iindaba
Friday, May 28, 2010
Guess whose been asked to be on the judging panel of the Elle New Talent Competition for SAFW's Winter 2011 Collections??? This after a wonderful coffee date with Georgie from Woolies online division - something will be in the works there soon. Happy Friday peeps. My muntu is sick so I'm playing Nurse Milli tonight and I'm actually looking forward to be mixing meds instead of drinks tonight.
My Fashion Week
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Lol, that title literally just escaped from my fingers. Sorry to all the other legitimate fashion weeks.
So preparations for Pulchritude are in full swing and I'm very very happy with all the clothes I've received so far. This morning I had coffee with Gina from two as she delivered their beautiful things. There are these amazing kimono style coats in some soft Japanese fabrics - one size fits all and there's only 5 that I got. They also have tonnes of lovely stretch fabric pieces. Everything is still in bags which I'm unravelling tonight after the soccer. (going to soccer cittyyyyyy yipee)
Last night I was at Anisa's studio, which is also where she lives in Waterkloof Heights in Pretoria. That girl is seriously talented. Plus she's really really nice for someone so accomplished at such a young age. While I was there picking up my two huge bags of clothes, two of her (crazy funny) friends arrived and were there to do fittings for their identical outfits they will wear to Anisa's party on the 5th. She's made them these Balmain inspired sharp shoulder jackets with her own sleek pocket twist. They are really nice.
After the fitting, I showed all three girls the brooches I'd received from Lucky You yesterday. They were in my boot and we were obviously outside using the boot light for light. It seriously looked like we were dealing drugs because we all had our head in there shuffling the brooches. They literally couldn't believe how cute they were (they really are) and I've got orders to reserve a few for them.
Then I got home and showed my housemate the clothes and she wanted to die over this one dress. I'll be more than happy to report many more deaths on the day of the sale.
Next week, I'm getting black coffee and love jozi and maria mccloy and receiving stuff from mememe and silverspoon.
the pic is from www.luckyouhandmade.blogspot.com and it's of the brooches that are gonna be on sale.
Sorry for the delay bloggofites
It's only an indication of how hectic things have been after Giyani and still, it's not getting better. I have severe memory issues and am allergic to diaries so I can't even remember what I need to do tomorrow because I'm so focussed on today.
I've been reviewing some restaurants in Soweto and Alex for a client that found me on Twitter. I thought it would be an easy experience but it's proven to be rather difficult but fun none -the-less. I'm writing from this other restaurant now in Molapo (I didn't even know Soweto had such a suburb) and as nice as the guys are there, I had to give them a little advice in the beginning. So I walk in and there's no other customers, which is kinda understandable for a Thursday afternoon, but anyway, I walk in and there's loud Kenny Latimore on the radio and I'm like :-l. I ask the guy for the menu and he says there's no menu, he can tell me the menu. I'd already experienced this at Masakeng in Soweto, where the guy said, "I'm the menu".
I immediately told him to get his act together because that's just not on. He listened intently while I was telling him the importance of being organised like that. He also said I should have called before arriving (like 80% of the restaurants in Soweto request) and I'm like guy, wtf, you're running a restaurant.
After he agreed with what I had to say, I took a deep breath, sat down and thought about why this has been so hard, and it's pretty clear. Most of these restaurants really just rely on tourists to come and eat and it totally makes sense that they would rather have warning before customers come, so that they can buy and prepare the food. They don't work like other restaurants in the suburbs which just have everything on the menu. During most days, these places lie barren and empty because few people living in Soweto will pay for food that:
a) tastes exactly like their own home food (though it's delicious)
b) costs over R50, which is still cheap for wealthier people
c) that's not marketed at all
Very few of the places I've attended have phone numbers or any presence on the internet, which is sad because most of them have rrrrrreally good food.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this. I want to support and be here more often but honestly, it will be when I miss my mother's cooking. Like now, this guy made crocodile, steak, ostrich fillet and some sort of duck - all on one plate for me to eat and I can't do it. It's too much animal. Now that I got that off my chest.
Let's talk fashion.
I've been reviewing some restaurants in Soweto and Alex for a client that found me on Twitter. I thought it would be an easy experience but it's proven to be rather difficult but fun none -the-less. I'm writing from this other restaurant now in Molapo (I didn't even know Soweto had such a suburb) and as nice as the guys are there, I had to give them a little advice in the beginning. So I walk in and there's no other customers, which is kinda understandable for a Thursday afternoon, but anyway, I walk in and there's loud Kenny Latimore on the radio and I'm like :-l. I ask the guy for the menu and he says there's no menu, he can tell me the menu. I'd already experienced this at Masakeng in Soweto, where the guy said, "I'm the menu".
I immediately told him to get his act together because that's just not on. He listened intently while I was telling him the importance of being organised like that. He also said I should have called before arriving (like 80% of the restaurants in Soweto request) and I'm like guy, wtf, you're running a restaurant.
After he agreed with what I had to say, I took a deep breath, sat down and thought about why this has been so hard, and it's pretty clear. Most of these restaurants really just rely on tourists to come and eat and it totally makes sense that they would rather have warning before customers come, so that they can buy and prepare the food. They don't work like other restaurants in the suburbs which just have everything on the menu. During most days, these places lie barren and empty because few people living in Soweto will pay for food that:
a) tastes exactly like their own home food (though it's delicious)
b) costs over R50, which is still cheap for wealthier people
c) that's not marketed at all
Very few of the places I've attended have phone numbers or any presence on the internet, which is sad because most of them have rrrrrreally good food.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this. I want to support and be here more often but honestly, it will be when I miss my mother's cooking. Like now, this guy made crocodile, steak, ostrich fillet and some sort of duck - all on one plate for me to eat and I can't do it. It's too much animal. Now that I got that off my chest.
Let's talk fashion.
On the 8th day, God made Alek.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
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I don't know where these are from. Celiwe sent them to me because she knew that no matter how tired I am, no matter how much testosterone I've had to deal with in the past couple of days, even when I can't stay up to respond to emails I've been waiting for years to receive - I will have the time to look through these and post them. I loved Alek from the first moment I laid eyes on her. She's a fellow Mnyamie afterall. x Enjoy kiddos.
Pulchritudinous
The new Pulchritude logo. I'm sending out a Press Release about the sale just now. Look out for the "Designers of Day" feature from next week. Logo designed by the same girl who made the missmillib logo, Roelien at www.unrouxly.co.za
Colored
Monday, May 17, 2010
This week Chris Saunders and I have been shooting a story for The Colors Magazine Dance issue which comes out next quarter (End July I think). I'm writing and he's shooting the incredible story of the incredible dancing that goes with Shangaan Electro. We traveled to Giyani, Limpopo with a guy called Dog, who is a major producer of Shangaan Electro and founder of the Tshe Tsha boys. To me, this musical genre is SA's next big export after The Smarteez and Die Antwoord. The Tshe Tsha boys and the music have had 680 000 hits on Youtube and yet they are not very popular here. But of course, we always have to wait for international media to take interest before we realise that we're sitting on a mine of gold worth digging.
The shoot in Giyani was at a refugee camp that's been there since the early 90s. We shot two Mozambican refugees who arrived in 1994, grew up there and are now mini celebs in Malamulele and Giyani because they dance to make money. My pictures are obviously not as good as Chris' who took pics on this intergalactic quadruple HD camera. I'll ask him for some and post.
Then Saturday, Dog's organised a huge get together of the Tshe Tsha boys, some young girl dancers, young women and men and older women and men to come and show us how it's done in Limpopo. I can't believe I've never seen this kind of dancing merged with this music before. This is more entertaining than any other traditional, modern dancing I've seen.
pics www.lab.colors.com
From England with Love
Sunday, May 16, 2010
On Saturday night, the Dazed and Confused issue I contributed to was hand delivered by the mag's front section editor, the totally awesome Sarah Fakray. It's really cool and they've actually captured the spirit of Cape Town and Johannesburg incredibly well and I'm happy to have been part of it. Just to tease you before you get it at Exclusive in two months time, you can look forward to stories about: Die Antwoord, Main Street Life, Thandiswa, Ok Malume, Black Coffee (the designers), The Smarteez, Fokofpolisiekar, Jack Parrow, Juju, Mikhael Subotsky, The Blackheart Gang, The Blk Jks and local house music. At this point, I've only read and re-read the South African section, but I thoroughly look forward to reading one page at a time for the rest of my life. This is pretty much a piece of gold to an Oppenheimer for me.
I have not read the story yet, but had to take pics of Collier Schorr's pictures for this issue. They are incredible and taken by a she. I don't know her but I'm wikiing her immediately.
Hacked
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Jefferson Hack, the co-founder and director of The Dazed Group (Dazed and Confused, Dazed Digital, Another Magazine and Another Man) and Kate Moss' baby daddy, sat down with Imran Amed of Business of Fashion a few days ago to talk about the future of fashion magazines in a digital world. I once wrote two stories for Business of Fashion and am sliiiiightly acquainted with Imran so this was very exciting when it popped up in my inbox last week. This was a global conversation where Tavi and BryanBoy were also involved and people could tweet from around the world asking questions. It was the embodiment of the kind of interaction social media can allow because there was an important conversation happening between Imran and Jefferson, but the world was invited to listen and take part, live. It's a really informative interview in a simple format and I loved it.
Watch the video here: http://businessoffashion.com/2010/05/fashion-pioneers-jefferson-hack-on-fashion-media-in-the-era-of-digital-beauty.html
Spillage on isle mine.
I feel so bad for not having written anything in the past couple of days, so much has happened and I can't really share most of it because it was pretty unpleasant and I don't want to implicate anyone. As I said in my last post, I'm going to stick to writing and never forget why I left styling. (No offence to any stylists, seriously, you guys have qualities I don't possess)
Moving on, today I'm meeting up with Chris Saunders who is back from Italy to shoot the Smirnoff Experience I think, but he's going to kill two birds and we're doing one of the most interesting stories I've ever come across for Colours Magazine. We're travelling to Giyani next week to shoot and write about the most underrated awesomeness to come out of this country. I can't wait to post pictures next week. Then the Dazed issue Sandiso and I contributed to is finally being hand delivered to us by Londoner who works for Dazed and is in the country for the Smirnoff Experience. I'm getting it on Saturday and will scan and post immediately, I can't wait.
Yesterday I went to take pics for my first official Mail and Guardian Column which is out tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous about it actually. Please judge kindly if you come across it.
Yes I am trying to make myself feel better by all this bragging. If you don't like it, call 0800 EAT SHIT.
I've been listening to some new Regina Spektor, well it's not new, it's an album I don't have. Have been listening through youtube and have asked the guy who owns Wolves to get it for me (they import really cool music). If you just heard one song from Soviet Kitsch (the album), you'd understand the kaleidescope in my ears and heart right now. It's my friend Anokhi's birthday tomorrow and I wish I could just sing for her instead of get a boring gift. I wish I could sing.
For now, I'm going to look at what I've stocked up for the blog in the past week and post it, so if it's a little old, please excuse it. It's stuff that is of utmost importance to me so enjoy it.
Oh, Pulchritude preps are going swimmingly - the E-Vite is out tomorrow so if you're in Joburg and want to come, send me your addy and I'll email it you. Or you can email pulchritude.joburg@gmail.com
xxx
Moving on, today I'm meeting up with Chris Saunders who is back from Italy to shoot the Smirnoff Experience I think, but he's going to kill two birds and we're doing one of the most interesting stories I've ever come across for Colours Magazine. We're travelling to Giyani next week to shoot and write about the most underrated awesomeness to come out of this country. I can't wait to post pictures next week. Then the Dazed issue Sandiso and I contributed to is finally being hand delivered to us by Londoner who works for Dazed and is in the country for the Smirnoff Experience. I'm getting it on Saturday and will scan and post immediately, I can't wait.
Yesterday I went to take pics for my first official Mail and Guardian Column which is out tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous about it actually. Please judge kindly if you come across it.
Yes I am trying to make myself feel better by all this bragging. If you don't like it, call 0800 EAT SHIT.
I've been listening to some new Regina Spektor, well it's not new, it's an album I don't have. Have been listening through youtube and have asked the guy who owns Wolves to get it for me (they import really cool music). If you just heard one song from Soviet Kitsch (the album), you'd understand the kaleidescope in my ears and heart right now. It's my friend Anokhi's birthday tomorrow and I wish I could just sing for her instead of get a boring gift. I wish I could sing.
For now, I'm going to look at what I've stocked up for the blog in the past week and post it, so if it's a little old, please excuse it. It's stuff that is of utmost importance to me so enjoy it.
Oh, Pulchritude preps are going swimmingly - the E-Vite is out tomorrow so if you're in Joburg and want to come, send me your addy and I'll email it you. Or you can email pulchritude.joburg@gmail.com
xxx
Yikes
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
OMG I've been doing a styling job and stuck on set for the past couple of days hence I have not updated my blog in ages. Fortunately it's reminded me of why I left styling in the first place. Oi. I've stored up some exciting info though so I just need to find a minute to put it all up and make it look nice. xxx
Kaaaayyooooot
Friday, May 7, 2010
Remember the taste and smell of those "I Love You" and "Kiss Me" sweets from back in the day? Or Zoo Biscuits, banana milkshake and candy floss? I don't like sweet things now, but I channeled Gretel in the sweet house when I saw this girl's work today at 44 Stanley's Just store.
Her name is Sara Trickett and her label's called Lucky You. She truly makes beautiful little trinketts and I'm hoping to stock her accessories at the Pulchritude sales in Parktown North from June 5. So happy about this new discovery. Check out her website on www.luckyou.co.za
Her name is Sara Trickett and her label's called Lucky You. She truly makes beautiful little trinketts and I'm hoping to stock her accessories at the Pulchritude sales in Parktown North from June 5. So happy about this new discovery. Check out her website on www.luckyou.co.za
Pulchritude
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
One Day, Shushu Day, it will be like this
Images from The Finders Keepers Market in Australia
I just gave a "lecture" at LISOF about my blog, I hope the girls enjoyed it. I certainly did. I told them a bit about what I've been dying to talk about for weeks - the baby I'm going to hatch (in this world, babies are hatched) on 5 June.
I've been looking for a good venue to host weekly designer sales where I will pick my favourite clothes from my favourite South African designers and sell them for one day a week to the sartorialocals of my favourite city.
A few weeks ago, I contacted and met with the people from the Parktown North Food Market, to see if I could sell from their market. It just so happened that my timing was good because they are looking for ways to expand and grow their 18 month old brand, and what better way than to grow it through design. So my fashion initiative, Pulchritude, is the first branch of their growing tree and definitely something that's going to be long term for me, the designers, the market and of course Joburgers. This means, we're finally going to have something similar to Cape Town's Biscuit Mill. Except, I know this is corn at its crunchiest, but it's more like Joburg's Milli-Meal. Hehe.
So I sent the proposal out to a few of my fav designers and I've already got 6 replies of interest and four yesses from Black Coffee, Two, Mememe and Silverspoon - I'm still talking to Loin Cloth and Ashes and am awaiting a response from some of the others. This means good things friends, really good things for Joburg lovers of clothes like myself. You're also more than welcome to suggest other designers who you think need to sell their stuff here too.
This afteronoon I went to the Black Coffee store at Arts on Main and saw the clothes that I'll have at the Pulchritude sales and I'm not even surprise. Jacques gave me their best seller from the Everyonecanbeadesigner Range and said "without this dress, we would probably be closed", and it's really something special. So it's all about affordability, comfort and well, Pulchritude.
I'm going to see the other designers over the next couple of days and when the time comes, I'll do weekly features on my favourite for that week so that you can feast your eyes even if you're not in Joburg.
I can't wait for this. There's another really cool catch to this, but all will be revealed when it's revealed. This is not some "Oh I must do something because the
World Cup is finally here", it's long term and for all of God's little designer kinders.
Images are from www.thefinderskeepers.com
Images from The Finders Keepers Market in Australia
I just gave a "lecture" at LISOF about my blog, I hope the girls enjoyed it. I certainly did. I told them a bit about what I've been dying to talk about for weeks - the baby I'm going to hatch (in this world, babies are hatched) on 5 June.
I've been looking for a good venue to host weekly designer sales where I will pick my favourite clothes from my favourite South African designers and sell them for one day a week to the sartorialocals of my favourite city.
A few weeks ago, I contacted and met with the people from the Parktown North Food Market, to see if I could sell from their market. It just so happened that my timing was good because they are looking for ways to expand and grow their 18 month old brand, and what better way than to grow it through design. So my fashion initiative, Pulchritude, is the first branch of their growing tree and definitely something that's going to be long term for me, the designers, the market and of course Joburgers. This means, we're finally going to have something similar to Cape Town's Biscuit Mill. Except, I know this is corn at its crunchiest, but it's more like Joburg's Milli-Meal. Hehe.
So I sent the proposal out to a few of my fav designers and I've already got 6 replies of interest and four yesses from Black Coffee, Two, Mememe and Silverspoon - I'm still talking to Loin Cloth and Ashes and am awaiting a response from some of the others. This means good things friends, really good things for Joburg lovers of clothes like myself. You're also more than welcome to suggest other designers who you think need to sell their stuff here too.
This afteronoon I went to the Black Coffee store at Arts on Main and saw the clothes that I'll have at the Pulchritude sales and I'm not even surprise. Jacques gave me their best seller from the Everyonecanbeadesigner Range and said "without this dress, we would probably be closed", and it's really something special. So it's all about affordability, comfort and well, Pulchritude.
I'm going to see the other designers over the next couple of days and when the time comes, I'll do weekly features on my favourite for that week so that you can feast your eyes even if you're not in Joburg.
I can't wait for this. There's another really cool catch to this, but all will be revealed when it's revealed. This is not some "Oh I must do something because the
World Cup is finally here", it's long term and for all of God's little designer kinders.
Images are from www.thefinderskeepers.com
Blegh
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I'm not having the greatest day today, although it did start off well with the lovely interview Amber from Mr Price did me for the www.inthefashionloop.com blog. Loved that guys, so thanks.
I have a deeply annoying case of Writers' block and my lovely writer friend Miss Marion Isaacs suggested I drink some wine and see what happens. Well, what's happened is that it has just spilled all over my white top and now I've got a wine-stained top on a Tuesday. Serves me effing right for drinking on a Tuesday afternoon. Yes I'll have some cheese with that wine.
While that was going swimmingly, I get an sms from a friend in Botswana who has just bought the latest True Love, which I contributed to, to tell me that they spelled my name Milisuthando Mbongena. Are you fucking kidding me? After like 4 years of writing for them, they spell my surname Mbongena. All jokes aside, I'm really disappointed that somebody at that camp is not doing their job, or maybe karma is out to get me, but why? Thank god I have nothing to do with that magazine anymore. It's not my ego that's hurt, but my effort in presenting them with high quality work that's totally mauled right now, because it's resulted in this. Anyway, don't buy it, unless you know somebody called Milisuthando Mbongena. Last night I fell asleep reading Buddhist ways of living and I know this is not how I'm supposed to react but, yeah, I'm not happy. But I do feel better because I have purged and written to the Publisher of Thought 24. BTW it's much deeper than the mis-spelt name.
On the up side, I'm working on something for Colours Magazine with Chris Saunders. If they approve the budget, bombs away - it's gonna be the most fun interview I've ever done.
I have a deeply annoying case of Writers' block and my lovely writer friend Miss Marion Isaacs suggested I drink some wine and see what happens. Well, what's happened is that it has just spilled all over my white top and now I've got a wine-stained top on a Tuesday. Serves me effing right for drinking on a Tuesday afternoon. Yes I'll have some cheese with that wine.
While that was going swimmingly, I get an sms from a friend in Botswana who has just bought the latest True Love, which I contributed to, to tell me that they spelled my name Milisuthando Mbongena. Are you fucking kidding me? After like 4 years of writing for them, they spell my surname Mbongena. All jokes aside, I'm really disappointed that somebody at that camp is not doing their job, or maybe karma is out to get me, but why? Thank god I have nothing to do with that magazine anymore. It's not my ego that's hurt, but my effort in presenting them with high quality work that's totally mauled right now, because it's resulted in this. Anyway, don't buy it, unless you know somebody called Milisuthando Mbongena. Last night I fell asleep reading Buddhist ways of living and I know this is not how I'm supposed to react but, yeah, I'm not happy. But I do feel better because I have purged and written to the Publisher of Thought 24. BTW it's much deeper than the mis-spelt name.
On the up side, I'm working on something for Colours Magazine with Chris Saunders. If they approve the budget, bombs away - it's gonna be the most fun interview I've ever done.
I turned 25 on Friday
Monday, May 3, 2010
Here are a few pics from the party at the stylish Wolves. It was such a nice atmosphere, ended up bumping into Danica from Black Coffee who was there for drinks I think, not sure what we spoke about but I know it ended with her insisting "Milli, Jacques and I are gonna buy you dinner". I thoroughly enjoyed every moment so thank you to my beautiful friends for being there.