Never one to follow the rules…

 

On Saturday, South Africans celebrated Freedom Day in commemoration of the first democratic elections that took place in 1994, a day worth celebrating indeed. So in continuing with the weekend spirit, we were invited to an all-white dress code party on the rooftop of a building in Braamfontein.

Never one to follow the rules, I broke up the all-white palette with some gold accessories and a bright green jacket and yes I was completely told off by Tiyani for my lack of propriety. When we eventually got to the shin-dig, turns out I was not alone in my rebellion and almost everyone broke the all white palette with at least one other bold colour. The venue was really cool with a great view of parts of the Joburg skyline however the setup was… umm rather bare. Plus the weather didn’t help in terms of the poor turn out.

Needless to say we got out of there pretty quick and then spent the rest of the night trying to find out where everyone else in Joburg was spending their public holiday. Turns out they were all doing the same thing as us, eventually turning to the old faithful McDonalds on Rivonia and Grayston at around 01h00!

 

I wore an ivory lace skirt from YDE, a white shirt from Jay-Jays, nude pumps from Steve Madden. I accessorized my look with a dramatic cubed gold necklace from Mr Price and a black and a white envelope clutch from Forever New. The next time you are invited to an all-white party and you are semi-curious, the green jacket is from Zara lol!

 

Check out Tiyani’s “California Dreaming” look…       

 

                              

Scooped by the Fatman...?

So I finally managed to get a handle on the flu bugs that were toying with my system and I am now in good health and relatively good spirits. This weekend, like most weekends just had too much going on for my laidback nature. From questionable party invites, a whole lot of driving between Johannesburg and Pretoria (I am talking Rosebank, Sandton, Melville, Braamfontein, Fordsburg, Alphen Park, Brooklyn, Arcadia and Johannesburg CBD), McDonald’s pit stops at 01h00, so this young lass is rather tired. Bear in mind that all of this was done on the most meager and minuscule financial scope…*gets teary eyed*.

So Friday night, whilst high on flu meds my pals convinced me to go to a spot in Rosebank we frequent every once in a while, Club Hush, because Fatman Scoop was in town! I know what you are thinking… *cringe*… I don’t even have half of a decent excuse, there is absolutely nothing I could say to inject back any “cool” into this situation. Let’s just say it was a fun but dubious night out!

I wore grey striped tuxedo denims I got from London, a black peplum top from Cotton On, black strappy heels from Zara. I accessorized my look with two tone red and blue feather earrings from Mr Price and a black and white envelope clutch from Forever New.

Trend alert: 90s Revival

Hi loves, apologies for being MIA this week. I was so unceremoniously struck by the flu and have been bed-ridden all week. Flu season is not playing games this year, get your shots, dress up warm, do what you have to do to protect yourself because it’s not pretty.

Before the onslaught of my body by influenza, my 9 to 5 space had me drive to my Alma mater, University of Pretoria, what a refreshing experience it was. I felt so nostalgic and it was so comforting seeing how much campus still looks and feels the same. It felt so good to be back and I kept imagining one of my friends would show their face around the many familiar corners but alas that was not meant to be, besides literally everyone I know has graduated and moved on to climb the corporate ladder or join the rat race…whichever you prefer!

Anywhoo the 90s are making a comeback onto the fashion scene. If you are thinking about your 90s swagger and cringing, fear not, you are certainly not alone. 90s sloppy grunge is making its return in a big way. Think teeny cut off shorts, crop tops, flannel shirts, camouflage and shirts tied around your waist.

Jessie J

Take a look at we have to look forward to in stores…

Baggy military jackets…

Miley Cyrus

Tiny tank dresses…

Rihanna

Rihanna

Crop tops…

Rita Ora

Cassie

Cut off denims…

Miley Cyrus

Dungarees / Overalls…

Phillip Lim

Ralph Lauren

Flannel shirts...

Dr Martens…

 As a kid growing up in the 90s act like you never wanted a pair of these!

Did you note the gold chains

I personally welcome the gold chain accessory revival and for anyone interested, you can pick up some cute chains at Sass Diva with necklaces retailing for about R270 (USD 25) and bracelets retailing for about R150 (USD 14).

What do you think? A trend worth trying? I just want to put it out there that I draw the line at Jellybaby shoes and butterfly clips.

 

Fresh off the Runway

One thing that I love about Fashion Week is the renewed sense of energy I get viewing gorgeous garment after gorgeous garment. It reminds me just how alive this country is and how alive Africa is, literally bursting with possibilities, sheer talent and creative genius. It makes me feel like I am part of something so special.

The one great thing that comes out of being part of the standby line brigade is all the new talent that I may not have otherwise been exposed to. Last year for SAFW Autumn / Winter, I fell in love with Life by Andre Martin and Lyric Fashion. This year I was introduced to Skorzch, aka Zanozuko Sithetho, an uber talented young designer who in my eyes has single-handedly brought back all the true aesthetic elements of the gentleman. That's right fellas there is plenty for you in this post too.

Zanozuko Sithethho

Here is a look at my round up of Fashion Week, based on the shows I got to see.

Rubicon…

 

All images courtesy of  Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

I must say I preferred her last Spring / Summer collection, however I like the simplistic take she adopted for this collection and the earthy tones mixed with deep red.

Gert Johan Coetzee...

 All images courtesy of  Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

His latest offering was 1000 times better than what we saw last year. It had the right amount of edge and drama for it to still be fashion and not delve into the murky realms of a concept gone wrong. His entire collection was all monochromatic black and white, with lots of feathers, sequins, and some interesting spikey detailing, a fun collection indeed. He ended off the show with a very cool public service announcement, all his models came out with tape over their mouths in support of Shout South Africa, a campaign aimed at targeting the high crime figures within the country.

Loxion Kulca...

 

All images courtesy of Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

I have to say this collection took me by surprise. I hadn’t heard much from this brand in quite some time and getting to view the brands latest collection was a real treat indeed. The concept seems to be aimed around service of country with military and aviation elements. The theme music was awesome with TKZee’s Fela Kae taking us way back to the nineties. I absolutely loved the edgy street style and felt quite nostalgic longing to be a student again to rock the looks on offer.

Ephymol...

All images courtesy of Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

One thing you will always take away from any offering by Ephraim Molingoana is class. This man’s collections are always classy and clean with beautiful tailoring, you almost feel like that particular garment was made specifically for the person wearing it, hand to glove. Keeping right on par with the international designers, his collection boasted garments showcasing both colour blocking and fabric blocking with an interesting mix of leather, jacquard and flannel.

Get a load of the green cat eye, eyeliner on the female models, definitely one to try out.

Skorzch...

All images courtesy of Simon / SDR Photo

The superstar of the night in my opinion was Skorzch (pronounced Scorch) as I mentioned above. His collection was all about the gentleman. His collection had a very 1950s New Orleans, southern hospitality, throwback feel to it and in my mind I could hear horns and trumpets in the background. I absolutely loved this collection and I am so excited to watch his career develop and grow. It’s no wonder that he took home the prize as the winner of the 2012 SAFW Renault New Talent Search.