Løuw Kotze on why taste expresses itself across everything you do

“Taste is a language, and it expresses itself across so many different facets of our lives.” Løuw Kotze is talking about much more than clothes. For the stylist and creative director, taste shows up in the way we dress, eat, entertain and, yes, even set a table.

When taste takes a seat at the table

Løuw, known for his bold and instinctive approach to styling, is in Chennai for an interactive tablestyling masterclass at Good Earth, where he will play with materials, accents, colour and texture to build layered tablescapes. Just before the event, we catch up with him on table decor, personal style, Indian craft and the art of knowing when enough is enough.

He sees an obvious connection between fashion and tablescaping. “It’s quite the same thing. Both begin as a blank canvas and offer an opportunity to express creative integrity, personality and individuality,” he says. The aim, in either case, is not simply to make something look good, but to create something that brings “joy, beauty and a sense of celebration to everyday life”.

So where does he start when faced with a bare table? Colour. Løuw usually picks a palette first and lets the rest of the story grow from there. “They’re all key ingredients in creating a beautiful tablescape, so to speak. I tend to begin with a colour palette and then build the narrative around it. From there, the materials, objects, textures and details naturally fall into place.”

And then there is imperfection, which he thinks we could all use a little more of. “I think imperfection is where a lot of the magic happens,” he says. He is particularly drawn to Indian craftsmanship for precisely this reason. “You can see the hand of the maker in it. The slight variations and imperfections are what make each piece feel unique and alive.” For him, that sense of authenticity is also what separates something that is simply beautiful from something with real visual character. “Something can be beautiful because it is pleasing to the eye, but something with real visual character carries a sense of soul. It creates a sensory and emotional response that stays with you. It becomes connected to a memory or a moment, something you don’t easily forget.”

That love for craft has made India a particularly rich source of inspiration for him. He mentions Chikankari, Ajrakh dyeing and block printing among the traditions he keeps returning to, but admits the list could go on. What fascinates him is the sheer range of techniques and materials around him, across clothing, textiles and homeware. “One of the reasons I find myself living in India is because of this incredible richness of craft that surrounds you,” he says. “There is such an extraordinary diversity of techniques, materials and traditions.”

Working with Good Earth has deepened that appreciation further. “Working with Good Earth has given me an even deeper appreciation for that craft vocabulary. I’m constantly discovering new techniques and finding new ways of looking at them, and that genuinely gives me so much life creatively.”

India has also taught him something about balance. “The beauty of simplicity, but equally the richness and exuberance of maximalism,” is how he puts it. He adds, “India constantly confronts you with this incredible diversity of visual experiences, and I think that has made my creative process more nuanced. It has taught me that simplicity and abundance can coexist, and that there is beauty in knowing when to embrace each.”

He sees a similar relationship with texture, drape and layering between India and South Africa, although the two cultures express them differently. South Africa tends to be more relaxed and earthy; India is more comfortable with ornamentation and abundance. “South Africa tends to have a more relaxed, earthy relationship with these elements, whereas India embraces a greater sense of ornamentation and maximalism. But in both cultures, there is a real appreciation for texture, craftsmanship, colour and the sensory experience. That connection between how we dress, how we eat and how we entertain feels very instinctive to me,” he adds.

His approach to styling, however, is not about piling things on simply because you can. In fact, one of his biggest rules is knowing when to stop. “The biggest mistake is to literally overcook the idea,” he says. A table needs room to breathe. “It’s important to know when to stop, to let it go and allow the composition to breathe. You can get yourself into a state of creative neurosis by overthinking every detail. There should be a sense of joy and lightness in the process. Especially when you’re setting a table, it should feel inviting and lived-in, not too precious to touch,” he continues. Ultimately, he believes creating something should be about having fun with it.

There is a useful lesson in that for fashion too. Løuw believes the way we dress often reflects the way we approach other parts of life. Someone with a very distinctive wardrobe might also have a strong point of view when it comes to food, interiors or entertaining. He recalls Diana Vreeland’s idea that it’s not about the dress you wear, but the life you live in that dress. “I think everything is connected - what you wear, what you eat, how you entertain and ultimately how you present yourself to the world.”

Right now, his own visual language is leaning towards the softer side. He is drawn to what he calls the energy of the divine feminine, soft colours, sheers, flowers and botanical forms. “At the moment, I feel very drawn to the energy of the divine feminine. I find myself responding to that through softness, beauty and nature,” he says.

At the same time, he is excited by a shift towards celebrating heritage rather than constantly looking elsewhere for inspiration. The idea is simple: take what is yours, understand where it comes from and make it your own. “I think we’re beginning to celebrate our authentic heritage more. Rather than trying to copy one another, we’re bringing something unique to the table and interpreting it through our own creative language.”

That also extends to the growing exchange between creative cultures. For Løuw, inspiration across borders comes with a responsibility to acknowledge where something comes from. “When something comes from a particular place or tradition, it should be acknowledged and celebrated.”

It all circles back to the same idea he started with: taste is not confined to a wardrobe or a dining table. It is the accumulation of the things we notice, the things we choose to surround ourselves with and the way we interpret them. The trick, perhaps, is knowing what belongs, what doesn’t, and when to leave the table alone.

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