Archive for the ‘Style Scout’ Category
 Photograph: Tommy Ton of Jak&Jil Can Winter just arrive already? As a lover of coats and a sweaty Capetonian who is tired of slowly melting in the current heat wave, the idea of cold, crisp mornings and rugging up in a to-die-for cosy coat is seriously appealling.
Of course if that coat was designed by one Phoebe Philo for Celine I would be even happier.
Ms Philo is cleaning up the fashion front row with her collection for the fashion house and you can see why: she’s given the brand a sophisticated edge that is at once easy to wear and instantly chic. This is an investment buy you’d wear forever then hand down to your daughter…
Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil took this photo at Milan Fashion Week… Check out the very cool selection of his images at Paris Fashion Week posted on Style.com
 How low can you go? From Sam, “The kitten heel comeback? Nooo, say it isn’t so! Who wants practical when you can have sexy, sky-high, and utterly impractical stilettos.
Seen on the runways at Givenchy, Marni, Missoni and Louis Vuitton, to name a few, as well as being the shoe of choice for stylish First Lady, Michelle Obama, it seems the lower counterpart is back in protest against the decadent highs we’ve all enjoyed these past few years and as a fashion indicator of the recession-weary years to follow.
Take heart that at least here in the south, we get one more season to enjoy the view from above before summer 2010 forces us down to earth!”
 Tight, bright, loud and proud is the name of the game this season Word from Juliet, ‘If you’re not wearing painted, graphic, animal print, brighter than bright opaque tights this Londond Fashion Week, well then you might as well stay at home, darling!’
Ooh, I dunno: when I was an awkward teenager on North Beach in Durbs, an ice-cream seller shouted ‘Hey, chicken-legs’ to me as I walked past and I have to admit to being a tad self-conscious about me pins ever since. Clad them in Look-At-Me tights? Not sure I’m going to be partaking of this trend this winter, but the rest of you blessed with shapely calf genes, go right ahead!
Thanks to Juliet The Gem for all her London FAshion Week highlights. Find out more about her amazing website and the gorgeous jewels you can find there at Adorn London.
 It's a bit out of focus, sorry, Neets' eyes aren't so good!
Much to the mirth of my sister and mother who can’t quite believe the jegging, I have been living in my jeg jegs since I arrived in HK… So soft, so comfy, so decidedly practical! They are both now in awe of them and even Neets (my mom) – who is notoriously ordentlik, has ordained that she would wear them.
To win a pair, click here
First day in the big city, and omg it hums. People on a mission, smart, sleek cars, towering skyscrapers that reach into the fog and shops bursting with, yes, SALE signs. Happy happy days.
Was at a (v. fun) wedding on Saturday and had to snap some of the killer heels (yes, one of them is mine, can you guess which ones?) that seemed to be the order of the day…
Cute stuff, huh? I think so too, which is why I almost fell over when Sarah told me that Victoria-I-Hate-Publicity-Beckham designed them.
‘Don’t underestimate her,’ scolds Sarah, adding, ‘These dresses are from her most recent third collection which showed to rave reviews. Even the cynics who admitted to only attending to scoff had to eat their words.’
Natalie Massenet (CEO and founder of Net-a-Porter) was quoted as saying: “…chic and timeless, to the fit, which, thanks to her exacting eye, focuses on flattering silhouettes”; while Marc Jacobs rallied for his friend, saying: “She is someone who has always wanted to design clothes. She knows the body, she loves it and she’s working her ass off”.
Cool, I like her clothes. I’m just not so sure about her choice in hats.
 From left: this season's biggest trends, the luxe loose legging and leather shorts.
Ooh, I love very much – just sent in from roving London Style Scout, Juliet Hutton-Squire, who says, ‘Urban military is all about in the Zara window this week.’
Please take note of this season’s luxe loose legging – a nice variation on the harem which Scruff upsettingly calls Poo Pants, to my dismay. There’s just no educating this boy…
Best of all, love the supersized metal flies crawling alongside the mannequins. We have a few of those flying about my kitchen in Hout Bay. Africa… Just full of surprises.
From Natalie Dixon: “So cool to see The Street store still stocking loads of amazing local designers.
It’s situated in the new-Melville aka Greenside and stocks designers like Two, Lisa Jaffe, Jessica Harwood (Take Care) and Unknown, the range designed by Juliane Visnjic, amongst others.
Adam Lowery, who also owns Deer Hunter (which has the coolest vintage and second hand stuff – loving the 70s and 80s editions of Scope magazine!) next door is the guy behind it all and he’s obviously on to a winning ticket as it opened last year and has so far survived the fickle Jozi fashion scene.”
Check it out: The Street, 135/7Greenway Road, Greenside
O.T.T. January 5th, 2010
Wow. New York Style Scout, Andree, sent these epic photos during the holiday break of the storefront window displays at Bergdorf Goodman , saying ‘I love this year’s Alice in Wonderland theme. Designs by Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and more are displayed amongst detailed installations. Totally over the top, certainly not recession friendly, but screw it, it was Christmas right?!’
From Sam Morrison: “If you haven’t heard of ASOS.com yet, then you’ve been missing out!
The name is an acronym for “As Seen On Screen” and the big news is that ASOS now ships to SA (in 11 days!), so there’s no excuse not to take a look.
I subscribe to their weekly newsletter to keep up to date with what’s happening in fashion across the ocean, and to drool over the designer listings, including Vivienne Westwood, Paul & Joe and Matthew Williamson. My list of Christmas-presents-to-myself is getting longer by the minute!”
Yup, have already been to look and am all over it!
The Minx November 23rd, 2009
 Racked and stacked
Next stop on my Saturday shopping mission was Heather Moore’s open sale day at her Skinny laMinx studio in Buitengracht Street.
I love Heather’s textiles and have been eyeing out a certain scatter cushion as the solution to unrest that has totally upset the equilibrium in my guest bedroom – long story but a rogue ottoman was banished to this room and, well, it hasn’t gone down well with everything else in the room thanks to a small clash of… colour.
Anyhoo, Heather’s duck-egg blue bokkies saved the day and all the petals have settled. Thank gawd.
 It took me 45 minutes to decide which pair to buy!
What an amazing weekend I’ve had…
First of all, the sun shone, the wind merely whispered and everyone was out and about in full summer mode. Sigh, bliss.
I celebrated by heading to The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock with an old friend for breakfast (croissant from Knead and crushed berry smoothie, mmmnn) and was so surprised to see how much its developed since I was last there.
The new clothing tent is small but has many gems on offer and I have to admit to spending most of my time there. I bumped in to Celeste Arendse who was a finalist of the Elle New Talent Awards earlier this year, and is now designing her own label, Selfi, which includes to-die-for cotton slips in, you guessed it, every shade of grey. Perfect!
 Sweetie Celeste!
I also found an amazing pair of balloon pants for R50 rand in the sale bin and a butter-soft pair of cream leather sandals from Kate & Allie which I debated about whether to buy or not, but am so glad I did.
Will be heading back very, very soon…
 Cute, huh?
So I generally leave Christmas shopping to the last minute and every year vow that next year will be different.
This year I might even manage to get this right because tomorrow morning I’m heading to the Skinny laMinx and friends studio sale to stock up on presents for the whole tribe, and maybe one or two for myself as well…
See you there?
I wrote a blog post recently for Women’s Health on jumpsuits and was surprised when loads of people reacted to it, saying the jumpsuit was, well, awkward, to put it mildly.
Just to prove that it can look very, very cool, check out the limited edition Jeepers Creepers jumpsuit, designed and modeled by Ozzie model/blogger Alexandra Spencer, of the blog 4th & Bleeker who has just opened up her own store, by the same name.
So obviously she’s a model, which immediately discludes her as being a mere mortal who suffers jumpsuit-wearing phobias like the rest of us, but strength and bravery people! It can be done!
 Shopping centre with a difference - no mall-rat fluorescent lighting!
I popped in to the new wing of the Cape Quarter in GreenPoint and wow, was pretty impressed with the considerate design and light, airy feel of the centre.
I used to work in this area and always used to lament how boringly limited it was for shopping and eating, so am just sad that this exciting new wing was built too late for me to take true advantage of it, boo hoo…
Ag Shame… November 6th, 2009
 First entrant on to the wall of shame...
Proof that too much of a good thing can be very, very bad!
Photograph sent in by roving Hong Kong style scout, Ian McIntosh
Oooh myyyy gaaawwwwd, I am in love with Isabel Marant. Check out this clip from her recent Spring 2010 show in Paris – beautiful.
I’ve been trying to find out where to get hold of her collection in South Africa for months now and was super excited a few months ago when I tracked it down to a boutique in Hyde Park. Just my luck: by the time I got there, it had closed down. Sigh.
If anyone knows any other secret hidey supply holes, please let me know! In the meantime, I’m keeping myself occupied lusting after most of her recent Spring 2010 collection that showed in Paris. Why, why, why is she French, dammit?
I popped in to Kirsten Goss’s amazing new showroom in Durban literally as it opened its doors…
She’s been working from her (stately) Berea home for the past few years but moved in to the classy new digs to seperate work and home life. Good move, I say, and you can’t beat the trendy Florida road for a shmoozy address shoppers will love.
From Nats Dixon, who was roving around The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock last weekend.
‘Simone and Bianca from Afraid of Mice have upped the ante at the Biscuit Mill on a Saturday by offering a range of delicious 80s pieces from Seattle at their stall.
Last week was their first trading day and if their fab green-leather, narrow-waisted shoulder-padded jacket is anything to go by this is going to be hot. I bought an exquisite dark-pink silk dress in perfect nick for only R350 !
If you can’t make the Mill on Saturday then check out their new showroom in town. Call Bianca for details: 082 755 1002.’
 Focused shoppers...
Sam Morrison was lucky enough to crack the nod to the Jimmy Choo trunk show, held in Joburg last week…
‘I was beside myself with excitement,’ she says. ‘My rookie mistake was arriving at Summer Place 17 minutes after the doors opened; Jozi’s more experienced label-clad woman had been patiently waiting since 9.15 – 45 minutes BEFORE the doors opened!
I walked into a crazy room full of woman hypnotised by boxes and boxes of shoes being sold at seriously discounted prices! Claws came out when one realised she had only the left shoe of the last size 37, and the woman next to her had the right… Unsurprisingly, the place was cleared out by midday.
I escaped unscathed, and can only say Long Live Jimmy Choo!’
 I'll take all three, please...
Classic October 23rd, 2009
 It's a jungle out there!
From Andree: ”Just read your post on Christopher Kane. Check the attached photo of peeps at London Fashion Week. Hilarious – the dangers of topshop… Too many crocs.”
Ha ha ha ha aha aha aha - methinks this classifies as the perfect example of a trend hitting instant critical overload. Boom! It’s dead.
 Christopher Kane does it again
Roving London style scout, Juliet, sent these snaps in after a jaunt down Oxford Street: the store window of Topshop with Christopher Kane’s fab debut collection for the highstreet chain.
CK fans are apparently going mental over the Scottish designer’s Topshop offering of body-con frocks, slinky tees, leggings, jackets, and denim with details like eyelets, fringing and pop prints making it the must-buy range of the highstreet season.
 Boeremag is big this season
This just in from Style Scout and Jo’burg contributor, Sam Morrison, who stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of this pair of ‘velskoens’ at Trenery - the new upmarket range available at Woolworths.
‘I couldn’t believe what I was seeing: velskoens now rebranded as The Desert boot?!! I did some reseasrch and it turns out every Freestate farmer’s favourite shoe is totally on trend, making hot appearances this season at Bottega Veneta, Armani & Givenchy! Who would have thought?’
 Kurt Geiger's take on the velskoen
 Givenchy gets bushwacked
Ooh, I like very much – some of the streetstyle shots snapped by our London jewel guru, Juliet Hutton-Squire at London Fashion Week. For the full update, and more, check out her brilliant site, Adorn London.
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