Hotel Particulier Hotel Particulier is French word denoting an elegant private residence or townhouse; and is the name given to a chic boutique hotel in the city of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The owners of Hotel Particulier, have sought to create a stylish space, with a peaceful, intimate atmosphere that allows guests to escape the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city. The healing soothing effects of nature is a key feature of the hotel, which sees rooms located on the ground level to take advantage of a luscious, well-tended garden. The Hotel is modern, airy building that comprises eight well-appointed suites that range from classic to luxury and are named after some of the Continent’s inspirational and dynamic cities. The suites are individually decorated in a contemporary style, each one inspired by the city for which it was named, and seven of the suites have private terraces with access to the pool, with three of them coming with their own private gardens; and an eighth the luxury suite having access to a private pool. Hotel Particulier is available for exclusive hire for weddings, celebrations, family holidays, as well as for business meetings or conferences for their guests. Offering a selection of gourmet meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided in the hotel’s dining room, or can be taken on the terrace whilst enjoying the views of the garden.
WIth a dedicated staff on hand to cater to all guest needs, the Hotel offers pampering and beauty treatments in the spa; in addition to arranging activities upon request such as golf, waterskiing, guided tours of the city, surfing, tennis, and riding. Or should you wish, simply spend your stay lazing by the pool.
Tucker Robbins - Africa bed Recognisable by the slightly raised pillow at one end, and supported by chunky tapered feet, elegant simplicity defines the iconic hardwood beds of the Senufo, of Côte d’Ivoire. Traditionally used for resting throughout the day, the beds are carved from a single plank giving them a solid and sturdy appearance. Inspired by the design New York based Tucker Robbins have produced a more contemporary version of the bed, which features a recess to insert a mattress and comes in a single size that is ideal as a daybed, and a double. Taking care to retain the simplicity of the bed’s shape, the Tucker Robbins Africa Bed, gives off such a feeling of rest and relaxation that I cannot help but think how suited they would be in a spa. Made from Ebonized Mountain Pine, the Africa bed is available with an optional headboard. Tucker Robbins is a US-based furniture and interior accessory design company that draws inspiration from global cultures. An intrepid traveller, Tucker Robbins founded the company over twenty-five years ago, as he sought ways to combine good design with ancient traditions and crafts. Weaving, carving and organic materials are just some of the techniques incorporated into Tucker Robbins products. The company is invested in sustainable practice, buying and recycling raw materials, such as hardwoods sourced from around the globe that in some cases have been used before, and others that are more than a hundred years old.
Additional details:
Tucker Robbins Africa Bed priced at: USD$2,400-USD$9,300
For further information about Tucker Robbins visit: http://tuckerrobbins.com
YswaraWorking for many years in the design industry, I have always been fascinated with the way brands develop, the stories behind them, and so have delighted in watching innovative luxury tea brand, Yswara blossom into something truly special. When I was first introduced to Yswara about a year and half ago, the brand was still in its infancy, developing its visual face so to speak, and whilst their current website was being created, their blog had some insightful information on the evolution of their logo and icon, which if I remember correctly is based on the Chi Wara, itself a well-known African icon, in the form of a headdress representing the antelope, that were carved and worn by the Bamana people of Mali. Yswara's resulting logo pays homage to African tradition, heritage and culture, and to me also looks like the sun radiating warmth. As a tea lover, the Yswara brand holds much appeal for me, and can appreciate the thought, care and attention to detail that has gone into creating an exceptional tea drinking experience. Inspired by the ancient tea drinking traditions across the African continent, and based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Yswara appoints itself as the 'curator of precious African teas', creating a space to indulge in the luxury of taking the time to enjoy the tea drinking ritual, and the precious moments of life. Tea lover, Swaady Martin-Leke, who hails from Côte d’Ivoire, created Yswara upon observing that although Africa was a leading exporter of tea, there were no luxury tea brands coming from the Continent and set out to change this. Yswara's sophisticated tea infusions and blends are produced in small quantities in a process that involves ensuring only the best leaves are hand picked, sun dried and hand rolled. Beautifully packaged in signature ebony and gold copper, and named for warriors, queens and mighty kingdoms, Yswara teas offer an adventurous journey into the legends and rich histories that have defined and captivated the Continent for centuries.
Accompanying the tea drinking ritual and reflecting the beauty of the African continent, Yswara has also created a range of handcrafted accessories in the form of; an elegant collection of spoons entitled 'Secret Garden' that were created by South African designer Pamela Schroeder; the majestic 'Akan', black earthenware rimmed with gold detailing tea set that was created by South African artist Adrian Lombard; and home scents from the Johari la Africa candle collection created to transport you to ancient, inspirational cities of Africa, including Accra, Marrakech and Abidjan.
Yswara offers personalised corporate and gift hampers that combine their speciality teas with carefully selected gourmet treats and fine champagnes, and a by-appointment exclusive high tea (currently only available to those in Johannesburg) allows attendees to partake in the Yswara experience first-hand. Yswara teas are now available in Nigeria through selected retailers, and for the truly devoted tea lover and customer Yswara introduces Yswara Privé, by invitation only and is the place where one can have a bespoke teas created, make use of a tea sommelier on hand to recommend teas for your social events and gain access to Yswara's social calendar of exclusive tea collection previews, and VIP fashion and arts events.
Additional details:
Yswara tea and accessories priced at: ZAR100-ZAR1995/approx. USD11.36-USD226.55/ approx. EUR8.54-EUR179.39
For further information about Yswara and to purchase visit: www.yswara.com
Mickaël Kra Whilst on my MA course, in-between perusing the university library shelves for reading material I would often find myself wandering down isles that did not directly relate to my subject area but proved too irresistible to bypass and during one of my wanders stumbled across the book, ' Mickaël Kra: Jewellery Between Paris Glamour and African Tradition'; and was introduced to a jewellery designer who has been hailed as one of the most important jewellery designers in the world today. Mickaël Kra was born in France and raised first in Switzerland, then Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire where he left to study Fine Art in New York City, and in embodying the spirit of the global citizen, has divided his time between Abidjan, Paris, Dakar, New York, and at last count was based in Cape Town. From a young age Mickaël learnt to appreciate beauty, art and fashion, and from his mother Mickaël learnt to respect what is handmade and the impact that adornment, along with hair and makeup has on a woman. Greatly inspired the history of body ornaments used across the continent, and by his Ivorian background; the rich heritage, local design, creativity and materials; Mickaël continuously adapts traditional styles to suit his contemporary design aesthetic, and uses materials such as; gold, silver, molten glass, crystal, clay, coral, terracotta and ostrich shells for his luxury masterpieces.
[Image credits: Mickaël Kra Jewellery top, taken by Christophe Lepetit; bottom, featured in Ghubar Magazine] Mickaël Kra's designs are lavish; dripping with strand upon strand of luscious shimmering beads and sparkling jewels that are intertwined, woven and strung together with traditional beads and ornaments, and sensuously adorn the head, neck, wrists and body. His first collection saw the adaptation of gold weights used in the ancient Ashanti Kingdom, entitled 'Queen Poku' the collection brought Mickaël recognition for his creativity and talent, starting an illustrious career that has seen him work with some of the world's leading haute couture houses creating the jewels to complement the clothes. The level of detail and workmanship has resulted in some truly stunning creations.
Throughout his career Mickaël has been an advocate in bringing African style to global audiences and made a commitment to helping the preservation and promotion of Africa's cultural heritage. Amongst other initiatives, this commitment has seen a collaboration with the San of the Kalahari that resulted in the development of a contemporary line of jewellery made with Ostrich eggshells and was intended to help generate ongoing revenue streams for the communities involved.
Not afraid to experiment, Mickaël Kra's designs are dramatic yet still retain a sense of sophistication that reflects regal African princesses with the strength and glamour of urban warrior chic.
...afroglam at its finest
Additional details:
For further information about Mickaël Kra visit: Francine Vornese, Annette Braun. (2006). Mickaël Kra: Jewellery Between Paris Glamour and African Tradition. www.afribd.com
http://bhfmagazine.com
Vlisco Having struggled with it in the beginning I soon grew to love the life drawing classes that were a fundamental part of my design course; and began increasingly looking forward to a whole day of losing myself in interpreting the contours and shadows of the model's body onto paper. Starting out shading with pencils, pastels quickly became my medium of choice, rendering the figure in simple black lines and then going 'crazy' with the bright colours to pick out the pattern and texture in clothing and accessories, this gave my work the feeling of a layered effect. I haven't done an observation drawing in ages, and keep promising myself I'll take up some life drawing classes soon, but its finding the time, which when it comes down to it is partly an excuse as it has been way too long since I picked up a pencil or pastel to simply draw and I know I would have to learn the skill all over again, because although I had the basic skills, figure drawing didn't come as naturally to me as it does to some requiring some serious concentration...one of these days though... I couldn't, however help being transported back to my art college days when I saw the latest campaign from Dutch textile company, Vlisco that features illustrations of an elegant, graceful African woman rendered in what looks like pencil or charcoal and then layered with the vibrant Dutch wax cloth prints that Vlisco is renowned for. Entitled 'Delicate Shades' the campaign is a collaboration with fashion illustrator, Sabine Pieper and advertises Vlisco's latest fabric collection; one which places a even greater focus on the design aspect and drawing techniques that come into play when devising the company’s fabric collections. Vlisco’s designers looked at ways to create two designs in one and the resulting multiple layers of the patterns give the designs a three dimensional quality and a different appearance when viewed from different angles, and when offset against the figure in the illustrations give depth suggesting free flowing movement. The fabrics also display a transparency effect that is enhanced by Vlisco's signature vibrant complementary colours. I love the depth and life the fabrics bring to the illustrations; just think how gorgeous they would look framed and hung in an ultra feminine bedroom, dressing room or in a studio for inspiration. Taking your cue and using this as inspiration you could create your own using colours that appeal to you and your mood… And not just for creating stylish clothing collections, the fabrics would also make for some stunning interior furnishings, think elegantly upholstered patio furniture in the bright geometric honeycomb patterns or giving a new lease of life to the tired seating of your favourite dining room or lounge chairs.
Producing fabrics since 1846 and catering to markets predominately in West and Central Africa, when it comes to pushing the envelop on defining African elegance Vlisco has positioned itself as one of the forerunners, giving a firm African favourite; Dutch Wax cloth, sultry and seductive makeovers with each collection released. Creating fabrics and imagery that depict the elegant, glamorous side of Africa Vlisco’s collections are a visual feast showcasing the possibilities of wax cloth, working to entice a new generation of the modern African woman and beyond. Tapping into the must-have feeling it makes you want to go off and create your own wardrobe of showstopping ensembles and in anticipating this desire a new themed collection, inspired by international trends is launched every quarter catering to a sophisticated and loyal clientele (of mainly women) who constantly seek ‘something a little bit different’ with each new design without compromising on quality.
In addition to its headquarters in The Netherlands, there are five Vlisco's boutiques in Africa: Benin, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
...imaginative, colourful and captivating; a reflection of the growing recognition of just how glamorous, sophisticated and luxurious African style and creativity can be
Additional details:
For further information about Vlisco and to purchase fabrics visit: www.vlisco.com
Read the interview with Sabine Pieper at: www.vlisco.com
Koffi & Diabaté Architect Agency I don’t know whose houses these are but they are a fine example of contemporary African architecture and design from Koffi & Diabaté; a leading architectural firm based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Koffi & Diabaté Architect Agency is primarily a partnership between founder and manager, Guillaume Koffi and Issa Diabaté who initially started at the firm as an intern, then became an employee before eventually being made partner. The partners work alongside a team of 18, all sharing ideas to bring the concepts to life. Koffi & Diabaté’s portfolio consists of mainly commercial architecture following the ethos of applying modern architectural methods to the current African urban context; in projects ranging from multi-storey buildings, to interior and industrial spaces. The architects also undertake commissions for private residences and going hand in hand with architecture, furniture is also designed to complement the architectural designs. Villa Mercury: Dakar, Senegal 2003
The villa designs are impressive, yet simple in stature. Built with hot, often humid climates in mind the sleek sprawling designs capitalise on the necessity for spaces that are cool, light and airy. The designs follow the notion of letting air circulate around wide open interior spaces that appear to flow seamlessly from one to another and huge floor to ceiling windows act as movable walls to let the outside in and vice versa. All exhibiting Koffi & Diabaté’s signature style there are some gorgeous homes to view and as I couldn’t decide which ones to post I have chosen three. These are homes built for entertaining, enjoying the company of family and friends whether taking a dip an infinity pool or dining al fresco on the vast veranda areas. Urban tends to conjure up images of concrete, hard, fast moving environments; but here the use of wood and other natural materials gives the residences a certain warmth, softening the hard edges. The architects work to blend the lifestyle and cultural background of the users into the designs to ensure the finished project is functional and suitable for their needs.
Villa Pluton: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire 2006
Koffi & Diabaté’s architecture can be seen throughout many West and other African capitals namely: Dakar, Senegal; Bamako, Mali; Cotonou, Benin; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The partners are also working towards changing the perception of their profession in the environment they live in, through showcasing examples of the quality of their work and through direct involvement in the National Association of Architects in Cote d’Ivoire, a local organisation that is currently presided over by Guillaume Koffi and has seen the launch of the first major building fair to take place in Cote d’Ivoire. Plans for the future include the proposed launch of the Architect Institute of Cote d’Ivoire; aimed at enhancing the knowledge of local architects in urban city planning, the use of local materials and encouraging the exploration of new architectural solutions.
Villa Saturn: Cotonou, Benin 2003
… Stunning designs that showcase some of the finest examples of contemporary African architecture to be found across the continent Additional information sourced: www.ted.comAdditional details:
For further information about Koffi & Diabaté Architect Agency visit: www.koffi-diabate.com
Bantu It was so cold last night one would think we were in the middle of winter! I had rather high hopes for the British summer given the glorious start we had; however lately it’s been a bit hit and miss leaving me to look forward to a holiday in the sun instead. This brings the dilemma of what to wear and trying to pack light, something I’m still trying to master, especially when the ‘just in case I need it’ thought reigns supreme. When it comes to swimwear, Bantu’s chic and colourful pieces would definitely make their way in. [Image credit: top, Bantu Swimear; bottom, Bantu Bikinis - Barneys New York] American/Ethiopian Yodit Ecklund founded Bantu, which means ‘gateway’ in Wolof (Senegal’s native language), with a mission to ‘introduce the world to African beach culture’ with a line of vibrant beachwear and accessories in striking African prints and using an all-African manufacturing process. Tapping into the vibrant beach culture that exists across the continent from Dakar to Zanzibar; Casablanca to Cape Town, Bantu as the name suggests desires to be a gateway to this exciting world raising awareness and contributing to change across the continent. Yodit hopes that more consumers will begin to demand finished products from Africa, rather than simply seeing the export of the raw materials.
…so time to kick back and glam it up around the pool or on the beach in Africhic style!
Additional details:
Current prices range from: USD$89-USD$109
For further information about Bantu and to find stockists visit: www.bantuwax.com
To purchase range currently on Barneys New York visit: www.barneys.com
Atelier Annick Born and raised in Paris to parents from Cote d’Ivoire, Annick Adjo’s African heritage has a strong influence over her statement handbag designs. Handmade by specialists in London and France, the Atelier Annick silhouettes are of classic shapes enhanced by a touch of African elegance. [Image credit: Atelier Annick] Buttery soft leathers and ‘run your hand over them’ skins add to the luxury feel. The Waneh patent leather bags include strips of kente hand-woven by artisans in Cote d’Ivoire, which add to the range’s distinctive style and finished of with handmade African cast-iron beads. Handbag linings include suede or African prints depending on the style, and due to some of the fabrics being printed exclusively for Atelier Annick in Africa some styles are available as Limited Edition only. [Image credits: Atelier Annick] Atelier Annick’s bags are roomy designed to be functional as well as glamorous. Based in London, the company welcomes commissions, in addition to customising certain items within the collection upon request using African embellishment or Swarovski crystals for a more personalised touch.
These are handbags that defy quickly changing trends, instead are perfect wardrobe staples be it for work or a night out on the town. Additional Details:Prices on the website range from £35-£750 For further information, to purchase and for stockists visit: www.atelierannick.com
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