Lise Parry, buying manager for Loads of Living, talks evolution, luxury and the environment.
Driving through Johannesburg every day is a constant reminder of how quickly our city and country are evolving. Yes, the World Cup has had a part to play in the spurred growth, but when I drive through Sandton, it feels like I am driving through a new city – a modern, first-world city!
Our new freeways and highways are fantastic, even if we complain about the toll-roads. I’ll pay a fair price to flow down the highways at the recommended speed instead of suffering the infuriating daily bumper-to-bumper crawling.
Moving into the future, it’s clear how we are all evolving in our numbers, our consciousness and our lives. Our needs are changing, and therefore the product that we value changes too – quality versus quantity.
Our world cannot cope with the enormous amounts of waste we produce at alarming rates. Not so long ago, we bought and bought, surrounding ourselves with products which didn’t need to last, as we would just throw them away and replace them. Yet the trend of the disposable has no value to our souls or our environment. Consciousness has evolved us into choosing less, ensuring that what we do invest in is durable and benefits not only ourselves, but the world we live in.
The concept of luxury has evolved more into organic food, visits to the spa and using only products that are produced locally or from natural resources. The current popularity of traditional South African products, re-interpreted in a contemporary manner, is starting to gain momentum. The mass-produced uniformity from yesterday is soulless; mainstream is over, say the experts. It’s about handmade products that support our society by providing work, while supporting the environment in make-up and end use, enhancing life and allowing that energy to live on in the product.
Luxury is handmade, irregular and unique – a one-of-a-kind.
