Copy of 8. TrooRa The Connections Issue ‘20

THE CONNECTIONS ISSUE

Innovative engineering, Design and Technology defining a new class of vehicle.

Lucid Motors Luxury mobility company reimagining what a car can be.

Emerald Green Silk Deju Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng

Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

The Art Of Wearing

vicnate.com

The Art Of Wearing

vicnate.com

Emerald Green Silk Deju Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng

Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

Emerald Green Silk Deju Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng

Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

The Art Of Wearing

vicnate.com

Randall Wide Cuff Crafted with pheasant feathers. Cuff is 1.5” wide and is 7.88" in circumference. 24k Gold Plated hardware. Randall Thin Cuff Cuff is 0.5” wide and is 7.63" in circumference. No dyes are used, giving each cuff a unique coloring. All Brackish pieces are handcrafted in Charleston, SC. Our cuffs take between four and five hours to complete. Every feather is hand selected by our artisans, making no pieces exactly alike. $195.00 brackish.com

Crafted to reflect the natural beauty of each feather

gabs.it

GABS: Bag G3 print Trip shopper convertible Size L 465 Stockist: Bulo Shoes San Francsico, California Model: Deja Peters Photographer: Laura Tillinghast

MUA: Celestine Pearl Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle

Style Curation| Creative Direction: Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: TrooRa Magazine LLC A Fortunest Group

Imagination will take you everywhere

celebrating us, the strong, resilient, and radiant women in our communities that inspire the world with our diversity and beauty

cocoacentric.com

Palm Springs Earrings A sweet Patina Gold Hand painted monstera leaf on top, mixed with a toned down cream and green acrylic links Previous page: Warm Watercolor Tassel Earrings marble acrylic Tribe Tribal Necklace in Feather Bib Necklace, with snake chain. Model: Deja Peters Photographer: Laura Tillinghast

MUA: Celestine Pearl Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle

Style Curation| Creative Direction: Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: TrooRa Magazine LLC A Fortunest Group

TrooRa Magazine LLC • A Fortunest Group PO BOX 152 • Brisbane CA 94005 • 833∙755∙7273 hello@trooramagazine.com trooramagazine.com

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Welcome It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to TrooRa magazine. As we embark on our third year of publication, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. PHOTO CREDIT HOMETOWNCD

As the founder and editor-in-chief of TrooRa magazine, my vision to create a space for the voiceless has always been a passion. I aspire to provide a platform that amplifies voices that are yet to be heard. My team and I forage the corners of the world for inspiring stories packed with individuality to bring to our exclusive audience in search of their Rare. By partnering with passionate creatives, artists and entrepreneurs who are looking to gain exposure through an organic lens, we proudly connect the unheard with individuals that admire TrooRa’s diverse inclusive exclusivity. By reading TrooRa and TrooRa Living magazines we hope to motivate your mornings, inspire your afternoons, energize your evenings, and spark your curiosity at the turn of every page. Against the grain of the mainstream, TrooRa magazine features a wide range of lifestyle topics, thought- provoking articles, beautifully curated and presented, immersing our readers in a sophisticated and luxurious experience.

inismeain.ie

Alpaca Aran Crew Neck 20% Silk | 80% Baby Alpaca

This Aran island sweater design is inspired by the highly decorated styles that islanders

prized as ‘Sunday Best‘ formal wear, and by the pure white knits worn

by island boys and girls to their First Communion ceremony. Our alpaca and silk mix offers a lighter, contemporary take on this much-loved and

internationally-renowned classic. Available in lemon and peat brown. Made and hand-finished in our Aran Islands workshop.

Warmth from the edge of the world

JEANETTE SMITH EDITOR’S NOTE

Connections Issue

W elcome to the and experiences can intertwine with the experiences of others around the world. And when we talk about forming connections, we need to talk about perhaps the best connector of all—fungus. Yep, seriously. Underneath your feet is perhaps the most elaborate network of connections you’ve never imagined—and it’s all created by something called mycelium. Most people see “fungus” Connections Issue! In this issue, we’ll be exploring the idea of interconnectedness and how our life and think “mushrooms,” but mushrooms are actually the “fruit” of the mycelium. The mycelium itself makes up a large majority of the organisms we classify as fungus. You can imagine mycelium as a neural network or even something akin to the worldwide web. Mycelium branches through the soil and attaches itself to the roots of trees and plants. By forming these connections, one tree is able to communicate with nearby trees and share nutrients with

distressed plants which may not see as much sunlight or have roots that reach far enough for a good water source. In essence, it is the mycelium that allows our natural world to talk, share, and support everything in the precious cycle of life. Just like the mycelium, we as humans can raise each other up through the connections we make. In this issue, we explore concepts such as the connectedness we feel between our pets and ourselves. We offer a curated playlist of songs that meld into one another with their inspirations and collaborations. We also look at the pros and cons of our social connectedness through technology. These articles, along with many others, will inspire you to reach out to that old friend you haven’t talked to in years. They’ll get you thinking about what it means to be part of this human world. And they’ll likely make you realize that without quality connections—to people, to nature, to everything that surrounds us—we will not be able to grow and support each other as the mycelium supports natural growth. So, go. Venture out (IRL or digitally) and start making new connections today!

THE CONNECTIONS ISSUE

Story Behind the Cover

“Kwame hopes to become a globally recognised visual artist by pursuing photography and plans to pursue fine art disciplines specifically painting and sculpture”

B orn in Jamestown - Accra to Ghanaian parents, Kwame Acheampong is a passionate photographer and artist who captures his images and communicates his artistry through the lens of his iphone camera. He holds a bachelor of science degree in Agriculture from the University of Ghana, the nation’s premier tertiary institution. With a keen interest in broadening his knowledge, Kwame’s main hobby is

reading and researching on Art and Philosophy. Kwame’s work is a representation of his evolving sense of depiction of ideas and artistic influences, and readily explores experimentation as an approach to aesthetics. Currently living in Accra, Kwame hopes to become a globally recognised visual artist by pursuing photography and plans to pursue fine art disciplines specifically painting and sculpture.

MMXIV

kaloud.com

Transform To Transcend

Contents

HOME DESIGN & DECOR 40 KID’S ROOMS MANDY ALLEN ( BUREAUX ) Kidding Around - Great Ideas For Chrildren’s Rooms 46 JULIAN POPE & DAVID RYAN MICHAEL DAKS Stone & Sawyer - Julian Pope & David Ryan 54 HOME OFFICES VICKI SLEET (BUREAUX) Home Work - 10 Home Office Looks To Love

CUL INARY 66

CHEF DANIEL CALVERT AND THE RESTAURANT EKKEBUS CARY WONG Living Life Forwards 74 CHEF RUDOLFO GUZMAN CARY WONG Man From The South 80 CHEF EDWARD XATRUCH CARY WONG To Share And To Enjoy

Autumn 2020

88 KNIVES DESIGNED CARY WONG Alexandrine & Cass 90 SAFFRON CARY WONG Eco Pebble Saffron ART, MUSIC & FILM 98 EDEN DANCEWEAR MICHAEL DAKS Eden Dancewear

118

102 MICHAELANGELO AND MY LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL DAKS How Michaelangelo Changed My Life 112 FRANCIS VAN DER RI ET MICHAEL DAKS To Create and share - An interview with Francis van der Riet 118 SUSAN & STEPHEN WASHINGTON MICHAEL DAKS Art, Love. Art, Life - An interview with Susan & Stephen Washington

The Connections Issue 2020

FASHION & ACCESSORIES 166 FASHION AFTER COVID VANESSA OHAHA Fashion - Post Covid19

148

156

138

TRAVEL 132 RARE STAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA DANIELLA SCHOEMAN Rare Stays South Africa 138 CONNECTIONS THROUGH TRAVEL NIZIE LOKMAN The future of travel through connections

WELLNESS 148 BELLABEAT DANIELLA SCHOEMAN Nature inspired wearable heath tech for women 156 CONNECTIONS THROUGH MIND BODY PAUL CHMIGELSKY Connections

BEAUTY 174 DRY HANDS FROM TOO MUCH WASHING CELESTINE WONG My skin’s dry with all this hand washing. What can I do? SPORTS 180 SPORTS FOOTBALL IN THE UK DURING THE PANDEMIC ANTONIO WILLIS The Spirit Behind Football 186 KALOUD VANESSA OHAHA A Perfect Balance of Tradition and Innovation

174

188

PLAYL IST 188 ONLINE MUSIC PARTY KARMA BENNETT Throw an Online Music Party - The Hottest New Music Apps

188

Contributors OF THIS ISSUE

01 MICHAEL DAKS Contributing Writer/ Photographer 02 NIZIE LOKMAN Travel & Wellness Contributing Writer 03 CARY WONG Culinary Contributing Writer 04 VANESSA OHAHA Fashion & Beauty Contributing

Writer

06 SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO Editorial Design Director 05 MANDY ALLEN Home Design/ Decor Contributing Writer 06 VICKI SLEET Home Design/ Decor Contributing Writer 07 DANI ELLA SHCOEMAN Travel Editor/ Contributing Writer 08

Eden DanceWear: Active Zip Leotard Pastel Pink Model: Jessie Williams (Dancer) Photographer: Michael Daks

Comfortable Durable Glamorous Dancewear edendancewear.co.uk

Photographers Credit OF THIS ISSUE

B-D BUREAUX CARY WONG CÔME TOUVAY G GREG COX GILBERT ASANTE I-K INIS MEAIN KARLIC TARTUFI KARMA BENNETT

M MICHAEL DAKS R ROBYN J. WHITAKER T TRI PTYQUE

V-W VANESSA OHAHA VICNATE WARREN HEATH

Delightful Surprises and Cultivating Gratitude

PERSONALIZED GIFTING.

dlish.us

Delightful Surprises and Cultivating Gratitude

PERSONALIZED GIFTING.

dlish.us

KIDDING AROUND GREAT IDEAS FOR CHILDREN’S ROOMS F ollow these examples of real-life decorating inspiration for little people who are big on character. We promise everyone will live happily ever after…

BY MANDY ALLEN PRODUCTION SVEN ALBERDING PHOTOGRAPHS GREG COX/BUREAUX

BOOK NOOK Take inspiration from children’s library displays and include front-facing shelves—ready- made or bespoke—in your child’s bedroom or play area. This is an especially sensible choice for young readers who rely on visuals rather than words to seek out their favourite books. The bonus? These attractive book covers double as a decorative feature. > Here, simple floating shelves have been made from upcycled wooden planks. Leave them white or paint them in bright shades for a pop of stimulating colour. > Encourage their reading habits by establishing a cosy corner for kids to lounge around. Denim-covered foam mattresses make for inviting floor cushions that are also hard-wearing enough for rough-and-tumble play or can be moved outside onto the grass for a spot of peaceful cloud gazing.

IDEA WOODEN SPICE RACKS ARE A CLEVER AND CHEAP SUBSTITUTE FOR FLOATING SHELVES. GIVE THEM A COAT OF PAINT BEFORE MOUNTING

ON THE WALL. WE LOVE IKEA’S BEKVÄM STATE OF THE ART A gallery wall is creatively stimulating and engaging— the perfect finishing touch for a stylish kid’s habitat. > The ideal gallery-wall can include framed prints, pretty plates and ceramics, decorative tiles, lettering and symbols, eco-friendly trophy heads, fairy lights or battery-operated marquee lights, as well as postcards stuck up with washi tape. > On a budget? Scour the Internet for free-to-use printable imagery. Think of vintage advertising or graphic, contemporary and classical works of art that would suit a child’s room. Make sure anything you print is in the public domain. > For a contemporary mood, keep the configuration unstructured. Before hanging up anything permanently, however, place the various pieces on the floor or mark out their shapes on the wall in pencil to be sure that the final result looks visually balanced. Pay particular attention to the spaces in between the artworks. IDEA DON’T SHY AWAY FROM MORE GROWN-UP FABRICS AND STRIKING PATTERNS IN A CHILD’S ROOM. THE FLO- RAL PRINT AND BLACK BACK- GROUND OF THIS UPHOL- STERED BED, FOR EXAMPLE, ADDS A TOUCH OF SOPHISTI- CATION AND WILL NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED IN LATER YEARS. THE DARK FABRIC ALSO ACTS TO VISUALLY ANCHOR THE OTHERWISE LIGHT-FILLED, PASTEL-HUED SPACE.

TREE STUMP). STORED & ORDERED

Make a design feature out of toys, figurines, and books by leaving them on display—a great way to reflect the little occupant’s personality. > Chunky floating shelves are well suited to a kid’s bedroom as well as in small areas where floor space is at a premium. Place the shelves slightly asymmetrically for a more playful appearance. > Pay careful consideration to furniture in a child’s room—a lightweight piece such as this hairpin leg desk looks appealing to a child and has a contemporary character that will grow with them into teenage years. A fun plastic-moulded chair adds a pop of colour. > Clear storage boxes are invaluable in keeping playthings together while keeping the contents immediately identifiable for kids. IDEA WALL HOOKS KEEP ANY SPACE TIDY AND MAKE A FEATURE OUT

TO THE MOON AND BACK A child’s room does not have to be elaborately or expensively decorated to be inspiring. Something as simple as an oversized map of the world, a ceiling filled with glow-in-the-dark star or dinosaur stickers, or an XXL moon decal is enough to spark big dreams in little people. > Don’t shy away from a darker palette in a child’s bedroom. Particularly in the case of a smaller space, moody shades such as charcoal, inky blue, and deep forest green will impart a cosy and restful atmosphere. > Select shelving and storage that allow easy access for kids to get to their toys and books as well as affording them an opportunity to display their favourite items.

IDEA THROW SOMETHING QUIRKY INTO THE DECORATIVE MIX—AN UNUSUAL LIGHT, A PATTERNED OR TEXTURED RUG, OR UNIQUE SIDE- TABLE (IN THIS CASE A CARVED AND PAINTED

OF COOL PEAK CAPS, CHARACTER MASKS, AND SCHOOL BACKPACKS. SEEING DOUBLE Whether your kids share a bedroom out of choice or necessity it usually translates to double the clutter, so aim to keep things inviting, pared-down, and practical without feeling austere. > Toe-to-toe beds will enhance a sense of comfort as well as independence. > A low-level bed is safe for kids and easy to climb in and out of. These beds have been raised slightly off the floor on utilitarian bases made from sanded and varnished builders’ palettes. As well as preserving the life of mattresses, putting the beds on palettes gives the room a more finished, thought-through appearance. > A two-tone wall featuring a minimalist mural in a calming pastel tone adds character, while polka dot wall decals bring the fun and sparkle. > Plain mix-and-match bedding that plays with the colour

blocking trend looks super modern. Layer for interest with patterned scatter cushions and wall prints. IDEA CHILDREN LOVE BEING ON THE FLOOR— WHETHER IT’S TO ROLL AROUND, DO HAND- STANDS, STRETCH OUT AND READ, OR SET OUT THEIR PLAYTHINGS. ALWAYS TRY AND LEAVE THEM ENOUGH FLOOR SPACE TO DO SO.

Plant-based designs bringing the outside in & celebrating the natural world

fableandbase.co.uk

Stone & Sawyer - Julian Peploe & David Ryan BY MICHAEL DAKS Julian Peploe and David Ryan are the vision behind Stone and Sawyer. As friends, designers and visual artists, they created the company to satisfy their search for the perfect lamp. Initial- ly inspired by mid-century design and designers like Gunnar Nylund and Otto and Gerturd Natzler, David and Julian produced their first line of Stone and Sawyer lamps in 2014. Learn more in their interview with Michael Daks.

Daks : Hi Julian! When I first met you, you were an art director at Sony Music in New York. Was that your dream job at the time? Peploe : Hi Michael! It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed. Yes, Sony was definitely a dream job. Oddly it took me several years to realize that without seeking it I had landed my ideal creative position. The nature of being an Art Director in the music industry is that you have to constantly reimagine yourself creatively so that in turn each campaign you create is unique to the artist or band. So many creative professions require designers to work within narrow parameters. Every day for me at Sony was a challenge,

something new, and I thrive on that. There was also of course the excitement of working with pop stars. At twenty-three, when I first started, I couldn’t believe I was sitting next to someone I'd only seen in magazines, on posters, billboards, television. Suddenly they were looking right at me for answers! It was terrifying; but quickly that was replaced with a sense of incredible opportunity. And back then, before Napster and streaming services changed the face of the music industry, there were big budgets. We could create elaborate photo-shoots and packaging, work with pretty much any photographer we chose, it was a fantastic time.

Daks : Who were your favourite artists to work with? Do you have a favorite cover/CD package that you are most proud of? Peploe : I’ve always found it hard to choose favourite projects. Probably my favorite cover was Fergie’s The Duchess. We created that campaign to reflect 1960’s French movie posters and much of it I hand- painted, which I loved. That being said, the real achievement for a music packaging designer is getting a good idea through the mill without all the edges coming off by appealing to the lowest common denominator. The bigger the artist, the greater the risk of compromise.

As a result, the visual arc I created for Jennifer Lopez over the years was probably one of my most exciting challenges. First, we needed to create a separate identity from Jennifer’s movie career and then, from album to album, we strove to tell new stories, create new characters, reveal different aspects, and create new worlds. Daks : Obviously, with digital downloading and streaming, the whole music industry changed. Covers became much less important. Is that why you decided to leave Sony? Peploe : I actually left Sony right before the digital download revolution. I had landed myself the Creative Director position for Epic Records but found that most of my time was spent negotiating between the creative team and the record label and not designing myself. So in the late summer of 2001, I decided to leave and start my own design firm. This allowed me the opportunity to work in a wider range of fields including publishing, corporate branding, and other record labels. Daks : How did the idea of Sawyer and Stone come about? Peploe : Sometime around 2010, I had an ‘Aha!’ moment when a friend in marketing explained to me that I was lucky because I was a content creator. I think I had been so focused up until then on solving visual problems for my clients that I lost sight of the fact that I “make” or “create.” I had become part of the service industry.

David Ryan, my business partner in Stone and Sawyer, had been mulling around the idea of designing some table lamps. Over a number of months, we continued discussing the idea, possible materials, and what our goals would be. David had been a painter and creative in various media so he was familiar with the experience of being a maker, a creative, a content creator. But for me, this was the first time I realized that I could make something that I believed in, that I chose. In time, the idea began to take form. We would create a small group of ceramic table lamps with wood and metal components and source small studios and workshops to work with to produce component parts. We believed in the idea of American-made from the start, so supporting other small businesses in the process of building ours was very appealing. This didn’t work out so well . Over three years, we spent our seed money four times over in an attempt

to find reliable studios. In the winter of 2013, it became clear that we either had to abandon ceramics as a material or we had to learn how to make them ourselves. We’d been told repeatedly that creating consistent ceramic forms and finishes was not possible. But we believed that if we carefully documented every aspect of each test that sooner or later we would be able to achieve perfect vessels that were consistent, refined, and the subtlest element of hand. In two months we had consistency, and two months after that we launched with two designs in two glazes.

Over the last five years, we’ve added over thirty new table lamp designs, fifty glazes, and hundreds of thousands of possible combinations of finishes between wood, metal, shade, and ceramic. Our intent is to create pieces that move people, that the viewer cannot dispute have been made with absolute care, and that will last for generations. Daks : Tell me a bit about your life now in the Catskills, and your day to day routine Peploe : We’re in the northwestern part of the Catskills, which is quiet and remarkably beautiful. I grew up on a farm so this feels much more familiar to me than New York City; it feels human-scale. There is, of course, this assumption that country life will be slower than city life, but I find that I rarely stop. I’ve been doing a modern renovation on an 1860's farmhouse with my partner Roger for the last five years, so that plays a big part in my day-to-day life, as we’re doing the work ourselves. I love architecture, interior design, and landscape, so this project enables me to be creative in all those fields in addition to Stone and Sawyer.

Daks : Do you have a favourite lamp? Peploe : I have two favorite lamps. The first is the Hilo. I love the low-cantilevered ceramic body with the partnering of the wood components. We originally designed this without the wood foot so the ceramic continued to the tabletop, but the weight of the clay in combination with the cantilever caused the clay to warp. We finally realized that the only way to achieve this was to take the bottom of the ceramic away and replace it with a wood base. Sometimes the problems we encounter create opportunities and in this case, the wood base makes the lamp to me. My second choice is the Tall Baxter. I love the simplicity of the large hand-turned wood base transitioning into the ceramic body into the shade. It feels timeless and can live in so many contexts. Daks : What are your plans for the future? Peploe : Oh, glad that you asked! This fall we are launching a new lower price point line called Stone and Sawyer Studio. Daks : And finally—what does freedom mean to you? Peploe : Letting each of us be… with kindness and consideration.

Julian Peploe

My typical day-to-day starts at 5.30 am to workout, a couple of hours of emailing with clients and processing orders, and then much of my day is in the ceramics studio producing vessels. In the evening, I take the dogs for a run and then tend to work on construction or landscape at the house. Then I crash into bed and start over the next day. I often say that there’s not enough time in life to do everything I want so I tend to live with the intention of doing as much as I possibly can.

THE WORLD’S FINEST HIDE RUGS

kylebunting.com

Home Work 10 home office looks to love

T hese 10 office setups have equally distinct yet delightfully different personalities. Working from home is the new normal. Whether you have plans to set up shop in a styled up Mad Men- inspired office or need to carve out a corner of any room to call your own, these designer ideas for your desktop, practical ideas to keep things carefully conceived home neat and tidy, and slick solutions for even the smallest office spaces will keep you motivated to keep up the good work.

BY VICKI SLEET PRODUCTION SVEN ALBERDING PHOTOGRAPHS GREG COX/ BUREAUX, WARREN HEATH/ BUREAUX

YOUNG AT HEART This ultra-cool pad could suit the needs of everyone from a teen to a guitar-toting dad. The utilitarian plywood wall detail is a pragmatic, no-frills choice that ticks the on-trend box, while dramatic black details are simple yet so strong.

DESIGN NOTES • This home office embraces practical must-haves (you can never go wrong with cubular shelving) and marries them with trendy touches like hexagonal cork tiles for real-life Pinterest moments. • The wall- mounted rack is an efficient solution to avoid clutter while a trio of treasured guitars becomes an eye- catching design feature of its own. T I P THE ANIMAL HIDE RUG AND SCANDI CHAIR ARE A RETRO- INSPIRED YET THOROUGHLY MODERN DUO.

WORK + PLAY A contemporary shared office space evokes a private gentleman’s club atmosphere—with none of the snobbery and all of the style cred. Raw timber floorboards, a graphic Persian rug in unconventional brights, and a gallery wall featuring a mix of classical and more modern landscapes, together tell the tale of its owners who make their own interior rules. DESIGN NOTES • Love the look? Use vintage finds like wooden tennis racquets to emulate a tongue-in-cheek sports club atmosphere. • Plywood shelves were used to build the no-nonsense shelves in this private, library-like space. An antique Cape refectory table was stripped of its traditional glossy varnish and given a matt finish instead—bringing it straight into the 21st century. T I P WHEN MARRYING OLD DÉCOR DETAILS WITH NEW, DO IT WITH BRAVERY. THE SECRET TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS ROOM IS THE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK OLD SCHOOL NARRATIVE PROPPED UP WITH DETAILS LIKE THE WORN DESK CHAIRS, A VINTAGE GLOBE, AND A VASE FULL OF BILLIARD BALLS.

ALL LINED UP Two tables of the same height are lined up to form an impressive desktop in this eclectic creative studio. The large room is dotted with furniture and décor items that command attention, from the oversized table lamp to mid-century leather chairs. DESIGN NOTES • Creative resources are made easily available in this contemporary library wall where books and design magazines are stacked in artful piles to form an essential part of the narrative. • A sense of order and organisation is made clear thanks to the customised shelving wall and visual cues like the shutters that mirror the multiple linear details in the space. T I P THE DARK PAINT DETAIL OF THE WALL OF SHELVES HELPS PULL THIS OFFICE LOOK TOGETHER, CREATING A SENSE OF INTIMACY AND

CALM. CONTEMPORARY CLASSIC Charcoal grey walls and a glass-fronted cabinet lined with collectibles and memorabilia are a striking focal point in this smart office space that embraces both classic and contemporary style perfectly. DESIGN NOTES • The glass tabletop and no-nonsense trestle legs help this home office embrace modernity, while the patchwork Persian and hand- carved chair pay homage to the past. • Exotic collectibles dotted around the room are a fascinating decorative detail and invite conversation. T I P BY PLACING THE DESK ON A RUG OF ITS OWN AND AWAY FROM THE WALL,

AN IMMEDIATE SENSE OF DRAMA AND GRAVITAS IS CREATED. WORK SMARTS More and more we’re embracing that a high functioning home office area doesn’t need to be huge. All that’s needed is an area you can call your own, a space to think and sometimes while (thank you noise-canceling earphones!) DESIGN NOTES • A corner of a bedroom or living room can easily be converted into a discreet spot for work—and one that doesn’t have to interfere with your preferred aesthetic. The sleek desk doesn’t skimp on storage but together with the chair ensures high design standards are met. • Here, the monochrome palette and the addition of plants as living accessories complete the tasteful, utterly liveable picture. T I P THE ANGLEPOISE a chance to shut out the world for a

LAMP IS A STRIKING AND TIMELESS FOCAL POINT FOR THIS STYLISH CORNER WORKSPACE. WORK POD This compact sleep-work-play unit has a place for everything and everything has its place. It is a perfectly conceived space with a clearly defined sleeping area and place to work too. A bracketing system with units that slide up and down to form seating or act as storage is at the heart of the design mastery here. DESIGN NOTES • The laptop bureau has a folding front that acts as a perfect countertop (or a spot to enjoy a between-deadlines sandwich). • Tiny homes are here to stay and their success comes down to careful (and hardworking) design and aesthetic considerations. The same philosophies of less-is-more can be applied to working from home in an apartment too. T I P

A GOOD CABINETMAKER CAN EASILY BUILD A UNIT WITH A FOLDAWAY OR SLIDE-OUT COUNTERTOP THAT CAN BE PULLED OR FOLDED OUT WHEN NEEDED. GALLERY SHOW A lifelong collection of much-loved art exhibition posters is elevated to gallery status in this retro- fabulous home office and studio. DESIGN NOTES • A pinboard crammed with tourist stand and museum shop postcards becomes an art installation of its own. • The steel-legged, glass-topped desk is a functional choice that embraces this mid-century modern aesthetic perfectly. T I P

CONTINUITY IS KEY WHEN SHOWCASING A COLLECTION. HERE, COHESIVENESS IS CREATED BY FRAMING EACH AND EVERY POSTER IN THE SIMPLEST WOOD SURROUND. CREATIVELY CURATED Cape Town stylist Shelley Street combines her love for a monochromatic colour palette and found natural objects. In her work-from-home studio, form and function are perfect partners in this space that can double up as a shoot location at any time. DESIGN NOTES • Floating shelves are ideal for aesthetes who love to play with their favourite pieces and discoveries— no need for nails! Simply lean prints against the wall and group finds together as you please. • The simple palette is the perfect canvas for seasonal changes. A textured rug in the winter or blossoms in the spring are just two easy ways to change the mood in a flash. T I P

HERE, A CHUNKY TABLE WITH HAND-TURNED LEGS IS GIVEN A LICK OF BLACK PAINT AND TEAMED WITH AN EAMES OFFICE CHAIR—A PLAYFUL AND CHARMING COMBINATION. SPACE MAKER This tiny corner has been transformed into a hardworking work-from-home zone with enough space for a laptop, stationery, filing, and reference essentials. A simple wall- mounted unit provides ample storage space while the metallic touches along with the handwoven chair and sheepskin cover bring in just the right amount of laidback luxury. DESIGN NOTES • The simple palette of all-white and wood is a cohesive and uncomplicated choice and a perfect solution for a small space. Painted the same crisp white as the wall, the desk unit melts into the background perfectly. • Keep clutter at bay in your work-from-home zone by accessorising with coordinating containers for paperwork and other essentials. • The shelving unit works hard but is anything but corporate. Look for homeware pieces (like bedside tables to slot under desktops) to use in your at-home headquarters. T I P

A GLASS TOP ELEVATES THE LITTLE TABLE INTO AN ELEGANT PIECE – THE TOUCH OF SOPHISTICATION MEANS THAT IT COULD LIVE AS COMFORTABLY IN THE CORNER OF A BEDROOM OR A SUNNY SPOT OF A LIVING ROOM TOO. CORNER OFFICE How to transform a formerly nondescript corner into something seriously impressive? Paint or paper the background in a dramatic colour or print! This teeny space oozes urban smarts and designer appeal. DESIGN NOTES • Simplicity is key to the success of this small yet sorted desktop empire. Simple wooden shelves are suspended on black brackets while the shiny stone top is a sophisticated and elegant touch. • Playful tchotchkes and flashes of metallic are the undeniable marks of a creative mind at work. T I P IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE SPENDING HOURS AT YOUR DESK, MAKE SURE YOU INVEST IN THE BEST CHAIR YOU CAN AFFORD. WHILE GOOD LOOKS ARE GREAT, YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT WILL SUPPORT YOUR SPINE WHILE YOU’RE BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL.

Beautifully Crafted Chef Knives In Albacete, Spain

Alexandrine & Cass Are donating 6-7 meals per knife sold to the Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit

Living life forwards Close your eyes and imagine three years from now. Or five.

Or even ten. It is fall season. We are able to travel again. The clinking sounds and sweet smells linger in the air of this beautiful restaurant. And 2020 would have been a distant thought. What is the path from here to that hopeful future? Two extraordinary chefs based in Hong Kong shared their views with us.

CHEF DANIEL CALVERT

Chef Calvert started in the industry at an incredibly young age of 16 with The Ivy in London and has not looked back since. “You could leave school [in UK] when you were 16. And yeah, I left school at 16,” he says. “I immediately started working like a month later in a restaurant called The Ivy… It was… quite a shock.” He continued working up the ranks in acclaimed restaurants like London’s Pied a Terre, New York’s Per Se (becoming the youngest sous chef at 23) and Epicure at Le Bristol in Paris. Though it was not the fame of these places that attracted him. “I always chose these restaurants based upon not because they had three stars or two stars or whatever. It was actually what I believe to be the best restaurant in the city at the time, through a lot of extensive research and how I like to look at the food.” And that trail eventually led him to Hong Kong, where he became the head chef at Belon, a classically rooted modern French bistro where they keep a tremendously high standard. “I don’t keep anything from the day before… everything is done every single day,” Chef Calvert says. “And it’s an

extremely repetitive environment, but it tastes better. It’s a difficult [standard]… but it’s actually quite straightforward. If it’s good, it’s good. If it’s bad, it’s bad. Nothing in between.” During the recent health crisis, he has enjoyed a tremendous amount of support from customers. “We have more regular guests than I’ve ever have experience in my life that comes to Belon once a week, twice a month, three times a month,” he says. “They just want to support and give as much as they can, and it’s remarkable… Hong Kong was doing such a great job in containing this pandemic, and [despite a recent third-wave] I believe in a week or two, we’ll be back on track again.” From an overall food trend perspective, Chef Calvert thinks that people will keep cooking and entertaining more in their own homes. “I’ve probably had people over at my house or been invited to people’s houses for dinner more than I have done the last four years,” he says. “So, I’ve actually rediscovered the joy of being at home, cooking at home and entertaining at home.” While he does not see sustained success in high-end take outs that cost

the same without the same experience; there may be opportunities for restaurants to provide ready-to-cook options for customers to cook at home. Being a creative person, he sometimes finds that not giving people what they liked - but instead help them realize what they desired - is an interesting way to move forward. “If you give people what they want, nothing really progresses,” he says. “But you have to [deliver the new ideas] well enough to convince people that’s what they want, something that they didn’t know they that they needed.” “I think that there has to be a certain level of familiarity for the guests to be comfortable… you never want to alienate your guests,” he continues. “For example, we have a small pasta dish, which is basically tomato, basil and burrata pasta, but it’s presented in a way that maybe they didn’t expect… or a mille feuille… And it’s not so far out there that they don’t have a reference point to it. I think the important thing is you have to have a reference point to what you serve for it to be viable or craveable.” To him, the relationship between the diner, the restaurant and the chef is very important. “… if you eat at Belon, I think you’ll have a great meal but I believe your best meals will come after visits later where you’ve had certain dishes,” he says. “And now I understand what you like and I’m going to really find something special for you.”

Outside of the kitchen, Chef Clavert has a passion for all kinds of music. He used to attend concerts, shows and festivals all the time. When he hears bands that go in new directions and stop playing the old materials, that also inspire him. “That’s a good reminder for us as chefs, we don’t have to stick with the same stuff all the time,” he says. “We can reinvent ourselves gradually and those people that really support you, they will be there through the meals that maybe weren’t quite as good as the last one but they’ll come back again too.” Case in point, Belon stopped offering its iconic pigeon pithivier in 2018, but bigger and better things were in the works. A now-beloved drunken pigeon dish, along with a number of new dishes, burst out. “We replaced [the old favourites] with a lot of new dishes and we still remained popular. We climbed to number four on the San Pellegrino [Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants] list. And that was quite vindicating to see.” Moving forward, Chef Clavert has agreed to open a restaurant in Tokyo’s Four Seasons Hotel in June of 2021 to continue his career theme of learning from the best and challenging himself. “I could easily stay in Hong Kong and continue to be successful… but it’s time to get out of the comfort zone again.” He hopes to keep providing good food and wine and be influenced by the culture and the cuisine, like he has been everywhere else. “I think it can work very well… A lot of work to do but yeah,” he says.

CHEF RICHARD EKKEBUS

Having worked with Heston Blumenthal, Alain Passard, Guy Savoy and Pierre Gagnaire among other legends, Chef Ekkebus has since become a superstar in his own right. Leading not only his brainchild Amber at the Landmark Mandarin Hong Kong, he is also the property’s Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage. In addition, he manages the Fifty 8 Degrees Grill by Richard Ekkebus at the Mandarin Oriental Pudong in Shanghai. One can only imagine the amount of energy and time needed for all these responsibilities. For him however, it is invigorating to be in such a driver’s position. It allowed him to make dramatic improvements to the hotel group’s sustainability – not only on food and beverage but also the organization as a whole. “Sustainability has truly been at the core of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s values since it opened 15 year ago,” he says. “We have proven a responsible business case and lead the way in the hospitality scene of Asia.”

A few instances include their elimination of single-used plastic, bottling their own house-filtered water to minimize excess garbage as well managing waste responsibly. And his hard work has paid off as many of his initiatives were later adopted by the entire Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “We, humans or society, decided that the world would be better if we changed things like… (using) the most ethical and sustainable ingredients whilst minimizing its carbon footprint,” says Chef Ekkebus as he gives an example. “As a city of almost 8 million people; Hong Kong eats the most meat per capita in the world. Hong Kong is the largest market for industrially-farmed

Brazilian beef, which is blamed for the deforestation in the Amazon,” he continued. “The problems we’re facing aren’t new, but they’ve become more urgent.” To that end, they have also completely eliminated the use of dairy in their menu as a lot of milk products are not produced ethically. A gourmand may ask, “how can they do that while keeping the smoothness of a dish?” “I wanted to ensure our food maintained a richness in the mouth; to ensure the flavor would linger in the mouth. Elytra virgin plant-based oils have offered that solution,” he says, adding that it also effected a “huge reduction in carbon foot print.” Outside of work, Chef Ekkebus is an avid reader and an accomplished mountaineer who planned to climb the Everest this year until the pandemic changed his plans. He gained a lot of clarity after reading Jonathan Saffran Foer’s book Eating Animals a few years ago. It touched on topical health issues like SARS and MERS,

which were related to the current coronavirus crisis. The book also went into problems that stem from our ever-growing demand of cheap animal protein and the unsustainable industrial farming necessary to satisfy that need. “I started to eat predominantly plant- based (food) late 2018 when I started to train for Everest,” he says. “And I felt more energized, slept better, had more stamina when working out and at the same time lost fat and built muscle.” He believes in the importance of health eating and in the quote by Hippocrates, the Ancient Greek father of medicine: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” “I am in a preferred position where… people are interested in what we do. I can be a voice and plant seeds in (people’s) minds,“ says Chef Ekkebus. “We have, as a restaurant and a hotel, a very privileged opportunity to drive consumer change. That is a slow process but I am a man of persistence.”

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IRISH MINERAL SEA SALT Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth

F ood Tastes Better With Oriel Sea Salt

MAN FROM THE SOUTH Chef Rodolfo Guzmán’s Journey in Imagination C hef Rodolfo Guzmán and his restaurant Boragó have gone through tough times before.

“[COVID-19] is far from being the hardest thing we faced at Boragó,” he says. “When we started in 2006, we had an empty restaurant for six years. Almost empty, like we could do a few tables here and there. But it was really really tough.” Before its economy exploded in the early 1990s, the Chilean restaurant scene was completely different. Since then, the Chilean culinary industry has improved consistently and dramatically. Then the pandemic hit. “Economy-wise is a big mess,” Chef Guzmán says. “At the moment, we’re not allowed to open restaurants—our restaurants are closed. We are only allowed to do deliveries.” Before we dive into the details, however, let us take a step back and look at Chile as a country. Chilean climates are very different depending on the region.

In the north where the Atacama Desert is located, it is dry and arid. A Mediterranean climate dominates the central region. Easter Island is a tropical rainforest, while the Andes face alpine conditions. Still, other areas like Patagonia have different climates. And, thanks to the Humboldt Current, the seawater temperature is also much colder than that of the rest of South America. As a result of that uniqueness, Chile is one of the countries with the most endemic ingredients in the world. “You get to see a huge amount of ingredients that grow in certain areas or regions in Chile that you won’t see anywhere else in the world,” Chef Guzmán says. “[Some ingredients] are exceptionally seasonal, lasting only two to three weeks.” In terms of food culture, Chile has suffered from an identity crisis, until recently. “Since Spanish came four hundred years ago to Chile, we were

pretending to be Europeans. Until the nineties, we were pretending to be Americans,” Chef Guzmán says. “Now [Chileans] are very conscious of the good things in our terrain.” “At least eighty percent of us have Mapuche blood, who have been in our land for twelve thousand years… Our culture is very deep, especially related to food,” he says. Chef Guzmán had a difficult time getting Boragó off the ground after returning to Santiago from the famed Spanish restaurant Mugaritz. “When we first opened the restaurant, we were trying to cook with only native ingredients so we were in big trouble,” Chef Guzmán says. “We did not know anything about the ingredients but we wanted to learn. We always felt deeply attracted to not knowing anything about a subject.” “We started from zero. We had no partners,” he says. “After five years, the restaurant was still doing very bad. I was trying to sell the restaurant

“How to cut it, who was eating it—Mapuches, Kawésqars or other natives, how to cook it, what we did, what we thought and imagined so we won’t forget next year,” Chef Guzmán says. “You have a very small amount of time during the year experimenting... I knew it was going to be a very long learning process but, in the end, I had the feeling that it was going to be good.” Suddenly, after five years, he had an epiphany. “Holy, we have a big amount of information. This is almost like a dictionary. This is amazing!” he says. “We knew nothing about this and now we know how to execute in a totally different way.” He responded by moving the restaurant to a much larger location, wrote a book called Boragó: Coming from the South, and opened a research center called Centro de investigación para la comida Boragó (CIB). At the CIB, the work focuses on four main neglected

at least five times and I was very close [to doing so] in the last one because we were totally in bankruptcy.” Despite all the challenges, the team forged ahead. “We try to move forward learning from all the native ingredients… that only grow in a very specific region in Chile for a very short amount of time during the year,” he says. “It’s an important point. Boragó is not a concept. Our food is not based on technique. We decided in the beginning to erase everything we learned from Europe and start from zero.” The restaurant’s way of cooking is based on the Chilean flavour of the land, which is very different than the European technique. They also experiment with the cooking methods of the Mapuches. “The Chilean condiment is smoking—everything is on wood,” he says. “All the Mapuches were doing was based on smoking, preserving, fermenting. At Boragó we didn’t invent anything… but [be] a continuation of the Mapuche culture.” “I believe that humans move back and forth in time,” he says. “I could show you a cooking method where you say ‘This is amazing, I’ve never seen this in my life. This is the smartest thing I’ve ever seen!’ but it is the same cooking method that was used two thousand years ago. But we retraced it into something absolutely new.” Boragó has a very simple kitchen that uses a limited amount of technology. One of their signature dishes is the reinvention of lamb on a cross, which is a traditional Patagonian specialty. “It’s quite amazing what we do on top of the embers. It’s very special. You could see that (we don’t) even have a plancha! Everything is open-fire,” he says. As they continued to learn the native ways, they started writing down their work.

“But there’s one thing that’s even more important than knowledge to us—that is imagination. It is absolutely unlimited. Rather than being better than other restaurants, we believe that Boragó is very unique in the world,“ he says. “What you see here, you’re not going to be able to see it somewhere else.” “We started from zero to cooking this beautiful rockfish… that took us 10 years to learn how to cook it. For sure you have to cry, come on!” he says with a laugh. He is equally passionate and optimistic when it comes to our post-pandemic future. “We have to rethink our operations, [try] to be more efficient economic- wise because of the service,” Chef Guzmán says. “We can move forward. It’s still going to be tough but after that, it’s going to be good. We’re gonna re-do it. We love that. For sure, that’s part of our society.”

food groups: seaweeds, halophytes (salt-tolerant plants that can grow without soil), small fishes like Chilean anchovies, and fungi/microbes that Chef Guzmán is the most famous for. And after all these accomplishments, he feels different now. “It took me a long time just to really realize, really that the restaurant changed [and became successful],” he says. He is also very confident in their culinary approach now. “We know exactly what the Mapuches [knew] about our land. What is the difference between that plant in the beginning, the middle, and the end of the season,” he says. “It is the continuation of the Mapuche [culture], because behind the restaurant, there are more than two hundred people between foraging communities and small producers from the entire country. It is just a path to quality which is different.” It made him realize the truth in what the Mapuches say: when you’re cooking, somebody is cutting from the ground. One is not more important than the other. It also means that Boragó has a lot of tools in its arsenal— one individual ingredient used to represent a single possibility. “But nowadays, one ingredient means three hundred possibilities at least,” Chef Guzmán says. Despite all the great Latin American cuisines around Chile, Boragó never tries to stand out. “We try to be ourselves and to be connected to that learning process,” Chef Guzmán says. “The path of finding new possibilities for every single ingredient, to make it special. Knowledge is probably the most important thing in the world because throughout our history in humanity it allows us to move forward,”

TO SHARE AND TO ENJOY: Chef Eduard Xatruch And Creativity

We all aspire to be creative. And creativity is something all of us wish could be magically conjured up at any moment. For the fortunate few, it is innate. For others, it is an insurmountable challenge. Chef Eduard Xatruch sits comfortably in the former camp and Rare is lucky enough to get his insight on this fascinating subject.

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