‘Dopamine dressing’ or ‘dopamine decor’ is a trend to watch in 2023: The body or a space is adorned by pieces and objects that are colourful, tactile, and sometimes camp, – why not? – that makes you happier. Why not adorn your world with the most extravagant spices? Or go over the top with frivolous everyday objects?
Red Gold
Crystal Saffron by Matiere Premiere packs a genderless spicy and woody punch, blooming with saffron. Known as the world’s most expensive spice (at R250 a gram), saffron is the serious side of this fragrance, while the delicious frankincense brings the fun, bubbly notes. This is a scent for the person who knows when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to have fun. Available through Skins Cosmetics.
Wiggly Ware
Objects, knitwear and beautiful experimentation come together to create something sophisticated and otherworldly. Soft Amphora, designed by Charles-Antoine Chappuis, are handmade, double-ended and malleable, allowing new ideas to be shaped and reshaped. Wiggly handles are a playful reference to Greek amphorae. And second: a colour rhythm, which is also influenced by Chapuis’s Brazilian heritage. Available through SSENSE.
Happy Meal, but make it fashion
Anything can be a bag if you’re bold enough. Why not join the club of luxury designer brands making bizarre and whimsical bags with a Yves Saint Laurent calfskin lunch box bag? It’s a lux, camp way of carrying your meal home from work — because you won’t be eating out after dropping some serious coin on a lunch bag. Available through 2A Store, Hyde Park.
Pop the cork
Champagne coolers aren’t always fancy but they work. And they can be fun. Made in Cape Town from recycled cork, the Wiid Design champagne bucket is a great eco-friendly upgrade to any drinking extravaganza while dining al fresco. Even Soho House has tapped into the Wiid Design as a fun seat for bubbles served to its creative guests. Available through Wiid Design.
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