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.

The Remake Challenge : Tessa J Kelly Jewellery with Fashion Finalist Jean Baard

 

Tessa J Kelly's jewellery balances the boldness of gleaming brass with detailed designs that are inspired by the plants and creatures of South Africa and express Tessa's deep love for nature. Using traditional techniques that she learnt during her time in the United Kingdom at art school and working for an authentic silversmith’s; Tessa cuts each design by hand and every one of her finished pieces is a careful combination of brass, synthetic silk, and glass, coral or vintage beads. For the avant garde headpiece, and to experiment with upcycling, Tessa cut delicate white feathers from waste plastic.

 

We paired Tessa with Jean Baard as we loved the contrast the bright brass would make with Jean's elegantly muted colour palette. The high level of detail in Tessa's silhouettes also emphasize the strong, clean lines of Jean's garments. When we saw Jean's items in person, it was also obvious that she is very particular about the quality of her craftsmanship just as Tessa is about her jewellery - her garments are well-made and hang beautifully.

Jean: "My collection is the perfect mixture of my favourite styles and details. It is simplistic and elegant. I was inspired by the modern business women on her day off. The key elements of my collection are pleats and the boat neck line."

Jean's lovely model (left), Jean (centre), Tessa & Guy (right)

All Tessa's Remake Challenge jewellery pieces will be for sale at KIN on Kloof until the end of September, and then they will be on show at our KIN stand at the Sanlam Handmade Contempory fair in Joburg.

Find Tessa on Facebook here.
Read Jean's full interview here.

The Remake Challenge : Helen of White Rabbit Days with Finalist Justine Pulford

Helen Andrews began White Rabbit Days as an expression of her love for wandering, discovering and exploring. Helen's intricate designs are captivating and so expressive of her adventurous character. She has allowed her brand to unfold organically – as she discovers new materials, skills and inspiration, and the Remake Challenge has been yet another part of her journey as these are the very first pieces she has had cut from brass.

We paired Helen with Justine Pulford as we thought Helen's bold designs would accentuate the soft textures and tones of Justine's garments. What we didn't count on, is that Justine is vegan and Helen works partly with laser-cut leather to create her intricate but light-weight pieces. Both designers were keen to think of a new approach, however, and we are thoroughly delighted with the results of their collaboration! Helen took Justine's concept of celebrating the inherent beauty of bamboo - one of the key sustainable materials - and created iconic silhouettes of the bamboo plant in brass. The pieces are elegant and confident yet playful, and complement Justine's sense of freedom and personal empowerment.

 
Justine: "I am in love with knitwear and I love autumn as I can finally pull out my jerseys. I wanted my collection to be chic for a city girl yet still look organic and be comfortable for home."

Justine (left) and Helen (right)

All Helen's Remake Challenge jewellery pieces will be for sale at KIN on Kloof until the end of September, and then they will be on show at our KIN stand at the Sanlam Handmade Contempory fair in Joburg. 


Follow White Rabbit Days on Facebook here.
Read Justine's full interview here.

The Remake Challenge : Claire of Reverie Designs with Finalist Werner Boshoff

Claire Sandham of Reverie Designs creates jewellery that embodies a sense of ancient mystery and enigmatic beauty. Working predominantly in silver, gold and gem stones, she draws her inspiration from organic shapes and nature. In Claire's words,"I try to create my pieces so the shape of the piece is open to interpretation". In this way, each piece becomes a personal symbol and even more unique and deeply meaningful to it's wearer.

We paired Claire with Werner Boshoff as the work of both designers focuses on a subtle flow of form - Claire's through the delicate swirls and curves of her pieces, and Werner through the fluid and free lines of his clothing. The ethereal appearance of Werner's key fabric choice (hemp silk) and sense of movement his designs allow, also complement the organic feel of Claire's designs. Claire's use of both bright silver and dark, oxydised silver fits effortlessly into Werner's light -but with an edge of darkness- palette, and his concept of the Urban Valkyrie.

In Werner's words: "Things like movement, the feeling of being free, challenged by life, yet completely unrestricted by the clothes you where."

All Claire's Remake Challenge jewellery pieces will be for sale at KIN on Kloof until the end of September, and then they will be on show at our KIN stand at the Sanlam Handmade Contempory fair in Joburg. 

Follow Reverie Designs on Facebook here.
Read Werner's full interview here.

The Remake Challenge : Caryn of A Bird Named Frank with Finalist Roxanne Louw

Caryn Fourie and Peter Campbell are the complementary creative forces behind A Bird Named Frank. With backgrounds in fashion design and fine art respectively; together they produce a jewellery range that has become known for its minimalist aesthetic and geometric focus. Their designs have always been refreshingly simple, and A Bird Named Frank is characterised by subtlety, muted tones, fine detail and quality in craftsmanship.

We paired A Bird Named Frank with Roxanne Louw as her collection is designed with the idea of emphasizing contrasting elements, with a focus on metal. Caryn and Peter played with these concepts while also taking on the challenge of using sustainable / recycled materials, and teamed fine slivers of brick and concrete with brass and silver. The extremes of the brick - the coarseness, mottled colours and natural imperfections - is contrasted by the perfect smoothness and clinically clean form of the brass bars and also echo Roxanne's city-themed inspiration.

Roxanne: "My Urban Luxe collection is called Oxymoron because it has a contrast of different kinds of elements . Such as smooth textures to woolen coarse fabrics. Also because my concept is about the current season in the city . I used rustic metal and metal as a theme and that’s where I got my colour theme."

Roxanne's make up artist (far left), her lovely model (centre left), Roxanne (centre right) and Caryn (far right)

All A Bird Named Frank's Remake Challenge jewellery pieces will be for sale at KIN on Kloof until the end of September, and then they will be on show at our KIN stand at the Sanlam Handmade Contempory fair in Joburg. 

Follow A Bird Named Frank on Facebook here.
Read Roxanne's full interview here.

The Remake Challenge : Aviv of Forever Love with Finalist Hannah-Rose Smith

Aviv Mirkin of Forever Love is a jewellery designer and story teller. Hand-cut from different metals such as silver, brass and bronze; her pieces have a definite sense of narrative and depth. No two necklaces are the same and each takes you into its creature's marvelous little world. As Aviv says, "All my pieces are sentimental and tell a story, which is why I feel that when someone buys a piece of my jewellery they are buying a piece of me, my soul, passion, hardship and sentimentality.'

We paired Aviv with Hannah Rose Smith as Hannah Rose is just as passionate about allowing her clothes to tell a story through their layers. Each of her garments transform into simpler or more elaborate versions through the clever use of zips, buttons and removable pieces. It's a playful and functional approach to a busy day as one outfit can be used for work / leisure, daytime / nighttime. To explore recycled materials, Aviv also created a flower bracelet using only aluminum foil and plastic spoons.

In Hannah Rose's words: "I have experience with altering garments as growing up I did not like wearing clothes that were the same as everyone else, I have very few garments that are in their original condition."

Hannah Rose (left), her lovely model (centre) and Aviv (right)

All Aviv's Remake Challenge jewellery pieces will be for sale at KIN on Kloof until the end of September, and then they will be on show at our KIN stand at the Sanlam Handmade Contempory fair in Joburg. 

Follow Forever Love on Facebook here.
Read Hannah Rose's full interview here.