Alex Tavares – OXO Bathrooms
 
Johannesburg-bred and a matriculant from Pretoria Boys High School ‘95, Alex Tavares went on to graduate with a marketing diploma from Pretoria Technicon in 1998; he admits: ‘A big waste of time in retrospect’.

After a working holiday in Europe for most of 1999 he started a successful IT supply business – from 2000 to 2007 – before selling out to his partner. Tavares had already embarked on his OXO sanitaryware project in 2003, which continues successfully to date. He adds: ‘It’s due to an amazing product and unwavering support from head office.’

How and when did Tavares become involved with the design sector?
He says: ‘I’ve always had a keen interest in interior design since I was a child. But it was only when I discovered the OXO sanitaryware range that my interest turned into a passion. This all began in 2003 during a vacation in Bellagio, Italy where I accidentally met a man called Vincenzo: the head designer for OXO.

‘I visited the factory for the first time in 2004 and instantly recognised the outstanding quality of the product. It was an instinctive attraction and I embraced it; that sort of synergy is all you need, it’s the main ingredient, the rest being really hard work.

July/August 2012 Issue

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