Archive for the ‘People’ Category
Had to take post this supercute pic of Solange – a Parisian fashion blogger that I met recently and hooked up with yesterday for a cuppa tea.
Turns out she’s worked around the world and is currently busy filming a documentary on South African fashion, interviewing young and up-and-coming designers about their work.
‘South Africa is a land of so much untapped potential,’ she told me. ‘In France, there are so many rules and everyone is stuck in tradition but here everyone is really creative and free.’
Ah, bless, we like her a whole lot!
 Photos: Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil blog
Ah, the extremely well-shod Caroline Sieber (stylist to, argh, Emma Watson) was snapped by Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil at the Milan collections looking far more hip than her irritating client!
I’d never heard of Thakoon Panichgul - a fashion designer from Thailand – before I watched The September Issue last weekend. Apparently he’s Anna Wintour and Michelle Obama’s latest designer BFF. Sorry, maybe I’m a total ignoramus but hey, I do live in deepest, darkest Africa.
Anyway, he seems engagingly sweet and weirdly enough, I remember looking at the GAP campaign for white shirts when I was in New York three years ago and loving the cut, so I was intrigued enough to look him up after the movie.
In a bid to educate myself I turned to my most trusted source – YouTube – ha ha. That is a joke, I promise.
Anyhoo, it did not disappoint so for those of you who, like me, are none the wiser, here’s the most recent clip I could find of the man and his work.
I met Jharae Anderson yesterday at a casting for a Dossier shoot and had to put her photo up on the blog because this girl – who, at almost 6ft tall makes quite an impression - is so decidedly cute… I love the glasses and bowtie!
 Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington
Anyone involved in the magazine or media industry should watch The September Issue (showing, a few months after the fact, of course, at Cinema Nouveau) - the documentary about US Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, and the making of her biggest issue of Vogue to date.
There’s been a lot said about the fearsome editor and her icy aura of untouchability and the docco shows that most of what is said is probably true… My best was when an overly-friendly Sienna Miller lurches forward to give her a hug hello and Anna visibly cringes – ha ha, hilarious!
The best for me, however, was the fiesty Grace Coddington, ex-Vogue model turned super stylist who has been creative director of US Vogue for the past two decades.
Her shoots are sublime (oh, the clothes, the clothes!) but more impressive is that she’s probably the only person on the entire Vogue team strong enough to take Anna Wintour on. Best of all, Grace’s mischievous sense of humour makes the rest of the Vogue-bots seem a little more human.
My only other observation? Far from the glamazons depicted in movies like The Devil Wears Prada, the Vogue team (not Grace) look dead tired and are all very, very skinny…
Susie Bubble. I love this woman. She dresses for herself, and no-one else… Plus, she has a fake penguin to pose with. I want one of those… Beautiful.
I have to admit to feeling decidedly scruffy next to the polished elegance of Sarah, who I met at the Frazer launch. Then again, she is French and did work for Gerard Darel, so I’m guessing she wakes up looking immaculate. Grrr…
So just to say she was at the Frazer launch in a fab fab fab gold dress with killer shoulder pads and wrist-crushing cuffs. Very cool.
Cute, huh?
Liebe was roaming the streets of Cape Town and took these fab streetstyle photos for me – I see the girl in the white jumpsuit at The Old Biscuit Mill whenever I’m there. She makes them herself, and has a stand so look out for her next time you’re market-shopping.
I love the laid-back vibe of Cape Town style but look, not many guys get it even vaguely right, so when you see one who does, it’s worth mentioning!
Neil Doveton, fashion editor of Men’s Health magazine, put most of the girls in the room to shame with his Tom-Ford-esque take on the crisp white shirt, suit and sandals look. Very nice!
One thing I’ve learnt about freelancing… It gets crazier the closer towards the end of the year we lurch.
In an attempt to stay sane, I asked Liebe (who interned with me at seventeen - you’ll meet her soon soon) to help me with the blog and one or two other (extremely exciting) projects (that I’ll tell you about very, very soon).
She took these photos outside Birds Cafe (where else?) in Bree Street – an unassuming little road which is fast outstripping its neighbours, Long and Loop, as the go-to destination for CT’s style set.
I went to a serious pamper session event called the GHD Style Lounge on Friday afternoon (more on that later…) and met Simone, a decor and fashion stylist who, after giving me some cool accessories to match my outfit and new hair, very kindly jumped around with me during the photo shoot session (erm, yes) as I was there on my own.
I’m eternally grateful to her for sparing me an awkward Nigel-No-Mates moment, and also for wearing these cute moccassins that I’ve just added on to my lust list.
How cool are these images? From the photography blog Backyard Bill , as discovered by Andree, who says, ‘Is it just me or are hairy men back in a big way?’ Oh my, I hope not!
Meet the delightful Lois, her family of dachshunds and her treasure chest of prized collectibles…
Lo – who is an illustrator and graphic designer by day (check out her cool website, Cavalcade) and self-confessed dancefloor ballet diva by night - designed the nifty downloadable gift wrap and card for my birthday last week.
I love her style so much I asked her to capture it in a series of images for a photo interview.
What inspired the floral gift wrap you designed for iforone?
 A beautiful vintage hankie I found long ago in a little shop in Notting Hill, London. I loved it the moment I saw it and have kept it with me, always waiting for a special opportunity to show it off...
The most outrageous thing I own is:
 A Teddy Bear chair from the 1960's. I bought it at the Biscuit Mill for 50 bucks... I think it's worth a million.
I would never get rid of…
 My collection of ballet shoes. I danced them around the city - to every night club, party and big night out. Aah, good times.
I would rather die than…
 Give up my three dachshunds: Stella, Sophie and Oliver. Yes, they sometimes eat the heads off my lavender, but I think we've got it pretty good.
My favourite place to shop is:
 Antiques on Kloof. That's where I found these two night lights. Sometimes Sheep's flaring nostrils look a little scary at night but Horse always assures me he is a very placid guy... Sheepish, in fact.
 Rocking this season's romantic floral prints...
Bumped in to two of my favourite fabulous people at the Soliette launch, Anja and Taugheeda – the fashion and beauty gurus at seventeen magazine - and had a quick, but brilliant, catch-up over a coffee at Vida before rushing off on our separate missions.
Anja just got back from Paris fashion week and has promised us an exclusive photo-interview very soon…
If you don’t follow BryanBoy’s blog or his (very) regular tweets on Twitter, check him out – I first heard about him in a feature in Tank Magazine about a year ago, and since then have noticed him well, just about everywhere.
This year seems to have been the big B’s year – he sat front row at some major name shows (just look at the headline graphic on his blog, hellooo?!) and seems to have become a global blogging sensation. Will it last? Hmmm, let’s wait and see…
Photo of Sarah, Mari and me outside the fashion photography exhibition put on by Boss Models for Missing Children SA… Great night, but OMG, I look so short! Damn those girls’ heels…
Sarah from Label Online Boutique popped in to my shoot for Dossier magazine today (more on that later) and I had to take a snap of her, she looked so blooming fabulous – fresh from a stock pickup from Elle Magazine.
Considering it was a sweltering 30 degrees today in Slaapstad, I felt decidedly grimy next to Sarah’s effortless city style. Nice work, lady!
Headonism September 24th, 2009
Snaps of Erin O’Connor, one of the most recognised faces in London Fashion, taken by Juliet, who was at the launch of Headonism last week: a millinery installation that Erin presented with Stephen Jones, showcasing the work of rising hat-makers including J. Smith Esquire.
‘I love working with Stephen,’ Erin is quoted as saying on Vogue.co.uk. ‘He’s one of my best friends – but it’s going to be pretty hectic. In fact my life is altogether pretty hectic at the moment. I had to change in the back of the car on the way here tonight – thank goodness for blacked out windows is all I can say.’
One of the reasons why I love blogging? Everyone is so damn nice. Read Casey McCusker’s supersweet blog, Sibling Mine, where she very kindly featured a profile on moi. Thanks!
iforone jumped at the chance to ask the legendary Rosita Missoni a few questions about her iconic brand, the soon-to-be-launched Hotel Missoni that opens its doors in Cape Town in 2010, and what it’s like travelling the world at 77…
This is my first visit to Cape Town, and I love it. I’m very inspired by nature, and so far have been to the botanical gardens where I bought pin cushion proteas.
Living in the country keeps my head clear. I travel to Milan every weekend.
When we thought about where to open Hotel Missoni, Cape Town – with its natural beauty and the World Cup happening next year – seemed like the natural choice.
My daughter Angela has taken over the design side of the brand. She loves her job and is inspiring to watch.
People ask us what inspired the Missoni print, and we joke that the Ancient Egyptians copied us! But really, we are inspired by the prints of that time. My husband works out the patterns by counting the threads one by one to see how wide the zig zags should be.
If I could come back reincarnated as any of the world’s most beautiful women, methinks it would have to be Christy Turlington. I admire her style, grace and the fact that she belongs to a calibre of famous people who behave with decorum, rather than desperation… It’s called class, something many a celeb has never heard of.
Here she is in the new Bally Autumn/Winter 2009 campaign, photographed by Mario Sorrenti and styled by Lori Goldstein. Beautiful.
Mia’s Way September 8th, 2009
A little while ago, I read with interest an article about Dossier, the only independently published, high-end fashion magazine South Africa can really call it’s own.
The article questioned whether the editor, Mia Ziervogel - who also happens to be a fashion photographer – could really say it features SA’s most talented people if she shoots most of the editorials herself, and uses very few other contributors.
It’s not the only criticism that has been pointed Ziervogel’s way, and Mia admits that she’s had to contend with Dossier being called ‘frivolous’ and ‘pretentious’. It’s obviously a touchy subject, one that she broached in her June/July editor’s letter, saying ‘I wish that nasty spirit would die down’. Iforone think this sounds like a story worth investigating a little more…
Iforone: Is a magazine like Dossier relevant in the middle of a recession?
Mia Ziervogel: Creativity doesn’t die just because some financiers have declared a recession… My vision is to create page after page of inspiration and escape – something that is much needed when things seem so bleak.
Iforone: Why did you get into photography?
MZ: I’ve always loved visuals… It’s all I know. For me, it’s like breathing.
Iforone: Tell us about some of the greats you’ve worked with over the years?
MZ: I have great respect for Michael Meyersfeld, who I assisted more than 20 years ago and who is still doing great work today. I’ve looked up to Ariane Besson since high school, and she’s still impeccable. But most of the biggest names in photography and fashion from the ’80s are now nowhere to be seen because they weren’t prepared to change with the times.
Iforone: Dossier was recently selected as a finalist in the One Show Awards in New York. Do you think this is enough to silence your critics?
MZ: I honestly don’t understand why we have critics. Dossier’s aim is to highlight SA’s talents, be it our musicians, models or designers and then to wrap it up in a luxurious and delectable package. It’s a unique product dedicated entirely to fashion. As frivilous as that may sound, anyone involved in fashion or publishing knows how smart you have to be to truly make it in this game.
And then, just for fun, we asked Mia a few more questions, answered in photographic form.
A high-powered fashion magazine editor should never…
 ...be scared!
I spend Sunday mornings…
 ... dreaming
A beautiful photograph makes me feel…
 ...inspired
I had breakfast with some old work friends on Saturday morning at the delectable Orchid Cafe in Chelsea Village… My friend Kelda arrived fresh from horse-riding, looking absolutely scrumptious in this fire-engine red pencil skirt, biker jacket and bobby sock ensemble that made my day.
Kelda is the only woman I’ve never seen wear flats, and we’ve been friends for more than five years. Well, hang on a minute, there was that one time, when I bumped into her at the shops and she had the flu. I didn’t even recognise her because she was so much shorter than usual, but after I recovered from the shock, she made me swear I’d never tell anyone. Oops…
Amidst the buzz of all the party people at Bungalow on Wednesday night, I got chatting to the fabulous Emma Jordan, South African Editor for ARISE Magazine.
Petite, even in towering heels, Emma reminds me a little bit of Katy Perry, with enormous, cornflower blue eyes and girly charm. But that’s where the comparison ends. Unlike Perry, Emma is impressively smart (with a resume that includes Vogue, W Magazine and Esquire), articulate and all-business when it comes to her new baby, Arise Magazine, a global product that focuses on all things innovative in Africa. This is what she had to say about the state of the fashion nation, as it is, right now:
iforone: What makes Arise Magazine different?
Emma Jordan: It’s the first magazine of it’s kind: published in London, distributed globally, but with content that focues solely on Africa. It makes one proud to be African.
iforone: The magazine seems to have real industry pull. Tell us about the launch…
EJ: It launched in February during New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park with the African Fashion Collective show. Stoned Cherrie formed part of the line-up, and the feedback and interest she received was invaluable. You can’t ask for better exposure than Alek Wek on the front cover of the online Saturday New York Times in a Stoned Cherrie gown. For September’s New York Fashion Week, David Tlale, Jewel by Lisa, Eric Raisina and Tiffany Amber will be showing at the ARISE Promise of Africa Show
iforone: What’s exciting about South African design and style?
EJ: The potential to create something so right, right now.
iforone: What designer are you most excited to see at Arise Cape Town Fashion Week?
EJ: Stefania Morland. The styling and fabrication at her last show was impeccable, and I’m interested to see what she’ll present on Saturday night.
iforone: What’s your Fashion Week wardrobe essential?
EJ: Good heels! I’d estimate I stand for at least six or seven hours each and every day during Fashion Week… It’s crucial to have heels that look good and feel good.
iforone: You’re off to London Fashion Week just after this… Which local designers would you love to see gain global exposure?
EJ: Stiaan Louw. I’d like to see him garner exposure as much as be exposed to what’s happening on the world stage, but I think that’s the standard with a lot of our talented designers.
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