Craig Port x The Great British Summer x #MBFWCT S/S 2015

Craig Port showed his latest collection ‘The Great British Summer’ at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town (MBFWCT) on 26 July 2014. His collection was inspired by a trip which he took to London where he celebrated the launch of the summer season with an array of black tie balls, lawn parties and glittering gallery openings. From behind the heavy velvet curtains of exclusive members club Loulou’s, he observed an eclectic social scene where royalty sit alongside rock stars and art dealers discuss politics with starlets. He was inspired by the experience.

The optimism of pastels merges gently with caramel tones, resulting in a modern romance of sugarcoated sorbets. Dreamy creams and crisp whites sit alongside a sprinkling of the palest mint, peach, rose and lemon. Toffee stripes and sherbet evoke memories of traditional confectionary delights and natural leathers in mocha, cocoa and ebony offset the delicately muted palette.

His latest collection pieces celebrate fresh fashion with pastel solids and botanical references. Full skirts, shell tops and playsuits for women, stovepipe trousers, peter pan collared shirts and loose knit pullovers for men empower the wearer to mix with an eccentric ease. Drawing inspiration from the grassy pitch of Lord’s and organic lines of the Serpentine Gallery, the collection explores a fusion of clean shapes with the subtle whisper of days gone by.

Delicate detailing takes center stage this season with traditional touches of broderie anglaise, crochet and smocking adding texture to silk cotton, damask and quilted fabrics.

Craig used the following brands to showcase his ‘Great British Summer’ vision on the catwalk at #MBFWCT:

Bags: Indalo Decor

Floral headpieces: Supernatural

Ladies shoes: Erato

Jewelry: Kirsten Goss

Sunglasses: Avanglion Sunglasses

Craig Port clothing is available exclusively at YDE and for more information please visit: www.craigport.co.za 

Image Credit: Simon Deiner / SDR Photo 

Linn Products Raises The Audio Bar In South Africa

The global leaders in precision-engineered music systems, Linn Products, is making its long-awaited re-entry into South Africa with the announcement that Sphere Custom Design will be its sole distributor in the country. Their product range officially launches on 22 July at a function that also celebrates Linn’s association with the award-winning Higland Park whisky range.

 

Sphere Custom Design will grow Linn’s presence in the South African market through sales, marketing, service and support.

 

Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn’s Managing Director is thrilled by this new partnership, noting, “This new relationship will help us realise our ambitions for Linn in a market that is strategically vital for our vision of Linn’s future. We are all excited about the great potential of this most progressive and demanding market”.

 

The launch coincides with Linn’s 40 birthday celebrations, which saw the company release 40 limited editions of its signature Sondek LP12 turntables, housed in oak plinths made from the casks that previously housed the iconic Highland Park whisky. Each one of these editions is accompanied by a special Linn bottling of Highland Park 40 years old.

 

The Sondek LP12 was the first product produced by Linn and is still the standard by which all other turntables around the world are judged.

 

Highland Park will be at the event to serve guests a taste of their 12 years old and 18 years old whiskies, the latter of which was crowned the best spirit in the world twice in the last decade.

 

Mac Mabidilala, Edrington Group Brand Manager at RGBC, says, “Highland Park handcrafted single malt whisky recently partnered with Linn to facilitate a remarkable relationship between award-winning whisky and exceptional music systems. We are honoured to be a part of introducing the craft, heritage and dedication to quality of both these brands through Sphere Custom Design in South Africa.”

 

Sphere Custom Design’s Technical Director and Owner, Christiaan Beukes, says, “We share Linn’s passion for enriching people’s lives through music, ensuring the highest quality customer service and uniquely tailoring every project to the highest degree. From conception to completion, Sphere Custom Design works with their dedicated base of installers, retailers or directly, to surpass the expectations of each of its clients.”

The Ultimate in Luxury - The Macallan at MBFWCT

The world’s most prized whisky, The Macallan, provided a rare opportunity to those who appreciate luxury and exclusivity to view a bottle of 62-year-old whisky in bespoke Lalique crystal in the Mercedez Benz tent for the duration of the Cape Town Fashion Week (24 – 26 July 2014).

 

The Macallan, which broke its own Guinness World Record at the start of the year when one of its bottles sold for US$628 000 on auction, creates its whiskies based on six pillars, their curiously small stills, the finest cut of the distillation run, exceptional oak casks, natural colour, peerless spirit and its spiritual home.

 

In its collection of the oldest whiskies ever produced as a range, Macallan is representing these six pillars in the form of six whiskies, each housed in a unique decanter design, created by the legendary French crystal house Lalique. The whisky that was on display is the fifth and latest release in this series, with the decanter crafted to represent the spiritual home pillar. This spiritual home refers to the Easter Elchies manor house that has stood on the estate where the Macallan is made since 1700, and also adorns its label. It is the only manor house of its kind to be part of a distillery estate in Scotland.

 

The Macallan Lalique V: The Spiritual Home is the second-oldest whisky ever released by The Macallan. Few distilleries in the world have the stocks to match The Macallan for its ability to release whiskies of such extreme age and quality. Only 400 of these unique whiskies were produced and carefully poured inside the decanters. It retails upwards of R250 000.

 

“This is the ultimate luxury spirit for the select few who are lucky enough to experience it,” says Nicol Gongota, Brand Ambassador: Macallan. “This is a whisky that is crafted for the VVIP, the person who does not only values the nuances that enrich a whisky that spends in excess of half a century in a sherry barrel, but who also appreciates the fine craftsmanship to create a decanter of exquisite beauty. These elements combine to redefine the concept of extreme luxury.

 

“We are therefore proud to display this whisky at an event and location that are synonymous with luxury brands.”

 

The rich dark colour of the whisky serves as a hint to the experience of sampling this unique spirit. The nose brims with treacle, raisins, blood orange, cinnamon, ginger and chocolate. This translates to a rich and viscuous palate filled with figs, oak, ginger and cigar leaf that lingers on the tongue.

 

The addition of the 62-year-old means that the visual display of The Macallan’s six pillars is almost complete. The whiskies in the range have been released periodically since 2005. Previously, the 50-year-old (exceptional oak casks), 55-year-old (natural colour), 57-year-old (the finest cut) and 60-year-old (the curiously small stills) were all released in their own unique Lalique decanters. As the collection has grown, each release has become more desired and anticipated.

 

“The six pillars of The Macallan tie in well with the tree-pillar tie-in between Lalique, the Cape Town Fashion Week and ourselves,” says Mac Mabidilala, Brand Manager: Macallan. “This is the first time that this decanter will be on display in South Africa and we believe it is the perfect platform to exhibit a creation of such class, luxury and exclusivity.”

 

The Macallan Lalique V: The Spiritual Home was originally filled to American oak sherry-seasoned casks in November 1950.

 

Inspired by the artistic genius of Rene Lalique’s legacy and Easter Elchies House, Lalique’s Marc Larminaux interpreted the harled surface applied to the sandstone walls of Easter Elchies House by creating a textured frosted surface on three sides of the decanter, an effect created through the use of a digital stamp of the actual wall. One of the frosted sides features the bold initials, of the builder, Captain John E. Grant, replicating the initials which are incorporated in the original date stone, which can be seen high up on the western elevation of Easter Elchies House.

 

Da L.E.S Birthday Celebration – The VIP Room

Join Da L.E.S tonight at the VIP Room for his birthday celebration! It is going to be one epic night so make sure you are there!

The event starts at 10 pm.

Address:

Maude Street, Michelangelo Towers Mall, Johannesburg, Sandton.

 

Inside the AugustineGold Capsule Collection

A few weeks ago, the Swag Craze team, attended the launch of the AugustineGold capsule collection. Today we give you an inside look into their amazing collection, which you can order, directly from the Augustine store in Parkhurst or from Gold Street Online. The AugustineGold collection ranges from everyday to statement pieces for both men and women. Styles include hooded blazers, tailored biker pants, sheer bombers, leggings and the must have AUGUSTINE leather biker jacket.