CAPE TOWN FASHION WEEK DATES ANNOUNCED!

Time to get your pretty on again soon as Mercedes Benz Cape Town Fashion Week has been announced. Save the date for 30 July -1 August 2015 and prepare yourself for a wealth of designers taking part in this year's show. Fashion Weeks always offer a platform for creative dressing, so get the  creative juices flowing by start playing with your wardrobe. The simplest way of going about creative dressing is to watch attendees at European Fashion Weeks, with the option to wear things less conventional. A dash of vintage is always a great idea. I spotted a few trends in Europe recently, and since we are one season behind, there can be no doubt that we will be seeing a lot of over the knee boots, ( yes another season of those), coats draped over the shoulders, long and short layers worn together aka Margaret Zhang style, bold colours and dresses or skirts worn with pants editor style, ponchos and cape coats galore. Fur has been a firm favourite but since our temperature hardly permits a coat, there is little room for that. I always hope for really cold weather as I am keen on layering and bulking up on fur accessories ( you may fake the fur with faux...)

 

This year's event promises to deliver an impressive collection with AFI being the driving force in the discovery of new and  upcoming talent.  Watch this space for further news on the event. In the meanwhile, a few snippets from last year's event...

 

MOCKING WINTER

It's hard to imagine winter when flowers are still in bloom, and with the everlasting abundance of the Butterfly bush, one has permanent bliss in the garden. Not that I have any particular preference for warm weather as I have an inclination to rather invest in winter garments! I'd much rather snuggle up in boots and gloves and cover myself in a heavy wool coat than sport a summery dress, as winter outfits just exude so much more elegance. Besides, when the fleshy bits get  saggy and a little sun deprived, it's an easy way out! I sincerely welcome the cooler mornings and could not wait to take cover in my recently acquired moto jacket in the softest Napa leather. The fanciful print of my tunic is a delightful escape from my usual corporate attire which is required for work purposes. The shorter jacket and casual print on the tunic gives it a whimsical feel, a comfortable and casual look for running errands around town. 

Leather Jacket - Hema

Pants - Trenery

Shoes - Old

Bag - Michael Kors

Sunglasses - Miu Miu

Tunic - Boohoo

BREAKING THE RULES

Ever had an idea for an outfit and not finding it anywhere in store? That's when I resort to fabric stores, gathering bits and pieces of material to give birth to a new outfit. What if the fabric store does not have the fabric you have in mind? Then you resort to different options, be it upholstery or curtain  fabric, and in this case, scarves!

 

I stumbled across a beautiful silk scarf store in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a while ago and new instantly that it would make a fabulous blazer. I bought several of the same scarves to assemble a jacket. With the talent of my local seamstress and designer, two minds created this gorgeous number. It is essential to give a little structure to a blazer by having it lined. I also paid a brief visit to a craft market in Bangkok where local Thai crafts people exhibit their talent. It is here where my eye caught the attention of another scarf  - cum shawl, most suitable for matching pants. It drapes beautifully and is firm enough to hold it's shape. The only handicap is that you need a specialist dry cleaner when you have things of such fine fabric, cleaned. The soft and natural fibres of silk makes it ideal to construct into wearable garments, but do be mindful as it needs special methods of care in cleaning.  I'ts been a very eventful month with a great deal of exposure to fashion and beauty during fashion and hair shows, including  a show of the miraculous new product by TREsemme, controlling split ends, more of that to be shown later.

 

In the meanwhile, I'm gearing up for fall, gathering trends and ideas and toying with the concept of creative dressing...... so watch this space for the next outfit post soon!

 

 

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.