Aztec is the new black.

On Tuesday night I attended the launch of photographer Andrew Brauteseth‘s Liberty Art exhibition at Dear Me – a well-wined affair filled with well-shod folk. Andrew’s premiere piece, an adaptation of Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, was a dramatic backdrop for the stylish Capetonians in attendance.

For some reason I had been thinking about this new t-shirt of my brother’s all day – a dusty looking black round neck RVCA tee with a subtle Aztec print all down the front. Now, my brother is as pathetic as I am when it comes to clothes. Our mother raised us to be little clothes horses, meaning we are hard-pressed to lend things out, much less to each other. We are both collectors, both covetous as all hell, and both, because of our shared living arrangement, sartorially devious. While he was at gym I slipped into the tee, threw on my puff sleeved velvet bolero, indigo skinnies, a statement neckpiece and my Topshop platforms, and clunked out of the homestead at high speed. Success!

I neglected to remember that he would have to pick me up later that night. Needless to say, you should have seen his face, and then, again, when he smugly reassured me that he had bought the last one in the store (he doesn’t know that I have another trick up my non-RVCA sleeve…)

Since then I have decided, and I’m going to say it out loud:

Aztec is the new black. Actually, I originally said that Aztec is the new Breton, but I think we’ll all agree that that was premature, plus it was on Twitter, so it doesn’t really count in any case. Aztec is sure to be a fad, but it’s one of the few that has really won me over.

I spent some time browsing for Aztec-inspired things online, and it only served to fuel my underhanded plan to nab my own RVCA tee. Sorry, brother, but this clothing business is a cutthroat affair.

All Saints sequinned Aztec minis (yes please)

Etro scarf

Printed ASOS frock

Theodora & Callum necklace

Preen blouse

House of Harlow earrings, which I blogged about recently here.

Dress by ASOS

Accessorize bag

Topman scarf

Etro dress

House of Harlow 1960

I stumbled upon Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 jools this week and am so taken with their use of Deco-inspired shapes and the talisman-like feel that each piece radiates.

I’m always a sucker for a massive ring, and House of Harlow’s leather-embedded sun rings are right up my alley. I also love her necklaces with the shard-like details and the repeated use of strong, graphic symbols. There doesn’t appear to be a House of Harlow website per se, but I did find them for sale on a number of online stores including Kitson and Revolve. They’re pretty affordable, too. Rings start at about R300.00 and the shard necklace retails for just over R500.00 on Revolve.

Now the question is: do I really need another offbeat neckpiece or an oversized ring?

Always.