The Food Wine and Design Fair
ilovani was invited by Design curator Trevyn McGowan of Source to exhibit at this the first Food Wine and Design Fair in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Quite an honour to be showing amidst the finest of the fine in contemporary design!
ilovani’s stand, a mere 3×4 m in Design Tent B, was a vibrant and eclectic mix of contemporary furniture pieces – a bespoke white pear dining table suite, butterflied from one log, along with 2 MATCHING benches, all with to-die-for wishbone legs – and Xmas gift smalls all packed into the highly coveted 4 bleached blackwood shelves and wine rack. There were piles of RECYCLED OAK boards, hearts, bread boards, myrtle pinch pots and candle holders, salad hands, wine barrel candelabra and a myriad COTTONWOOD and eucalyptus chopping blocks.
The 5 recycled wine barrel and tumbled glass chandeliers evoked gasps of delight and the kiddi tables, chairs and benches were oversold!
We’d taken far too much stuff to fit in our stall and an accommodating friend’s garage, and a HARD PEAR dining table, still in its protective grey packing blanket and with only stylish blonde wishbone legs showing, was borrowed smartly by a jeweler to show her fine designs. A fashion designer down our aisle snapped up the benches to dress her stall.
ilovani was pure market with a fast pace of sales amidst some of the very refined and restrained designer stalls around us.
Sales were good. Worthwhile trade connections were made. The experience was sometimes exasperating, often exhausting, definitely enlightening. Would we do it again? Only time will tell…
The best of the fair? So many people, so far from home, knew The Heath and recognized ilovani’s style immediately. The number of people in tune with and encouraging of our eco consciousness was heartening. Wood was Queen! The Rumi inspired quote on our wall said it all. “Let the beauty we love be what we do”.
The House and Leisure stand had exotic whiskey tastings with dark salt chocolate and Chrisna of Stellenbosch olive fame headed past regularly and meaningfully for her daily lift. Niel Pendock, the wine curator, had made a fine selection and tasting the intriguing boutique fare was desirable but not advisable under the circumstances. The food selection was less exciting with the best definitely from the Cape? The venue was awesome (if you don’t count delivery/removal, parking, access, toilet facilities, air con or storage) with the suburban parkade rooftop transformed by a thick layer of barkchip, hundreds of potted trees, a wall of agapanthus, strings of fairy lights, 5 or 6? enormous billowing white marquees filled with every kind of stylish delight and a city skyline etched intermittently with sheet lightening and massive plops of Highveld rain. I believe there was one heck of a party out on that sunset rooftop on Opening Night with the invited VIP’s. We were holed up under the sweltering but glittering chandeliers doing brisk business.
Apart from ilovani’s fare – the boardroom table by James Mudge with inlaid words by Willem Boshoff, also much admired by the Kentridges; the simple and innovative lights by architect Goet in the House and Leisure stand; beautiful chairs by Vogel, a peg-shaped sustainable wood (bluegum) bench by Krynauw and a bespoke Casamento couch.
The ilovani team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a green and prosperous New Year!
