DESIGN WEEK AT THE MANOR
Johannesburg’s inaugural Design Week was an incredible celebration of design, creativity, and community. Design Week South Africa is a curated calendar of events and immersive experiences that aim to showcase the future of South African design through knowledge-sharing, inclusivity and support — and we are honoured to have been a part of it.
The Manor kicked off the week with an intimate dinner hosted in collaboration with House and Leisure at The Manor’s concept store at 44 Stanley. The evening brought together some of the leading voices in South Africa’s design community for a night of insightful conversation, great food, and flowing drinks. It was a wonderful start to a weekend filled with inspiration. Thursday’s dinner was followed by our in-store exhibition, The Traveling Eye, one of the standout features of Design Week. Curated to showcase the intersection of decor and art, this exhibition featured works by some of South Africa’s top furniture brands like Anatomy Design, Bofred, Outlander, and Dokter And Misses. The exhibition, which ran from 11 — 13 October, was the perfect backdrop for the panel discussion on Friday morning, which explored what design means in all its forms.
The thought-provoking panel discussion featured some of the most exciting minds in design, art, and culture. The talk explored the evolution of design in South Africa, the importance of storytelling in creative practices, and the future of African design on the global stage. The discussion, facilitated and curated by House and Leisure and The Manor, provides a glimpse of South Africa’s artistic landscape through the eyes of local creatives at the vanguard of their creative practices. Speakers included Trevor Stuurman, Founder of The Manor; Charl Edwards, House and Leisure Editor-at-Large; Nandi Dlepu, House and Leisure Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Mamakashaka; Cassandra Twala, Founder of Moea Design Studio & House and Leisure Contributing Lifestyle Editor; Bielle Bellingham, Business Director at Chommies & House and Leisure Contributing Design Editor and Zanele Kumalo, House and Leisure’s Contributing Art Editor, who lead the discussion.
The weekend was a celebration of art in all forms and to be a part of something that celebrates what we continuously strive for — the sense of community, the interplay of art, design, lifestyle and the opportunity to share experiences and perspectives — made Design Week unforgettable. This year’s Design Week proved that art is not only a reflection of our times but also an essential catalyst for change and inspiration. Thank you to everyone who visited us this past weekend and we can’t wait to see you at the next one.
