The WELL-CURATED LIFE of Maria Mccloy

The accessories designer on continental culture, East meets West and why Jo’burg is the best city in the world

1. I’m currently obsessed with… the Dokter and Misses storage pieces that make up the Kassena Town range. I love the beautiful interpretation of elements of West African culture. 2. The one scent I can’t live without is… Calvin Klein Obsession. I’ve been wearing it for the past 20 years. That’s unlikely to change.

3. I would define my style at home as... a combination of my mother’s Mosotho heritage and my dad’s British culture. The kitchen is inspired by my grandmothers. There is a mix of flavours from African to Western, vintage to modern. There are elements of urbanism, too: posters by Keith Haring, West African barber signs and cushions featuring Tretchikoff’s art.

4. What’s the one book that most inspired you and your taste? Mirella Ricciardi’s Vanishing Africa, filled with striking images of East Africans in the 1970s, has been a favourite since

I was a little girl. The biggest impact on my taste, I think, was that as I grew up I lived in England, Sudan, Nigeria, Lesotho and Mozambique. It gave me a global outlook. 5. The wine I’m loving right now is…

The Black Elephant Vintners & Co Brut Methode Cap Classique, made in Franschhoek. 6. This autumn you’ll spot me in… a pair of African print boots or sneakers. 7. If you visit one hotel, it should be… Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. I also want to check out Lesotho’s Maliba Lodge. 8. On my coffee table you’ll find… Mexican candles, Japanese coasters from a friend in Tokyo, biographies of Diane Von Furstenberg, Miriam Makeba and Grace Jones, a book on Nigerian textiles, and another about Barbara Tyrrell, who documented Southern African cultures with amazing drawings. 9. The young artist everyone should keep an eye on is… Blessing Ngobeni. His work really moves me. 10. The most inspiring city in the world is… Jo’burg. It’s the city that allowed me to be me. I could not have done this anywhere else. 11. My ultimate home accessory would be… a Smeg fridge.

The vintage inspirations and pastel colours make me drool. Maria Mccloy Accessories maria@rage.co.za