Penn Badgley and Shiloh Fernandez for H&M AIDS Campaign

Greetings. You all know how we like a campaign here at StyleGuideCT. And the big, cheap and super-cool store H&M have launched a new 'Fashion Against AIDS' collection, the latest campaign for which Gossip Girl's Lonely Boy, Penn Badgley is the exciting face. He is joined by other influential young people including Ginnifer Goodwin, Selma Blair and the edgy Shiloh Fernandez - who this old lady thinks is the Johnny Depp for the new generation. Well, he is the 'bad boy' I would have fancied were I 15 years old right now.

This campaign is the Swedish brand's four-year-old initiative that aims to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS among younger people. The collection is totally unisex, which is a concept I love, and twenty percent of all sales will be donated to HIV/AIDS charities around the globe, including Africa. Which is something I love even more. Gossip Girl and doing good - now that is a total package.
Check these behind the scenes images as well, just for fun. Always good to see the process unfold.

310311

Source: Elle Sweden 2008 via here

My BEST Shopping ever: Bicester Village, UK

I am going to let you in on my BEST shopping secret. Fair enough, it is not on the shores of Africa, this secret destination, but it is GOOD. It is a wonderful place called Bicester Village Outlet Mall and it is located in the leafy fields of the Oxfordshire countryside, not ten minutes from my best friend's house. Every year when I visit the old country (well, the UK is very, very old), my first stop is to this mall. I shop up a storm at my favourite places and then head to my friend's house to pick over the spoils and count up all the money I have saved.
I have acquired some amazing bargains here. Many, many pairs of half- or even quarter-price Jimmy Choos. Two half-price Mulberry Bayswater bags, Gerard Darel silk blouses, Smythson stationery and Hobbs cardigans. I have also spent many a lovely day browsing Valentino, Marni, McQueen, Temperley and DvF - just to keep up with things you understand. I have always believed you can't really understand fashion unless you expose yourself to the best the world has to offer, and so I go into those stores and fondle the fabrics, check the linings and generally imagine myself in the frocks. One day...

I only mention this because I read a piece in the paper yesterday that the British Fashion Council are doing a second young designer pop-up store there at the moment - as launched by Thandie Newton yesterday. So now you know.
BTW: that's me up the top there, shopping up a storm at Bicester in February.

Best Dressed at Runway to Green: Diane Kruger and Olivia Palermo

I do like an eco-fashion event. And this weekend I followed the Runway to Green fashion show on Twitter. I heard as each celebrity arrived on the green carpet, how the show progressed, finishing with model du jour Lindsey Wixson in the bridal gown. And then the surprise performer of the evening - Nicki Minaj with her green hair pouf. I have to say it sounded fabulous, so I was delighted to find some images online of all the elements of the show. I have picked out a few of the best for you.

Best dressed of the night definitely went to Diane Kruger in Jason Wu and Olivia Palermo in a Rachel Roy. Despite 29 different designers showing at the presentation, I have to say I liked the Rachel Roy collection best - it's the first time her work has really appealed to me. Of course, I was also quite fond of the Stella McCartney looks as well. Pieces from the show are available for purchase on Net-A-Porter and all proceeds from the evening go to  Alliance for Climate Protection, the Natural Resource Defense Council and the United Nations Environmental Program’s Billion Tree Campaign. Good works all round.

New Pictures: Alexa Chung for Superga

Today, I walked into work (going to pick up my new car this morning - in case you didn't already know..). So obviously I had to make the decision on which of my Superga sneakers to wear with my outfit today. What goes better with new car - white or gold?

I was thinking about this post that I did about book club-mate Alexa Chung being named as the new face of the Superga brand and then I came into work and saw these new pictures, released yesterday.
There is even a little video about the shoot that I found charming and in which Alexa just looks impossibly lovely. Click below to watch the video.

Rarely Worn Sale Starts Today - See You There

I am heading down to Woodstock at the end of the working day today, to do a bit of shopping. OK, so the fact that I am picking up my new car this morning somewhat indicates that I should probably be saving a few of my pennies for car repayments rather than dropping them on shoes or beaded tops, but let's just play that one by ear, shall we? You guys coming? See you there. Map below.

POP UP OF THE WEEK

a new Dawn

Beck and I are very excited about this weekends very special Dawn Tan pop up hop at Harvest Textiles. Dawn has been an artist in residence there this past month, holding watercolour classes for small and big peeps and generally being a creative dynamo (is there nothing this amazing gal can't do?)

Rumour has it there will be gorgeous art prints, tea towels,recipe cards,aprons and totes for sale. With the proceeds of an especially delicious red print tea towel going to the Red Cross Japan fund.

It's open on Saturday and Sunday between 10-5. It will give everyone a chance to check out the workroom. Who knows, you may be inspired to sign up for one of their fab courses. Beck loved it last year. The Harvest gals promised that could even make a screen printer out of me given half the chance! RAMONA

Harvest Textiles is at 512 Lygon Street East Brunswick.

300311

Source: Vogue UK 2010

Via here

Royal Wedding Style: Local Celebratory T-Shirt from Habits

How much fun is this t-shirt? I am definitely going to get myself along to local store Habits in a couple of weeks time and snap up one of these to wear on 29th April as we all cluster around the televisual box to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Look, you may well think that it is all a pile of nonsense, this excitement around The Wedding. But I distinctly remember the wedding of Lady Di to Prince Charles. And for a few months there, I was transported to a magical place of romance and princesses. It didn't need to be a happy ever after, it was a distraction from the turgidness of everyday life for a while. A reason to have fun and celebrate. A reason to get giddy about fashion and flounce and frills and the fabulousness of what could possibly (maybe) be. Who knows how this one will turn out. But as a glass-half-full kinda gal, I am going to get involved. Get my t-shirt on and have a blast with it all. Who is with me?
PS: click on the image to see the details and go to www.habits.co.za for more

Is Sara Ramirez Sturdy?

So there was such a hullabaloo yesterday on the interwebs about The Sartorialist who posted an image of a lovely, lithe Milanese blogger and referred to her as 'bigger', 'curvier' and her legs as 'sturdy'. Yikes. First of all, shame. He really just doesn't get it. He is so entrenched in the 'fashion' side of the business that he has really lost touch with how women wear fashion, enjoy fashion, explore what it can do for them in ways that are so far beyond the precise aesthetic rules he lives by. He really is no Bill Cunningham in this regard who was, nay is, AWLAYS about the clothes, the trend, the expression, and would never be so gauche as to take the liberty of commenting on the frame work - the body on which it resided.
Second of all, sturdy? Really? Is that the word we are using for legs that aren't sticks? Aren't disproportionate to the shoes? Well, I just think that the word is rude frankly. But I am going to go with it and I am going to call your attention to this recent image of Greys Anatomy favourite, Sara Ramirez. Surely one of the sexiest, most beautiful 'sturdy' girls in all of televisual history? Along with Sofia Vegara of course. I love this look and think she is stunning and rather under-exposed in the fashion world. We want more of Sara!
PS: just one last point on The Sartorialist thing. Look, he clearly has control issues and it makes me very uncomfortable. There is a plethora of first person commentary around about how he tells his lovely girlfriend Garance Dore what to eat, what to wear, how to do her hair etc. But that's their thing. If you don't like his approach to who he shoots (too sturdy? too thin?) just don't go to his site. That is the joy of the internet, there is always something else to see. Go and breathe in the goodness of others. Lovely deep breaths now. Enjoy.

Louis Vuitton Windows: As Sweet As Honey

My mate Janet and I were wondering around the V&A Waterfront this past Saturday morning looking for gifts for a mate's birthday. As we rounded the corner at the Louis Vuitton store, we both involuntarily stopped and stared for a while. The window displays actually took our breath away.
I have made a habit in the last year of always checking out the LV windows when they change. There is always something special about them. Always a story, a surprise, a celebration of old school luxury. I love being transported into that world, if only as a visitor.
And this window really has surpassed the rest in meeting all my needs. And then I got sent the press release about them yesterday and I am told it is themed around "As Sweet As Honey". The story goes that Louis Vuitton decided in April 2009 to install three beehives on the roof of its headquarters, in the centre of Paris. The preservation of bio-diversity is one of the great challenges of sustainable development as 35% of food resources in the world are insured by nectar and pollen gathering insects. Throughout 2010 more than 200 000 bees gathered 75kg of nectar, from which a golden honey was produced. This honey, destined for friends and family, is Louis Vuitton’s inspiration for its spring 2011 store windows. As a celebration of the first harvest. How cool is that guys?
If you can, go and check out the windows for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed. Beautiful.

Joya Collection Teams Up With SA Models Dominique Piek and Candice Boucher

Here at O magazine, we always like to support local fashion designers in our stories. As long as they are high quality and some kind of glamorous, they are in. And one of the jewellery lines we have been featuring is Joya. Cool, stone and leather and bold statement stuff, all made in Africa.
As a coincidental aside, I follow both local models and besties, Dominique Piek and Candice Boucher, on Twitter. They, like us at O, are proudly South African.
And now the two worlds collide. Spotted on Twitter last night were tweets from both women about teaming up with Joya for something special. Dominique posted this image of my favourite bracelets from the Joya collection. I am looking forward to seeing what they all come up with. I imagine it is going to be exciting and I think that it is always good news when models get involved in creative fashion projects - especially those that are proudly local. Best of luck ladies.

GALLERY OF THE WEEK

Small Pieces

On my gallery walk last weekend I made a big effort to finally get to Pan Gallery at the new Northcote Pottery location (no longer in Northcote unfortunately). I thought I'd share some images for those of you that haven't been there yet and are curious. Anywhere you can buy contemporary Australian ceramics should be on the must see list. I have never seen a cleaner more organised shop front in my life! You glide through the supplies on polished concrete to the gallery space at the back.

I'd gone to see the Forming Words exhibition and was very taken with this Beauty Pageant vessel by Wendy Hatfield Witt.

The retail space is at the front entrance and is full of little treasures - all of which are very affordable and would make perfect gifts (hint hint).

It's a little makeshift and random but there are some great objects, some of which I hadn't seen anywhere else.

I have no idea who makes these crazy little ducks but I am quite obsessed with them.

Very fond of these Ingrid Tufts tumblers. Ingrid is just the hottest maker in town at the moment and I know why. Her work is clever, well made, and totally usable.

The best way to get there is to go up Nicholson Street coming from the city and then to turn right  at Weston Street (as opposed to left which is what I did). Once you've found it you'll never let it go, a little treasure in Brunswick - not Northcote. RAMONA

Man Day: The Lesson in Short Shorts

I know, guy readers, that you almost certainly have not been watching The Bachelorette on Series unless forced to by your lady-partners. But, in the series that has just finished, the winning guy, Ed Swiderski has shown some dubious taste. I mean the guy was chosen by the otherwise-normal-seeming girl, Jillian Harris, despite wearing the worst green short shorts in the history of shorts. They are so bad, that a Facebook page "Ed's Green Shorts from the Bachelorette" has been formed. No lies.
Shorts are tricky. Dear Mr Tom Ford says ixnay on the shorts unless tennis or beach is involved. I say that's probs not practical here in Cape Town. But I do think that both Ronaldo and Jamie Hince (Mr Kate Moss) teach us a few things about what not to do on the shorts front. (aiming to cover sports guys and indie guys with these examples. Good hey?)
And please, sweet peeps, can we step away from those ubiquitous cargos that flatter NO ONE. In the dying days of this summer, do yourselves a favour and go with something tailored, something simple. And read this story about why next summer you may decide to nix the shorts altogether. Click here.

Man Day: History of the Trucker Jacket

I know I am not a bloke, but the quest for the perfect denim jacket (aka the Trucker Jacket) this winter is a top my mind as I am sure it is for you guys everywhere. I mean a classic wardrobe is not complete without one. And this year, when wearing denim on denim is not only acceptable, but encouraged, it is so much more essential. So I asked my mates at Levi's about denim jackets and found out that the classic jacket has actually had several iterations over the years.
Can you believe that the first denim Trucker Jacket was made in 1905? That's over a century ago, chaps. And yet it still looks so fresh and modern. What I found equally interesting was that the last revision on the classic shape (after Iconic Type I in 1936, Type II in 1953 and Type III in 1967) was the addition of the side pockets in 1984. It was this version that I bought myself on my first visit to London and wore throughout the Bros years and well into the early Maroon Five decade. How I wish that I had hung onto that jacket now as this season really begs to have it back.
And I don't think that there is a leading man in Hollywood or Nashville or London who doesn't own one. Just starting with the delicious Jake Gyllenhaal and hipster actor Ryan Gosling. Obviously I have not missed an opportunity to celebrate Kelly Slater again in his. Or popped a cheeky pic of Becks in here too. Fun. Click on the pic to make it bigger for a closer look.

Man Day: Kelly Slater, King of Surfing, Turns His Hand to Fashion

I went through a 'surfer' phase once. I am not going to dwell on it too long. But let's just say I dated a string of surf boys at one point in my life. For about a year. And then, just as soon as it began, it ended and I left the sands and returned to my more familiar stomping ground of the mosh pit where I took up once more with drummers and lead singers. But somewhere along the line, I accepted the beauty and prowess of one Kelly Slater. And once you have witnessed this, you never, ever forget it.
Just last November in Puerto Rico he won his 10th world title, something unsurpassed in surfing. And at the age of 38, he became the oldest ever surfing world champion, 18 years after he became the youngest, in 1992. GQ listed him as one of the 25 coolest athletes of all time, joining Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Björn Borg and Arnold Palmer. Kudos indeed. And, let's be honest, he is so pretty.

Kelly Slater's main patron, surf apparel brand Quiksilver, has sponsored him for more than 20 years. In fact he now owns three per cent of the company and recently signed on for another five-year deal. In addition, Quiksilver has now asked him to design his own range for the company, which is still in development. I was relieved to hear that the dude is going to take a different sort of approach to the whole thing as he describes his personal style as 'trying not to smell and wearing things that match'. He says, "my input with the clothes is more about a lifestyle and a philosophy rather than me actually trying to style or design them. We're looking at organic and eco fabrics - mainly for travelling clothes, which is something I know a little about." I'll bet you do Kelly. Rock on.

Man Day: David Beckham is a Fantastic Gentleman

You probably knew this was coming. I mean, to quote the men's glossy, Fantastic Man, Mr David Beckham is perhaps the most famous man in the world. So it stands to reason that this rare magazine cover opens another "Man Day" on the blog. I was alerted to this potential goodness by a tweet from his wife, my mate, Victoria Beckham. She tweeted, "David looks AMAZING in Fantastic Man by Alastair McLellan!!!!!!looking soooooo good!!!! X vb X"

Well, it's not like we are going to disagree. But what I find particularly of interest is the retro styling. A 1960s, East End respectable gangster look. And it works. That coif is a particularly good use of the latest hair too. I was rather wondering how it would manifest next. And I saw in some pics yesterday that he has carried the side part into his real life too, which we can all celebrate since it means the middle part is gone again. Phew.
The story was shot in a pie and mash shop in London, apparently one of David's favourite places to stop by when he is home to remind him of his youth growing up there.
Like most things that are nostalgic, however, pie and mash shops in London have gone rather up-market these days and are totally worth eating the next time you are other there. Although, for photo shoot purposes, I am pretty sure that this one is not one of those 'posh' ones. If you will excuse the pun. Enjoy.

RECAP OF THE WEEK

Found and Kept



The Bon Scotts

Ok so everyone knows it was Finders Keepers on the weekend so I thought I'd join in with my own little recap. While Beck was sunning herself in QLD on a much needed pre bub #2 holiday I was playing shop with the fantastic Miss Pen Pen of Cottage Industry. I did get a chance to sneak away and have the best tacos ever and rock out to some piano accordian at the same time.

I had a a Portlandia moment when I bought a gorgeous bird illustration by Meredith Forrester

And it was great to see the fabulous Betty Jo Designs table full of Lino treasure goodness. So consistently good, well made, original (avoid rip offs people)

Market stalwart Matt was selling old skool style - "Matt of Matts Bags"

I spent a days pay on this lovely wooden tram for the Womble. Shh don't tell him, we are trying to save it for his birthday! Finders Keepers is an interesting market, straddling that world between the handmade and the mass produced. I wonder if they can keep up the nice vibe for future markets as they grow. All I know is, I'm following that taco truck wherever it goes! RAMONA

280311

Photo via here

English People in New York in Photographs

Photographer Jason Bell has recently released a collection of photographs of famous and non-famous English people who reside in New York City, entitled "Englishman in New York". It's a good thing that Sting is one of his subjects then. And Kate Winslet, seen here.
Other than the fact that these pictures are really beautiful, I rather liked the way this project paralleled our own Andrew Brauteseth's local Portrait of a Nation series of photographs, in which he has captured various South Africans in character for a riveting reflection on our society.
Please go and have a look at the Portrait of a Nation site if you haven't already. And keep going back because he adds people regularly and you never know who you are going to find there.

For more photographs from Jason Bell you can go to the Jason Bell website.

Whitney Port and Friends Demonstrate Why It Is Better To Be An Individual

I was having breakfast at Loading Bay the other day and spotted a large table of very attractive young women, all dressed beautifully in brightly coloured kaftans and maxi dresses. And while each of the outfits was something I may have been interested in (and wondered where to get), the net effect was of a very, very homogenous group of girls who were all exactly the same.
The ongoing quest for fashion individuality, which inevitably leads to hipster homogeny is well documented. But not ever so well captured in a photo as here with Whitney Port and her friends. Seriously interchangeable, no? And really, who wants to have a famous friend at the centre of a samey bunch of mates? How will you ever stand out?
If this isn't motivation to define your individual style, I don't know what is. Now go.

Are Fashion Models Too Skinny or is it Actually All Facebook's Fault?

In the past week there have been two articles that I turned my attention to. Each taking a different side of the "too-skinny" debate. And no, I am not talking about Kate Middleton. She seems just fine to me.
The first was a piece on Franca Sozzani's blog post pointing the finger of blame at Facebook for the rise in anorexia and disassociating it from the pressure of modern models and the image they portray in magazines. Now, bearing in mind that Sozzani is the editor of Italian Vogue, of course one must take this with a pinch of salt. It does feel a bit like defensiveness rather than a well thought through argument. However, there has been a study published showing a relationship between time spent online and the decrease in girls' positive body image and rise in eating disorders. But what are these girls looking at? Could it be online images from the magazines? Or is the time spent online a consequence of the eating disorder? Who knows. but I think that it is better to take responsibility in all that we do to assist these girls rather than to try and shirk this responsibility, pointing fingers elsewhere. It just seems more proactive and positive that way.
And then I read a piece about designer Hervé Léger, who thinks that the girls on the runway these days are "too skinny, too sad" compared to the original super-girls like Cindy, Claudia, Naomi, etc. Looking at runway images from the Max Azria-designed Léger range shown this season, it does rather give him a point. The good news is that the current retro-trends look so much better on a healthy-sized figure, so hopefully we will continue to see the rise in the less-skinny model. And I am also embracing this trend, looking for more beautiful, healthy, 'plus' sized models for my magazine stories. Anyone keen to get shot for O magazine?

American Idol's Pia Toscano's Style Watch

Last week I mentioned that I was keeping an eye on one of the chap's style on American Idol. That would be quirky and cool Paul McDonald of course. But I also mentioned that one of the girl contestants, Pia Toscano, was taking some interesting fashion risks. I thought we should get in early on this one and review her style to date - looking specifically at how it is changing and offer some suggestions moving forward.
She started out short, shiny and tight. In black. This is marginally tasteful. In that the black off-sets the shiny and mitigates the tight just a bit. And thankfully she never went too short. But, let's face it, it was acceptable only in as much as she is a stunning-looking person with a very modern-attractive body shape and can sing the tonsils off Mariah.

But in the last few weeks we have seen a shift from a young-girl-perception of hot to a more fashion-hot approach to her outfit choices. Still sexy, but now with an edge that will appeal to women. Very smart. To get the women voters to invest in a female contestant is almost impossible these days. But the fashion angle is a refreshing approach that could actually work.
Moving forward let's see more fun, more colour and more edge. I would like to see them capitalise on her very curvy, yet trim, body shape, maybe playing with retro styles a bit, hmmm? What do you guys think?
PS: Obvs I still think that Jacob Lusk is a singing-god who must come and live with me and sing to me all day long in his hot-oil-voice with backing from that gay gospel choir I am making him form. Good. As long as we are clear on that.

SHOW OF THE WEEK

Rock and Roll


Madeline Kidd

The ladies of HML have been know to string some macaroni on occasion (our mothers and our children can attest to this) we've also been know to dabble and noodle with paintbrushes and pens. So you can imaigine our interest in the new show Rock Solid at Pieces of Eight.



Anna Ephraim

Curator Merdith Turnbull has asked 11 established visual artists to create work that could be worn on the body. Jewelry isn't quite the word we'd use in some instances but the exploration of adornment by this creative group is really interesting and very playful.


Dylan Martorell



HML fave Dylan Martorell has taken the whole 'rock' thing quite literally which we think is hilarious and cool.



Bianca Hester

 And how great is this modern interpretation/hybrid of the charm bracelet/swiss army knife by Bianca Hester?

Rock Solid runs until May 27 - ages away, we may remind you again before it closes! RAMONA