I have always loved scent and the power it has on bringing you into a moment, a memory…Nics and I first met when she bought her first SOUL pieces from our studio, during our chat she told me about her beautiful brand, Petrichor Oils and we ended up doing a trade swap of jewellery for oils! Petrichor means 'the smell of the earth after rain', a smell so distinctive to many parts of Africa, and Nics really conjures up a connection to the earth with her evocative scents all made using small batch, locally sourced, essential oils. We were invited to one of Petrichor’s oil creative workshops at the beautiful Arambrook Hotel in Cape Town where we captured below images and chatted to Nics...
What’s your most memorable adventure? Taking off with my father and brother to an island we used to go to often just off the coast of Zanzibar, called Mnemba Island. We would scavenge on the sands for shells and play hide and seek in the jungle. It was where I first saw the underworld of the ocean. Colours and fish in all different colours. It changed my life.
How does travel feed your soul?It allows me to breathe again. I love being part of a culture that I don't live in on a regular basis. I find I connect with smells and people in a different way than when I am at home. I follow my nose often and find all sorts of mystical and magical things.
They say home is where the heart is. What does 'home’ mean to you? I find it now on my mat whilst doing yoga. I always bring a scent to my practise and it opens up my heart and mind again. This is when I am truly connected to myself. I have even introduced this to my son, which is our morning ritual. The best part is that I can take my mat wherever I go.
What makes Africa special compared to others places you’ve been to? You can't describe what Africa does to you until you have visited the continent. She holds you and makes you cry at times but then gives you energy to push through some of your toughest moments. I love exploring new countries and its possibilities and sometimes, for a brief moment, I contemplate living somewhere else, and then I am drawn back to my Homeland. The scent of Africa for me is more intoxicating than any other.
What are your favourite SOUL Design pieces to travel with? That's a given - anyone who knows me, knows that I am at all times laden with SOUL pieces. I love layering at least 3 necklaces of different colours. Whilst my arms have at least 5 bracelets on each arm from Abi. If I had to pick favourites, I would say my Shela Bangle that I had engraved "Truth" to remind myself of my journey. Cosmic Hoop Earrings and of course my Lava Bead Bracelet and Necklace that Abi and I collaborated together creating last year. Though my favourite piece was my first from SOUL, and that is the Cowrie ring which I have layered up with the Tuareg ring.
