Trend Alert: Tasty Tangerine

If you have been paying a close eye to the red carpets and front rows of late, you will have noticed a resurgence in the popularity of the colour orange. Evidence is right here in looks worn by Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and Minnie Driver in the past month. It has been noted as the surprise hit colour of the season. Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein and Victoria Beckham herself included tangerine in their collections and now we see them out and about. A great choice for stand-out, let's see how quickly this translates to our own streets and disco parties this summer season.

Kate Middleton Style News Roundup

Gosh. It has been a week chock-a-block full of news about the pending William and Kate Middleton Royal Wedding. Now that they have set a date (29th April 2011, of course), the media hype is really ramping up. I thought I might distill all the reports down and focus in on the fashion-related stuff for you from this week:
1. Date may be set, but the designer of The Dress is still up for grabs. There has been much speculation, but according to UK Vogue, British designer Amanda Wakely is the "favourite to design it at 4/1." The Today show reports that "Kate's dress alone could cost around £100,000." Also, it is not expected to look anything like Diana's, which would be a bit awkward.
2. Having said that, Kate and William are reportedly worried about not looking too ostentatious in tough economic times. As one tweeter noted, they already saved money by not buying a new ring.
3. Kate Middleton has already been called the new Angelina Jolie of the magazine world. Any cover she graces is guaranteed to sell by the bucket-load. However, fashion magazine editors at Vogue and Harper's Bazaar who desperately want her on their covers are in a bit of a spot because, well, how do they get Middleton in their issues? Let's see who gets her first! Bets anyone?
4. “I really love her,” my mate Alexa Chung is quoted telling PEOPLE about Kate Middleton this week, “and I think she’s pretty elegant and classy, and graceful – all the things that someone in the royal family should be.” Sharing the sentiment was the best dressed of the year Carey Mulligan, who said, “She never looks like she’s trying to be anyone else and she’s comfortable in her own skin. She does that well.”
5. And finally, the designer of this dress that Kate Middleton was wearing in a fashion show when Prince William first saw her back in 2002, might be worth £100,000 at this point, but the designer “probably” won’t sell it. Hmmm. They say everyone has a price. More next week!

New Fashion Exhibition

We were just chatting about fashion exhibitions yesterday. I was doing some research last night and discovered that there is another ENORMOUS exhibition opening in Paris today - running until the beginning of May. It is called (deep breath) Musée des arts Décoratifs’ “Histoire idéale de la mode contemporaine vol. 2 : 1990–2000″exhibit. Which I think we can roughly translate as the History of Contemporary Fashion: the 90s.
Considering I am off to a super-duper 90s party next weekend and am busy planning a costume, this struck my fancy. Maybe there will be ideas in all these iconic 90s looks?
The exhibit apparently begins with looks from the minimalists like Azzedine Alaïa, Yohji Yamamoto, Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela and ends with the more provocative and avant garde designs of people like John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood.
The Italian duo of Dolce and Gabanna have provided two looks to represent Italian fashion – pieces that are definitely more provocative. The first look is an embellished corset, made famous by Madonna when she wore it to the ’91 premiere of Truth or Dare in New York. The second piece is a corset armour dress from Spring ’07, worn famously by Lady Gaga. I am really not sure why a Gaga costume from this decade is relevant to a 90s exhibition, but I am going to just go with the flow. If anyone goes to see this - let us know what it is like!

Oprah To Feature Givenchy Muse and Model, Lea T, On One of Final Shows

You can't fault uber-boss Oprah in terms of inclusivity or her ability to capture and propel the zeitgeist. And now she has managed to identify and secure one of the most interesting, compelling and current faces in the fashion industry for one of her last shows.
In an episode due to air in the US in February and in South Africa toward the latter half of next year, Oprah has invited transgender model Lea T onto the show.
Lea started out as the assistant to Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy designer, she quickly became first his muse and then his model as one of the faces of his fall campaign this year. Lea T has gone on to appear of the cover of US Elle and in a fashion spread in French Vogue. This has been a stratospheric year for her. A perfect guest then for our lady Oprah.

Gallery Exhbitions of Couturiers - Now Balenciaga in New York

In the years that I lived in Europe, I made it a habit to visit the museums and galleries of London and cities that I visited. I tried never to get complacent about having such exhibits freely available to me. And so I enjoyed years of the most exciting, challenging, delightful, beautiful art. It definitely enriched my soul.
Now that I have been back in Africa for almost three years, I often reflect on these exhibitions and dwell on those that really captured my imagination.
More often than not, they were the exhibitions of couturiers. Armarni, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and even Balenciaga clothes were seen up close and personal at various showcases.
And all of this came flooding back when I saw yesterday that Vogue US' Hamish Bowles has curated an exhibition of Christobel Balenciaga in Park Avenue, New York City which is now open to the public.
Housed at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, there are almost a hundred classic pieces from the Balenciaga archives are on display. If only I was in NY right now!

Alice + Olivia Spring 11 Look Book - and How to Get It In SA

Aren't these looks just a treat? So pretty and flirty and fun. I want to be the girl who wears pretty, flirty, fun clothes.
And in a way I can. My friend Deborah runs Iracema Boutique and she brings in some Alice + Olivia looks to SA. Hopefully on her next buying trip she will pick up some of these and add some pretty, flirty fun to our lives. Leave comments here if you want her to do this! Let's make it happen!
BTW, if you are in Joburg, don't forget you can go to the Iracema pop up boutique sale from tomorrow (Thursday) till Saturday at Wizards, 48 The Valley Road, Westcliff. Totally worth it for one of a kind pieces of fabulousness.

Sylvie Says: Do Your Bit for Movember

One for the your boys!
It’s Movember (just in case you hadn’t noticed) so, we thought we’d hand this one over to our chaps...
Head over to Man of the Cloth blog and post a pic of your bloke (or someone else’s if you like) and give him an opportunity to win a hamper of awesome L’Oreal grooming products to the value of R1000!
A hamper of equal value will also be donated to Look Good, Feel Better charity on behalf of the runner-up – so everyone wins. Don't you love that.
In the mean time, do you think I’ll win a Friday Fashion Face-Off with this look?
Xxx
Sylvie