Floral prints!

I tried my hand at the floral print trend with a peplum skirt from Jo Borkett. 

There are only two rules on how to wear floral prints as far as I'm concerned:  

- 1, You can do as I have done by pairing your floral skirt or pants with a simple one colour top.  The loud prints are toned down by the single tone top and no one gets a headache from looking at you. 

- 2, You can pair prints with prints and have an over the top fabulous outfit that is not to be worn by the faint hearted. You pick! 

I wore this outfit to a sunny spring lunch, I ended up swapping the heels for flats and it worked just as well.   

About the outfit:
- Skirt- Jo Borkett
- Top- Woolies

Oh Solange..

If you know me at all, then you know I love most things Solange Knowles...When it comes to timeless style Solange equals fabulous.

Solange was recently in sunny SA shooting her music video in the Cape Town townships...While she was here she also shot the November cover for our Elle magazine.

Looking like a modern day African princess on the cover she makes fussy prints look effortless with a bold red lip.

A fashion IT girl, musician, dj, model and a mother; Solange brings new meaning to multitasking, all while looking stylish.

She collaborated with local designers to the fashion style of her music video, and she is wearing local is lekker on the cover as well...

Have you noticed Elle SA is just getting better and better and better...xo

Mercedes- Benz Fashion week Africa 2012

The Mercedes- Benz Fashion week Africa 2012 is taking place from the 24th to the 28th of October in Johannesburg's Melrose Arch...very stylish..

All of fashion will be there, from designers, to fashion editors, to stylists, writers and bloggers and of course the everyday fashionistas. 

I got a personal invite from Thula Sindi to attend his show, I am very excited to see what he showcases.

His clothes are always a great impression of the modern, highly fashionable, on the go woman.

He pays close attention to detail and his clothes are really comfortable proving Coco Chanel's sentiments.. "Luxury must be comfortable or it is not luxury"  

I am also looking forward to seeing Selfi, Kluk CGDT and Habits. 

Let the show begin..I'll keep you posted.

Follow this link to learn more about fashion week Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa 2012.

Checkout ThulaSindi's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thula-Sindi/244530875564692?fref=ts

Girly Pink

I went for a very pink outit today; pink skirt, pink top and pink shoes. This look is not typically what I would wear at all. It's too pink! I'll admit I was trying to follow the neon trend..and the layering of the same color.
I do wear pink usuallu..just in smaller doses...which is what I'll stick to in the future.
I have worn this neon striped tank top with a cream full skirt..

About the outfit:
- Skirt- Diligo.co.za
- Top- Sissy Boy
- Shoes- 9west
- Bag- Woolies

Office Chic..

I felt like putting a little color and drama to my at the office look. I tried not to go too far.

I try to have a little fun when dressing up for the office...This blue blazer is the perfect way to do just that. The bright blue color is so much fun and the I just can't have enough of the peplum cut. The jacket is also very light and therefore perfect for summer. I paired the jacket with my favorite nine west blue heels..

I bought this jacket at a thrift store for R200, I was happy for days after this purchase. I completed the look with this lovely beaded neckpiece from Lovisa. 

About the outfit:
- Skirt- H&M
- Shoes- 9west
- Blazer- No name store in East London (R200)...I did the happy dance when I got this blazer for that price.

Elle loves being a woman..

The JHB Elle I am women event took place today at the ever so stylish  Summer place. This event was filled with chic and absolute beauty; our glasses flowed with wine, whilst the water fountain oozed magnificence from every drop of water. I am women, was all about the modern women; beauty, fashion, love, botox were among the hot topics discussed by the amazing women in attendance. The theme of the day was that every women has the birth right to look and feel beautiful.. The day was  a a resounding success  not only because of the fabulous fashion, magnificent venue and the coveted goodie bag, but because this was an event by women for women and for the advancement of women. .

My friends and I ate, drank, laughed and learnt. . . Fashion, wine and botox proved to be a fabulous combo; leaving us spectacularly impressed by the  Elle team.

TOPSHOP IN SA

TOPSHOP, the famous and fabulous high street British retail store is opening in SA in November. YaY! 

EDCON together with House of Busby has been granted the South African franchise rights for TOPSHOP and TOPMAM.

So what does this mean for the local fashion industry? The rules of demand and supply should apply. The greater variety and supply in the market will push the prices down. . more retailers will competing for the same market.  
This is of course good news for the consumer but questions must be asked about how this will affect local production.

Unfortunately whilst I can now buy Zara and TOPSHOP locally at somewhat reasonable prices, the local producers of fashion who can't afford to lower their prices and still make a profit may suffer. .
On the bright side; soon we can dress like the Duchess of Cambridge who has been spotted many times rocking TOPSHOP. YAY again!

Shoegasm

These are my new pastel blue Nine Wests.  They are so cute I could eat them.

I thought I could do the pastel trend with heels first and ease into it...

Palazzo Prints

Laid back Vintage feel.

Palazzo pants are back, lord help us...lol.

They actually don't look bad once you find a pair that works for you. I love bell bottom, palazzo style pant, they are feminine and flattering. Worn correctly palazzo pants can be classy and sexy. The best way I have seen wide legged pants being worn is in black with a tucked crisp white shirt and a leather  biker jacket..salivating..

Hand me the turban..

The turban is still my favorite head gear. Luckily for me, its still hot for autumn and winter 2012. Its especially useful for those damn bad hair days. The turban brings effortless chic to any look...whether you are wearing a dress, jeans, or a shorts.

My phylosophy when it comes to turbans is the brighter and bolder the scarf the bettter.

In this look I wore one of my favourite dresses, the material makes it appear as if your body does not have a single imperfection. The colour is quite gloriously yellow. My turban is printed in black hearts and is really a lot less bolder than the dress but I feel works well with it. 

The dress is from Zara, the black sling bag is Aldo and the lovely scarf worn as a turban is Mr Price.

Blue hearts

This is what I wore to Saturday brunch..

My mom bought this dress for me at Melts. I was a little unsure at first about it. It is floor leghnth, and loose fitting with a floral print pattern.

I wore the dress with flats and a blue hat. This hat is from Mr price and is perfect for a sunny lazy afternoons.

About the outfit:
- Dress- Melts
- Sling bag- Woolworths
- Hat- Mr Price

LOVELY CHEAP

Look what lovely things I found; the best part is how cheap they are..

Chanel chic!.is this crop jacket, bound to add a touch of class to an outfit. Mr Price is selling it at a complete steal..R139.

Its made from from crotchet like fabric and has 1/3 lenghth sleeves. The stitching is really good on it too.

This is one of my best finds ever.

The black borders are a leather like fabric and they add a little edge to this jacket.

These peep toe boots are both cute and tough at the same time. Pretty tough to resist at Edgars for R349. I love the leather buckles and the peep toe is too cute.

Is n't this the cutest satchel bag you've ever seen?

There is also a back ,white and grey version. Retailing at a not so bad R250 at Woolworths. Satchel bags are back this season and for seasons to come hopefully...I'm loving this trend very much.

FASHION IS

 "..everybody has a heaven, I feel in heaven when I'm making films...do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life.."- Morgan Freeman 

This is an extract from his Golden globe acceptance speech. I felt inspired when I heard him, and I considered my heaven.

Fashion is art.

It is a story of sorrow or a joyful tale of romance.

Fashion is weird, impractical, full of pain and not so plain.

Fashion is happiness, it is laughter, a burst of colour, a dream.

It is dark and daring, it is sad, emotive, provocative

Fashion is youthful and innocent and in love with vintage.

It is mesmerising, it's beauty hypnotic, inexplicable.

It is flawless, celebrates the imperfect but tolerates no imperfections. 

Fashion is loud, insane, angelic yet devilish.

Fashion is sensitive, vulnerably and heedless.

It is all colours, it is all textures. It flows in all directions and it is everywhere..  

Fashion is love.

























FASHION HEAVENLY..

Calling on all fashion lovers out there; Edgars Melrose Arch has become every fashionista's dream, a real fashion haven.

Edgars has taken amazing local designers and put them in one house for your convenience. Marion and Lindie, Thula Sindi, Jo Borkett, Collen Eitzen etc.. etc.. all have sections at Edgars with a selection of their designs all year round. The selections are not as extensive as I would like but hey its better than anything we've had before. 

Furthermore the Melrose Arch store is spoiling us to a wide variety of other local designers that showed at SA Fashion week with their 181 days of High Fashion campaign; this means until March 2012 you can buy at this Edgars store, clothing as seen on the cat walks from designers such as TWO, Hollister and so many more.

 There has been a lot of talk about local designers not having enough exposure to the public, not being readily available for the man on the street; and surely there is still much work to be done to ensure that our designers are selling garments in numbers. I think Edgars is on the right track;  hopefully in the near future there will be a more visible presence of locally designed clothing in our department stores replacing the international brands that have long enjoyed a monopoly. In my opinion this store is worth a visit.

MEN, JUST WANT FASHION

Fashion is no longer just a woman’s thing; the man has staked his claim on the perfectly stitched suit and the eye catching bow tie. The usual stereotypes around fashion conscious men have reluctantly subdued. With the rise of the metro-man came a surge in the runway shows showing men’s wear; and designers who only designed for women now have a men’s line. 

 

The French men have for decades been termed ‘fashionable’; the men’s fashion industry in France can be traced back to Louis XIV’s era. Modern day Paris has a men’s fashion week; where French man can ooh and aah over the latest trends in fashion. It’s no surprise then that many consider French fashion the benchmark against which all fashion shall be compared.

The African fashion industry is still very much focused on women, a men’s fashion week at the moment is a pipe dream. However there is a commendable number of SA fashion designers who have put the much needed spot light on men’s fashion; David Tlale with his feminine take on the macho men, Carducci and Fabioni dressing the stylish corporate man. 

The men’s designer fashion in SA may still be teething but there is a fashionable African man demanding to be noticed. This man chooses to wear a shirt because it gives that ‘I just don’t care what I wear’ impression as opposed to the man who chooses any shirt because he really could not care less what he wears.

 David Tlale stunned fashion enthusiasts nationwide recently when he showed an ultra feminine men’s line. The line showed astonishingly flowing men’s skirts. Needless to say the SA man was not ready for this radical move; but one can’t help but hail king David for this bold step. The skirt line may have been somewhat drastic; and the SA men may not have welcomed it with open arms, but there is an inspiring audacity and fearlessness in this designer. With avant garde designs such as Tlale’s that force the audience to stretch their imagination and re-examine their predefined concepts about fashion, SA fashion is on the right track.

 

The art form of fashion is one many can identify with. It is an expressive art; through which one’s individuality can shine. Men who have found the balance between the art of fashion and the practicality of clothing can take better calculated risks with little disastrous outcomes.

'THE HELP'

The movie I saw recently, 'The Help' was recommended by a friend and I loved every second of the 2 hours and 26 minutes. It is based on a novel by Kathryn Stockett also called The Help. 

Set in Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s; the film is about a young white woman, Eugenia Phelan ‘Skeeter’, and her relationship with two black maids portrayed by Viola Davis and Octavio Spencer. 

Without revealing too much  Skeeter is a journalist who decides to write a controversial book from the point of view of the maids (known as the Help), exposing the racism they are faced with as they work for white families. 

The story line and the acting alike are just heavenly; the perfect casting and the on point costume design both bring authenticity to the story, undoubtedly worthy of every tear I shed.

This should not be seen as a depreciation of the intended message of this civil rights movie; but my favourite part of the movie is the glorious 60’s fashion, however the incandescent portrayal of “Aibileen” by Viola Davis comes a very close second. The costume designer did an amazing job staying true to the “Mad Men” era. 

The ladies outfits are hyper-feminine, the dresses are in bright colours I just love; they are full skirted and nipped at the waist. 

I salivated as I imagined myself in a bold floral print clinched at the waist, accentuating my womanly treasures in a modest and classy way.

These dresses ooze elegance and a covert sexiness that leaves the right amount to the imagination. 

The women of the 60s were strong and brave; they were part of the civil rights movement,  they formed the Sharpeville resistance against pass laws, all while making sure one has the perfect dress on.   

They paved the way for me, so I may fully realise myself. I take from this movie the incredible strength and the personal style that every woman should exude.

If it were not for the big hair, the bad shoes and the unspeakable atrocities of racism; I would have loved to have been alive in the 60’s.

HATS OFF..TO THE TURBAN

Fashion is drawn to strange, avant-garde and daring, so it’s no wonder the turban is a fashion hit. The turban is a hot little number that is bound to add a touch of class and a dash of vintage to your everyday look. Like most I had my reservations about this headgear. This trend has picked up much momentum and popularity since its debut two seasons ago, raising its stylish head from the 70s.

The turban is not the head gear to wear when you are having a bad hair day or when you are trying to be incognito. This Middle Eastern inspired head scarf will ensure you own the room so be ready to turn heads. Like most risky fashion items; confidence and commitment are cardinal. This is neither a political nor a religious statement; fashion has been inspired by the orient.

The turban is old school glamour, and it will go with most things in your wardrobe. Hold your head up and rock this do. You can get an already made up turban that slips on like a cap or you can start from scratch using a scarf that’s already in your closet with the help of the tens of instructional videos on you tube. 

Be bold, be trendy, try the turban.

JUMP IN!

The Jumpsuit is back, it’s bright, bold and it’s here to stay.

We have spent much time fighting it and gasped at its return, it is now time to jump in with both feet. 

Follow in the stylish, Christian Louboutin wearing footsteps of Tyra Banks. 

You can choose to wear it palazzo style or skinny with heals; whatever you choose make sure it’s bright and making a statement. 

Originally designed to insulate skydiver’s bodies from the cold of the high altitudes, the jumpsuits has today become an essential piece of any fashionista’s wardrobe. 

It is a fashion statement; one that screams I’m chic and I‘m fearless. With your feet firm on the ground, rock your suit your way and you will not be ignored. It’s like wearing your favourite maxi dress only better, it slims your body and creates a long and lean you. 

Whether worn short or long the jumpsuit is your best summer piece so embrace it. Get the shape that suits you, the colour that warms your cheeks and the right attitude.  

Belt it if you wish, wear it loose or skin tight like leather; remember with this look, the woman must be present. Coco Chanel put it simply; “look for the woman in the dress, if there is no woman there is no dress”. You must make the jumpsuit not the other way around. Apart from the getting completely naked thing when going to the bathroom, I can find nothing wrong with this frock.

WHAT IS FASHION ANYWAY?

I think fashion is always changing; it has very little to do with everything else and more to do with you.

Fashion is something we deal with everyday. Even people who say they don't care what they wear choose clothes every morning that say a lot about them and how they feel that day

It’s about how you are feeling? It’s about what you want to portray.

It does not matter what you are, what you wish to be or what you know to be true; fashion is you.

It allows you to be what you want to be, to express who you wish you were, or to disguise your true self.

So who decides what’s fashionable; Is it Miuccia Prada of Prada, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs of Marc by Marc Jacobs? Or is it the fashion journalists who write about what’s fashionable and the department store buyers who procure what resembles the Louis Vuitton Spring line?

Do I decide what’s fashionable?

Can I be myself and be fashionable?

You must decide what fashion is..for you.