Yoyoyo

Hey guys,

I'm sitting at the world's ''funnest place'', Dubai Airport en route on my little European getaway! I will be in London in a few hours and the minute I am settled in, I will post an update on what's been going on!  Have a fantastic Friday!

xMM

MOTEL MARI LOVES HERITAGE DAY

And we love Motel Mari everyday. These little clips are from their performance on Sunday at The Living Room, the new rooftop bar at the Main Change building at Maboneng.  It was a magical day.  

IT'S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER

Sam from Sam Star shoes just dropped by the shop and showed me her new range of shoes and of course I went bananas and ordered these for Mememe Joburg IMMEDIATELY! They will be available from next week Friday I hope. Will keep you posted. For now, I have a very limited order. If you would like some, place an order and include your shoe size and addy by mailing james@mememe.co.za cc mili@mememe.co.za otherwise just pop by the store and have a gander for yourself. 

BFF REUNION

This is a picture of me in Std 2 or Grade 4. Obviously it's the one on the right. The one on the left is of my beautiful best friend for ever and ever Buyisa, whom I have not seen in 5 years because she lives in the UK and between our careers we just haven't made it happen.  I keep these two pictures next to each other because she is my soul sister since we were 13.  In this picture, she is making a speech at my 21st. Yes she is as sassy as she looks.  On Thursday I get on a plane and I will meet her on the other side after so long. No doubt I will share our adventure with you guys.  

SELF PORTRAIT

I was really enjoying my natural hair on the weekend, too bad it's so intense to maintain and I just don't have the propensity for pain first thing in the morning when I have to comb it out with a glycerined comb.  So I went and got some purple hair instead.  

TRUTH

THE FIRST FAMILY OF FREAK

This is one of the best Rolling Stone SA Covers I've seen featuring of course the first family of freak.  The spawn of Yolandi Vi$$er and Waddy, is named Sixteen.

HAIL MARY

Hail to the queen of prints Ladies and Gentlemen! English designer, Mary Katrantzou has shocked and awed as usual with her latest collection of Spring/Summer 2013 treats launched recently at London Fashion Week.  This latest collection for me is post genre. You can't say she's taken her inspiration from Africa or the Middle East, it's global, post those kinds of limitations.  This range is inspired by paper money, stamps and other globally influenced paraphernalia that littered Katrantzou's childhood.  Its strength is not only the exquisite fabrics, the general silhouettes are an excursion from East to West.  I look at it and see Russian Dolls, an influence of Eastern Europe (she is of Polish heritage) in the full skirts and structured necklines as well as the purdy hairstyle in that fist image.  This is an amazing feat. I wonder how much these dresses go for.  

LOOK WHAT MISS MOSS DID

Is this real? I ask myself as I reluctantly go on Miss Moss blog (it usually leaves me feeling doubtful about myself and my abilities) but I can't help it.  She's taken designer Mara Hoffman's latest Collection for SS13 and done one of her famous colour combo marriages with an artist I was not familiar with until I read the blog post, one Maria Prymachenko.  How beautiful is this marriage of fashion and art? 

GUESS WHOSE JUST WON HERSELF A R1000 SHOPPING VOUCHER

Hey guys.  I'm busy giving myself a pep talk about how I shouldn't start this post with negativity.  I feel  good that there were such beautiful and heart felt responses to the 36 Boutiques Heritage Day Competition.  But of course, there can only be one winner and that's the rough part for me. It hasn't been easy. I had to sleep on it and choose a winner based on the most memorable entry, the one that my gut initially said yes to. It's hard to have a criteria for these things because no one's story is necessarily better or worse than the other.  But for me the winner's stood out and painted such a clear picture of her experience and just how special everybody in South Africa's heritage is.  

Congratulations Janita!  You win yourself a R1000 shopping voucher from 36 Boutiques.  Please email your details to missmillib@gmail.com to claim your prize. 

MORE FASHION WEAKNESS OF THE KNEES

Street Fashion is the future!!!!! 

HERITAGE DAY GIVEAWAY

What's your fashion heritage?  This is the question 36 Boutiques, South Africa's most popular online fashion boutique is asking ahead of this year's Heritage Day on 24 September.  I like this campaign. It's paying homage to the fact that, in the words of Trend Forecaster Li Edelkoort, Africa is the next big destination for creative inspiration in fields like decor, fashion, business and textiles.  In the next ten years, the world is going to be investing in an Africa it was too quick to view as a place of entropy in the past. Finally.  

Our own introspection as a continent begun a few years ago with brands like Sun Goddess referencing traditional Xhosa silhouettes in their designs; there was also that craze in a few years ago where 50% of designers at Fashion Weeks were using Shweshwe fabrics which is actually of German heritage (Ijarumani).  By the mid 2000's labels like Lalesso were using Kenyan cottons and fabrics and most recently, designers like Laduma Ngxokolo with his incredible Maxhosa Xhosa inspired knitwear and Loin Cloth and Ashes wax print clothing are gaining some international adoration.   

On their recent visits to South Africa, fashion icons Solange Knowles and Yukimi Nagamo of Little Dragon were proudly wearing Loin Cloth and Ashes, Babatunde and Maria McCloy products - all made out of African Wax Prints and Tanzanian fabrics.  Our moment has arrived and it's high time to embrace it if you're too afaid to ''look different''. I hate it when we wait for the rest of the world to see value in the things that we take for granted and then we suddenly start taking ourselves seriously.  Our country is blessed with 11 different languages and countless cultural groups which are abundant in beauty and heritage.  

Sorry this is such a long post, I didn't mean to be so wordy but it got to me.  So the whole point to my epic poem is that 36 Boutiques is currently running a Heritage Campaign where they have special deals on local labels that proudly display their heritage at first sight.  Check out their site for some sweet deals on clothing and accessories from Lalesso, Loin Cloth and Ashes, Jeanine Binnerman, Island Lily and Jin Jin.  That's if you are a member. If you're not, please get onto the site and sign up for shopping. 

If like most of us your purse is looking rather thin because pay day is ONLY next week, then you might want to enter this competition for a R1000 gift voucher from 36 Boutiques.  It's simple. What does Heritage day mean to you.  Inclusion of the word braai in your response results in immediate disqualification.  Bonus points for any fashion references.  Leave your answers in the comments section please.  Here is 36 Boutiques' website www.36boutiques.com 

AND THE WINNER IS.....

LEBOGANG XOLO!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

I am literally writing this from the back seat of my car because I had to stop everything and look at everybody's answers. I really really don't like it when I have to choose one person because I really appreciate the effort everybody has put into this!  But there can only be one. I chose Lebogang because she is the first one to get all the answers absolutely right!  The trick question at the end is PLASTIC SURGERY! Donatella is forever going for body jobs and too much tan! She is practically Terracota in colour!  THANK YOU to all of you for tuning in and entering! This makes me love what I do!  

Here are the correct answers:

1.     Name at least three kinds of products manufactured by Versace: Clothing, Handbags, Perfume, Make-Up, Watches

2.     Who took over from Gianni Versace after he died? Donatella Versace

3.     Who else owns a large share of the company as per Versace’s will? Allegra Versace

4.     How many boutiques that Versace have in the world? 82

5.     Which very famous American rapper was known to love wearing the label? Tupac

6.     Which actress immortalized her status in 2000 by wearing a Versace dress there after called ‘’The Dress’’. Jennifer Lopez

7.     Name two of the 4 famous legendary models that Versace used in their runway shows and campaigns in the 90’s. Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangalista, Cindy Crawford

8.     What is the name of Versace’s diffusion label? Versus

9.     Name one American celebrity that has been the face of Versace in the past 10 years. Madonna, Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Christina Aguilera

10. Either than her bleach blond hair, what else is Donnatella Versace infamous for? Plastic Surgery, Self Tan

Congratulations Lebogang. Please send your address to missmillib@gmail.com and I will make sure they are delivered to you ASAP.

Tomorrow I'm giving away a R1000 clothing voucher from 36 Boutiques. Get your writing caps on!

VERSACE SUNGLASSES GIVEAWAY

Ladies and boys who like to wear accessories made for girls, I'm feeling generous this week and giving away this fabulous pair of Versace sunglasses valued at R2350 from my beloved Sunglass Hut.  Please note this is not a campaign by them via me, it is all purely my own concoction.  So I've been thinking about how exactly will I conduct this giveaway, what does one have to do to win this and I settled on a little game of Versace Trivia.  The first person to answer these 10 questions correctly by 12.00 midday today will win themselves this pair of Sunglasses.  Now I know you can just use the internet to get the answers but try not to. See how much you can guess on your own. I know you can't find the answer to the last question on the net!  Good luck!  Leave your answers in the comments section. Yaaaaay. 

1.     Name at least three kinds of products manufactured by Versace

2.     Who took over from Gianni Versace after he died?

3.     Who else owns a large share of the company as per Versace’s will?

4.     How many boutiques that Versace have in the world?

5.     Which very famous American rapper was known to love wearing the label?

6.     Which actress immortalized her status in 2000 by wearing a Versace dress there after called ‘’The Dress’’. 

7.     Name two of the 4 famous legendary models that Versace used in their runway shows and campaigns in the 90’s.

8.     What is the name of Versace’s diffusion label?

9.     Name one American celebrity that has been the face of Versace in the past 10 years.

10. Either than her bleach blond hair, what else is Donnatella Versace infamous for?

THE BLACK GIRL LOOK

May you never be at the receiving end of this look and sass.

THIS IS AFTER ALL A FASHION BLOG

These perfect images of these perfectly dressed women were taken by Karl-Edwin Guerre for US Marie Claire during New York Fashion Week.  When I'm bored, I play on Flipboard which is where I found these pictures and subsequently could not sleep because of my sartorial inferiority complex.  I like local of course but when you're in a place like New York during fashion week, you really get to see an other worldly sense of style.  While it is marvelous, I personally couldn't withstand the pressure of having to be around people that look this great all the time.  At least not until I can afford to look this great every day.

NOT A SELF PORTRAIT. BY EVE RAKOW

A MORNING IN BRAAMFONTEIN

The first thing that comes to mind as I write this post is Idiom ''Familiarity breeds contempt''.  That is unfortunately what happens when you become too used to something.  You stop seeing the beauty and the novelty in it because it is so familiar to you.  It is Saturday afternoon and I must admit to my dismissal of Braamfontein generally because I'm there every week.  Today I got to experience it in a new way.  I joined the ranks of the Nike runners that ''Run the City'' every week.  My friend Refliwe told me that a group of them run every Thursday and Saturday and I can come if I want.  So I wanted to and today I went. 

It was cool and I feel like Serena Williams after my seriously unbelievable feat of running mostly uphill for 2.5 kilometres in Braamfontein. That may be nothing to regular runners but I'm proud of myself because I hate adversity, especially when it involves sweat.  But I survived and my relationship with Braamfontein got a new lease on life. After the run we went to that market which I generally find dreadful and awful because it's Hipster's Paradise, but because the weather was grey and it was like 10am, it was divine. I had some breakfast and a mimosa with some really nice people and was a little fuzzed up inside when I left.  It makes me feel better about liking things. 

These pictures are totally random. They are just Instagrams I took while I was there this morning.  They make no sense if you've never been to Braamies but they are just little snippets of this morning.  How amazing does that Paella from the market look? It was too early for meat so I had a benedict instead.

STAD IN THE CITY

 

 

 

Somebody in Cape Town is betraying his or her Captetonian tendencies of not caring about anything besides the mountain, the Sea Point promenade and the right shade of ''jean'' that communicates just how much they don't give a fuck about anything not related to the inner workings of the circumference of the city bowl.  Somebody has clearly woken up to the fact that it probably make more business sense to come to Joburg.  First it was the Neighbourgoods Market, then it was What if the World looking for office space in Joburg (which they found) and now Stad. Before you know it, those brothers who own Royale and Il Buro might get some ideas on a transplant eatery.

Ok, I'm being a bitch because I actually have to admit that these Capetonias are on to something.  The most recent proof to my theory is Stad, a compendium of cool things all made in, you guessed it, Cape Town.  I can't even be a hater about this store, it is even more adorable than the name, which in English means City.  Clean, simple and effective, considering they are in burgeoning Braamies.  

They have locally produced leather (and another material I struggle to id) bags from Dark Horse, a label owned by a man and a woman named Jared and Lisa, who you will find when you visit Stad; some enviable clay crockery from one Diana Ceramics, other ceramic objects from Woven Ceramics; amazing illustrations in poster form by Lauren Fowler; DIVINE jewellery by Dear Rae and I think  I spotted some Mingo Lamberti stuff there.  Something to be noted: these knick knacks won't pose any real problems when it comes to parting with your cash.  They are very modestly priced. We love to support local goods that are not over priced. I bought two bags from Dark Horse and some side plates because they were beautiful but not ridiculously priced.

And of course, I felt special because the shop is only 2 days old.  On Saturday after our run, I took Thithi and Refilwe from Elle there and of course, Thithi especially almost undid her braids in excitement.  This is a cool little pop up shop, I hope more like it come along.  Hopefully it will become a permanent resident of this town when the pop up period is over.  It's at 70 Juta on Juta Street, Braamfontein. Follow them on Twira www.twitter.com/stadstore and for anything else, visit www.stadstore.co.za