ANNA PIAGGI, THE LEGEND

Anna Piaggi left a legacy that is in a league of it's own. She was a remarkable women and style icon who was never afraid to wear exactly what she wanted, a little eccentric but with a huge following. She was always adorned with a spectacular head piece, and turned heads when she entered a room. Milan hosts an exhibition on her fascinating legacy which runs concurrent with Fashion Week next week, with the opening event taking place at the Palazzo Morando on the 21st September, and open to the public from the 22nd to the 30th of November. If hats take your fancy, you should not miss this opportunity to get a glimpse of her world of fantasy.  She was a remarkable contributor to the fashion industry for many years, editing and writing on the subject.

 

Quoted from the website of Camera de la Moda Milano:

 

“My hat is personal.  It is what contains the soul, the feeling, the sensation that moves this little world around”. A world where Chanel Haute Couture creations live alongside a Prada baseball cap and with which the “mad hatter” Stephen Jones, Piaggi’s friend and exhibition curator wanted to recreate the atmosphere.“

 

 

OVERSIZED COATS AND PRINTED TIGHTS

Like most things subjected to an audit, you should always balance things out, only this exercise performing an audit of my wardrobe, was completely devoid of balancing! So I delved a little deeper with my evaluation  and arrived at the horrifying conclusion that my entire kaleidoscope consists of  primarily Black, White, Citrus and Coral colour schemes, leaving me with a huge discrepancy! The absence of colour suddenly left me feeling empty, and completely lacking a sense of adventure. The only way I could do a balancing act was to add a little funkiness with print. Given the fact that my profession does not allow much creativity or opportunity to display my sense of dress adventure, I naturally gravitate towards the corporate colours and styles. If you're in the same rut, the easiest way of introducing some excitement in your mid season outfits, is by wearing printed tights.  Printed tights should not however be worn with anything to busy making it appear like a jigsaw puzzle. Combining to much accessories could also render it looking a little Burlesque! A simple pair of pumps or high heels would suffice, and if you wear a skirt, unlike me, show a little leg to emphasise the print! If you shorten the hemline to just above the knee and wear it with high heels it instantly elongates the legs, and worn with a flimsy little box pleated skirt, who knows where it will take you? Be brave girls.....seeing this in print, definitely spurs me on to shorten the skirt's length! An over sized coat like this also requires the hemline to be tapered down and should not be worn with to much bulk in the bottom since it could easily make you look to heavy.

 

 

 

 

 

Coat - Asos

Turtle Neck - Primark

Skirt - Studio W

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

Handbag - Louis Vuitton

Tights - V & D Amsterdam

MILITARY JACKET

Although the 1st September  officially announces spring down South, the weather has not really allowed us to turn to summer clothes yet. I am yearning to slip into something cool and to sport a lighter image, ridding myself of the weight and bulk of heavy winter fabric, allowing myself to feel the softness of chiffon and cotton on my pale winter skin. We are slowly coming out of winter hibernation and feeling the increase in day temperatures, but not warm enough yet to shed the load. It was like a breath of fresh air when the early morning temperatures indicators allowed a lighter set of clothes this morning, hence the bare legs with lighter shades. So I introduced spring with a military style jacket which is one of my own collection of custom made items, and very useful for mid season days. The military style never really seems to be unfashionable or dated, and it allows you various option to either sport a rather casual image by simply wearing it with boyfriend jeans, or dressing it up with heels. I find particular comfort in boyfriend style jeans as the over sized style gives an instant appearance of having slimmed down, really shedding the winter bulk in minutes.

 

Now all that's required is to move onto lighter food, reducing the bulk of the fleshy parts that developed in response to taking comfort in the warmth of slow food and bucket loads of soup, pancakes with sugar and cinnamon. I'd say it's about time to liberate my eating habits from the joys of winter. I'm starting with a delicious salad that I found a recipe for on  Peony Lim's blog, a scrumptious  Ginger, Beetroot, Fennel and Pomegranate Asian Slaw.....to be found at www.peonylim.com/ginger-beetroot-fennel-and-pomegranate-asian-slaw/

 

Happy weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Jacket - Belle Epoque

Pants - H & M

Shoes - Next

Handbag - Louis Vuitton

 

COLOURFUL INSPIRATION

Being a girl of a certain age, it doesn't mean you have to put your wardrobe into retirement. Although some of us may sometimes feel as if we've become invisible, we still deserve to be respected. We ought to uplift our spirits with positive thoughts by grooming ourselves to feel good. Nothing recharges the mind as quickly as a bright colour, and if you suffer mental stress the colour Turquoise gives you an instant lift, invigorating and calming the senses. It helps to create balance in emotions and brings calmness to the mind, so why no embark on a colourful expedition into your wardrobe, putting your closet on Botox?

 

Read more on the psychology of colour on the following website:

 

www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com

 

Variations of the Colour Turquoise

 

Aqua: Closer to green than blue, aqua is refreshing and uplifting. It is creative and light-hearted, yet strong and individual.

Aquamarine: Enhancing creativity and inspiration, the color aquamarine calms and balances the mind and the emotions.

Teal: A more sophisticated version of turquoise, teal signifies trustworthiness and reliability. It promotes spiritual advancement and commitment.

 

 

 

 

Trench Coat - Trenery

Skirt - Belle Epoque

Boots - Graziana

Turquoise Neck Piece - Siem Reap Craft Market

YELLOW FEVER AT CAPE TOWN FASHION WEEK

There is something remarkably energetic about the colour Yellow, from Mustard shades to luminous citrus, and Canary to Neon. I always shied away from the Canary shades since it is known to render pale complexion looking a little washed out. However, the ray of sunshine instantly draws attention and although not exactly featuring on my list of favourites for shoes, I'm beginning to grow on this vibrant colour. There were a number of shades seen at the recent Cape Town Fashion week, from the runway to the sidewalk, with turbans to shoes, and skirts to body hugging dresses. Some were kitted out in shades bright enough to warrant sunglasses. Some of the shades were gravitating towards the Mustard Yellows which I found rather attractive, especially if it's worn with winter textures, giving it a warm feeling. Many of the designers exhibited a hint of Yellow, but it was David Tlale who stole the show with his men's collection as seen below, bringing something tender to the boys......Yellow is perceived to be the colour of creative thought, so if you're experiencing creative block, change your surroundings to Yellow! The full skirt made a dramatic entry, as can be seen below in the photograph with the Mustard print by Loincloth and Ashes, who made this skirt available on the www.spree.co.za website. No need to mention, it flew of the shelves! The knee length coat at the bottom is from Zara, following in the footprints of a recent collection by Louis Vuitton, presenting subtle and soft pastel Yellow squares, looking particularly good worn with Black. The photographer second from below wearing a citrus Yellow pair of pants, is Clouds Drummond, a blogger from Cape Town.
 

 

 

TOM FORD'S FRAGRANCE LAUNCHES IN CAPE TOWN

Any women remotely interested in fashion and having a fondness for fragrance, should familiarise herself with this man, and the brand, Tom Ford. A legend in the making, and calling himself the Chanel of the 21st century, he sure is a force to reckon with.  I was elated to have discovered that Tom Ford launched his fragrance and lipsticks at Edgars stores at the V& A in Cape Town on Wednesday since we no longer have to wait to pass trough duty free when travelling to get it or to shop in Sandton. The event was attended by numerous media members who shared in the excitement of the new line of products, toasting to the future with a flow of decent bubbly  and delicious canapes. The brand introduced sensational perfumes and lip colours, with really lasting power. With a kaleidoscope of colours, there are shades for every taste and skin tone, from Berries to luscious Reds. A man of note indeed, who knows how to conjure up a fragrance that lures you into his parlour. With tones of Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Bergamot, the sultry Black Orchid won every women over. It leaves subtle notes of spice taking you to far away places, making your fragrance the envy of all. I cannot wait for the brand to launch the full range of products, and who knows, perhaps we will see his collection of clothes soon? The brand is strongly associated with luxury and exudes opulence......

WHAT I WORE CAPE TOWN FASHION WEEK

The beauty of an event like Fashion Week, is that it poses a creative challenge, and allows you the opportunity to wear something perhaps a little more flamboyant than usual. One has to bear in mind that it is a creative platform, and being to "dressy" might render you looking like the mother of the bride, which is not exactly what I wanted to achieve. I have seen many artistic creations and a multitude of full skirts worn with jersey tops and loud shoes, with the bottoms making the  statement. The full skirt seemed to have stolen the show of the front row being a popular trend that attracted much attention. I gravitated towards the reliable Black ensemble since it was in the evening. However, I could have added more colour to break up the monotony of Black, or perhaps have worn more bold accessories, making the look more trendy. I decided not to veer away to far from my comfort zone, so I only added a geometric print top to break the "cocktail" appearance of the all Black ensemble. I added a pair of Gold tipped shoes to brighten up the look. The feathers was my own addition which I had carefully stitched onto the seams of the jacket, the latter being made of a very fine taffeta. In conclusion, I would say that you do not have to shy away from flamboyancy at Fashion Week, as it is mostly clashing colours and mixed prints that received the envy and turned the heads!

If I wasn't going the get "snapped by the paparazzi, at least I got noticed when my feathers started shedding, creating much laughter every time I left my seat!

Photograph-courtesy Roger February who represented www.spree.co.za

With the charming Dana,(left) a reporter from Nairobi wearing a full skirt from Kluk CGDT, and Juliana Roux,(middle) captured by www.sdr.co.za

Jacket - Reserved Clothing

Bag - Chanel 2.55

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

Earrings & Spectacles - Vintage