Craig Raeside On Design Culture

INTERVIWED BY Michaela Stehr

VISI chats to Craig Raeside of Créma about local and international trends in design.

Where do you see design heading in South Africa?

Design in South Africa, and all over the world really, is heading in a retro direction, which I absolutely love! Neon colours, striking graphics and groovy prints are everywhere. In the design industry, retro is absolutely the ‘in’ thing. BRAK, for example, is a Joburg-based company owned by a father and son duo and their recent collections are all centered around colour and wood, encompassing that mid-century modern feel. But we’re not only seeing this trend in decor and accessories, it’s apparent in fashion too – from Sophiatown chic and oversized coats to round sunglasses. These are all previous principles that have been reawakened and reinvented. It’s fantastic.

What is your idea of design culture?

In the same way that culture is the cumulative deposit of belief systems, knowledge and infrastructure of a collective group, design culture is the cumulative deposit of design principles, production, ideas and innovation, consumption and discussion. In essence, it’s a collective effort of everything that is design.

How do we see elements of design in our daily lives?

Design is present all the time. So you wake up in a bed that was designed to give you a restful sleep, then you brush your teeth with a toothbrush that was designed to get to those hard to reach areas of your mouth. You get in your car that was made with seats that perfectly support you. I mean, design is all around us. The pen you use at work was designed with the perfect grip. It can come down to the smallest things in life – at some point in all the things around us, from conception and manufacturing to consumption and use, design is present.

How did you get involved with design?

I lived in London for most of my life and I just fell in love with the designers there. Owning Créma happened by chance when I left London to move back to Cape Town. The previous owner had decided to sell her business when she fell pregnant. I would say a combination of love of design and fate is what got me involved in design.

Any hot designers we should be all be looking out for?

We’re really excited about the designers we’re featuring at our new showroom in Woodstock. Hay and Muuto (both Scandinavian brands) are known for their contemporary and elegant designs. 

Find more design inspiration at cremadesign.co.za.