Author: Sam Growdon

Dreaming of azure waters, white beaches and sunshine thanks to Louis Vuitton

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It’s no lie that whenever I’m back from a holiday I already start dreaming of and planning the next one. My desire to travel the world, meet new people and experience their cultures, food, fashion and way of life is well known amongst my friends and family. Perhaps this is why the Louis Vuitton Spirit of Travel Campaigns gets me all excited – “To travel is to live”. This season the luxury house has migrated to the perfect cerulean waters of the West Indies, specifically St. Barths, shining the sunlit-spotlight on it’s lightweight luggage and new Twist bag, designed by Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière for LV’s Spring collection. The mini video also highlights both the Alma and Epi bags in lickable sorbet colours – yum! Wherever you are, feel the sand under your toes, squint your eyes as you look out to the ocean and feel the breeze through your locks – go on, escape for a few minutes! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhIEt5IN6GI   If you’re not quite finished with your mini travel-break, then see one of my favourites and the most …

D&G love the mamas!

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The plus belle crush of all is the love I have for my kids and Dolce & Gabbana mirrored this mom/baby bond with their awesome Autumn Winter 2015 collection at Milan Fashion week! Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are known to show the whole famille with multiple generations in their campaigns but today’s collection, “Viva La Mamma”, was an ode to mamas everywhere. Not only did the designers show their wearable creations with scrawled slogans such as “Je t’aime maman” (I love you mom) but the show was a celebration of motherhood. Toddlers in matching gear to the moms, bambino’s perched on hips and perfectly posed children strutted alongside their gorgeous mothers. The invitation featured children drawings and wobbly handwriting with messages like ‘ti amo mama‘ (I love you, mom). The kiddie’s writing and pictures reminding me that the Italian duo did create a spectacular wedding dress for the ultimate Hollywood mama, Angelina Jolie, that had her brood’s drawings embroidered on her gown. Along with Dolce & Gabbana’s signature roses and lace details emblazoned on feminine dresses, models were accessorised with jewel …

De-Fendi-ng the Strelitzia

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You may be forgiven if you don’t know what a Strelitzia is, however after Fendi’s show in Milan this week it seems that more of the fashion world will now know what I’m referring to. Also know as the Crane flower or Bird of Paradise flower, this graphic-like long stemmed orange and purple bloom is indigenous to South Africa, yip, our very own piece of L’ Afrique du Sud had Karl Lagerfeld inspired! Who knew he was such a fan?! I can’t say that growing up I was that much of a fan of this flower, my grandfather had a huge plant in his garden that continuously bloomed, but these plants seemed so ugly compared to the prettier petunias, roses and camellia flowers that sat alongside them and flowers still remind me of South African homes circa the 1980’s – along with aged brown patterned sofa’s and olive green carpets. But like everything, these bird-like flowers are having their resurgent moment and what better way than on on of the world’s most prestigious catwalk right? And now that …

Nod to the bob

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If the Oscar red carpet is anything to go by, then we should all be rushing out and getting our hair cropped into an awesome long-bob right this minute! Forget about Scarlett’s short back and sides, I mean how many of us can really pull that off anyway, the haircut of the moment is chic, sophisticated and hot – and while you’re at it, make sure you’re styling it to the side! Check.it.out.

My ABC’s of NYFW

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A/W 2015 #NewYorkfashionweek at a glance It’s awesome that it’s still winter right?* I mean in the kind of way that as the new collections for the neeeeeeext cold season are steaming up the catwalks we can already calculate what we’re adding to our wardrobes now, or what hair, shoe and bag trends we’ll be keeping and which ones we’ll be ditching . As I try (mediocrely) hard to start a capsule wardrobe for myself – um, let’s call this a “work in process” – I’m doing a mini shop in my mind for which items I’ll be buying to add to this slow-in-the-progess capsule wardrobe. A/W 2015 fashion weeks are far from over (roll on the rest of London, on to Milan and finally my home city Paris) to finalise this mini-shop, but for now, here are a few things I’ve noticed from the New York catwalks to wet the wardrobe appetite, and a few street style favourites to give you inspiration right now… * I talk about winter, even though as I write this I’m …

Carven presents its Saint Sulpice bag in the cutest mini-movie

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It may seem as if I’m obsessed with handbags, and that would be a loud YES! But who isn’t with a whole new season of the beauties around? This cute video entitled “Can you hold my bag” directed by Mélinda Triana for Carven, landed in my inbox the other day and I’ve played it at least 13 times. Chic girls running around perfect Paris with Carven’s latest Saint Sulpice bags … I had you at handbag right?   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4KmJ8iVJw4   http://www.carven.com    

Why go plain when you can print it?

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How does one choose a new season handbag when they are all so drool-worthy? It’s a seriously tough job! What I love most about this summer’s collections are all the prints that are popping up. Forget about buying yourself a plain purse and splash out on a funky pattern – this way while you’re still waiting for summer to come around you can zing up the monochromatic outfit with a perfectly colourful and printed accessory. Here are my favourites – plain seems to dull now right? Left to right, top to bottom: Proenza Schouler, Alexander Mcqueen, Longchamps, Saint Laurent Paris, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Burberry.  

I love jozi

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I love coming back to the city I grew up in. There are the obvious things, like spending time with family and friends and having the familiarity of everything I know, but what I enjoy most is discovering Johannesburg through a different lens from the one I had when I left. Everything changes so fast around this megalopolitan and it’s a very different place to the one I grew up in. Two of the biggest things I’ve noticed is how the fashion and food scene has exploded. They’re a huge part of how the people of Jozi (the local term for Johannesburg) communicate and socialise. Not only have more international high street brands entered this emerging market in the last few years, such as Zara, Topshop, Cotton On, Countryroad and Witchery to name a few, but websites such as spree.co.za are pushing local designers more and more (check out Adam & Eve, Klûk CGDT, Ruff Tung – to name a few). I also popped into jewellery designer Kirsten Goss and handbag designer Missibaba‘s new store, showcasing gorgeous adornments (including Ms Goss’s new Diamond …