Introducing Metal from KIN: Paper | Metal | Clay

Whenever I see a piece of jewellery worn, I wonder about the story.

A celebration? A moment of joy? A reminder? A gift to oneself?

Aren't they lovely, these stories we carry with us?

    

    

  

 

      

    

  

   

Introducing Paper from KIN: Paper | Metal | Clay

Paper popping up, drawn on, etched into, cut, printed, creating worlds, protecting precious objects.

With laughter, whimsy and love.

     

   

   

   

New KIN

_____

Lift the bowl
from the bottom shelf
and hold it
in both hands. Cup
the bowl. Let your palms
feel its weight. Wonder (...)
- Melissa Butler

After six years of providing a platform to South African design, I felt my focus shift. 

Locally manufactured was always integral to KIN; it was the first criteria of all objects in our bricks and mortar pop-ups, and then in our stores and then online.

Another was our love for the object and our devotion to the story around the object. 

I believe that our focus on ethical manufacturing can now take flight and go beyond our previous bricks and mortar bound existence

KIN’s focus remains very simple. But now, through our most beloved materials of paper, metal and clay, I will be focusing on:
Place: KIN's heart is in locally manufactured design
Meaning: KIN is the story of where an object comes from and where it will go
Craftsmanship: KIN is well made and made to last. Period.

Please join Eddie and I as we journey to designers' spaces and discover beautifully crafted pieces for your hands, homes and hearts.

To find Melissa Butler's book of poetry 'Removing', I order my copies from my favourite Cape Town bookstore, The Book Lounge.

Time Loops

As we planned for the exhibition Our Fathers, Kirsty Cockerill, director of the AVA at the time, and I sought to find artists dealing with the concept of fatherhood. With this in mind, I attended the Michaelis Graduate exhibition and visited the work of a young artist, David Brits.

David's exhibition centred on his father and was entitled Vaderland. It felt that, like me, David was battling with the concept of the father and the many faces the father wears. How does one reconcile the loving father with the warring father? Is it possible to forgive the ever-absent father?

The questions I asked about the two aspects were not answered in David's work, but they unravelled - visually. I immediately included some of his works in Our Fathers.​

This looking at the father figure has continued through the years as investigation in both Victor Victor and 1969, and now as a memorial in Snake Man. I stood in the gallery and followed the curves and movements of the black line in David's linocuts.

And it seems that David and I have aligned again.

My grandfather was my greatest male ally in the world and although he passed two decades ago, the closeness and safety of the relationship is a touchstone. So it is with a great deal of reverence that I approached the work David describes as "a love letter from me to him, from a grandson to a grandfather, a final farewell from the here-now to the here-after; a meditation on paternal love".

It was not the portraits from newspaper clippings capturing John Wood's smile and his deft handling of the snakes that made my heart stop; it was these loops.

The echoing and winding of them, the mirror of the loops to each other, in the same way that we are mirrors of each other.

Grandfather to father to son.

Each, hopefully, a better loop than the one from whence we came.





For more images and David's statement, please visit David's website and the beautiful gallery, SMITH studio.

Our Exquisite #SpringHasSprung Windows

To welcome the loveliest of seasons back to Cape Town, Aviv of Forever Love and Camilla Artisan Florist have teamed up to bring a real forest right into the store! The display smells as fresh and green as it looks! What a privilege to have all this natural beauty in store for a whole month :)

Aviv of Forever Love setting up a comfy home for her precious wildlife

Camilla is a freelance florist with over 15 years experience creating stunning floral compositions for weddings, functions and individual clients. Aviv is one of our KIN jewellery designers and her hand-cut pieces feature bunnies, wolves, owls & foxes roaming intricate, layered landscapes of silver, brass, bronze & copper. We knew the work of each of these talented creatives would complement the other, and our beautiful #SpringHasSprung windows are proof of another wonderful #KINcollaboration <3

Feeling right at home in #KINonKloof's little forest, intricate, layered necklaces by Forever Love

Camilla working her magic - pop over to Camilla Artisan Florist 's page to get in touch with this talented, green-fingered artist!

Each of Forever Love's pieces is carefully hand-cut from layers of sterling silver, brass, copper and bronze and so no two will ever be the same.

Each of Forever Love's pieces is carefully hand-cut from layers of sterling silver, brass, copper and bronze and so no two will ever be the same.

Choosing the right blooms for the right occasion, conditions and composition is something that comes naturally to Camilla

Each of Forever Love's pieces is carefully hand-cut from layers of sterling silver, brass, copper and bronze and so no two will ever be the same.

The window exhibition will be up from 27th August to 19th September so do pop in to admire the natural beauty Camilla has so effortlessly enhanced, and the handcrafted beauty of each of Aviv's exquisite jewellery pieces.  

Forever Love is running a giveaway! Take a selfie in front of our windows, post it to Instagram or Facebook using the hashtags #ForeverLoveJewellery #KINonline #SpringHasSprung & stand a chance to win this beautiful necklace worth R800!

The competition closes September 19th and the winner will be announced September 30th.

Aviv of Forever Love and Camilla in front of the gorgeous window exhibition they created.

 

Follow Forever Love and Camilla Artisan Florist on Facebook here

Or visit their websites here:

http://foreverlove.co.za/

http://artisanfloristcamilla.weebly.com/

Spring is here!

1. Ceramic Bunnies by Chandler House, Stacking Rings by Long Jean Silver
2. Lotus Flower Earrings by White Rabbit Days
3. All the Time is Teatime Illustration by Maria Lebedeva
4. Pastel Dipped Ceramic Bowls by Eleven Hundred & KIN
5. Sterling Silver, Brass & Bronze Fudge The Rabbit Necklaces by Forever Love
6. Wooden Candle Holder by Wonderworkx
7. High Times Night Photography by Dave Robertson
8. Focus Mini Print by JA!
9. Affirmation Cards by Soulshine Living
10. Sterling Silver & Enamel Stacking Rings by Long Jean Silver
11. Illustrated Tealight Shade by Sharon Boonzaier
12. Love Scrabble Coaster Set by Mocholoco
13. Veld Cushion Cover by Fabric Nation

Don't miss our gorgeous September window exhibition at KIN on Kloof!
Aviv of Forever Love is teaming up with Camilla, Artisan Florist to bring Spring right into the store. The windows will be up from Fri 28th August - Sat 19th Sept 2015.

The Remake Challenge : Awards Evening

Necklace by Aviv of Forever Love and dress by Hannah Rose Smith

We were so delighted to attend the Awards Evening of this year's Remake Challenge and see all the objects, garments and our KIN jewellery beautifully displayed and looking gorgeous!

Necklaces by A Bird Named Frank and outfit by Roxanne Louw

We were all treated to delicious snacks and a superb glass of wine while we chatted and waited with increasing anticipation for the big moment of the night.

Jewellery by White Rabbit Days and outfits by Justine Pulford

Jewellery by Tessa J Kelly

The winners were announced by Nikki Stear, the founder of Live Eco and The Remake Challenge, and they are:

Fashion
First Place - Werner Boshoff for his “Urban Valkyrie” collection
Second Place - Justine Pulford for her "Autumn Knits" collection
Special Prize - Hannah Rose Smith for her “Urban Transformation” collection

Werner Boshoff with his lovely model in the Avant Garde piece from his “Urban Valkyrie” collection

Jewellery by Reverie Designs and outfits by Werner Boshoff

“This year was by far the hardest year of the competition to judge as the quality of the designs has gone up so much and I loved all of them. The passion of the entrants, and their understanding of the issue of sustainability, and their interpretation of the brief was inspiring to say the least. All the finalists deserve accolades for their hard work, and it was very difficult choosing the top 3, let alone the winner. I am very happy to see such brilliant sustainable designs, and I hope that this experience will influence these talented young designers to pursue a career in sustainable fashion, helping to right some of the wrongs so commonly associated with the industry. Well done to all involved.”

-Tony Budden, judge and CEO of Hemporium

Justine Pulford, winner of Second Place for her "Autumn Knits" collection

Hannah Rose Smith, winner of the Special Prize for her "Urban Transformation" collection

Object
First Place - Drew Wolf, for his upcycled lounge chair, “Belted”
Second Place & Special Prize - Kristina Nielsen for her object, “Glass Gardens”

Drew Wolf and his upcycled lounge chair, “Belted”

It is such a privilege for us to have been involved for the second year with this truly inspiring initiative by Live Eco. Alongside the glamour and fun of the competition, is the real work it's doing to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable fashion and living. We are so proud to have been a part of the Remake Challenge 2015 alongside our 5 talented KIN jewellery designers - Aviv Mirkin, Caryn Fourie, Claire Sandham, Helen Andrews and Tessa J Kelly.