Fashion By The Sea; Durban’s Up coming EXTRAVAGANZA!!

When you think about South Africa’s fashion capitals, Durban always undoubtedly reigns among the top. This year marks the second annual Fashion By The Sea festival presented by Lifestyle Oasis on the Moyo Ushaka Pier over two days and sees some of the finest local designer showcases.

This year’s creative extravaganza focuses on fusing fashion with music proving once again that Durban has a rich heritage. Over 14 designers will be displaying their collections in 6 shows between the 31^st of May and the 1^st of June 2012. There is a promise of newity with a collective of young designers opening the fest, followed by some major names and a homecoming show where Durban born creatives who have gone to flourish nationally and internationally will do their thing too. These fashion shows will be showcased on a 140m long runway… yes. 140m long! Attendees will also be treated to FASHION IN THE AQUARUIM instillations available to observe on the 1^st of June between and during the shows.

The runway to rival all!

Show Run:

• Day 1 – 31^st      May 2012
  Show 1 – Young Designer Collective
  Show 2 – Naked Ape/ Leigh Schubert/ House of      Monatic
  Show 3 – David Tlale
• Day 2 – 1^st      June 2012
  Show 1- Colleen Eitsen / Zarth by Zama/ Life      by Andre Martin
  Show 2 – Home Coming Show: Craig Port/ Amanda      Laird Cherry/ Craig Native
  Show 3 – Gavin Rajah

 

Tickets for this year’s Fashion By The Sea are available at Computicket for R250.00pp per night (3 shows).

I am certainly looking forward to it!

Head Honcho Winter 2012 campaign!

Live progressively. This is the mantra carried with by those in the cool side of life geared up in the freshest of outfits by Head Honcho. This winter 2012 sees a wide collection from the brand and their current campaign is fronted by gents leading packs in their various fields. I am talking here about the illest versifier AKA, alongside footballer Teko Modise, turntable spin-stars: Lulu Café, DJ Speedtsa, DJ Fanatic and DJ Franky.

Dare say AKA is totally werqing it!

Oh so fresh Lulo Cafe!

 

All Styled up Mr Modise

Quite frankly, Franky is the Man.

The Speedsta kinda style!

Fantastic Fanatic on it!

 

Thanks team for delivering on the well styled chilly season.

Head Honcho is sold at SHESA stores and selected SPORTSCENE retailers!

Go Get ‘em.

Frans Cronje’s STORYTELLERS

I would hate to believe that I am the only person who almost always feel like visual artists just want to communicate with me.  This is just what I call a gift to rival all the rest. I am currently fascinated by works of Frans Cronje, fittingly titled STORYTELLERS, presented by 16 Halifax Art.

Using a selection of mediums including oil pastels, acrylic and paper collage, Cronje produced a collection of portraiture where he aimed at capturing his models at that remarkable moment when they are about to break into a smile. When one’s features look a bit whimsical, friendly, emotional and serene.  We all know that such moments are usually preceded with a great anecdote. Thankfully, we will get to know these stories, printed out and sold along with the paintings.

I respect Frans for many reasons. Among many, the fact that he has elevated his craft from working many years as fashion designer and now traded negotiating hemlines to explore other avenues within the fine artistry sphere.

STORYTELLERS is now open for Joburg aficionados until the coming Thursday 24 May 2012 at the Centre Court of Hyde Park Corner.

Twine Pose-Off Mr Beckham vs Miss Moss

ROPE THAT THING!

Oooooh it’s on! The June 2012 issue of Vogue UK features the ever so stunning super model Kate Moss on the cover. The cover shot is however, somewhat a tad similar to that of David Beckham back in 2009 when he fronted a touted the Empoio Armani campaign.

For her 32^nd cover of British Vogue, La Moss’ portrait was taken by the talented Mert and Marcus and I have to say –as a fervent fan of her work, she is werqing it! Ever since the issue came out over a week ago, together with a close circle of friendicals and blaggs have been going gaga over it.

Soooo darn difficult to decide whom we love better between the Versace clad Miss Moss and the oh-so-fine footballer. I am going to let you, dearest tell me who works he pose and why.

Do hit me up with those comments.

XXO

TWO’s winter fashion assurance

The gals over at TWO are at it again! This time devoted to making sure that winter 2012 WILL be a stylish one.

We all know, love and trust their in-house designed garments and of course, their fab-finds. Caren Waldman (the other half of two) has just returned from a business trip in the East –Hong Kong and China to be exact- and being a natural lover of fashion that she is, her voyage turned into a shopping spree for me and fellow consumers of TWO (bless her good heart). She tells me online –‘coz you know just how we roll these days- that she went into shops she personally likes and carefully selected the most up-to-the-minute of pieces she knows her customers will appreciate.  A selection of gorgeous pleated skirts, jeans, sequined vests, blazers, scarves and bags. The kind of stuff unlikely to find in these parts, priced at a steal.

In addition to her gifts form H&M, Forever 21 and Maple, TWO has also recently launched a new inhouse collection. This is what she had to say about the range:

“The fabrics are viscose/lycra, cut-n-sew, melton and cotton twill. We have used a lurex knit this season too and have based our pallet on a very beautiful Navy, Rabbit (purpley grey), Brick (burnt orange), Black, Teal and Silver and Gold. Our silhouettes this season are very current with the short in the front and long at the back feature, which is so fashionable at the moment. We have a maxi skirt with pockets, which has been very popular and soft sparkly pants which have sold extremely well. We have a cape jacket, which is soft and warm and a long and cropped cape made of Melton, which is a very soft boiled wool. Our stuff is all very easy to wear and very comfortable and can be dressed up or down for an every day or evening look. Our philosophy is of luxury basics and so we choose the best and softest fabric available in order to make our customers feel really comfortable and good about themselves”

I bet you too are grateful that since Caren and her sister Gina (who is currently on leave to be a yummy mommy), started their business in 2003, the state of style is on a high level.  Can’t wait to exercise the black strip on my card.

Chanel No (Pitt) 05

News just in. ok news broke a few hours ago but how dare I not jump on it? As I am typing this, parts of me are going insane with fervour. All over the internet, bloggers and Brad-o-mites, we anticipate Chanel’s coming campaign starring my kerel… (Mine and Angelina Jollie’s).

We all know the iconic perfume, heck, I think my first spritz was from my late mother’s bottle way back. I have also heard that some people are whingeing about the uncertainty of the star’s relation with the scent. Questioning whether his allure can influence consumers (newer and older) to purchase the scent!? Uhm… what humanoid in their right mind can refuse anything represented by magnetism coming with lake-blue eyes and sand-blonde hair?

Personally –and I know most of you reading this will share in this sentiment- I think, as a successor of Charilze Theron, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and Catherine DeNeuve, Brad Pitt is the perfect candidate.

In the 93 years of the perfume, this is first. Viva La Pitt!!

Now as I search for that copy of Fight Club to remember how Brad and I met, you guys wait for my updates on the campaighn shots XXO.

King David Serves The Masses!!

The king of local high fashion never ceases to upgrade his amazing streaks. When Sandiso Ngubane @Sandiso_N broke the story about David Tlale’s collaboration with LEGiT stores, to create a range for this year’s winter season; enthusiasts countrywide came elated and zealously anticipated the end results.

There is a buzz in the air -breathed by fashion lovers, about the accessibility of local designer wear and truth be told, in most cases when one is fortunate enough to find these garments, their pricing is sometimes tad over most people’s lifestyles below the sushi line. You don’t need me to tell you about Tlale’s globally lauded works of art, so naturally the fashion house’s creations for the retailer, aptly referred to as Van Der Tlale for LEGiT, is currently on large numbers of must-have lists. The alliance is said to be for one season and one season only (winter 2012). In classic Tlale style this preserves the brand’s exclusivity.

Van Der Tlale for LEGiT is really collection concentrated to provide the prospect consumer with a full gear from shoes, to accessories, to coats, to dresses, to shirts, to shorts and as per the maestro’s own words “for a R1000.00 you can get a killer look” –talk about reasonable!

 

The logic is simple; targeted ladies between the ages starting from teenage-hood to young adults will not have an excuse to not owning a piece of David Tlale’s virtuosity, especially with such a wide variety in hemlines, textures, fits, cuts and definitely the designer’s signature black and gold undertone.

Van Der Tlale for LEGiT set to be stocked in 180 outlets nationwide!

The return of ‘mois’

Forgive me stylos for I have sinned. I know, I have – to a certain extent neglected this nest and for that I have no excuse. However, do allow me to mention that work and life has consumed a great part of me and instead of serving you rubbish blog post, I have much rather settled to go back to the drawing board and coordinate a structure to balance my love for this growing baby (MJANDSTUFF) and other spheres of my life.

Oh… in case you have not noticed, I took a plunge and ballsyly cut off the mane on my head. Yes. I did it much to endless commentary from friends and people I know. I am however, thus far in lust in the new cropped hair-do. Finally I can swim without having to worry about a cap or pre gelling serums for protection. I just love the feeling of having water running through my “German cut” every single morning and my hats… my gosh, I can finally rock all my hats without manipulating, teasing and crimping of hair. Just so you are all wondering, I might flirt with the idea to grow an afro once again.

SAFW: Winning designs round-up!

Fashion week is where it all begins. Trends start right there. Thrilling because at the very end of marveling after designer shows and stunning after-parties (thank heavens people do dress up for these things), I am often left with not only grand memories and great hope that our state of fashion… sometimes, may I add.

Please do feast your eyes at designs by thread masters from the South African Fashion Week SS 12-13 I think these are just too rad.

GUILLOTINE
Lisa Jaffe of Guillotine put together an instillation to present her collection to open SAFW. I dare call it an instillation because not only did her show not have models parading down a ramp -as in tradition. Instead Guillotine’s forth coming collection was hosted near her store at the creatives’ hub 44 Stanley against a backdrop of brown paper (old school study book cover style) with blue housewares stenciled to provide a homely feel. Ever so often, the models made movements and utilized the props to make for stunning images in one’s head. The range was received very well by fashion media because in classic Lisa Jaffe style, the clothes were luxe abeam and a spectacular layering of sheer fabrications with metalic notes and extremely mod shapes.

VESSELINA PENTCHEVA.
How can one forget the celeb frenzied Sheer Glamour collections by a collection of designers for hair giants Motions and TRESsemme? For me, Vesselina brought their game with very feminine designs in chiffon, soft shoulder bits and tired hemlines which got me imagining as what Frida Khalo would wear if she was alive today. Or maybe I’m just making my own interpretation. Still, it was all very very romantic.

SIES! ISABELLE
Isabelle Lotter is a conscious designer. I say this in the most non corny of manners. One piece that had the blaggers and Tweetlings typing ferociously on their BlackBerry mobiles was certainly this silk dress with a cursive writings print. I can speak for a few and say that we all felt that Isabelle was sending a secret message to each and every one of us. Way after the fashion show we spoke in wonder and shared in jest what we decoded from the text. I dream about someday wearing a shirt made just like this dress.

STONED CHERRIE.
Oh, I know just how you are hoping I would spit my own about the controversy around a piece from this collection. Well, I shall not. My opinion in this regard is reserved for dinner tables. However, how about this beaded fringing though? Gosh, I swear I though I had seen it all but damnit, I have not been so proud of fashion since… well since the last fringed garment I have seen was a period referenced number. I just love this very today interpretation draped on shoulders.

CLIVE RUNDLE.
Rundle is a master at what he does -this is not up for debate. Over the years I have been one of the lucky few to see his shows and can claim that to a certain degree, he raised me through his conceptual designs. Clive’s most recent show tickled my fashionista fancy. Especially the black pair of wide leg pants and a tangerine top. The outfit just shot straight up my wish list and I will not rest until I see it in my walk-in.

KATHERINE MORTNER.
I happen to think that young designers are the bomb-diggity. One such a designer is my rad friend Katherine Mortner who presented her capsule collection as part of the new talent collective. Of coarse I have known and admired Kat’s style for years but have not seen her collection since winning the Elle New Talent many years back. This range had really cool items. Sadly this pic does no justice to this shirt worm with floral shorts and a coat. Darn it, it is a thing of beauty and I’m making a promise to always stalk Kathrine for it.

FUNDUDZI
I am a sucker for fashion with a cause. Craig Jacobs always ticks this box with his Fundudzi label. He always sends clear eco friendly messages through his stylish garments. This season I fell inlove with sensible fashion once again and loved the styling in his show. I met Craig right after his show and mercy, I gushed like a little twat over the skinny afro-fabric belts which we donned on shorts and dresses. A total must have!

OH, GRAND HAPPY MODE DAYS AHEAD!
XXO

Welcome Scotch & Soda

I know of a few people whose taste buds start running out of control a a mention of a Scotch and Soda. Hold your crushed ice “alcies”, let me give you all a bit of a fashion education.

From the Amsterdam-based design studio ‘Magasin d’une Collectionneuse’, Maison Scotch proudly presents its latest collection. A considered line of high quality items, designed with love and with great focus on the small details that Maison Scotch is known for. Inspired by a careful blend of New York’s street style, Japan’s innovative design and the ‘je ne sais quoi’ sense of style of Parisiennes, every Maison Scotch piece embodies the natural female elegance represented by the dandelion logo. Creating a collection feels like an endless journey, gathering souvenirs, wondering around antique markets looking for vintage treasures and making notes along the way. -Maison Scotch.

Their current Autumn/ Winter 2012 collection has the brand’s signature sun faded colors mixed with rich bold tones, like this light weight quadro-pocketed utility style women’s duo tonal jacket. (above pic).

To quote my dear favorite stylish guy: “One must really invest in a good blazer and then concentrate on the frills much later”. This navy-blue slim fit jacket serves that exact need. Classic with a notched lapel and a breast pocket to suit the returned trend to add a pocked square. Two single breasted buttons to can alternate from a work outfit straight to a more glammed up garb.

The way I see it; there really is no excuse to look drab this Winter. SCOTCH & SODA’s arrival in South Africa is more than a treat… And just how great would the beverage look in one’s hand when kitted in these?

SCOTCH & SODA is sold exclusively at Infinite Stores:
Melrose Arch 011 684 1515
Morningside Shopping Centre 087 946 3806

XXO