Author: Sam Growdon

From Downtown to Down-under : Nadine Rubin Nathan

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From the hip streets of Brooklyn to the leafy green suburbs of Auckland, Nadine Rubin Nathan is a woman with a long list of achievements. I spoke to her about past jobs, her recent move to New Zealand and her future plans, all while juggling full-time motherhood. It’s 22h00 in dark, cold and drizzly Paris as I FaceTime Nadine Rubin Nathan. It’s 10h00 the following morning in warm, bright and sunny Auckland where Nadine and her family have recently moved. She looks so fresh – although comments that she’s been up most of the night with a teething one-year-old – and even though I haven’t seen her for over 10 years she hasn’t aged a single day. Nadine is originally from my home city of Joburg and was my boss at ELLE magazine. She was the youngest editor-in-chief in South Africa of a global fashion title, which is testament to her talent and her unique mix of brilliant writing skills, creative eye and the ability to interpret trends and just knowing what is “cool”. After …

Ultimate Wishlist : 19.12.2014

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Isn’t this Panthère de Cartier ring just so fierce? I’m sure it even comes with it’s own set of super powers, and isn’t that what every girl wants? The panther, Cartier’s iconic mascot, was first used in the house’s jewellery in 1914 and has since inspired loads of lustful pieces. This particular piece is 18K yellow gold with tsavorite garnets and onyx, and certainly small enough to fit in Santa’s pocket! http://www.cartier.com

Ultimate Wishlist : 21.12.2014

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Can anyone say S.E.X.Y?! Monsieur Tom Ford sure does know how to make beautiful clothes and shoes. Oh and make-up, fragrance, handbags, photographs … his list of talents is super long and by-the-way, juggling all this with a toddler in tow! The Napa simple strap evening sandal is perfect for a New Year’s eve party and I’m completely in love with the lock and key charm detail. http://www.tomford.com

Ultimate Wishlist : 22.12.2014

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I love anything techie, however here is nothing more beautiful and simple than going “Old School”. Perhaps it comes from two generations of family before me, where my grandfather and my mother both used a diary to keep track of their daily goings on. The smell of the leather cover, the white pages filled with lists made in their handwriting, appointments that reflect the people they are and those in their lives and their future adventures. So in the spirit of Old School – and 125 years of tradition – I’m crushing on these two must-haves from British house, Smythson of Bond Street. A 2015 diary and a travel wallet, the perfect combo to keep track of all the travel to come in the new year! Images courtesy of www.smythson.com

Ultimate Wishlist : 23.12.2014

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Fashion’s print darling has teamed up with german sportswear brand Adidas and has created a whole gorgeous capsule range called adidas Originals by Mary Katrantzou. As expected, the collection displays Katrantzou’s hyper-colour, kaleidoscopic colours teamed with her iconic graphic design aesthetic. I adore all the sneakers from the collection and my first thought was “Whoooah, do these come with boosters?!” Now, the hardest part will be choosing which ones… Adidas Origionals by Mary Katrantzou (Images courtesy of http://www.marykatrantzou.com)

Ultimate Wishlist : 24.12.2014

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Perhaps it’s my South African upbringing, but I love colour! When Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli looked into the past and found inspiration in the spirit of Frida Khalo for their Resort 2015 collection they pulled out loads of … you guessed it, colour! And this clutch was one of the brightest most exuberant pieces – it reminds me of summer and popsicles, and who doesn’t want that all year round!

Lifting the curtain on LV’s renovated Avenue Montaigne store

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For months the Louis Vuitton store on Paris’s most famous luxury fashion street has been under construction. A gigantic white metal ‘curtain’ hid the magic that was happening behind it, and finally this week, that curtain has been lifted to unveiled the maison’s new-look store. As the doormen open the large glass doors, you enter the open plan space designed with all the trademark LV colours of beige, brown and gold. The design of the store, created by architect Peter Marino, is created in the spirit of a Parisian apartment (although way more modern the mine!). There are break-away areas with tables and coral hued loungers where you can try on and enjoy the merchandise at your leisure. It does feels as if you are in someone’s super posh home where you’re treated as a VIP guest and nothing is too much trouble. My girlfriend and I browsed for over an hour and a half, we tried on the beautifully curated selection of bags and shoes, sat on the comfortable sofas, sipped champagne and used the time to catch up on each other’s …

Make me pretty one lash at a time

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At first, having eyelash extensions made me a little nervous – I mean, I didn’t want to rock up at school-pick up looking like a drag queen (after all the french mamas like to do things trés naturelle)! There are the obvious worries such as my own eyelashes falling out and never growing back or the glue creating small noticeable snot-balls on the eyelid! Eeuw! All these thoughts were enough to keep me layering on my favourite mascaras for eternity. But there’s no better time than the holiday season right? So I finally did it and they are perfect. I opted for the safest and shortest length available as I wanted thickness more than length and they are super sexy, save on time and my four-year-old thinks I look like a princess! I luuuurve them! If you’re a virgin, then here are a few tips: – Find a reputable salon, ask around – and don’t go too cheap either, they last around 6 weeks so you want them to be professionally done with care and precision. – The …

Superheros, cartoons and giant balloon dogs. What kid wouldn’t want to see that?

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Taking kids to any museum is a little stressful, there’s always the chance that you turn your head for a second and they’re touching the 17-century painting that changed the course of history! However, there is one artist that seems pretty safe and fun to take the Small People to, and that is American artist Jeff Koons. Not because his works haven’t changed the face of modern art (he is after all the artist who tops the list of the most expensive work by a living artist sold at auction – just a cool US$58.4 million) but because his works even appealed to my 4-yr-old. He is widely regarded as one of the most prominent, popular and provocative artists of the postwar era and kids get it. His famed giant inflatables (Balloon Dog Magenta, 1994-2000), cartoons and Super Heros (Hulk Friends and Hulks Bell both 2004-2012), Play Doh works and stainless steel cast trains (Jim Beam – Baggage Car 1986) will keep even the smallest of people’s attention while you can enjoy the exhibit too. Bonus! Jeff Koons retrospective showing at the …