At Large

There is a dusty old cavern of a shop on the corner of Fox and Loveday streets in downtown Johannesburg that specialises in the fine art of men’s shoes. Plain-toed, cap-toed, brogues, loafers — you name it, they have been selling it here for the past seven and a half decades. But please only come if you are serious about shoes and want something serious. Don’t ask for high-tops or flip flops or, heaven forbid, anything as crude and unsophisticated as Crocs. They won’t have a clue what you are talking about.

No, Erlings is a shop that has stood the test of time. Started by Ernest Erling in 1937, this now unassuming storefront was once a beacon of success. Current owner Bill Hoffman took over 25 years ago and hasn’t missed a day’s work since. “We are here at 7am every morning and are open till 5pm,” says the 83-year-old.

Shop manager Robbie Bersiks is 74 and the two shop assistants Jacob Molefe, 54, and Sidney Ngcuka, 62, have worked here for 13, 10 and 20 years respectively. The average age of the Erlings team is 68. They know what it means to sell a pair of shoes. There is no better place to be advised on comfort, fit and durability.

Business over the years has deteriorated steadily Hoffman says. But, owing largely to its solid reputation as having the best shoes money can buy, it has lived to see another day, even when almost all its competitors either dropped out of the game or moved to the malls.

The glass door opens with the ring of an old-fashioned bell and you are instantly transported to a bygone era. Narrow wooden shelves line all four walls with row upon row of shoes.

This is an extensive collection, imported from all four corners of the globe — the US, Italy, China, Spain —yet some of the best sellers are locally made. Prestigious UK brand Crockett & Jones, which is produced in SA under licence, is a case in point. Ever popular, this is a label known for its enduring quality and sophistication. It comes in all sorts of desirable finishes for any occasion: polished tan, shiny black patent, mock alligator, and even a couple of pairs of pin striped leather brogues. The priciest pair is made of genuine ostrich skin and sells for R3 500. But for the most part, Erlings appears to offer reasonable pricing when compared to what the malls are charging.

Hoffman counts deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe and presidential hopeful Tokyo Sexwale among his clients.

“It’s the same people who keep coming back for more,” he explains. Many of those who started out as regular customers developed into firm family friends as the years went on. “We’ve had grandfathers, fathers and sons coming in here. Three generations in one family buying their shoes.”

BY TARYN LAMBERTI | PHOTOGRAPHY KARL ROGERS

Erlings, 99 Fox Street, Johannesburg, 011 838 3380

Recruited from the antiques trade, Cathy O’Clery started her journalism career as features editor on World of Interiors where she became a leading authority in London on the fabric industry. She later moved to SA and worked across several high profile magazines including a stint as editor of Elle Decoration. O’Clery currently divides her time between the UK and Ireland where she works as a journalist for The Irish Times and Gloss Interiors and writes her blog Celt and SA working with Laurence Brick Creative Directions as a design consultant and designer.

The one indulgence I’ll never be without is morning coffee and the Guardian Quick Crossword.

The grooming staple I am never without is Argan oil. I apply a drop or two to my face before moisturising, and use it as a body oil. For scent I love Jo Malone’s Intense Iris & White Musk Cologne.

My all-time favourite gadget? I am very slow on the gadget front — always a few seasons behind anyone else — but it has to be my iPhone, only recently acquired.

The single object I would never part with is a crooked Georgian chair my husband, Andrew, and I bought in Norfolk in England 20 years ago. Most people wouldn’t give it a second glance but we both fell in love with it. A naive country version of a grander chair, it encompasses an aesthetic dear to my heart.

My favourite drink? I go for the grape every time and will always seek what my mum and I call a champagne moment — that is having a glass of fizz in a great place; we text each other when we are having one. Any good fizz will do, from Villiera to Veuve Clicquot.

The restaurant I frequent most often? In Joburg I ate in restaurants three or four times a week, but now I live in a rural hamlet with no good restaurants nearby. When I am back in Joburg I do have to have at least one meal at Assaggi in Illovo (011 268 1370) and I will eat anywhere Theresa Beukes is cooking (Duchess of Wisbeach, 021 434 1 5 25 ). My all-time favourite South African restaurant is Mariana’s in Stanford (028 341 0272).

My personal style signifier are stripey Breton style long sleeve T-shirts — I have about 10 versions.

The last thing I bought and loved was our house in Greenside. Objects are becoming less important to me as I get older and when I have spare money I just want to spend it on experiences and travel.

My favourite timepiece is my Tank Americaine by Cartier for its simple and elegant classical style.

An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is the Marais in Paris, people watching. Laurence Brick and I sat in La Perle bar for about two hours foot-sore and exhausted after a day at Maison et Objet earlier this year. We were so tired I don’t think we said a word to each other but gradually we just had to comment on the style of the people walking in and out of the bar.

The book on my bedside table is Trieste by Dasa Drndic. It is a grim and haunting read but beautifully written.

The last meal that truly impressed me? I gave Andrew the cookery book Malouf: New Middle Eastern Food by Greg and Lucy Malouf. He cooked up a meze-style meal inspired by the book with a chicken and olive tagine infused with his own preserved lemons and served with his homemade harissa.

The last music I downloaded? I go through phases of listening to music and months without. When I do listen I tend to play the same tunes over again. I’m in a silent phase at the moment but Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die is enticing me back to listening again.

The thing I am eyeing next? Where North Africa traditional craft meets contemporary European design — I love the textured, mystic and rustic aesthetic that comes out of it. The French in particular do this style well as they have always had that cultural injection from Algiers, but there are surprises coming out of Northern Europe like the Swedish collective Claesson Koivisto Rune who have done the most extraordinary tiles.

The one thing I will always find in my fridge? I’m Irish — butter.

The best gift I’ve given recently was a season ticket for our local mountain boarding (it’s like ski boarding only on wheels) hangout in the Mourne Mountains for my son.

And the best one I’ve received was a trip to Paris.

The place that inspires me? I haven’t been yet but everything I am seeing recently that intrigues me is coming out of Denmark: design, styling, food, TV dramas like Borgen and The Bridge. I have a bit of a country crush at the moment, hopefully to be sated later this year.

A recent special find? Twitter. Where have I been for the last five years? A whole new world has opened up.

The last item I added to my wardrobe was a grey Breton shirt from my favourite store, Cos.

My favourite city is Rome for the layering of history for one. I was overcome with emotion when I walked into the nearly 2000-year-old Pantheon, the omnipresent smell of espresso, the Vespas, the Baroque churches and the patina of the buildings. 

Ernie Els, golfer and one of SA’s greatest sporting heroes, established a boutique winery in Stellenbosch in 1999 and there right from the start was Louis Strydom, now 43 and holding the title of managing director as well as winemaker.

Apart from overseeing operations at the winery, Strydom says he’s pretty busy raising a family. Married to Rianie, a successful winemaker in her own right and currently consulting for Haskell Vineyards, they have three children: Jean-Louis (12), Jacq (10) and Danielle (8). The family lives on a small property in the foothills of the Simonsberg. “It’s a bit of zoo. We have two Alsatians, two Jack Russells, a sausage dog, 10 chickens, five geese, two turkeys , two budgies and two rats.” Here they also cultivate their own vines and vegetables and tend a small orchid nursery. “It helps to take my mind off work,” says Strydom.

Ernie Els is one of the world’s top professional golfers. What’s he like off the golf course and how good is his wine knowledge?

Ernie is easy going and relaxed most of the time, but he’s very focused on his business ventures. He always enjoys a glass of wine and I’ve seen his palate develop over the years, as well as his understanding of different styles.

Does the affiliation to a big name in the world of sport help or hinder sales?

If anything, it has hindered sales as what we do is seen as “celebrity” wine. We’ve aimed to keep quality high ever since we began however, and recently it seems there’s a realisation in the market place that Ernie is serious about the production of wine.

Your flagship red Ernie Els Signature 2008 sells for R550 a bottle. It’s always been made in a powerful, full-bodied style but where do you see wine styles at the top end of the market going in the future?

Our Helderberg terrior with relatively warm north-facing slopes means we will mostly make wine more intense and rich in flavour than most. There are a lot of people who expect an ultra-premium wine to be slightly more structured and rich. What we have to do is capture the sunshine, but not end up with a wine that overpowers with extract.

Your wife Rianie is an accomplished winemaker in her own right. How competitive are the two of you when it comes to accolades?

We are both very competitive, but luckily we have slightly different focuses at the moment: she’s made some great Shiraz at Haskell Vineyards while I’m more focused on blends. Ultimately though, if one of us does well, we are always very pleased to see the accolades.

What’s your most memorable wine experience?

The 1995 Chateau Latour, which had the perfect balance between power and elegance.

Favourite international wine region to visit and why?

Médoc in Bordeaux. To see how dramatically Cabernet reacts to terrior across quite a small area, the wines of Margaux being so different to those of Saint-Estèphe, for instance.

What’s your golf game like and do you get to play a round with the boss?

I am a wannabe golfer and play as much as I can. Normally when we visit Ernie in Jupiter, Florida we’ll play one or two rounds at The Bear’s Club where he lives.

BY CHRISTIAN EEDES

WADE BALES WINEMAKER SELECTION

Louis Strydom Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2009

In partnership with the Wade Bales Wine Society, Wanted is offering readers the opportunity to purchase the Winemaker Selection Louis Strydom Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2009.

Wade Bales’ constant search for the finest Cape wines has led to lasting relationships with many leading winemakers. These long-term partnerships enable him to bring you exclusive bottling of special barrels from top cellars. Here he teams up with Louis

Strydom of Ernie Els Wines to bring you a Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2009.

Strydom is a perfectionist whose highly rated wines reflect the cellar’s diversity.  Dancing the tightrope of ripeness and elegance” is his summing-up of the impressive modern-style 2009.

The sweet nose of the garnet-black blend shows pronounced blackberries, kirsch, olive and star anise. Concentrated black fruits balance phenomenal intensity and power, checked by chiselled, layered tannins. Rather closed in its youth, time in the cellar will add further breadth and tame the grippy tannins, making it a stylish companion to a roast leg of lamb or a hearty stew.

Strydom suggests drinking is best between now and 2016.

Not available on shelf, this offer is exclusive to Wanted readers and is R58.17 per bottle (R349 per six-bottle case), with a minimum order of six bottles and free delivery anyway in SA. For more information or to order call Carol Roux on 021 794 2151 or send an email.

Known as a high-end watch and jewellery brand with a penchant for understated yet exclusive elegance, Piaget has been at the forefront of the move towards smaller, thinner watch cases over recent years. At the Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva this year, the company’s suave CEO Philippe Léopold-Metzger told Wanted with a wry smile that ”Piaget has been out of favour for the past 20 years” while the world became obsessed with larger, chunkier watch cases. “Now, all of a sudden, we are back in fashion.”

With 98% of Piaget products made from gold and Chinese consumers’well-known penchant for smaller, thinner watches, Piaget has boldly maintained its premium positioning throughout the global economic crisis. If its newly launched Altiplano Skeleton Ultra-Thin watch is anything to go by, it is optimistic about the future too.

Boasting two records as the world’s thinnest self-winding skeleton model at just 5.34mm, it also houses the world’s thinnest self-winding skeleton movement at 2.4mm. Léopold-Metzger believes the watch industry today is saturated with marketing messages that often mislead a consumer into believing that a particular product represents a certain level of craftsmanship, while the reality is often very different. “We have been making luxury watches since 1874 so we don’t have to shout any more. My ultimate dream would be for every potential client to visit our manufacture in Switzerland. People simply cannot believe that so much time and energy goes into making one product. They are mystified.”

Until he finds a way to make that happen though, there is this skeleton version of Piaget’s iconic Altiplano, guaranteed to produce a similar reaction by revealing all of its complex inner workings.

Having crammed so much watch into a limited amount of space, the round, 18ct white gold case and centrally mounted black dauphine hands help wearers get their bearings each time they look down at their wrists. Being a skeletonised model, there is no dial as such, just the watch’s exposed mechanics, resulting in a visual cacophony of satin-brushed plates, bridges, wheels and screws.

A black platinum micro-rotor at 9 o’clock, engraved with the Piaget word mark on the front and the company coat of arms on the reverse, serves as one of the more easily recognisable moving parts. That rotating plate then produces a 44-hour power reserve, no easy achievement given the record-breaking dimensions of this timepiece.

BY MATT MORLEY

The details

Case: 38mm 18ct white gold

Movement: Piaget 1 200S ultra-thin mechanical

Features: skeleton dial, 44-hour power reserve

Strap: black alligator strap with white gold buckle

Price: upon request

Distributor: Vendôme Distributors, 011 337 2600

In the time that he has spent with the company, managing director for Pirelli SA, Gianluca Renato, has come to embody the Pirelli brand with his exuberance and intrinsic sense of style. Hailing from Rome, Renato’s easygoing Italian savoire faire and charm have held him in good stead on his various business and leisure travels. He shares his travel tips and favourite places with us.

Most inspiring holiday destination?

India, which I recently visited for three weeks, and Israel for its history and charm.

Most interesting person you’ve met on your travels?

I have travelled a lot and have been able to meet many interesting people. I remember a Russian business partner in St Petersburg who didn’t have a very “clear” past in the military services, and a Polish deaf-mute rider who travels around the world with his bike doing charity work.

The one gadget you would never travel without? A map. Favourite restaurant abroad, why and what you ate?

Trattoria Da Lucia in Trastevere (www. tra ttoriadalucia. co m ). Trastevere means “across the Tiber” and is one of the most authentic neighbourhoods in Rome, my city. In the centre of old Rome it seems as though you are in a little old village with authentic food and traditions. I ate Bombolotti all’Amatriciana — pasta with tomato, guanciale (local bacon) and Pecorino Romano (local cheese).

An insider tip for coping with a long-haul flight?

Avoid alcohol and have a good set of headphones that block out noise. And it helps if you can relax at the SLOW Lounge before your departure.

Your next destination?

Mozambique. I have never been there and am going now to kite surf. After that I am going back to Milan for business meetings as usual.

Favourite city abroad?

Istanbul. It is powerful, cosmopolitan and full of history as it was the capital of many past empires (Roman, Latin and Ottoman).

Worst travel experience?

A flight from Rome to Central America with Aeroflot Russian Airlines. There were four stops and no clear routing, but I was young.

What is the first thing you do when you check into a hotel room?

I rest.

Which three items would you always find in your suitcase?

A swimsuit, my iPad and a windbreaker.

Favourite music track at the moment?

Dance Tonight by Lucy Pearl.

Your definition of luxurious travel?

The people you meet during the trip, your partner and the challenges of entering a new culture.

What do you prefer: beach, city or bush vacations?

Beach. I love the sea and the wind. I’ve been sailing since I was very young and I have just learnt to kite surf, my new passion thanks to SA.

Favourite Champagne?

Mumm Champagne, without a doubt.

Whether it’s the sports club or the mile-high club, the better clubs are notorious for their strict door policy or members-only access. At Paris-Charles de Gaulle the only way into the bar in the Air France La Première lounge is with a R91 660 ticket in hand and through passport control. A night out with Kenny Kunene and this might seem like a small price to pay at the bar. Although the chef in the Alain Ducasse restaurant would gladly do him a special Michelin-style sushi platter, I somehow doubt that the elegance and quiet of this establishment is Kunene’s vibe.

Passing through the lounge on my return to Johannesburg I grabbed young sommelier Jean-Davy Dupin at the deeply lit rouge bar. The Tokyo-bound jet set hadn’t arrived yet so I had his undivided attention as I settled in with a glass of the house Brut Champagne Alain Ducasse.

What is your signature cocktail? We create every cocktail you can imagine, from Martinis to strawberry Caipirinhas. Our signature cocktail is the 25 Montaigne made with Champagne, fresh red fruits like raspberry and strawberry, NV HQ Hpnotiq Vodka & Cognac Liqueur with a blue colour, and liqueur St-Germain made with elderflower blossoms. Shaken, strained and then topped up with Brut Champagne Alain Ducasse Special Reserve. (The bar was fresh out of St-Germain so a special cocktail was created for me.) Something similar but without St-Germain. 25 Avenue Montaigne is the address for the very luxury Hôtel Plaza Athénée, which is the home for Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée restaurant.

Which Champagnes do you stock? We prefer the Alain Ducasse. It is very exclusive as you can only buy it in his restaurants. He bought the vineyard six year ago and the chef sommelier of all his restaurants makes the Champagne. We also serve a Lanson Noble Cuvée Blanc de Blanc 1998 and Brut Rosé from Duval-Leroy. However, except for the Ducasse, the selection changes every two to four weeks. We also prefer to serve from special producers rather than the more commercial ones like Veuve so that clients can discover a new maison.

Who is the most famous person you have served? A lot of famous people come through this lounge but we can’t mention their names.

What do most people order at this bar? We serve a lot of Champagne. French people are not very interesting when it comes to cocktails so they prefer wines and Champagne. Foreigners even choose this as they can get cocktails anywhere and prefer our country’s specialities like Champagne.

What do you think of last season’s trend of drinking Champagne on ice? It’s called a swimming pool. It’s fashionable but not really for French people. We would never drink Champagne with ice.

Barman’s cocktail rating: 8/10 I’m not a huge fan of cocktails unless they’re dry, but the 25 Montaigne was exotic, light and fresh. A bit like a Bellini.

Barman’s personality: 10/10 Well informed, engaging, with a great “French” sense of humour. 

On display at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is a headrest of the so-called branching type and shape, carved out of a single piece of wood and supported by two legs ending in bovine feet. It has been identified as one of the earliest forms of headrests and it was carved by an unknown craftsman about 4 182-4 719 years ago in the Old Kingdom of Egypt. The man is gone, but the headrest survives — so it goes with material objects.

The headrest above is a recent descendant of that ancient forebearer, made in the 20th century by one of the Rendille peoples of Kenya. It is a lovely thing, and comparatively speaking brand new. The Egyptian example has been in Cambridge for longer than this one has existed.

Roughly 4 500 years separate these objects and yet, in many respects, they are identical — they fulfil the same function by the same means. Their design is efficient and refined, making the most out of what nature offers. There is no better expression of good design, in fact, than these headrests, which do the job perfectly for which they were created. Thousands of years of history are confounded by this remarkable fact; the ancient world feels like yesterday.

More than just good design this style of headrest is a testament to the fact that many human desires are universal. The Kenyan carver was not directly influenced by this ancient Egyptian’s precedent and yet they were both inspired by circumstance to create an equivalent object. The wish is to sleep well and comfortably; the branches of a tree offer a solution.

Much more amazing though, is that both carvers, distanced by culture, space and time, looked at the final outcome of their labour and felt that what they had created resembled a cow, and they both went on to exaggerate those cow-like features. They did this as artists because it is the basic wish of all artists to transform something natural into a representation of something else. A stick into a headrest into a cow.

This clearly demonstrates that the desire to make art is as fundamental to the human condition as is the desire to sleep comfortably with the head slightly raised.

BY JAMES GREEN 

For a bovine headrest like this expect to pay R1 200.

It’s winter, it’s cold, and the tourists have long gone. To lure locals away from their TVs and log fires, the V&A Waterfront has devised a winter promotion called the Master of the Trade Routes Culinary Challenge. 27 of its restaurants have each developed a “fusion-style” winter dish at prices locals won’t find too unbearable; diners are then required to vote on the best dish. 

I decided to give two restaurants a whirl. First up was Signal at the Cape Grace – a hotel dining room dressed up in nouveau Cape heritage cosiness. The restaurant was almost empty. I clearly didn’t look sufficiently local, as I had to request the Master of the Trade Routes menu.

Signal’s Master of the Trade Routes promotion offers a three-course dinner for R195 – a starter of coconut and ginger broth with steamed mussels and coriander foam; mains being a “deconstructed bobotie” and a peppermint crisp tart desert.

I opted for just the mains from the special menu (sold for R95) – despite my wariness (and weariness) of anything “deconstructed”. Unfortunately the dish wasn’t as clever as it was trying to be – the centrepiece was tough springbok loin, flavoured unremarkably with so-callled bobotie spices. Crunchy almond pieces decorated the top, and the meat was surrounded by pickled mango puree and curried lentil jus. It wasn’t bad; but it wasn’t great either – the flavours lacked the passion and feistiness so integral to Malay-inspired cuisine. The sense that this restaurant was simply going through the motions continued when I wasn’t even presented with a Master Trade Routes scorecard (then again, that was probably just as well).

Another night, another hotel restaurant – this time the far newer Dash at the Queen Victoria Hotel. The calmly anodyne interior – expensive, international – was enlivened a little by local art from the nearby Everard Read Gallery (the paintings change every few months apparently). We drank a glass of wine next to the gas fire in the faux Bond bar lounge area, before proceeding to window-side seats.

The food was slow to arrive –- surprisingly so considering that, like Signal, the restaurant was almost deserted. But this didn’t matter too much, thanks to fine conversation and fine wine (Buitenverwachting’s Meifort red blend). For starters, I had a Caesar salad (R65, not on the special menu) with quail eggs and enormous lettuce leaves which was pleasant enough. This was followed by the Master of the Trade Routes main (for R98) – magret duck breast pan-seared on a base of spiced pear puree with sage and quinoa. I had heard good things about it, but it wasn’t as tender as it should’ve been. Things perked up a bit with a chocolate fondant with orange ice cream (R70) which I opted for instead of the special menu’s green pear crumble (R60).

Both my meals were enjoyable but underwhelming. The experiences made me think about our expectations for so-called fine dining, the space which obviously both these restaurants seek to occupy. For value-hungry South Africans in search of a memorable eating experience –- an experience of taste and flair –- I cannot unfortunately enthusiastically recommend either. They do what they do adequately, but is adequate enough?

The Master of the Trade Routes Culinary Challenge at the V&A Waterfront runs until 31 August. 

Quintessential British men’s outfitter, Hackett London, recently launched its flagship store in Sandton City’s new mall space making it the second of two stores in SA, after its OR Tambo International Airport branch.

The store concept takes inspiration from the famous and typically British exterior of 10 Downing Street, creating a residential London townhouse feel through the use of wooden panelling and black bricks which was inspired by the British Georgian period, particularly the style of architect Sir John Soane whose classic aesthetic reflects Hackett’s very essence.

The brand’s co-founder Jeremy Hackett describes the ethos as “evolutionary rather than revolutionary”. “With everything we do we think, is this Hackett, because we have a strong point of view. We express our British values by using exclusive materials from the best mills around the world and designing our own patterns for every piece.”

This attention to detail has been cultivated since 1979 when the brand started as a supplier of vintage traditional heritage clothing and then expanded to ready-to-wear, always maintaining its traditional bearings. You can still find pieces in the range that have been produced by the brand for the past 20 years, but its true success is in reinterpreting this feel for the modern man. “Our clothes wear in, not out,” adds Hackett when describing the quality and versatility of the brand, which encompasses any occasion whether for business, formal, country or sporting outings.

With 37 stand-alone stores and 44 concessions worldwide, the brand’s international expansion continues to thrive. It was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade earlier this year as a result of continuous growth in export sales and overall performance. This has been boosted by markets such as ours which contributed to a growth in export sales of 1 500%, along with 200% growth in turnover from 2008.

A profound history is evidently the basis of a dynamic future, which Joburg shoppers will now be able to enjoy.

Q&A with Jeremy Hackett

What is the ideal behind the Hackett brand? Our objective is to offer our customers the best in classically inspired clothes with a traditional but modern touch. We draw inspiration from the rich seam of British heritage. Describe the Hackett man? The Hackett man is one who appreciates style above the vagaries of high fashion. How do you translate this to the local market? The local market has been incredibly receptive to Hackett and our unique take on British style. Our ranges are pretty much the same internationally. We offer such a tremendous choice that it can often be tailored for each market, dependent on climate. Hackett started out sourcing traditional second-hand clothing. How have you continued to translate these elements to the ready-to-wear brand? We constantly strive to maintain our quality as it is something that both our clients and our chief critics value. We make a concerted effort to acquire the best raw materials and source expert tailors. Above all we strive to maintain the best value for money. How does Hackett cultivate its other affiliations, most notably with Aston Martin and in sporting culture? We have a number of affiliations and Aston Martin happens to be the most famous one. It makes perfect sense as our brand is also a British icon. Being involved in sports such as polo, rowing and tennis allows us to build product around these sports with authenticity and integrity. South Africans will no doubt remember that we sponsored the rugby player Jonny Wilkinson for a number of years. It was a great success as having him as the face of Hackett brought a tremendous amount of credibility to our brand. Who are some of the high profile individuals who wear Hackett? Perhaps our highest profile individuals are Prince William and Prince Harry who have both played for the British Army Polo team (which Hackett sponsors). I don’t think we could ask for a better endorsement as a British brand.

BY CHIPO MAPONDERA

Hackett, Shop UL313, Sandton City, 011 784 0342

From the stripy fairways to the blandness of its housing developments (think beige minimalism and faux-French), Fancourt golfing estate feels somewhat removed from the rugged beauty of its Garden Route setting. The same sanitised feeling extends to its new Manor House boutique hotel, which opened early last year.

The building itself (a national monument supplemented by a tasteful extension) is solid, quiet opulence, with old Yellowwood floors and wide fireplaces. Most of it has been painted a serene blue-grey; light floods in from the French windows and sepia-toned photographs of the surrounding area line the walls. It’s luxurious, an escape — but essentially soulless. Perhaps it’s the colour of the walls, or the quasiclassical comfy chairs in bright colours, or those lovely photographs, but it all feels a little too considered, consistent, ordered — an alpine sanatorium or a rehab centre in the woods of Connecticut, perhaps.

I had a lovely time, nonetheless. The service is impeccable, your every whim catered for, with butlers bringing steaming pots of tea to your place by the pool (or Champagne, if you would prefer). My bath and shower were generous, the bed meltingly comfortable. The estate has everything you ostensibly need: an ATM, golf shop, a charmingly-staffed spa, and even an osteopath. The latter, the marvellous Olivia McKinlay, uses a battery of treatments, from acupuncture to soft tissue massage to realign the body and optimise its performance both on the golf course and off.

Fancourt is very lucky to have Viktor Malek as executive chef who brings German precision and Asian flair to the estate’s three restaurants. We had a delicious dinner at the Manor House’s fine dining restaurant, Henry White’s: duck confit ravioli, Glühwein-soaked kingklip, medallions of lamb washed down with San Pellegrino and the very best of local reds.

But all the wining and dining could not dispel the unease, the sense that Fancourt cannot escape its embodiment of a bastion of white, Western privilege, sealed from the grit and deprivations of its location, where the impoverished are kept out by high walls and electric fencing (though the ones with security clearance are allowed in to make your bed).

Of course, this is perhaps a visceral response excited by the sight of podgy black-wearing white men, being trailed by their slim white-suited black caddies on a blaze of chemically enhanced green. The reality is, as always, more complex: Fancourt lures the wealthy, both foreign and local, who inject much-needed money into the Garden Route economy. This helps to sustain dozens of local businesses, as well as the lives of thousands (both black and white). With a staff component of about 400, the estate is a major regional employer (according to one marketing executive, it employs more staff than the nearby PetroSA refinery in Mossel Bay).

Then there’s the golf. I have nothing against its devotees’ bewildering obsession with thwacking little balls for miles, but I shudder at the sport’s spatial consequences — the manicured, artificial environment it’s played in, the gross extravagance of so much space, fertiliser, pesticide and water dedicated for the enjoyment of so few and at so great a cost.

Despite its three courses (each among SA’s top 20 according to Golf Digest SA), Fancourt is keen to reposition itself as a lifestyle destination, not a golfing estate. And indeed, it’s close to beach and berg, there are wine estates and ostrich farms a short distance away, the adventurous can go kloofing, hiking and bungee jumping nearby.

In addition to location, the members of the management team I met (a friendly, genuinely lovely bunch of professionals) want to emphasise Fancourt’s safety. This peace of mind comes at a price, however: in this razor-encircled Never Never Land, SA’s colour, life, edge has been bleached into lily-white blankness.

BY ALEXANDER MATTHEWS

Manor House, Fancourt, Montagu Street, Blanco, George, 044 804 0000.

The beauty mogul as photographer?  It’s not such a far-fetched idea when you consider that the man in question is Wilfrid Moulin, who happens to be French, and the man behind Metropolitain Cosmetics, responsible for bringing into the country some of the most luxurious, exclusive and highly covetable skincare brands, cosmetics and fragrances.

The French are celebrated for their deep and finely honed appreciation of beauty and the arts, and Moulin is no exception.  Delving into photography was an organic evolution in a sense:  in his youth, Moulin was a keen draftsman whose preferred medium was the pencil.  “But soon,” he said, “I became attracted to the ‘instant’ nature of photography.  There is a different kind of satisfaction achieved with capturing images on camera instead of drawing for hours!”

As a photographer, he is mostly self-taught, and uses reflexes all the way to 4x5 large-format field cameras.

His passion led him to work as a stills photographer for various companies after his compulsory military service stint in the French air force.  Many of his clients were established fashion and cosmetics companies, such as L’Oreal, Jean Patou, Estee Lauder, Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, Hermes, Make Up For Ever, Balmain, Nina Ricc, Louis Feraud, and Chloe, which made his transition into the beauty industry all the more natural.

His first photographic exhibition in South Africa features photographs of the familiar and the poetic, scenes from all over the world – Paris, New York, Deauville, Cannes, Mauritius – rendered in atmospheric tones of black, white or sepia.  There is a dancer from the Crazy Horse in Paris, for instance, and a checkerboard pattern on the floor.  There is a waiter balancing wine goblets on his arm, and an old French lady, still elegant, staring into the window of a patisserie.  There is the façade of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, and a shot of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.  A boxer in the ring.  A stiletto heel.  Umbrellas on the beach.  Vintage cars…

“Black-and-white, for me,” he says, “has an impact distinct from colour.  The geometry of an image is preserved, not diminished, with black-and-white, and even a sharp focus is not essential because one sees forms and shadows, and within them, romance, mystery, elegance, nostalgia, pathos or bliss.”

BY BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE

Déjà Vu runs until July 22nd at The Cow Artworks, 5 The Cobbles, 4^th Avenue, Parkhurst

The great American Dream revolves around ideals of freedom, youth, rebellion and unbridled success. These attributes are the true embodiment of the True Religion ethos, which has successfully established a loyal following for its premium denim offering.

Founded in California in 2002 by Jeffrey Lubell, the vision was to redefine the premium denim market. The focus was on product that was of superior quality, based purely on American heritage, and great-fitting style that celebrates an authentic 70s-inspired spirit of love and the art of rock ‘n roll.

The all-American brand has diversified its reach through a network of retail, e-commerce, wholesale and licensing channels, with 102 branded retail stores in the US, stores in Canada, Japan, Germany and Hong Kong and distribution in luxury department stores and boutiques in 50 countries, including SA.

The brand was established locally by Shawn Janet, a veteran in the international fashion industry. He recognised the global appeal of the brand in its infancy and wanted to mirror its success here. In order to do this he distributed the brand in specialist boutiques, including Geri and Nicci boutiques, whose clientele’s loyalty to the brand was instantaneous.

He engaged the public by working with high profile personalities such as Lee-Ann Liebenberg, Edith Venter, Lira, Loyiso Bala, Sizwe Dhlomo and Kurt Darren, creating a diverse network of stylish individuals who embodied the brand’s values.

Partnerships with events such as the Style Awards, Mr SA and the MK Awards further cemented the appeal.

“The brand itself attracted me. I related to the lifestyle it perpetuated, as well as its global appeal. It seemed relevant and its longevity proves its enduring appeal,” Janet says.

The brand has certainly upheld its standard of cool. Its earlier product was all about making a statement with its pioneering Big T-stitch. This has been integrated into the iconic Super T and Super QT ranges, in addition to variations in cut and treatment, for a cleaner and more subtle effect. “Denim is timeless in essence,” says Janet while pulling out a pair that he still wears a decade later.

“The True Religion aesthetic is not influenced by trends, preferring to focus on premium fabrication and distinct detailing,” says Janet.” These hallmarks go beyond denim into the brand’s premium sportswear pieces which include varsity, lumberjack and Navajo jackets and stretch leather for the upcoming winter season.

As part of its constantly dynamic progression, the brand recently launched its first local shop-in-shop spaces in Stuttafords, offering exclusive merchandise. This will allow greater access to the brand, as well as creating a space that represents the

True Religion’s rustic, bohemian aesthetic, featuring warm wood finishes and hand-printed graphics, says Janet. This expansion presents another first in the ongoing history of the brand’s successful heritage and continuous evolution.

BY CHIPO MAPONDERA | PHOTOGRAPHY ANTONIO DEL HOYO

True Religion at Stuttafords.

“I have too much energy, I never relax,” says Thandi Sibisi, laughing as she spills the sugar for her coffee down the front of her long dress.

Sibisi — high heels, perfect skin and full lips, topped with a becoming blonde crop — looks more the part of a former beauty queen (which she is) than art dealer, but it’s the latter that’s her latest incarnation: as proprietor of Sibisi - The Object of Art in Melrose Arch, touted as SA’s first gallery to be owned by a black woman. Sibisi’s incredible account of her personal journey has also captured popular imagination: a girl from rural KwaZulu-Natal who arrived in Johannesburg at the tender age of 17, set up a string of marketing and PR companies, won major contracts and then segued — self-funded — into the art world seemingly on a whim.

It is a remarkable iteration for a woman who, just four years ago, was apparently attempting to relaunch her modelling career online and become Africa’s first “digital personality”; or who posted a testimonial for the selfhelp book The Secret, describing how it had helped her go from failed graduate (her LinkedIn profile says she attended the University of Johannesburg for three years; in her interview Sibisi says she left after one) to successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.

By her own admission, Sibisi doesn’t “know anything about art”, but does know “how to market something and sell it to people”. Sibisi had three companies by the time she was 22. When she was about to turn 25 she felt she “wasn’t grounded”. “I specialise in brand development and thought maybe it was time I developed my own brand.”

Sibisi started collecting art when she was consulting for the Department of Arts and Culture. Later, finding herself in-between contracts, she went to Europe for a year, visiting hundreds of galleries, “and I never saw anything like this”, she says, waving her hand at the intriguing melted plastic paintings by Mbongeni Buthelezi hanging on her gallery walls.

Sibisi says her mission is to make art less elite — to make people feel welcome in galleries and to create wider demand for local artists. “South African art is so wonderful, it could be among the best in the world.”

For the gallery’s launch, Sibisi teamed up with respected curators such as Christopher Till of the Apartheid Museum; former chief justice Albie Sachs flew back from Kenya to give a speech.

“I’m a connoisseur of high quality things,” Sibisi says. On her wrist is a timepiece that hints at a relationship with Burberry. Her car is a 20-year-old Porsche (which Sibisi describes, without irony, as “low-maintenance”).

BY NECHAMA BRODIE | PHOTOGRAPHY KARL ROGERS

Sibisi - The Object of Art, 10 The High Street, Melrose Arch Precinct, 011 684 16 84

Franschhoek Bastille Festival

14-15 July, Franschhoek

The annual Bastille Festival in Franschhoek, which coincides with Bastille Day (14 July) in France, celebrates the valley’s centuries-old French Huguenot heritage. A highlight of this year’s event will be the opportunity for visitors to meet 10 winemakers from the Rhône, who will be showcasing some of their finest wines. These French wines will be available for tasting at two wine tastings organized specifically for members of the public, as well as in a specially demarcated VIP marquee – booking is essential.

The Food and Wine Marquee where local chefs prepare dishes to go with wines of the area remains the festival’s focal point while the Marche de Franschhoek in the Town Hall offers an array of French and French inspired produce.  Other attractions include a boule tournament, barrel rolling races and a minstrel parade. Tickets from Webtickets.co.za. For more information, call 021 876 2861.

Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival 2012

16-17 July, Summer Place, Hyde Park, Johannesburg

Now in its 22^nd year, this festival features some 60 top Cape wineries. Pick n Pay will offer a tasty range of deli-style items and purchases of festival wines can be made through the Makro Sip & Shop at special show prices. Tickets cost R130 per person from Webtickets or R150 at the door. For more information, email events@julietcullinan.co.za

Caroline’s Red Wine Review

25 July, Westin Grand Hotel, Cape Town

Taste a line-up of 60 red wines, comprising of those to have performed best in recent competition as well as some selected by the team at Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar as having special merit. All winemakers presented by the winemaker in person. Tickets from Computicket.com. For more information, call 021 419 8984.

Limpopo Wine Show

27-28 July 2012, Meropa Casino & Entertainment World, Polokwane

Polokwane wine lovers will be able to sample approximately 250 wines from 50 producers at the sixth annual Limpopo Wine Show. Visitors can buy their favourite wines using the the Shop@Show facility wine accessories, while wine accessories and artisanal food products will also be on offer. Tickets from Computicket.com or at the door. For more information, call 011 482 5936.

Wine of the month: Chateau Libertas 2010

Collectible and ageworthy? Not anymore. Super-reliable? Absolutely. We’re talking about Chateau Libtertas, the red blend which was first made in 1932, and hence celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

The wine was created by Dr William Charles Winshaw, an American-born medical doctor, adventurer and former Texas Ranger, who went into winemaking when he moved to Stellenbosch and was later to found Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery (incorporated into Distell in 2000).

By way of celebration, a tasting of wines selected from virtually every decade since inception held at The Big Easy restaurant in Stellenbosch, situated in the historic La Gratitude house which was Winshaw’s home until his death at 96 years of age in 1968. 

Oldest vintage on display was the 1940. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon but including Cinsaut and some of the Port varieties. Alcohol by volume 14.93%. Decaying forest floor, orange rind and caramel on the nose. Rich, thick textured and mellow on the palate. Not unlike Tawny Port and wonderful to experience.

It is highly unlikely that the current release 2010 (a blend of Cab, Merlot and Shiraz) will last as long but if you’re looking for uncomplicated but not entirely facile drinking, it will more than suffice. It’s light bodied with black cherry flavour and fresh acidity. Recommended retail price: R34 a bottle.

COMPILED BY CHRISTIAN EEDES

Each year Mandela Day on the 18th July commemorates Madiba’s birthday by encouraging citizens to serve their communities in displaying some of the selflessness that has characterised the great man’s life.

The bleak settlement of Blikkiesdorp, near Delft in Cape Town, is a temporary relocation area where thousands of homeless people have been housed by the city authorities in zinc-walled homes. The Boundless Heart Foundation, an NGO which has done several upliftment projects in the area over the past few months, is spending Mandela Day here. Volunteers will be painting walls and murals, creating vegetable gardens and hosting book readings for Blikkies youngsters.  A container-based community library designed by Tsai Design will also be erected.

Get involved

On the day

Got spare time on the 18th? Join the Boundless Heart and lend a hand, sharing the love of words in reading to kids, or getting your hands dirty in the new veggie patches.

Books!

What’s the use of a library without books? Share your spare books for the new Blikkies community library. (See below for drop-off details.)

Contact

To get involved or for more information, contact the Boundless Heart’s Andrew Gasnolar: andrew@theboundlessheart.org

More details are available on the official Mandela Day website.

Due to logistical challenges, WANTED’s arrival at newsstands in Cape Town and Johannesburg has unfortunately been postponed.

For further queries please contact MAPHALA MAKGOBA — (011) 280 3060.

Andrew Brown, a practising advocate and police reservist, has written four novels, winning the Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2006 for Coldsleep Lullaby. His latest book, Solace, is a crime thriller set in Cape Town and has just been published.

Where’s the best place to write?

I had imagined that somewhere isolated and rural would provide the best solitude for writing; but in fact all that isolation is very disruptive. I write best at home with my study door open, bergies ringing the front doorbell and children asking me for help with their Afrikaans orals.

What’s the hardest thing about writing?

I find it hard to make the time to write, but once I have started, I usually enjoy it and find it relaxing. I write probably because I don’t like to talk much and my insecurities can hide behind the page: the greatest difficulty with writing is that once you have published the book, people expect you to expose yourself on public platforms, which is precisely what you were avoiding in the first place! 

Who has influenced your writing?

Local writers like Michiel Heyns and Ettienne van Heerden; as a teenager, I loved the Russian writers and imagined that the height of good writing involved something lugubrious and rather depressing. Hopefully I’ve moved away from this.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

To take full advantage and enjoyment of the quiet times, because they surely won’t last.

What do you dislike most about yourself?

I suffer from the pride and vulnerability of a Leo – I envy people who are self-assured and don’t particularly worry about the world’s view of them, and I soothe myself with the hope that it is, in fact, all a pretence.

How do you cure writer’s block?

Whiskey. Sex. Music.  At the same time if feasible.

If you were a cartoon or comic character, which would it be?

Hobbes from Calvin & Hobbes.

If you had to share a dorm room, which two people would you share with?

If I’m 18 years old again, Charlize Theron and the lead lady from the Black Eyed Peas. On the unhappy assumption that I must display greater maturity in my choice, probably the philosopher Alain de Botton and the writer William Boyd (although they’d probably leave their clothes lying around in a mess). 

When do you feel most free?

On a dirt track on my motorbike somewhere in the Karoo. Until I fall off.

Favourite place in the world?

Inhambane in Mozambique.

The most dangerous thing you’ve for writing research?

I am about to travel to Sudan for a new book I am researching.  The plot doesn’t involve a full-scale war in the country, but my pleas to Khartoum that they are messing up my storyline have fallen on deaf ears. 

What are you afraid of?

A loss of freedom.  I spent some time as a teenager in solitary confinement in Pollsmoor Prison under the State of Emergency. I’m not sure I need say more.

WANTED’s editor, GARY COTTERELL, reflects on the launch of the July issue.

I was in Stockholm recently and secured a last minute dinner reservation at rising star chef Matias Dahlgren’s Matbaren (meaning: food bar) restaurant at The Grand Hotel. He’d come highly recommended as one to watch and appears to be giving Rene Redzepi of Noma (The World’s Best Restaurant 2012) in Copenhagen a run for his money. I was desperate to try a few plates of his culinary genius so was more than happy to take the only remaining seat — at the bar counter near the kitchen. As I wedged myself between a young couple and a gentleman of a certain age, my insecurities around self and space revealed themselves. As I sat near frozen on my perch, I watched as fellow dinners ripped and sucked at succulent prawns or expressed  sheer delight over each morsel without inhibition or care, just pure joy. One local and I  dived into conversation on architecture and the delicate flavours in Dahlgren’s twist on some classic Swedish food.

On my return, I accompanied my team to Stellenbosch where we broke for lunch at the Dorp Street Deli. We asked for a table in the courtyard where the sun created pockets of warmth on the crisp winter’s day. Alas, all tables were taken except for a six-seater, occupied by a couple deep in conversation. We were not to be squeezed in next to them and denied the opportunity to share our rich experiences of the day. Instead, we retreated to the rather vibeless space inside.

This is our first edition on shelf. For eight years, we have been somewhat of a private club for our  subscribers only. Although everyone has always been welcome at our table, a premium package does come at a price. Even if our iconic status, which you have helped us establish, is the only drawcard, then those who have bravely nicked copies from their bosses or friends can now proudly carry their very own. We hope the numbers at our table will expand rapidly as we enjoy sharing our stories as much as we like to hear them. We hope you enjoy our July issue and look forward to your report back.

WANTED will distributed to subscribers of Business Day tomorrow.

UPDATE: The arrival of WANTED on newsstands has been postponed. For further queries please contact MAPHALA MAKGOBA — (011) 280 3060.

Braamfontein regulars have been talking about the new dog in town, brothers Gert and Stefan Schoonraad’s bar Great Dane. The name makes more sense when you browse through the menu of gourmet hotdogs on offer, handy for absorbing those couple of beers you’ll be throwing back while listening to the host of local DJs. We like the floor made from thousands of five cent coins.

Great Dane, 34 De Beer Street, Braamfontein