshop at and generally tweet about. The launch of the glamorous store was attended by the country’s most monied names and the shopping frenzy has not died down. MC Bonang Matheba attracted all eyes in an elegant pink and green Oscar de la Renta outfit.
Main Pic: John & Maira Koutsoudakis Pictures supplied by: Zebra Square
42 | By Invitation
DOTTY ABOUT MARNI T
he Italian fashion house Marni, led by designer Consuelo Castiglioni, is very modern and bold, a top Italian brand that is stylish and sophisticated, yet not dictatorial. The name “Marni” apparently comes from Consuela’s nickname for her sister-in-law, which introduces a fun and cheeky element to the brand. The Marni fragrance, in its delightfully dotty bottle with a red stopper, is the fashion house’s first fragrance and was created by top “nose” Daniela Andrier. The perfume was created in collaboration with Estée Lauder. The raw spicy and woody fragrance also carries notes of dark and intense rose oil and incense, making it unusual. The beau monde of Jozi were excited to be invited to the launch of the Marni fragrance at the Luminance store in Hyde Park recently. Guests were entranced by the design of the bottle, based on an old bottle that the designer found at a fleamarket two decades ago. Dots are huge in current summer fashion so the mini purse bottle, complete with a rag doll, that they took away with them will, no doubt, impress all their friends!
Pictures supplied by: Zebra Square
44 | By Invitation
Pictures supplied by: The Aleit Group
BUBBLES THE OR
A
bsa Capital sent out chocolate champagne corks inside exquisitely be-ribonned boxes as part of their invitation to their 13th annual champagne festival hosted at Summer Place.
Organised by bubbly big shot Shaun Anderson of Javelin and put together by polished Cape events company Aleit the festival spanned two days, the first for the general public and the second for private bank clients. The event was, somewhat untraditionally, held during the week and bubbles were the order of the day as the very effervescent Jo-Ann Strauss was the master of ceremonies. Guests were invited to enjoy the outdoor area was well as the inside which was decorated with portraits by old masters. Champagnistas need to diarise this event, the only one of its kind in South Africa, which features over 20 leading houses from Champagne in France, some of them smaller boutiquey wines and some from the big boys like Taittinger.
RDER OF THE DAY
Absa Capital sent out chocolate champagne corks as part of their invitation
46 | By Invitation
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Pictures provided by: African Star Communications
R
ooftops venues and spaces are a growing trend in South Africa and downtown Joburg has reaped the rewards with an explosion in downtown spaces, including new sky bar Elevate, the sister club to Taboo in Sandton. Elevate is on the 16th floor of the Reef Hotel in the Jozi CBD and boasts an astonishing 360 degree view. The chic new club recently had a series of red carpet openings for Jozi’s hip and happening crowd and the “black diamonds” were top of the list. Clever use of sponsorship included Sky Vodka. The industrial features of the original rooftop, like the pipes, have been retained and incorporated into the decor and complete stack glass doors open up during the summer weather. This is a perfect place to grab a sunset, or sip cocktails after a night on the town. On the night a Grey Goose bar had been set up among the white cane furniture and 60s style swing chairs. The bar had a padded white facade offset by the pitch black floor. With its astonishing views and unmistakeable chic Elevate looks set to be the sophisticate’s choice for a night out.
N BLAN E IC “with a Touch of Red�
C
PIC N
48 | By Invitation
I
t started off as a Parisian concept then went worldwide...
Dressing up in elegant white with a touch of red and bringing a picnic basket groaning with goodies to join other elegant and like minded folk for an afternoon of feasting and fun. Inner city junkies were thrilled to view their city skyline from a Jozi rooftop and some of them went to great lengths with their table decor. There were feathers, rose petals, candelabras, ice buckets filled to capacity and everyone shared their food with everyone else. Maria Vasco, who grew up in Jozi, put the afternoon together with art gallery owner Alphonse. The evening ended with sparklers and white and red revellers dancing against the moonlit Jozi cityscape. Mariska van den Brink captured the white and red moments.
Pictures supplied by: 68 Encounters events management
50 | By Invitation
SIVANA’S GREAT
DIAMOND RUSH
S
ivana Diamonds, established in 2010, is named after its co-founder Sivan Finhasi, who runs the company with her husband Avi. In addition to setting diamonds the company has recently come out with its own exclusive range of jewellery. Publicist Jill Grogor got some smart looking prospective clients together to view the range at Room 5 in Rivonia. The Jewellery by Sivana Diamonds range was designed in partnership with Keith White who also designs for Graaf and Cartier and was shown under glass cases on the evening. Members of the Keith White school for jewellery design and craftsmanship showed off their newly learnt skills. The trend for rough diamonds, which are polished by highly skilled diamond polishers, was evident and guests were intrigued.
“The trend for rough diamonds, which are polished by highly skilled diamond polishers, was evident and guests were intrigued� Pictures supplied by: Zebra Square
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Cover pictures: Twiggy carries a small Papillon in Monogram canvas.Photograph by Bert Stern, Vogue UK, 1967