Meeting… Tristan du Plessis Having picked up a number of projects in his first few years of business, South Africa’s rising star continues to flourish, prioritising collaboration and the promotion of his fellow countrymen in every design. Words: Guy Dittrich
C
onversations with Tristan du
Hell’s Kitchen was Studio A’s first foray –
Plessis are always convivial –
a prohibition-style bar in the Johannesburg
he’s clearly enjoying himself.
suburb of Melville. With a refreshing naivety,
And why not? The designer is on
du Plessis felt no pressure. “I was getting paid
a roll having won no less than
so little that no one expected anything great,
eight projects in his first year
so I had fun,” he quips. There he goes again,
of business – momentum that has continued
having fun! But here’s the inside track. “I knew
through Covid times. Undeterred by the travel
that my friends and I would be drinking there, I
restrictions in his home country of South Africa,
wanted to make sure they were impressed,” he
du Plessis’ order book still bulges. Many in
continues, “So I did what I thought was cool.”
southern Africa and the Middle East but also
And cool meant a suitably dark and
Europe; he will be in Salzburg soon for the first
secretive space with speakeasy doors hidden
site inspection of a development he has been
in bookshelves, meat cleavers on walls and
working on virtually up until now. You can feel
artwork depicting various characters who lived
the excitement in his anticipation of the trip. “I
fast and died young. Subdued, dimly lit spaces
can’t wait,” he confirms.
are a throwback to du Plessis’ earlier nightclub
Du Plessis’ success is based on early ventures
and bar work. “I’m attracted to a dark, moody
in the nightclub sector. “At the time, being in
ambiance that you can feel as soon as you walk
my early-2os, designing nightclubs was the
through the door,” he notes. “In my world
ultimate dream,” he enthuses. He set up Studio
currently it’s a differentiator, coming from a
A in 2015, “with the goal of picking up one or
more masculine perspective.”
two projects in the first year”, but the orders
Coming from an artistic background – his
kept coming. You feel he is almost pinching
great uncle, Hannes du Plessis, is a well-known
himself in disbelief.
artist in South Africa – he found himself drawn
