Quick questions with jewellery designer Katherine-Mary Pichulik

What is your personal definition of luxury?

“Luxurious” is something that has a story, something that holds meaning for me. Luxury makes you feel good about yourself when you wear it, makes you feel strong and beautiful. I know I can’t feel good wearing something that affects other people negatively in the making of it. So luxury, essentially, has become about ethical processes, authenticity, and consideration.

The one indulgence you would never forgo?

A haircut.

An essential grooming product?

Red lipstick. In my handbag, I have at least 10 styles with subtle tone variations, from coral to deeper mulberry. My dream lipstick, which I am yet to buy (on my next overseas trip), is a Hermès.

What tech gadget couldn’t you live without?

My Fitbit Luxe. I can swim with it, track my oxygen levels, sleep, and exercise.

If you had to choose, what is the single most sentimental object to you?

My gold Peruvian cuff. It was my great-grandmother’s and was passed down to my mother, who officially gave it to me on my 30th birthday. It carries the strength and resilience of my whole matrilineal line and makes me feel supported and powerful.

What is your drink of choice?

I love a dirty vodka martini. It’s salty and savoury and the brine of the green olives cleans my palette.

When you eat out, where do you go?

Much to my husband’s dismay, I like food that one can share. This generally translates to Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean food. In Cape Town, I love places such as Sloppy Sam Pop-Up or Maria’s Greek Café. Thali has fantastic cross-continental Indian cuisine.

What element in your wardrobe signifies your individual sense of style?

Jewellery. I make jewellery and I love the feeling of being adorned.

What was the last object that you picked up on a shopping expedition with which you instantly fell in love?

I am embarrassed to say it, but it is a pair of plastic Birkenstocks. It’s changed my life. I love to swim in the ocean, and the seamless “water to shower and beyond” nature of it has brought a new level of ease to my life.

Favourite watch brand?

Georg Jensen. A dream piece is the Vivianna Quartz Black PVD.

The last place you travelled to that captured your heart?

Istanbul, always! Going to Istanbul over Ramadan is magical — the call to prayer in chorus across the city, the mosques with their intricate mosaics, the ferry that takes you from the Asian to the European side of the city. The everyday bits of life.

What book is on your bedside table?

Through the Flower: My Struggle as a Woman Artist by Judy Chicago. She is my idol and was a seminal figure in the connection between the crafts movement and feminism.

What’s the last meal that really blew you away?

A lamb curry made by my husband, Xandre Kriel, on Valentine’s Day.

Which musician really appeals to you at the moment?

Zolani Mahola, The One Who Sings. We all know her from Freshlyground. Her recent solo album is authentic, vulnerable, and affirming. My music taste generally is African traditional and contemporary, with a definite love for North African blues.

What’s your next must-have?

A cream linen suit with a black silk shirt. How can you not feel powerful in this combo? Mafia boss crossed with a bossa-nova singer.

What will you always find in your fridge?

Parmigiano Reggiano and Dijon mustard. Any salad can be resolved with these ingredients.

A gift that you’ve recently bought for someone?

I love to gift Pichulik jewellery. Each piece has been designed with a specific story, and honouring the women I love with one of these stories feels intimate and considered.

What place inspires you?

The Karoo or the Cederberg. Desolate spaces in the Western Cape. The silence, the disconnect from technology, and the nourishing effects of nature inspire and rejuvenate.

Someone who has recently caught your attention?

The Mozambican painter Cassi Namoda, whose work I love. She’s with the Goodman Gallery.

The last item of clothing that you added to your wardrobe?

A pair of jeans from Pereira Vintage, Cape Town.

Your favourite city in the world?

Istanbul. The Bosphorus is romantic and has a fascinating history. The food, the people, the way light reflects off the water. Istanbul is heaven.

• From the April edition of Wanted, 2022.