Made in South Africa

I’ve spent the last week slogging it out at my place of permanent employ getting our new venture off the ground and open. The store was finally handed over to us on Tuesday and with a supreme load of effort from all concerned we managed to open for Saturday morning trade.

The idea behind ‘Made in South Africa’ is to feature and encourage local talent to go a bit beyond the craft stage in the production of goods.

 

The store can be found at the International Departures section of Oliver Tambo Airport on the landside – so locals can shop there as well.

 

 

Featuring housewares, clothing, costume jewellery and home decor items from all over South Africa.

 

A few more Truworth pics

As promised, last blog, I nipped past Eastgate to get a bigger perspective on Truworth's winter window presentations, there being more window frontage here than at Cresta.
A better shot of the whole panel than the Cresta pic due to the fact that at Cresta I had the Saturday morning shopping swarm to contend with but at Eastgate it was first thing in the morning.

Another window, what strikes me is better mannequin placement than I've seen for a while at Truworths.
I also had the opportunity to snap some of Truworth's speciality line windows:

Inwear

Those pod people again at

LTD.

In fact, the more I look at the mannequin’s expressions, the more I understand Donald Sutherland’s concern…

Daniel Hechter

A bit severe, methinks, icy metallic, er, faceless?

Truworth’s Man

Oddly enough , I didn’t get what was going on here till I saw the photo, I didn’t see the optical illusion thing with my own two eyes.

At least the speedbumps have gone…

Into the new season

February and already the plane trees are turning, an ominous sign as I tootle through to the airport on the Enfield.

We've seen the back of the Sales and the back of frikking Valentines Day so onwards and upwards..

At Cresta this last weekend I saw the first signs of the new season...Firstly, that chain I love to poke holes in ( but only 'cos they try and in trying make such glaring WTFs)..

Truworths



And would you believe it, I like it. Not in yer face, but subtle, seasonal colours and textures, nicely (in my mind) transforming the window from a blank shoebox shape into something with corners and depth. A city scape feel with clever lighting tricks, I'll nip into Eastgate this week to check those windows out (bigger, more room to play.)

Also Truworth's LTD window thus:

What are those???

Lets take a closer look...

Omigod..alien pods!!

Sorry, I meant:

A quick glance at the window shows no sign of facehugger activity from the open pod, though the mannequin at the right looks a bit apprehensive...

No, yes, I realise they are flower pods and I think that they're actually quite good - I have an overactive imagination - and look at that lighting effect (sorry I likes a good lighting effect)..

Moving on... Foschinni's at Cresta

I like it, initially, but I wonder if it's somehow the finished thing I'm looking at. Further delving is required, there's almost too much prop.

Er, is that canvas supposed to be back to front? Can't help liking it though, it hints at things - like a work in progress -stay tuned...

Valentines Day

*Shudder*

Nope,I shall not post any pictures here about this overblown, guts ripped out of it, money grubbing charade this particular promotional activity has descended into.

For a comprehensive review/crit of participants I recommend Ingrid's page.

For a once pagan holiday based around wolves and hunting and stuff, bleugh. The constant "If you 'love' someone spend oodles and oodles on a pile of utter kitsch" really gets my anti-retail muscle twitching...

Phegh! Here I love ya, please accept this rather horrendously designed twist of otherwise useless precious metals and stones that have probably cost a few lives (and shortened many others),not to mention caused untold havoc to the environment .. sorry, I worked on a gold mine once - I've seen what goes down..

Anyway, next blog, something a bit more positive.

Peace and luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve....