WORDS Steve Smith PHOTO Inge Prins (Justin Brett); Supplied
With a broad focus from furniture and architecture to fashion, film, food and music, a brand new festival of design has its inaugural events in Joburg and Cape Town this month.
Staring in Joburg over 10-13 October, the format for Design Week South Africa, powered by Yoco is a series of events that you can attend throughout the city, from architecture tours and open studios, to workshops, art exhibitions, product launches, and even bicycle ride.
THE MISSION
The events’ organisers describe it as curated calendar of events and immersive experiences that will showcase the future of South African design, through knowledge-sharing, inclusivity and support. Their mission is to create South Africa’s leading design platform that will celebrates design as an expression of creative thinking and making, creates connections, jumpstarts collaborations, and cultivates the next generation of creative leaders.
WHAT’S ON
The full list of events is on their website – designweeksouthafrica.com – with some requiring the purchase of tickets, others to register, or some you can simply just arrive. Here are some Joburg highlights:
Parktown North
- Iconic South African furniture brand TONIC will be celebrating their 25th birthday.
Parktown
- Collection launch by fashion brand VIVIERS STUDIO
Rosebank
- MØDERNIST will be showcasing their debut collection of sofas at TRUE DESIGN who will also be launching their new range of casegoods.
- ORIGIN ART host a workshop, in collaboration with ARTIST PROOF STUDIO.
- YOUNG URBANISTS and OXFORD PARKS MANAGEMENT DISTRICT will be hosting a walking tour and insightful talk themed “South Africa’s Future Neighbourhood: Designing for No Walls & Safer Streets” with INTAPROP, CITYCON AFRICA and DHK ARCHITECTS
Sandton
- Sustainable fashion and accessories brand SEALAND GEAR activate their Select campaign in store.
- Textile studio SOMETHING GOOD STUDIO and furniture brand THEURBANATIVE launch their collab collection at 223 Jan Smuts Creative Hub
Johannesburg city
- MAXHOSA studio and factory tour at.
- Watercolour monotype workshop by BEVAN DE WET at ELEVEN EDITIONS
Orange Grove
- OBJECTS BY KALASHNIKOVV – an exhibition and walkabout held at Latitudes Centre For Art.
THE TEAM
Meet the three folk who’s creativity and energy is driving Design Week South Africa…
Margot Molyneux. Having spent 10 years building her namesake clothing studio, a manufacturer and retailer of boutique collections of mens and womenswear, Margot more recently turned her attention to the world of media. 2024 has brought the launch of a new initiative, Design Week South Africa, a seemingly natural career transition as she combines her love of design and storytelling with her enthusiasm for the local creative industry and its growth and development.
Zanele Kumalo. With a twenty-year career in media, marketing and communications that sees her growing the now five-year-old boutique content studio whatzandidnext, she works as the Johannesburg liaison for global membership club, Soho House Cities Without Houses, and is the associate director for Kalashnikovv Gallery.
Roland Postma believes that building people-first cities is a necessity, not an idealistic goal. Currently the Managing Director at Young Urbanists NPC, he aims to inspire a new generation of thinkers and doers around city design and management, and provide solutions to local governments around the areas of housing, urban design and transportation.
DATES
Johannesburg
Thursday, 10 – Sunday, 13 October 2024
Cape Town
Thursday, 24 – Sunday, 27 October 2024
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