Monochrome Days x Boys Through The Lens

Basically this is how wild fashionable boys roll when they're sent out in the city. These pictures were taken at Mxolisi Luke Mkhize's party which was both his birthday and the birthday of his label House of Saint Luke (HSL). The party was held at the warehouse kinda venue at Fuego. This party saw the launch of the fabSiya Ntini's first ever collection for his line named Ralph Tox (yes you are still to hear more about him and his line).

Here are just some of the pictures with your's truly all dressed in black, (and no! We did not plan the wide brimmed hats look) it was just as much of a surprise for each of us when we all bumped into each other. Trevor Ntombela of Rovertzn (in the glasses) opted for calling us the Jews for the night since we were already on our way there in all forms of fierce by the way.
These are just some of my favorite people in the fashion scene around DBN so in all honesty I totally didn't mind looking all so similar to them.

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Versace Loves Gaga x Spring/Summer Campaign

A few weeks ago when Lady Gaga's latest album was leaked everyone got the taste of what was to be a rather bland offering from the Applause singer. With a few favorites from the fans in the lines of Gyspy, Venus and Do What U Want which features R&B legend R Kelly, it was hard to overlook Donatella. The track which is named after the creative dierctor of Versace just went to show how much Lady Gaga values her relationship with the brand. 

Soon after the official release of the singer's long awaited album, it was officially announced that Gaga would be posing for Versace on their spring/summer 2014 campaign. I must say this may be one of the few good things that might have come out of Artpop which doesn't seem to be doing quite well on the charts plus the reviews haven't been close to great either. 

Monday,my serving of whats hot online had to be the Versace Loves Gaga amongst her entrance at AMA's on a human horse in Versace, obviously. Lady Gaga channels the brand's creative director look on the campaign with long straightened blonde hair and minimum accessories. Personally I believe this campaign is enthralling in way, Mother Monster is known for her outrageous, avant-garde style as her everyday look but this campaign sees her in a very clean and elegant style. She looked super chic and uhm (healthy) on that tight bandage dress. This just goes to prove that sometimes less is more even for Mother Monster.

Crosse & Blackwell Trim Women of Health Challenge 2014

Summer is officially upon us, as the festive season threatens it arrival along with all the oh so delicious treats. Supermarkets and malls aren't doing much to help one resist the urge to splurge a little with all the Christmas decorations up and bright already.
We all know how hard it can be to actually juggle around family or a social life along with the desire to have a healthy lifestyle but the festive season also means it’s the beach season which then means it’s time to get into that sexy bikini you've been dying to wear or that LBD (Little Black Dress) which is sure to show a lot of skin. Crosse & Blackwell Trim understands this and looks into giving you the perfect solution to finally getting that body of a goddess you've been longing for.
To answer all your prayers for that perfect schedule which allows you to do it all without sacrificing much, Crosse & Blackwell in collaboration with their brand ambassador, and famous fitness expert, Lisa Raleigh give you the Crosse & Blackwell Trim Women of Health 2014 Challenge. The Crosse & Blackwell Trim Women of Health 2014 Challenge" is designed to help you reach your New Year health and wellness goals by giving you Free Trimouts, Free Trimmeals and expect advise.
To be part of this amazing challenge all you need to do is simply register online today to begin the New Year with a healthy mind, body and attitude! Register here

The challenge officially begins on the 1st of February 2014. You can log and track your goals on the Crosse & Blackwell website because they love you so much you won't be alone on this journey you will also get expert advice and stand a chance to win incredible spot prizes just to keep you motivated throughout the challenge.
These include: escapes to luxurious health retreats, smart new gym equipment and the best personal trainers; and there's also a grand prize of R50 000 to make the end goal so much tastier!
And it doesn't end there. You will also be able to join the Free Crosse & Blackwell SUNFIT workout classes Monday to Saturday, which are launching in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg in February 2014.
What are you waiting for? Register now www.crosseandblackwell.co.za

Crosse and Blackwell Trim together with the well-loved Lisa Raleigh working with you towards that body to die for this summer!

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Twitter: @ChefBlackwellSA
Website: crosseandblackwell.co.za

InstaFashion x Gert-Johan Coetzee Couture meets Kelly Rowland

There are moments which just evoke a sense of patriotism with everyone and international singing sensation Kelly Rowland brought just that to South African fashion lovers and followers of the brand Gert-Johan Coetzee Couture when she wore a super chic LBD to the Ms. Foundation for Women event, held in Beverly Hills on Tuesday night. Twitter and Instagram went crazy when Kelly Rowland posted a picture of herself in the garment on Instagram with the caption "My beautiful dress I wore last night to the Foundation for Women #GloriaSteinemEvent was by the South African designer @gertjohancoetzee AMAZING!" 

Kelly Rowland looked impeccable in this killer LBD finished with a up hairdo and just the right amount of make up. She was stunning and that not just my verdict other international bloggers and fashion columnists praised the Kisses Down Low singer for this Coetzee number. 

I personally believe she has just gone and showed us what a Gert-Johan girl looks like. Sophisticated, extremely elegant and super sexy. So if international superstars have recognize the genius which is Gert-Johan Coetzee what are you waiting for? 

#WerkIt

Do drop a comment right here. What are your thoughts about this LBD? Follow on Instagram/Twitter : @KingElihleLee 

Into Vanity x Fur

Anyone who knows me personally would know how much of a vain creature I am. As much as I am a street fashion blogger but my love for high-end fashion is undeniable. It’s like how much Kanye loves fashion yet he’s a coveted rapper and at most you’d hardly expect a person in the hip hop game blatantly come out as a fashion fundi like he has. Most of us have had that moment when we see a superstar struts around in a music video in that oversized jacket looking all Cruella De’Ville vain in fur. Some have even gone to the lengths of trying it out ourselves. Well due to the fact that some of us cannot afford that designer label version of the jacket we then had to try out the next best option available which doesn’t seem like a bad idea when the holy creature is still styled to kill on a mannequin. Only when we’ve worn it once or twice and after a few visits to the laundry do we see it looking like an orphaned anorexic squirrel on a rainy day then we realize maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all.

               

So where am I taking this exactly? Well in my time for self-torture which just so happen to give me joy I have been seeing hints of fur here and there. Earlier in the year Johannesburg based brand AMEN Couture unveiled it range of pure fur. From jackets to scarves and collars I found myself drooling (on both the clothes and the models hahaha). I’ve also seen a lot of my so ever fashioning girls with their clutches and handbags some with just trimmings of fur and others fully adorned with it. A few months back on one of my adventures in the city I also saw fashion-forward girls rocking chinchilla jackets which for some reason always makes me sing “Own it, but don't kill her! My jewellers are diamond rollers! My rock... chinchilla! Some more raw fun, I'm rolling like rock stars”

                                                        

Okay to face facts we all know we cannot be rocking fur vests or jackets in the summer heat of South Africa but I can promise to get myself one of these ‘self-love-creature items’ for next season. Note for anyone willing to join me on my Phresh off the Runway moments in fur just try not to wear both animal print and fur like you might as well go to the nearest zoo and get yourself a cage.

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Hail The Cross Seasonal Beanie

                                                
For today's post I went into my archives and found some photos from a photo shoot I had a few months back with a dear mate of mine Thembi Mthembu of the Facebook page Lens Maniac. For this shoot well I didn't really go totally all out since I only pulled out a few items from my wardrobe basically my everyday look. Any one who knows me will know the love and pride i have for the 90's and more specifically the grunge era, after all I am a 90's babe.

Today I chose to focus not on the overall styling for the shoot but on the beanie. Well beanies have been trending like red velvet cup cakes this year from super model Cara Delevingne to the global pop singing sensation Rihanna who also loved this head gear so much as to make it part of her A/W collection for Rihanna for River Island.
I know some of you might be asking yourselves why am I busy talking about an item which is suitable for winter? Shoot me if you have to but I feel this trending item isn't about to go collect dust on our closets. Any day you can come up with a new excuse to rock your styling beanie. The one I'm rocking here is a black studded beanie lined with a piece of chiffon (for that prima-donna of the gutter feel) which I had made myself.

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DUT Fashion Show 2013

The DUT Annual Fashion Show is an event created and hosted by the Fashion and Textiles Department from Durban University of Technology. This prestigious event is created as a stage where the 3rd year students from the Fashion and Textiles Department get to showcase their first collections before they graduate and have to face the fashion industry at it's raw form. Industry insiders and the who's who of fashion are all invited to this event.
The DUT Fashion Show always looks into showcasing the best talent this institution has groomed. 2013 was no different if not tons better. The show happened over a period of 3 days from the 2nd of October to the 4th (I don't know if the organizers wanted to be in time with the global fashion month as it was happening while Joburg was having SAFashionWeek? Well that's a subject for another day)

For designers who are just emerging and are still to be recognized the 3rd year students are required to put their best foot forward and my! did they deliver.
To avoid sounding bias in any way I must say some designers were rather too predictable by following some of the already overdone trends but obviously you'll always have one of those creative sparks who leave everyone at awe and one of those sparks was the AMAZING Nqobile Mdletshe with her Ndebele inspired collection which tells a story of metamorphism of a Ndebele girl. Mdletshe's collection captured what I call African Couture. She was one of the designers who's collection was out of the box yet so 'home made'. And seemingly I was not the only one who had recognized Mdletshe's high form of artistry as she won the very first ever "Judges' Recognition Award in the history of the event. The show has only five categories and Mdletshe's praise-worthy collection created the sixth category. Will she be the first and last designer to win this award only time will tell and the future designers.

Other collections that struck my eye were ones from Nicola Foaden who's collection was all monochrome black yet she played around with a lot of textures from luxe leather, fur, to velvets. Benazeer Mulla was also a major sport also sending down her menswear models in all black. Mulla's aesthetic seems to lie on symbolism of Egypt. She had played around with a lot of layers for her symbolic-sport chic collection. All this saw her taking away the award for Most Innovative Range, further proving street style to be bigger than some of us may think.
This year's DUT Fashion Show proved to be a must attend typa event.

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