The dinner show has pitched its elaborate tent at the popular casino complex in Johannesburg for an exciting new season.

Madame Zingara is never static and therefore new elements have been added to the tent, the acts and even the menu. The audiences at the theatre show can anticipate an exciting line-up of impressive local and international artists performing daring new acts, to complement the popular, decadent four-course feast.

What most guests won’t notice is the army of employees behind the scenes that it takes to make sure this intricate production goes off without a hitch – and a big element of this is the troupe of kitchen staff working to get 420 dishes prepared and sent out four times a night, in limited windows between the acts. We catch up with Executive Chef Grethel Ferreira to hear about this extraordinary feat.

What does your job entail?

As the executive chef at Madame Zingara I am in charge of everything that happens in the restaurant and the kitchen — from placing orders and consolidating costs to managing staff and ensuring that they deliver the highest level of service to customers.

What is your background?

I decided to become a chef when I was in Matric. I enrolled in the Elsa van der Nest Culinary Academy, which is where I got my diploma and then I started my career in 2002 as an intern in banqueting at GrandWest Casino. Then I worked at 5 Flies restaurant in the CBD, where I learnt the pressures of al a carte dining. Three years later, I was approached by one of my clients to run their restaurant at the Sea Point Gardens Restaurant and Hotel, an offer I grabbed with both hands as it allowed me to be more involved in the management of all aspects of the restaurant. After that I joined Madame Zingara’s first restaurant in Loop Street and now I am the Executive Chef for the Theatre of Dreams.

Describe a typical day.

Being an Executive Chef means that your day begins before everyone else’s and carries on long after they have left. I generally start the day placing orders (we place orders every day to make sure that all the produce is fresh). This takes about two to three hours. I then do a formal briefing with staff, review the previous night and resolve any issues that may have occurred, and discuss the agenda for the day. By this time the orders have started arriving, so we have to check each and every order to make sure that the quality and quantity of the food prepared is correct. Once this is done, I consolidate all the special requests from customers for the day so that we know what to prepare. Then it is off to the kitchen to administer all the preparations and assist with the meals. Service time only begins eight hours after starting work.

At Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams things are different from a normal restaurant; food is sent out in between acts and we only have a 15 minute gap to deliver food to 420 hungry guests. I have to systematically manage and keep a sharp eye on the presentation, the waiters and waitresses, and also make sure the food remains hot. This is probably the most gruelling part of the job, but the most fun too.

What are the biggest challenges that face you at work?

One of the biggest challenges is constantly ensuring that you not only maintain the same level of service excellence that Madame Zingara is known for, but better it. People come to the show for an extraordinary experience – the food and service are as much a part of that as the performances. But these challenges are easier to overcome if you have the support of your staff members; instilling a sense of pride in what they do means that they too will want to deliver service of the highest order.

What are your major rewards?

Receiving positive feedback from customers is right up there on the list. Working in an environment like The Theatre of Dreams means you are surrounded by enthusiastic creative people who have become like family, which is a definitely plus.

What do you need to succeed in to be a chef?

You must be able to work under pressure and accept criticism (use this to improve your skills) – not all customers will be as kind as your mom. Creativity is also a huge part of being a chef. You need to develop a keen interest in creating meals that will make your customers come back for more. Being an executive chef means developing strong interpersonal and leadership skills. When there is a crisis, the staff will look to you. You must be level-headed in times of a crisis – be a leader for your team. As the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

Most importantly you must make sure you love what you do and the rest will fall into place.

Cuisine

Grethel Ferreira

Grethel Ferreira

Tent panoramic

Cathy Specific

For Johannesburg bookings at Montecasino, Fourways , contact the Madame Zingara box office by calling 0861 623 263 or email boxoffice@madamezingara.com For more information about the show, visit www.madamezingara.com

It is the only dedicated single grain whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which can be considered on the same level as most modern whisky-making locations across the globe. Natalie Hilleli from LIVEOUTLOUD went to have a look.

I feel that maybe I should begin with a fair warning to all visiting the beautiful Cape and wanting to head to Wellington – it’s hot, exceptionally hot! It’s a good few degrees hotter than the city of Cape Town. Having left Johannesburg at dawn in the unwelcome mist and chill of an early summer morning, I was dressed for what I thought was going to be the usual ‘four seasons in one day’ Cape Town. We were heading to Wellington to visit the magnificently beautiful James Sedgwick Distillery. Needless to say by 10:00am, breathing in whisky fumes in 40 degree weather had me seeking shade in the postcard-perfect, stylish ‘barn’ where we were invited to enjoy whisky cocktails and a decadent food and whisky pairing affair in celebration of the distillery’s 125th anniversary. Overlooking a beautiful body of water, with birds flying overhead, the charm of this barn and the entire estate makes it understandable why master distiller Andy Watts and his team look so happy. Watts at the same time celebrated his own accomplishment – 20 years at the helm of the facility.

The James Sedgwick Distillery, dating back 125 years to 1886, is situated near the foothills of the Bain’s Kloof Pass in Wellington, in the heart of the Boland. It is the only dedicated whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which can be considered on the same level as most modern whisky-making locations across the globe. Named after the 19th Century sea captain James Sedgwick, who became one of the pioneers of the South African liquor industry, it is home to the popular, proudly South African Three Ships Whisky and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky.

Sedgwick settled in Cape Town in 1850 and proved himself to be quite the wise businessman. In 1859 he established the firm of J Sedgwick & Company, suppliers of quality liquor, tobacco and cigars. When he passed away in 1872, two of his sons, Charles and Alfred, took over the running of the thriving business, which grew greatly under their management. In 1886 the company set up (some sources say bought) a distillery in Wellington.

The facility, originally a brandy distillery, started being used as a whisky distillery 20 years ago when production of the Three Ships brand was relocated there. At the same time Andy Watts, a past professional cricketer who had learnt the art of whisky making in Scotland, was appointed as the distillery’s manager.

The last 20 years have been a time of major change and accomplishments for the James Sedgwick Distillery. A strong focus was placed on ensuring the distillery would function in a sustainable, environmentally-sensitive manner and substantial renovations were made to ensure only the best, world-class quality whisky would be produced – including commissioning Forsyth’s of Scotland to produce copper pot stills for the distillery. To ensure access to a reliable water supply, a marshland next to the distillery was turned into a dam. The result is a lovely aesthetic feature to the distillery.

“The investment made in upgrading the facility has resulted in the capability to take the range of whiskies we are able to produce to the next level,” Watts said. “It has given us the confidence to compete – and today very successfully – in the international arena. Our latest Three Ships 10 Year Old single malt this year alone garnered gold medals at both the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the International Wine and Spirit Competition.”

“The whisky industry in South Africa, as opposed to the established producers like Scotland, is still in its relative infancy. However, we are constantly developing our range to underscore the country’s ability to produce world-class whiskies. Receiving recognition from these international competitions, judged by some of the world’s leading experts, is humbling and a sign that we are moving in the right direction,” explains Watts with great passion. The 100 percent single grain whisky, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, came back for the second consecutive year with a gold medal from the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of the Bain’s Kloof Pass, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is South Africa’s first single grain whisky and is made from the finest South African grain. Its double-maturation imparts flavour and complexity, resulting in an exceptionally smooth and distinctive whisky.

Andy Watts, master distiller at James Sedgwick distillery

James-Sedgwick-Distillery

James Sedgewick Distillery

James Sedgwick Distillery

For further information about the whiskies produced at the James Sedgwick Distillery visit www.bainscapemountainwhisky.co.za or www.threeshipswhisky.co.za

Jonathan Snashall spent his December holiday sampling the wines of Victoria and South Australia and discovers Australian wine entering a new age

The days of shipping wine to Europe before they had orders are long gone. Yet at its peak Australia displaced France in the UK market – one of the biggest and toughest – and, with just four percent of total world wine production, is the fourth largest exporter of wine by volume behind traditional wine-producing giants Italy, France and Spain.

The French, understandably, have not taken this very well and are busy clawing their way back. It reminds me of a hilarious scene in Jancis Robinson’s 1990s BBC wine series where she sneaks a bottle of Australian Chardonnay into a Burgundian’s production cellar and he chose – while taking himself very seriously – to walk outside to spit the wine.

It’s hard to dismiss Australia’s influence, not only on wine production but marketing as well – if Australians didn’t invent wine branding they certainly came near to perfecting it.

More recent times have been a lot tougher. After oversupply, drought, fires, vine-pulling schemes, consolidation and rationalisation, a new lean Australian wine industry has emerged, with cool climate regions like Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, and Yarra Valley, and more recently Tasmania, making elegant wines a far cry from the blockbuster Barossa Shiraz on which they built much of their reputation.

Wine is made in every state and Victoria, with Melbourne as the capital, has a growing reputation for classic cool climate varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – though they just couldn’t stop themselves from planting some Shiraz. Despite their exporting success, many of Australia’s finest wines are not exported. You really need to go there to discover the true depth and range on offer.

One of the consequences and ironies of the New World’s reverse colonisation of the Old World is that to some extent the one is making and labelling wine like the other. While you could argue that Australia is doing it with more intense flavours, they are certainly making more finer structured and lighter bodied wines than ever before. A good example of this is labelling Shiraz Syrah, often when lighter bodied and spicier.

However, the leading edge of Australia’s age of elegance is Chardonnay. Earlier picking to achieve lower alcohols (12.5 to 13.5 percent) has not resulted in compromising flavours, and with judicious use of oak has seen the emergence of more finesse. Although part of an international trend, it also fits better with Australia’s diverse cuisine and its food and wine matching competitions.

Picking red grapes earlier to reduce alcohol in red wine can result in under-ripe flavours but lower alcohols have been achieved in the vineyard through vine canopy management for example, while biodynamic producers have reported ripeness at lower sugar levels.

Australia’s “we-can-do-anything-better-than-you” attitude is exemplified in Peter Lehmann winemaker Andrew Wigan’s achievement with quintessential cool climate variety Riesling from the Barossa, although from higher altitude Eden Valley. He has garnered all manner of local and international awards to no doubt get up some European noses. South Africa might be able to draw some encouragement from last year’s much-improved 5 Nations results (previously 3 Nations, now with Argentina and Chile) where Australia won country of the show. Although I am not sure how widely it is entered, South Africa won wine of the show (Nederburg Eminence), white wine of the show (Paul Cluver Chardonnay), aromatic wine trophy (Jordan Riesling), white blends trophy (Tokara Director’s Reserve) other white varieties trophy (Bellingham Roussanne), Shiraz trophy (Eagle’s Nest) plus a raft of double gold.

SOME OF MY FAVOURITES FROM MY AUSTRALIAN WINELANDS EXPEDITION

• Peter Lehmann (Glen Carlou’s sister estate) The Wigan 2006 Riesling
• Seppelt St Peters Grampian Shiraz 2008
• Kooyong Meres (Port Phillip Estate) Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
• Kooyong Faultline Single Vineyard Selection Chardonnay 2009
• Seville Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2010
• Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 2008
• Oakridge Limited Release Yarra Valley Fume (Sauv/Sem) 2010
• Main Ridge Pinot Noir 09 (both the Half Acre and Acre)
• Sparkling Brut Shiraz – was a great accompaniment to traditional Christmas lunch on a hot day.

Port Phillip Wine Estate

Port Phillip Wine Estate

Port Phillip Wine Estate Entrance

For information on local importers visit both www.winecellar.co.za and www.reciprocal.co.za

Richard Scott may not have started his professional career as a full-time painter but he has certainly made up for the lost years, gaining a following in the art world for his distinctive style.

What motivated you to become a full time artist?

I had a lifetime ambition to retire at the age of 35 and focus on bringing up a family. I managed to do it at the age of 34. While I was in the process of selling the equity in a business to my partner, my wife said I better do something to keep myself busy. I decided to focus on another lifetime ambition and that is to paint a painting that someone actually liked, even more so, a painting that I actually liked. So I did some research, painted five paintings and took them to Hout Bay Gallery. It was 1st January 2002. The work all sold in four days and then 25 in six weeks and until today it’s around 2 500. The motivation to become a full-time artist started to appear and when my wife said I need to start or buy another company because my retirement money was running out, I decided to take up art full time and push with all my energy.

The cat, the mountain, lighthouse, sexy girl and tree are recurring themes in your art. What is their significance?

I have been asked this question many a time and the answer is that there is no meaning or significance. I see something, I like it and then I sketch it and if it works I paint it.

Your work has been classified in the “neo pop art” genre. How do you interpret “neo pop art” and what, for you, are the main ingredients?

I try to steer clear of art labels, specifically to movements and or art. I would prefer to make such a massive impact one day, that a movement is named after me. I’m not sure at all what Neo Pop means. New Pop perhaps, or Singularly Unique Pop. My main ingredient, excuse the pun, is to take pages out of books of famous artists, visionaries, and successful businessmen and create my own recipe. Once that has been formulated then teach it.

How do you feel about South African art and its evolution in a post activist society?

I just came back from a six country, 12 city visit of Europe and am very excited. Europeans are so much more deeply cultured in art. They ooze with knowledge of art and culture. South Africa has been good to me, but my clients are 75 percent European. South African art has its place and it’s fortunately or unfortunately going to stay where it is and what it is. Artists are slowly educating the public with the masses of high quality art produced, both commercial and academic. Deep down inside I feel someone, if there is someone responsible, is not doing enough to get South Africans out of first gear and into second gear culturally and artistically. It will happen one day. William Kentridge and Marlene Dumas are putting us on the map, but that someone needs to be found.

You are extremely business savvy, is there ever any conflict between the artist and the businessman?

Yes all the time. Every second and every thought. My mind is 10 years ahead of what I produce. I come with a creative idea and my business mind kicks in and that kills most of my ideas and concepts. Business is a reality, you need to do commerce in order to make money, in order to live and feed yourself and family. Art and creativity are dangerous luxuries. If you can get the two to balance on a scale, as I have, then you have found the main ingredient to becoming a successful artist. It’s about business. I have a big vision to build seven buildings across the world under the Richard Scott Art Foundation. You reap what you sow.

A self-confessed “Scottaholic”, successful entrepreneur Carl Smyth has invested a substantial amount on acquiring Richard Scott’s art. He personally owns every Richard Scott painting in his collection. The Carl Smyth Collection – his “destination gallery” which was opened last year at Eden on the Bay in Blouberg, Cape Town – highlights the distinct character and beauty of the art by complementing it with exquisite surroundings. Carl does not only believe in the aesthetic beauty of Richard’s art, but also in the value it will return for those who make an investment in it. Carl’s gallery currently displays the works of three artists, ensuring that exclusive attention can be given to the promotion of these select few.

All those memories

Our memories

She was the one

To book an appointment to view Carl’s Collection, visit www.thecarlsmythcollection.com or contact The Carl Smyth Collection on +27 73 915 8897.

The new methods of granting a measure of tax relief on the contributions made to medical schemes will be implemented from March 2012, and this is expected to be followed by similar amendments to the taxing of medical expenses in 2013, explains Rob Cooper. “Contributions to the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme are also expected to be introduced during 2013,” says Cooper.

It is widely expected that the Youth Subsidy project, as proposed in the February 2011 budget and taken further in a white paper earlier in the year, will be implemented during 2012. Cooper says it is as a result of the unacceptably high levels of unemployment, particularly amongst young people. “This scheme, while being an essential part of a number of initiatives designed to increase employment levels, is proposed to be administered through the PAYE system and will pose a number of challenges to SARS, employers and payroll systems in the course of its implementation.”

Further, there are two noteworthy pieces of legislation that are pending. “The tax administration bill will extract administrative provisions from all Acts that fall under SARS and consolidate them into one Act. At this stage it has no direct impact on employers or payrolls. The tax administration bill however proposes a single number for all taxpayers in the future, which will again pose challenges to implement, but will streamline and simplify administration substantially in the future.”

Cooper says that legislation surrounding retirement reforms are also on the cards: “As proposed in the February 2011 budget, there are plans to standardise the tax rules relating to retirement funds. The thinking is to standardise the provisions for pension and provident funds to resemble that of retirement annuities with a combined contribution deduction limit of 22.5 percent of taxable income. The legislation will most likely be delayed until March 2013 and will have an impact on HR and payroll administration.”

Another interesting piece of retirement reforming legislation that is pending is the proposal of a national retirement fund that will have a compulsory membership. “Though the details are still very vague, it appears that the new system will have a three-tier structure, where the first tier will be similar to the existing old age grant, which allows people over 60 years of age to qualify for the benefit even if no contributions were made.”

“The second tier will be a ‘defined benefit’ fund with a mandatory contribution with a fixed accrual rate based on the individual’s average lifetime earnings instead of on the final salary, and the third tier will allow individuals at their option to contribute a percentage of their income above R150 000,” says Cooper.

The expectation is that a discussion document on these proposals will be issued before the end of 2011. While the legislation could wind its way through parliament during 2012, it will take a number of years for government to implement, adds Cooper.

Looking further ahead, SARS is still investigating the possibility of implementing a social security tax. “The legislation surrounding social security tax is however still on the table. In essence, the legislation will combine UIF, the road accident fund, social grants and the compensation fund under a ‘social security’ umbrella that will function as a holistic entity. It will effectively modernise and streamline the process.”

SARS is also looking at amending labour legislation. Cooper notes that there are quite a few aspects surrounding labour legislation that are currently under review, including to:

labour legislation under review

• Close down or regulate labour brokers
• Redefine an employer
• Introduce the concept of ‘decent work’ into legislation
• ‘Widen and explore’ the definition of an employee further
• Introduce a national ‘job placement’ system

He believes the labour legislation should be in draft form by no later than April 2012 and unless there is huge public opposition, could be promulgated into law by December 2012. The Minister of Labour is currently pushing very hard to move even faster than these dates. “2012 will certainly be an interesting year as far as HR and payroll administrative changes are concerned. It will therefore be advisable for practitioners in the field to stay abreast of changes in the New Year,” advises Cooper.

For further information and advice, visit the Softline VIP website, www.vippayroll.co.za

Established in the lively vicinity of Vredehoek in Cape Town, Design Quarters is the brainchild of specialist interior designer and consultant Michelle Trimborn. Born in Durban, Michelle Trimborn landed her first job as a project manager for international trade companies, training locally and internationally in project and commercial management. Yet this did not satisfy her nagging creative side, which led her to further her previous studies in textile and design and launched the Design Quarters brand in 2007.

The company is small and is intensely focused on a client’s every whim. Design Quarters also focuses on cost effective execution, no matter the amount thrown at a project. Whether residential, retail or commercial, Trimborn and her team see to it that spaces are designed with personality and a scope of creativity that works exceptionally within the client’s parameters.

Trimborn speaks about her love and philosophy behind interior design: “Clients seek interior designers, because they don’t know how to make the space better. Often they suffer from Scatter-Cushionitis, thinking that plenty of scatter cushions and ornaments turning into clutter will turn a space into something more homely, but it doesn’t.” Trimborn strives to create spaces that do not look like showrooms but inherit the feel and personality of her clients.

As an expert on home and commercial interior design, Trimborn has cast a savvy eye over the current trends and compiled a 2012 Colour and Trend Report, highlighting what colour and fabric trends she predicts are going to be prevalent this year.

In her search for the latest local trends, Trimborn spoke to some of the leading local experts, including James Russell, whose agency represents eleven fabric houses; Jonathan Barbour of What Not Fabrics and Marguerite MacDonald from Mavromac, distributors of leading international brands.

Key themes for 2012:

Serenity, Mish Mash, Sobriety & Utility.
Serenity focuses on relaxation, romance, nostalgia and reassurance. “The world is in a debt-ridden mess and society has become weary of the stress of risk. To counterbalance this stress, people will increasingly cocoon themselves at home, where they feel safe, free to express their personality, and where they can create their own, less stressful realities,” says Trimborn.

Mish Mash, a collection of miscellaneous items that gives living spaces an energetic, almost frenetic feel. “Think of combinations of high-tech and handmade items with a retro, as opposed to nostalgic, feel. This theme is slightly more masculine than the first but not necessarily male-dominated. The choice you make between the two will depend entirely on your personality.”

The two other themes that follow on from these main themes are Sobriety, which refers to buying with a conscience and focuses on austerity, quality, longevity and sustainability, and Utility, which focuses on practicality, simplicity, versatility and accessibility.

Key Colours:

Neutrals, “greige” and terracotta browns, as well as neon.
Neutrals will dominate – think black, grey, and “greige” (grey and beige), with terracotta browns. These colours will be used to create startling contrasts with brighter colours, strongly filtered by grey. “Look out for fuschia pinks, lime and apple greens, honest yellows, deep, threatening blues and turquoise, which I don’t think has reached its full potential yet.” Trimborn explains that there may also be a new interpretation of neon colours, contrasted with black or white matt colours.

A Proliferation of Patterns:

Florals, geometrics, checks, colour blocking and Mondrian.
According to Trimborn’s report we can expect the current floral trend to continue and it is expected to be big, bright and colourful. “Look for natural, French-style watercolours on linen and cotton, with a hand-painted look that is not necessarily crafty but very artistic.” There will also be a revisiting of geometrics, but with a focus on softening the edges, and “Checks will be expressed through unusual colour blocking. Think Mondrian,” says Trimborn.

Other patterns to look out for include embroidery, crewel and appliqué, prints from the 30s and 40s, comic and hand-drawn or sketched patterns, and stripes, which are likely to grow in popularity even more over the coming months.

The Fantastic Fabrics of the near Future:

Linens, natural fabrics, canvas.
According to Trimborn and the experts, linens are here to stay. The naturally muted colours fit in with the larger colour trends and its soft, natural feel satisfies the eco-conscious. Natural fibre blends will grow in strength as a trend – wool, cotton, cotton linens, and silks, often combined with synthetic fibres to help bring the price down. Also look out for quality ‘plastics’ (vinyls, patent leathers); traditional silver and gold metallics and generally highly-polished finishes; and in contrast velvets will be matt.

The report also points out that small editions of completely handcrafted items will be a big trend. “Limited edition sofas, ingeniously crafted felt, hand-printed, signature-design lengths of cloth and custom designed wallpapers will become major talking points.

“Based on the retrospective insight and informed outlook of the global players, we support these trend commentaries as indicative of what to expect in 2012. It’s all about providing some personalised retail therapy for our old friend – our home,” Trimborn says.

Michelle Trimborn

Check Fabric

Floral

Floral

Natural fibre fabric

Canvas

Mavromacs couch

My Magazine Stool

Retro black print pillow

For further advice from Michelle and the Design Quarters team, visit www.designquarters.co.za

He studied fashion, had a career as a make-up artist, has contributed to local publications as a voice of wisdom in fashion and has even created a cartoon which became the basis for a book. Dion Chang is also the founder of the well-respected trend analysis company called Flux Trends which hosts the annual Flux Trends Review conference which provides an overview of “the state we’re in”.

When and why did you decide that you wanted to get into the fashion industry?

I was one of those weird freaks of nature who knew by the age of seven what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a designer, no question about it – that was the dream. I even took part in a national design competition while still in Matric. However, I realised just as quickly that being a designer wasn’t for me after all. I later won a post graduate scholarship to Paris to do make-up, then styling in London, and only came back to SA to await visa papers to be processed. While I was waiting I fell into magazines, doing odd jobs here and there. As I was preparing to leave I was offered a job as fashion editor of BOB T in-house banking magazine, and wrestled with what to do. I just felt I couldn’t turn down the opportunity; I mean how often do these openings come along in the magazine industry. But it wasn’t what I expected, a definite baptism of fire. You had to sell your advertorial before you could do your features. I wondered if I had made the right choice staying in SA. Luckily I did as it led to joining the Elle launch team.

It is commendable that with all your years as a forecaster of global trends you haven’t permanently migrated north – do you feel that you will continue to call SA home?

I’ve lived overseas, and worked in Europe, but SA is always home. Social dynamics fascinate me, and what better Petri dish to observe than modern day South Africa?  London is great but I prefer to visit, and it works well for me. I can visit places all over the world to learn about trends, for instance this year I’ve been to Paris for the décor exhibition Maison et Objet and CES the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas amongst others. The wonderful thing is every trip is work, discovering, observing, learning, but it’s also a pleasure.

My base is South Africa, and I’m finding a lot more innovation coming out of developing countries these days. That’s where the energies are. And for that reason the only other place I could live is China. Look at the BRIC nations, there are such relevant developments here in Africa, a lot of trends have leapfrogged first world concepts, such as banking, mobile technology and services – because people have different needs,  the industries have to find different solutions, and I really enjoy seeing those reverse innovations coming through.

Your trend analysis company, Flux Trends, ‘connects the dots’ for clients in fast-paced times where we have too much information to sift through. In a broad context, how do you decide what trend/ key information is most important to educate the client on?

Well I’d say we have a two-tiered approach. The key is to take a broad overview of what’s happening in the world. I shy away from labels like futurologists, because it creates the wrong expectations, I prefer to look at what’s going on now. Too much information leads us to have tunnel vision. I believe my job is to step back and look at the whole spider web, taking into account politics, popular culture, technology and so on in order to understand. Then it’s about focusing on what’s relevant to the specific client. For instance I’m working a lot with banks at the moment, they find themselves on unsteady ground, the landscape is shifting, the waters are muddy. Of course I’m expected to say what is new or next, but I feel in order to do my job properly it is important to also clearly outline what is going on in the present and show the potential threats now.

You are a published author, columnist and internationally-recognised trend analyst – yet you are known to South Africans for your contributions to the fashion industry. What has been your proudest accomplishment outside of fashion?

I know I have the mantle of being ‘that fashion guy’, but I have rebranded myself outside of the fashion industry. My proudest accomplishment has to be setting up Flux purely based on a gut feeling. People said “You’re mad!”, “You’re throwing away your fashion reputation”, but I really wanted to do it. It was a two year process to create Flux from nothing, and I launched with a trend conference that I funded, which was scary. No one else was doing trend analysis at the time, trendspotting wasn’t really in the lexicon, so the biggest challenge wasn’t just presenting myself seriously without talking handbags and shoes, but explaining what exactly Flux did and why it was important to businesses. It was an uphill battle at first, because companies only used stat-based research, and it was a time when they needed a more human perspective. That was in 2006, and then the recession hit. It was perfect timing, all these companies wanted advice and answers – Doors were open, luckily for us.

Do you ever allow yourself an ‘unstylish day’?

Anybody who says they don’t is a liar. But style is relative; it’s not only about dress code. For example you could be sitting around a fire wearing a tracksuit, but then, if you have a delicious wine… so there are different ways of being stylish.

Tell us a little about your cartoon character Gloria and how she became the focus of a book?

Gloria came from my time at Elle. We needed something to pretty up the stockist page. I mentioned I had developed a character initially for use on gift cards, we tried it out and Gloria found a home. And then she grew and grew, until a publisher approached me about doing a book. I had never considered it because I never thought I could write. I mean, I didn’t go to journalism school, and my thinking was that without a qualification ‘you can’t do something’. So, for me, it was a significant achievement. And of course it was great fun.

You are seen as an ‘original’ – A South African trendsetter who is “Living the Dream”. Do you feel you have accomplished all your goals, or is there still something you strive to achieve?

It’s funny, I’ve never been one for a check-box strategy. It’s only when doing interviews like this where you reflect on achievements. Although when I was a starving student in Paris I remember dreaming of doing a live television link to a South African fashion show or some kind of report back home. Then later, when working with Elle, one day I was in a hotel room having just done a live radio interview, and I suddenly realised I’d just achieved my dream.

The journey you intend is never the one you end up on. I’m always looking for an original challenge, for instance I do have some innovative plans on the publishing side for the future. Trailblazing is a red flag to a bull for me. If I look back, the Elle launch, then starting Elle man which was a supplement well in advance of GQ and the men’s magazines, and of course Flux itself – every achievement has been about starting and nurturing something from the start.

‘Living the dream’ is relative. What in your mind are the key ingredients?

I think sometimes you don’t realise you are living the dream when it happens. For example, I’m often invited on trips, and flown around the world by people: A visit to London will be all paid for – hotel, flights etc. You don’t ask for this, it comes very unexpectedly, but I love to travel, it’s important to me, and I realise how wonderful my life is with all these opportunities.

Of course, ‘living the dream’ is indeed relative. For me it’s about never following the money or the fame. It’s about real passion, and naive blind faith in my abilities. I think ‘living the dream’  is an attitude not a benchmark – If you can keep your naive idealism you’re always living the dream.

To learn more about Flux Trend’s and Dion’s thoughts on hot trends, visit www.fluxtrends.co.za

Delving into the intricate and compelling world of American-born and Joburg-based artist, Nathaniel Stern, one is once again emphatically confronted with the pure immensity that is art appreciation and philosophy. Because Stern’s work is embedded in extensive investigation into subjects so significant to human nature, currently and historically, his art is quite possibly some of the most relevant around.

A productive day in Stern’s life may consist of wading waist-deep in a water-lily pond with a desktop scanner, laptop and custom-made battery pack strapped to his body. Wielding this unique contraption he literally performs images into existence by scanning along table surfaces, swinging over flowers, hopping over bricks or, in this case, floating over water-lily ponds. This active engagement with his surroundings translates into quirky and organic but condensed renderings which he then re-stretches, crops and touches up on his laptop, and finally they are transformed into exquisite archival art prints for the gallery wall. This process of art-making he has suitably named Compressionism.

Stern follows a rather unique trajectory when creating his Compressionist works. From influential roots in Impressionism through to Surrealism imagery, ending in a postmodern sentiment, Compressionism is more than a playful allusion to historical art movements of “isms”. Allegorically, Stern’s term Compressionism dictates the nature of this day and age. In a world of time and space constraints threatening to slow us down, the concept of compression allows us to “zip-folder” large amounts of data into smaller spaces, which is also intrinsic to our lives of trying to fit an alarming amount of activities into one day.

His latest installation, entitled “Giverny of the Midwest”, on display at Art On Paper from 30 July 2011, is part of an ongoing series started in 2005 in Johannesburg. The main work, a 2 x 12 metre installation of 93 prints of water-lily pond scans was inspired by Monet’s work in Giverny where he spent over 30 years painting his famous water lilies. For this particular work Stern spent three days camping beside a lily pond in South Bend, Indiana with his scanner-laptop-battery apparatus, endlessly scanning his surroundings with only his studio assistant and an agitated snapping turtle for company. After this brief adventure, it took over eighteen months of editing and reworking images to achieve the full installation to where it is now.

Using Monet’s Water Lilies triptych at the MoMA in New York as his source for following movement and patterns of colour and light and Mondrian as the inspiration for the spacing of the images, Stern managed to create a kind of digital play between modularity and Modernism in this large installation.

Coining new terminology and experimenting with new hardware combinations are, however, not the only things Stern concerns himself with. He is also a prolific scholar of performative and interactive art and is considered one of the fathers of this progressive movement in South Africa. Throughout his career he has explored an array of different concepts including political commentary, performance, human interaction and language, and has deepened his research around these interests over many years.

Like most progressive artists today, Stern often collaborates with other artists. “I believe that artists no longer simply make images, they make discourse – they ask us not only to look but to look again, to re-examine,” he says, “Art is always dialogical – I mean, simply, that it is in dialogue – with history, with other art and artists, with current events, with politics and pop culture and more. Most of all, it is in dialogue with people, with real people.”

In his 2003/2009 updated work, “Stuttering”, one of his many interactive installations, Stern investigates how we affect, and are affected by conversation and comprehension. Each viewer in the space triggers a large-scale interactive art object projected on the wall in front of them. Body tracking software picks up the movement of the viewers and animates a quote about stuttering and is accompanied by an audio recitation of its text.

When questioned about bringing art to the people via interaction, Stern quotes: “There are a lot of reasons I work with interactive art. A large portion of this is to reach a bigger audience and get them excited about art, while also engaging with complex ideas and materials. And I also believe that such work can be serious stuff, which needs to be investigated further by those in the academy and elsewhere.”

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Some of Stern’s other works will also be on display at UNISA in September.

For more information visit http://nathanielstern.com or www.artonpaper.co.za