The August issue of YourLuxury Africa was themed ‘Timeless’ in celebration of varied human achievement across the age spectrum. It was a fitting backdrop for a celebration honouring matriarchs and female superheroes that was held at the Strauss & Co. showroom on 16 August 2024. Guests attending the gathering were encouraged to bring a mother, mentor, daughter or best friend in tribute to the unique and wonderful ways women support each other.
The cover story for August was written by Amonge Sinxtoto, a dynamic youth activist who’s been setting global stages ablaze since the age of 16, having been invited to a round table with Michelle Obama and other young leaders when she was just 17. Amonge attended the event with her mother; adding to the heartwarming celebration of other guests who came with their mums.
After a welcome from YourLuxury Africa MD, Yvonne Shaff, Dr. Alastair Meredith from Strauss gave impassioned insight into some of the artworks on display. A passionate auctioneer with extensive scholarly knowledge of early twentieth-century South African and British paintings, he has delivered numerous public lectures and auctions.
Harnessing his sensitivity as a researcher and nous as an auctioneer, Alastair now spearheads an on-going initiative at Strauss & Co to champion, at auction, neglected artists and stylistic movements from the twentieth century. These sales include a comprehensive overview of KwaZulu-Natal art (2017) and ‘Unsung History’ (2018), a sale of paintings and sculpture from 1910 to 1990.
Alistair is skilled at perceptively gathering works for these sales in a manner that fulfils the expectations of sellers while presenting buyers with new insights into South Africa’s astonishingly diverse art history.
Khensani Nobanda, the Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank, spoke about the role of women in her career and how deeply she is inspired when women advocate for each other in the workspace.
Other highlights of the morning included the delicious high tea treats and drinks on offer.
Of course there were also amazing goodie bags that meant guests could take home wonderful memories of a morning well spent and incredible beauty products from French luxury brand Sisley-Paris.
Images and video by Stephen Segal
