Benita - Chica Loca

If you go down to Cavendish today, you really should pop into Benita's wee store, just outside the tea room entrance to Woolies. Chic Loca has always got a good selection of lovely ladies dresses, especially for this summer. Benita is the owner and designer and is wearing one of her simple and elegant creations here.

Before and After: A Model's Life

Contrasting Styles

Sometimes you just like the cut of someone's jib. A case in point right here.

Cute Shoes

I am a sucker for Dorothy shoes, and these red ones on the left are perfect.

Fun Folks

Cavendish Marketing Ladies

This is Hajni and Philippa, the two marketing ladies from Cavendish centre management, having a great time at the Christmas party last night. I am a huge fan of Cavendish, having grown up with it in my school years, and to this day I see it as the mother-ship of shopping. I was delighted to celebrate the year end with them.

Spotted: Jo-Ann Strauss

MC at the Cavendish Square Christmas party last night was the lovely Jo-Ann Strauss, wearing a stunning Marion & Lindie dress with co-ordinated earrings.

Nick - The Lights Guy

If you go into Cavendish over the festive season and see the beautiful lights that they have as their seasonal display, this is one of the guys that you have to thank. Incredible suit - one button, slim line - which he had made for himself by the girlfriend. Props.

GHD Style Lounge in Cape Town Soon

These are a couple of the photos taken at the GHD Style Lounge held in Durban recently. This one-day style concept is in Cape Town on 12th December at the Solan Studios in Gardens. So ladies, all the ladies, get yourselves onto the web site or facebook page and get signed up for a free hair style, make up and photo session. I am booked in for 4pm, just in time for my 5pm glass of champagne at the Planet Bar.

Click here for all the necessary information.

Fame. I'm Gonna Live Forever.

If these kids were old enough to know about the movie (or TV series, for that matter), this would be how they were feeling when I took these shots after they presented their graduate collections at The Graduate Shows last evening. Certainly the pick of the bunch are here.

News: iafrica.com Lifestyle Column #24

In a staggeringly obvious stroke of PR, the current president has opted to buy his suits for office from Cape Town-based House of Monatic, makers of Carducci and C² labels. But considering only one other Pres has shopped local in decades, there is probably room for a bit of discussion about why our chaps should actually buy their suits from SA designers. I give you five jolly good reasons to do so if you click right here.

Photo courtesy of AFP

A Couple of Stand Outs

Model Fitting

As you know tonight is the Graduate Shows - a pilot to see what can be done if various fashion schools collaborate to put on a once a year, professional staging of their graduate collections. All in one place. Easy to compare between the schools. Well organised. Like they do in other fashion capitals. I think it is a pretty good idea and Cape Town has once again led the way.

So I am off to snap some pics there tonight and no doubt you will see the results over the next few days. But I did sneak into the model fittings that they held last week in the run up to tonight's big event, so I thought I would show you some of the behind the scenes stuff as well.

Cape Town to Take Miss SA

I know this is weird, but I had a lesson in keeping an open mind from the mighty Stephen Fry some years ago and, for fear of ever falling foul of him again, I try and follow his lead. The Miss SA pageant in the past for me has ranged from a seriously archaic construct designed to entrench misogyny and the subversion of women (my feminist phase), through to a mild nose turn-up at the somewhat tackiness of it all. And, if I am totally honest, it bothers me that they all somehow seem to turn into Top Billing presenters after a while. And while I am on this roll, that they also seem to subscribe to that whole Joburg social scene that I find to be very unseemly.

That said, gentle people, let me tell you that this year I am nailing my colours to the mast of contestants and backing Jodi Balfour in the title race.

Jodi is a 21-year old UCT drama student who is unpretentious, considered, great fun and easy going. I think that she represents the style of Cape Town extremely well without necessarily having to go down the path of all the ladies who have preceded her. And I think it is time again for Cape Town style to take the crown.

I managed to photograph Jodi yesterday on the sofa of the LuvSport set, and asked about World Peace and saving the children. She didn't bite. She talked to me about simple things we can all do to build a better future. She talked of our green responsibilities (recycling), a charity that she wants to set up in SA that encourages people to 'Say Hi' to others in their communities which has been shown to reduce crime and build a stronger society and big brother and sister programmes with HIV/AIDS clinics.

Jodi is one of four girls from our fair city in the last 12. The final is on 15th of December at Sun City and hopefully readers of this blog will get behind our girl.

Dates to Diarise: Graduate Shows

It is a busy week for fashion events. First on Wednesday we have the Graduate Shows. Three fashion schools have come together to present their graduate collections to the great and the good of SA fashion. They are the Design Academy of Fashion, Cape Town Fashion College and the fashion department of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the show is on at The Runway in Woodstock, starting at 6pm.

Then on Saturday, Elizabeth Galloway is hosting thier graduate event at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. Not only will the graduates be showing their best bits, but my boys Gavin Rajah and Thula Sindi will also be showing special collections. I am a big fan of the direction that Elizabeth Galloway is taking her graduating students, so it is an enormous pity that I am going to be in Joburg on the weekend and unable to attend.

Here Come the Men in Hats

Deon is the definitive stylish Cape Town hat man. It is who he is, not what he wears. But the other boys do pretty well too.

Talented Students

These are some of the best of the CPUT fashion graduates this year.

Pin-Tuck Tunic

I just love this gentle tunic. Just enough heft to it without over egging it. Sadly all kinds of wrong for my body shape, but divine on this lady.

Grandma's Skinny Belt

I remember being resourceful like this when I was younger. It is one of the best ways to learn about personal style and expressing yourself through your clothing. This perfect little belt was nicked from her granny's wardrobe where it was a part of something else and made to work here. What a lovely young woman.

Summer 08 Dress Down Style

Gladiators - check. Short shorts - check. Pretty feminine blouse - check. All present and correct and put together looking cool and unpretentious. On trend without trying too hard, that's got to be the goal.

Opening: Pounce Claremont

Cunningly nestled right outside the doors of the brand new Virgin Active in Claremont is a store called Pounce, selling top-notch active wear. And if that wasn't clever enough, it also has cute little items like slim line Havianas and yoga pants that you may just need even if you never use your gym membership card.

No surprise that it works so well since it is owned by Francisca Herloff-Petersen, the genius buyer and owner of Purr in Kloof Street.

Extra Style Guide Friday points for anyone who spots a familiar face in the crowd.

News: iafrica.com Lifestyle Column #23

The latest piece that I wrote is a short, sharp guide for all you chaps out there who are confused about what to wear on your date with the girl of your dreams. Stripping out all the confusion and mixed messages, I give it to you straight. Click here for the low down.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Sunny Evening Style

If you have a summer night out to sip bubbly under the stars planned, look no further than here for your style direction. All you need is a gorgeous wrap to add to your pretty dress, and off you go. Alex and Fiona are dressed in Oaktree and Country Road respectively.

Stressed Students

As exams come to a finish and final projects are handed in, students all over the country are pretty stressed. But that doesn't mean that you can let the style standards slip. I took these candids in the corridors of education earlier this week, just to capture that feeling once more after all these years.

Banksy Mark II

Showing at the CPUT graduate collection is a stencil artist whose work is very akin to that of Banksy. Being a follower of Bansky, I asked him how his work differed and he told me. And it was good. But actually I was distracted by the great outfit. Perfect combination of v-neck and cardigan. Excellent work on the turn ups. All round a jolly good show.

Spotted: Stiaan Louw and Maya Prass

Last night at the opening of the CPUT graduate show, I got to catch up with blog designer-darlings, Stiaan and Maya, which is always fun and informative. When they are not knocking over glasses of margaritas and embarassing me, of course.

Going Green - Donate Your Clothes

Ever wondered whether there was anything useful you could do with your old clothes? Well this week there is. You have between now and next Wednesday, the 26th, to drop off your unwanted clothes at select Vida e Caffes (Wembley, Kloof Street, Green Point, Camps Bay) and they will be recycled into totally new and unique garments. These will then be photographed, worn by some of our local rock stars and the photos will shown in an exhibition in December. All the profits will go to green charity ecolink. This is a collaboration between Vida and CAPSULE/CREATIVE.

The photo of Inge Beckmann was taken by Natasja Fourie.

Pretty Summer Dresses

It seems that around 85% of the time that I photograph a gorgeous summer frock these days, it comes from Mr Price. With a sales tags ranging from R69.99 to R89.99 this is bargain shopping at its best. If you can shrug off all the implied work practices, of course.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology Design Exhibition

Opening tonight at the CPUT Design Building is an exhibition of the graduate work from their students. I was able to grab a sneak peak yesterday and was very impressed with the surface and clothing design on display. It runs until next week so try and get along to see it.