that girl about town

let's get together!

2010-12-08T11:15:00.005+02:00

you + me + everyone we know market // part 3.

2010-09-07T16:01:00.014+02:00

some fashion to expect...

• Margot Molyneux
• Treasure Hunting Is Fun
• 2BOP
• Moth Clothing
• Sweet Rocket Jewelry by Steffany Roup

• Babette Clothing

(more to come)

mungo & jemima officially launches new website.

2010-09-06T10:48:00.003+02:00

visit mungo & jemima's new website.

take care clothing: winter sale.

2010-09-03T11:09:00.000+02:00

spring has sprung and what follows are usually some awesome winter sales. this one started last weekend, but as they like to say, rather late than never. take care clothing will be selling some beautiful winter stock at 50% - 75% off at their annual winter sale. if your fashion motto is "less is definitely more" than this one's for you. make a stop this weekend. if the sun is shining like it is today, then there's really no excuse to miss it. hope you all have a beautiful weekend... ♥

Lanvin to translate a dream.

2010-09-02T09:46:00.005+02:00

just this morning, Lanvin for H&M has been confirmed. check out the video of alber elbaz sharing why he said "i do" to H&M's invitation to collaborate.

Lanvin x H&M. Yes, please!

2010-09-01T16:52:00.016+02:00

H&M designer collaborations have become the defining point of modern retail hysteria in the fashion industry. it's one of those things you have to experience to truly understand, but it's what the high fashion fanatics and street fashion kids are desperate to buy into every time it hits.

since the release of these H&M designer collaboration 2010 videos earlier this week, the online fashion community have been freaking out - yes, you need to check out the ridiculous use of capitalization and exclamation marks - guessing, googling and debating, leaving an endless trail of comments, links and retweets. speculation is leaning strongly towards Lanvin, but there's still much debate happening and the question still stands.. could it really be?

rumour has it that the voice overs are all that of Alber Elbaz and that they've simply been tweaked to sound more masculine, feminine, soft, husky, less french, etc. to suit the actor in the video. so no, that's not Frida Giannini of Gucci - just very well casted.

Lanvin still remains one of the most high-end (unaffordable) fashion brands. so a collaboration with european retail/high street giant, H&M is seriously cutting down on the space between hi-fashion and fast-fashion. i won't continue... it's the same debate that gets fired up every time a designer decides to make their brand H&M-affordable.

so to end off, my fashion-knowledge-equal, quoted not too long ago, "his (Alber Elbaz) fingers are like chocolate eclairs [...] it drives his work. he's mentioned countless times, that if he was thinner his work wouldn't be so light and effortless. my statement wasn't a diss." and we can take two things from that... 1. an Alber Elbaz quote never goes unheard (refer to above videos) and 2. there's going to be some serious delicate draping involved in this year's capsule collection. 9 september couldn't come faster. ♥

david west spring/summer 2010

2010-08-22T13:40:00.017+02:00

so, i'm pretty sure that i'm the very last to have this post up. haven't quite taken to this new found urgency that the blogging community has adopted. i still prefer to wait and let the wind of hype blow over, while pondering over things. although, have a sneaky suspicion that there's only a few of us left who actually prefer to do things at this (delayed) pace. ahh, the pressures of the blogosphere... but i digress.

back to the wonder that is david west. leaving "strictly sexy" behind, this season west adopted the pleasantries of 1 part 50s housewife, 2 parts awkward good girl. high necklines, cinched waists and full, knee skimming hemlines were the order of the day - sculpting a sweet 50s silhouette. the candyfloss pinks, baby blues, ankle socks and peter pan / frilly doily-like collars brought about a nostalgic yearning for our once frivolous childhood wardrobe.

the pretty and the lovely was clashed with references to 60s pop culture - pop art printed ankle socks and boyish shoes screamed "wham! bam! kapow!" and was perfectly matched by the cartoonish sound effect soundtrack, allowing for a few smiles from the poker-faced fashion crowd.

the conversations after the show mostly revolved around deciding among ourselves the most wearable piece in the collection - the breton stripe tee, the pencil skirts and the pleasant checkered dresses came out tops. the print posse were over heard having exactly the same conversation. my favourite of the collection was definitely the dresses made entirely (yes, he had us guessing) out of foam. an interesting fabric choice, that moved ever so swiftly. how wonderful would it be if we could all wear candy floss foam dresses and sway from side to side.

the collection was in fact hard to pin down and not as simple as a few shapes, one or two key patterns and a recurring accessory here and there. west went completely outside the lines. the collection went from simple ginghams to macro florals, pastels to blacks, full to slim and boat hats to sun hats to top hats. yet still, every look complimented the next and together formed a wondrous collection, with serious quirk.

south african fashion weeks generally tend to be more commercially-driven, which in most cases results in more leading-edge fashion, as opposed to cutting-edge. so, it's always great to see conceptual designers pushing the envelope, reminding the fashion editors why they love their job and making the buyers shift nervously in their seats, trying to eye out the most wearable piece in the show. no matter where in the fashion hierarchy you sat, everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting in anticipation for the next look. it really always is a pleasure to view the work of david west.

a very special thank you to the lovely talitha snow, fashion and portrait photographer for agreeing to shoot the show for me at such late notice. ♥

suzaan heyns spring/summer 2010.

2010-08-15T20:02:00.003+02:00

editors and bloggers have been raving about suzaan heyns since she first stepped onto the scene with her impressive autumn/winter 2009 collection. this year, i was lucky enough to be invited to her show to see the 360 of her designs.

this season's collection was almost a complete break away in mood from her autumn 2010 collection. no drama. no harsh aesthetics. no heavy tones. the collection was quirky, pretty and for lack of a better word, refreshing - especially in respect to heyns' past collections.

the show was accompanied by a running commentary - introducing the model, what they were wearing and amusing snippets about model. the randomness of the commentary was extremely amusing and at the same time, intriguing. a simple voice-over brought the models and the show to life - introducing the designs as well as the personalities wearing them, reminding us of the human aspect of adorning clothes and maybe even making a statement about the people who choose to wear suzaan heyns or perhaps who suzaan heyns chooses to wear her designs.

the looks were made up of a beautiful pastel palette - cool hues and fleshy tones in mostly powder blue, ostrich eggshell yellow, toned down taupe and teal, with a few complete looks in traditional khaki, which i can only assume is influenced by heyns' afrikaans upbringing. many of the looks were topped off with brown leather belts and lace-less boots and brogues. this, i was most impressed with as many local collections' downfall are their accessories and shoes... usually turning to big retailers to complete their look, which never does justice to their designs.

the collection was soft in colour as well as textures - mostly cotton and viscose, but not forgetting her textile of choice, heyns' was able to squeeze in one statement leather piece (the pale yellow leather skirt), which really stood out for me. also, the triple collars, double collars, strappy cut-away shoulders and in fact all the beautiful necklines that so magnetically draws the eye. seeing suzaan heyns on the runway really was a treat. it's inspiring to see a local designer, who time and time again shows such a well-executed collection, with clear concepts matched with a tailoring and fit that passes with flying colours, even under the exposing spotlights of the runway. heyns' presented a slightly different aesthetic this season, one which i look forward to following in the seasons to come.

CTFW. day two. david west.

2010-08-13T22:26:00.001+02:00

CTFW. day one. front row.

2010-08-12T22:10:00.004+02:00

suzaan heyns spring 2010 show invite.

2010-08-10T15:07:00.008+02:00

dry goods opening.

2010-07-17T16:28:00.007+02:00

it's happening this friday. you should stop by. more deets here.

PAPERGIRL ride day: what they wore.

2010-06-28T18:09:00.005+02:00

the cat's meow in "the wood".

2010-06-17T22:36:00.006+02:00

thrift stores are great for cheap thrills, but it's usually the vintage stores that have your mouth salivating and head spinning. whenever i hear of one opening or accidently stumble upon one, i always hold my breath before stepping in, hoping for the v. best and not just another empty promise of "fine" vintage pieces. on that note, i'm happy to announce that we have a new addition to the small cluster of quality vintage stores in the city. the cat's meow has been open for just over two weeks and is located a door or two down from the old biscuit mill. i get the vibe that's it's a mother/daughter business. i spoke to the mother two saturdays ago, with her wonderfully comforting irish accent, which is always fun for me cause i get to slip in somewhere in the conversation... "ooh, i was born in ireland, you know?" yes, cheap thrills, gotta love them!

the store is open 10h30 - 15h30 tuesday to friday and open during the same time as biscuit mill on a saturday. it's quite a large space, in comparison to most vintage stores in cape town, and the owners are super lovely and helpful. sure they've been welcomed to "the wood" with open arms... make a stop, hold your breath and enjoy the sigh of relieve when you realise what a gem it is. ♥

PAPERGIRL exhibition + ride day.

2010-06-09T11:51:00.009+02:00

PAPERGIRL SA is finally here! it's all happening this month. check out the events on facebook.

+ deadline : 20 june

++ exhibiton : 25 june

+++ ride day : 26 june

vintage unworns at the rarely worn sale.

2010-04-01T09:21:00.031+02:00

so turns out that the "rarely worn sale" wasn't quite my cup of tea, but the macaroons and bubbly more than made up for it. what can i say. last season h&m leather jackets for R1000 and mr price shoes marked up by 100% doesn't really make me giddy with joy.

the one thing that did get my heart pulsing was the exquisite collection of vintage unworn frames and sunglasses they had. the chic girl standing next to the glass cabinet shared that it's all vintage, mostly from the 60s and 70s that herself and her partner were able to buy over from a retired optometrist. she assured me that the collection is huge and what was on show was only a fraction of the stock. think paloma picasso, diane furstenburg and mic mac. they made my heart extremely happy.

they go for anything between R400 and R1500. they don't have a name yet... but i really think they have room to build it up as a brand. it reminds me extremely of linda farrow, who i adore and who similarly started out with a small collection of dead stock. the good news is they plan to start selling at the biscuit mill design tent really soon... so keep your eyes open and prepare for the hipsters to pounce. ♥

double booked.

2010-03-30T00:15:00.009+02:00

two sales happening this wednesday! you gotta love sale season... and it's beginning of the month too so there's really no reason to miss out. here's what's happening.

jewellery designer, Steffany Roup and designer behind Take Care clothing, Jessica Harwood have combined their studio warming with a group sale at their new studios in Woodstock. jewellery design label Skermunkil will also be making an appearance - selling their end of range stock at ridiculously reduced prices and some selected items at 10% less... i've been looking for something pretty for my sister from skermunkil so am super excited to see what they'll have.

Place: 504 Woodstock Industrial Centre, 66 Albert Road.

Date: Wednesday, 31st March

Time: 17h00 - 20h00

check out the event of facebook.

if you're in town, then there's also a little vintage sale, treasure hunting is fun! happening at Beleza. it's been organised by 3 ladies who've just started a small vintage clothing initiative. they'll be sourcing and selling a treasure trove of vintage finds around the city bowl. this is their 2nd sale... be sure to check it out. the venue is lovely... bring your friends, order a cocktail and have a look around.

Place: Beleza Restaurant, corner of Burnside & Kloofnek Road, Tamboerskloof

Date: Wednesday, 31st March

Time 17h00 - 19h00

check out the event on facebook.

i'm going to try make it to both. yes, have my cake and eat it too. i deserve to... just got paid and the bank balance is looking healthy. hope to see you all there. ♥

rarely worn sale no.2 //

2010-03-25T09:52:00.003+02:00

i regrettably missed the first one, but from what i've heard there were some major bargains and i've actually been secretly awaiting this ever since. so i'll definitely be making a stop this time around.

it promises to be an evening of bubbly, socialising and 'rarely worn' fashion labels on sale at bargain prices. the ladies behind it are doing it all in the name of charity and recycling unworn clothes. now, how can you say no to that. check out the facebook event here. hope to see you there! ♥

17 style council.

2010-03-24T17:51:00.013+02:00

Fashion editor at 17 mag, Taugheedah is in desperate search of 4 fashion savvy girls between the ages of 18 & 21 to be part of their Style Council. If you got style and always find yourself giving fashion advice then this might be perfect for you! For 12 months, you get to pose for photoshoots, give style advice to other girls and get flown around for local fashion weeks and events. If you or someone you know might be interested, email taugheedah@seventeen.co.za before 4 april with your name, city, full-length picture and why you think you should be a member of their Style Council. Spread the word. ♥

a single (beautiful) man.

2010-03-23T18:04:00.002+02:00

if you're a regular here, you'll know i tend to deviate from fashion sometimes and touch ground with my other great love - cinema. fashion people, bare with me.

so i've said this before, but i hate hype. i will go out of my way not to watch, buy or try something just because of the (usually hysterical) hype surrounding it. it tends to mist up your vision so much so, that what might actually, in reality, be rather mediocre, might appear to be "absolutely brilliant" or "sooooo forward-thinking" and on most occasions, for me at least, the hype tends to lead to major disappointment.

surprisingly, Tom Ford's A Single Man didn't receive much hype locally at all. despite appearing in a number of international magazines that i've been flipping through the past few weeks, i really haven't heard much about it around town and not even from my trusted name-dropping acquaintances.

prior to the release, i think there were two schools of thought: 1. "Tom Ford is brilliant and everything he touches will naturally be brilliant too." and 2. "What gives him, a fashion designer the right to think he can direct a film?" i was pretty open-minded about it. on the one hand, he is a designer and not a filmmaker and it does irk me when models want to be DJs and actors want to be designers. on the other hand, Ford has taste. period. Ford would not have allowed this film to be released unless, it was pure perfection. i walked into the cinema knowing this yet still, i was completely blown away and... speechless, which i never am after a film.

it was an aesthetically poignant film! the reality Ford created was saturated with an unobtainable beauty and visual perfection. there was not a hair out of place or a crease in sight. Ford is known for being immaculate - in his design, appearance and now in his filmmaking too.

the script was skeleton-like, which really forced you to focus on the cinematography, the grainy footage and visual brilliance. the close-ups and extreme long shots were painfully intimate and always eloquent and a number of scenes resembled campaigns from a modern Vogue. it has Ford's signature scribbled all over it. if you do anything this week, make sure this is it! if you have a weakness for beautiful things, you will appreciate it for what it is... and please note, this is not hype, this is an honest, heart-felt recommendation.

Wishful Monday: VPL & Orly Genger by Jaclyn Mayer

2010-03-22T19:35:00.013+02:00

time has been of the essence these days. so much so that the "fashion" label in my gmail is threatening to hit the triple digits. my monday evening has consisted of diving head first into newsletters and mails from dazed, whowhatwear, refinery 29... sigh, the list is endless. this is usually when i begin to wonder how i even find the time to sign up to these things. a complete mystery.

naturally, there would be something worth sharing... and here we have it. these sweet things from VPL & Orly Genger by Jaclyn Mayer Fall 2010 Collection brought back fond memories of hong kong design duo, Daydream Nation's accessory collection circa. 2008. only, VPL & Genger are a whole lot tougher and tad more elegant - pleasantly surprising since the material of choice is as simple as rope, chain and some tie-dyed material. anyone of these beauties would've made my monday.

Mungo & Jemima Sale - 40% off summer stock!

2010-03-18T10:47:00.006+02:00

Mungo & Jemima's annual End of Summer Sale has begun - 40% off their summer stock! make a stop. sure it will be worth your while and remember to check out the new feathery hair pieces by hello sailor that they've just begun stocking. sale ends this saturday.

Fashion blogger, Susie Bubble leaves DazedDigital.com //

2010-03-16T17:15:00.005+02:00

Fashion blogging royalty, Susie Bubble, known for her progressive get-ups, luxe layering and frugal fashion has decided to step down from her role as Commissioning Editor at DazedDigital.com - most probably cause she's getting more exciting offers left, right and centre, but we won't go into that now. I've been reading Style Bubble since the beginning of (fashion blogging) time and seeing her get head hunted by Dazed was pretty cool, but her stepping down? Definitely the most surprising news of the day. Read her post A Note or Two here.

PAPERGIRL SA // come draw + drink + dream.

2010-01-29T15:43:00.003+02:00

Alexander Wang Spring 2010 Online Campaign

2009-12-24T11:47:00.004+02:00

to all the lovely 17 readers ♥

2009-12-19T21:10:00.038+02:00

Taugheedah and Anja at Seventeen were super sweet and offered to feature my blog in their magazine a couple of months ago. so today, while doing some grocery shopping in Woolies, i had a quick flip-through the new issue and yip... there i was. all v. exciting. sure my fellow sunday shoppers were wondering why two 20-something-year-olds were squawking at the pages of a Seventeen magazine. oh well.

so, a few weeks back, when Taugheedah sent me through some questions, she asked me to "please elaborate on the answers" and so i did - knowing full well that most of it probably wouldn't make it into the feature. so, for all you Seventeen readers who have popped by to check out the blog, here's the full q&a. it might also give you a good idea as to what that girl about town is really all about. enjoy!

Tell me a little about yourself… I’m a fashion enthusiast/magazine junkie, who spends too much time people watching. I have an inexcusable weakness for beautiful things and a lot of respect for the people who create them. I think a lot about fashion and I love writing, which is basically why I have a fashion blog. The fact that others find it informative and enjoyable only makes it that much more fun.

What is your blog about? It’s basically a place for me to put down my personal thoughts and musings on all things fashion-related. Fashion magazines and sites like Style.com track trends and break them down so well, that I feel fashion blogs should be doing something a little different. I mostly post about my own experiences, my likes, loves and dislikes, things that catch my eye, people I’ve met and places I’ve stumbled upon. I try to write about talented local designers, photographers, etc. - that deserve a little recognition - as often as I can. The fashion industry’s a tough place and young talents need our love and support.

Who are your fashion icons? Stella McCartney for her stand on eco-fashion and her always beautifully tailored clothes. Garance Doré for her minimalist style, elegance and French-ness. Notorious fashion blogger, Susanna Lau aka Susie Bubble for her daring dress-sense, eclectic wardrobe and for wearing the things I only wish I could. Alexa Chung for her I-want-to-steal-everything-you-are-wearing-street-style. Chloë Sevigny for her quirky coolness and always being a little offbeat in a very brilliant way.

What is your fashion style? I don’t think I have one specific style or am one particular thing. I own lots of basics and usually just team it with one or two key pieces – maybe a nice pair of shoes or a vintage blazer or some pretty gold jewelary. I do however, have a terrible weakness for t-shirt dresses, vintage bags and all things navy blue, which on most occasions tend to sum up my outfit.

What is your must-have item and why? Hmm. Definitely the most difficult question cause it’s impossible to choose just one thing! I’m going to be predictable and say… a simple well-fitted black dress. It’s easy to style when working with a blank canvas a.k.a. the little black dress.

How did you start your blog? When I was studying at the London College of Fashion, our lecturer advised us to start our own blog so we could put our thoughts into words and for her to track what was catching our attention and sample our writing style. When I graduated, I just naturally continued blogging cause I would still see things and think, “I need to blog about that…” Plus, I was traveling a lot at the time and doing a few internships and it was an easy way to share what I was seeing and experiencing in the fashion industry, with my friends and family.

How do you feel about the fashion industry? Well, where would we be without it? I think the fashion industry in South Africa is having a “moment”. There’s an overwhelming amount of creative talent floating around, I feel like we’re on the brink of something exciting. It’s definitely a good time to be in the fashion industry.

How do you decide on what to wear each day? I would say, “it depends on the weather” but as most will know, I always dress inappropriately for the weather. I guess it really has a lot to do with how I feel on the day… and what is clean and ironed.

What are your favourite stores? I do most of my shopping abroad when I'm visiting family in Hong Kong and London, but when I’m back in Cape Town I mostly buy second-hand and locally designed stuff. So my favourite stores would have to be Lulu’s little vintage stall on Church Street in Cape Town. Lulu is super sweet and she always has beautiful stuff. A visit to Lulu is usually followed by a quick look at Mungo & Jemima, which is just over the road. Otherwise, there are some great not-so-well-known second-hand shops in my neighbourhood, which I try to visit whenever I can.

My inspiration comes from... many things. It could be the girl or boy whose just walked past me, the latest Alexander Wang collection, an editorial in i-D Magazine, an old French film, a Style Rookie blog post or maybe even a store's window display.

and that's all of it. big love to the fashion team at Seventeen and a big thank you to all of you for visiting!! ♥

P.S. if you have a fashion blog of your own and want to be added to my blog roll, send your name and your blog's url to thatgirlabouttown@gmail.com and i'll be happy to add you to my list of must reads. :))

a Maison Martin Margiela Book will do too.

2009-12-18T12:29:00.013+02:00

since 2009 will probably forever be known at the year of the "big recession", i would totally understand if santa couldn't afford an US$850 (excl. shipping costs) bag. i'm a reasonable girl, really. so, to santa and all my dear loved ones living in greener pastures, here's what would make me as equally happy...

the recently released Maison Martin Margiela Book. now, i know it's become rather common, if not mandatory, for design houses to have a book or two to their name, but it's a completely different ball game with this specific design house.

Maison Martin Margiela prefers to be known as a collective, as opposed to being represented by a single face (i.e. Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Christopher Bailey for Burberry or Stella McCartney for Stella McCartney, etc.). Martin Margiela refuses to be photographed, filmed or interviewed and till this day, their is still no record of Martin Margiela - the man himself, or his thoughts or opinions. he, or rather, they believe that the process of designing, say... a pair of shoes or even the button on a coat is a group initiative - someone comes up with the concept/design, someone translates that concept/design from an idea to a drawing, someone creates the prototype, someone makes the tweaks and then the final product is made - passing through a number of hands and machines before being styled on a model/packed neatly for transportation. the truth of the matter is, that with any high-end fashion product, the chances that the designer of that brand has physically touched the product are relatively small.

back when i was "slaving" at British ELLE, Rebecca (the fashion features editor) did a feature on MMM. she had to fax through her questions to "the collective". they answered the questions in a group and faxed it back to us. i had to simply type out the hand-written answers from the fax copy. deep down, i wondered why all design houses didn't do this. it would definitely have made my life easier. none of that play-stop-rewind -play-listen-pause-now-was-that-"creative genius"-or-"tiny penis" nonsense. the bigger picture is that Martin Margiela doesn't believe that what lands up on the MMM catwalk at the start of every season is due to the workmanship of one man and therefore the credit doesn't belong solely to him. why should he, alone, be doing shoots with ELLE or interviews with the New York Times?

the information that the world has on MMM and the man, Martin Margiela is extreeeeemely limited. aside from their seasonal collections, this book is no doubt the most public extension of themselves that the design house has ever offered to us... and wouldn't it just be plain rude of us not to accept?

unfortunately, the book is yet to reach our southern shores. the last major, international fashion book release was probably Scott Schuman's The Sartorialist Book, which isn't even (at the time of writing this) stocked by South Africa's largest book store chain. we only have A-Store to thank for jumping on that bandwagon. maybe, they would like to jump on this one too? especially, since the chances that Exclusive Books will clue-up on what they should be stocking on their fashion shelves is as slim as the slice of cake Carine Roitfeld eats at her birthday party.

all i want for christmas is...

2009-12-17T02:27:00.003+02:00

this ALEXANDER WANG ROCCO DUFFEL BAG, pleeeease!! my ex-colleague from WGSN in hong kong recently tweeted a photo of a woman on the hong kong MTR (a.k.a the underground) with one of these of her lap. i almost forgot how i first fell in love with it when i was in hong kong. thanks for the reminder, Yilian! it's shameful that A.Wang doesn't go on sale. i feel you, girl!! you know you truly love something (and it's not just the hip and hype) when you still want it, even though it's technically "last season" and there's a whole new collection of bags taunting you. i will have none of that, thank you very much. just this "last season" rocco lover will do.

santa, can you hear meeee? ♥

LV - what i love to hate and hate to love.

2009-12-13T12:02:00.014+02:00

advertising campaigns aren't what they used to be. nowadays, it's all about big lights, big faces, big photographers and big big hype. a marketing tool that is finally being used to its full potential, and leading by example is Louis Vuitton. people literally wait at their keyboards for the release of LV's new seasonal campaigns. now, i don't usually make a habit of posting about them. afterall, that's what vogue.com exists for, right? however, i am a MAJOR Marc Jacobs fan. he's a genius. full stop. what he's done for LV can't even be put into words and what he does in the sewing room and on the catwalk is insane. what i don't love however, is the way LV is shamelessly mass-produced, ruthlessly distributed and how it lands up on the arm of every girl in asia.

on a happier and less critical note, i think Marc Jacobs' team can execute an advertising campaign as well as they can a Speedy tote. this season, Dutch model, Lara Stone replaces Madonna as the new face of Louis Vuitton's s/s 2010 ad campaign. couldn't think of any other model who could live up to Madonna. she's on par with Alice Dellal in terms of what she's doing to challenge the Kate Moss's and Lily Donaldson's of the fashion world. the full campaign hasn't been released online yet, but it's only a matter of time. i much prefer Lara to Madonna. it must be said. don't hate me.

and to the ONLY LV-loving girl i love - who owns one too many LV bags, but still knows that it's more than just a flashy monogram to throw around - please, pretty please make your next one a Chloé. i'm sending this one to In LVoe with Louis Vuitton just for you. and yes, to all you die-hard LV lovers, that little treasure in the middle is "The Kalahari". ♥

FACEHUNTER in Cape Town update //

2009-12-02T20:01:00.016+02:00

just a quick update on my recent post, Yvan Rodic to FACE HUNT(ER) in Cape Town //. unfortunately, his schedule's been changed and he will no longer be gracing our beautiful shores.

here's what you he wrote: "It has been difficult to make the choice but I had to cancel my trip to Cape Town in order to go to New York, where an 'exciting opportunity' - that I'm not allowed to reveal at the moment - is offered to me. You will see the result early next year. I hope to make it in South Africa soon!"

don't get me wrong, i love this city to death, but i can kinda... maybe, see how a street photographer would choose New York over Cape Town. oh well. better luck next time, kids. ♥

TAVI sports waistgear as headgear.

2009-11-30T20:03:00.012+02:00

i go through phases of being shamelessly addicted to certain blogs. i probably visit around... 20+ fashion blogs a day - not quite sure if this is something to be proud of or not. when i was in hong kong end of last year it was Tavi's Style Rookie, which if you kids were paying attention, i actually posted about last year October. >> click here if you weren't. who doesn't love Tavi, right? lately, i've been religiously following JAK & JIL, especially since Tommy Ton (how much do you love saying that name?) is posting more often than ever. when i discovered his blog, he was only logging on once every few weeks.

so, while browsing through new posts on the site today, i scrolled past this image. Ton has finally(!) got a shot of style prodigy, Tavi... and not even during Fashion Week. i'm actually desperate to know where this was taken. in what ideal world, outside the land of Fashion Week, would Ton accidently bump into Tavi?? and while she is wearing the most interesting little headpiece?!

so, check this girl. she's sporting a (most probably, DIY) head-piece made from an elastic turquoise belt and a (very) oversized gingham shirt. let's keep in mind that she's probably half the size of the models stomping down the ramps every season.

this is just a little friendly, monday reminder that fashion is for everyone (cliché, but true) and innovation can come at any age. she blows my mind, over and over again. ♥

Yvan Rodic to FACE HUNT(ER) in Cape Town //

2009-11-24T21:07:00.011+02:00

are you with me? we're talking about Yvan Rodic of London-based street-style blog, facehunter. i happen to have history with Yvan. let me share.

back when i was broke and living in a box-sized room in East London and working on my post-graduate thesis on "Fashioning the Web", i was putting together a piece on street-style fashion bloggers, entitled these streets are made for walking and like a true fashion writer on a mission to complete an article with a creeping deadline, i think i might have, maybe... harassed poor Yvan, a little. yes. he probably remembers me as the annoying LCF girl who sent him email after email begging him to meet me for an interview before my deadline... and after countless replies from him, with empty promises of getting around to arranging something, just as soon as he returned from [insert city here], i never did hear from him. i thank my jimmy choos for the camera-clicking cool kids behind copenhagen street style and hel looks for putting some time aside to answer all my inquisitive questions. i made the deadline btw.

so back to the point of this post... one of my favourite blogging girls, Nicci Bruce from i scream tells me that Yvan a.k.a. Face Hunter will be visiting Cape Town this summer - check out his itinerary here. what i can gather from his tweets, he's currently in New Zealand (and no, i am not stalking him. this is all in the name of research, honestly.) which means Cape Town is next... 4 - 11 December. diarise it if you must.

keep your eyes open and your best shoes on, kids. :)) i look forward to seeing some of you on the site. yay. and remember, Yvan was wearing skinny jeans and vintage brogues way before you, so be nice. that's all. ♥

double-breasted cardigan, i think i love you.

2009-11-23T20:28:00.012+02:00

The Sartorialist Book has been floating around the office for a few days now and i finally got my hands on it. there's definitely something different about holding the weight of a book in your hands and feeling the pages brush over your fingers. it's some what different to the online experience of clicking and scrolling. yes, i admit i luuurve The Sartorialist and all... but in all honestly i'm hugely over the higher-than-high-high-heels, Balmain shoulders and high-fashion trenches. it's all a little too high maintenance for me, really. maybe i'm just saying that cause summer is in the air... anyways the only thing i wanted to pull off the pages were the (modest-in-comparison) double-breasted cardigans... is that too much to ask? tell me you don't love them and i promise to never say these 3 words again... double. breasted. cardigan. ♥

blog love ♥

2009-11-22T19:42:00.002+02:00

in case any of you have been hiding under a rock or spending all day on the beach, the newStiaan Louw x A Store Collection is on the rails and causing hype and havoc. i'm going to skip all the details and take the opportunity to give a shout out to my fellow bloggers instead, who have already covered all the nitty gritty of the campaign and collection. what can i say? i'm slacking. i know. from what i've seen so far, Stiaan Louw and Brett Rubin have delivered, as usual. the campaign is a killer and if that's anything to go by, there's no doubt the collection is a work of art.

Marco from Man of the Cloth ♡

Robyn from Style Guide Cape Town ♡

The kids from We-Are-Awesome ♡

You&Me&EveryoneWeKnow Market II

2009-11-12T08:42:00.004+02:00

You&Me&EveryoneWeKnow Market II is officially happening on Saturday, 28th November. i was blown far far away by the first one. it was a warm spring day, a small venue in town with a beautiful balcony overlooking all of Bo-Kaap's rainbow-coloured houses. there was delicious food, pretty things and lots of creative people doing what they do best. we looked, we bought, we ate, we chatted and did all we could do, but were still tempted to hang out a little longer to soak up the vibey hustle bustle... so all i can say is go expecting, girls and boys! it's going to be fun, fun, fun! see you (&me&everyoneweknow) there. ♥

Sunday Best.

2009-08-16T22:20:00.009+02:00

Margot Molyneux - fashion graduate turned young designer with two collections to her name - has been sort of making a name for her self around town and i've been eager to see some of her work since her name first popped up in a conversation a few months ago.

she's not stocking in any of the stores around Cape Town as of yet, but we were able to arrange a little show and touch with Margot at Vida to view the collection, but alas, the flu caught me sometime between saturday night and sunday morning and i missed it. D, however, got to ooh and aah over the collection and bought the prettiest of dresses, which naturally became her Sunday attire of choice. the peter pan collar and pretty pleating is bound to bring out the good girl in anyone.

the collection is modestly stylish - all clean cuts and cool colours. it has a number of really strong pieces which holds it together well. think last season's and this season's key tailored pieces - boyfriend jacket, harem trousers, etc. - pieces that ultimately take technique and skill to make. you can't fake tailoring and there's no doubt that this girl can tailor. unlike, a large number of people these days who claim to "make clothes for a living" or be "designers", Margot can actually put a garment together. a girl worth watching.

diamond in "the lot"

2009-08-16T12:11:00.012+02:00

i'm generally not a big fan of the clothes at "the lot" on Kloof. don't get me wrong, i'm not hating. i hate to hate. it's just that DIY-looking dresses (i don't believe in buying clothes that i could make myself) and plaid fleece shirts just don't prompt me to scream out, "i want!" on the other hand, they do source some great accessories and vintage stuff.

so i popped in a (good) few weeks ago (yes, this post is late late.) looking for a pretty bag. been seeing some girls around town clasping clutches that hailed from said store and thought i should make a stop... and so glad i did. i found this beautiful vintage Salvatore Ferragamo envelope clutch - navy blue (i'm developing a fetish for navy blue things...) made of genuine leather and suede. love love happy surprises.

after handing over my money (it was priced the same as all the other bags), these were the words exchanged between myself and the shop girl...

me - do you know it's a Ferragamo?

shop girl - umm, sorry?

me - Salvatore Ferragamo...

shop girl - oh... (opening bag to peep at the label) omg, it is... i don't think anyone's even noticed.

me - (confused look. thinking how could no one have noticed?)

happy surprises can happen in the strangest of places.

happy sunday ♥

double denim danger.

2009-06-22T00:35:00.007+02:00

a certain friend and i have some major issues with "double denim" or what some call "denim on denim" - basically teaming jeans with a denim shirt/jacket/waistcoat. no matter how much we try to control ourselves we always break at the seams and end up staring rudely, shaking our heads in disapproval and then turning to give one other a knowing look that can only be described as "wtf was he thinking when he woke up this morning?"/"someone needs to tell the poor thing what he's doing is wrong".

okay, so i get it, denim has made a little bit of a comeback - not that it really ever left - but it's catapulted back onto the catwalk - think Balmain, Gucci, Alexander Wang. now, i'm not sure if there's any connection here, but since the trend has been identified by the big guns and "double denim" has been given the red flag (in the form of a Hermes scarf of course. this is fashion not racing, after all.) my friend and i have been doing the double-denim-disapproval-stare a lot more frequently. i'm afraid that said friend and i are fast-becoming the minority.

then again, i get how some people have the urge to double it up. i mean, when they're marketing it with images like the one above, even i'm tempted to ditch my dirty stares for nods of approval. might also have something to do with the fact that there's something v. Edward Cullen about those models. anywhooo... getting back on track now... although the greater fashion power is telling you double denim is okay, i'm just reminding you little fashion trend sponges to think before dressing. i think less is definitely more in this case. few people can pull it off and if you're feeling confidently daring then i say, "umm, go for it?" but otherwise let's try leave it to the Lee Cooper models, yes? can we at least agree to disagree?

excuse me, is that a rhino on your head?

2009-06-17T12:20:00.020+02:00

i know there was a bit of a craze over in London awhile back when wearing headpieces adorned with life-sized birds was considered "trendy" or whatever else you choose to call it. don't ask. i'm not quite sure either. might have had something to do with achieving that wierd and whimsical look. here in Africa we have chosen to move rapidly up the food chain. if there's anywhere in the world where a designer can place a hairpiece styled to resemble an antelope on a catwalk model, it's Africa right? Nigerian-born, British-based designer Eyola Adede who recently showed at Arise African Fashion Week has upped the crazy-headgear game by sending her models stampeding down the catwalk sporting animal hairpieces. wierd yet strangely wonderful.

could the inspiration have come from Martin Martin Margiela SS09's much-talked about wig? forget heel focus. keep your eyes on the hair. v. interesting (and bizarre) things are happening. i eagerly await Angie over at iFashion to reveal the designer responsible for the brave hairpieces. roarr.

images from iFashion

on second thoughts, think one of the pieces were featured in a mag i read not too long ago. >> off to rummage through my ridiculous heap of magazines. will be back shortly.

okay scrap that. i stand corrected. still don't have a name. drop me an email, if you know.

update: finally... the hairpieces were designed by Japanese pop artist, Nagi Noda for an exhibition that took place May of last year in Tokyo.

Androgyny.

2009-06-12T12:57:00.007+02:00

putting on a fashion show to raise money reminds me a little too much of high school, but i guess if it works you got to work it hard. students at Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town have put together a fundraising event/party at The Assemby and will be exhibiting their designs to raise money for their final year fashion show.

design institutes like DAF is where local fashion talent is being nurtured and where the future of local fashion begins so if you don't have any prior arrangements and have R30 to spare, show your support and be there in your boy clothes. the theme is "boys will be boys and girls will be boys" - something i'm sure i saw on the cover of a Dazed magazine a couple of months ago, yes? dressing like a boy hasn't been this fun since i was tomboy in my pre-teens, so it really won't be hard to stick to the theme. also girls, it's the perfect opportunity to ravish the boyfriend's closest - i'm thinking Diane Keaton in Annie Hall and maybe a little 80's power dressing.

not much has changed since 1992.

2009-06-09T17:10:00.012+02:00

so, this is how i was kicking it back in 1992. okay, that might be slightly misleading. this is one of the better outfits, but quite a charming little outfit at that. no doubt the workings of my mother. completely fell in love with the straw boater hat - v. Marc Jacobs SS09, non? am now wondering which box of old clothes it's hiding in cause it would be a nice addition to the summer wardrobe. as for the Peter Pan collared floral dress and black Wayfarers - too cool for school, right? perhaps should have re-thought the shoes though. criiinge.

independent fashion bloggers.

2009-06-07T13:40:00.003+02:00

Jennine Tamm of Independent Fashion Bloggers has been networking and updating on fb and sending out emails so often that i haven't really found it necessary to visit the site in recent months. popped by for a visit just moments ago to find the site has been made-over. v. delayed on this, i know. it's a whole lot of prettiness and there's a spanky new section dedicated to techy blog stuff that some of us (yes, me included!) are rather clueless about.

i'm so impressed with how the community has grown since i interviewed Jennine last summer! check out the new site and join the community if you're an independent fashion blogger. also, congrats Jennine & Rocky on the wedding! wishing you much love and happiness. ♥

Tomorrow's Society.

2009-06-06T15:24:00.019+02:00

conversations about eco-fashion and sustainable apparel usually bore me. not because i'm not for it, because i am. it's just all the talk has become painfully boring. however, i find myself rather looking forward to an event i rsvped to on fb - been pondering over the concept of recycled clothes and the creative possibilities involved.

TOMORROW'S SOCIETY - thought up and headed by the creative thinkers over at Capsule Creative - is a project/event that aims to promote sustainable fashion. it's an innovative and inspiring concept involving your unwanted clothes and the skills of some local designers and photographers. clickity click here to check out the event page.

we're on to phase 2 already - the recycling/creation process. only a few weeks until the designs and images are revealed. here are the deets:

When: 25th June 2009 @ 6pm

Where: Vida Wembley Square

The Designers: Christopher Strong. Cameron Foden. Timothy Wang. Natasha Liebenberg of LiebenCut. Juliane Visnjic of Unknown at Mungo & Jemima.

The Photographers: Brett Rubin. Natasja Fourie. Justin Badenhorst. Leah Walker. Jesse Leigh Elford.

see you kids there.

damn synthetic stitching.

2009-05-14T16:52:00.008+02:00

while on a mission to find a winter coat last week, i stumbled upon these insanely on-trend harem pants - 100% viscose, drop crotch and perfectly tailored - at Promod. have you heard of them? no? neither have i. anyways, the sales assistant tells me they were marked down from R490 to a measily R80. my only guess is that the "the drop-crotch" is not yet a favourite with the ladies, hence the steep price cuts? similar pieces have appeared in a number of local collections - Christopher Strong by Elaine du Plessis (Elle SA June 09) and Stiaan Louw (Design Indaba Magazine 1st Quarter 09) - and they're going at about R750-R1200 a pop. so, yeah, can you say "bar-gain"?

one minor problem though. they're purple. not feeling the purple so much. the idea was to dye them navy, cause i'm really feeling the navy this winter, but a trip to the local tailors this afternoon didn't quite go as planned. unless i didn't mind sporting a pair of navy trousers with v. visible plum purple stitching, no dyeing would be taking place. damn synthetic stitching! i hate you.

i'm gonna have to force myself to feel the purple. i'll let you know how it goes.

A Collaboration Made in Heaven: Stiaan Louw "The Next Generation" Campaign shot by Brett Rubin

2009-05-12T00:00:00.003+02:00

i know that these images have already been well, if not over-circulated. i also know that you've done the jaw-drop. i know you did, because i did too. Stiaan Louw seems to be the go-to words on the fashion scene atm and i hate to be predictable but when i mentioned being blown away by some menswear lines in my recent "menswear on exhibit" post i was no doubt refering to Stiaan Louw's new collection... but i guess you knew that already.

so we know the clothes - besides being pure perfection - has got everyone who cares about fashion talking local and talking menswear, which is more than enough reason to be loving Louw. i will rant no more. but if we take focus away from the clothes for just a second what we have here basically is a killer advertising campaign! Brett Rubin, who recently did a fantastical (v. Liebovitz in terms of it's majestic-ness) fashion editorial for the latest issue of the Design Indaba magazine, has made this the most inspiring local collaboration i've seen for a longtime. it's interesting that we're slowly picking up on the international advertising trend of designer/photographer collaborations. i recently saw something similar with local streetwear label 2bop and South African photographer, Xander Ferreira.

to put it simply - Rubin has done for Louw what Juergen Teller has done for Marc Jacobs and i love him for it.

the hedonist in me.

2009-05-10T19:31:00.001+02:00

ACNE SS09 has me aching with envy. the dresses are crazy beautiful this season - it's a pleasure just to look (and drool). i'm always so impressed with their stuff and really surprised at how they're not more well-known around town. maybe, more so since their collaboration with Lanvin on a capsule collection. i have a tingling feeling that these elastic strap sandals were made for me, though. hmm. yes, i'm aware that it's almost full-blown winter in the Cape Town and a pair of elasticated sandals really shouldn't be the apple of my eye, but i've always been guilty of wearing inappropriate shoes for the weather so that's really not an issue here. the angle of the photo doesn't do the shoe much justice, but please trust me when i say, they are beeeautiful. i'm impartial, perhaps. i've been gaga over shoes with thick elastic straps since Marni did some a few seasons ago. gosh, these "shoe envy posts" are becoming rather frequent, aren't they? but i guess when you want but can't have, the only thing left to do is wish... and blog.

menswear on exhibit.

2009-05-05T10:46:00.010+02:00

so doing some morning reading and mr berry over at we-are-awesome touched on a subject that got me thinking. last week, South African menswear designer, Cameron Foden chose to showcase his collection as an exhibition as opposed to a catwalk show. it got me wondering whether that has anything to do with how Foden wants his collection to be received? or how any designer who chooses to "exhibit" their collection wants to be received?

there is certainly a trend of designers choosing to "exhibit" their collections in an open space where the pieces can be taken in, carefully viewed and discussed. i like the process of viewing and being given the time to process what you see, which as most know is just not case with catwalk shows. model no.1 enters, struts her stuff and before you know it model no. 2 is out and your eyes don't really know where to go. it's all too quick and the whole scene sort of reminds me of those flashy MTV ads. this debate really echoes the fashion vs. art debate. traditionally, fashion belongs to the catwalk and art/design belongs to the gallery, but the lines are clearly blurring here.

i haven't yet seen the entire collection, but i'm really impressed with what i've seen so far. the collection reminds me a lot of British womenswear designer, Louise Goldin's SS09 collection, which i expressed my love for not too long ago on the blog. i think it's the structuralism and geometrical padding that has my brain jogging.

i've felt a little out of touch with local fashion since i've returned. i think i'm slowly getting back on track though. so far, however, i've been blown away with the cuts and shapes seen in a number of menswear lines, which is great for the guys. i don't think i can hear another male complain about how women have "soo much" to choose from and work with and they have "nothing". you boys are slowly running out of excuses.

Ponystep chats to Susie Bubble.

2009-04-19T23:32:00.010+02:00

check out this interview with Susie Bubble on Ponystep! i have a lot of love for both fashion pages. i had the honour of interviewing both Richard Mortimer, the man behind Ponystep and Susie Lau of Style Bubble not too long ago. on the eve of the launch of Ponystep, Richard shared with me his hopes and dreams for his online magazine. now, almost a year down the line, Ponystep is doing exclusive interviews with some of the most high-profile individuals on the music/film/fashion/art scene. the guy, no doubt, has connections. Miss Bubble has long been considered blogging royalty and the media has interviewed, scrutinised and questioned the hell out of her, but there's been little coverage of her since she landed herself an editorial position with Dazed Digital. Ponystep's Pippa Brooks gets down and dirty in this interview and Susie is more than obliging - as always. get clickity clicking on this kids!

something to talk about: grey gardens

2009-04-19T12:05:00.011+02:00

is winter here already? hopefully, we'll get a few more sunny days before we're hit with full-blown wind and rain. perfect day for blogging though. it's only the 19th of the month and i'm so close to hitting my cap, i'm almost scared to blog. i've gotten so use to the luxury of capless internet. wouldn't capless internet make everyone's winter more comforting?

anyhoo down to the nitty gritty. as you know, i love my film as much as i do my fashion and i always try to sneak a post in about it, especially if it has any relation to fashion. if you've been anywhere near fashion sites/blogs in the past few days you'll know the buzz words have been "Grey Gardens" - not so much the 1975 documentary directed by the Maysles Brothers (which i'm dying to get my hands on!) but more the bio film featuring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lang which aired on HBO in the US just a few hours ago.

Grey Gardens is the name of the mansion home that Jackie Onassis's eccentric aunt and first cousin - Edith "Big Edie" Bouvier Beale and Edie "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, respectively - lived in, in the 70's. the ladies wardrobe in the 1975 documentary was an huge inspiration to design houses at the turn of the century and the remake is already having a similar affect on the fashion world. everyone is waiting on hands and knees to see the re-visioned wardrobe of Jackie O's infamous relatives in the remake more than 3 decades later. for some the wait is already over.

the lives of this mother-daughter duo is so intriguing. they have no money, no income, live in a crumbling, flea-infested-mansion, yet following the Maysles Brother's doccie of them, became instant fashion icons. another reminder that style has nothing to do with money. it's innate. i have a feeling it's gonna be a hefty wait before this film hits our shores. not dissimilar to capless internet. happy sunday.

Church Street LULU has new vintage stock.

2009-04-09T11:12:00.004+02:00

girls, go check it out. that's LULU's vintage stall on Church Street. just got word that she has new stock. "Winter winter new stock has arrived, leather jackets, cowbot boots, 80's boots, horse rider boots, 70's denim, checked skirts and denim." her words not mine. happy shopping!

all good things come in three.

2009-04-05T15:32:00.008+02:00

phew. so i'm back in the beautiful Cape Town and finally in sync with my new time zone. the 15 hour flight threw me and the public displays of affection shown by the elderly couple sitting next to me just didn't make the flight any easier either.

nearly all my conversations since getting back in town have begun with, "So how amazing was Asia?" for most i've gone into great detail about my experiences, my observations, my loves and my hates. however, there is one observation i haven't really shared.

i honestly don't mean to be the stereotype and go into a shallow OTT story about my ups and downs of shoe shopping but this has some depth, i promise. as most will know, Hongkies is considered Asia's shopping haven. they have more brands than China, are cheaper than Japan and happily welcome the consumerist culture. there's a generous choice when it comes to high end shoes. Hong Kongers are more than familiar with Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks - they are available in nearly every main shopping precinct and of course there's always Lane Crawford & On Pedder. on the other extreme, the city's saturated with stores selling dirt cheap shoes imported from China, going at around R70/£5 a pop. these stores can usually be identified by the nasty smell rising from the footwear which is made completely of synthetic material. what they don't have is something for the middle market. mid-price range shoes are difficult to come by. it's either Christian Louboutins or Marv Jacods.

it's not really the type of observation that people are interested in hearing about when they ask about my time abroad. unless, i guess, if you work in the shoe industry... but i found it rather fascinating. especially since everyone in Hong Kong was downplaying the shopping experience in Singapore.

however, when i got to Singapore it was just a whole different ball game. there was so much choice in terms of middle market i might have gone a little wild... and got a little obsessive with the "black is back" trend. i usually have a sister or a friend standing behind me, whispering firmly, "But, don't you already have something like that?" this time however i was a lone ranger. the consequence is above.

Hong Kong - Singapore - Cape Town

2009-03-30T16:57:00.004+02:00

another change in location and another heavy dose of jet lag. i will be back with you shortly.

Forever21 in Singapore

2009-03-21T20:00:00.001+02:00

who can guess how high i jumped when i stumbled upon a Forever21 at Wisma Atrium on Orchard Road?

he styles it good.

2009-03-17T18:33:00.015+02:00

Marc by Marc is probably one of the cheapest and most affordable diffusion lines on the market, but it never fails to looks like a million dollars on the runway. why you ask? because the man can undoubtably style!! i don't think any of the models in the AW09 show were wearing less than 5 items of clothing. it's not about one key piece summing up the season's look. it's about mixing it up a little - colours, textures and shapes. let's take a few pointers, shall we?

window shopping.

2009-03-16T18:11:00.009+02:00

window shopping. that's what i do these days. no real, satisfying shopping, just plain old window shopping. for two reasons. let me share. one - lack of luggage space. i'm a frequent traveller... but i can never keep the weight down. a skill that still needs to be perfected. two - my working holiday is coming to an end and depressingly, so is my cash flow. so my last few days in Hongkies will not only involve around the clock goodbye lunches/dinners but also a good lashing of window-peering and bag envy. i spotted the Chloe 'Sally' Flap Bag - undeniably the most covetable bag this season (okay, maybe coming a close 2nd to the YSL 'Easy') - in the On Pedder window today and fell hopelessly in love... Hannah MacGibbon, new creative director at Chloe is working worldly wonders! just wanted to share with you the adventures of window shopping.

picking up PRESTIGE.

2009-03-16T17:23:00.009+02:00

i've been in Hongkies for nearly 5 months (gosh, time flies!) and i'm always popping in to book stores and visiting newsstands, but i've never noticed any local fashion titles in english. my chinese writing/reading is crap - almost non-existent - so i always keep a look out for local english titles... i've checked out a few but nothings really caught my fancy. i've pretty much just been feeding off international titles which are generally quite affordable over here.

today however, i was picking up a few magazines for my flight to Singapore and i happened to notice Prestige - an english luxury lifestyle title here in Hongkies. i never took much notice of it before. this issue, however, had Stella McCartney on the cover, which is probably the only reason i looked twice. and isn't it a great cover?! she's got such a great face. not really what you would call pretty, but let's be honest here, you couldn't do a close-ups like that unless you had a great face! don't think i've ever seen Stella on the cover of anything before and this cover really does her justice. i met her just over a year ago at Selfridges during London Fashion Week (there was lots of champagne and macaroons involved!) and she was just ridiculously sweet and sophisticated. i remember there were two elderly ladies asking after her father and telling her to please send their regards - really sweet old ladies. not sure if i would buy Prestige regularly though... maybe just a once off... for the Stella cover and interview and the fantastic/exclusive photos of Coco Chanel taken by Douglas Kirkland.

Lane Crawford Campaign SS09: The Insider

2009-03-11T16:12:00.006+02:00

no one can compete with Lane Crawford when it comes to retail ad campaigns in Hongkies. i've been eagerly waiting to see what they had in store for SS09. everyone remembers their last campaign right? if not, click here to see what Susie Bubble had to say.

so i know there's been talk of many retailers cutting back on campaign costs. to put it simply exotic locations abroad are being rapidly replaced by good old studio shoots. the wonderful team at Lane Crawford have outsmarted the failing economy and completely upped their standards this season. they have commissioned (under-the-radar) fashion photographer and blogger of Jak & Jil (check it out - especially the NYC Shoe Gazing// SS09!!!) Tommy Ton to shoot this season's The Insider Campaign on the streets of New York. the campaign is set up much like a blog - titled posts, post date, street photography images, etc. although, the images come across as candid and au natural there's little doubt that there's an army-esque crew behind the camera. regardless, the campaign really captures the sophistication & edginess of street fashion during Fashion Week and we all know nothing sells better than the glamour of Fashion Week.

Ton's also currently blogging from NYFW for the LC site. LC has obviously realised the power of the blogosphere and using it as a source of inspiration for this season's campaign. love it, love it. no doubt my favourite campaign of the season - hats off to the LC team.

there isn't much on the web in terms of images atm - am working on that.

UPDATE: spotted outside Harbour City in TST.

digital polaroids.

2009-03-10T15:12:00.006+02:00

Backstage at NYFW SS09

Photographer: Eric Ray Davidson

umm, so this isn't really fashion-related... but we all know what sort of crazy mess the fashion industry would be in if they didn't have polaroids. check out this download >>> clickity click here. also, check out New York-based photographer Eric Ray Davidson!!

graffiti like you've never seen it before.

2009-03-09T14:22:00.009+02:00

here's some of the work belonging to Dutch, garment graffiti artist, Thomas Voorn. Voorn is, unsurprisingly, a Central Saint Martins graduate and now works as an artist, designer, stylists and conceptionalists. he started out experimenting with garment graffiting on the streets of Denmark and has recently turned his unusual talent to visual merchandising. his work has already been commissioned by a number of boutiques/concept stores in both London and the Netherlands. and did i happen to mention he's also quite brilliant?

using clothes to make letters is hardly rocket science. that's what you thinking right? i mean kids could do it. it's just such a simple concept. yet... no one's ever thought of using it as a form of expression or a form of typography for visual merchandising. well, at least that was until Voorn came along. i guess, the most simple ideas can sometimes be the most innovative ideas. now please do go try this at home kids!

A DESIGNER POEM

VM FOR B STORE - LONDON

rediscovering LOOKBOOK.nu

2009-03-08T15:33:00.001+02:00

6 months ago i wasn't the proud owner of a macbook. my life, pre-macbook, was pretty tough - as some of you might remember. basically my old notebook, which i spent a small fortune on (my heart still aches at the thought) had a very slow and painful death. it eventually crashed and burned within a year of me purchasing it. it was beautiful-looking but crap... like the dresses at Primark. so deceiving. you only begin realising when one by one the buttons start falling off.

okay. back to the point. so with my over-priced and good-for-nothing notebook went all my precious bookmarks. this probably sounds petty, but one's bookmark list is like one's contact list. a lot of work goes into building it up and losing it is annoying, if not heart-wrenching. so stumbling upon LOOKBOOK.nu for the second time around was pretty "yeeah". i honestly forgot about the awesome-ness of this site and their great spin on the ever-popular street style blog. now, it's back on my bookmark list!

the lowdown. "real people" get other "real people" to take photos of them in their trendy gear. they upload it onto the site. then members vote what they like or rather hype what they like. it's pretty simple stuff. there's nothing mediocre about this site. not only is it super-styling, but there's also some really inspiring photography. you can only upload images and hype photos if you've personally been invited to become a member. talk about fashion elitism, right? well at least you guaranteed a glimpse of the bona fide international fashion crowd.

Dree Hemingway - the next it girl?!

2009-03-06T19:17:00.005+02:00

it's absolutely freezing in Hongkies. it's all wind, rain, storm and thunder outside. so, i've spent most of the evening at home watching some of my favourite old films - Francois Truffaut's Jules et Jim and Woody Allen's Manhattan - with a wild craving for popcorn and missing my old-film-loving sister terribly.

i've just sat down to my mac again to check my mail and i've received my daily newsletter fromWhoWhatWear. apparently, Dree Hemingway - yes, that would be grand-daughter of Ernest Hemingway and daughter of Mariel Hemingway, who plays Tracy aka Allen's ridiculously underage girlfriend in Manhattan - is girl of the month. i'm assuming we have an it girl in the making here. she's got all the necessary prerequisites - famous parents, fashion friends and fabulous threads. also, she's featured on WWW and they almost always spot on with things like this.

i find it rather intriguing, actually. novelist then actress and now it girl. the Hemingways aren't doing too bad for themselves, are they? must be all in the genes.

Givenchy trickles on down to H&M.

2009-03-06T05:55:00.001+02:00

apologises for the ambiguous title. if you were thinking that i was going to break the news that Givenchy was doing a capsule collection for H&M you would be wrong. we can only wish. what i meant was... Givenchy's AW08 necklace - you remember, the runway images were everywhere - has finally made an appearance on the high street. At H&M of course!

when this happens - as it did with Luella's sweetheart prom dresses from SS08 and Wang's baby blue denim bags from SS09 - i always think of the scene from The Devil Wear Prada. You know, the one where Meryl Streep criticises Anne Hathaways sweater and then proceeds to explain the relationship between high-fashion and low-fashion. that scene probably got her her Oscar Nomination:

"... that sweater is not just blue, it's not torquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then, I think, it was Yves Saint Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? [...] And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin."

totally love Meryl and her onscreen magic!

since i'll be jetsetting again in 2 weeks, the plan was to keep all new purchases to the light minimal. as you can see, the necklace isn't nearly as tiered as the original, but it's weighty as hell! i can only imagine what the real Givenchy weighs. i just couldn't walk away from it. i'm going to wear it with everything. starting with this jumpsuit - which is also newly purchased. no worries, it's light as a feather ;)

this clever amish boy and his hairdo.

2009-03-03T18:34:00.015+02:00

i've just stumbled upon this fantastic image at Style Guide Cape Town. the post basically raves about this dude's diy t-shirt, which has been pimped (aka customised) with a simple strap from a military uniform. clever boy. love it of course! but what about the hair? that definitely deserves a mention. the hair would make me stop dead in my tracks. he looks interesting thanks to that hair. okay, i know, enough about the hair. my point is... Japanese men's label, N.Hoolywood popped into my head instantly. their SS09 collection was all healthy Amish boys and good clean clothes, which was a little out of the ordinary as far as Japanese runway shows go, but also v. refreshing and totally wearable. do you see the resemblance here?!

making a statement.

2009-03-01T21:40:00.006+02:00

i never ever pass up a visit to the jewellery department when i'm shopping. i've spent the better half of the last 2 years looking for the perfect statement necklace. i don't mean beads and pendants - believe me i have plenty of those. i mean a neckpiece - something heavy, weighty and beautiful, something that can pull a simple outfit right out from it's comfort zone, something that will make your fashion f(r)iends go "ooh, where did you get that?" with a heavy dose of envy!

there were some fabulooous examples on the runway for SS09. i'm talking Marni, Louis Vuitton, Burberry. unfortunately, these are one of the few things that the high street just haven't been able to reproduce for the masses. who knows why... but i haven't seen any out there. someone needs to have a chat with the people at Topshop, seriously.

London-based Hong Kong duo, Daydream Nation did some really covetable pieces for AW08 and sooo affordable compared to Marni. a little bird tells me that some selected pieces from the AW08 collection have gone on sale at Kapok... but surprisingly i'm actually more tempted to wait and see what they have in store for SS09. in the meanwhile i'll be scouring the jewellery departments as always.

click on this.

2009-02-28T21:04:00.001+02:00

ahhh. BryanBoy meets Alexander Wang. jealous me! how tiny does BB look next to Wang?!

boys will be girls and girls will be boys.

2009-02-27T19:29:00.000+02:00

androgynous girls and feminine boys. women shopping in the men’s department and sometimes men shopping in women’s department. boyfriend jeans on girls and skinny jeans on boys. the latest cover of Dazed & Confused sums it up in one simple caption “meet fashion's boys who are girls who like girls to be boys...” confusing, i know. it took me a few seconds to wrap my head around it.

is gender becoming insignificant when fashion is concerned? the line between men’s attire and women’s attire are and have been for the last few seasons seriously blurring. the idea of mixing up men's and women's clothing has been simmering on the fashion scene for awhile now – think American Apparel, Bryan Boy (who fyi recently got an interview with American Vogue) and boyish model Eliza Cummings. hi-end fashion has finally caught on and caught up. first in line is... YSL. their first unisex collection debuted at a pop-up store in New York during NYFW. no news yet on when the collection will be available to the rest of the world. oh, the setbacks of not being a New Yorker. sigh.

i'm predicting there's gonna be a few more unisex collections popping up in 2009 - not only is it playing right into the hands of the unisex dressing trends but it means pieces will be basic, classic and practical which is great for us, penny-saving shoppers. ooh, talking about penny-saving shoppers, i've just come back from watching Confessions of a Shopaholic - we can all learn a lesson from the lovely Rebecca Bloomwood!

Agnes b. is god in Asia.

2009-02-24T11:10:00.017+02:00

i was chatting to one of the PR girls from EQ:IQ a few weeks ago and we were trying to figure out why Agnes B was so big in Asia. after some useless brainstorming (we didn't come up with much) we defeatedly decided that they must just have a kick-ass marketing team in Asia.

her bags are like mass-produced in Asia and i'm sure every second person has a Agnes B bag (knock-offs included) on their arm or in their wardrobes. she's big and she knows it. aside from the clothes collection, she's also has her name on chocolates, flowers, cakes and coffee. if it has Agnes b across it, it sells. it's wonderful really and so business savvy. i guess if they love it, then you have choice but to give them more.

anyhoo, there's also an art gallery - Agnes B's Librarie Gallerie - which everyone should try visit if they ever in Hongkies. it's the only other Agnes B gallery outside of Paris and it's really quite refreshing to see, especially since the art scene in Hongkies is pretty small and good art spaces are pretty rare. the photos above are from the exhibition, Modern Young People:Post Punk, Cold Wave and Novo Culture in France.

it's all in the shoulders, baby.

2009-02-24T10:51:00.007+02:00

Jason Wu was a designer looking to move up in the world. then the First Lady decided to adorn his creations to one of the most ceremonious and iconic moments in American history and naturally, this got every fashionista/housewife/yummy mummy asking, "now, whose that by?!" Consequentially, lucky Mr Wu has now been welcomed to NYFW AW09 with open arms. it's like the inauguration was Project Runway and Wu won first prize.

honestly, with all the media-hype i've been pretty eager to view his collection. there was a lot shoulder-talk at WGSN - the prediction for AW09 was fanciful and structural shoulders. unsurprisingly, WGSN was spot on. so was Wu (see above). the tailoring is neat and pretty, but nothing mind-blowing. there was feathers and ruffles en masse. love textural fabrics. not sure how i feel about the tiaras though :/ overall the collection was pleasant, nothing offending but then also nothing inspiring. haven't quite decided how i feel about the designer... but i guess time will tell. i say bring on Jason Wu SS10.

a weakness for pretty things.

2009-02-23T09:54:00.003+02:00

you're thinking "there she goes again", i know... but aren't these bow/studded MJ sandals adooorable?? they the prettiest things i've seen this year. don't remember spotting them on the SS09 catwalk... they are in stores already though and on net-a-porter. anyways, i'll be back in the sunny cape town soon and having a pair of these pretty things to accompany me back would be really nice. i'm officially unemployed. no more internships from here on out, not even if Anna Wintour personally calls me up. not that she would but you get the idea. it's my New Years' resolution and i'm sticking it to it!! therefore the general idea is no large amounts of money will be leaving my purse until i get a paid job. a girl can dream though.

New I.T Silvercord Store in Hong Kong.

2009-02-04T18:03:00.020+02:00

the new I.T store in Silvercord, TST has been open for a few months already and i'm guessing most of you (in Hongkies) have probably seen the beautiful knock-you-off your-feet design. there was crazy media hype around opening time. for the unfortunate few, who haven't seen it, here's a peek! there's some interesting use of materials and props. the accent walls and low-hung lamps bring a real edgy-ness to the store design... and we should expect nothing less from the I.T team. they are always cutting-edge and always ahead of the retail fashion game.

Alexander Wang goes back to basics.

2009-02-02T10:12:00.009+02:00

i hate to say it again, but the truth has to be spoken. with everyone keeping a watchful eye on their spending and counting each and every penny, buying basics is going to be what it's all about. actually reflecting on my shopping patterns my last two purchases were both wardrobe basics, but then again that's not surprising. i've always been big on basics. Alexander Wang gets it though, he gets is so clearly and has designed a 12-piece t-shirt collection. by t-shirt collection i don't mean a limited edition/collaboration t-shirt collection - the type that is rippling through the fashion world. what i mean is a classic, well cut, basic t-shirt collection. love this guy - he can make anything look effortlessly sexy. the drapey cut and loose fit is signature to Alexander Wang and perfect for layering - which is what we all should be doing to keep things little bit more interesting. rumours are that the collection should be out in the next few weeks - Lane Crawford here i come!

Mr Armani, we feel the love.

2009-02-01T14:55:00.008+02:00

what can i say? it's great to see two asian faces fronting the Emporio Armani ss09 campaign - actors, Takeshi Kaneshiro (yum) and Zhang Ziyi (ugh). tell me honestly, how hot do they look?! i naturally had to stop and snap. not a fan of Miss Zhang of course and that has nothing to do with the beach-bum controversy that went down here in Asia, my mind was made up a looong time ago. however, Mr Kaneshiro with his leather Armani jacket and tanned skin is a sight for sore eyes and probably working wonders for the Armani sales.

Wizard of Oz ON PEDDER Street.

2009-01-01T06:16:00.012+02:00

these photos have been sitting in my blog folder for a good few weeks already... and although the window display has been dazzling shoppers for over a month already i thought it still deserved a post.

ON PEDDER is a Hong Kong shoe shop that basically stocks all the big shoe brands - Choos, Hardys, Louboutins, you name it they got it. i rarely pass through Central but a colleague gave me a heads up about the window display at the flagship store on Pedder Street... so i made a bit of an effort to pop by to take a lookie and i must admit it was worth it. i love old films and although i must admit The Wizard of Oz is not really one of my favourites... i do love the red shoes tie-in! how clever? the glittery red Alexander McQueens stand out big time. ooh, can you imagine Dorothy walking down the yellow brick road in those?! actually if all the characters were dressed in Alexander McQueen - Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Lion - it would make for a v. interesting visual treat, no? definitely pop by if you in the area!

lace on the lids.

2008-12-11T15:02:00.006+02:00

eyelash decadence, non? Shu Uemura is doing some very lovely lashes for their Tokyo Lash Bar collection. i'm not really a false eyelash sort of girl... or though come to think of it i really should be. i wouldn't mind getting my hands on a pair of these babies - Shu Uemura Black Gown lashes. the Velvet Feather lashes are to die for as well... so unnecessary yet also sooo necessary. i might stop by the Shu Uemura counter on my lunch break tomorrow and get a pair... hmm... they will without a doubt leave a noticeable dent in my purse but they are more than half the price of the Shu Uemura X Viktor and Rolf lashes that came out earlier this year and personally i'll much rather flutter these lacy beauties. yes, that was my attempt at justifying my purchase.

my single attempt.

2008-12-06T04:33:00.006+02:00

spent the morning sorting out some of my photos... deleting, filing and seperating London from Cape Town and Cape Town from Hong Kong. anyways it's tedious stuff really but i came across this photo that i took of a Korean girl in Pret (in London Tottenham Court Road). i took it a good few months ago... for an article i was writing on Geek Culture. i didn't end up using it... but i decided not to bin it today. it's my first and only (and probably my last) attempt at street fashion photography. i've had a few people asking me to take some street snaps of Hong Kong's most trendy (i'm yet to find a good street fashion site for Hongkies) but to be honest everything happens so fast in Hongkies - i swear it's like a race to see who can get to their next destination quickest - that i wouldn't dare to stop anyone in the street... besides i would rather leave it to all the kids who know what they're doing. i'm assuming that photographing K-girl's shoes was probably more important than photographing Pret's entire beverage selection. really, what do i know?

kicking it like my father.

2008-12-06T04:03:00.005+02:00

sale season is finally upon us here in Hongkies and my first guilt-free purchase (yes yes 50% off!!) were these tasseled brown suede loafers... i feel like i've stolen my fathers shoes. i'm telling you they are comfy as hell though... like those warm fuzzy bed slippers your grandmother use to wear. today, i'll be kicking it like my father did back in the day.

happy birthday from Maison Martin Margiela

2008-11-25T07:03:00.009+02:00

yesterday was my first visit to a Maison Martin Margiela flagship store... can you believe it? call me sad but i was extremely amused by their jukebox, which was standing modestly at the back of the store. yes... their clothes of course were thought-provoking and rather silly, maybe evening mocking... but the jukebox was just a big ball of fun! it probably wouldn't have been as amusing if i didn't happen to have spent the whole day staring at mannequins and comtemplating the best angle to photograph a pair of shoes. no matter how beautiful the clothes are and how envious i feel... it just all gets a bit too much sometimes... the shopping malls, the sales people and the security men... ugh. the MMM jukebox was a BIG lift-me-upper though... can't wait to check out the Hong Kong store... wonder what kind of fun they have hidden there...

i want to party in a ACNE dress.

2008-11-23T15:37:00.009+02:00

ever since i held this overly ruffled, fabric heavy a/w ACNE dress in my arms while interning at British ELLE i've fell in love with the Swedish label and now that the holidays are around the corner and there's been lots talk of Christmas parties and i've been attending, perhaps one too many, Christmas light-up ceremonies in a number of Hong Kong malls (for work of course) i've been drooling over their collection of cocktail dresses. i've decided that this year there'll be no partying unless i'm partying in an ACNE dress. it's time to make a plan.

when glossies became matties.

2008-11-23T15:21:00.003+02:00

anyone notice that our much loved glossies are slowly becoming matties? first ELLE with their limited edition issues and now Vogue... is it just me or does it not quite feel/look right? just a sunday thought.

a little London in Hong Kong.

2008-11-13T16:16:00.008+02:00

it's been a busy week in Hongkies so far for retail-hungry fashionistas. the Comme des Garcons for H&M collection was finally launched today (everyone at work was talking about it!) and earlier this week the Kate Moss for Topshop a/w 08 collection arrived at Lane Crawford. i accidently stumbled upon the ginormous Kate Moss for Topshop poster in Lane Crawford's window display in Tsim Sha Tsui... i got horribly lost on my way to work this morning and ended up walking the entire length of Canton Road (well almost) before realising i was going in the wrong direction - oops. it was nice to see a little London in Hong Kong though. and talking about Lane Crawford... it must be known that Lane Crawford is the ultimate haven. if Mr Andy Warhol is right in saying that, "people [never] die. they just go to department stores." then i would like it to be known that my department store of choice would be Lane Crawford.

a Comme des Garcons moment at ELLE.

2008-11-01T17:25:00.006+02:00

Comme des Garcons for H&M. i totally forgot. i haven't quite had access to any high street stores for awhile and it just totally slipped my mind until i was flipping through a Hong Kong street culture magazine on my way home.

i was lucky enough to see some of the pieces back in June while i was playing fashion features intern at ELLE... all i remember is lots of polka dots, black en masse and the disapproving looks coming from some of the fashion editors (apparently the material wasn't, and i quote, "very Comme"). seriously though, what were we all shaking our heads for? we all knew deep deep down that it wasn't going to meet our expectations - it's Comme for the high street not Comme for real! this is usually where i would begin to consider the whole "high fashion/high street" debate... but nope not this time. we can all agree that it's been well covered already, yes? YES.

i do however remember that there were some great trousers... don't remember what they looked like at all. jolly, June wasn't that long ago... was it?! it must have been a v. busy month. anywho all i remember is that they were great and the look of approval on Rebecca's (the fashion features editor at ELLE) face. must try locate an H&M and check out the collection for real and since i can't afford real Comme, high street Comme will just have to suffice for the time being... ironic isn't it?

those camera clicking city kids (part one)

2008-10-29T11:49:00.017+02:00

as promised, more Q&As with some of the most notorious bloggers on the web. STREET STYLE BLOGS have become a bit of an online movement (okay, that might be an understatement) and i wanted to know what these image-makers were thinking so i tracked them down and asked them a few questions. i have a lot of love for these kids behind the camera who document street fashion and capture the essence of street style in their city... just so they can share it with us. i feel the love everytime i click.

(this boy is so on-trend it gives me goose-bumps. the 'tache, the rolled up trousers - i like, i like.)

Q&A with LIISA & SAMPO, the ladies responsible for HEL LOOKS (Helinski, Finland) - this is quite a serious one... hope you enjoy it.

Why do you take photos?

To document interesting and individually dressed people who dare to stand out and create their own style. Doing Hel Looks is fun. We get to meet lots of new people who inspire us. Also, we love clothes, fashion and photography.

How did you get into street style photography?

We’ve always been big fans of Shoichi Aoki. Hel Looks is a tribute to him.

You remember the first photo you took?

Yes - it’s actually the very first photo on our site. It was taken at Tuska – a heavy metal festival – in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki.

Where do you tend to go to take photos?

We always carry our cameras on us. Whenever we see something interesting we stop and ask to take a photo. We don’t usually go out looking for people to photograph.

What camera do you use?

Canon 5D.

How do you decide who to shoot?

We photograph the people that surprise us.

What sort of style is unique to Helinski?

I think personality and the courage to stand out. In Helsinki, we are not that interested in mainstream fashion. We like to create our own style.

The amount of fashion on the internet is rapidly increasing and Hel looks is a big contributor. How do you think your site and other similar sites are contributing to the world of fashion?

They are helping people to become more aware of what’s happening in other countries and cities. Also it stresses the importance of individuality.

questionable tan-lines.

2008-10-29T05:01:00.001+02:00

i apologise for posting about Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes once again... but you know how some people are all about MJ bags (clickity click here >>> Bryan Boy) well i'm all about the shoes. these M by MJ s/s 09 sandals make me smile. i feel ridiculously happy just looking at them. i have a terrible weakness for strappy flats... which usually leaves me with questionable tan-lines by the end of summer.... but questionable tan-lines as a result of wearing these shoes would definitely not be a problem... no no. they are simply adorable and the ribbon! lets not even get into my obsession with ribbon.

i think a little trip to the new MJ store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong needs to be made (i'm making a mental note as i type this) even if it is just to hold them in my hands for a few seconds... possibly minutes...

who's that girl?

2008-10-29T04:39:00.002+02:00

jetlag is keeping me awake... yes still (my body just refuses to adapt to the time zone!) and i've got a "to blog" stickie that is taking up a lot of screen space... i can no longer see the left hand side of my wallpaper... so i thought it would be good idea to do some bloggity blogging.

i'm doing a bit of backtracking... this is a blog idea that occurred to me a few days before leaving the Cape Town... but please bear with me. i promise it's worth it.

the girl i refer to is LULU. LULU, the girl who sells vintage clothes on Church Street (off Long Street) between the elderly ladies of the Church Street Antique Market and the asian dude at the end of the road selling fur coats. i'm sharing this with you because one - i've found so many great things there and surprisingly not many people know about sweet LULU and her stall and two - LULU is just such a great girl with a i-wanna-steal-all-your-clothes-sorta-style that i just couldn't resist but to kiss and tell.

LULU was actually stuck in an adorable green cotton dress when i was taking my last peek around before leaving on a jet plane. while helping her out of the dress we got chit chatting. unfortunately i wasn't able to get a snapshot of LULU - i left my camera at home. yes, i know what you thinking - bad bad irresponsible blogger (!) but i did make up for it and asked all the necessary questions. LULU is there everyday of the week except weekends (of course) and thursdays (when she is out restocking) and if you give her your digits she will kindly send you a message when she has new stock. i probably won't get that message until next year (sigh) but please pop by the stall to check out the amazing vintage clothes and don't forget to say hi for me.

team intern.

2008-10-23T12:01:00.003+02:00

just a super quick post. it's my last day in the Cape Town so have a million people to meet, coffees to drink and places to be. i'll be in Hong Kong in less then 48 hours and in between shopping up a storm and eating too much noodles (it's just what we like to do in the east) i'll be returning to the world of interning - this time at WGSN Hong Kong. if you know who they are then you most probably work in fashion.

i'm almost sure that my work is going to start seeping into my blog posts. so i thought it would be appropriate to give a bit of a shout out to my fellow interns whose blogs are always fun to read and a bit of a peek into the glamourous world of fashion. STYLE SPEAKS LOUDER is an intern at British ELLE and HIPSTER MAGAZINE INTERN would like the publication she is working for to remain anonymous... but i'm sure you can all figure it out. here's to coffee-making and the 20kgs of clothes we have to lug around with a smile on our face!

lost and found.

2008-10-21T21:21:00.012+02:00

i've spent a good few hours today rummaging through my wardrobe - trying things on, taking things off, putting things in and taking things out again in an attempt to put together the perfect traveling wardrobe - whilst keeping in mind that i will probably be working among Hong Kong's most trendy fashionistas. anywho... i found this second-hand dress in my wardrobe that i forgot i had. i bought it a couple of years ago for mere pennies. don't know why i never got around to wearing it... maybe it's cause of the odd length of the dress (mid-calf-ish) which i find kinda unflattering... but i think it would make a fab-u-lous shirt dress - roll up the sleeves, hitch up the hem and look-a-there another dress to add to the pile of dresses dying to get a spot in the delsey. discovering lost clothes is really not helping the packing process! i need help.

(apologises for the clothes that seem to be engulfing the room and just the general air of messiness... that's just how i roll when it comes to limiting my wardrobe to 20kgs... hence the scale on the floor.)

local design goodies we love.

2008-10-19T12:28:00.000+02:00

a visit to the THE OLD BISCUI MILL was a pretty perfect start to my saturday morning. it wasn't the local food market that had me going gaga this time though. i don't know how long THE DESIGN GOODS MARKET bit has been around for exactly, cause as most will know i haven't really been around in the Cape Town... but lets just say there was some rather covetable threads hanging from the rails. i can't help but agree that local is rather lekker. there was a impressive selection of well tailored, good quality, local goodies (including my long-time favourite local brand COPPELIA). all of which got me rather excited about the local in fashion in South Africa.

i didn't get a chance to properly check out those cute strappy leather sandals close to the back of the tent though... anyone know who they are by? help a sister out cause my summer-ready feet desperately want a pair!!

i dream in fashion frames per second.

2008-10-15T13:49:00.008+02:00

a brief note: this post has nothing to do with the the real world and has everything to do with the little imagery world that i tend to visit from time to time in my dreams.

a/w 08 still has me spinning... obviously. last night i dreamt i was working the Miu Miu a/w 2008 headgear. i was a synchronised swimmer!! (golly, it has been a stressful week.) it must be that the headgear reminds me of those head-tight swimming caps i use to wear as a child for my weekly swimming lessons. i, along with the rest of the synchronised swimming team (yes, there were others!), were head to toe in Miu Miu and nattering about Miuccia Prada's choice of colour for our headgear. who dreams about stuff like this... seriously?!

a hipster and proud.

2008-10-12T17:03:00.008+02:00

i've recently started to dig into a few south african fashion blogs. my favourite atm is SOUTH AFRICAN STREET STYLE - it's got the perfect balance between what's happening locally and internationally.

i loved Mr Dan Pinch's recent post entitled hipsters will inherit the earth. according to the little questionnaire at the end of the post i'm a hipster... and rightly so. i do drink too much vida coffee and i do read One Small Seed, religiously. i'm a hipster and proud - and why shouldn't we be? we're fueling consumerism and keeping the economy alive... well at least that's what i'm hearing through the blogvine. and also, this might sound a little cheesy but... it reminded me that however confused i am sometimes about where i come from (don't ever ask me where i'm from... most of the time i'm not sure myself.) a very big part of me is south african... yes, a south african hipster and proud!

missing out on Louise Goldin.

2008-10-09T11:22:00.017+02:00

okay i admit that leaving my intern position at British ELLE just weeks before London Fashion Week s/s 2009 was probably not one of my finest moments. my biggest regret would be missing out on the Louise Goldin show. i'm a little late on covering this, i know... but it's still deserves a post. i thought Goldin's s/s 2008 was simply fabulous but s/s 2009 just takes the whole damn chocolate cake. it might not be the fashion world's favourite collection but it's my fave by far. ahh... what i would give to have been there... 5 rows from the front, wiggling in my chair trying to get the best view of the catwalk.

when Goldin showed her first collection everyone about town was oohing and ahhing over her fabric of choice - "i didn't know you could do that with knitwear!" she's wonderfully brilliant at creating contrast - using soft knitwear to create strong structured shapes. that contrast was created once again in this season's collection - structural futuristic shapes contrasting with soft delicate materials. the soft, pastel colours, which is quite new to Goldin, makes for a flirtier and more feminine collection. i particularly like the touch of elegance and prettiness (in a v. Stella McCartney sorta way) that the huey colours and delicate fabrics (both knit & silk) create and bring to the collection. the body suit is a winner too. i can't quite see myself wearing it but it is rather lovely, isn't it?

hopefully... fingers crossed*... i'll make it to next season's show.

the young ones.

2008-10-06T16:50:00.008+02:00

i was flipping through a hong kong esquire yesterday (yes, i have resorted to reading anything i can get my hands on and it just happened to be, on this occasion, a men's magazine in a language i can't quite read!) and i come across an article about a 12 year old fashion blogger. i was immediately intrigued...

apparently there's a new wave of young fashion bloggers in the US and TAVI (above mentioned blogger) author of STYLE ROOKIE has had quite a respectable amount of publicity in the past few months. i can imagine the disapproving looks and uproar she has had to experience. in her latest post she attempts to defend herself (not that she needs to) and she gives a shout out to her fellow young bloggers.

honestly, i didn't realise that there were 12 year olds that were so fashion conscious and so stylish, believe me it took me by surprise, but i think it's great that there are kids who know who Rei Kawakubo and Martin Margiela are. there will be no disapproving looks coming from me - i actually like the idea that there's a new generation of budding fashionistas who are choosing to express themselves creatively through fashion.

withdrawal symptoms.

2008-10-05T11:59:00.032+02:00

my ideal sunday morning involves a hot cup of tea and a good glossy magazine - simple isn't it? however my lack of reading material on this v. lovely sunday morning has got me experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms. and the fact that the november 2008 magazine issues are being splashed all over the internet is really not helping the situation. i want, i want, i want! i neeeeed! you see... a trip to the magazine section of a book shop is like a trip to the candy shop for me. in london i had borders (oh how much i miss it) and here in cape town i have exclusive books - also a candy shop of some sort but where the candy is imported and unfortunately v. dear... sometimes i just can't help myself though and i find myself leaving the shop with lots of over-priced candy - naughty i know.

how can i resist though? these big guys are doing fantastical stuff. i-D always has amazing covers which has me drooling - quite literally. ELLE is great for catwalk fashion/trends and recently their fashion spreads have been right up there with Vogue and their covers are just spot on - clean, slick and so stylish. the articles in Vogue are always written beautifully - "wow wee" writing. i-D and Dazed have more edgy and innovative fashion spreads which is always a breath of fresh air and which i love love love. i just can't seem to do without them.

An interview with Mr Steve Salter.

2008-10-03T14:44:00.005+02:00

here's another interview with one of my favourite bloggers. STEVE is author of STYLE SALVAGE and i was lucky enough to ask him a few questions. Back in May, STEVE told me he was currently really interested in unearthing unlikely icons (his most recent: Steve Zissou from Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic) which got me rather giddy - my head was racing with all the possibilities. here's what else the blogging addict had to say.

What sort of topics do you choose to cover in your blog?

I personally like to cover as varied topics as possible just because I am interested in so many within menswear. Music and art are often overlooked by many blogs but there influence on menswear and vice versa is undeniable. I read other blogs and all the magazines I can afford for inspiration.

What sort of things inspire you to write?

Other blogs inspire me to write. When we started the blog last June (2007) there really wasn’t that many blogs dedicated to menswear. We thought this was a crying shame and we knew that there was a demand for it so embarked on a mission to cover this area in our own way. Since we started more and more menswear blogs have started and now we all push each other to write about this topic as well as possible.

What do you love about blogging?

Blogging is a bit of an addiction really. I both love and hate the fact that it is hard to step away from the computer. It takes over your life to a certain extent because there is always something new and interesting to look at. At the moment I just can’t get enough and actually want to increase my blogging levels but one day it could get all get too much and I’ll need to check into blogging rehab.

Any perks?

People actually reading my rambled musings. Of course there are the invitations to events which are always welcomed. I would be uncomfortable with any greater perks than the odd invitation and goody bag though.

Anything you don't love so much?

Negativity. But at the moment we have been very lucky. The readers we have are great.

What do you think men's relationship is to fashion on the internet?

I recently read that more men (56%) are now choosing to shop online than on the high street which seems crazy to me and of course this stat will only increase. Men are coming round to the idea that there are more uses to the Internet than watching porn and shows like Family Guy. Also, not a week goes by now without some new men’s fashion blog coming to our attention. High profile blogs like the Sartorialist's and Kanye West’s have helped create a dialogue around men's fashion which was previously unseen.

Your favourite fashion sites or sites that you think are doing something interesting/different?

So many have popped up recently including Mensrag, Getkempt, Kanyeuniversity. My blog roll is already pretty intimidating and ever growing. The obsessively detailed eye of The Sartorialist is well known and rightly so. However sites like Hel-Looks and Breach of Style all give men across the globe something to think about

How many hours a day to you dedicate to blogging?

Currently not as much as I’d like as my laptop is being repaired…otherwise around 2 hours blogging…the rest of the day I think about it.

Your favourite spots in London?

I’m fortunate enough to live in central London so there is so much to do right on my doorstep. My new favourite place is in and around Carnaby Street as there are so many good stores there, including Shop22, Hurwendeki, Concrete, Beyond the Valley and the stores within Kingly Court and of course if I get hungry Cha Cha Moon is right there as well. In terms of going out I tend to gravitate East.

Favourite item of clothing?

My YMC hi tops which have changeable uppers.

Fashion icon?

Fred Astaire,

Your dream job?

Owner of my own acclaimed menswear store in London.

Other men on the web that you think should be recognised?

I'm inspired by Thomas Mahon of the English Cut because I dream of being a tailor one day.

Any thoughts on the future of fashion on the internet?

I personally want to see more magazines come online and do something interesting, generating great editorials and spreads online!

lovely lady lace.

2008-10-02T12:28:00.012+02:00

a/w 2008 has once again proven that lace is timeless - a fabric that awakens feelings of nostalgia but which also has the ability to be really young and modern at the same time. i decided to take a little advice from Miuccia Prada and invested in some lovely lady lace. i actually found this dress on my birthday in a little treasure trove on the coast of Cape Town known as Kalk Bay. the colour of the fabric makes the sexiness of the dress, usually associated with lace, quite understated and more lady-like. i like the idea of the lace dress peeking out from under other garments - toning down the full-on lace by layering and also at the same time creating pretty puffy textures - my favourite.

it's a lookee likee.

2008-09-22T16:20:00.005+02:00

i love browsing about street style blogs because from time to time you find something that holds your attention for longer than the usual mili-second (my attention span is shamefully short - i blame it on all the MTV-watching in my teens). i happened to stumble upon this image on facehunter. aside from the fact that i had an instant surge of jealousy towards my fellow londoners, cause obviously the sun is still shining there (people just don't wear sunglasses in london unless it really is sunny), i completely luurrve the outfit! minnie does a/w grunge. her glasses caught my attention first - do they not resemble the Jeremy Scott sunglasses from the Linda Farrow Vintage s/s 2008 collection? they do, they do me thinks. i guess if you can't own it then you should just reference it. it makes a lot of sense really.

everybody (secretly) loves a knock off.

2008-09-21T16:39:00.014+02:00

yes yes lets just all go ahead and admit it... we would all prefer to have the real deal (who wouldn't?) but sometimes a knock off can do the job just as well - this applies to everything except Chanel and Krispy Cremes of course! i found a pair of Marc Jacobs mouse flats look-a-likes at Mr Price (a South African chain store - basically the equivalent to Primark minus the vicious lunchtime shoppers) and i got them for a ridiculous 40 rand (that's roughly 3 pounds). they look identical (with that one exception of course) but they brought a smile to my face none the less. i recently blogged about jelly shoes... and if i didn't draw a clear and pretty picture for you the last time, i have officially embraced the jelly shoe comeback. they're adorable and i'm tempted to get them in every colour!

the knock-off.

An interview with Mr Elliot J Sainsbury.

2008-09-18T22:44:00.004+02:00

i always take a moment out before an interview to close my eyes really really tight and make a wish to the fairy godmothers above that my subject is not a man (or woman) of little words. any one who has conducted an interview will know how excruciatingly painful it is to get a lousy "yes."/"no." as an answer to a well thought out question. lucky for me, ELLIOT was every interviewers wet dream. a man of many many words!

ELLIOT is the head fashion writer at Fashion156 and also contributes regularly to Topmanzine and London Kicks

What sort of things inspire you to write? 

As a fashion blogger in particular you have to develop a sort of mental 'peripheral vision'; i.e. always being in the state of mind to be inspired. The most inspiring thing is people, if I'm being honest- it's other people, how and why they choose to wear what they do, seeing them on the street, knowing how they put this or that look together. And the designers themselves, of course.

What do you love about what you do?

Today was a good example - we got a case of necklaces from a new designer just launching in the UK and they were astonishing and made me excited about clothes all over again. The thrill of uncovering a new designer, or seeing a new show or inspirational lookbook is really exceptional. Being surrounded by clothes all day and meeting some wonderful, creative and motivating people is what it's all about.  

Any perks? 

Yeah, but it's not all free clothes and limousines! There's some very lovely gifts people sometimes give and some great events but it's usually the nightbus home. Though yesterday I interviewed Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who is one of my favourite designers ever and ended up at the private view of one of my favourite photographers. I guess that sounds glamorous when I actually write it down...  

Anything you don't love so much?

Blogging in particular requires tough hours and a lot of research, but it's hardly rough manual labour for 365 days a year...   

What would you be doing if you weren't doing this? 

Working on my novel, playing electronic music with my band or writing about something else- what that is though, I've thankfully never had the time to work out.  

What do you think men's relationship is to fashion on the internet?

It's good for everyone really! Men who are 'scared' of fashion can shop, discuss and get inspired by imagery from the comfort of their home and get style tips without a personal shopper. The second thing is that men who are fashion-savvy can expose themselves to a massive variety of media and expand their knowledge really easily.

Do you think fashion on the internet is dominated both by female-orientated content and a female readership? 

It pains me to say, but yes- in sheer terms of volume and number there's a staggering amount of female-orientated content. Technically it is dominated by a female readership, but the grey areas- what ideas they pass on to any men in their lives, what gender of clothing they're reading about- tells a more interesting story.   

Do you think it is changing?

It is changing. Online shops for guys have become more integrated, and taken globally menswear boutiques now offer an astounding selection of clothes compared to about five years ago. The internet has made a few 'stars' out of menswear bloggers/photographers/video-makers which is a really recent thing too, people who now publically promote men's style in print, on television and campaigns- in other words, avant-garde tastemakers.   

Fashion sites that you think are doing something different & interesting?

I love men.style.com for the collections; StyleBubble, Breach Of Style, Hintmag (whose multimedia/forward-thinking shoots are really interesting); oki-ni, which has expanded fantastically as a menswear concept; polyvore, as I love collages and shopping (and this combines both); youtube for music video costume research (I'm obsessed with 90's house and eighties electro); Big Cartel as it's really like an online market for small designers; Oak and Seven in New York as the selection and product shots look so inspiring and editorial-quality. There's a blog called The Staple I like, whose writer focusses on a menswear staple each post, placing it in the realm of classic men's style like good books, coffee and music.  

How many hours a day can you be found sitting infront of the computer?

About 23 1/2... 

Where do you go to relax?

I spend a lot of time in Charity shops, taking Bay Garnett's advice that they're a good place to focus your eye. Walking through London is the most relaxing thing; absorbing the people, sights etc. I love the George and Dragon, Bar Music Hall, the parks (Richmond especially), the canal, the City, the historic centres of London.

Favourite item of clothing?

A charcoal Miu Miu cardigan, it's my favourite label (now RIP for menswear), I got it for my 18th birthday and have worn it every week since. If not, a very long wolf-print t-shirt I hacked the arms off of, a pair of Carola Euler panelled trousers, an inherited striped shirt, purple cargo shorts or my Siv Stoldal scarf.  

Any fashion icons?

Neneh Cherry. David Hockney (the colours, the hair, the glasses). Grace Jones, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Romani people, City of London policemen, Oscar Wilde. My aim is to look like a robot from the future living in a 1920's forest.  What does fashion mean to you? Historical materialism, or, constructing a personality.  Where do you want to be in 10 years? Involved in some kind of cultural menswear revolution, getting everyone to experiment with neckscarves and knitwear, whilst writing EastEnders episodes by night.  

Other great men on the web?

Guy, our editor, does a lot to promote young menswear designers, like recently Christopher Shannon, J W Anderson, Material Boy and QED. Tim Blanks from style.com is, of course, awesome.   

blogitty blog.

2008-08-05T18:51:00.000+02:00

as some of you might know this blog started out as a pre-requisite for a LCF course that i recently completed... but to put it simply the blogging got addictive and so i decided to keep the blog as opposed to letting it disappear into the realms of cyberspace. i wouldn't quite consider my coursework to be blogitty blog material but for my final project (FASHIONING THE WEB - a supplement for i-D magazine) i found the perfect excuse to interview some of the girls and boys responsible for my daily reading material. i've been sitting on this for awhile but i think the time as come for me to share the love...

N.B. Jas M. B. Sample Sale

2008-07-06T12:08:00.000+02:00

i don't really know why i haven't made a big deal of my jas mb bag that i bought earlier this year at the grazia london fashion weekend sale... but i think it's time i gave a little shout out to jas. to be completely honest i've never heard of jas mb (yes, silly me.) until i came across the stall at the sale... but really it was love at first sight (cliche - yes... but exaggeration - most definately not!) i couldn't tear myself away from all the leather goodies! my poor sister, i think i dragged her back to the stall a good few times to have another look... and feel of course. needless to say, i purchased the lovely leather item (after much contemplation and confusion - i am the most indecisive girl ever) just seconds before the cashiers closed... and i got it for less than half of the original price! so for the past few months i have been the happiest jas mb toting girl in london. and it's funny cause just yesterday a friend of mine commented on the fabulous-ness of the bag and, like everyone else who gets the opportunity, couldn't help but reach out and cop a feel. what can i say? nice-to-touch leather is my guilty pleasure.

anywhoo... try get yourself down to the jas mb sample sale this week in shoreditch. there's bound to be lots bargains and hoards of cool-looking asian kids to up the game. i'm a 9-5 (or rather 10-6) unpaid working girl from tomorrow but i'll definately try get myself there... i might even stay for DJ set - maybe jas has other talents aside from making trendy understated leather bags which make me weak at the knees.

the controversial jelly shoe.

2008-04-29T22:08:00.001+02:00

what is it about the clothes and accessories that defined the 80's that makes us cringe? bodysuits, skorts and... the infamous jelly shoes. i can proudly say as a child i never owned a pair. but after slaving over the computer - fighting with the workings of indesign and my ability to work late into the night... i decided this girl deserved a pair of shoes! who knew that the first pair of shoes my eyes would set itself on would be a pair of JELLY SHOES... yes. i actually saw a okay-looking (as in i would consider wearing them) pair. okay don't get me wrong... i haven't totally given in to the dark side - that is the jelly shoe. i still think some, okay most, of the shoes are... well... just plain unacceptable!

i thought these (above picture but in black) were cute though_ okay. stop pulling that face! they aren't exactly peirre hardys or christian louboutins (although mind you marc jacobs, gucci and marni have all done a few jelly looking shoes for their collections). and yes they aren't exactly made of organic, sustainable materials and whatever natalie portman's vegan shoes are made of but they are cute and i quite like them. this is where i'm going to stop arguing my case cause my persuasion skills are crap and the jelly shoe is a difficult debate that i most probably won't win.

anyways they didn't have my size in black... they did however give me a glittery pink pair to try for size. aha as you thought - it nearly had me running for the door, promising never to lay eyes on another pair of jelly shoes again. what was i thinking?! and that's how i'm still feeling from time to time... constantly reminding myself... "but they're jelly shoes Ulanda!!".

but the store just called and my size is waiting for me... and so the internal debate continues... to own or not to own a pair of jelly shoes?