Augmented Reality

This was a flyer used at our Design Indaba Expo 2013 stand, but why waste it on a one-time event when it's so cool. We can't deprive you of this pleasure. Go ahead, download the app. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the flyer back.(You need 2 devices for this. If you were there, it would have been 1 flyer and 1 device.)

Inspiration behind the Aluta Ring

“A luta continua” means “The struggle continues”. My reason for using these words is because we all have struggles, from acceptance to survival to self-love to the struggle against homophobia, xenophobia, classism or racism. By emblazoning these words on precious metal across your fingers, it serves as a solid reminder to never give up, to approach your every day’s struggles with zeal and a spirit of impending victory. 

It is also a reminder of others’ struggles, and our own awareness hereof increases within us an empathy, understanding and tolerance.

These words were the rallying cry of the FRELIMO movement during Mozambique’s war for independence, and has since been used in our own country’s history but also elsewhere. The slogan was printed on T-shirts worn by LGBT rights activists at the funeral of David Kato Kisule, a Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement in Uganda in 2011. All this shows the power and far-reaching meaning of “A luta continua”.

2013 starts with a BANG

Hello hello hello.... and welcome to another year in Paradise....

The long and short of it, ladies and gentlemen, is that I am one of Design Indaba 2013's Emerging Creatives, and so will be exhibiting my wares this year. Just writing that sentence made my heart beat increase in tempo. Design Freakin' Indaba. One of my top events to attend every year, the one that is guaranteed to inspire me and assure me that I am indeed a creative. This is new ground. This is big. This is daunting. This is doable. This is mess-upable. This however should not be scary. This is 4 days. This is 5000 people. This is an opportunity I am grateful for and one I once thought was only a fantasy. This abso-fucking-lutely amazing. Well, I'm past the stressing and have long since put my big girl panties on and gotten into some project management and production.

Im not going to post any of my pieces in this post. For the debut, you will have to attend the Indaba. For those unfortunates who are unablle to, I will post some after the event is over, in March.....

Who knows what will come of this opportunity... Im most excited to see whether people will like our new range......

Until we meet again, lovelies... xxxx

Model/Designer/Client/CameraWoman

I just had to share this beautiful picture taken by my talented friend, Sara Chitambo. This woman is dangerous behind the camera. She commissioned this ring with me a few months ago.

Genuine Turquoise and Silver Ring by Jinn

Sara, rocking this Silver Necklace and Ring by Jinn 

...and that jumpsuit! I just loved the fabric's colour and print, and the tailoring was impeccable. Her design ,btw.

How Many Things Can You Change In 3 Months?

August – I started an inspiring, thought-provoking course at UCT GSB. Monday evenings are now the highlight of my week and I cannot begin to describe the growth path from then till now. I wont say much more on it but I will say this… One day, don’t believe anyone that says Jinn happened suddenly and its success is inexplicable. Paradigm shifts are happening, every Monday, from 6 to 9 and in my mind for the 6 evenings that follow.

Also changed my hairstyle. Total 180.

September – I moved into my first house! Two bedrooms, with a harbor view, wooden floors and high ceilings. I only just realized how much my spirit was stifled in my previous living box once I was out of it. I have set up my jewellery studio in one of the rooms. A home filled with beauty and inspiration is an absolute necessity. How did I ever live without?

October – I left the twenties! I'm officially 30 and threw a bangin’ houseparty.  The pics tell the thousand word story of the oodles of fun that was had that night. I am so blessed to be walking through my life with all these great people. Such powerful spirits!

Getting down

Vogue

I even got on the decks at one point and laid those ‘90s jams on thick like my dad’s sandwiches. A major highlight of the evening was when my dear friend, Nkoto, stood up and sang for me, impromptu, just after the toast. This woman brings fire.

Tears!

Here are the lyrics to the song she sang, from The Wiz, an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz:

Dorothy
If you believe
Within your heart
You'll know that no one can change
The path that you must go
Believe what you feel
And know you're right because
The time will come around
When you'll say it's yours

Believe there's a reason to be
Believe you can make time stand still
And know from the moment you try
If you believe
I know you will
Believe in yourself right from the start
You'll have brains
You'll have a heart
You'll have courage
To last your whole life through
If you believe in yourself
If you believe in yourself
If you believe in yourself
As I believe in you

If you believe
Within your heart
You'll know that no one can change
The path that you must go
Believe what you feel
And know you're right because
The time will come around
When you'll say it's yours

Believe that you can go home
Believe you can float on air
Then click your heels three times
If you believe 
Then you'll be there
That's why I want you to
Believe in yourself
Right from the start
Believe in the magic
Right there in your heart
Go ahead believe all these things
Not because I told you to
But believe in yourself
If you believe in yourself
Just believe in yourself
As I believe in you

Now those are words we should all live by.

My age, my stage, my location, my capabilities, Jinn's future, my hairstyle, my repertoire,  my level of daily contentment. 3 months. I am rollicking with excitement at the thought of what the next year holds.

Istanbul, where I left my heart

I haven’t written in forever, and now I have so much to say. Quality over quantity. One of life’s biggest lessons and one that eludes most. So, I recently went away on holiday. It was for a mere 2.5 weeks, but felt like a year. Maybe because I spent what I may have spent in a year were I to have remained in Cape Town. Maybe because I discovered, learnt and had the amount of revelations I would have had in a year were I to have remained at home. Maybe because for 2.5 weeks solid, I felt alive and hopeful, anticipating of tomorrow and thankful for the day. This is  how one should live! Should being the operative word. Most of our realities are not this way and we don’t take life seriously enough to accept nothing less. We should.

I spent 5 days in Istanbul. I travelled there alone. My best friend met me at the hotel and off we went for a 5 day shopping, discovering and learning experience...

Top 5 tips for travelers to Istanbul

-          Don’t eat at restaurants. They are unnecessarily overpriced. Go to the foodhall type spots. They have various hot meals and you can get a good balanced plate of local cuisine and a drink for under 10 lira (approx R46 at the current exchange rate). The food quality and taste is exactly the same as the restaurants, except these spots don’t serve wine This same plate, plus 2 glasses of wine will set you back 50 lira. Yes.

-          Buy a 10 trip travel pass. It will cover subway, ground rail and trams.

-          Don’t expect the taxi drivers to know street names. They will not and your charge will increase proportionally with his annoyance at not finding your destination. Go figure.


-          Do a cruise on the Bosphorus, but don’t opt for the sunset cruise. What they don’t tell you is that the boat stops at a random port for 2 hours. With nothing except a strip of restaurants to extort your cash, you will have to drop serious money on a mediocre meal and sour grape juice masquerading as wine, and come off feeling hard done by and stupid.


-          Don’t venture into a leather store at the Grand Bazaar until you have done some practice rounds of your bartering skills on smaller, much cheaper items. This way you will understand how they work. Generally you can get away with offering 60% of their initial asking price as your initial offer, then up it to 70-75% if he entertains that.

Istanbul had the prettiest handpainted ceramics, beautiful jewellery and stylish leather jackets. I had planned to buy 1 but walked out with two. See what happens when you are not a confidently seasoned barterer? Although Bestie assured me that our deal was good, my bargain-hunting spirit is still of the belief that we could have paid at least 20% less.

Precious and semi-precious stones go for a song, so dont be fooled by a price justification based on the stone featured in a piece. Ask about the metal used so that you don’t pay a price fitting of a sterling silver piece for some substandard metal.

Here are some photos of my Turkish treasures:

Coasters

Ruby bracelet with cubic zirconias and marquise cut ruby in sterling silver centre.

Rose gold plated sterling silver Hand of Fatima necklace

The Hand of Fatima (Fatima being the daughter of Mohamed) is believed to bring goodness, abundance, fertility, luck and good health and protect the wearer from evil forces.

Green and black onyx earrings

Pretty Precious Stones

I bought these stones on my last day there. Two labradorites, 2 green onyxes and a sapphire and ruby. Keep an eye out for their final resting places; one of a kind rings by Jinn at www.jinntrend.com.

What has been occurring...

So.... many...things...to...talk...about. First off, we had our first Pop Up at YMEWK market - This is the night market at the Labia on Orange. Admittedly I planned for it to be market research/exposure focussed, but it ended up being a really lucrative night! Also, Jinn got pulled into a shoot for the next day, and I almost could not believe it. The directive for the shoot was "Futuristic", which was right up our alley! All our simple, geometric designs were pulled in and from the sneekpeak I got, the geometric studs were mighty popular.

Here's to hoping it makes its way into a fab magazine (final destination is still under wraps but I will be sure to let yall know).

Then there was the Design Indaba. My soul always comes alive when I walk into the CTICC for this event every year. I love cruising the Emerging Creatives aisle especially. You will find some amazing work and even more amazing stories there. The best by far was definitely that of Songezo Baleni. This young man uses the grass weaving craft learnt as a child weaving baskets and applies it to his jewellery design skills acquired whilst studying at a Durban Tech to design and create absolutely magnificent pieces of fine jewellery. He uses very limited resources at home and gets quite creative in the method of processing the silver into wire for his weaving.Speaking with him was truly touching because although he was well aware and confident of his talent and future in jewellery design, he was also humble and sincere. I look forward to seeing this guy rise all the way to the top.

Whilst chatting away at the Design Indaba, I also managed to find studio space. Double freakn yay and a twirl from me! This has been quite a task. Having this new studio means that Jinn will be able to up production substantially and thus you, beautiful people, can look forward to easier access, not having to wait for markets or trips to Mememe Jhb.

And last but not least... We got our first fashion blog mention on Monday from Pessimiss. Check out how pretty our geometric studs look on this lady:-)

Ciao Ciao! Ps, if you have nothing to do and are in Jhb with money to spend, visit the Mememe page on Facebook to see our stock that arrived there last week.

Jinn Pop-Up Store

Here is one of the pics taken at the City Bowl Market last week. The stand was designed and built by myself and my dear friend Dylan. It turned out quite beautifully and exactly as I had intended it to look!

A little of this and a bit of that...

Jinn's first market day at the City Bowl Market went swimmingly well. There was a lot of support and good feedback. We handed out lots of our new awesome business cards designed by The Rabbit and The Robin , which resulted in an increase of hits on jinntrend.com *air punch*. A good day was had by all, enjoying yummy treats and artisan beer, as well as some shopping. I even got to snap up a discounted dress by designer Adam and Eve. They are also stocked at Mememe and I always seem to return to this label. The dresses are stylish and so well sown. In all the excitement, I forgot to take pictures. Hopefully I will get some from one of my friends and add to this post later.

Now look at these cool pics I found:

http://www.thesartorialist.com/

How chic is this old man?! The haircut, ring on his middle finger and collar flipped up. Also follwoing the untied last button rule. I hope my future husband is this stylish at that age (minus the cigarette, of course)
Here's another Stylish Old Man pic, also from the same site:

Imagine what he would have looked like with those sunglasses on instead of in his hand?
And now for some design inspiration... I have an obsession with cufflinks, and when I find the patience to sit down and design a full range of them, they may just become half of Jinn's offering! Look at these beauties I spotted on Mr Porter

I know! Fan yourself. Calm down.

I'm trying to blog more regularly. I hope I keep this up!

Oh, if you haven't yet, please check out all the new pieces on http://www.jinntrend.com/ :-)

Ornate is absolutely awesome!

City Bowl Market on Hope Street this Saturday!

New Tings Agwan

Oh wow, how time flies when you procrastinate on updating your blog! I think its best I write when big things are happening, like…um…now. As you all know, last year I was mainly selling through Mememe JHB, Pulchritude at Arts on Main and India Jane (until they closed down). I am taking the next step in 2012 and am going to sell directly to the public. I aim to target a few markets around cape Town, depending on how my work is received. First up… The City Bowl Market on Hope Street – 28 of January. Although it will be a small space right in the corner, reserved for the market newbies, it still marks a milestone is the development of little baby Jinn. I cant wait for her to be a tall grown up woman with a model’s gait. Sigh *starts daydreaming with a smile on my face*. Okay..um…where was I. Yes, very excited about the Fashion market at month end. Im glad that this one is not as mainstream as the one in Woodstock. The food is cheaper 9but just as  yummy) and its generally not crowded, which works in my favour when I usually grab a quick bite on a Saturday morning between gym and heading to the studio.

Jinn also has its first proper photoshoot coming up. YAY! We are working with the designer at The Rabbit and The Robin. I have total faith in this girl’s creativity. Cant wait to see what she comes up with. You will be able to view it soon enough on www.jinntrend.com.

This just in… as in two minutes ago… Jinn will be at the You, Me and Everyone Else Market as of March! Double freakn yay! For those of you who don’t yet know, this is the night market that is held once a month at The Labia on Orange Street.

Hope to see you pretty people there!

London

Upon my recent trip to London, I made a good few worthy observations that I don’t think most stores here have picked up on just yet. Okay, so they all know about color blocking but that was being spoken about last summer season anyway, so no points for that one. I was actually surprised that it was still so big for Summer 2011. Nevertheless, this is the case, so big, bright and bold, and don’t be afraid to wear clashing colours ala the pic in my previous blog post.

Image courtesy of topshop.com

Image courtesy of Stellashops

The trend I am excited about is 70’s glam, and I proved my allegiance to it by buying a pair of denim bellbottoms and serious platforms whilst abroad. I cannot wait. I, for one, am sick of skinny jeans. They’ve been around way too long and they are not really as friendly to girls of my hippy proportions. This new trend will see me looking shapelier and taller – yeah and yeah! With this look go blouses with waist ties and large shades and hoops. Luckily I have all these in my closet, so with the platforms and jeans I am trend ready.  I’d advise buying a pair of neutral platforms to wear with this trend as well as tie in with any colour blocking look.

On the jewellery front, there’s a strong push towards pieces featuring animals, and more than that of the saffer designers who are quite partial to doves and rabbits. I most like the big cats, (think Maisson Panthere de Cartier for peasants).

Image courtesy of Cartier

I didn’t mind the linked elephant necklaces. I even spotted some pighead rings and bangles, hmmmmmm….those were too much for me. I would side with the Muslims on this one.  There was the cutest monkey ring at Topshop that I wore for the full hour I was in there, till, I decided that it may just be novelty and we all know what happens with that… I wish my winter weight had the same effect, then I’d be able to wear the cheeky shorts with high waists that I spotted around. Remnants of a skinny summer in London.

It looks so cute on! Wrapped around your finger and looking up at you. Image courtesy of Topshop

The black and very grim looking long pleated skirts seen this winter get replaced by pretty coral or green ones. I searched and searched but didn’t manage to grab myself one of these. Best paired with a simple fitted tee or short tent vest.

Animal prints also huger than I thought, if you are like me and feel like a fresh divorcee in a tiger print dress, then go for a printed scarf instead.

It’s my civil duty to mention that palazzo pants are huge, although I will not be wearing them. For those of you who are lucky to be built like rakes, go wild with these fun, flirty pants this season.

As a parting shot, Id like to mention the cheeky shorts were often paired with patterned sheer pantyhose. My fave was when worn with polka dot hose. Check out the pic I sneaked on the tube. Till next time…remember…ornate is awesome J

Evolution. The Constant Climb

This is just a quick update to explain my absence and indicate when my posts will be back full force. I felt that the quality of this blog would be greatly increased by adding pictures, and, since I didn't want to punish you all with bad quality images, I decided to take a blogging hiatus till I could improve my picture quality. I am now pleased to announce that this will be possible  at the start of the new month J. Finally we can move from descriptions to images, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

In the meantime, I have been developing a new range, all original designs and in sterling silver. Just the thought of these pieces bring me a huge sense of pride and excitement for Jinn’s future. I will post pictures at month-end to sate you all. I don’t want to say too much. Come back soon to see what is in store. Remember, patience is a virtue and I promise it will be worthwhile.

Things I am loving right now:

This Dior Rose ring – Pink Diamonds set in Rose Gold… Note the band that fits around it. *swoon*

This citrine nugget ring – Image courtesy of she's electric

This entire look! – Image courtesy of Pinterest

The Buzz on the Streets

This week I decided to talk more about what else is happening in the fashion world. By the mere fact that sunrise is later and evenings are getting chilly, we can safely say that we have entered Autumn. With that comes new autumn trends.. Yay J. Orange has been pegged as the new autumn colour for a while now. I had a feeling, but since its being spoken about by numerous sources, its confirmed in my books. Although I’m more of a blue person, I’m quite eager to get my orange on. Not terracotta, not burnt orange, but that 70’s bright orange that just screams at you. I think I may just incorporate some orange leather into my pieces at some point…Once I’ve completed the Jinn rings’ range I recently embarked on. On blogs, there are two that I’d like to recommend. One is www.rushe-row.blogspot.com, a very talented evening gown designer who has just recently launched her label, and www.inthefashionloop.com , Mr. Price’s fashion blog. I do think Mr. Price is underrated in this country due to the fact that it caters to the lower end of the market. One thing this store always gets right is stocking the key fashion pieces for the season long before any other store, even of high trend caliber, stocks them. I swear if they instituted a high end division I would be named Most Loyal Client sooner than you can say fashion addict. On another note, although, yes, I was waxing lyrical about Kate’s ring a post or two back, I am getting so tired of the constant buzz about this wedding. Am I alone here? Anyway…

5 Things I am dreaming of today:

1.       A personal cobbler – where to find the next Jimmy Choo, hidden away in some derelict building toiling away like Rumpelstiltskin.

2.       A new hairdo  - something unique, colourful, fashion-forward.

3.       A pair of red velvet Errol Arendz pumps – A modern day Dorothy… Mama loves playin’ dress-up!

4.       Black, bold D & G Cats Eye sunglasses.

5.       A spontaneous trip to Moz – People just don’t agree to things on the spur of the moment anymore…tsk…tsk..

Tomorrow my Easter holiday commences, spending time with Mr. Jinn and soaking up that beautiful Cape Town sun while it lasts!

Till next week, don’t forget… Ornate is awesome!!

Evolution, baby!

I had a fantastic weekend, all because of 5 hours of blissful belonging. Waking up to a bad mood, I went for a class and created 2 flawless silver bands. This is  the start of new things for Jinn, as I will soon be able to add a range of quirky, unique rings as a collection. My excitement is beyond verbal expression. For now I am still having fun creating all the pieces my heart desires. My plan for one of them is to set one of my gran’s brooches as the focal point. It is so pretty; a crystal framed inlay of delft porcelain –  Can. Not. Wait. The other I plan to set a howlite cross in the centre, using a claw setting. This one may become a staple in my ring range.  Once I am done with me (does this sound selfish?), I will move on to creating dreamy pieces for all of you. This is all in accordance with the prophecy  that Jinn will have beautifully crafted, unique hooks on all the earrings, and interesting form and function to some parts. I have up till now been constrained by what the market had available, but now my world has opened up and I will finally have absolute creative freedom.

Ornate just became more awesome!! :-D

Mememe

For pretty pics of the Mememe JHB Launch, check out http://missmillib.blogspot.com/2011/04/they-came-they-saw-they-toasted.html?spref=tw. 

:-) Ornate is awesome!

When one door closes, another opens

Its been a while since I posted on the blog. There are a few happenings that I will joyfully discuss today. Firstly, a new collection has been born J. The inspiration for the range is a blend of military, antique and ethnic. Lots of leather in muted tones, shaped either boldly or into shields and hearts, mixed with antique little silver charms to form pieces that call out to be noticed. We’re talking cuffs, bold earrings, militaria pendants and pins. This range can be found at Mememe jhb.

They officially opened their doors on Friday, and I had the pleasure of attending the launch on the previous Wednesday. Wow, was it a party. Uju entertained the crowd whilst everyone enjoyed the  perpetual flow of chilled Pongracz. Jinn’s pound coin collection is also stocked at this divine store.

Now on to less exciting news. Sadly I also announce the closure of India Jane. This obviously means that Jinn pieces will no longer be found out in the serene town of Kalk Bay. I have however set my sights on a few stores closer to the CBD so cross your fingers in hopes of possible partnerships J

In my most recent jewellery observations I have concluded that The Princess Di ring is about to become as popular as it was back in the early 80’s, since William and Kate have revived it. Its gotten me thinking how I could do an African spin on the same design. Hold on because I think this is going to be a beaut!

Have a good week, people… and always remember.. Ornate is awesome!

Authenticity in all Aspects is Key

Observations today... So many people live life totally acceptant and are party to living it synthetically. They live on fast foods, drink soft drinks, and wear polyester whilst their wives rock weaves and acrylic nails. They have dinner parties catered for by Woolies, but hey each to their own. There is an unappreciated value in slow cooking a good roast, sharing your efforts and tastes with your friends, whilst enjoying a glass of aged merlot, that a Franschoek winefarmer has created for your pleasure over a couple of hard grueling years. Who can argue with the feel of a pure silk dress, born of a worm's cocoon. These things to some are important, and are easily lost in this fast paced lifestyles we find ourselves caught up in. Life to others is like instant coffee, open the sachet... add some hot water, some powder milk and your done. Bleh.

So this is Jinn Jewelry. Its about a whole, made up of parts that had lives, stories,and a history. Semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, woods, and leather are used as focal points to Jinn's pieces. Many pieces have trinkets that wont be found anywhere else in the world. They are odds and ends that have been collected over the years for their uniqueness, and have finally found their place.

As of last tuesday, Jinn is officially stocked at India Jane, Kalk Bay. The collection is still very summery as anyone in Cape Town will tell you that the mother city is only just starting to show herself for all her sunshiny beauty. There is a prevalent mexicano feel, with lots of turquoise and antique looking coins, perfect with those linens and white cottons.

Feel the joie de vivre. One should always be living for, working for, buying, wearing and thinking along the lines of legacy and things that last forever. Authenticity is key.

Birth and Death, The Yin and Yang that can never be separated

The first breath, first cry from a baby's mouth... This is it, in a newfound electronic body. The proud mother is looking into her baby's eyes and they scream out the infant's name, out of the brown/green iris... It speaks to her soul and says... "Jinn". As would any momma, dreams occupy her mind. Dreams of what may come of this child. There is a faint blueprint, let's call it a powderblueprint. Jinn will walk on the less battered path. Jinn will bless starving fashion lovers at various levels of their hitherto unmet needs. It would not be vain to say that this space has evolved into somewhat of a vacuum till now.

In Taoist philosophy, Yin and Yang arise simultaneously from a state of  emptiness, moving in tandem till a state of quiescence is reached... The death here is an end to the struggle for local products that are produced timeously and in line with international trends. Its an end to mass produced, dictated-to-by-some-dull-fashion-buyer accessories being the only ones available. Stillness will be reached when one is no longer left wanting, searching.

Over and above the powderblueprint of young baby Jinn's life, there are hopes for a not-yet-seen trendy men's range, and a bespoke range which would be able to meet almost any need a Jinn lover may have, from bridal needs to unique pieces for the forward thinking, non-shepherd following amongst us.