SOUTH AFRICA’S
booming wine and spirits industry (Amarula Liqueur and Distell wines
in particular) made it possible for me to make a journey I had wished
for since the ’80s. My interest in visiting this enigmatic country
was piqued 25 years ago when a South African Jewish family involved
with the anti-apartheid struggle with kids my age moved into
my suburban Chicago neighbourhood. Right around that time I
developed a crush on a movie-star-handsome guitar player (Trevor
Rabin) who, by the way, happened to be from Johannesburg
and whose family was also active in the movement.

Moving on to college five years on, I not only engineered
a surprisingly substantial interview with the future Hollywood A-list
composer, but interviewed other compelling SA
artists such as Johnny Clegg and Savuka, Ladysmith Black Mambazo
and an up-and-coming group called the Dave Matthews Band. I also
hit the theatres to see plays Sarafina! and Born in the
RSA, and feature film Cry
Freedom.

Even with my exposure and inquiry into South Africa’s
“story”, however, I still expected there to be surprises. Many
of those came while on safari at Kapama (see
our ‘Volante’ feature) and eating and drinking my way through
exquisite meals at a variety of wineries and restaurants. While
fashion and home accessory acquisition is another one of my obsessions
while on the road, I had very little time to shop. Therefore, I
found myself surprised, delighted and seduced by various what’s
on announcements trumpeting Design Indaba 2011, a week of
shows, film, seminars and an expo providing figurative and literal
one-stop shopping for fashion, accessories and home design.
Once I arrived, fresh from a morning safari, in Cape
Town on the second-to-last-day of Design Indaba, I bee-lined to
the Convention Centre where the Expo portion of the multimedia meets
multicultural event sponsored by Grolsch was still in full swing
and the ambiance was quite carnival-like. Better still, my US$8
admission ticket literally put the best of Long Street and some
of Cape Town’s trendiest fashion and home shopping right at my feet.

What struck me about the beautifully arranged
spreads of furniture, home accessories, jewellery
and clothing sectors (besides the fact that I wanted to buy
practically everything) was how well every global fashion
trend from international shows and runways had been digested
by many of the 60 exhibitors, reconstituted and put back out with
a uniquely 21st-century South African spin: unapologetic mixes of
colour, pattern, form, shape, and (yes) function. The themes carried
over deliciously to the Earth Fair Market, showcasing a selection
of organic and locally produced food ranging from Asian curries,
to homestyle-baked goods to local fare.

So, what exactly defines South African style? An interesting
mix of western European minimalism, rustic tribal crafts, mixed
media and modern, genre-defining uses of metal and gems (in the
jewellery), fabrics (particularly in the home textiles), wood and
ceramics. The clothing, meanwhile, is all about wearability and
function. Most of the designs are decidedly unfussy, but punctuated
either through dramatic hits of tailoring or a single, striking
accessory. It almost recalls the æsthetic of 1980s fashion
design, but what makes clothing styles timeless are that
they are hewn with enough restraint that you can be as comfortable
wearing many of the items to the office as you would to a club or
a fashion function like Design Indaba itself.
Highlights included John
Bauer’s ceramics, locally produced and curated items offered
by Jabulani Jewellery,
textiles at the Kamma Trust
artist collective, Anthi Voyatjes’s oversized-but-delicate silver
“lotus” earrings and pendants, Yda
Walt’s hand-printed textiles, and sleek, ambitious ready-to-wear
by Cape Town fashion label Christopher
Strong.
While Design Indaba is just beginning to find fans
outside of South Africa (including Martha Stewart, who attended
in 2010), you can expose yourself to this fantastic, innovative
fashion experience via its website—especially its
shopping segment, which has truly special finds for women, men
and children.
Elyse Glickman is US west coast editor of Lucire.
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