VOLUME / THREE
C o v e r p h o t o g ra p h b y
:
Marnus Meyer
WHAT IS INSIDE... MICHAEL EVERSON
MICHAEL CHANDLER
NERINE GARDINER
THE CIDER
THE FRIEND YOU NEED
CAKE OF
HOUSE RULES
TO MEET
GOOD HOPE
DARIUS MEADON
DANIEL HOLLAND
THE YOUTUBE
SELF-ESTEEM LAST
A TRULY NICE GUY
LABYRINTH
SEEN AT 11H25 BY ANNA VAN DYK
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FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY
SOCIAL MEDIA FAVS
Th e v i e w s e x p re s s e d i n F L U F F a re t h o s e o f t h e w r i t e r s t h e m s e l v e s .
We are FLUFF. An unlikely pair who are not originally from the Mother City; we want to get to know the DNA that makes up this body we call home. We are not tr ying to make that paper promise called money; we are profiling Cape Town’s people and tr ying to cut that cliquey crap Cape Town has. Let’s get to know each other.
Emil Lime Founder & Creative Director / @thelimeline fluffmagazinesa@gmail.com
Alexandra Nagel Editor / @AlexandraNagel fluffmagazinesa@gmail.com
Marnus Meyer (cover photographer) w e b s i t e : m a r n u s m e y e r. t u m b l r. c o m twitter handle: @Marnus_Meyer instagram: @marnusmeyer
Claire Thomson (photographer) email: clairethomsonphotography@gmail.com web: www.clairetography.com twitter: @claireshaped insta: @clairethomsonphotography
Suaad Dawood (make-up artist) web: www.suaaddartistry.co.za blog: http://suaaddartistry.wordpress.com twitter: @SuaadDArtistry insta: @suaaddartistry facebook: Suaad D Artistry
Darius Meadon (writer) twitter: @DariusMeadon email: dmeadon@jupiterct.co.za insta: @dmeadon
Anna Van Dyk (writer) mail: annavdyk@hotmail.com twitter: @AnnavanDyk
Michael Chandler
(nerine’s illustration)
twitter: @MrChandlerHouse web: chandlerhouse.co.za insta: @mrchandler house
Sam van Straaten We b g u y a n d o t h e r s t u f f www.samvanstraaten.com / @samvanstraaten
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MICHAEL EVERSON
THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
An animated guy, Michael Everson is. Not because of the bushy tuft of beard on his face, no. He often wonders if carr ying an axe around will stop the hipster-assuming nicknames. You’ll be quick to discover though, that the lumberjack profession is not wooded enough for a cider-brewing slash actor like Everson.
How did you get into making cider? My dad is a winemaker who moved to the apple country and that’s how it started. I’ve only personally made one batch of cider myself, but that’s about to change. Besides Everson’s Cider, what other brands of alcohol do you do? Gnarr. It was supposed to be labelporn, so I focused on the visual. Screenprinted the bottle and wax dripped the neck. It stars BS Elliot the rat, who steals apples from Everson cider. If you had to pick between beer and cider who would it be and why? Cider. It doesn’t bloat you. Its low carbs; vegan-friendly. What is your favourite flavoured cider? Everson has an ethos: No artificial flavours, colourants or chemical additives. It is a lot harder work than people perceive it to be, its like making wine in a way. Do you believe in the stereotype that ciders are girly drinks? Everson’s reserve range is 8% alcohol, one will get you tipsy, two will sit you down. One of them is a brandy cask aged cider…does that sound like a girly drink? Do you ever straighten your beard? (Can I please touch it?) No. Yes, I’ve blow-dried it once or twice.
What is your opinion on moustaches? Not fun. I grew mine once. It turned into a soup strainer. If you could use a nursery rhyme to describe your life, which would it be and why? Georgie Porgie. What would you do with a drunken sailor? Funny enough, I am a qualified sailor. I’ve done a transatlantic trip before so I am the drunken sailor. Ever had a three-way? Yes.No.Maybe. Would you kiss another guy if your role required it in a movie? Yes. Have you ever kissed a guy? I have. What is your dream character to play in a movie? I really want to be a bad guy 1) he has the cool shit 2) he has the bigger gun 3) he’s got the bitches. If you had to pick between Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, who would it be and why? Lindsay is more my vibe. Who would you like to work with in the future? Drew; he is a new friend I have made. He has a crazy story and is very accomplished in business and sales.
MICHAEL CHANDLER
THE FRIEND YOU NEED TO MEET
Tucked away on Church Street, the original Chandler House is like stepping into some place called elsewhere. Master of the House, Michael Chandler, mirrors the flamboyancy of his sanctuary, his vocabulary as rich as Chandler House’s objects and artefacts. It is as if his thoughts and wanders have tipped out of his brain into a place where they can manifest into the strange and curious beings that they truly are.
So do you even like Chandler Bing? Never watched FRIENDS; always thought he was handsome though. What did you do before Chandler House? I studied art history then worked at Stefan Welz, the auction house. I learnt about galleries and how furniture is practical art.
What is your favorite part of the Western Cape? Any secret hide aways? Disa Gorge, the most spectacular place. Only 12 people are allowed a day. Who are you listening to right now in your car? Fats Waller from the 1920s.
Which item from Chandler House best describes you? Phrenology vase. It’s contemporary, but Victorian.
Ever skinny-dipped? Ha ja, in every major body of water in Cape Town. Except the moat of the castle.
What is your favorite taxidermy you have ever found? Birds. They’re exotic and colourful.
Can you recommend something we all should do in Cape Town? Climb Lion’s Head, it’s unbelievable. And then Devil’s Peak, then you’ve graduated as a Capetonian.
Can anyone sell their stuff at your store? Anyone, provided it’s legal and I like it. What is your secret fetish? If it doesn’t have hair, I don’t go there. If you could be a mystical creature, which would it be and why? Mermaid. My moon sign is a Pisces so I am half fish. What is your favourite app? Instagram (I hate to say it). I used to be against it,
Describe your ideal Chandler House customer. Very rich, comfortable with themselves and very curious. The shop seems to attract the crazies. What are your thoughts on trend forecasters? I hate them, I don’t believe in them. I think it is destructive, stunting creativity. People are scared of opinions.
NERINE GARDINER
CAKE OF GOOD HOPE
illustratio n b y m i c h a e l c h a n d l e r
The local Marie Antoinette has graced Cape Town’s homeless with none other than cake, in all shapes and sizes, with M&Ms and Lindt chocolate eggs. Nerine Gardiner believes that one small ounce of kindness can break a dark curse that shadows our lives.
Why cake and not bread? I’m good at cake. Mom always baked cakes during my exams, granny used to bake cakes, and I used to bake cakes for my brother in university. I thought everyone did that. How did you start this escapade? I went through a phase of looking for good things so I decided to use what I have. I baked a cake and I went out to find a person to give it to. What is your day job? I’m a copywriter at Ninety9Cents. How do you get funding to make all of these cakes? The first seven or eight I baked myself and eventually people started to sponsor cakes. About 32 cakes have been sponsored. How can people help? I’m starting a project called a ‘Cake in every city’. It’s about other people who give away cakes. I want people to see good and not bad, and that it’s not just me doing it. Have you ever been nicknamed Marie Antoinette? Yes, but I find humour in it and I hope I don’t get beheaded. Has anyone ever rejected a cake? No, but I’m nervous about that day when someone will slap a cake in my face (It would make a good photo though). Do you have any rotten teeth? No, but I have one out because the dentist slipped and the drill Knocked a tooth.
What is the worst flavoured cake you have ever had? Don’t like blue cakes, not an appetising flavour. I also don’t like fruit in cake. Christmas cake… I hate it. If you could be any household appliance, which would it be and why? A toaster with cool, squiggly imprints. It’s double-sided, not that I have a split personality…maybe. How do you feel about people who think what you doing is more selfpromotion? I know cake won’t make a hell of a difference in someone’s life. The only selfish thing about this is that it is changing my cynical view on things. I’m growing as a person. Who makes the best cakes in the Western Cape? Café BonBon in Franschhoek makes red velvet cake that is amazing. Do you think what you are doing is a bit like a reality show? Social media is a bit like a reality show with people posting pictures of their babies all of the time. Would you go alone to give a cake away and do a selfie? No because I’m really small and it would be easy to tackle me. Will you bake FLUFF a cake? Yes of course, with love.
SELF-ESTEEM LAST SEEN AT 11H25 BY DARIUS MEADON
I recently went on a date. He was good looking, funny, intelligent. We bantered for close to three hours. Two rounds of drinks later, we were discussing everything from architecture to obscure 90s references and favourite holiday spots. I thought we had a great time. The next couple of days were rosy and we chatted away via Whatsapp. So far, we were living the boy-meetsboy dream. One evening we chatted about family, and in a misguided moment fuelled with the overfamiliarity that Whatsapp breeds, I made a joke about his mother. I followed it up with a smiley face, but he suddenly went offline. We all know that feeling of seeing someone you like being online and not respond. It’s a human rights violation; the emotional equivalent of bamboo under the nails and Chinese water torture. I had hoped my emoticon would mediate my joke, but it seems words trumped. A bit of research revealed that, unlike my date, most of us pay more attention to faces than we do to anything else. We know people respond differently to facial expressions over other objects, such as text. In fact, when we see a ‘;-)’ now, the face sensitive areas of our cortex responds. It is an entirely culturally-created, neural response. I believe that sometimes a fluid and seemingly incoherent sentiment can best be communicated in an eight-word clause containing onomatopoeia, more adverbs than is advisable and several emoticons. Some argue that it is precisely this sentiment that is ruining language. But instant messaging and emoticons didn’t break English (or any other language for that matter); it merely decentralised the linguistic playing field with the creation and proliferation of neologisms through near-universal access and individual expression.Or simply, language is ours to do with as we please. Use, abuse, embellish, dumb down, zhoozsh it up or type a whole ‘sentence’ in emoticons. It’s all good. But know that people may take this ‘;-)’ to mean something completely different from what you orignally intended.
DANIEL HOLLAND
A TRULY NICE GUY
At first I thought I was talking to the wrong guy, but then I realised he was really the owner of the hippest place to be on Kloof Street. I was welcomed with the warmest smile before Dan continuted to tell me more about himself and how he realised his dream with the help of his family.
How do you feel about Yourstruly being dubbed the hipster hang out? I don’t mind it, hispters generally have good taste. What’s the story behind Yourstruly? We opened in 2010, but before that I studied textile design, worked as a waiter/graphic designer/ saved some cash and took a leap of faith and opened Yourstruly. With the help of my Dad, we built the first one on Long Street.
Do you think Leo deserved to die at the end of Titanic? No, Kate should have moved up on that plank. Actually, thank God he didn’t survive or we would have a sequel. Are you a fan of local art? Yes, I really like Bruce Mackay’s work. Have you ever written a letter that ends with “Yours truly, Dan”? I make a concerted effort not too.
What its most defing factor? Black and white type... Oh, and all the plants.
If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be? Louis Armstrong.
What’s your least favourite thing on the menu? Hot chocolate... mostly ‘cause its really boring.
Do you believer we all have dopplegangers? Yes, most definitely I have a few.
Why is Youstruly spelt as one word? The words didn’t work apart with the typeface I was using, so I combined it. What is your dog’s name? Molly. Is she the face of Yourstruly? Shes the mascot. Who would you say is your competition and why? Clark’s, The Power & the Glory... mostly ‘cause we attract the same market. Do you believer trees have feelings? I think you get happy trees and sad trees.
How would you describe yourself without speaking in just a single gesture? He smiles :) Ever wanted to sell everything and move to a foriegn land? Yes, all the time... I wanna leave to a remote island or to the Alps. Do you think people know you own Yourstruly or do you think they think you are just another customer? The latter... and I like it that way!
The YouTube Labyrinth In preparation for the writing of this article, I thought I’d do some research into the YouTube labyrinth, that inescapable black hole that is the online video platform. I found that the maze is relentless. Within mere minutes, I had seen a pumpkin juggling midget, a jet-skiing hamster and a boy band from Korea perform their number one hit. In the same way that there is no such thing as having one Pringle, there is definitely no chance of merely viewing a singular YouTube clip. I resurfaced two hours later, dazed and in need of the bathroom. I was not entirely confident of what day it was. If I had any doubts of this labyrinth before, I am very much convinced of its powers now. The truth is, YouTube is, rather embarrassingly, only one of the many online vices I find consuming my days. When I’m not on YouTube, I’m on Vimeo (where High Art videos live), and if I am not here, I am on Soundcloud discovering new music, or on Pinterest looking at
photos of food. Exclusively. The truth is that our generation is a visual one. Most of us think in images, fall in love via profile pictures and converse in YouTube Videos. A birthday is not complete with a tagged photo, soppy message and the music video of Stevie Winder singing ‘Happy Birthday To Ya’. Gangnam Style and Justin Bieber are just two of the entities that owe their fame to the power of YouTube. Whilst these are not, perhaps, pinnacles of cultural enrichment, they illustrate how fame is no longer exclusive to lucky waitresses in Hollywood who one day make it big. The internet can be our procrastination vice, or our empowering weapon. I opt for the latter. Because karaoke singing animals are far more important than English Literature essays, of course. Here’s to getting lost in cultures far removed from ours. Here’s to being educated, inspired and, yes, entertained.
Anna van Dyk | Twitter: @AnnavanDyk
Follow @ryan_botha Ex Professional Soccer Player, & Co Owner of PointBreak Fitness Center for great fitness inspiration and steamy pics.
Follow Lowe Cape Town’s For the Love of Design board on Pinterest and peak into the inner workings of a designer’s imagination.
Follow @rowaneva on Twitter and get a mix of food, political cartoons, World Cup football and more.
Check Mother City ‘Mazing and their gif-fy world of the weird and wonderful things Capetonians say and do. www.mothercitymazing.co.za
EMIL LIME
LADY IN THE WOODS
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