As Heritage Day approaches and we celebrate our nation’s unique cultures and diverse backgrounds, there really is no better time to seek out and celebrate all that is homegrown. Luckily, you don’t have to look very far to ‘love local’ so if your heritage celebration involves a little shopping spree here are some favourites that are all local and lekker…
Love local décor…
Volpes and Biggie Best are two proudly South African brands who continue to make their mark in the home décor space, with a nod to heritage in everything they do. The good news is that local linen specialist, Volpes, now proudly showcases the much-loved Biggie Best products in their stores, as well as online at www.volpes.co.za/biggie-best.
Serving South Africa one home at a time, these iconic local brands complement each other perfectly and are now a a one-stop home décor destination for linen, bedding, curtains… and now furniture, accessories and fabric too.
Love local jewellery…
The feminine love of adornment is as old as time. At The Makery Johannesburg-based design team Heidi Gresty and Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly are sourcing and creating jewellery and accessories they hope other women will love as much as they do. Much of The Makery collection consists of beaded Heartstrings – their signature beaded necklaces in a wide range of styles. Beading in Africa is an age-old tradition, and The Makery is continuing the tradition, albeit with a contemporary touch.
The much anticipated elasticated wrap bracelets, made from Japanese Miyuki and Delica beads with Swarovski crystals and assorted silver and gold charms, create a stacker that wraps around the average wrist six times. Available in five eye-catching colours, think shades of teal, aqua, pinks, corals, rose gold, black and indigo, you can create a bespoke look and mix and match with any outfit.
Love local bags and accessories…
Fun and fabulous, two words that epitomise all that is Lou Harvey. No matter what she’s creating, SA’s much loved material girl loves botanicals and motifs that pay homage to nature, as well as bold floral prints. Lou takes inspiration from a variety of sources: elements of nature, architecture, exotic destinations like Morocco, and of course, our beautiful local landscape.
You’ll find these designs across her entire collection with an endless list of choices and items to make you feel inspired. There’s everything from bags (for the beach, your laptop or cosmetics, stationery or school lunches) to towels, as well as backpacks and aprons for kids.
Love local tableware and linen…
The KeniKen collection was born from a great love and appreciation of the indigenous floral kingdom of the Cape, the King Protea being the most beloved of them all. The bespoke collection, available in a range of neutral colourways, includes napkins, table runners, tablecloths and tea towels, as well purses, wine carriers and multipurpose soft pots/ round holdalls that are ideal for pot plants and herbs.
Artist, Kendall is the creative director and maker of all things KeniKen and works from of her studio in Hout Bay. Kendall personally hand draws all the designs and patterns and then converts them to screens and individually prints them onto panels of fabric.
Love local gin…
Quintessentially South African Bloedlemoen pronounced ‘Blue’d Le Moon) is a handcrafted local gin made from the lucious Tarocco Blood Orange and proudly boasts as the first Blood Orange Gin in the the World. This award-winning Gin was conceptualised in 2015 by three food and drinks industry specialists, focused on bringing a liquid to life that is refreshing and delicious, yet layered with the warmth of selected spices.
With fruit sourced locally in the Western Cape this contemporary, London Dry-style Gin is distilled using 10 botanicals that include Juniper, Blood Orange, Orange Peel, Grains of Paradise, Coriander and Cassia bark, Nutmeg, Liquorice Root, Angelica Root and Cardamom. When pouring the perfect serve for any gin, it’s best to start at the ingredients itself as partners – in our case a slice of orange (fresh or dried) and a cinnamon stick (or piece of cassia bark) does the trick perfectl!
Love local for the non-drinkers…
Inspired by the biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom, Abstinence is a sophisticated, layered, complex non-alcoholic spirit made using a proprietary artisanal single batch distillation process similar to craft gin-making. The botanicals are extracted by maceration and infusion and distilled with the same distilling equipment used in gin making, but without alcohol for extraction, meaning more of each of the botanicals are needed.
Each Abstinence spirit variant has a distinct, indigenous hero ingredient that is unmistakably and authentically South African. The Cape Citrus variant has Buchu and Western Cape Citrus at its core, the Cape Spice variant captures a medley of spices and Honeybush and the newest addition to the range, Cape Fynbos, showcases Rose Geranium. Abstinence Cape Fynbos is a beautifully floral creation including Juniper berries, Angelica root and Coriander which imbue it with trademark gin flavours and slightly bitter, slightly herbal, and faintly nettle-like notes. It’s best served with premium tonic water, lemon peel and fresh berries.
