"Diamonds are forever"

I was recently invited to the De Beers Diamond route launch in Kimberley and what an experience it was- I got to go on a tour of the diamond route, a diamond mine tour, and a ghost tour! I snuck in a few art gallery visits too. Who knew Kimberley had so many stories to tell. The 2hour drive from Kimberley to Bloemfontein airport reminded me of the true natural beauty of South Africa.

It's so inspiring to see one of the largest diamond mining companies in the world take on their social responsibility and give back in a way so innovative that truly makes a difference. The Diamond route consists of 9 conservation and heritage sites across South Africa, owned by De Beers and the Oppenheimer family. These nature reserves are aimed at enhancing conservation effort by allowing researchers to work in them, and promoting environmental awareness.

I had a tour of Dronfield Nature Reserve which sure was action packed... boy did those white-rhinos get close to our vehicle... I love this country!

For more info on the diamond route visit diamondroute.co.za

The World's GREENEST club

Okay, so we’re pretty sure that while dancing the night away to the sounds of "Jy dink jy is coole as ekke" the state of the planet is not really at the forefront of our thinking... Well heres people who ARE partying for the planet!

Stomp your feet to the funky beat without leaving a carbon footprint at the uba trendy Greenhouse, in Manhattan, New York. The concept is brilliant- Staying true to its name the club is completely energy efficient, certified by LE.E.D (leadership in energy and environmental design) with LED lit up dancefloors and bamboo finishes. Its trendy, eco-centric, and a hot spot among celebs. 

And it sure does look like quite a vibe..

Hey look its Rihanna!

Greenhouse was voted "worlds best green club'... It sure gets our vote, BIG thumbs up!

 

"Man around South Africa"

So I had one of those coach potato days yesterday and as I sat glued to the BBC lifestyle channel (one of my favourites) I came across a show called "Man around the globe". Here a guy from New York is assigned to a specific country in search of true authentic pieces. But heres the twist... these pieces have to be completely original and fresh, that New Yorkers have NEVER seen before. Country of choice for this episode: none other than beautiful South Africa! Now even though SA has TONS of local talent, this New Yorker was on the hunt for unusual, quirky, cutting edge design. Well, boy did he nail the brief and find just that...:)

True to form, South Africa gave this New Yorker a taste of true raw local talent at its best, proving to be at the forefront of innovation... Green innovation that is. So innovative in fact that Michelle Obama just had to have one of these pieces for her lounge in the white house!

Magpie has been making headways with their hi-low qirky "Bespoke" chandeliers made of recycled plastic bottles and barbie legs and "blomme" pompom- like lightshades.

The range is fun, colourful, ,socially-conscious and creatively- brilliant. Designed for those with a green conscious ness and good sense of humour- I absolutely love it!

Have a closer look... 

Heres my all time favourite... this Blomme lightshade called "chicken bum".... haha 

Design Indaba Expo Coming Soon

The Design Indada kicking off on 26 to 28 February 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre is said to be bigger, better and GREENER this year than ever before! 

A premier showcase of high-end, homegrown design talent, the Design Indaba Expo is the only 100% South African celebration of our country’s best creative talent across all the creative industries – craft, product, industrial, fashion, film, animation, graphic, jewellery, publishing, ceramics, new media and architectural design.  

“With all the excitement around the 2010 year, exhibitors have signed up enthusiastically and are optimistic about South Africa being in the world’s eye,” says Mike Purdham, manager of the Design Indaba Expo. 

Some Eco-designs to look out for…

Reused lights... Philippe Bousquet showing off his new collection of lights, "After Dark". Based on the rules of no welding and no new materials (other than the bulb and wiring).

New made rubbish... I love Heath Nash’s creative innovations like these light shades made from plastic waste. And the fact that hes from the University of Cape Town, well I love him even more:)

For more info on the Design Indaba visit www.designindaba.com