Prestige 80

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80

FA S H I O N | D ESIGN | J EW ELLERY |

your life

TR AV EL |

in luxury

BUSINESS | P RO PERTY

BOHEMIAN BRIDAL FASHION • MAGICAL MALDIVES • GLITTERING DIAMONDS HOTTEST PROPERTIES • MERCEDES S-CLASS COUPE • GOLF’S MARTIN KAYMER R49.00

Issue 80 – 1/2015

Africa’s Premier luxury Lifestyle Magazine

The S-Class CoupĂŠ.

Welcome to the view from the top.

A sight of beauty and triumph. The S-Class CoupĂŠ, with industry-first curve tilting technology, leans itself into bends for ultimate driving comfort. Unveil a vision of performance, poise, and unparalleled luxury that can only be described as breathtaking.

Welcome to the view from the top. Visit www.mercedes-benz.co.za/s-coupe Vehicle specifications may vary for the South African market.

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contents

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Upfront Ed’s Letter – Page 6

Inside

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Getting Away from it all

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Desert Boutique – A grand old dame in Graaff Reinet has been given a new lease on life as an historic masterpiece and a beautiful jewel in this Karoo town’s crown – Page 62

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Lifestyle – The latest luxury products – Page 8 Cut and Polished – Yair Shimansky has spent the last twenty years beneficiating diamonds close to the source of the Southern African mines. Prestige got to know a few facets of this luxury goods entrepreneur – Page 14 Creating order in Chaos – Dr John Demartini takes us through a simple task that will set priorities for the many ‘things’ we face daily – Page 22 Plus Fours – Current US Open golf champion Martin Kaymer has enjoyed an apparel partnership with HUGO BOSS since 2011 which has provided great synergy between player and brand – Page 26 Life’s Work – Dauphin HumanDesign Group’s report back on Orgatec – the international office and object fair – Page 30 Hot Houses – The South African luxury property market is riding a wave of demand from both local and foreign buyers. Chris Buchanan spoke to Lew Geffen about the outlook for the R20m+ segment – Page 34 The Butterfly Effect – With five successful stores in the Cape, home décor and gift emporium Isabelina, has now opened in Design Quarter, Gauteng. Chris Buchanan paid them a visit – Page 44 Take the Lead…and 5, 6, 7, 8… – From the Mambo and Tango right through to Fandango, Ted Baker can out-Fred the nimblest Astaire – Page 50 Bridal Bohemia – Since its creation in 2012, Australian couture bridal label Bo & Luca has revolutionised the traditional white dress – Page 56

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Oaklands Country Manor – Van Reenen’s pass is seen as a waypoint on the busy route between Durban and Johannesburg in South Africa.

Yet, if you take the right turn there are magnificent vistas provided by the hills and valleys in true to the Kwazulu-Natal countryside style – Page 68 Magical Maldives – Whether basking in the sunlight at the base of a coconut palm - like one of the variable lizards found on the island- scuba diving in azure waters or dining on freshly caught sea-food, Gillian McLaren revels in the sensuality of the tropics – Page 72

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Food and Wine

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The Essentials of Whisky – An often confusing navigation. Patrick Leclezio cuts through the clutter – Page 78 The Beating Heart of Brandy – Alive and well and making a comeback. Patrick Leclezio reports on a proud South African tradition – Page 82 Leader of the Pack – Scottish Leader whisky has been through a rebranding and repositioning exercise in the everyday whisky drinking market – Page 86

Getting Around

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Wider and Wider – The Future of Yachting takes shape in a new shipyard in Ancona, Italy – Page 88 Beating the Bends – Vivien Natasen drives the allnew Mercedes S-coupe through the beautiful Cape Winelands – Page 94 Essence of Alfa – In an era when even the most outrageous supercars ride like limos, along comes Alfa Romeo’s 4C, which puts you in touch with every nuance of road surface, every mesh of dual-clutchcontrolled gear, every revolution of its beautifully balanced crankshaft – Page 98 Museo Ferrari – Usually at a motor museum there is one car that stands out for you. One that you take away with you in your head; think about the lines, the wheels, the sound it must make. Stuart Johnston filled his head with these sounds at Museo Ferrari in Maranello – Page 104

Final Say

From the Publisher – Page 112

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Earrings by Dominic Jones

Mila Kunis wears Zambian emeralds from Gemfields, the world’s leading producer of ethically-sourced coloured gemstones.

Beauty, set in stone. www.gemfields.co.uk +27 (0)21 794 2488

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UPFRONT

Publisher Vivien Natasen +27 11 484 2833 Editor Chris Buchanan chris@prestigemag.co.za

ED'S

Layout and Art Direction Daniel Jonathan info@danieljonathan.co.za

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Advertising Sales Carly Natasen carly@prestigemag.co.za Calvin Pillay calvin@prestigemag.co.za

014 was a good year for the luxury business.

Porsche, BMW, RollsRoyce, Bentley and MacLaren all had record sales years and De Beers saw an 11% rise in sales with its Forevermark brand growing its stores by 20%.

Forecast diamond production for 2015 is between 32 and 34 million carats off the back of 32.6 million carats last year.

There are conflicting reports on the watch sector some asking the question whether a record 2014 can be repeated in 2015 while Richemont says its December quarter was the worst in six years.

Luxury hotel accommodation is also doing well and all of the hotel operators have a busy year of new hotel openings across the four corners of the globe. A recent article in the Los Angeles Times speaks of investors snapping up luxury hotels amid rising occupancy and room rates.

A look at luxury property tells the same story, as record prices for properties in the sought after destination cities are reported week in and week out. Our local market, particularly in Cape Town is looking at an eight to nine percent increase in value over the next three years.

It seems that luxury goods and services are riding the crest of a wave and while the Asian market is a concern many manufacturers and service providers, the markets of the US and Europe have recovered sufficiently from the perils of 2008/9 to keep sustained growth for the next two to three years.

It is worth noting that pre-2008

these trends were also visible on the back of relentless credit spending and inflated outlooks, not to mention credit ratings agencies consistently reporting that the health of the world economy was in good shape. So it’s worthwhile to apply caution when the outlook on luxury is so bullish because the bursting of any major bubble can have devastating repercussions on even the most robust of sectors.

Particularly hard hit post 2008 was the travel sector and it remains as vulnerable today as it was then. When crazy gun toting fanatics start targeting safe havens, people don’t travel and this is seen as the biggest threat to the international tourism business since the events in New York in September 2001. Luxury destinations of the Seychelles, the Caribbean, the southern Mediterranean coasts and closer to home Mauritius and Cape Town, took serious strain in the wake of the 2001 and 2008 events.

As things stand, 2015 looks like an exciting year for growth in luxury and we at Prestige hope to bring you the best of what is available across all facets of the sector.

In Erratum. The phrase states, “to err is human” and as frustrating as it might be, it happens and we have to accept it.

So, to Blancpain in the Best of the Best issue of Prestige – December 2014, my apologies for misspelling the name in the headline of the story and to Tanya van Graan, my apologies for omitting that she was the model of the Forevermark diamond collection in the same issue.

CHRIS

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Operations and Circulation Farhana Suder farhana.suder@neoafrica.com Digital Chris Buchanan chris@prestigemag.co.za Contributors Stuart Johnston, Patrick Leclezio, Gillian McLaren Printing Typo 011 402 3468 Subscriptions: To subscribe please go to www. prestigemag.co.za click on the Subscribe tab and submit the form. An invoice with banking details will be sent to you. Your first issue of Prestige will be despatched as soon as payment is made.

Costs: 6 Issues = R350 per annum excl VAT, other countries are subject to a postage surcharge and will be calculated accordingly.

PUBLISHED BY Neo Publishing (Pty) Ltd Tel +27 11 484 2833. Fax +27 11 484 2899 All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or any of its clients.

Information has been included in good faith and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information and reports in this magazine, the publisher does not accept any responsibility, whatsoever, for any errors or omissions, or for any effects resulting therefrom. No part of this publication may be used, or reproduced in any form, without the written permission of the publisher. All copyright for material apearing in this magazine belongs to Neo Publishing and/or the individual contributors. © 2014

digital

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diaries

n my travels over the December holidays I spent a couple of nights at the Drostdy Hotel in Graaff Reinet. There were a number of surprises from this grand dame of South African hotels which you can read about in the pages of this magazine, but the one that I found most interesting was the keyless system used for access into the room. All you needed to do was wave your key card in front of the locking mechanism and voila, the door opened. Major hotel operators are beginning to use these systems that can either be activated with a key card or via an app that you

solutions

download onto your smart phone on arrival.

Our smart phones are beginning to hold the key to many products and services that before needed manual input like turning a physical key in a slot or actually going into a bank to complete a transaction. The use of Uber taxis is another app that makes life very simple and inexpensive by being able to see where the cars are, how much it will cost you up front and giving full disclosure as to the name of the driver, the vehicle registration and the make.

Our entire lives exist on these devices and it’s well worth noting that losing your phone can be more inconvenient that losing your ID

document or your passport. If they get into the wrong hands, a major part of your identity can be accessed by the perpetrator but I’m sure there’s an app to prevent that from happening in an app store somewhere.

The question you’ll be asking is what happens when Eskom decides to cut the power for a couple of hours to save on capacity and these remarkable devices need the backup of the manual input to ensure you can access your room. I guess all you can hope for is that the hotel has a generator and that you remembered to charge your phone before you left the room.

www.prestigemag.co.za

Consulting A Neo Africa Company

Neo Solutions is a leader in innovative solutions to public and private sector organisations in Africa.

Our decade of experience has proven that we are a powerhouse in turnkey solutions covering strategy, business process re-engineering, human resources management and information technology. Our industry expertise spans many sectors including ICT, Banking, Mining, Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics.

Neo Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Neo Africa, which is a formidable 100% Black-owned and managed group of companies in Southern Africa. We have successfully implemented and managed several large scale projects, some amounting to several hundred million Rands.

The key to a successful consulting business is having the right people and equipping them with the most innovative tools and expertise to deliver outcomes that surpass client expectations. As Neo Solutions we have the right people and the right tools in our arsenal to be able to get your project to a successful conclusion.

Solutions… not just answers Tel: +27 11 484 2833 • Fax: +27 11 484 2899 • Email: info@neoafrica.com • www.neoafrica.com

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#imagineOMEGA #ImagineOMEGA is a photo series that captures the essence and personalities of some of our favourite watches in bell jars. The bell jar is the object allowing us to enhance the watch, as if it was protected such as a treasure in a natural history museum or in the so-called cabinets of wonder in years gone by.

The richness and the personality of our watches in terms of history and design allowed us to re-create the universe of the product under the bell jar. #ImagineOMEGA is, in a way, a journey through time and space, traveling from the Moon to the darkest oceanic abyss, from a frozen forest between Christmas and the New Year's Eve to the model of a sailing boat exposed in the living room of a house in the Hamptons.

#ImagineOMEGA www.omegawatches.com PRESTIGE: in the lap of luxury

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A Grand Date Complication Enters The Villeret Collection For the first time in the Villeret Collection, Blancpain’s most classical timepieces, Blancpain is offering the complication of a grand date. Both elegant and practical, Blancpain’s grand date employs two side-by-side windows for a display affording optimal readability.

When Blancpain’s watchmakers conceived the caliber 6950, they had as their objective to maximise legibility of the date, while at the same time enabling an instant change at midnight. At the same time, they set out to ensure that the mechanism would not significantly increase the movement’s profile. The result: an automatic movement with two mainspring barrels and a date mechanism designed to resist shocks. It further distinguishes itself with its free sprung balance with a silicium spiral and regulated by gold regulation screws. Fully having proven its capacities, this is the movement that powers the new Villeret Grande Date timepiece.

This new timepiece fits harmoniously within Blancpain’s classical Villeret collection. The timepieces within the Villeret line express the timeless values of traditional watchmaking with their understated refined design. Key Villeret signature elements have been woven into this newest timepiece with its red gold 40 mm double pomme case, opaline dial with applied Roman numerals, red gold hands, date display at 6 o’clock, and a clear sapphire caseback offering a view of the finishing of the movement and its honeycomb-pattern oscillating weight. Completing the ensemble is a chocolate brown alligator strap.

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Chopard L.U.C 1963 Chronograph Hand-wound chronographs embody a spirit of nobility, along with technical and aesthetic perfection. They are the grand classic when it comes to shorttime measurements and since they are not fitted with an oscillating weight that conceals much of the movement, they are ideally suited to showcasing impeccable craftsmanship. The L.U.C 1963 Chronograph thus has all the attributes of a true horological aristocrat.

Beneath its classically elegant appearance, the L.U.C 1963 Chronograph is a highly technical and sophisticated watch. Its hand-wound chronograph calibre is distinguished by a sophisticated technical construction and a particularly high degree of finishing that earns it the Poinçon de Genève hallmark. Its firm roots in the tradition of fine chronographs stems from a comprehensive aesthetic, technical and historical approach, as well as Karl-Friedrich’s personal passion for the purest expressions of traditional watchmaking.

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HEAVEN

SCENT xclusive French fragrance brand, M. Micallef, produced with a French tradition of craft and luxury, is set to grace African shores. Mon Parfum Gold - will be the first of their assembly of fragrances from luxury fragrance and beauty importer, Prestige Luxury Brands. It pays homages to the artistry, tradition and unmatched craftsmanship of classic parfumerie.

Mon Parfum Gold is the most mysterious of the Mon Parfum Collection. It reveals a fruity fragrance, enhanced by warm notes of vanilla and musk.

Yet all its character lies in the mystery surrounding its creation. The nose who worked on the fragrance, Geoffrey Newjman, will never unveil the secret ingredients that take you to the land of “Arabian nights”.

Its sparkling bottle with a breathless design, is a precious keepsake. The charming village of Grasse in France is where all the fragrance bottles are crafted using bohemian crystal, delicately decorated using Swarovski stones and filled by hand in M.Micallef’s workshop.

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Prouvé

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RAW PRESTIGE: in the lap of luxury

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ollowing the success in 2011 of the Prouvé RAW crossover project between Vitra and G-Star RAW, the partnership has continued with the development of a second limited series: the Prouvé Raw Office Edition. This second crossover collection revives a series of furniture and lighting originally designed by Jean Prouvé in the 1940s for the offices of major French industrial companies.

The Dutch fashion label G-Star RAW has found an expression of its identity in Jean Prouvé’s designs – technical objects that embody the principle of structural necessity while simultaneously exuding a poetic aura. As works that have attained the status of classics, they have served as a continual source of inspiration for the creative team at G-Star. In 2011, Vitra and G-Star RAW joined forces to launch Prouvé RAW, their first crossover collection.

In cooperation with the Prouvé family, Vitra has adapted the French designer’s furnishings to meet today’s office norms and needs, while teaming up with art directors at G-Star to develop colours and details. As part of this project, single and double workstations, conference tables, office chairs and several other furniture pieces were issued exclusively for G-Star.

In the new Prouvé RAW Office Edition, the designs in this crossover collection now become available to other companies and collectors.

‘My father would have appreciated the new energy that this cooperation brings to his designs. He always wanted things to look fresh and new. It’s wonderful to see how the collaboration between Vitra and G-Star RAW gives a new feeling to the collection, and that individual pieces are returning to the office – the place for which they were originally designed’, commented Catherine Prouvé on behalf of the designer’s family.

The Prouvé RAW Office Edition includes ten different designs, including office chairs, lamps and desks.

Authenticated with a special edition label, the furniture and lighting in the Prouvé RAW Office Edition will be available from April 2015 at G-Star.com until the end of 2016.

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cut and

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Polished

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Yair Shimanksy came to South Africa from his native Israel and saw an opportunity to beneficiate the precious resource of diamonds as close to their source as the traditional cutting and polishing centres of Antwerp and Tel Aviv. Chris bit deeper into the motivation of this entrepreneur.

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Buchanan dug a

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possible, away from

here is very little doubt as to the face value of a diamond.

In an expert opinion it might have inclusions, it might be coloured and it might be of an inferior shape, but to you and me, it’s a thing of beauty whether it’s one carat and of light colour, or whether it’s five carats, flawless and colourless.

We give them to the person we’re about to spend the rest of our lives with and with whom we’ve been for 60 years – they are symbols of longevity, forged within pipes of volcanic magma that have forced their way through the crust of the earth over billions of years.

When they emerge from the mining process, dirty and gnarled, it’s difficult to see the final piece of art that will take pride of place in an engagement ring. To see the potential in that raw product you need the same vision and an instinct that a sculptor possesses when they see their final work of art in a piece of rough stone. One such man is Yair Shimansky.

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Where did your love and passion for diamonds begin?

My passion for diamonds began in the late 1980’s when I first encountered a parcel of polished diamonds shown to me by a diamond dealer. He showed us a cluster of shiny sparkling stones that you hold in your hand only to realise its value.

Coming to South Africa is like coming to the source of diamond supply. How did this influence your decision to set up your diamond business on these shores?

At first I sourced my diamonds from a few local dealers only to realise that in order to get consistent supply in PRESTIGE: in the lap of luxury

the quality and standard that meets the Shimansky quality, we must polish the diamonds ourselves. As a diamond dealer looks at a diamond as a commodity and Shimansky looks at a diamond as a work of art, with full attention to detail and striving to maximise the brilliance and fire in every diamond. Being at the source allows us to buy the diamonds directly from the South African mines and hand select the best diamonds available.

Diamonds have always communicated opulence, wealth and beauty, epitomized by the images of the 50s, 60s and 70’s. How have the negative press regarding illegal diamonds and the increasing popularity of other precious stones diminished the aura surrounding diamonds?

Diamonds are the ultimate symbol of love and devotion, a constant reminder of the relationship between a man and a woman. In general all gemstones, including diamonds, are growing in popularity as consumers are starting to understand that nature does not produce more gems and that diamonds and the resources are becoming less, but more valuable. Like any industry there will always be some illegal trade infected.

The diamond industry is self-regulated and extremely diligent in maintaining integrity and ethical dealing, from mining to polishing. Consumers need to make sure that they are buying from reputable companies who share the same values.

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Diamond prices are on the rise and will continue to rise on average 8%-12% in US Dollars, for the next three to four years.

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How sustainable is the current and future diamond supply? (Are we finding new sources of diamonds?)

Diamond prices are on the rise and will continue to rise on average 8%-12% in US Dollars, for the next three to four years.

Without any large diamond discovery and the growing consumer demand from Asia and the USA, the supply demand gap is growing, paving the way to a meaningful price increase from 2018-2020 (I predict that prices will double, compared to today).

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As an investment, are diamonds better as single stones, or does a jewellery setting increase the value and potential return?

Buying jewellery for their purpose and their art is not for investment purposes when compared to buying an investment diamond. Not all diamonds qualify for investment as there are many factors that need to be considered. Like the investment strategy (medium or long term), the market you are more likely to resell your diamond in and the investment amount.

Once you buy an investment diamond you can set it into a jewellery item without affecting its value. In some cases the jewellery brand does add value to your diamond.

trust to be transparent and look after your interests, this is key to investing successfully. There are currently only a handful of diamond experts who will be able to advise you taking all the important factors into account, including being there for you when you want to realise your investment. I personally deal with the Shimansky Diamond Investment Club as confidentiality and discretion is a key element. One thing to remember when buying over the counter is a diamond will not serve your need as a diamond investor.

A diamond is transformed through the cut and polish of the stone. Is value attached to specific cuts and whether the stone is cut and polished in Israel as opposed to South Africa for instance?

The rough diamond can be cut and polished in any country in the world... a customer and a diamond dealer will never know unless the diamond is traceable to its origin and is recorded during the transformation, from rough to polish without being mixed in a parcel

A rough diamond is like a white canvas to an artist, you can polish the diamond to any shape you desire.

Unlike gold and other precious commodities, diamonds are not traded openly with transparent value systems.

How does one determine value in the diamond market?

This is where trust and integrity of the company you choose to buy your diamond from comes into effect as no two diamonds are alike. It depends on each person’s need, some clients are more interested in the diamond size while others are more interested in the diamond colour and the cut... there are many combinations. The best advice is to communicate your need and educate yourself to be able to select the diamond you want and to understand the important factors that determine the value beyond the basic 4Cs (carat, colour, clarity and cut) What are the essential elements to look for to ensure credibility, sustainability and authenticity when making an investment in diamonds?

An investment diamond is a very complex affair, first the client’s need and expectation will need to be assessed as there are a few options to select from.

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with other diamonds. When we buy the rough diamonds from the mines, every diamond is recorded with a unique ID Number that stays with the diamond and is recorded on a certificate.

South African diamonds are famous for their beauty and transparency, Shimansky is the only jeweller in South Africa that buys, cuts, polishes, designs, manufactures and sells diamonds from start to finish making us a fully integrated company and adding value at every stage, of the natural raw treasures from South Africa.

Our readers will know the Shimansky name through the retail stores. What are the other components of the Shimansky diamond business?

Yes we do have the Shimansky retail stores and other brands that we operate, our business consist of rough diamond dealing, diamond cutting and polishing, diamond cut designs, jewellery design and manufacturing, and jewellery brands development to international retailers.

The core of our business is the constant pursuit of excellence, learning every day to better our diamonds, jewellery and our customer service.

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Contact Yair Shimansky for any enquiries: ys@shimansky.co.za www.shimansky.com

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The saying goes, “there are many ways to skin a cat�. Are there a defined number of ways to cut a diamond, or are there new cuts coming into the market all the time?

A rough diamond is like a white canvas to an artist, you can polish the diamond to any shape you desire. With diamonds you are obligated to maximize the diamond value and its brilliant differences. Once you polish a facet you cannot reverse the step and re-polish it. Careful calculation combined with craftsmanship are essential to deliver the best diamond possible. Not all diamond cuts deliver optimum results, I have spent three years designing and perfecting the exclusive My Girl Diamond in order to achieve a perfect balance of fire, brilliance and scintillation (the first patented diamond cut from South Africa registered in over 35 countries).

Where our Brilliant10 Diamond (the most brilliant diamond cut in the world) is designed to maximise brilliance and white light.

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business

creating order in There are probably times in your busy personal or professional life when ‘things’ just seem to pile or stack up on you all at once, and when you become overwhelmed, frustrated and distracted. Dr John Demartini takes us through a simple task that will

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set priorities for the many ‘things’ we face daily.

nd every moment you become inundated in this manner and distracted from your primary mission and objectives in life you can pay a hefty price in the area of your health or wellbeing and if you are a leader or manager of a large corporation you can possibly cost your local, national or international corporation thousands, millions, or billions of dollars.

When you don’t have a focused and organised mind and clear set of prioritised daily actions you can spend enormous amounts of time, energy and thought on low priority distractions. This is the time when you may need to master the art of saying “no” to additional expectations from yourself or others and you may just require a simple tool that can help you sort through it all and bring some sanity, order and organisation back into your personal and professional life.

The Demartini Distraction Resolution Process is one such mind freeing tool. By following the instructions below you could save yourself, a bit of sanity, time energy and money.

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Instructions: Create a Distraction Resolution Form with five columns labelled, Distraction, Dump, Delegation, Do and date. In the column labeled Distraction, create a complete list of every distracting idea, item, thing, project or objective that is presently in or on your mind. Be sure to include anything in your personal or professional life occupying your mental space and time. Be exhaustive. No idea is too trivial to write. It may help you to chunk down more complex longer term projects or objectives that are distracting you into more manageable and smaller daily components and then list them. You may require more than one Distraction Resolution Form or page to contain all the distractions presently in or on your mind.

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Write in the second column labeled Dump, a check mark next to any idea, item, thing, project or objective that you truly can’t do anything about or that isn’t worth any further thought. Sometimes we carry around in our heads ideas that are of such low priority that we simply need to dump them from our thoughts. I find that there are sometimes a few items to simply dump, possibly only one out of fifty items listed, but that is one less item to have to fill your mind with once you do.

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Write in the third column labeled Delegate, the initial or full name of the individual who you feel you could best delegate the distraction written in column one to. This could be one of your subordinate employees, or anyone who could take this distraction off your shoulders, even friends, family members or colleagues. Select thoughtfully and wisely. It is wise to delegate to those more perfectly designed to fulfill the task. Think in terms of time and cost effectiveness when selecting who. If you discover that there are few if any items listed to be delegated, then that may be a sign that you are filling your day with way to many lower priority items and not freeing yourself up to do what is truly most important, profitable or meaningful.

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It does not cost to delegate such items if you select the right person who would be inspired to do what you are wise to let go of, are more masterful than you in doing it, and have the appropriate values. If you live with the illusion that no one else can do what you can do, then you will trap yourself and limit your accomplishments and overall fulfillment. A tree must shed some underlying branches if it wants to grow and reach the light.

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Write in the fourth column, labeled Do, your initial in the box if you are the one best suited to take action on this particular item of distraction. Make sure it is truly a high priority item to do. Make a distinction between time filling busy actions and truly important, productive and priority ones. Some of the items you are to do may require a chunking down

process whereby the items may need to be broken down further into smaller more manageable bites. You may procrastinate at doing such items if you do not chunk them down small enough to become daily actions. By the inch they are a cinch. By the mile they are a pile.

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Write in the fifth column, labeled Date, the date of when you intend to begin acting on this distraction, either through delegation or through you own prioritised action. Be realistic. If you set too many items to be done by you or by those you are delegating to, in too short of time period, you will probably add to your overwhelm and frustration. Set realistic times for yourself and others to do these items and you and they will achieve more. You will probably discover once you do this step that you only have fewer

Focused and prioritised minds are extremely powerful at accomplishing magnificent achievements.

items to do that day and fewer each day thereafter than you initially would have imagined. A short pencil is much greater than a long memory. By writing all of what is on your mind down on to paper you free your mind of items that aren’t now and are in the distant future and that can be delegated and allow yourself the freedom of focusing on the truly highest prioritised actions at hand that day. Focused and prioritised minds are extremely powerful at accomplishing magnificent achievements.

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Upon completing the above five columns then completely transpose all the resultant “delegations” and “dos” off the distraction resolution form to “Daily Delegation Forms” or “Daily To Do Forms.” Be clear and concise on exactly what needs to be done and when for you and those you are to delegate to.

Miscommunication occurs when there is no paper trail and when intentions are unclear and untimed.

www.drdemartini.com

Presented by Dr John Demartini: Human Behavioural Specialist, Educator, Author and Business Consultant

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Venue: SCC, Johannesburg. Price: R10,450 New Attendee* Booking: For more information, Early Booking Specials or to register contact the Demartini Institute on +27 11 011 9093 or email Info@DrDemartini.co.za

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profile

Current US Open golf champion Martin Kaymer has enjoyed an apparel partnership with HUGO BOSS since 2011 which has provided synergy between player and brand. Chris Buchanan joined the player, the brand

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and a number of golfing journalists on his last visit to SA.

n the old days of the PGA and European Golf Tours, players would take four shirts to wear on the weekend. Two for Thursday’s and Friday’s rounds and two for the weekend if they made the cut. Paycheques and golf equipment and apparel endorsements were reserved for a precious few until the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player laid the foundation for golf’s marketing and commercial explosion.

The right brand on the shirt or cap of the right golfer can translate into tremendous exposure if he’s in the last pairing on a Sunday. Martin Kaymer has spent a number of years in last pairs on a Sunday, and Saturday in Abu Dhabi, including the US Open Championship last year which saw him at the top of his game.

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Name: Martin Kaymer Date of birth: December 28, 1984 Nationality: German Place of birth: Mettmann, Germany Height: 1.84 m Weight: 76 kg Resident in: Mettmann, Germany // Scottsdale, Arizona, USA Professional since: 2005 Tour: European Tour, US PGA Tour Caddy: Craig Connelly

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PROFILE

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Confidence gives you belief in yourself for the last seven holes of the tornament.

He came to South Africa for the 2014 Nedbank Challenge having won it in 2012 and with a weight of expectation on his shoulders. He looked tired when we met him the week before, but then which golfer wouldn’t look tired after a year’s worth of weekends playing pressure golf in the four corners of the earth, hitting thousands of balls on a driving range when you’re not on the course battling it out for a million dollar paycheque.

I am always in awe of the humility of the greatest sportsmen, even those who have reputations for being coarse and arrogant. They all have respect for their opponents and Martin Kaymer epitomises sportsmen who are humble in victory and defeat and who know exactly what they’re up against.

“When you win, you feel respect for the other players because any of them could have beaten you.” He says wining creates confidence, particularly when you lift the trophy of a major like the US Open.

“Confidence gives you belief in yourself for the last seven holes of the tournament.”

The golfing opponent is every one of the field in an individual tournament but

that changes when the Ryder Cup comes around and your opponent is the US team. Kaymer says Friday and Saturday is focussed on the team and Sunday becomes an individual situation where it’s yourself against another player in a match play situation.

The top German golfer has been partnering with HUGO BOSS since 2011.

As part of this long-term cooperation, Martin Kaymer wears outfits from the BOSS Green line during tournaments, looks which satisfy both the performance wear and fashion demands of professional golfing.

Beyond this, he is outfitted with elegant outfits from the BOSS line at all official functions away from the golf course, and participates in photo shoots, advertising, events and promotions at stores around the world and on the company’s various online platforms.

Since 2012 Martin Kaymer has also had his own dedicated fashion collection: “Martin Kaymer by BOSS Green“. He helped to design the collection himself, with his expertise and experience flowing directly into the work of the BOSS Green creative team.

Victories with HUGO BOSS 2014: US Open Championship 2013: PGA Tour Players Championship 2012: Nedbank Golf Challenge 2012: Ryder Cup 2011: Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship 2011: WGC – HSBC Champions

Career Professional 2013: Winner of the Laureus World Sports Award, together with the 2012 European Ryder Cup Team (Team of the Year) 2011: F irst place in the Official World Ranking 2010: W inner of the Laureus World Sports Award (Breakthrough of the Year) 2010: First place in the Race to Dubai 2010: Victory with Team Europa at the Ryder Cup 2010: Winner of the PGA Championship 2008: Victory at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (European Tour) 2006: First place at the Friedberg Classic (EPD Tour) Amateur 2005: Winner of the Central German Classic (EPD Tour) 2003: V ictory at the Austrian International Amateur Championship

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B O U T I Q U E

G U E S T H O U S E

In the buzzing metropolis of Johannesurg lies a unique guesthouse, One on Colenso, positioned in the tranquil suburb of Paulshof, Sandton. This Boutique Guesthouse, situated just off Witkoppen, is only minutes away from the office parks of Woodmead, Sunninghill, Fourways and Bryanston.

The lavish design captures the essence that makes Baroque Décor so enchanting. Each suite exudes warmth brought alive by vibrant colours. All rooms have private entrances which lead off onto the grandiouse verandah overlooking the gazebo, pool and koi pond which makes for a restful atmosphere.

Special occasions are all about memorable experiences. One On Colenso offers a beautiful intimate setting for all your celebrations for up to 200 people. Exclusivity allows you to make use of the entire property for the day, which includes the kitchen, lounge, dining room, verandah, gazebo and gardens. Wedding vows are often done in the gazebo.

One On Colenso offers amenities for exclusive workshops, training, executive planning sessions and private meeting facilities for corporates.

A small private gym is available to exercise those cares away.

1 Colenso Road, cnr Colenso & Stonehaven Roads Paulshof, Sandton, 2191 Cell: 079 524 8163 / 82 550 1500 • Tel: 011 484 2833 • email: info@neoafrica.com www.oneoncolenso.co.za

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design

LIFE'S Dauphin HumanDesign Group’s report back on

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Orgatec – the international office and object fair.

t’s become common knowledge that the way we live and work is rampantly changing thanks to advancements in technology, which has encouraged these two very categories, life and work, to be less homogenous and more integrated.

Technology’s role in this growing phenomenon, namely that you are able to work anywhere there is a wifi signal, be it at home, at a coffee-shop or at the airport, has spawned a whole new way of thinking about the environments in which we work.

This informed the discourse and showcase of renowned international office and object trade fair, Orgatec held at the end of 2014 in Cologne Germany, which attracted 624 exhibitors from 61 countries and more than 50 000 visitors over the five day period, securing Orgatec as the worldwide barometer on all things office and work facility related.

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One of the major players in office and solutions driven furniture design, the Dauphin HumanDesign Group - which originated in Germany but has a global reach including a presence in South Africa, had a stand of over 1 000m2, which was curated in a portrayal of the overarching theme of Orgatec 2014, “Modern Working Worlds�.

Debbie Arnoldi-Radford, MD of Dauphin HumanDesign Group South identified three emerging trends in contemporary office furniture design, bright, vibrant colour, bringing nature into the workplace and dynamic workspaces.

Gone are the days of drab, grey and harshly lit offices as business owners

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are realising that their employees spend most of their time at work and that these spaces need to incite inspiration and harbour comfort in order to maximise productivity. ‘Splashes of colour and vibrant, bright statements in pink, blue, yellow and purple were used to not only invigorate the Dauphin product range, but also to illustrate how various work spaces in this new modern way of working require different solutions. Colour was used to demarcate various work spaces,’ says Debbie.

Just as with home décor and interiors, organic and natural materials provide a sense of warmth, comfort and understated luxury. Added to this an eco-sensibility of

Encouraging nature in the workspace through finishes and honouring green design principles were incorporated throughout the exhibition. that technology, as well as generational influences must be catered for in our workspaces. “What we’re seeing locally is that South African office spaces are being designed around vibrant, dynamic spaces that are flexible and can easily adapt to the new ways of working. The days of cellular offices demarcated according to organisational hierarchy are well and truly in our past. Vibrant, energetic and flexible workspaces are the now and the future, and will continue to play a key role in employee satisfaction and productivity,” she says.

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recycling and reusing natural materials, thereby bringing a bit of the outdoors in, is another trend that blurs the lines between living and working spaces. “Encouraging nature in the workspace through finishes and honouring green design principles were incorporated throughout the exhibition”.

The adaptability of work spaces to suit the needs of employers and their tasks was the starting point for Dauphin’s Dynamic Spaces range of office furniture, which is a trend that is taking root in local office design according to Debbie. “The new modern workplace, specifically with the advent of technology, requires workspaces that dynamically adapt to the worker, and on the function that the employee may be fulfilling at the time”.

Debbie believes that South African designers continue to be leaders in the field of office space design, who recognise

For more information contact Dauphin HumanDesign® Group on 011 447 9888, 021 448 3682 or go to www.dauphin.co.za PRESTIGE: in the lap of luxury

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Property

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houses

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The South African luxury property market is riding a wave of demand from both local and foreign buyers. Chris Buchanan spoke to Lew Geffen about the outlook for the R22m+ segment.

SANDHURST, SANDTON – R48 million Refined architectural detail reminiscent of a French country Chateaux. The ambience is enhanced by the expansive 5 meter ceiling volumes. Tall windows admit diffused natural light. Bespoke wrought iron balustrade commands pride of place in a double volume entrance hall. Formal lounge and family room. Gracious dining in a 20 seater dining room. Gym. Five bedrooms en suite. Wrap around patio.

Heated pool. Magnificent guest cottage.

Double staff acc.

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ew Geffen started selling property in Johannesburg in the early eighties and when the opportunity arose to forge a relationship with Sotheby’s International Realty in 2000, he saw in it the ability to take his business national and to partner with an internationally acclaimed brand in the luxury property market.

According to Geffen the biggest chunk of the R20m+ market is in Cape Town and the Atlantic seaboard in particular, with the upmarket suburbs of Sandhurst and Westcliff representing the bulk of the Johannesburg market. He says the holiday home markets of Plettenberg Bay and the KwaZulu Natal North Coast are starting to make a comeback but are generally much quieter.

In terms of who is doing the buying, Geffen says local demand is way ahead and constitutes a good 85-90% of sales in the luxury sector. “There’s major demand from Johannesburg and for some reason people are either buying second homes or relocating to Cape Town.” Foreign buyers he says are coming from the rest of Africa, as well as the UK, Germany and France.

It’s in the return on investment that Geffen says the difference lies when it comes to properties of this nature. Essentially when we’re looking at Bantry Bay, Frensnaye, Clifton and Camps Bay, you can equate the value of the property with that of the most desired locations in the world. “The upper end of the Cape Town market is selling at R100 000 a square metre which is a global value of USD10 000 a square metre.”

Property is being used by many countries to attract a calibre of foreign direct investment (FDI) through incentive schemes that allow the investor either a residency or citizenship, apart from attractive returns on property investments. The South African property market, despite its global value in areas like Cape Town, and its reasonable rate of return is unfortunately subject to a depreciating rand which eats away at any investment return if you’re converting back to foreign currency and is also subject to possible government policies that will make things difficult for foreign buyers of SA properties. Geffen says this is among the issues that are restricting foreign investment in property and are in fact turning foreign buyers away.

While entry into the SA market by foreigners works in their favour, realising an investment return works against them. For SA buyers in foreign markets the opposite is true. Entry into the market is very expensive but your investment returns are in foreign currency which works well when converting back into Rands.

Lew Geffen believes South Africa’s political woes have been discounted and the prognosis for the R20m+ sector looks good with a bit of a stock shortage driving higher demand and therefore good prices. Medium term yields? Geffen reckons eight to nine percent per annum on average with all ups and downs taken into consideration and it’s on geared money so it’s a good investment.

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WESTCLIFF, JOHANNESBURG – R30 million Reminiscent of Monte Carlo! The very best of spectacular 180° views across and beyond greet the visitor and leave you breathless! Wood glass sliders from unique conservatory lead to supreme 10-star Michelin entertaining - complete with gentleman’s wine cellar. Superb finishes, chandeliers and fireplaces include handcrafted gourmet kitchen, six reception rooms, 4/5 double bedrooms, his & hers en-suite, five bathrooms, gym, pool & court, borehole, staff and spacious cottage.

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CLIFTON CAPE TOWN – R65 million A tranquil retreat situated on the exclusive Clifton beach, this remarkable designer apartment is laced with opulent architecture & fully equipped and furnished. Large open plan lounge / dining room leading onto balcony with a heated rim flow pool and jacuzzi is perfect for entertaining. Spectacular views of the sea and mountain can be seen from the bedrooms as well as living areas, giving you the full tranquil experience of being surrounded by nature’s beauty. The apartment is fully integrated with Apple iPad control system, climate control and under floor heating. This apartment provides one with utmost modern, peaceful and not architecturally, but naturally magical environment for only the very privileged.

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Property

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SANDHURST, SANDTON – R60 million This estate set on more than 6300m² of land in the heart of Sandhurst is the latest chapter in the spectacular storybook lifestyle of the Summersun Property Group. From the timeless architecture of this New Classicist landmark estate where Classical meets Contemporary to the breathtakingly spectacular views and vistas it offers over the landscaped exotic garden, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own something special, a once-off new home with the best address.

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ENIGMA MANSION (Camps Bay) – R179 million Offers from R150 million. A love affair of land, sea, brick and mortar has crystallised on a preciously selected view site in Camps Bay, which was further enhanced by the consolidation of two other properties to provide a 7000m² (3150m²) palatial setting.

This majestic mansion was created by fastidious owner regardless of cost – the overriding mandate was to produce an eclectic mélange of proportions and finishes meticulously gleaned from the world’s most famous and exclusive hotels, particularly the South of France.

A veritable fantasy of seduction and an explosion of sensuality from the hand crafted front gates to the separate guest home on the boundary. Nothing like this on the African continent, including all the palaces. Set on a magnificent piece of land adjoining a Nature Reserve, with its own stream, park and gardens with ponds, waterways and views – peace and tranquillity abounds.

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BANTRY BAY, CAPE TOWN – R35 million With approved Stefan Antoni plans. Nestled against the Table Mountain Reserve, with only Lion’s Head behind… The largest remaining site in Bantry Bay measuring 1910m².

Situated at Bantry Bay’s highest point, with panoramic views of the full arc of the Atlantic Ocean, Twelve Apostles and all of Lions Head. Private and exclusive access via two cul-desac roads (Top Road and Arcadia Close). Gently sloping with an unparalleled north facing frontage of 44 metres. Approved plans by Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects. Start building immediately.

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DARLING POINT, SYDNEY – US$ 16.5m/AU$20m The house is Craigholme and is known as "one of Darling Point's most beautiful homes".

This home of five bedrooms and five bathrooms includes the following features: Grand drawing room with 4.5m high ceiling and French doors flowing to a sandstone garden courtyard as well as covered verandah with harbour views. Large family living room with seamless flow to the expansive sandstone entertainment terrace and swimming pool.

Spacious formal dining room with Venetian polished stucco walls and marble fireplace.

Seating for up to 10 people, also opens to sunny sandstone terrace and garden. Sun-filled conservatory-style family dining area with glass doors opening to terrace, sheltered built-in barbeque area & pool. State-of-the-art gourmet gas kitchen with custom-designed cabinetry, walk-in pantry and superior Miele appliances with polished antique wooden floorboards.

Large study with built-in desk, custom fitted cabinetry & library shelves and fireplace with marble mantle. Huge main bedroom with big dressing room, superbly appointed limestone en-suite (with deep bath, separate shower and bidet) and timber decked terrace with views across Rushcutters Bay and the harbour. On the top floor are 3 large double bedrooms (each with generous built-in wardrobes) and a children's living and study area; 2 marble bathrooms; laundry with storage; powder room. Separate area with kitchen facilities and bathroom. Landscaped gardens with excellent private sandstone entrance forecourt; vast sandstone entertainment terrace with sheltered BBQ area, harbour views & wisteriadrenched sunny viewdecks. Gas-heated pool & poolside bathroom with steam room. About ten minutes to the CBD; 20-25 minutes to the airport; five minutes to Edgecliff/Potts Point shops and restaurants. Wide view balconies; wine cellar; open fireplaces; ducted r/c air-con; security system; wi-fi throughout. Secure remote-controlled garage with parking for two cars + storage. Lockup-and-go lifestyle with a Cote d'AZUR ambience.

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ST.TROPEZ, FRANCE - POA In an exceptional location, on the hillsides of Sainte Maxime, at walking distance from the beach and yet peaceful and quiet, with splendid sea views and flat landscaped grounds of 5250m2. w w w. p r e st i g e m ag .c o. z a

The property is located only 20 minutes from the centre of St Tropez. The main house offers an

impressive 1000m2 of elegant living space including ten en-suite bedrooms, a sunfilled living room, large dining room with a fully equipped kitchen to the side, a home cinema, wine cellar and much more. Almost all the rooms benefit from the breathtaking views. Independent caretaker’s house, closed garage. Located in a residential and quiet area walking distance from the beach and restaurants and 20 minutes to the center of St Tropez.

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www.sothebysrealty.co.za www.sothebysrealty.com

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décor

The butterfly

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Effect

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With five successful stores in the Cape, home décor and gift emporium Isabelina, has now opened in Design Quarter, Gauteng. Chris Buchanan paid them a visit.

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or over twenty years, owners and founders of the brand, Judith and Francis Matthews have been sourcing and developing decor products worldwide for their wholesale business. After moving to their farm in Stillbaai in the Western Cape 8 years ago, they decided to create a brand for the retail sector where they saw the vision of their products being merchandised together. Isabelina, meaning “queen of all butterflies” in Spanish, was born.

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dĂŠcor

Is there a design philosophy that you subscribe to?

We offer a very unique product, developing and sourcing items that have not been seen in this country. We design and source products that make a difference in a room, focusing on the integration of different design features to work alongside each other.

What percentage of your merchandise is homegrown design and what is the manufacturing process?

All our ceramic ranges are designed and handmade by ceramicists in South Africa.

They are unique to Isabelina with each one a work of art, and no two pieces the same. The high gloss-finish furniture is designed by us and manufactured

in the Cape and we also custom make any mirror and bevelled furniture piece to client specification, also uniquely handcrafted in the Cape. Our clients like the fact that many of our pieces are one-offs and unique and that they are not likely come across another person or home who has the same product. As soon as we see another retailer marketing similar designs we change our tactics to maintain our exclusivity.

What design services do you offer out of Isabelina?

We offer a full interior decorating service by very experienced decorators that are in-house to Isabelina. Our projects vary from refurbishing and renovating interiors to doing the full design job from plan, which incorporates furniture, paint colour

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the experience of selecting gifting, decor and accessories in one experience. Our accessories are very much tied to our décor lifestyle products with a similar luxurious look and feel. Our bags are mainly leather and designed and sourced exclusively for Isabelina by ourselves.

You’ve been based in the Western Cape since the inception of Isabelina and now have opened up in JHB. What challenges have you faced since coming up to Gauteng?

It has been an incredible experience opening a store in Gauteng. We love the energy that our Jozi customers exude and their wonderful enthusiasm since Isabelina opened its doors. The biggest challenge has been to keep up with stock!

The only other real challenge has been in the transportation logistics of getting stock moved from Cape Town to Gauteng.

But now that we have warehousing in Johannesburg the operational side of the business is running more smoothly.

How do you balance your design consulting with the demands of clients?

We balance our design consulting within the client’s demands and their parameters. Clients visit the Isabelina stores and view our lighting for example, which is designed by ourselves, and from there it evolves. We suggest and offer products around their initial wish list and then go on to pair those items with mirrors, furniture etc. We have great

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co-ordination, wallpapering and all the lighting.

I see you have clients across the domestic, corporate and hospitality areas. What are some of the more memorable installations that you’ve done?

One of our favourites was an installation for nine boutique villas, "Lafelicita", nestled under the mountains in Paarl Valley in Somerset West, where we coordinated the decorating and refurbishing of the villas to the clients specifications.

Tell me about the jewellery and accessories side of the business.

How was that incorporated into the décor?

We showcase a unique accessory range of bags and jewellery, so that clients have

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respect for the process our clients go through to make decisions. Their home is their castle so we like to include some of their own personal selection too.

Do you believe in a unique South

African design language and how do you interpret it?

We really enjoy marketing made-in-SA products. We design and manufacture a wide range of products both in lighting

All our ceramic ranges are designed and handmade by ceramicists in South Africa. They are unique to Isabelina with each one a work of art

and gifting and interpret them in a contemporary, edgy way. For example an oval ottoman covered with hide but sprayed with a gold paint.

Isabelina seems like quite a family business, who does what in the business?

We are a family business with a huge Isabelina passion. Francis, my husband runs the financial and logistics side and together we source and design products.

Our daughter, Jenna, runs the Cape Town side of the business when we are not there and is now traveling with us to source. Our son, Warren runs the Stillbaai store (where it all started), which incorporates a beautiful nursery, fresh flower store and landscaping services.

What is next in the pipeline for Isabelina?

There is a big future planned for Isabelina.

We will be expanding in Gauteng and plan to roll out three more stores in the near future in strategic areas so as to maintain our exclusivity. We will continue to offer fabulous, exciting and on-trend merchandise and maintain the WOW Isabelina shopping experience.

Isabelina Cavendish Square Shop G152, Ground floor Cavendish Square Dreyer Street, Claremont, Cape Town Tel: 021 671 8721 Isabelina V&A Waterfront Shop no. 7207, 08A, 1st floor , V&A Waterfront Tel: 021 418 5018 Isabelina George Shop no. 105, Garden Route Mall Cnr N2 and Knysna Road, George Tel: 044 887 0270

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Isabelina Design Quarter Shop 52, Ground Floor Design Quarter Cnr William Nicol Dr & Leslie Ave. Fourways, JHB Tel: 011 465 7198 www.isabelina.co.za

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Isabelina Stilbaai Blue Bells Nursery Main Road, Stilbaai West Tel: 028 754 1551

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fashion

Take the lead…

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and 5, 6, 7, 8…

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to Fandango, Ted can out-Fred the nimblest Womenswear collections are dancing cheek to cheek to create a thrilling display of rhythm and electric blues.

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Astaire and to celebrate, his Menswear and

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From the Mambo and Tango right through

ed has choreographed a luxurious womenswear clothing and accessories collection for AW15, effortlessly combining vintage-inspired floral prints (such as Opulent Bloom and Botanical Bloom) in a layered and lavish palette of pinks. His continued love affair with the 1950s has also created an ultra-feminine look to ensure all ladies become belles of the (mirror) ball.

In contrast, sportswear influences up the tempo with an urban, futuristic feel, and this ultra-modern look moves across neoprene sweat shapes, lux joggers and bomber jacket silhouettes. Engineered prints, such as Ted’s Road to Nowhere, are themed around reflected landscapes, and colours (body) pop in electric blues, acid yellows and fresh neon pinks.

Contrasting texture is also key: from embossed snakeskin and sparkling sequins to metallic graphic jacquards. Embellishment adorns nearly every piece; coats with jewelled collars and heavily encrusted tunic style dresses add a rich, beguiling touch to the collection.

It takes two to tango in Argentina but only one to belly dance in Cairo… and so, inspired by a recent boat trip along the Nile and other exotic destinations, Ted’s menswear is full of thrilling precision and rhythmic wit this season.

Alive with jewel tones of burgundy, teal, emerald green and vibrant orange on knitwear, jersey and chinos, the collection also features exciting, contemporary textures – including enlarged Birds Eye and Royal Oxford knits.

Fresh detailing and modern finishes add classic touches to a robust collection of prints and jacquards. Colour blocking takes a bow on blazers with contrast lapels, pockets and sleeves, and on knitwear’s bold blocks of aubergine, burnt orange and green.

Renowned for his charming prints, Ted’s geos, dogtooth and paisleys stand out across the collection. Available on everything from pocket squares and ties to jersey and even Ted’s classic brogue, camouflage and leopard prints also provide an easy way to add exotic flair to your outfit.

So let Ted take the lead this AW15 for a strikingly stylish showcase that just goes to prove that when you’re in the spotlight, you’ve got to dance like everybody’s watching. www.tedbaker.com

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Renowned for his charming prints, Ted’s geos, dogtooth and paisleys stand out across the collection.

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Bridal

bohemia 56

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Since its creation in 2012, Australian couture

bridal label Bo & Luca has revolutionised the traditional white dress. They have mesmerised women from Melbourne to London and San Francisco with their extraordinary designs and exquisite gowns, and now South African women have a chance to experience the Bo & Luca enchantment in Cape Town.

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testament to not only the immense popularity of the garments but also the appreciation for the values embodied

by Bo & Luca.

“We have brides from all over the world reaching out to us to find out where they can source our designs, which is humbling for any designer, but also an incredible compliment when they are choosing a Bo & Luca gown to represent them on such a beautiful and significant day in their lives.”

Bo & Luca is stocked in four cities across the world and now South Africa’s most romantic city is home to designs to truly fall in love with.

Cape Town boasts a fashion-forward market of discerning brides and is also a coveted destination for worldly wanderers in search of global couture.

Shannon is now a bride-to-be herself and even more understanding of the profound importance of finding a gown that expresses the incredible, spirited and unique woman within, “My gown will definitely have all the elements that suit my personality, which are the same that are patiently nurtured into every Bo & Luca design: Freedom, femininity and fluidity.

“The gravity of a wedding day goes without saying. For an occasion with such incredible significance, it couldn’t be more important to be true to yourself and trust your sense of style. The dress – the perfect dress, should be an extension of your true essence.”

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Bo & Luca 4th Floor, 32 St Georges Mall Cape Town, 8001 South Africa www.boandluca.com

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hannon Pittman travelled the world in search of an answer to the question that she could not escape: who dresses the daring romantic? For carefree women with effortless and captivating style, who is trusted to create bridal wear that reflects their unique personalities? A love affair with the Middle East in her 20s showed her a world of bespoke tailoring and immaculate beadwork from which an answer was born – Bo & Luca.

Bo & Luca embodies a refreshingly free-spirited approach to bridal wear.

The garments are defined through a fusion of flowing silk crepes and georgettes, layers of soft tulle, hand cut petals and delicately hand embroidered embellishments of beads, pearls and crystals. The quintessential Bo & Luca woman is drawn to unique, boutique style charm.

“The more time I spent assisting my newly engaged friends to find unique gowns for their weddings, the more I realised there was very little on the market to reflect their own sense of style and unique personalities.

“At first I started designing gowns that suited my own style aesthetic as well as that of my close friends – which largely fuses nomadic and nostalgic with a sense of freedom and movement – but as interest quickly spread to their friends too, my instinct told me there was a market and that was the beginning of Bo & Luca”.

The Cape Town studio is set in the heart of the city – a beautiful space that, with its clean colour palette and antique trinkets, fits seamlessly into the Bo & Luca experience. The label’s ability to expand so quickly is

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fashion

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The dress – the perfect dress, should be an extension of your true essence.

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Desert Boutique

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A grand old dame in Graaff Reinet has been given a new lease on life as an historic masterpiece and a beautiful jewel in this Karoo town’s crown.

Chris buchanan found more than a gem on the plains of Camdeboo.

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t’s hot in Graaff Reinet and in mid-December it’s hotter than hot. After all, this is the Karoo where the Dutch established the Drostdy town of Graaff Reinet as the fourth district of the Cape Colony in 1785 in response to the large number of farmers who occupied the area. It sits in a natural bend of the Sundays River surrounded by dramatic geological formations that comprise the Valley of Desolation and that shed a relieving shadow bringing cooler afternoons.

The Drostdy building – Magistrates Court – was designed by Louis Michel Thibault and built in 1804 to remain the seat of the court until 1878 when it became an accommodation establishment and gained the reputation as the Grande Dame of the Karoo and the place to stay when visiting Graaff Reinet or passing through en-route to the Cape South Coast.

The years were not kind to the Grande Dame, as a myriad architectural additions and ‘improvements’ undertaken over time made the building unrecognisable, but she stood and maintained her position as a luxury country inn, within a town that has upheld its historical legacy and has the largest number of historical architectural monuments of any in the country.

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This oasis town in the blisteringly hot Karoo has a boutique hotel that will sit comfortably on Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard or in the upmarket suburbs of Johannesburg.

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A restoration was undertaken in the mid-seventies to recreate the original Cape Dutch and Karoo vernacular aesthetic and since then the Drostdy slowly became another victim of bad economic times, until 2011 when the current owners, the Graaff Reinet based SA College of Tourism, decided she needed to shine again with Newmark Hotels as the management.

Two years of planning and construction later, and this oasis town in the blisteringly hot Karoo has a boutique hotel that will sit comfortably on Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard or in the upmarket suburbs of Johannesburg.

The original Drostdy building now houses the ladies bar area, lounges and libraries, meeting rooms and a vinotheque with a wine shop and an art gallery that have access off the main street.

The porte cochere, reception area and the new Camdeboo restaurant are new additions to the heritage site and form a delightful courtyard garden space with the Drostdy building’s public areas. Luxury accommodation is found in the revamped Stretch’s Court,

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of the corn. The kudu osso buco, flavoured with Karoo herbs was a stroke of genius. Lunch on a hot day in the shade of the terrace was a salmon trout Caesar salad topped with a beautifully poached egg and garnished with a taste of that Karoo vernacular which extends itself through the décor, ambience and into the food.

So what does one do with your leisure time in this desolate and striking landscape of the arid Karoo?

Well, David McNaughton of Karoo Connections will take care of that for you. He spent a day entertaining me with historic tales of the development of the area with a tour of the Camdeboo National Park, rich in plains game and birdlife, and an historic tour of the town which puts the rich history in context with the modern developments of small town South Africa. Sundowners at the Valley of Desolation brought home the magnificence of this region threatened by industry’s appetite for resources and the shale gas that sits undisturbed for now, in the fissures of ancient rock that sculpted this landscape.

Any more time and a trip to Nieu Bethesda would have been included

which is 60 odd kilometres away and home to Helen Martins’s Owl House, and her legacy that lives on in the talents of emerging young artists in the Bethesda Arts Centre.

The focus when visiting this Karoo town will be centred on history and you’re surrounded by a rich historical tapestry as you enter the valley that cradles Graaf Reinet. That history remains with you when you stroll through the grounds of the Drostdy Hotel with the old slave bell, Stretch’s Court that housed emancipated slaves and the restored courthouse building.

A new lease on life has been given to the history and it lives on in the restored Drostdy to serve the next generation of travellers who rest their heads in the old inn. This is an oasis in an unforgiving landscape that surprises and delights for every minute of your stay. The experience and the food in particular, give you every reason to visit the Drostdy, even just for a weekend away from the city.

www.newmarkhotels.com www.karooconnections.co.za

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Kromm’s Court and Ferreira House – named after the first two proprietors of the original inn and the latter the residence of banking tycoon GT Ferreira’s parents. No boutique hotel is complete without a spa and its three treatment rooms and gym are situated in the old Kromm’s bar building.

Interior Designer Stephen Falcke was commissioned to interpret the history of Graaff Reinet and the Karoo into the language of the interiors, and with it comes a subtle and understated luxury in generously spaced rooms.

The ambience is reminiscent of the old Karoo farm style that Eve Palmer brought to life in her novel The Plains of Camdeboo.

But it’s the food that will astound you with the most innovative plates coming out of the most unlikely of kitchens. Chef Justin Pillay has taken the ingredients of the Karoo and fashioned a menu that puts the Drostdy on a must visit destination for any food lover.

My Waldorf salad amuse bouche set the cool tone for a warm evening and the samoosas accompanied by a corn broth, once again worked magic with a little spicy heat and sweetness

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But it’s the food that will astound you with the most innovative plates coming out of the most unlikely of kitchens.

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Oaklands COUNTRY MANOR Van Reenen’s pass is seen as a waypoint on the busy

route between Durban and Johannesburg in South Africa. Yet, if you take the right turn there are in true to the Kwazulu-Natal countryside style. by: CARLY BAILEY

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magnificent vistas provided by the hills and valleys

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he Van Reenen village offramp from the famous N3 highway, leads to the equally beautiful Oaklands Country Manor.

We were fortunate to spend a few days at this authentic country estate with its homely, inviting ambience and equally hospitable team.

What would a farm be without a proper genuine rustic farm gate laying the foundation for a proper country experience. Everything on Oaklands is a slice of organic culture, home grown and nostalgia. It feels like you are visiting an old uncle and aunt on the farm – like the Americans with their ranch experiences. At times I really felt like Billy Crystal in City Slickers.

Oaklands is a family run establishment, and guests are immediately made to feel at ease.

The family’s four great Danes were as eager to meet and greet the guests as the rest of the staff.

The rooms and living areas are congruent with a traditional farmhouse with tastefully appointed bedrooms with inviting fireplaces.

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No matter what your skill or level they offer you expert tuition or a short introduction to polo, if you dare give it a try.

The staff was quick to point out that the “menu of the day” comprised substantially all ingredients grown organically on the farm on a garden to table concept – which boasts a standalone composting system to complete the eco cycle of production of wholesome foods on the estate.

We were excited to see a whole polo field full of horses grazing in their tranquil surrounds, which presented a stark contrast to the hustle and purpose that they gallop on the same fields in a live polo match. One of the highlights of the visit was the outride, even though I have never been on a horse unattended the staff were competent in providing a basic lesson.

My horse was the most boisterous but we had a good rapport and we bonded even on the more adventurous canter and gallop through the fields and valleys. The scenery would be ideal for a romantic horseback ride.

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The family’s four great Danes were as eager to meet and greet the guests as the rest of the staff.

Oaklands also offers the unique experience of polo for guests. No matter what your skill or level they offer you expert tuition or a short introduction to polo, if you dare give it a try. The property has a floodlit polo arena, a polo pit and a fully equipped classroom. They have on hand well mannered, trained horses which makes the experience comfortable and assuring.

Other activities on the estate range from chilling around the swimming pool to hikes on the vast proportions of the grounds, best of all up the mountain ably escorted by the great Danes as tour guides. There are also tennis courts, volley ball courts for the energetic and active and trout dams for those who enjoy the tranquility of a day’s fishing.

Some famous landmarks in the area worth a visit include battlefield tours to Spionkop and Majuba, the Basotho Cultural Village and the world’s smallest chapel (Llandaff).

Oaklands Country Manor can be booked as individual rooms, however, I feel it would be a perfect getaway for an entire family to book out all 9 rooms and family suites (32 guests) for a celebration or event to ensure privacy.

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Magical

maldives Whether basking in the sunlight at the base of a

coconut palm - like one of the variable lizards

found on the island- scuba diving in azure waters or dining on freshly caught sea-food, Gillian McLaren revels in the sensuality of the tropics.

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ghost crab scuttles past me across the white sand, down to the gently lapping ocean’s edge. It is dusk and the creature with its stalked eyes, scavenges for food in the lambent water. A soft radiance from the fast-fading sun caresses the condensation drops on my wine glass.

The heat of the day dissipates into an evening sky streaked with vermillion.

I am pleasantly weary after a day of spectacular scuba diving off reefs near the North Ari Atoll of Halaveli Island, one with the exotic name of Batha Maaga Khan Thila. Images of fat Napoleon wrasse, sleek dog-tooth tuna and curiously hanging batfish fill my mind.

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Being hooked to a rock in strong current, as white-tipped reef shark, grey reef shark and a hawksbill turtle swim close to me, is a new and exhilarating experience. Soft coral formations in exquisite colours are like spring gardens.

With a personal dive-master, new equipment, spacious flat-bottomed Dhoni boat with curved sides, post-dive fluffy towels and a banquet of fresh snacks, this is coddling sybaritism.

Not that I really need to dive or even snorkel at Constance Halaveli, as the water is so clear, I have viewed trumpetfish, fusiliers and purple jellyfish from the bathroom of my Water Villa, which straddles the ocean.

I come out of my reverie to see an Indian flying fox leaving the nearby banyan tree and soar out into the now moonlit sky, like some giant pterodactyl.

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The water is so clear, I have viewed trumpet-fish, fusiliers and purple jellyfish from the bathroom of my Water Villa, which straddles the ocean.

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stroll, barefooted, with them to the Jahaz Restaurant, where we choose a table on the beach, under a pandanus palm.

They regale me with details of their snorkelling trip, where they saw a turtle, whiptail ray and bluefin trevally with electric blue fins. We are all sun-kissed and chatter so enthusiastically that the genial waiter reminds us that tonight is the seafood buffet, so we are welcome to help ourselves. Spoiled for choice, we are unable to try everything on offer, but we agree that the grilled crayfish is excellent, as is the sushi. No hearty fare here, this is gourmet cuisine prepared with fresh ingredients and honed skill.

Although there is a golf cart available to ferry us back to our Water Villas, we prefer to savour the ozone scent of the sea air and the dome of stars, so we amble along the discreetly lit wooden walkways.

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My villa is ultra-luxurious with an entrance hall leading to a spacious bedroom on one side and a roomy bathroom with a ball and claw bath and a shower on the other. These all lead onto a wooden deck with an infinity plunge pool. I sit in the pool’s fresh water and gaze at the bioluminescence on the surface of the ocean.

As I leave my curtains open, I wake up early to see the sun’s rays lustrous on a lapis lazuli sea. Although the island is small, my walk takes a while as I am intrigued by the various inhabitants that are up before me, like the solitary grey heron in front of the water sports centre, who waits motionless, then shoots out its neck to grab a small fish in its yellow beak. I have seen a kill! On the beach at the high tide mark, in front of the main swimming pool, I sit on the soft beach sand, a breeze on my face, before I continue round the island, trying to learn the names of the trees that are conveniently labelled.

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Getting there Emirates From Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) to MalĂŠ International Airport (MLE) via Dubai is a comfortable journey, where pleasant food is served and over 400 movies are available on your personal screen. www.emirates.com Built on stilts over the lagoon, the Constance U Spa has cleverly included areas of glass flooring, so I am able to glimpse shiny silver fish scudding in the water below, as I am given a massage. Lulled by the rhythmic movement of hands on my back and the fragrance of oils, I soon close my eyes.

As I walk to the jetty, to catch the seaplane for the 35-minute flight to MalĂŠ International Airport, a land hermit crab slips out of its current snail shell and manoeuvres into another empty snail shell, which it grips with specialised legs then walks on its other legs towards the water. I stop to marvel at its agility and then take a last lingering gaze at the setting of Constance Halaveli, place of much pleasure.

Constance Halaveli Maldives www.constancehotels.com/ en/hotels-resorts/maldives/ halaveli/ Book with your preferred travel agent or tour operator to find the best deals

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Whisky

The essentials of

whisky An often confusing navigation.

PATRICK LECLEZIO cuts through

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the clutter

"W

e distill our whisky more slowly than any other distillery in Scotland”.

This snippet of is courtesy of Glengoyne. How about this one that you’ll know? “Triple distilled, twice as smooth, one great taste”. These are just two of innumerable promotional shots in an incessant barrage. The whisky industry monologue, as its brands clamour for your attention and, more important, for your hard earned lucre, is peppered with all sorts of often confounding claims. Buying whisky can be akin to taking an exam for which you haven’t studied, like trying to appreciate a tune that you like in a cacophony of noise. What matters and what doesn’t? A how-long-is-a-piece-ofstring question for the ages really.

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So, why should you buy one whisky rather than another of the many available?

There are a multitude of reasons, some of which are central to the product, and some not. The latter group, whilst ìt can be significant to enjoyment, featuring influences like branding, is not relevant to our purposes here, which is to focus on a few tangible and factual observations related to the liquid itself - the flavour, the texture, and even the colour - and thereby to objectively guide purchase. A whisky, in order to win you over, needs to resolve the question in its favour; and to do so it ideally needs to demonstrate meaningful differences from which the basis for preference might be inspired.

Let’s start at the beginning and in the beginning there was the grain, and the grain was the whisky. The type of grain, usually barley, malted barley, wheat, corn, and rye, is significant, and will manifest differently, but it’s rarely a critical variable unless you’re deciding between styles of whisky, in which case many other factors encroach. There are exceptions though. Bourbon for instance must be comprised of minimum 51% corn, but can include either rye or wheat as a secondary grain (often called the flavour grain). Rye will typically give a spicy flavour, wheat a cereal biscuit flavour. More pertinent, you’ll be entreated to believe that a variant of a particular grain sets a whisky apart. In reality, whilst it impacts on issues like yield and raw material cost, too distant to be of any concern to us the apprehensive receptacles at the far end of the line, it makes little or no difference to flavour.

The exception perhaps is peat smoke, which transmits itself impressively into the resultant whisky through malting.

Consequently, the constitution of that smoke, the peat from which it emanates – be it coastal, in its many varieties, or inland – makes a mark, albeit subtle.

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Consequently, the constitution of that smoke, the peat from which it emanates – be it coastal, in its many varieties, or inland – makes a mark, albeit subtle.

out on a visitors’ tour but I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Bourbon and Japanese producers tend to make a lot of noise about their individual yeasts. I’m still in dreamland, although maybe because it has never been specifically demonstrated to me. Some whisky experts disagree, I’m still not sure that the average whisky lover would notice or should care.

The culmination of production, like a shining copper beacon in the night announcing its importance,

is the distillation itself. And here’s where it’s time to wake up. Woodford Reserve is the only mainstream bourbon to be distilled in copper pots – affording its distillate a “conversation” that resonates in the final product.

Glenmorangie has the tallest stills in Scotland - the height of an adult giraffe.

How do I know? They’ve ensured that I’ve absorbed this fact by repeatedly disseminating it to me. And it is indeed important. The type of still, the size of

The culmination of production, like a shining copper beacon in the night announcing its importance, is the distillation itself.

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the still, the copper, and the shape of the still, are all critical to the individual taste of a whisky. Glenmorangie’s long slender stills foster a light, delicate spirit, Macallan’s short, rotund stills a richer, heavier spirit. I swear that I can almost taste their shape when I drink a Macallan. That may be a stretch but there can be no doubting that it sets the liquid apart. Every distiller will tell you that when they replace a still it’s copied to the last detail – if the original was dented, well then a near-as-dammit identical dent is administered to its successor. As to differences (actual real differences) in length of distillation, and the number of distillations…apologies to Glengoyne and Jameson - as much as I enjoy both of their creations, I am not convinced.

Moving on. Whisky may be the water of life, but the role of the water used in its production and its reduction is pretty much equivalent regardless of the source. The former is distilled – I’ve yet to taste distilled water that distinguishable one from another. The latter is demineralised - rendering it as generic as generic gets. Yet whiskies often talk up their water, talk best digested with a liberal pinch of salt.

I’ve saved the most important for last. It’s generally acknowledged that up to 70% of the flavour of a whisky comes from the wood in which it’s aged. It follows then that maturation is a critical point of difference. Spanish, American or Japanese oak? Seasoned with sherry, bourbon, or something more exotic? First-fill, or refill?

Duration of maturation? Double maturation or extra maturation (otherwise known as finishing)? As promised I’m sparing you the detail, save to say that there’s nothing that exerts more sway. Take careful note, and drink it all in.

There’s lots more, lots. But this brief guide hopefully should map out the areas that warrant exploration, and those that don’t. These are the questions on the exam paper, the noise-cancelling earphones to sift out the sweet music of whisky. Good luck, and may the dram be with you.

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the beating heart of

brandy Alive and well and making a comeback. Patrick

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Leclezio reports on a proud South African tradition.

champion the mantra drink better not more. Admittedly this is hardly a groundbreaking proposition; nonetheless it’s a wise sentiment by which to live, and it warrants advocation even at the risk of being obvious. If you’re in agreement or indeed you’re already following this approach in your consumption of alcoholic beverages, then let me inform you, in case you hadn’t noticed, that you’re living in an unprecedented golden age. We are happily awash with a greater choice of premium drinks than ever before – and that’s an observation that applies equally to our home-grown fare.

A significant contributor to this agreeable state of affairs is the rise of “craft” – the term used to describe independent, small batch production.

This is has been particularly evident in beer, where an array of brands such as CBC, Darling, Citizen Alliance, Birkenhead, and Jack Black, to name just a few, are offering refreshingly varied, exceptionally flavoursome, and compelling alternatives to the bland, industrial lagers that have long dominated the market.

It’s the only beer I drink now, and not because I’m a hirsute hipster who feels compelled – but because it’s damned good and well worth the extra cost.

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Now unless you’ve been living under a rock I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. You may be less aware however that forging this new frontier on the front lines, shoulder-toshoulder with its malted brethren, is South Africa’s signature spirit: brandy.

South African brandy has taken a savage beating in the last decade; it’s saddled with significant problems, yet to be overcome. Things though may be starting to change. The calibre of our potstill brandies, on which increasing emphasis is being placed, is outstanding, and in craft producers, most of whom focus on the potstill style, we have a group of people who are committed to the cause, who are passionate about brandy and about its importance to our legacy, and who have the skill and impetus to make a difference.

I should perhaps rein myself in a touch at this point. Craft doesn’t necessarily mean better. Micro-producers however enjoy decisive advantages in that they’re small and unconstrained, which translates into an ability to make something that is special and individual. If they want to use a specific, unusual varietal, grown on a particular patch of land, under the influence of a certain type of climate - no problem. If

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The calibre of our potstill brandies, on which increasing emphasis is being placed, is outstanding.

sounds and smells, and about character.

Sumaré distiller Danie Erasmus regales in his story of a near-miss, when a still malfunction caused a fire that almost burned down the historic stillhouse building. The burn marks are still visible on the ceiling, there to be seen and touched and spoken of.

I’ve meandered my way through a small corner of this expanding universe.

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they want their maturation in first-fill Muscadel casks from a tiny boutique winery – done deal. And these are not insignificant attributes, to which any fine spirits aficionado will attest.

A case in point is the Sumaré 5 year old, crafted at Wandsbeck in the Agterkliphoogste of Robertson. This is as singular a brandy as I’ve ever tasted, spicy and fruity as one might expect, but more strikingly layered by an appealing and unusual coconut flavour. It’s soft and elegant, and whilst a bit thin, perhaps another few years in wood would benefit, it’s nonetheless an outstanding example of the distinctiveness, the individuality, offered by these craft brandies, and a delightful brandy in itself.

Craft brandies are usually associated with a farm, hence also referred to as estate brandies. They are special in both the flavour of the liquid, but also in the flavour that they provide to the brandy environment. Fine spirits are about so much more than the product. They are about the people who make them, about history and heritage, stories and anecdotes, about background, about a place and its visceral energy, the sights,

Kingna 5YO, a brandy made by a former diesel mechanic is maybe – I’m using some poetic licence - a reflection of its creator: solid, reliable, and satisfying. It’s not the most subtle or complex brandy, but I can see myself sitting around with friends, enjoying their company over its warm, hearty, full flavoured glow. Grundheim, a 9YO brandy from Oudshoorn, is matured in re-toasted port casks, as evidenced by its mahogany colour and its intense flavour. Mons Ruber, claimant to a history of distillation stretching back to the 1850’s, is old and bold, a 2003 vintage that I found a little unbalanced, but challenging and interesting. The Green Kalahari based Bezalel uses a variety of cultivars, including, rather unusually, red grapes, in making its brandy. It epitomises the concept of terroir that largely defines these estate brandies and sets them apart, with the region’s climate and soils premised to have a deep influence on the product.

There are many others, in a growing list and South Africa has become home to a bona fide and comprehensive brandy route. Any discriminating drinker, any disciple of the better not more philosophy will not be disappointed.

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One of the most popular blended whiskies on our shelves has undergone a transformation, and it’s a most pleasant one indeed.

influence to give Scotch lovers a new, complex and layered offering.

“Both will appeal to experienced blended drinkers and newcomers, whether they enjoy drinking Scotch neat or with a mixer.”

The new, refreshed packaging is influenced by its proud Scottish heritage. It is modern, tall and proud, showcasing the new soaring eagle brand icon, an inherently Scottish symbol which conveys success, vision and power - the characteristics of a great leader and the essence of the Scottish Leader brand.

With a Celtic typeface and the landscape of Ben Ledi, the highest mountain in the Trossachs, the label reflects its provenance and Highland home.

“These whiskies were crafted to encourage people to share and celebrate occasions, recognising individual and group successes across all aspects of life.”

Scottish Leader Original, in one litre, 750 ml and 200 ml, and Signature in 750 ml packaging, are available at leading South African liquor outlets.

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a new look, an enhanced recipe and the introduction of an additional, very premium Signature blend.

After 12 months of extensive global consumer research, what is now positioned as the Scottish Leader Original, has been reformulated with improved body and balance. The blend of top malt and grain whiskies is the recipe by Burn Stewart master distiller, Ian MacMillan, and now has a higher single malt content with a warm, honey sweet and delicately smoky taste and a silky smooth finish. It has also been repackaged to signify the change.

The new, sophisticated Scottish Leader Signature has a more pronounced island malt influence than the Original, with a rich, smoky profile.

Says MacMillan: “The core elements of Scottish Leader Original have not been lost in any way. As a team with over 340 years of collective experience, we've worked incredibly hard to give it more richness and balance but ensure it is still immediately recognisable as the Scottish Leader people around the world have come to appreciate. With Scottish Leader Signature we’ve amplified the malt

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e all have our favourite Scotch to greet us on the verandah after a trying day in a tie.

It’s not the single malt we savour when we have time to analyse the sight, smell and taste spectrums while reading Prestige’s whisky aficionado Patrick Leclezio’s insights. The favourite has lots of ice with a mixer of choice and it quenches the heat of a working day.

My go-to brand is Black & White

by James Buchanan & Co of Glasgow because I keep it in the family and I like it for its quaffability. Mr Buchanan has also recently re-branded the whisky with new labelling and a new bottle – it’s subtle but adds a bit of sophistication.

Another favourite has just re-branded itself a little more aggressively and added a premium whisky string to its bow – Scottish Leader.

It’s one of the world’s favourite blended Scotch whiskies, sold in 60 countries, and has is revitalised with

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and wider

Wider Yachting takes shape in a new shipyard in Ancona.

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he Wider 150’ project was first announced to the public by President and Founder of Wider, Mr Tilli Antonelli in September 2011. At a press conference at the Hermitage in Monaco a crowded room of journalists and industry professionals witnessed the unveiling of a project that was as noteworthy for its innovative technology as for its sleek and modern styling by Fulvio De Simoni.

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The Wider 150’ has a propulsion system that draws inspiration from thousands of military and commercial vessels that run using diesel electric power.

This technology is over one hundred years old, and has been refined over the last century to provide the most reliable and economic solution to many applications in the marine industry today.

The Wider Engineering team have sourced experienced and proven suppliers to adapt diesel electric technology to a super yacht setting, where not only reliability and economy are called for, but also supreme comfort and convenience.

The layout of the vessel is quite unlike any other super yacht. Wider has placed four variable speed generators in the bow that produce energy and transmit it to the propulsion system and the “hotel”. By using AziPods, there is no need for mechanical components such as a propeller shaft. “This is an important feature” says Antonelli, “conventional yachts have two large engines right in the middle of the hull, connected to two propeller shafts. The best part of the yacht is given over to the engines, these can create noise and vibration that can disturb the owner and his guests.”

Wider say that they have eliminated this problem. Energy from the generators is carried by cable, not shafts, so there is no need for a large engine room mid ships.

The results are impressive; not only is there more room for the guest cabins in the best part of the hull, but the yacht can also hold a 32 foot tender that launches from the transom to leave space for a spa and indoor pool.

Lithium Polymer batteries are at the heart of the system, these store the energy produced by the generators and release it according to the requirements of the owner. If the owner wishes to run at zero

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Just aft is an en suite salon/office where the hull side opens outwards to create a private terrace overlooking the sea.

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emission mode using just the batteries, or if he would like a night at anchor without running the generators, he can do so. If he needs higher performance then he can run the yacht from the variable speed generator engines, but any excess power is diverted to recharge the battery banks so there is no wastage whatsoever.

The benefits of this system are truly noteworthy. Conventional yachts run generators at a fixed speed, burning fuel at a fixed rate whether that be too little or too much for the load at the time. By connecting engines to alternators Wider offer variable speed generators that will only be run at the speed that is necessary at the time. The result of this is greater time between overhaul of the engines, greater fuel economy, and greater comfort since noise and vibration are kept to an absolute minimum.

The Wider 150’ under construction in Ancona is a sophisticated evolution of the prototype revealed in Monaco in 2011. The designers have focussed great attention on the need to bring natural

light into the vessel, allowing owners and guests to enjoy the spectacular scenery that usually surrounds super yachts and guaranteeing easy access to the sea. To accomplish this, the beam of the yacht has been increased to 8.53m, windows have been enlarged, bulkheads moved to give better access to the upper side decks, and side bulwarks lowered to give greater visibility from the inside looking out.

The Wider 150’ retains all of the sleek Italian styling of the prototype but has enhanced its assets to a maximum and retained the hallmark “Wider beach”. The shipyard’s Engineering Department have spent countless hours researching the most reliable and efficient mechanisms for the

beach area, a feature of the vessel that has drawn the attention of well over two hundred thousand viewers on Youtube, where a video demonstrates the process.

In a computer rendered graphic video, a generous section of the transom sides and stern are seen to fold down from the hull to form a sea level deck area that is a perfect base for sunbathing and water sports activities. The Wider 32’ tender launches from inside the yacht, leaving an indoor swimming pool and spa area.

The upper deck encompasses a sky lounge and casual dining area adjacent to large windows that are designed to ‘disappear’, allowing access to the side terraces. This Wider design allows a

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The yacht can also hold a 32 foot tender that launches from the transom to leave space for a spa and indoor pool. continuous dialogue between indoors and outdoors. The captain's cabin is located aft of the bridge, enabling him or her to have complete control of the ship at all times.

The main deck features a well-equipped exterior cockpit and a large interior salon that is split into two living areas. Forward lies the master suite, which stretches out across the entire beam of the yacht.

Large windows draw huge amounts of light into this area and offer unparalleled panoramic views. Moreover, the master stateroom can be divided into two separate areas by closing a sliding partition. Just aft is an en suite salon/office where the hull side opens outwards to create a private terrace overlooking the sea.

The foredeck design provides enclosed housing for the crew tender and the water toys. This part of the superyacht also is engineered for extreme versatility, as it features a large, comfortable patio that appears in just a few seconds when the upper section of the deckhouse is elevated.

Delivery schedules are being drawn up aiming to launch the superyacht in the summer of 2015.

Wider Yachts Cape Town +27 72 244 1982 http://www.wider-yachts.com/

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bends beating the

Vivien Natasen drives the all-new Mercedes S-coupe through the

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beautiful Cape winelands.

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n true Mercedes fashion the S-class represents the pinnacle of technology from the marque, thereby exuding the best of what they have to offer from looks to gadgetry. The S-class Coupe takes all of that magic and bundles it into an aggressive stance of a two door monster that is set to rival most of the competition.

At the price tag it commands, when one starts to tick boxes on the ever increasing options list, it encroaches into the territory of super grand tourers such as Bentley and Aston Martin. That being said, there appears to be no shortage of loyal Mercedes customers queueing up to lay their hands on this car, judging from the pre-orders list. This model replaces the outgoing CL-class in line with the new Mercedes nomenclature conventions that have been introduced (see info box).

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It provides a balanced everyday car with supercar performance on tap when it’s needed.

We were treated to the South African launch in beautiful Cape Town. Our trip commenced in the scenic hills beneath Beau Constantia, where we were treated to a light, yet amazingly constructed lunch, followed by a brief introduction to the cars.

The two model derivatives available at the outset are the uber-aggressive S65 and the S63 AMG models, with an S500 to follow later. The 63 AMG boasts 430kW with 900 Nm of torque at 2250-3750 rpm allowing it to propel from 0-100 kph in 4.3 seconds. The S65 AMG is even more brutal with its AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine pushing an output of 463 kW and 1000 newton metres of torque with a claimed 0-100 time of 4.1 seconds.

Both models are supported by an AMG sports suspension, based on MAGIC BODY CONTROL with curve tilting function and ROAD SURFACE SCAN, a new feature that scans the terrain ahead and prepares the tilt angle on the vehicle to maintain better composure into the bends. Both cars are electronically limited to 250 kph until the driver’s package box is ticked which takes it up to 300 kph.

Visually both cars are very appealing.

I was taken by the clean, angular lines of the new design philosophy of the marque with elegant, yet aggressive, stance of their flagship sports tourer (until the arrival of the AMG-GT later this year). The headlamp clusters are a work of art, or should I say jewellery, with each cluster lined with 47 Swarovski crystals – this was a talking point on its own and will come up in a many a dinner conversation in future months for sure.

The next morning comprised runs out along the N2 towards Hermanus up the famous and breath-taking Sir Lowry’s pass, turning inland towards Franschhoek for some lunch before begrudgingly returning the cars back to the Cape Grace Hotel.

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most of the way. So with the dynamic controls turned into sport modes, we drove through some of the most scenic parts of the Cape, luckily with limited traffic so we could truly experience the cars. With all of the handling and safety options included at this level, the cars are engaging yet always feel surefooted. The MAGIC BODY CONTROL was a little unnerving at times as one is used to naturally shifting weight into a bend and, with the car doing that for us upfront, it took a little getting used to.

Personally, I preferred the S63, which I felt responded better to the terrain and felt better in every respect, despite better statistics. In the lunch time conversation, the Mercedes team explained that the conventional S63 driver is automatically seeking a more thrilling, aggressive ride hence all the systems and gearing is set up as such. The S65 owner generally seeks the power that comes with the V12 bi-turbo but generally doesn’t want the aggressive handling to go with it – makes sense when they put it that way as having owned these types of vehicles with both engines I understand what they are talking about.

The new S-coupe places the marque squarely as a proper contender in the grand tourer space. I get that the loyal Mercedes customer, young and old, will be drawn to this car over the 4 door sedan, if its application suits their requirements. I could see myself owning one as it provides a balanced everyday car with supercar performance on tap when it’s needed. And this car is beautiful to behold in the flesh.

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Mercedes, with the advent of so many derivatives and models, have sought to streamline their product naming into the following core elements - A, B, C, E, G and S-Classes. This means that the old naming conventions of M and C exotic derivatives, for example, fall away. The exotic previously known as the SLK becomes SLC and the old ML becomes a GLE class linking the core models with the derivative in a (hopefully) more logical way.

Only the G-wagon and the SL shall retain their historic credentials. Lower case characters after the model and derivative shall denote the nature of variants such as ‘c’ for gas, ‘h’ for hybrid and ‘e’ for electric, amongst others.

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alfa essence of

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outrageous supercars ride like limos, along comes Alfa Romeo’s 4C, which puts you in touch with every nuance of road surface, every mesh every revolution of its beautifully balanced crankshaft. by: Stuart Johnston pictures: Ivan naude

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of dual-clutch-controlled gear,

hey don’t make them like this anymore.

That phrase is usually applied to some artefact that makes you realise what an age of compromise we live in. In the world of petrol-hedonism, it conjures up classics that epitomise a single-minded purpose: AC Cobra, original Porsche 930 Turbo, Ferrari F40 – all cars that represent a high point because they remained true to the intentions of the people who conceived the original idea.

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In an era when even the most

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Such a car, a throwback if you like, is Alfa Romeo’s 4C. I remember seeing the conceptual display at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, a bare carbon tub with aluminium sub-frames front and rear housing the running gear and thinking, man this is just like 1965, when Ferrucio Lamborghini displayed the first midengined Muira purely in chassis form.

Like the Muira, the Alfa Romeo had its engine installed mid-ships, ahead of the rear axle line but behind the driver.

Like the Lamborghini, this Alfa engine was mounted transversely, enabling a short wheelbase. And like the Muira, the fully clothed car when it finally broke cover was, and shall remain, breathtaking.

Once you clamber over the superwide door sills that give the carbon body “tub” its immense rigidity, and slither down into the driver’s seat – female passengers are advised to wear jeans in an Alfa 4C unless they have Paris Hilton-like intentions – you realise that in terms of trim and equipment, things have been kept to an absolute minimum.

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there’s a little tub behind the engine and that’s it. The nose is fixed to the chassis with no opening mechanism, so don’t look for any more stowage space up ahead of the windscreen.

To get the car going you put your foot on the brake, punch the starter button and for some reason there is a slight delay before the engine says “Is it?” and thrums to life with a clatter of mechanicals from behind that glass divider behind your head. Then you push a button on the console that is marked “1”, and unless you are going to be stuck in traffic, hit the manual button.

As you pull away from the kerb you are struck by the heaviness of the steering – yep, no power assistance here – and by the incredible amount of mechanical noise as you cluck the car through its gearbox using the paddle shifters behind the tiny steering wheel.

The engine fitted to the Alfa Romeo 4C is a new, lighter, direct-injection 177 kW version of its turbocharged petrol four-cylinder unit. That power figure will probably embarrass owners at cocktail parties in this era of mega-Watt motordom. I mean, even common-andparking-lot hot-hatches have those kind of ponies at their disposal, so what were Alfa thinking when they commandeered such a puny powerplant for a car that looks more like a Ferrari 458 than, well a Ferrari 458!

The answer, my friends is in the overall weight of the car, the very reasonfor being of the Alfa Romeo 4C. In an era where a Golf GTi weighs in at around 1 400kg mark thanks to all the equipment demanded by pampered poseurs, take note of the 4C’s overall mass. With a tank of fuel on board, it will still tip the scales at less than 940kg!

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If there were no cops in waiting, I could have exploited the car’s top speed which is way up there in the region of 260 km/h.

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Female passengers are advised to wear jeans in an Alfa 4C unless they have Paris Hilton-like intentions

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That fierce adherence to keeping the Alfa’s weight down is what gives it its amazing performance. Not just in acceleration, which is astounding, in that it takes just 4,5 seconds to reach 100 km/h. What’s even more important, from a perspective of sheer exhilaration is that the low mass affects each and every reaction of the car. Braking is so much more precise, turn-in is so much crisper, especially as there is no power assistance. And cornering speed is amazingly high, thanks to such a relatively low lateral G-force acting on the car when it is committed to the apex of a turn.

Alfa Romeo achieved this by keeping creature comforts to the bare acceptable level. There are aluminium door pulls, but

no armrest. There is an air-con system of sorts, a tiny radio, and that’s it!

And anyway, that radio is pretty much redundant, because you will battle to hear it, thanks to the cacophony inside the car.

Yes, another way Alfa have managed to keep the mass down is by using virtually zero sound deadening matting on the passenger tub. So you are constantly kept in touch with the sound of the turbo wastegate blowing off pressure as you back off the throttle, or the very positive, but none-too-smooth Alfa Dual Clutch gearbox thunking another ratio home as you up or down-shift.

This can be tiring, of course, if you are faced with a long haul, say, from Jo’burg to Cape Town. At cruising speeds near the national limit there is also an amount of wind intrusion into the cockpit that seems to come from somewhere in the region of the engine compartment, or maybe from underneath the car.

Still, on a trip from Randburg to the Vaal and back on the N1, I managed an overall consumption figure below the 7,0 litres/100 km mark, which is not bad. If there were no cops in waiting, I could have exploited the car’s top speed which is way up there in the region of 260 km/h.

But hey, this is not where you are going to spend your weekends. You are going to search for those deserted mountain roads where you can charge into a corner at a speed that seems much too fast, whack the paddle shift back a few gears, cluck, cluck, cluck, feel the front end squirm as you are hard on the clamps, then relish that delightful sense of grip as you come off the brakes and that Alfa Romeo goes exactly where you point it, millimetre-perfect!

And, if you really want to exploit the limits, use it as a weekend track-day car.

It is more fun than just about anything else you could bring there, because this is a car for the road that weighs as much as a serious track athlete.

Ja, that is its reason for being, and right now, short of buying a shoddilybuilt kit car, you aren’t going to find anything dynamically similar. For this, Alfa Romeo should be applauded. And because they will only be selling 30 examples each year in South Africa, they are going to become collectible classics very soon. Perhaps the best part of all is the price. For a car that looks better than a Ferrari 458 and is, in many respects, more fun, the price of R870 000 seems ridiculously cheap.

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Ferrari Usually at a motor museum there is one car that stands

out for you. One that you take away with you in your head; think about the lines, the wheels, the sound it must make.

Stuart Johnston filled his head with these sounds at Museo Ferrari in Maranello.

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aah, the sound! I remember that sound so well at Kyalami back in ’71, when Mario Andretti, this good ol’ boy from America with the Italian name, socked it to us at the South African Grand Prix in March of that year.

He was driving a Ferrari 312 B, that distinctive Maranello rosso in colour of course, and that car made a noise like no other. This was the era of Cosworth V8s, which sounded exciting and potent, but harsh. More than half the field was made up of Cosworth-Ford V8s that day, but the Ferraris, like the one facing me in the Museo, were flat-12s and they had a soulful sound all their own, soaring revs like a maiden’s wail from the one of the old castles in northern Italy, close to where we were now in fact, in Ferrari heartland.

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You’ll probably get lost on your way to the Museo Ferrari, but just stop and ask some gas station manager in Maranello, which is close to the city of Modena.

It’s on Via Dino Ferrari, an appropriate name if you know your Ferrari history, for Dino was Enzo Ferrari’s son who died in his early 20s, after succumbing to leukaemia. Yes, there are so many mixed emotions tied up in the Ferrari legend – the triumphs, the tragedies, but above all, the Passion.

The Museo Ferrari, until recently known as the Galleria, is all about the passion, although at times I found myself thinking it was a little too squeaky clean.

It looks like it should have been located in down-town Dubai, and in place of musty old pictures and tarnished trophies, you get computer-generated life-sized pics of the heroes – Gonzalez, Ascari, Fangio, Hawthorn, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Lauda, Scheckter, Prost, Schumacher and Raikkonen. All of those names refer to men who drove Formula One Ferraris to the World Championship, barring that of Froilan Gonzalez, who scored Ferrari’s very first F1 race victory at Silverstone in 1951.

Of course, Andretti won a World Championship too, but he did it in ’78 in a Lotus. Naturally, with those Italian genes, he always retained a special love for Ferrari, as does just about every other F1 driver who ever lived, barring perhaps, John Surtees, the 1964 World Champion, who couldn’t stand driving for Old Man Enzo, even though he loved his cars.

It is said that when motorcycle ace Surtees first went to drive for Ferrari he arrived in his own BMW 507 sports car, today rated as one of the all time classics.

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Yes, there are so many mixed emotions tied up in the Ferrari legend – the triumphs, the tragedies, but above all, the Passion.

Enzo told him no, no, you must have a Ferrari road car, and he picked out a beautiful 330 GT. Imagine his bemusement when he got his next pay-check to find that the price of his company voom had been deducted from his salary!

You need to know all of this arcana to fully appreciate what you are seeing at the museo. Why those Campagnolo rims you see on an early ‘70s Can Am Ferrari are so, so special for instance. Why the snaking exhaust pipes on a modern F1 Ferrari display engine are ingenious in their construction, because the material they are made from is paper thin to save precious grams of weight.

But there again maybe you don’t.

On my visit I spotted people of all age groups fascinated by things that I wasn’t. Like the lines of an American absurdity called a Thomassima III, which endeavoured to turn a Ferrari 250 GT into an American Corvette!

The youngsters I saw were really getting off on all the Play Station-like, err, play stations, setting fastest lap

times around circuits that they know all about, thanks to the genius of computergenerated entertainment. This is the era of the quick-fix as far as culture is concerned, and the Museo caters to this too. What I really appreciated about the bright-and-breeziness of the layout was the fact that with the absence of fencing (there merely yellow “don’t cross” lines on the floor) you get up close and personal with the cars.

It’s a different experience and you come away feeling that this is not so

They had a soulful sound all their own, soaring revs like a maiden’s wail from the one of the old castles in northern Italy, close to where we were now in fact, in Ferrari heartland.

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www.museomaranello.ferrari.com

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much a museum as a celebration of what a global success the Ferrari brand is today. For the real atmosphere, you need to take a walk down the factory gates just a few blocks away, and see how the Ferrari line-workers strut proudly out of the gates on their lunch break.

And talking of lunch, take a meal at the nearby Ristorante Cavallino, where you will indeed find signed pictures of all the greats and dissected Maranello-built engines getting in the way of waiters rushing around with plates of ravioli and jugs of chianti.

On reflection, Ferrari passion has always been about the cars, and of those, you will see at least half a hundred at the Museo, all of them with a special place in Ferrari lore. The exhibition rotates its cars on a regular basis and you can be assured that just about all of them will be works of art, modern and not so modern. *Prices at the time of our visit were about R180 for a normal entrance ticket.

Guided tours of the Museum and the factory cost a lot more.

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get our heads turning.

Audi S1 Spirit Booster Audi’s S1 is a typically subtle class act appreciated specifically by car people who have come to expect excellence from this German brand.

The body add-ons, the large diameter (17-inch) wheels, fat rubber and even the colour schemes are designed to be extremely tasteful, rather than in-ya-face.

Same with the interior, which is a mini-masterpiece of fit and finish, as one has come to expect of Audi. The materials for the dash aren’t outlandish, merely high quality plastics but the overall effect is one that inspires confidence and respect.

That respect grows when you really turn on the power. Despite a rated maximum of only 170 kW and 370 Newtons, the punch you feel is certainly attention getting as the wheel gets a tad lighter in your hands as the front wheels scrabble for traction.

Hang on, the back wheels are digging deep too! Which of course is due to the fact that the S1 coupe and its four-door sibling, the Sportback, feature Audis famous Quattro drive system. The all-wheel-drive system makes the car extremely stable in setting it up for your favourite set of bends, especially under hard braking into a corner. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (as with most German performance cars) and Audi claims a 0-100 km/h of just under the six-second benchmark.

Base prices start at R 442 000 for the coupe and R449 500 for the Sportback, which is the one we’d opt for. It somehow looks more substantial, and it is much more practical. Bare in mind that just by adding sports seats, Navigation, leather, cruise control and a sound system, you can easily bump the price by R50 000. So think of the Audi S1 Sportback as an ultra-cool utility car with bespoke styling in the half-abar price bracket.

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THE REAL FORD GT The car that sole the hearts and minds at this year’s Detroit Auto Show in early January was the Ford GT. This is the second rendition of the famous racer that took on Ferrari in 1964 and finally won Le Mans in 1966, before going on to repeat that feat for the next three years!

While Ford produced a modern road-going rendition of its GT a couple of years back, in a visual sense this one somehow has more of the essence of the original, and yet moves the whole game into the future. The car’s body is a super modern composite of aluminium and carbon fibre, and interestingly the seats are moulded into the passenger cell. Adjustments for different driver configurations are thus achieved by moving both the steering wheel and pedal box fore and aft.

Interestingly, this is the a V6 version of a Ford GT, and we just hope it sounds even half as exciting as that original 289-cubeV8 employed in the GT40 in the 1960s. The new motor uses twin turbochargers and Ford says it is the most powerful version ever of its EcoBoost range, rated at 450 kW. So far it’s only to be built in left-handdrive, which means getting one for road use here will be a huge bureaucratic challenge.

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It's in the

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Smart wearable technology has been one of the most talked about topics in the watch world over the past months and Montblanc has combined fine watchmaking with this technology in the TimeWalker Urban Speed e-Strap.

he e-Strap is an interchangeable strap, with an integrated technology device that offers an activity tracker, smart notifications, remote controls and Find-Me functions.

It connects, via Bluetooth Low Energy, to selected Android and iOS smartphones.

For the first time, an owner will be able to wear a mechanical timepiece with highly useful digital functionalities.

This collection extension contains three new models including a chronograph and a UTC.

Three new timepieces for the Timewalker collection The collection extension will introduce three new models - all of them equipped with mechanical automatic winding movements living up to the highest standards of traditional Swiss fine watchmaking: a chronograph, a UTC (United Time Coordinated) with a second time zone and a three hands watch with the essential functionality of hours, minutes, seconds and date.

This sporty elegance continues on the dial, making use of its black background to accentuate the white numerals and dynamic red second hands common to all three models.

The window in the case back offers a clear view of the automatic mechanical calibre which guarantees reliability and precision. All calibres of the TimeWalker Urban Speed e-Strap program are manufactured in accord with all the rules that govern the art of Swiss fine watchmaking. They oscillate at a steady pace of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 Hz).

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The Leather e-Strap The TimeWalker collection e-Strap is equipped with a pass-through strap made

of the innovative Montblanc Extreme Leather. The Extreme leather wristband created by the Montblanc Pelleteria in Florence, perfectly matches with the timepiece: markedly technical while retaining a sporty yet elegant appearance.

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The e-Strap device Smart notifications, signaled by vibrations, provide an alert of incoming communication without the need to look at the smartphone. It enables the preview of e-mails by topic and sender, read text messages, see incoming calls and status updates of social media feeds or reminders of important upcoming meetings, all on the wrist.

The activity tracker is a simple tool to monitor the wearer´s physical activity over time and keep track of his personal daily goals. To do so, it measures the number of steps taken per day, calories burnt and the distance travelled. The accompanying smartphone application enables the user to view the progress per week and month. The e-Strap will remind the wearer to stay active through

unobtrusive vibration alerts and show daily progress at a glance.

The remote controls are useful for controlling the smartphone with the e-Strap. The camera remote enables the taking of pictures with the smartphone by triggering the shutter with a tap on the e-Strap.

Playing, pausing, and skipping music on the smartphone can be also remotely steered with the music control function of the e-Strap.

Additionally, the Find-Me function allows searching for the watch or phone within a range of up to 30 meters, either by tapping on the e-Strap to find the smartphone or by using the smartphone application to find the watch.

The e-Strap device has an inbuilt touch screen display, readable in daylight, to display the information and navigate through the functionalities. The technical device is encapsulated in a stainless steel case with rubber protection and can be easily fixed and adjusted with the passthrough strap.

Depending on usage, the device needs to be recharged every 5 days using a standard micro-USB cable. The e-Strap is compatible with Samsung Galaxy S4, S5, Note 3, Note 4, selected Android Devices running Android 4.3 and upwards as well as Apple iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6 and 6 plus.

PRESTIGE

last word

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STARING OVER THE EDGE INTO THE

hen I started writing this piece, it was initially going to be a critical commentary of the growing intolerance of culture, ethnicity, background or religion that seems to be pervading the news of late. It is a global phenomenon that is exacerbated by a doom and gloom mindset of poor economic environments, increasing unemployment in many areas and threats of recession in already strained economies. That being said, I was reminded of the fact that this is the 25th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. That time represented hope for the masses. The key to turning around that state of affairs is to bring back that sense of hope.

It is evident, given the nature of the issues emerging such as xenophobia and shortened tempers that people are focusing more about what sets us apart than on common ground issues. This appears to be worsening by the day as the emotional needs override the values of compassion and understanding. In many conversations today, it’s becoming increasingly clear that people are spending less time seeking to understand and more time pushing their own agendas. That is a sure recipe for disaster.

On a personal note, even in business meetings and general table conversations, one is bombarded with the voices of others fed by “facts” gleaned from the internet. So if everyone knows everything

and the only barrier is battery life and a data connection, then why are we missing each other? Granted the internet is a wonderful source of information, most of which is valuable. But knowing information and not using it is a meaningful way is as dangerous. We are so obsessed with being the first to know something that we fail to understand that knowledge that is not put to good use is a waste of time anyway.

A more important issue is trusting our intuition. I was in quite a heated debate with a colleague recently who was on about giving people the benefit of the doubt, yet he was doing so to his own detriment. Intuition was saying that we should have checks and balances in place to mitigate risks on the project. At the end, he conceded to the control measures and it did turn out that his intuition was correct. Much of the technical books focus on facts and less on gut instincts yet the spiritual books tend to focus on inner knowing and less on fact. What has worked for me is balance, as my technical training as an auditor demands me to have the facts, backed by somewhere deep down a set of instincts. Not that it works perfectly all the time. We all learn lessons and I guess part of life is being able to ensure that we grow from them.

Finally, the year has got off to a cracking start, and to be truly honest I feel that 2015 presents better prospects for many than 2014 did, despite the worldwide fears of a deeper recession and global slowdown. Let’s hope my gut instinct prevails over the data at hand!

PRESTIGE: in the lap of luxury

Villeret Collection

ELEGANCE JEWELLERS · DESIGN ATILIER · BEDFORD CENTRE · JOHANNESBURG · TEL. +27 11 616 7870 TANUR JEWELLERS · SHOP 147 · V&A WATERFRONT · VICTORIA WHARF · CAPE TOWN · TEL. +27 21 418 5524 www.blancpain.com

GEORGE CLOONEY AND EINSTEIN’S CHOICE.