Be back soon…

Amidst a work schedule that demands several blog posts a day and written content for two different websites, I’ve had to put my beloved the cat is ginger on hold. It’s an indefinite hold, and I plan on returning soon, but after churning out content on a daily basis it’s sometimes hard for me to fathom churning out more (not that this is churning, but words become scarce). I miss blogging in a personal capacity and can’t wait to return, but as you’ve undoubtedly noticed I’ve been awfully… quiet. For now.

If you’d like to check out my other work, visit capetownetc.com. I write the culture reviews and daily lifestyle posts, interviews and everything in between. I’ll be right back, just getting sidetracked by the all illusive career…

PS. I owe you a birthday post, that’ll come too, when I pluck up the courage to write it.

Xx

KACPER HAMILTON | L’Art de la Degustation

It’s Friday, pouring rain in Cape Town (the storm people have been pre-empting for four days has finally hit – and wow has it hit) and I’m stuck in the office after hours waiting for a lift. What I need now is a drink.

In accordance with this, I present the incredibly magical L’Art de la Degustation by design aficionados KACPER HAMILTON.

L’Art de la Degustation (The Art of Tasting) reinvents the ritual of drinking whisky with a design inspired by the concept of equilibrium and the traditional process of distilling whisky. The glass is designed to create a more engaging experience while drinking whisky. The hole inside the glass encourages the user to circulate and observe the whisky while creating a surprising element of risk and play. The hole also allows more air to come through into the glass, thus producing a softer aroma. The whisky always rests in a perfect balance in the glass, encouraging one to slow down the drinking ritual in order to appreciate the colour, bouquet and taste of the whisky more fully.

Although you can no longer buy this genius product (limited quantities were produced and unsurprisingly they’re now sold out), one can still marvel at the modern design and out-of-the-box brilliance. I love that the drinker’s experience was placed paramount with the design itself, that sipping a fine liqueur is a slow, pleasurable process and encouraged to be so. What I need right now.

(Images: Courtesy)

 

Black Sheep Restaurant

Great for a G&T after work (or a whisky after a long week), Black Sheep is a great little spot on Kloof Street, Cape Town that ticks all the ‘must go there because’ boxes. With a daily changing blackboard menu combined with a buzzing atmosphere, it’s a festive bar and eatery serving delicious fusion food.

Known to most locals for his work at Fork restaurant, Johnny Japha is the man in the kitchen, plating up the likes of Vietnamese beef and noodle broth to start and roast kingklip with cauliflower purée, balsamic glazed beetroot and butternut crisps for mains. Feeling hungry? Grab five friends and order the seven-hour pot roast leg of lamb larded with bacon and garlic, then cosy up beside the fireplace while sipping a digestif.

(Images: The Black Sheep)

Roy Nachum

As an avid art lover, imagine not being able to see and experience the beauty of creativity, expression and skill? Imagine not experiencing the thrill of an artwork that moves you to tears? For those who do not have the gift of sight, an artist has painted with you in mind…   

Roy Nachum is a contemporary Israeli artist based in New York. Exploring the boundaries between visual and non-visual perception his paintings, sculptures and installations centre around the subject of vision, or lack thereof. 

Working in a variety of mediums, namely painting, installation, sculpture, interior design, but mostly in oil, he creates subjects whose vision is obscured. He sculpts Braille poetry and messages onto his canvases, offering a way for people without the gift of sight to experience his work.

How wonderfully unique and special is that? 

 

(Images: Roy Nachum)

Rosanna Bach | Portraits

I’m so in love with these portraits by Rosanna Bach, mostly because they’re so intimate, moody and rich in expression. I’m no photographer, but I imagine it must be incredibly difficult to capture emotion in a fleeting second. Rosanna seems to do so in each image. Each shot is as unconventional and intriguing as the next.

(Images: Rosanna Bach)

Thom Fougere

Thom Fougere is a Canadian designer with a focus on exploring the relationship between objects, products, spaces and dwelling. His studio was founded as a result of furniture design, with a strong emphasis on product design and architecture.

He is largely influenced by his surroundings and the spot that he calls home, Winnipeg Manitoba in Canada. The simple design has a Scandi feel to it and a lasting and timeless feel. He is young and talented and I want his side tables all over my home.x

 

 

(Images: This is Paper) 

Jane Sews | Winter Lookbook

I’m completely in love with the new Jane Sews AW14 Collection, a covetable South African designer who I’ve featured before. I love how comfortable and wearable the clothing is – high-quality vintage flair with a modern twist. The Jane Sews aesthetic is inspired by timeless femininity, a fascination with global trends, an eye for fine construction and a focus on a clean and simple aesthetic. I would gladly wear each one of these outfits, thank you very much.

(Images: Jane Sews)

 

Flashback: Frances Pellegrini

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Flashback, so this sunny Saturday in Cape Town calls for it. Today I’d like to feature Frances Pellegrini, a commercial photographer whose career in New York spanned from the late 1940s through to the 1980s. She worked for a decade with Harper’s Bazaar; a woman pioneering her roles as both photographer and independent business woman.

Her images reflect an elegantly understated style and modern sensibility, while her street works are moody and beautiful, depicting her intimacy with the city.

Secession Restaurant | Japan

Drawing on the concept ‘dinner party that turns to art’, Japanese design studio, process5, has created Secession, a restaurant based on the Vienna Secession art movement. Located in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, its main focus is to present the notion that cooking is still an art. Anything based on art or an art movement is pretty darn great in my mind, and when it’s food that art inspires, well that’s just grand.

The establishment wants to offer guests an experience that draws similarities to the famous Austrian era; a lavish dining experience with dishes assembled as if mini creations and walls lined with famous works by renowned painters. It reminds me of a Hesten Blumenthal-type concept, where food and the enjoyment of food is not simply about taste, but about experience.

(Images: Designboom)

 

Inner City Ideas Cartel

It is a very personal longing of mine to one day freelance full-time, be my own boss and write articles/produce content for various publications. For those currently in this luxurious position and who need a space to work, Inner City Ideas Cartel in de Waterkant, Cape Town offers this – a personal, designer space fully equipped to inspire the inner city slicker. For those who are self-employed, a startup, freelancer or creative needing a spot to inspire and encourage productivity, IC | IC offers this workspace.

The design itself will inspire a good work ethic – think large windows, natural light, custom-designed desks and personalised rosewood name blocks for members. Founded by Schuyler Vorster, the motive is to help members feel a sense of purpose and pride in their daily work, in a space intent on ‘making work better’. The chic, contemporary space offers a co-working suite with a 12-seater boardroom-type table, as well as meeting rooms, private desks and restaurant/coffee shop. Your work environment is so important, and this spot certainly makes coming into work a little slice of heaven (who would ever say that about ‘the office’?).

For more info and to become a member visit their website or find it at 71 Waterkant Street, Second Floor, Cape Town.