All posts tagged: Fashion

Crocking it in Thailand

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I didn’t take much convincing for me to try almost every bag in this chaotic little store, The Bangkok Bootery, in Bangtao Beach in Phuket, lucky for me i’m not intimidated by giant crocodiles with fierce teeth! Almost every inch of the floor was covered in shoe boxes with shoes on top, the wall shelves filled with clutch handbags, hangers with croc skin and Python skin jackets and loads of crocodile skins – head and all – hung upside down on the ceiling. Farming crocodiles is a pretty big thing in Thailand, in fact according one story in the Bangkok Post, “Thailand has the largest crocodile farming industry in the world and famous international fashion brands source their exotic skins from the kingdom”. The manager of The Bangkok Bootery store told me that they buy the skins from registered farms and then you can have anything made on site. Any shape and in pretty much any colour! A fashionistas dream right there! Bangkok Bootery, Canal Shopping Village, Laguna Hotel, Cherntalay, Phuket. http://www.bangkokbootery.com

All that glitters is a stick-on tattoo

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Trust Queen Bey to seal a trend and have everyone rushing to get in there right? This tattoo-as-jewellery trend really started last summer with a few celebs trying it out, but no-one quite does it like Beyonce. She was photographed in the metallic gold and silver body art while celebrating her birthday on a yacht in the south of France. Necklaces, belly chains and bracelets adorned the stars super-sexy body. Perhaps it was the house of Dior that inspired this trend when jewelry designer Camille Miceli designed a limited-edition set of temporary tattoo earrings, bracelets and cuffs made from, wait for it, 24-carat gold in 2012 (these would probably stop me from bathing for days!). The cheaper and non-gold versions became available and the trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast. Models at the Dries van Noten S/S15 show at Paris Fashion Week waltzed the catwalk with painted-on gold lip rings – a similar effect to the metallic tattoo and a trend we can more than afford. I love that they shine and glimmer just like jewellery and are perfect for …

The magical sandal with the gold winged buckle

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In search of the perfect summer sandal, I first saw Ancient Greek Sandals in a store in Johannesburg years ago. I was struck by the cute wings on the side, the detailed buckle in the shape of wings and the unique and sexy designs. I saw some again last year holidaying in Crete and then a few months ago in the Parisian go-to concept store, Colette on Rue St Honore. Little did I know the these global shoes, praised by the New York Times, Vogue, Elle and the Financial Times, have a history born out of, you guessed it, ancient Greece. I am a huge fan and not the only one, as the sandals have been seen on the pedicured paws of Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Rihanna, SJP and many others. I don’t remember much about the stories of Ancient Greece. I’m certain I was supposed to have learnt them as part of my 4th Grade curriculum but (and perhaps sadly) what I know about these ancient gods and Goddesses is from a more modern pop culture to which it seems they …

The wait continues for a revamped Samaritaine store

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The first few times I visited Paris was with my mom. She knows the city very well and would take us to all the tourist places as well as one of her favourites, La Samaritaine department store. The landmark art deco building owned by LVMH sits on Rue de Rivoli and overlooks the river Seine. In 2005 the buildings doors were shut as it no longer met to meet safety standards and after lengthy renovations was meant to reopen in 2013. I pass this building often and always admire it’s beautiful architecture – especially the art deco signage in black and gold, I imagine the generations of women passing through it’s doors since it’s opening in 1869 and I’ve been exciting at the prospect it’s new chapter and story… it’s just taking a mighty long time! The renovation is fully funded by LVMH boss Bernard Arnaud (France’s wealthiest man), his plan is to transform the space into luxury complex comprising of upmarket stores, a luxe hotel, office space as well as duty-free stores appealing to the Chinese consumer …

Love, Style and Bad Habits …

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Parisian women have always seemed mysterious. The subtle pout, the nonchalant way they carry themselves and their confident low-key look that oozes femininity. Think Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Tautou, Marion Cotillard or Vanessa Paradis – sexy, stylish, alluring and seemingly mysterious and untouchable… until now. How to be Parisian Wherever You Are : Love, Style and Bad Habits is an insightful tongue and cheek manual written by four friends and Paris natives, Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas. I’ve just finished the book in Thailand (great for the holiday attention span!) and it’s the perfect handbook on how the modern Parisian woman manages to stay so mysterious that can be practiced wherever you are in the world. It’s penned as if you’ve just made friends with a bossy, opinionated Parisian and she’s dishing her intimate secrets, obviously with immaculate red lips while sipping a glass of red wine with a cigarette in hand! She’ll share her fashion tips, teach you how to make your boyfriend jealous and enlighten you on the etiquette for beauty products and plastic surgery. She’s the Paris …

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 : 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)

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 …

The Original Bag of Bling

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I was first introduced to Whiting & Davis during Paris Fashion week two years ago. It’s not like I hadn’t seen these blingy meshed handbags before, in fact I had owned a gold high street version a few years back when they along with anything metallic became a huge runway trend. Little did I know that this mesh bag dates back to 1876 and is the oldest handbag company in America. Whiting & Davis was the very first company to create these uniquely crafted handbags using brass metal. It was Charles Whiting who took the ancient art of chain mail, think knights in armour, and created an exquisite fabric that became a three-inch square purse with a delicate twist closure in 1892. Whiting partnered with Edward Davis and so the house of Whiting & Davis was born. A few years later the laborious process of weaving the links and rings by hand became mechanized allowing the business to grow rapidly and it became the powerhouse for mesh fashion and jewelry. The duo continued to create …