The Pessimiss published in Schon!

I’ve been nattering about this since late last year, and finally it has been published!

Schon! is a seriously stylish London-based magazine that is sold in almost 200 countries the world over, and this month I am in it! It’s my first feature, let alone my first feature in an international magazine, so I am pretty excited. To approach a magazine of this calibre and have my article published at first pass, nearly 100 % unedited… well, it’s an honour. Schon! is renowned for its edgy, often avant garde content, and is the mouthpiece and showcase for global online fashion network, Nineteen74.

I worked together with Johannesburg-based photographer Brett Rubin to produce the article throughout December and this is the result. The article, ‘The Lay of the Land’, attempts to illustrate the burgeoning potential and evolution of the local fashion industry through the work and opinions of four South African designers – Suzaan Heyns, David West, Stiaan Louw and Christopher Strong (duo Elaine du Plessis and Michael Owen).

I have blogged about it before, but there is a growing shift in focus from the traditional global centres of fashion towards the creative talent to be found in emerging markets; places like Brazil, Turkey and Scandinavia. My idea for the article was to suggest that the South African creative community is shaping up to become a contender in this reimagining of the fashion map. Already my article has sparked some debate, which I view as a positive thing. The article allowed me to write in a slightly more interrogative, academic tone and transported me back to my university days – late nights surrounded by pages aglow with highlighter, empty coffee mugs and lots of earnest typing (and backspacing). And I loved it.

I hope you like it, too. Schon! is available at ‘all good book stores’, which means you can get it at Exclusive Books or Wordsworth, where it retails for R250 (which makes me feel kinda shiny and smug, like I’m one step closer to the Vogue editorial team). Alternatively, you can read it online here. I have a few more Schon! tricks up my sleeve for later in the year, so keep an eye out.

Radio Rah-Rah

Just a little cherry-tinged taste of what The Rah-Rah Room lauch and sale day were like. Beautiful girls doing what beautiful girls do best - shopping, eating cupcakes, sipping pink champagne and talking (lots). Thank you to all who graced the Rah-Rah with their presence, dollars and smiles…

I met some lovely fellow vintage lovers and will be putting together a mailing list for those that are interested in upcoming Rah-Rah sales. If you’d like to be added to the list, email me at pessimiss@gmail.com

Professional pics taken by David (the shy and handsome German photographer who tried his best to slink between the legions of fawning females inconspicuously) up soon.

Hoo-Rah!

The time has come!

Join me tomorrow for a Saturday morning browse through my collection of new and vintage one offs. Bring your BFF, your BF and your Bloody Mary to 1 Kenwood Court, Gardens, from 10 am til 1 pm to make sure your post payday purchase is a special one.

xxx

She got jumper cable lips.

The Rah-Rah Room has provided me with a visual outlet through which to reaffirm my devotion to that most sensual of symbols, the red red lip (more on that here).

Mad Mad Mad

Last week, when I started posting things about The Rah-Rah Room, I was approached by two very stylish girls, Kate Desmarais and Alix-Rose Cowie, to collaborate on a personal shoot that they wanted to do. With my first sale looming and the possibility of some of the more special pieces disappearing, we had three days to get everything together. And isn’t that how many great things happen?

That same evening I spread my collection all over the lounge – piles of silk, velvet and chiffon layered on couches, brown bags overflowing with chain mail bags and leather belts and printed scarves. Kate and Alix trawled through it all at high speed – their eyes bright, but also sharp (they chose some of my favourites, along with a few wildcards that they made work so well). They spent one day developing their story and ideas for shots, and then I met them in the Company Gardens on the windiest Saturday of the year for the shoot that produced this narrative of indulgence and allure amidst the roses.

I totally love it! Seeing some of my favourite things on model Ane Strydom, and seeing Kate and Alix’s ideas translated as such, has left me smiling. Kate styled the shoot, brushing out Ane’s auburn mane of hair while the wind worked against her, and Alix calmly art directed and photographed, her cool spectacles channelling focus and fancy through the lens.

I have taken to calling them The Voguettes, and I think the shoot is perfect testament as to why. I look forward to collaborating with these two talented girls again soon.

[Join me for more vintage beauty this Saturday at The Rah-Rah Room from 10 until 1 pm. Follow the link for details.]

Rah-Rah-Rah!

Don’t forget to come browse at my humble abode this Saturday from 10:00 am til 1:00 pm. Bring your takeaway lattes and your post payday purses and we’ll have ourselves a little tea party! High street sweets, vintage darlings and lots more, all under one roof.

[How cool is the woman in this picture? I love her!]

Pouf!

 

If you put me in this skirt I would levitate. I swear.

More midweek stimulation, Australian-born designer Louise Markey launched her fashion house, LF Markey, in 2008 and has since garnered a reputation for her playful signature style.

A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Louise also has stint as a designer at Burberry under her belt, as well as a collaboration with digital dynamos, ASOS.

Her trademark style is minimalism mixed with bold colours and shapes; her glossy, voluminous skirts, an iconic example. They’re like an avant garde play on a doll’s dress or a Disney ballgown. Central Saint Martins, she says, was like a finishing school for designers, something that has had a marked influence on her focus on understated luxury and high-quality manufacturing.

When asked what kind of a woman she sees wearing her designs, Markey chose non-conformist queens, Tilda Swinton and Bjork.

And that just makes me like her a whole lot more.

Porn

Shoe porn, that is.

I trawled through Susie Bubble‘s archives, because the girl has such unusual taste, and let’s just say my eyes are big. I’m in the mood for a little outlandishness today. [The nautical beauties pictured above are by LF Markey]

Tyake Tyoke

Nicole Brundage

Carin Wester for Urban Outfitters (they’re flexible!)

Rah-Rah Reminder

Just a reminder about my first Rah-Rah Room sale this Saturday the 29th of January at my humble abode from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Bring your purses for a post payday shop!

Eyesore

Please don’t wear these. Please.

You may be on my side and think to yourself ‘Who in the name of Jeff Goldblum would wear that?’ And I wouldn’t blame you…

But I see these things.

These noxious curios are snappily named ‘African Butterflies’, surely by someone that resides in America and who conveniently slaps on some beads, a symphony of beige and brown and some scary masks and declares it ethnic.

And I see them all over the show…

In the checkout queue at Clicks, accompanied by a polyester polo neck, a plastic vice on a prim chignon that makes me want to pry it apart with my bare hands and shout ‘What the fark are you thinking?!’ Or on wandering, innocent tourists who know no better… who have been duped into a curio – something authentic and earthy-hued to hold their blonde curls in place while they stride Kloof St in sensible shoes and stripes, sure to shake them loose at Carnival Court later that night, and hope against hope, lose the offending torture device somewhere on the dancefloor.

Lord help us.

Valentine’s Day Competition L.O.V.E

I am proud to announce my first Pessimiss giveaway!

A selection of my most favourite and oft-used brands have generously sponsored the perfect lineup of prizes to make sure your Valentine’s Day is memorable (and cool). I’m a total romantic. People that dismiss Valentine’s Day as a commercial excuse to make money and be cynical better get outta my way. If you also love love, have a browse, read the competition rules, and enter!

The competition starts today and runs until Friday the 4th of February. Winners announced Monday the 7th of February.

 1st Prize – Big Love

1. One night’s stay at the epic Old Mac Daddy luxury trailer park in Elgin.

I recently spent a weekend there, so I can tell you first hand that you’re guaranteed a fun-filled, super tranquil and beautiful stay. Stay in one of their selection of designer trailers, each one custom created by a team of South African artists and designers. Take a stroll down to the lake with a book, lounge by the pool with a G&T, take a drive out to Paul Cluver or Houwhoek, and be sure to make the most of Brinny Breezes, Old Mac Daddy’s laidback resident restaurant. Read more about it here.

2. Bestsellers courtesy of TWO Clothing.

The Double Dress & Pleated Scarf are two of my favourites, and I am nothing short of green with envy that I will be handing them over to one of you lovers on the 7th of February. TWO clothing is  feminine, flattering and such good quality, something that is sometimes a rarity in locally made clothing.

3. A bottle of Pierre Jourdan Cuvee Belle Rose and two champagne flutes, which you will sip with your significant other, wearing your TWO dress, overlooking the majestic Elgin countryside. The Belle Rose is as luscious as it sounds and you should celebrate Valentine’s day with nothing less.

4. A kilogram of coffee, ground before your very eyes, from Deluxe Coffeeworks.

This one is a little thorn in my side, because I am widely acknowledged to be a coffee snob second to none. Choose from Deluxe’s range of intoxicating, exotic blends and then let me know all about it. Or better yet, share it with me. Deluxe is my favourite spot for a shot of pure, black velveteen coffee bliss, great music and citybowl cool. They’re friendly, too (and they just got two mentions in the February issue of ELLE!) Find them here.

5. Dinner for two at Hudson’s Burger Joint

If you live in Cape Town and you haven’t had a Hudson’s burger accompanied by their famous Lagerita and Tone Loc’s Funky Cold Medina, then you better get on down to Kloof St. In Summer their outdoor section is open to the stars, and it’s a great people watching spot, too. Kick start your Valentine’s Day with my favourite, The Wise Guy (if you can handle your chilli) and a side of chilli poppers with relish.

6. A massage at Mooi Hair & Beauty Salon

Mooi rocks. Besides the stylish interiors, great location, and the fact that they give you a homemade cupcake and a mini plunger of good coffee (or wine!) with your haircut, they’re also really nice and they know their stuff. They’re the only salon I trust with my hair in Cape Town. And word on the street is that they do a mean massage, too. Iron out the post-work kinks with a pre-Valentine’s massage on Mooi!

7. Two movie tickets to The Labia Theatre

The Labia is a Cape Town classic. It’s also home to bi-monthly Saturday goods market You & Me & Everyone We Know, the Wavescape Surf Film festival and numerous other cool initiatives, not to mention the best in arthouse, foreign and mainstream film. Use your Valentine’s tickets for a good, old-fashioned date; popcorn, slushpuppies and a healthy dose of liquor.

8. Jewelry by Chloe Essery of Blackbird

Chloe’s trademark pendants and rings are much-loved by Capetonians. Inspired by local flora, old coins and beautiful fabrics, Chloe works sterling silver, resin and enamels into beautiful pieces that always inspire envy. I have wanted a Blackbird pendant for, well, years, and have actually twice bought my mom Blackbird pendants on special occasions.

9. A custom made fascinator by milliner, Crystal Birch

Crystal is a friend of mine, so maybe I’m biased, but this girl is going places. Her vision is colourful, psychedelic, inspired and infectious. I have personally worn one of her Flight headpieces and I felt like the coolest person in the room. Get your hands on a Crystal Birch something now, because one day she’s going to be Albertus Swanepoel’s right hand woman, and you’re gonna be the lucky owner of an original.

10. The Cat’s Meow - a vintage voucher to the value of R300.

The Cat’s Meow is my favourite vintage shop in Cape Town. Owned and run by mother/daughter team Barbara and Laura Meek, it is home to a carefully curated collection of envy-inducing vintage beauties. You can read more on my love for The Cat’s Meow here. In the meantime, get your entry in and you could be the lucky owner of a Cat’s Meow classic of your very own.

11. Two tickets to a Moonlit Movie screening

Run by my ingenious and resourceful friend, Devin Herd, the Moonlit Movie screenings take place beneath the stars at a top secret location in the city bowl bi-monthly. Flighting a selection of left-of-centre classics and iconic film, Devin and his team pull out all the stops to ensure that their exclusive, 60-seater screening pays homage to all the trappings of the classic cinematic experience. Details of the location to be shared with the lucky winner upon collection of prize.

2nd Prize – Baby Love

1. A hand crafted necklace by Megan Fogarty of Oh Dear, Megan

Megan is a fellow Knysnarian and creator of some of the most unusual pieces of locally made jewelry I’ve seen in a while. Get your hands on one of her pieces before she’s famous! Her time piece rings are my favourite.

2. A cut and blowdry at Mooi Hair & Beauty Salon

Refer to number 6 of Prize 1, where I cover all the reasons why Mooi is the bizness. If you haven’t made the important choice about who to entrust with your tresses, then this could be lifechanging for you.

3. The World’s Most Epic Valentine’s Day Compilation, compiled by music blogger/critic Lance James Daniels

What’s Valentine’s Day without music? Lance Daniels has excellent and eclectic taste in music, and he is my first choice when it comes to well-rounded and thoughtful compilations for any occasion. Get your V-Day groove on to Lance’s personal selection of the most romantic tracks in the world. [I cannot vouch for the inclusion of Barry White (or anything similar) in the compilation.] Lance is also lovingly creating custom made packaging for the compilation, because he’s a kick ass designer as well as a music aficionado. Get it while it’s hot!

4. Two sets of double movie tickets to The Labia

Enough said.

To enter:

1. Comment on this post and tell me which is your favourite prize and why.

2. Tweet or post the competition link to Facebook or another social network and let me know you’ve done it.

3. Subscribe to my RSS feed for an extra entry.

Old School Rules:

1. The competition runs from Monday 24 January to Friday 4 February 2011. Winner announced Monday 7 February 2011.

2. Only Cape Town residents may enter, unless you know someone in CT that can bring your prizes to you (if you live in JHB, PE, DBN or Parys).

3. Winner chosen randomly.

D-D-Dior

Vintage Christian Dior lights up my life.

ShapeShift

Voluminous shapes at Jil Sander SS 2011.

I love the bold use of prints, especially the mismatched stripes, which remind me of those sugar covered pink and white almonds that my parents used to bring back from events, safely nestled in soft netting pouches.

The is the good stuff

Classic Kelis.

Blogger’s Beat

Shoo. Wow!

Please behold Susanna Lau, aka quirky super blogger Suzy Bubble, resplendent in 5 kilograms of beaded Missoni beauty. How epic is her hair?

The image is one in a series of other beauties featuring a selection of the world’s best-loved bloggers including Tommy Ton, Todd Selby and Garance Dore. The idea, apparently, was to make the images look iconic.

Bloggers as icons? Hell yeah!

The shoot was styled by Sissy Vian and photographed by Mark Seliger.

For some reason my links are being obstinate and refusing to work, but you can check out the rest of the images via Miss Bubble’s blog at stylebubble.typepad.com