A$AP ROCKY FASHION KILLA x RIHANNA

The video for A$AP Rocky's latest single "Fashion Killa" dropped exclusively on GQ.com yesterday. I am in love with A$AP. No, really! And everyone who knows me knows I got mad love for Rihanna so having both of them in one video is like some sort of orgasmic experience. I was kinda hoping A$AP would still be touring with Rih when she comes down to South Africa for her Diamonds World Tour next month. This will unfortunately not be happening... Sadly. But it's cool. Love seeing them together in this video over here. I've done a few screengrabs from it.

"LOVERS IN THE PARKING LOT"

Everyone who knows me knows my favourite Knowles sister is Solange and how excited was I to find that she has finally put out a video for one of my favourite songs from her recent album TRUE? 'Lovers in the Parking Lot' is one of those tracks that take my imagination to Psychedilia and back. I've loved it from the first listen and it just never gets old. Also... I am told I disappeared into a parking lot with a gorgeous human on a drunk Thursday evening last week. This song is clearly the soundtrack to my life. Lol!
Solange wears a lot of lame in this video and I want me that silver blouse she wears in one of the scenes. It's such a jamming video. Hope you love it as much as I do. Nothing pretentious, just Sol-Angel in empty shops and alleyways. 

x

IDRIS ELBA COVERS US GQ

Ah! Mr Elba! As you most probably know by now; Idris Elba is the man of the moment thanks to the upcoming movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. How amazing is it to see the world giving this much attention to a South African story that has been turned into a movie made by South Africans? Never mind the fact that Idris isn't South African. Producer Anant Singh did say just the other day that the best man got the job. I have no reason to doubt that. Besides, which South African star could make global box office gold all on their own. Whether or not we like it, we do need foreign big names to star alongside our own in locally made films that we want to market to the world. Anyways, Elba speaks about raising a child that wasn't his own and shows men how to rock the three piece suit in this issue of US GQ. Read the story here.

THE OLIVIA POPE COVER WAR HAS BEGUN

ELLE and Marie Claire South Africa go head to head with the same cover star on their respective October covers. It's Olivia Pope, everybody! To those who aren't watching one of TV's most sensational series "The Fixer" (or "Scandal" to you pirate TV peeps, lol), I guess you will know her as Kerry Washington. Must say, I really like the ELLE cover more simply because it is cleaner. At the same time, the colour on Marie Claire's cover just says "summer"! Still... for someone like me who doesn't buy mags for covers content is King! Can't wait to page through both!

PUMA, NEXT STARTS NOW x SOPHIA CHANG

Sophia Chang is an illustrator and the first among several influencers PUMA is collaborating with in their Next Starts Now series. The brand describes the people it has picked for these collabos as "influencers who connect culture, attitude, and style with ambition."  
The group are tasked with enhancing key lifestyle products with their own creativity and vision. Chang, specifically, was asked to pimp the women's lifestyle footwear collection, which she wears in the pictures posted above.

IF HE DOESN'T LIKE THE WAY YOU DRESS...// MAN REPELLER BOOK

She's everyone's favourite blogger, and if she's not, she's probably up there somewhere with the best. Leandra Medine of the Man Repeller blog is attracting headlines for her soon-to-be released book "Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls". I absolutely love the title and I look forward to reading her memoirs even though she's two years younger than me, I am sure there is much to be learnt from the very eventful life of one of the world's most recognisable and undoubtedly most successful fashion bloggers. With that said; many have sought to portray Medine as someone who doesn't like men, but hey, she's married! I guess because she once said a man who doesn't like how you dress is probably not worth your time in the first place it is easy to put her in that category of women who are anti-men, whatever this means. I tend to agree with Medine and trust me how one dresses is a big headache in gay circles. Some would have us believe that those of us who are single and decidedly flamboyant- and I've been told this before, by friends nogal- will remain so simply because the way we dress chases potential suitors away. As you will know, I love blouses and lately, I've been wearing nothing else but size 28 skinnies from the women's section simply because I think it suits me better then the cuts available to men. And here you were thinking I dress like this because I want to be a step closer to womanhood. Not a chance! I love being male. I couldn't imagine not having a penis. Besides, if I woke up tomorrow and had a vagina the only thing it would solve is how society looks at me; "you're a woman, naturally you must be attracted to men". No! I'm happy to be a man attracted to other men, thank you very much!

Anyhu... Before I stray from the topic. I identify very much with the idea that a man you repel simply because of what you wear is simply not the kind of man you want to be attracting anyway. Perhaps it is this idea that endears Medine to me. I am really excited about reading her book and I wish those gays- and women, I guess- who force themselves to be a particular way in order to attract guys will one day learn that such things shouldn't matter. What must matter, I believe, is what you feel for the other person. Am I right or am I right? Yes, I am!

COME DINE WITH ME SA LAUNCHES THIRD SEASON

I am blogging from the Come Dine With Me South Africa launch at The Venue in Monrningside, Sandton. What fun!!! I'm part of Team Celeste Ntuli, busy trying to come out tops against three other teams. We have Cameron van der Bergh on our team. Not sure how the other teams hope to win. This is an Olympian right here, y'all. Also spotted Puleng "Shut the Front Door" Spies looking fab as always. Remember her from last season?

Anyhu! Come Dine With Me South Africa goes on air Monday 30 September on BBC Entertainment. It's back to the fun for me now! Ciao! *wink*

NB: This was a live blog posted at 10:12pm. Whatever transpires next will not be in this post. *wink again*

AMANDA LAIRD CHERRY BAGS

I took pictures of these really pretty- or so I think- bags by Durban designer Amanda Laird Cherry when I went to the SA Fashion Week pop-up store at Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria last weekend and forgot to share them. I was reminded earlier today when I walked past The Space, where they are stocked. Pretty precious, aren't they? #buymzansi

MS. PHETO IN THULA SINDI IN TORONTO

Ok. I officially crown Terry Pheto South African fashion ambassador of the year. She just keeps churning it out. In case you've been asleep for the past few days, Terry is in Toronto for the Canadian city's International Film Festival. On the red carpet at the "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" premiere on Saturday, Miss Pheto wore a Marianne Fassler dress. She also wore a Pichulik neckpiece and a Gert Johan Coetzee dress. In the pic above which she Instagrammed a few hours ago, Miss Pheto is wearing Thula Sindi at an SA Industry seminar. She wore another Marianne Fassler at a party given by In Style Magazine. It's people like Terry we need to celebrate for their unwavering support of South African fashion on the global stage. She makes me so proud! Wow!

SYLVESTER FALATA LUNCHEON// SA FASHION WEEK POP-UP STORE

I need to focus! How dare I not spot the paparazzo and act accordingly? DON'T EVER look away from the camera. Anyhu! These pics were taken last weekend when I and a few other lovely people were taken to Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria where SA Fashion Week was having a pop-up store with various of their designers displaying their wares and hopefully making ka-ching! It's a great initiative that I hope will grow from strength to strength and not stop in Pretoria. After doing a little shopping, thanks to Nedbank who were kind enough to give this blogger a shopping voucher, I and the other lovely folk, including the beautiful Celeste Khumalo (pictured) were hosted by designer Sylvester Falata and Nedbank at Tasha's where we broke bread, talked fashion, drank wine, laughed and talked smack for the rest of the afternoon. Ah! The simple things! You may be asking 'where the hell does Nedbank feature in all this?'. Well, the bank is now an SA Fashion Week sponsor in line with their #votesmallbusiness campaign. I love it when big South African businesses get involved with the local fashion industry. I think over the past few years more and more people are realising that fashion is not just about runway shows and fun times, it's business! It's wonderful to see because trust me; the more designers focus on building businesses rather than being glamourzons the easier it will be to convince the South African public that supporting local fashion is a worthy undertaking. Why? Because a focus on business naturally translates to a focus on good product delivery. The two cannot be isolated. Anyway... Enough babbling from me.

TERRY PHETO AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

I absolutely had to screengrab this picture of Terry Pheto who looked stunning in Marrianne Fassler at the Toronto International Film Festival last night. Ms Pheto is one of the stars of the movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and walked the red carpet with co-stars Idris (Mr Fucking-Hot) Elba and Naomie Harris. To say this girl has a charmed life is a total understatement. I'd totes do anything to live in Terry's shoes... Even if it's just for a day. Anyway... I love it when our local stars share their global shine with South African designers. That's what makes good ambassadors, so kudos to Terry for always representing!

BLOUSEBOY BRIGHTSOLE PUMA

A few weeks ago an email landed in my inbox asking me if I was keen on designing a pair of Pumas. My response? "Are you for real?". As if I'd turn THAT deal down! So off I went to the sportswear brand's store on De Korte street in Braamfontein, Jozi, where I selected colours and fabric to make up my very colourful Puma sneaker, which I have opted to call "The Blouseboy Brightsole" (I know. I shoulda thought of that before picking a black sole, but so what?). I digs! Thank you Puma!

GIORGIO OR MIU? WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Which of the two pairs of shades I am pictured wearing above would you have picked? Now, now... I know the easy answer would be "both"! But what if you only had the option of one? I really like the Giorgio Armani pair in the first picture but the Miu Miu's just spoke to me! Anyway... Small- yes, that's her name- at the Rosebank Sunglass Hut was very patient with your's truly as I switched between pairs asking her to take pics as I went along and eventually picked the Miu Miu pair. Here's a closer look... Dope, nne?