We always love a side project – and lockdown in South Africa has been the best time for embracing digital tools and investing in online platforms. For many businesses it’s been an accelerator – for better or for worse – and one notable outcome in our industry has been the very sad closure of a number of print publications. But it’s also made room for a new brand of online magazine. One that favours quality content over quantity, in-depth reads over clickbait and fake news, and which retains the keen art direction and aesthetic of the glossy magazines we’ve recently said goodbye to.

Enter Lifestyling.co.za, a “new online source that heroes informed aesthetics, opinions and insights,” and which showcases both South African and international design and culture, including art, music, food and wine.

The team includes One Day Company founder, Sarah Jayne Fell, as Head of Digital; as Editor and Deputy: no-less-than-brilliant wordsmith Mila Crewe-Brown and well-known art director Martin Jacobs (former Creative Director of Condé Nast House & Garden and Gourmet magazines); and heading the team as founder and publisher is renowned publicist and designer JP de la Chaumette. A dream team of note!

Something a little different, you say? A sharp aesthetic with a shrewd voice, we’ve got you.

Lifestyling.co.za

In the words of JP de la Chaumette:

“Despite the uneasy circumstances that precipitated its arrival, this new online magazine aims to be a force for positivity, creativity and wide-open thinking.

“Lifestyling is all about taste, talent and ideas. We look to the past, present and future (and often combinations thereof) to inspire a more considered world. We examine architecture, design, décor, travel, books… a life of style. But we’re not just conveying this by showcasing “pretty” things – we also seek out the real opinions of thought leaders, innovators, disruptors and influencers.

“We’re not prescribers of style, either. Rather, we’re purveyors of it. Our mission is to share the good stuff with you. We’re champions of the enduring aesthetic, time-honoured artisanal skills and storytelling. Expect the eclectic.

“For the layman or vaguely intrigued, we’re hoping to open eyes and minds to what goes on in creating things and spaces; sharing the seeds of inspiration and the complex skills that go into their growth. For the already style-converted, we hope to offer inspiration and celebration, joy and camaraderie.

“In an age of a more conscious capitalism, we’ve found that style requires a bit of redefinition. It’s no longer about mass production and throwaway consumption: the New Style is ethical, accountable, considered, concerned, meticulous, intricate, anecdotal, motivational and enduring. (Quite a list, I know, but I feel it’s important we evolve to adopt this new way of thinking; this new way of being in the world.) At its heart is the idea of authenticity. I know that word has been bandied around a lot of late: to the extent that it’s touching on the cliché. However, there’s never been a more pertinent time for authenticity. Everyone has their own definition, but we believe integrity, mindfulness and a focus on what a human-centred society looks like, are major contributors to being authentic.”

Head on over to explore their pages… lifestyling.co.za.

Website designed by Sarah Jayne Fell of One Day Company with CI developed by Martin Jacobs with JP de la Chaumette.