Come out and see us next weekend at our first ever pop-up shop event! For two days the white room at Studio will be the home of this hybrid art installation and retail experience. Personal Belongings aims to explore the perpetual and unavoidable compartmentalization of every day experience and its relationship to our created spaces, both real and virtual. A celebration of our collective love affair with all things new and/or fleeting, the installation is a 2-day tactile extension of Karamel’s state of pseudo-existence as an online retailer. The cardboard box – the vessel in which products are deposited, sealed, and routinely shipped – acts as the building block of the entire “store”. The result is the exaggerated visual representation of the temporary and therefore precious nature of all experience. As quickly as it pops up, it will also pop down; each customer will leave with their purchase in a cardboard box from the installation.

Karamel is proud to have recently taken part in a benefit and silent auction presented by The Cape Town Children’s Scholarship Foundation at Studio Gallery. The proceeds contribute towards awarding Waldorf academic scholarships to orphans of Khayelitsha Township – located just outside of Cape Town, the most poverty-stricken region in South Africa – where as many as 14,000 children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic wander the streets alone. Waldorf education carries an internationally distinguished reputation of quality and is endorsed by the United Nations. The children are empowered with the knowledge, skills, and creativity to become leaders in their struggling communities. The Cape Town Children’s Scholarship Foundation believes that education is the single greatest tool that can be used in the fight against poverty.

So it’s been exactly a month since our launch party and we’re finally getting around to blogging about it. Has it seriously been a month?! Wow.

The night was a series of triumphs and disasters. We debuted our Casa Mendoza lookbook and got a great response. The Current Obsessions inchies and Ring Pops at the table were a big hit. More Proof DJs killed it. Some girl got crazy drunk and was tossed out for throwing a drink on Kap Bambino. Another girl’s hair caught on fire (the one true sign that you’re at a good bump).

One of the major highlights of the night was the awesome giftbag we put together for 150 lucky partygoers. The vessel for the heap of goodies representing our vendors was an absolutely brilliant limited edition 10 oz. cotton canvas tote designed by Colin Bergh and Alex Snukal to commemorate the launch of the store. Referencing Andy Warhol and Richard Prince, the design was appropriated from the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Fantastic Man, an influential Dutch fashion magazine. The graphic is an exact replica right down to the centimetre with the cover photo removed in order to highlight the beauty and simplicity of the design.

The response to this bag has been ear-splitting and we’ve been getting stopped on the street by random coolsies wanting to know where they can get one. We only have a few left so if you need this in your life you’d better move fast.

What was inside:
1. Fantastic Man Tote
2. Current Obsessions 1” pin
3. Karamel Casa Mendoza Lookbook
4. Cheap Monday Lookbook
5. Ignatz Comic
6. Unseen Peanuts Comic
7. Love & Rockets Comic
8. Fantagraphics Catalogue
9. Trkfld Keychain/Coin Purse/Wristband
10. Kikkerland Chrome Pen – Gold
11. Kikkerland Chrome Pen – Silver
12. Kikkerland LED Ghost Keychain
13. Kikkerland Racer Eraser
14. Archipelago Morning Mint/Sugar Creme/MILK Xela Pack
15. Songs from the Blue House Compilation CD

Thank you: Paul Miller (SAMO Media), Jon Schouten, Johnny Hockin, Jon Friis (The Copp Studio), Colin Bergh, Alex Snukal, More Proof DJs, Geoffrey Knott, Megan Meade, Vanessa Braive, Lee Dares, Colin Schmidt, Sarah Chu, Lauren DiMonte, Shivrang Setlur, Fraser Abe, Shaw-han Liem (The Blue House), Alex Durlak (Standard Form), Bryan Poerner (Trkfld), Jason Miles (Fantagraphics), Nicola Espinet (David Youngson), Yvonne Reidy and Stephanie Vitali (C2 Apparel).

150 people will be walking away with giftbags bursting with fun and awesomeness. This is serious; the bags themselves are one-off limited edition cotton canvas totes designed by Colin Bergh and Alex Snukal.

We are also doing heaps of giveaways including 10 pairs of Cheap Mondays!

More details: More Proof Presents: Kap Bambino, Bobmo, Jean Nipon

We will have a table set up at the back of the room, come by and say hi!

We’re featured in the new issue of N.E.E.T., like, 5 times! Check it out!

neet magazine