MONEY WELL SPENT

You owe it to yourself to recharge your batteries by indulging in some serious me time. If you want a high return, you must invest well, and nothing works better at maintaining your investment than to book into a spa resort where you can load on vitamin D  to improve bone density, and feed the body and mind with nature's best in the form of herbal teas, yoga and raw food... The Kalima Resort and Spa is situated on a remote part about 20 minutes away from the hussle and bustle of Patong beach on the island of Phuket, and becoming an institutional escape for the annual ritual of spa breaks. It's spa offers all the usual creature comforts pampering you from head to toe! It provides a full service for body, mind and beauty. No shortage here of any kind of treatment or cure! After your treatment, take to the  pool deck which is like botox for the soul, allowing you to stare from the infinity pool into a state of meditation. I over indulged a little on the sanctity of the infinity pool causing serious sunburn on the shoulders. The best cure for sunburn is to invest in Thai cold pressed coconut oil, good enough to eat, and onto the next subject.... lunch.

TAKING COVER

I never imagined that a hat could ad so much pizazz to an outfit. The races at the J & B Met, was the perfect platform to sport the different styles of head cover. From elegant sloping hats with large brims, some as big as satellite dishes, to subtle fascinators gently dangling from the side of the head, to cheeky little feathers assembled in a bouquet, there was a hat for all. Some took cover behind head pieces that would have covered the wing span of an eagle, others donned  cylindric shapes reminiscent of the Zulu culture, beautifully adorned with embroidery and other paraphernalia. You be the judge, here are some of what I observed. 

J&B MET ATTENDEE STYLE

Candid photography renders pictures so much more interesting, capturing expressions not otherwise seen when a person poses for a picture. Somehow, people's faces take on an unnatural expression devoid of spontaneity rendering them a little lifeless the moment you ask them to pose for a picture. So, I went on safari doing candid.....

I saw many outfits made from traditional Dutch wax and Shwe Shwe, indigenous African  fabric with an ethnic character. The Dutch wax has become extremely popular, so much so that it has fallen prey to opportunistic masters of piracy and sold at street markets at a fraction of the price. Vlisco has been the pioneers in  Dutch Wax and recently formed an a collaboration with a famous design due of Cape Town, creating extravagant mixes in a multitude of bold prints with a plethora of patterns. The exciting part about this print, is that the mix always contain an element of surprise.  

This post presents a few of the wax prints and traditional fabric worn by attendees. The cylindrical hats with the flat tops, are traditional Zulu hats that were  given a breath of new life styled with modern clothing.

MADE FOR THE MIX , INSPIRED BY...

When Cape Town hosts an event, it is done for an audience across the world as it doesn't just have the mother of all  mountains, but a reputation for presenting events with flair and style. The J & B Met is high on the social calendar and a well established horse racing event as mentioned in my previous post. It attracts numerous people and gives the city a substantial economic injection, not to mention the fashion industry who otherwise experiences a rather quite month during January. The fashion cognoscenti stimulates the industry with conviction, making sure that they are seen wearing garments from local designers of which there is no shortage. Some go out of their way to look like a spectacle, others do their best to uphold the elegance of a bygone era. My perception of the races, is one of sophistication and elegance, and so it should be, in true tradition of equine events. 

There is a huge element of extravagance with themed costumes dominating the scene, all of them milling around on high heels hoping to be snapped, and obviously competing for the best dressed couple. The overwhelming majority who prances around on the lawns seem to think of the races as a spectacle to sport their most outrageous looks, and perhaps there is also room for this phenomenon. Having attended as a media member, I mostly gravitated towards aiming my lens at the more glamorous daywear and captured the looks that I thought of as being classy and fabulous as opposed to outrageous, spectacular or dramatic calling for a stage instead of a race track. 

My outfit was carefully selected to blend in with the theme but still enabling me to feel comfortable and looking fairly chic.The massive flower in my headpiece was inspired by the abundance of Cape Fynbos, the indigenous flowers that are endemic to our beautiful province. The colour Red was decided on because it exudes energy to represent the stealth and speed of the horses. The style of my dress is inspired by the middle ages and called the "Juliette" dress. My shoes are made of pony skin (no, not horse's hair, but hair on hide), with a leopard print representing Africa. The gaming token on my purse was in line with the act of gambling and betting. The entire combination was made for the mix........

With the talented and charming designer, Portia Masimula, and her model, right in one of Portia's Ostrich feather creations. 

Hat - Handmade

Dress - Belle Epoque, "The Juliette"

Shoes - Zara

Purse - Unknown

Sungasses - Dior 

Photography , other than where I appear in it, my own handiwork done with a Canon