When I was 8 years old, I forgot the words of the song, Isle of Capri by Gracie Fields, on stage in front of a full audience. That was when the name of that tiny little island off the Italian Amalfi coast imprinted itself in my humiliated subconscious.
Growing up without social media one could have imagined that references to a place thousands of miles away from South Africa would be rare, but to my delight I found magazine articles, photos and references to Capri frequently. Our long boarding school nights were spent under pink duvets, hot chocolate, the last biscuits in our tuc boxes and dreams of romantic honeymoons on exotic islands, Capri, of course, was mine.
Many years later, I found myself working in Milan as a designer. My dream was becoming a reality. My Tuscan boyfriend at the time preferred summers at his parent’s home on the idyllic Etruscan coast. I didn’t complain as it was gorgeous and in any case, Capri was the ultimate honeymoon destination, worth waiting for, but fate had a different take on all of this.
Fast forward 25 years, marriage ( not the Italian nor the Capri honeymoon), divorce, kids and finally….. Capri!
It took exactly one full minute to convince my sister and her family to join us on a trip to Capri.
The Ceaser Augustus hotel, originally a villa frequented by artists and intellectuals was absolutely beautiful with breathtaking views over the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Naples. The jewel like colours of the ocean reminded us of the array of blue gemstones ranging from dark blue sapphire to purple tinged iolite and sky blue topaz, tickling our design fantasies.
After a morning swim and snorkel in the crystal waters we walked up to Anacapri. A village centre perched high on the rocks with spectacular views all around. The jewellery stores and traditional ceramics were charming and a colour theme of gorgeous sea-greens and shades of turquoise and blue seemed to dominate. We were interested in finding cameo jewellery always having heard that Naples was the centre of these delicately carved objects in carnelian. I was disappointed however, and discovered that high end brands dominated the bustling street shops. The local pottery inspired by shells, the ocean, and of course the ginormous lemons found on the island, was memorable, but sadly too heavy and bulky to accompany us back to our homes.
The handmade sandals, where you get to custom design them yourself, were perfect in every way and fitted comfortably in our luggage. The brightly coloured crystals and corals, shells and pearls could be chosen to adorn the basic flat leather sandal to make it perfect for any occasion including a Cinderella’s ball. Needless to say we had much fun and that evening while drinking an ice cold limoncello on our balcony, my sister said she wanted to design a collection of jewellery inspired by the colours and spirit of this elegant Italian island. I think she did a fabulous job, but be our guests and decide for yourselves. Go to the Capri collection!
Wishing all our lovely clients a summer, whether it’s by the sea, a mountain or simply a back yard, inspiring moments and above all love for ourselves and all things sparkly.