SHARPENING THAT EYE @ WHAT IF THE WORLD

Golly! I kind of feel like a bit of a train wreck, really. Don't get me wrong; last night was fun. I can't remember much of the detail about what happened. I know I went to Marie Claire Magazine's Naked Issue launch, which was super fabulous (always a party with Marie Claire)! I also know that I ended up at the Waiting Room on Long Street jamming hard to some kick ass tunes. This is a total guess, I really don't know what the DJ was th'wow'in' down, but hey, I do know where the day started. It started at What if the World gallery in Woodstock where we went to the opening of artist Cameron Platter's exhibition. Read about it here

The few pictures posted here were taken there. I'm still trying to sharpen my photographic eye and it helps to have places to go where I can kind of do this. Please note that the beautiful flower man figure is not by Platter, but Athi Patra Ruga, whose works are also still up at the gallery.

DAVID TLALE: I CAN IMAGINE A HOLLYWOOD STARLET IN THIS...

By now you will have most probably read about South African designer David Tlale's show at  Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York. The show was a slight departure from what we are used to seeing from one of the country's top designers but it was perhaps one of the best collections I have certainly seen from him. As I live streamed the show on Sunday afternoon, I could not help going "wow" over and over and over again. The one thing I kept saying was that this is by far his most mature collection. I absolutely loved it and I can most certainly see a Hollywood starlet rocking something out of this one. The two images I chose above are the two looks I picked from the bunch as what I can imagine setting the red carpet alight with clicks from the paparazzi as a starlet sashays! I also loved this one- the showstopper, modelled by the gorgeous Tatum Keshwar.

Well done, Tlale!

TAKING LEAVE FROM LIFE, AND ACTUALLY LIVING

Sometimes all you need in life is a little trip outside of your busy city life. This past weekend was one filled with a lot of activity for me; lots of fun times with friends I had not seen in a while. My friend Emanuel and I landed in Cape Town last week Thursday. I am here to see through a project I am working on with my other friend Mali and Emma was here just for the weekend. After a few days of the usual type of fun- lots of partying, alcohol, peeking at and flirting with pretty boys and all that- we set out on a trip around the Cape Peninsula with Mali. It is truly one of my favourite things to do when in Cape Town, just taking in the beauty of Africa. Sometimes we get so preoccupied with what it is we do; work, relationships and all that and we forget that life is for living. For me, living is about appreciating beauty and the simple things. This is what this trip reminded me. There is nothing simple about life in the city, but a step back from it all is sometimes what one needs to get excited about it all all over again.

DELAYED POST: COSMO SEXIEST MAN 2014

So, Top Billing's Jonathan Boynton-Lee was named this year's Cosmopolitan Magazine Sexiest Man at an event held at Room 5 in Rivonia, Johannesburg, last week Thursday. He beat the likes of rapper AKA and Selimathunzi's Lunga Shabalala for the title previously held by Maps Maponyane.The whole time I stood there sipping on Brutal Fruit's Mango-Goji I couldn't help thinking to myself; "Wow, this is like the real Mr South Africa, not that other little contest they call by that title." As I thought that, host Miss Bonang Matheba actually said it on stage, so I guess I'm not the only one who thinks this is the ultimate contest for the country's most… what's the word to use… "coveted" men? I don't know what you think, but in my books that's what it is. Thank you so much to Brutal Fruit for inviting me. I had such a great time. Since it took place on my last day at my previous job, it couldn't have come at a better time as I celebrated opening up a new chapter in my professional life. 

BONANG'S WOOLWORTHS LINGERIE LINE IN STORES TODAY

In case you are still unaware... Your girl B* has a new lingerie line which she designed in collaboration with Woolworths and it is in stores today. This is yet another stunning achievement from one of the country's brightest stars following closely on her deal to be the face of Revlon in South Africa, the first ever outside of the US. Says Queen B: "Anyone that knows me understands that I love looking good, and that process for me begins with picking the right lingerie. Walking into the partnership, I knew I wanted to put my heart and soul into the collection. I had very specific ideas I wanted to explore and a clear direction. I am truly grateful to Woolworths for granting me the freedom to tap into my creativity and the guidance throughout the process."
Well, I don't have boobies, hips or ass, but if you do, you'd best get down to your nearest Woolies and get yourself into one of her creations. For the guys out there; this comes just in time for you to surprise your loved one with new lingerie for Valentine's Day. If your girlfriend thinks you are obsessed with Bonang for doing so, well, maybe that's because you are. Maybe you can calm her down by saying; "Baby, you look even better than Queen B in this." ;)
PICTURES: SUPPLIED

LUPITA NYONG'O: REAL DEAL OR WESTERN OBSESSION WITH "AFRICAN BEAUTY"

I have nothing against the success of an African model like Alek Wek but, without discounting that she is a hard worker and very smart woman (I've interviewed her, I know this for a fact), I can't shake the idea that some of her success is due to a romanticised and very Western ideal of what should look African. It should be dark, really dark. I could go as far as calling this the Tin-Tin syndrome. As disturbing a thought as this is we cannot sit and blindly believe that all is well with the fashion and entertainment industries (or life in general for that matter) when it comes to the issue of race and the  portrayal of beauty. Try being me- light skinned- and dare try to be a model. Good luck to you finding work. Your look would not be deemed African enough. Typing this out is highly discomforting but this is the reality of a world that has been through centuries of racial segregation as a direct result of which the victims (read: black people) are still trying to finding their own definition of beauty that is not prescribed by the very romanticisation perpetuated by Western media. 

This is why I worry about the current obsession with Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o who, I must say, is not only gorgeous and super stylish but also supremely talented. I had the opportunity to watch "12 Years A Slave" the other day and I was blown away by her performance in this Golden Globe winning film about slavery. Co-incidentally she plays a character who is the subject of the vile rape of black slaves by disgusting, horny slave masters. It is my hope that her career as an actress prospers, that she isn't a flavour of the month just because she is the latest dark skinned beauty. That, in other words, she isn't simply a subject of awe and curiosity a la Saartjie Baartman just because she is a dark skinned beauty from the "dark continent". It would be such a shame. I was so impressed with her performance that I thought even Jennifer Lawrence will have to sit her ass down as this Kenyan beauty walks up to that Golden Globes stage to accept her accolade for her role in the movie. In my books; she most definitely IS the real deal!

IMAGES: Dazed Digital 

CHOOSE HAPPINESS

I’ve been thinking about what my first blog post for 2014 should be and, while there’s plenty pictures to post from the holidays, for some reason I just haven’t got round to even transferring all the images from my camera to my computer. I guess work just took over and I’ve been delaying the things that make me happy as a result. Blogging is one of these things but more often than not, there’s very little time in our busy lives to dedicate to the things we truly care about. I’ve decided that 2014 is going to be that year where I put me first. The plan, which I can happily report is in motion as we speak, is to start dedicating more time to the things that make me smile and less time to the things that piss me off and make me feel like I’m delaying my own dreams and aspirations in favour of keeping those around me feeling happy and secure. It's a slow process but one that will surely bring me great reward in the long run. I'm confident it will. So, yes… While this post is overly delayed, I just wanted to put this out there. Maybe you, too, should think about making this your “ME” year. Discard your fears, take the plunge. Choose happiness.

PICTURES: (Blogger's own) Me in Zimbabwe, just about to board the train for the Jameson Victoria Falls Festival party that took place in the middle of a nature/game reserve. Such fun! I will be posting pictures from that trip soon. (Gotta edit... Duh!!!)

BTW. I do not know the gentleman in the hat. He was just a jolly dude who photo bombed me. Not that I mind. Happy people is what we're all about!

BEYOND THREADS: BEYONCE

Solange is my favourite Knowles sister. That is a fact that is not about to change. I'm not into comparing her and the older sister Beyonce, but in terms of both music and style I find Solange to be far more creative and far more superior. I don't expect the mass market to appreciate that. Moving along... I've been giving Beyonce's latest self-titled album a listen and I have to admit to being impressed and hooked by a few tracks. These include Drunk In Love, Rocket, Mine, Flawless and my absolute favourite Pretty Hurts. On the vocals, Beyonce is unsurpassed by any artist I know of today. She really does a lot with them. While I think the silent release of Beyonce's visual album (the iTunes download comes with 17 music videos) was a marketing genius I'm afraid the album itself falls short of being as close a triumph, for me at least, when compared to her previous efforts. I don't know if I expected more- a new sound or whatever it may be- from B, but I do know that this is not my favourite album from a woman many have called the Michael Jackson of our time. But this doesn't mean I hate it. I'm enjoying it; I just wish it did more to me than make me "enjoy". What do I enjoy most about it? How Beyonce responds to the criticism over feminism that was initially sparked by "Bow Down" by adding elements of Nigerian feminist writer Chamamanda Ngozi Adichie's powerful TED Talk on feminism and adds more lyrics to it to support what she started with songs like "Run The World (Girls)" and "Independent Woman" for instance. I love how she doesn't shy away from her desire to please her man in spite of all the feminist ideals she espouses. Her's is a brand of feminism that embraces reality rather than to say "I can do it ALL and I don't need a man". 

SCREENSHOT: "Pretty Hurts" music video with model Shaun Ross

ALL I WANT FOR X-MAS

I'm a very simple person. I like simple things, hence the length of my Christmas Wish List. Just two items! Never mind the fact that I don't actually celebrate Christmas, gifts are welcome anyway! I mean, who doesn't like gifts? So, if you want to charm the pants off this blogger this December, do take note (*wink). All I want is a bottle of Tom Ford Noir and these shades from Prada's cinema collection. I wouldn't mind the Poeme frames with the flower frame detail, either. See those here and go search every Sunglass Hut branch you can get to. I promise I will be obliged to love you for the summer if you get me any of these items. 

x

PART OF THE ART// MR PRICE SUMMER LAUNCH// CAPE TOWN

This post is extremely delayed, but anyway...

I was in Cape Town that other two weekends ago. If there's anything anyone who reads this blog or follows my tweets knows it is the fact that I am besotted with that city. For some reason, people in that city have a certain hotness about them. I was down there with Mr Price as they launched their summer range and the latest Henry Holland collaboration. The man himself came all the way from the UK to celebrate with us and brought along Pixie Geldof, one of the several famous friends who inspired his dress designs for this collection. Others include Rihanna and Kelly Osbourne among others.

The event was one big, bubbly and fun-filled festival style do held at a venue in Newlands, Cape Town. Being the CT-lover that I am, I allowed fellow blogger and friend Mali (of Skattie What Are You Wearing) to drag me along to the galleries in Woodstock to view some of the artworks on display at several of the galleries there. I took pics of some of the work I liked from Nandipha Mntambo and Bogosi Sekhukhune. Never mind me (pictured above) trying to make myself part of the art! Or the fact that I look half drunk. I wasn't. I was about to though ;)

WOODSTOCK

MAWANDE KA ZENZILE'S "UGOLOGOLO- INDODA YASE KOMANI"

NANDIPHA MNTAMBO

BOGOSI SEKHUKHUNE'S RATCHET OF THE EARTH

BOGOSI SEKHUKHUNE'S RATCHET OF THE EARTH