STAR WHITE SWAG// #MRPMYSUMMER

ICYMI: PEARL THUSI IS A RATHER SEXY "SPHINX" IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF GASCHETTE

The Feather Awards named her fag hag of the year. It's the gorgeous Pearl Thusi, ladies and gents! How hot is this Gaschette Magazine shoot? I don't even want to say much. Let me just let Steve Marais's visuals, Jess Lupton's styling and her Royal Hagness's *sound of water on hot surface* do the talking. Go!!!

PRETTY IN PRINTS// #TURNUP

It's summer, boo! Went to a pool party yesterday so I pulled out that print swag along with my custom designed Puma sneakers, which yank compliments even from the haters, boo! Lol. Rocked my Miu Miu shades from Sunglass Hut which are the envy of all who know what sunnie swag should look like. I had so much fun at the party and there were so many hot people; baps worthy young'ins boo! My head was turning all over the show as I got turn't. And turn't, I was!!! Good times!!!

LOOK AT WHO PUMA'S NEW CREATIVE CONSULTANT IS...

JENNIFER LAWRENCE DAZZLING IN DIOR

I can't actually wait to see the sequel to Hunger Games and what a vision is Jennifer Lawremce in this Dior creation she wore at the premiere for the movie? This dress is modern, it's sleek, it's chic. It's all those things and more! Hunger Games: Catching Fire goes on circuit this Friday. I've gotta see it!!!

FOR LACK OF A BETTER HEADING; SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Sometimes, all you need is to keep it simple. It's summer and I've really been keeping it low key. I hate sweating and I hate feeling heavy as the sun toasts me so, for the past couple of weeks, I've been stocking up on simple tee's and trying to find nice little pieces if jewellery to pair with them. Notice the chain neck-piece around my neck? Well, I was looking for a white one initially but I could not find one. At least I found these very nice white brogue sneaks.

AMAZING AFRICAN MENSWEAR

 Basic contemporary silhouettes paired with vision can give amazing results when it comes to designer menswear. This is what Laurence Airline, an African designer brand I only recently discovered, proved with their gorgeous take on menswear at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa. And, yes, it was under the #AmazeAfrica banner. I took the trouble of finding out more about the label and it turns out they draw from ethnic African culture and value sustainable manufacturing. The line is manufactured at the brand's workshop in Ivory Coast by trained locals. I'm totally in love with what they produced in their collaboration with Missibaba, a collection called "Sankes and Chelonians". 

IMAGES: STEVE TACHEL/ SAMSUNG AMAZE AFRICA

COLLABORATIONS THAT WILL #AMAZEAFRICA

I love collaborations and I found Samsung's #AmazeAfrica show at the recent Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa quite interesting. The electronics giant gathered 14 designers from across the continent under the #AmazeAfrica banner pairing them to produce collaborative collections inspired by prehistoric African fauna and animals. More often than not, they had never previously met their collaborators and had to use technology in completing the task.

Although based in South Africa, Anisa Mpungwe was born in Tanzania. The designer, whose label is called Loin, Cloth & Ashes, was paired with fellow Tanzanian Doreen Mashika whose career as a designer began on her return to her home country after spending time working in Switzerland where she specialised in luxury goods management in the finance sector. The two of them used Skype to execute their collaborative collection.

“It was really challenging. I’ve always been a solo player. I have a team that I bounce ideas with but I’ve never worked with an entity that is totally separate from my own brand and in another country. I think it's a good opportunity to work on a project that is not solely involved with my brand ethos. As an established brand it is rare that you get to do something that challenges you creatively.” Anisa said.

The only way she could think of in communicating her vision to Doreen and vice versa was through fabric. “I didn’t know what her aesthetic was and I doubt she knew mine. We literally spoke through fabric. So I would say something like I am doing some layering with lots of metallics, I am using silk organza and that allowed her to also be creative on her side in order for the whole thing to come together.”

As their inspiration, Anisa and Doreen looked to insects- bees, wasps and ants. Doreen made the accessories and Anisa made the garments using tafetta, silk organza and mesh thereby interpreting the inspiration through colour and texture.

“I looked at how to replicate the surface the insect’s body, for instance; the colour of their wings if they are next to water or if light reflects through them. I found it quite interesting approaching design in that way.”

The silhouettes are still very much a Loin, Cloth & Ashes signature but Anisa said she purposely stepped away from the bright and graphic prints her label has become known for.

IMAGES: Samsung Amaze Africa/Steve Tanchel

ADDING HER TO MY FAVOURITE ACTRESS LIST

I went to the promotional press conference for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom this past Saturday and got to see Naomie Harris who, I must say, is a super gorgeous being. Having watched the movie a few days earlier I instantly added her to my list of favourite actresses. I kid you not; her portrayal of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is POWERFUL!!! I had an interview arranged with her yesterday but was later informed that she can't make it. To say this destroyed my day, let alone my soul would be an understatement. It was a complete dev. I was driven to such depths of depression that I had to stuff my face with Chicken Licken hot-wings! Still love this belle though. Go see the movie when it opens on the 28th.

POEME OBSESSION @ SUNGLASS HUT ZA

I am obsessed with the Prada Poeme collection currently available at Sunglass Hut. A tad disappointed that they didn't have the flower frame pair that I've been obsessing over for as long as I care to remember. Anyway! My buddy S'manga and I were just fooling around the shops today and, naturally, because we both love sunnies we stopped by Sunglass Hut and tried on all the Prada shades available to try on. Just look at that cabinet and tell me you don't find those sunnies a stunner! Love the pic I took of S'mangz even though the shades got a price tag still. Lol. #funtimes boo!

THE BEST RUNWAY EVER!!!

What an eventful weekend I had. Between fashion week and events around the upcoming movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, I had a lot on my plate. I survive to tell the tale. But anyway. I just wanted to share how impressed I was with the set up for the KLUK CGDT show last night at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa. The show was held at Freedom Park in Pretoria. No, the models did not walk on water- they only did that at the end of the show- but rather the paved area as we sat on the grass watching with green laser beams shotting above us in the night sky. It was such a spectacle. I thoroughly enjoyed being there. Never mind that I was also on happy juice! *wink*