Meet a sterling Aesthete
Grand is the highest expression of myself
As the lifestyle industry changes, so are its big-time players. Speaking of which, Lebo Grand is a name you should know, especially if you are an inherently feminine woman who has a desire to live an enchanting life. The man behind the name is a force to be reckoned with and a lifestyle personality in his own right. He is inherently and predominantly the Sigma male. He is also an author, musician, women’s desirability catalyst and sensual lifestyle connoisseur.
Lebo is a pretty good reflection of what a modern aesthete looks like; obsessed with music, art, beauty, food and pillow talks. I took a drive of approximately 35 minutes from Joburg to a pretty trendy dining establishment situated in the suburbs of Brooklyn, Pretoria, South Africa, where I was scheduled to meet with him. Great place indeed, I have to say. I had the rump steak. Tender and juicy – absolutely delicious – and a glass of sparkling wine, Boschendal Le Grand Pavillon Brut Rosé. The atmosphere was absolutely gorgeous. I definitely must go back when next I’m in town.
Grand is not just a personal brand; it's WHO I AM
I was bullied and teased a lot through elementary school on account of my family name, which was considered as out of the ordinary. I still got scars on my mind when I think about it. But 'Grand' gave me hope for a more beautiful future and an opportunity to heal from those past wounds. It's certainly not about me trying to be fancy—although you have to admit it sounds pretty dandy. This reinvention was inspired, processed and propelled from the deepest recesses of my soul. It is the result of GIVING IN TO MYSELF. I finally had the audacity to be great. To free myself from things that used to hold me down and also from the fear of social ridicule. I gave myself the permission to be who I felt I needed to be in order to fulfill what I believe to be my true purpose here on earth. I'm also a firm believer in the notion that your name carries your destiny.
Kaci Diane, author of This heart of mine, said, “I love the person I’ve become, because I fought to become her.” I so deeply resonate with that statement because it reminds me of my own journey and all the mean and nasty things that I had to overcome in order to get here. Today I can boldly say to the world: "This is who I am! If you don't like it, tough!" I don't need anybody's validation or permission to claim this spot. If you think I'm going to wait for you to show up at my doorstep and say, "Finally, you are good enough to be called Lebo Grand." You better think again! I hold the paintbrush in my own hand. Live with it!
My past is the biggest driving force behind the beautiful life I'm living today. I've made beauty, as in sensual and aesthetic beauty, the core of my daily work. The reason I wake up every morning is to make life more beautiful. This reminds me of a gorgeous quote by Elise de Wolfe that says, “I’m going to make everything around me more beautiful—that will be my life.” This is actually how I have chosen to live my life since I was sixteen years of age. But let’s be honest, living a beautiful life is not as easy as it might sound. It requires a lot of hard work, practice and enormous time invested in the things that you love or are very passionate about. The life that you ultimately want to live has a mandate to change you first. What’s really challenging, at first, about creating a beautiful life is that you start out with only a taste in your mind. This is a taste you want for your overall life. This is the way you want your life to be or the journey of your life to FEEL.
Of course, everybody has their own definition of what a beautiful life means. For me, personally, it has a lot to do with synthesizing a lot of different elements that make me feel stoked to be alive, whether it's creating music, writing in my journal, adding some new elements to my apartment, taking a shower or sipping a glass of wine. It's all about being fully in touch with my sensual self and making sure I'm enjoying every moment. Moreover, great artists are sensual synthesizers. They notice and weave things in their environment together—using their talents, gifts, passions and interests—to make the experience of life more enthralling. This is why I'm a musician and author, I suppose.
An indulgence I would never forgo is collecting books. My current favourites are In praise of slow by Carl Horone, The wealth chef by Ann Wilson, and The Art of encouragement by Candy Paull.
My style icon is Linda Makhanya. I'd love to have few of his clothes. I very much admire his personal style. He is a very inspirational person too.
In my fridge you will always find all sorts of vegetables, yogurt and wine for sure. There'll also be some left overs from probably the night before.
If I weren't doing what I do I would be a chef. My love for the kitchen has been rapidly growing these last few years. My approach to cooking is more about sensual/soulful living than it is about just preparing meals. Moreover, cooking is similar to design, and I love designing whether it's music, decorating my apartment, or thinking around how I can enhance the ambiance of my live shows. Designing is my biggest passion in life. Not only do I consider myself a sensual lifestyle architect, but I also see myself more as an experience designer as well. To me, they are more or less the same thing.
Let's talk Personal Taste...
As the lifestyle industry changes, so are its big-time players. Speaking of which, Lebo Grand is a name you should know, especially if you are an inherently feminine woman who has a desire to live a sexy, turned on and orgasmic life. The man behind the name is a force to be reckoned with and a lifestyle personality in his own right. He is predominantly the Sigma male. He is also an author, musician, women's sensuality catalyst and good life connoisseur.
Lebo is a pretty good reflection of what a modern aesthete looks like; obsessed with music, art, beauty, food and pillow talks. I took a drive of approximately 35 minutes from Joburg to a pretty trendy dining establishment situated in the suburbs of Brooklyn, Pretoria, South Africa, where I was scheduled to meet with him. Great place indeed, I have to say. I had the rump steak. Tender and juicy—absolutely delicious—and a glass of sparkling wine, Boschendal Le Grand Pavillon Brut Rosé. The atmosphere was absolutely gorgeous. I definitely must go back when next I'm in town.
Poem for a goddess by Lebo Grand
I'm contemplating with discernment
Paying attention to the notion of
sensuality
Of what a perfect seductress you are
Your scent has infiltrated my soul
Igniting passion in a world where
dreams of ecstasy come to live
You are a dream that has finally
become my reality
Mr Grand, as his acquaintances call him, has broken through the stereotypes of 'Africanness' and has created his own path and is marching to the beat of his own drum. Most people often ask me if Grand is my actual surname. Well, 'It's not!' 'But it is my real soulname.' I would say. As soon as I say that, many would give me a look like I have lost my African identity. They think I'm trying to westernize myself, but they don't realize that this is MY ACTUAL TRUTH. The idea of who I am is so humongous, and so I wanted to have a name that would live up to that and be a daily reminder of my aspirations. I've come a long way with it, since I was sixteen actually, and it has overtime become a full embodiment of who I am. Moreover, I feel that Grand is my most authentic self because it somehow seems to bring out the best in me. To borrow the words of Oprah Winfrey, it has allowed me to be able to "live out the truest, highest expression of myself." It changed the entire experience of my life.
