Power Pouting

Blue Marine at Richard Chai Love. Yeah or Neah?
Getty Images.

Zimbabwean Nyasha for Richard Chai, Spring Collection 2012, NYFW.
Courtesy Style.it

As a woman with very full, very round, ultra botox-free African lips, I've always shied away from crazy lip colors and honestly considered red lips purely too much information. But then Mad Men mania made me put on a fuller skirt, which had to be complemented with beet red nails and after that, well, I clear lost my mind with orange/pink/flaming red roulette lips.

Never been cheesier!

If you also have a pretty full pout, you'll be encouraged by some of the hot beauty dictations coming down the runways at New York Fashion Week--Loving for example the florescent purple Zim Chick Nyasha wore for Richard Chai. And in my Mad Men Moment (nominated for Best Costume Designs at the 2011 Emmys) of infatuation, crazy for all things screaming red on rounded lips right now.

If you are going big on lip color, there are so many fun ways to play--tease out the dominant color of your getup, as in the more more purple pop in Nyasha's Richard Chai look; put on something even crazier on the color-wheel, i love red lips against forest green sweaters for fall, but red lips against a bold yellow cable sweater would make me even happier. And what's ever been more of a power play than all black everything against red lips & red nails?

Ajak & Ataui Deng for Arise. Courtesy Arise Magazine

Viva Blk Jks & FNO

Fashion's Night Out Black Power Salute. Provocative Much? Image Courtesy Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.

'Tis the eve of fashion's blockbusting splashout--a party born during the financial nosebleed of 2009. Calm reigns supreme tonight as NYC prepares for Fashion Night Out. Stocks and sovereign accounts may crash and tumble tomorrow but come night time my dears, we will let them eat cake and even more cake in the best celebration of fashion, glamour, decadence, shopping and celebrity ever concocted to buoy spending and feed an industry the type of cake that keeps economies alive. FNO caused quite a stir in 2009. I love how it awaked an awareness that fashion is not just about pretty finishings and under-linings. Fashion is an industry that keeps 165,000 people employed in NYC alone; that's 5.7 percent of the city's workforce and  $9 billion worth pay. That's a well-heeled power play of there ever was one. 

So FNO taps into this spending frenzy genius. Other corners of the world are also spreading around some of the cheer, but of course we're psyched to know IT brands such as Nicole Miller will be popping bubbly in support of African women through the sale of cheeky Indego Africa print shorts and accessories. And our rock star boys Blk Jks from mzantsi held things down in the meatpacking district last year with a show at Scoop during Bono's FNO with his sustainable brand, Edun. Sickest Sounds on that Track! "'Skulumelela labasekho"--we sing for those no longer with us. Nuff Said!

Ghetto Glam: Soweto Wine Festival

The Tall Sultry Beauty is a KoKOFIFI Woman & GalPal from our Boarding School Days. Can you say Fierce?

Modern Mohawk. Loving The Do. 

Nothing says Viva! L'Chaim! FoSho! better than a glass of something tall and bubbly. And nothing affirms life louder than the bravado and style of Soweto, where a three day wine festival just celebrated its 6th year.

The festival is the brainchild of Soweto's first winehouse owner, Mnikelo Mangciphu and Marylin Cooper.

Beyond just wine, the festival also showcased good Sowetan grub.

Speaking of cool local food, you must pick up a copy of this month's AFAR Travel Magazine for an education on the culinary craze that's thankgoodness! swallowing Cape Town whole and threatening to make something  truly South African out of gasp! cape-grown cuisine that will leave any gourmand weeping in gratitude and African pride. 

There were roaring Springboks fans--don't you know we're taking the Rugby World Cup this year? And of course, Sowetan Fashionistas stepping out in style. Fine wine and finer wear--Yes, i'll drink to that!

Say It Like You Mean It! Springbok Fans Heard in New Zealand from Soweto Live.

I'd Be All Smiles Too...All Images Courtesy of the 2011 Soweto Wine Festival.

Todrick Talent

You know i actually do have a day job that does not include perusing youtube to find the most amusing funny sick slick stuff for your guffawing and heehawing. Okey, well maybe i lie maybe the lady doth protest too much about being forced to stumble upon raw talent and presenting it here to you--dear darling Sir mad kind Madam--for your infinite entertainment. Todrick Hall. Kid's got some funny bone chops. Laughed myself silly with this Dominos bit.

Talent--Always in Style.

Sowetan Brides

Yes, Beauty Pageants are a Big Glamourous Deal in Africa. Former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Looking Lovely in Kluk. Image Courtesy Sarie Magazine. Hot Hued dude in the background? TBD...

Loving the Bride's Vision here. Isn't it all about wearing the dress (not letting it wear you)? She'a Rockin It!
All Images Courtesy of Sowetan.

Like flipping through grandma's younger days, there seems to be something joyful about going through fun wedding pictures that celebrate African love stories and capture a temperature read of the times we live in and how we define them. Just discovered another treasure trove for all you brides to be this summer, Sowetan Brides and of course I had to whet your appetite with home made and loved pictures of the brides along with zesty mzantsi gossip--former Miss South African Jo-Ann Strauss is engaged and seeing as though it's springtime in South Africa, wedding bells could chime any moment now...

Themba & Victor's Wedding. Love the Simplicity.

Ma Cherie! I Missed You

An African Ballet: Ninon Shoes Image Courtesy Ninon Shoes.

It's been a summer of crazy travel, hurricane heartthrobs (hello Irene) and a piece of mind (goodbye no reception zones)
Oh! I have missed you so...and I have twiddled my time twirling fantasies and fairy tales about fashion divas in white blazers, plain green fields to run through and hand-stitched leather swan lakes of fall color bags to dive into. In other words, I wrote you a fashion love song, and it begin with a shortlisted few favorite creatives & their pretty little things:

Ninon Louw is the bright bold creative behind Ninon handmade shoes, entirely created and loved to perfection in Cape Town. Mzantsi Fosho!

To know Enyinne is  Love Inspiration Alive. She is nothing short of tall insistent sips of sun. And intoxicatingly Nigerian! Her blogazine Heritage1960 is already a fashion chic's first Go-to.

The Fierce Nigerian Beauty Enyinne Owunwanne Launches Heritage1960.com this Fall. She has me and the likes of Arise Magazine's salivating already...Image Courtesy Arise.

Beautiful Somalia

Anyone watching the news the past couple of days would be excused for thinking we were living in the age of the apocalypse.

Round the clock coverage of looting on the streets of London, Wall Street taking huge blows, US debt spiralling out of control, there just doesn't seem to be an end in sight.


The story that's not making the front pages of newspapers and prime time news however is the famine in Somalia that has already claimed the lives of over 29 000 people .

However this beautiful country and its people are more than the years of political unrest ,famine and drought. Just like you and I these are people who have dreams for the future, hopes for their children and want to be able to build their lives in the homeland of their forefathers.


Their immediate situation however makes all of this impossible, which is why we must act now!


BUT, it doesn't have to be this way ,because no matter who you are or were you are you CAN help. 

Below are a few drop off spots for canned goods and non-perishables as well as websites that you can go to ,to make a donation.

IF YOU ARE IN JOHANNESBURG S.A :

Saturday 6th August : Drop off canned foods and non-perishables at Mc'Donalds Campus Square in Melville from 9 am to 6pm.


Saturday 6th August : Drop off canned foods and non-perishables at Cantina Tequila in Fourways (Behind Cedar Square) on Uranium road from 10 am to 4 pm.

Tuesday 16th August : Drop off canned foods and non-perishables at Shikisha in Newtown from 11 am to 6 pm.


All the goods collected will be forwarded to the Gift of the Givers.

IF YOU ARE IN THE U.S :

Text  "SURVIVE" to 20222 to donate 10$ 

EVERYONE ELSE :

Your donation of 1$ a day for 100 days could KEEP A CHILD ALIVE!
Please log onto www.savethechildren.org/food-crisis-6  for more info, alternatively log onto  www.giftofthegivers.org to make a donation.

Because giving is always fashionable - DVF