WORDS Kelly Ghali IMAGES Hazel Mathias and courtesy of Wild Olive Artisans

Wild Olive African Artisans Apothecary and Artistic Perfumery House in Cape Town is a destination for shopping natural perfumery, bath, body and homeware products.

For the past two decades this local manufacturer has forged its own style of cosmetic, fragrance and product design. The products are made to order or as limited editions in collaboration with artists, and are ever-evolving lines of body washes, lotions, butters, candles, perfumes and many more.

Wild Olive African Artisan Apothecary is located at 29 Pepper Street, Cape Town.

Wild Olive Artisans’ philosophy is to offer you cosmetic products that would assist in preserving your health and beauty for as long as possible. Everything is formulated and made under one roof by skilful artisans, with a second generation already joining the business.

Wild Olive Artisans owns its R&D, manufacturing and retail platforms, and has made it its mission to put Africa on the map of natural beauty and perfumery, seeking to represent the cultural values of the continent in an authentic way.

“We spent the past decade learning how we could make a difference in our local market, but also internationally,” says business manager Monica Onigas. “We scrutinise our methodology, formulating style and business processes continuously. We pay close attention to the feedback we receive from our customers. While keeping an eye on issues of environmental and social responsibility, we try to juggle market trends, seeking to be as relevant and as efficient as we can be and in line with global demands.”

THE STORY OF TERRA FLORA PARFUM

Kelly Ghali, the muse who inspired perfumer Marioara de la Tara, shares with us her experience of making this perfume.

Muse Kelly Ghali and perfumer Marioara de la Tara.

“Stop the car!” I said to my husband. We had taken a short-cut across Bree Street and found ourselves outside Wild Olive Apothecary and Artistic Perfumery House on Pepper Street in Cape Town.

Stepping inside the converted 19th-century building that houses the shop and the cosmetic and perfume laboratory, I was instantly enchanted by the space and its scent. The chance encounter with Marioara sparked the beginning of a friendship, which, a year later, resulted in me inspiring the creation of a new perfume, Terra Flora, which was launched in October 2018.

Terra Flora Parfum has a dominant base note of sandalwood, enhanced by oakmoss and softened by orange flower and iris root absolutes. The mid notes are neroli and jasmine. In the top notes, mandarin dominates, with accents of petitgrain, bergamot, lime and rosewood. R95 (3 ml); R2 200 (30 ml)

The idea for Terra Flora came from my frustration at not being able to find a perfume that was unusual, easy to wear and synthetics-free. I had become accustomed to using aromatherapy oils, and found mainstream perfumes overwhelming, often leaving me with a headache and sour-smelling skin.

Being offered the opportunity to create my own perfume was a dream come true. Marioara worked on my brief, using oils renowned for their grounding and calming qualities. Our goal was to create a sophisticated, elegant yet modern unisex perfume suitable for any occasion or season using only the highest-quality natural materials.

We commissioned artist Penelope Cooras to create artwork inspired by my life story and used elements of it for the packaging and bottle design. Terra Flora really is unlike any other perfume you will have experienced.

For more information, visit wildolive.eu.

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Mungo

Known for their distinct quality, Mungo is an original homeware textile company whose products are woven using re-purposed and antique looms at their mill in Plettenberg Bay. Sustainability and transparency underpins their philosophy and their products are made to last. This company designs, weaves and makes all of their homeware textiles in South Africa. Visit Mungo’s studio to experience their range of blankets, bedding, table linen, kitchen linen, flat weave towels and more.

78 Hout Street, 021 201 2347, mungo.co.za

Santa Maria Novella

Started in the 13th century in Florence, Italy, this is the oldest perfumery and pharmacy in the world. Today, the products are still made by hand in Florence, using only pure essential perfume oils. The range consists of fine fragrances, mens’ grooming, bath, body and face products, as well as fine fragrances for the home. Visit this store and experience perfumes worn by royalty since 1533.

68 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant, 021 425 8181, smnovella.com

Savoy Cabbage

Savoy Cabbage boasts exciting contemporary cuisine. A combination of Table Mountain stone, brick, and glass combine to make a visually exciting venue. With a menu that alters daily and uses the freshest local produce, you are guaranteed a gracious dining experience without all the excessive formality. Free range and organic foodstuffs abound and there is a small and well-priced boutique wine list

101 Hout Street, 021 424 2626, savoycabbage.co.za

Skinny laMinx

This local design company is all about African chic, Scandi-inspired, mid-century style and crazy Japanese-inspired patterns and colour. Everything at Skinny laMinx is designed by Heather Moore, and is made in South Africa. Upstairs, above the shop, is a light and airy studio, where team Skinny is hard at work cutting, sewing and packaging goods to send off to homes and stores across the globe.

201 Bree Street, 021 424 6290, skinnylaminx.com

Wild Olive

Wild Olive African Artisan Apothecary and Artistic Perfumery House manufactures bath, body, home and perfumery products that are created by hand using only the finest local, natural and organic materials: essential oils, absolutes, extracts, butters, gums and powders from the Cape floral kingdom. They source from suppliers they trust and deal directly with local farmers as much as possible. Wild Olive believes that living is an art form, something which each of us should strive to give the time and respect it deserves.

29 Pepper Street, 021 422 2777, wildolive.eu

Minuteman

This full-service print and graphics centre is conveniently located in the City Bowl (with free parking). They offer full colour printing (litho and digital), wide format printing, vinyl and bulk copies to meet any short- to medium-run print requirement for both individuals and businesses. The focus is on quality and quick turnaround from their qualified and helpful staff. They operate the latest technologies across printing platforms.

220 Loop Street, 021 424 3004, capetown.minutemanpress.com

Missed Part One of the Fine Living District guide? Click here for more. For further Fine Living District destinations, visit finelivingdistrict.co.za.

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Adelina Ivan has been an established Romanian designer since 2008. Her industrial design roots are evident in her creations and define her compelling aesthetics: minimal, futuristic and conceptual, made of pure fabrics with refined finishes. To reflect the philosophy of her brand, Wild Olive created a fragranced porcelain candle for her in two patterns, which are available from wildolive.eu and adelinaivan.com.

EDUN is a global fashion brand based in New York. They are building long-term, sustainable growth opportunities by supporting manufacturers and community-based initiatives, partnering with African artists and artisans. Wild Olive created a fragranced porcelain candle in two patterns for EDUN that pays tribute to the Cederberg and its Clanwilliam Cedar tree, while still reflecting their 2016 winter collection. Available soon.

With a multi-disciplinary background, Bridget Heneck expresses her work through various artistic outlets in a vibrant and innovative way. Born in Cape Town, she studied a BA in Fine Art majoring in Jewellery Design at Stellenbosch University. She created a bath salt container for Wild Olive, which is available from wildolive.eu and at 29 Pepper Street in Cape Town’s CBD.

For more information, contact Wild Olive at 021 422 2777, via office@wildolive.eu or visit wildolive.eu.

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What is Wild Olive’s mission?

Our core mission is to demonstrate that Africa can compete at the highest standard on a global level. We also want to give our team access to education and skills development.

How do you work?

We insist in selecting only natural local ingredients, bought in many cases, directly from the farmers. We always support local, as much as possible.

We develop all our formulae in house and manufacture everything by hand in our own laboratory and factory in Cape Town’s CBD. We understand that a true luxury item can only be made by hand. We spend most of our energy and resources on skills development, ensuring that our artisans benefit from the best education with free access to exceptional materials and technologies.

What do you manufacture?

We manufacture bath, body, home and perfumery products, mostly inspired by African cultures and traditional African medicine. We are proud to be located in Cape Town, where art, creativity and beauty rituals form a part of the area’s history.

How do you think in terms of product development and designing of your products?

I work very closely with my colleagues from the Transkei. They are an infinite source of inspiration. I love nature, so living and working in Cape Town is extremely good for me, as the Cape flora is something I am very passionate about.

What is the reason for Wild Olive’s success so far?

Our success so far is the result of a clear mission, tenacious structure, planning, resilience and the ability to listen extremely carefully to our customers’ suggestions and needs. We never knocked on anyone’s door in order to sell our products. We believe in the philosophy that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. The right people always find each other. We just wanted to make sure we have a reliable product and a presence in exceptional people’s lives.

To view Wild Olive’s products, visit wildolive.eu.

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