THE ROAD TO THE SA STYLE AWARDS

Awards ceremonies are a dime a dozen but the SA Style Awards is regarded by many as the major annual awards ceremony - the one that really counts.  This year's awards, proudly sponsored by Jaguar SA and MWeb WiFi, will take place with a dazzling red carpet event and awards ceremony in the new fashion court in Hyde Park Corner, followed by a dinner and party at the Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel.  Guests will also witness a Yves Saint Laurent Beaute installation featuring a show by eight designers who are inspired by this style icon.

We were extremely excited when the announcement was made a week or so ago as to who this year's winners are.  The reason we were so excited was because so many of the winners happened to be friends of ours.  Of course, we will be there at the Awards to report on who was there and what they were wearing but, in our build up to the ceremony itself, we salute this year's winners:

Most Stylish Performing Artist - Television
ROXY BURGER
We adore Roxy's style - innovative and edgy with a
sense of classic.  Roxy's attention to detail when it comes to fashion
saw her take particular interest in her wardrobe while presenting
Strictly Come Dancing - sometimes flying in garments from
overseas.

Most Stylish Performing Artist (Film)
JAY ANSTEY
It is very hard to go wrong when you are best friends with
one of SA's top fashion designers, Gert Johan-Coetzee but,
whenever we see her, Jay seems to wear every GJC gown
like a second skin.

Most Stylish Model
JOELLE KAYEMBE
Congolese-born, Joelle Kayembe is an International
supermodel.  From her smouldering appearances on Deal Or
No Deal to featuring in international music videos, Joelle ranks
up there with fashion royalty.

Most Innovative Style
CHU SUWANNAPHA
We always bump into Chu at every fashion week and have
admired his style from the first time we ever met him.
It's no co-incidence his nickname is
"The Prince Of Prints"

Most Stylish Designer
ALBERTUS SWANEPOEL
One of SA's most talented exports has to be milliner Albertus Swanepoel.
No stranger to international fashion runways, his innovative headwear
has featured on the runways of Carolina Herrera and Alexander Wang.

Most Stylish Media Personality
(Sponsored by MWeb WiFi)
MELINDA BAM
Former Miss SA and current Veet Ambassador, Melinda Bam continues
to grow from strength to strength.  Since her reign as Miss SA came
to an end, Melinda has hardly been out of the spotlight.  Her recent
marriage to former Mr SA, Adriaan Bergh indicated just how
much the media and public continue to adore her.

Most Stylish Performing Artist (Music)
MAFIKIZOLO
We have been fans of Mafikizolo since the release
of their first album in the early 2000s.  After a break from the music
business, the recent success
of their comeback album 'Reunited' proved just how popular
Theo and Nhlanhla remain.

Most Stylish Business Person
NATASHA SIDERIS
Mention the name "Tashas" and two words always enter
consciousness - "quality food".  Since opening her first Tashas almost
a decade ago, Natasha Sideris has personally overseen the
opening of nearly a dozen across the country.

Most Stylish SA Icon
THULI MADONSELA
What more can be said about Thuli Madonsela that has not been said already?
The accolades keep coming - 2014 Glamour Woman of The Year,
ANN7 South African Of The Year and now the SA Style Award as Most Stylish
SA Icon.  We loved meeting Thuli earlier this year and we were awestruck by
her down-to-earth humility.

Most Stylish Couple
JOSH LINDBERG & ZURAIDA JARDINE
We always love bumping into Josh & Zuraida, Josh has the
most amazing passion for theatre and film while Zuraida will
always remain one of our style favourites - equally stylish
in TopShop as she is in designer-wear.

Street Style Newcomer Of The Year (Male)
(Sponsored by Marie Claire)
JONATHAN BOYNTON-LEE
2014 has to be Jonathan's year.  Earlier this year we watched him take the crown
as Cosmo's Sexiest Man of 2014 and then watched him win the last
season of Strictly Come Dancing.  Over and above that,Jonathan has the kind of
fashion sense that makes him one of SA's most stylish men

Street Style Newcomer Of The Year (Female)
(Sponsored by Marie Claire)
NANDI MNGOMA
Since Nandi Mngoma stepped into the spotlight she has
successfully carved out a music and television career. Her excellent personal
style is adored by many - it is no wonder Nandi was recently
announced as a Legit clothing Ambassador.

MAISON YSL: A Celebration of 50 years of Edgy Beautè - Hyde Park, Johannesburg

Certain labels have a timeless quality. Yves Saint Laurent is most certainly one of these. Cutting edge advances in fashion, fragrance and beauty have squarely placed this French label in the pantheon of greats. We were thrilled to visit the YSL Maison at Hyde Park Corner in the build up to the SA Style Awards 2014. 

Born in Algeria in 1936, Saint Laurent went on to take the world of fashion by storm. Starting out as creative designer at Christian Dior and later establishing his own unique label, he would go on to become one of the greatest innovators of our time. His first fragrance, Y, was established only  few short years after the design house opened in 1964. This marked the beginning of YSL Beautè, which has certainly stood the test of time and has gone on to include fragrances and make-up that have become essential additions to the wardrobes of the stylish trendsetters. 

Famous pose
displaying a naked Yves Saint Laurent

Apart from riveting fashion advances ranging from haute couture triumphs to his prêt-à-porter lines and  items such as Le Smoking tuxedo suit for women in 1966 and the Safari Jacket in 1968, the house of Saint Laurent also became famous for exquisite fragrances such as Opium. The first make-up collection came out in 1978 and once again re-affirmed the well-loved brand's ability to reinvent while staying true to the essence of YSL. 

Outside the Rive Gauche store in Paris with a model wearing
the famous Safari Jacket

Caroline Rennolds Milbank once wrote of Mr. Saint Laurent, 'the most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring couture's rise from its sixties ashes and finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable.' 

Images from the YSL archives: the label is steeped in fashion history

The YSL Maison at Hyde Park Corner celebrates the incredible journey of edgy beauty over the course of the last 50 years. YSL timeless beauty continues to live on and evolve. The SA Style Awards take place at Hyde Park Corner on Sunday, 23rd November 2014 with YSL as one of the main sponsors.  Also, in the build up to the SA Style Awards, visit the MWeb Wifi Futuristic Dressing Room - MWeb is also one of the sponsors of the awards.

One of the new YSL faces, the lovely Cara Delevingne

FLYING FISH PREMIUM FLAVOURED BEER - #FridayFlavour with Alan & Krishen

After a long week, it was time to add some flavour to Friday night. Alan and Krishen went off in search of a Friday night hotspot and happened upon Juta Street in Braamfontein. Usually, this spot is well-explored during languid Saturday afternoons but it certainly has a different energy at night: throbbing with activity and interesting characters, it comes alive and takes on a whole new vibe. Like Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer always suggests, it is currently our mission to #AddSomeFlavour to our outings, Juta Street provided us with a whole lot of Friday Flavour to get our weekend started...

It's been around for ages but Kitchener's Bar
is as hot and happening as it's ever been

It is almost a given that we will bump into someone we know
Tresor Kankonda from the Suit Africa store took us on a tour of some
of his newest fashionable merchandise...
This store is an absolute must-visit for the discerning buyer!

We had to get a pic with these sisters dressed in flying gear!
They were certainly adding flavour: we loved the flying touch

Then it was time for some awesome live music at a Pop-Up Bar

After some live music, it was off to Anti-Establishment,
one of the hottest spots in the area
Abby Nurock blasted out incredible tunes on the decks

Streets of Jozi:
alive and well on a Friday Night

We loved Taryn van Schalkwyk's outfit choice for the evening:
daring and still playful, while showing off her arty ink
Her backpack added an extra funky touch

The Streets of Jozi offer a multitude of personalities and styles:
each individual is free to express their personality
through their fashion choices

The gents looked quintessentially Joburg:
edgy, some touches of ethnic, with a definite sense of
fashion individuality present

MAGNUM LAUNCH - The Zone - Rosebank - Johannesburg

There's nothing like the promise of a tempting ice cream to unleash the child in every one of us.  It was therefore no surprise that the recent launch of the Magnum Pleasure Store in The Zone, Rosebank was one of the most fun-filled evenings we have had in a long time.  Celebs were out in full force - taking the opportunity to enjoy their very own customised Magnum ice cream with a selection of 20 toppings under the watchful eyes of MC's Bonang Matheba and Jonathan Boynton-Lee.

But first, our traditional banner pic.  

Jay Anstey, resplendent in a Gert-Johan Coetzee gown, joked
that her look for the evening was channeling Game Of Thrones.

Josh Lindberg was very excited to tell us about the current
production of War Horse. "Unmissable" he said.  Perhaps we
can catch it after we have had our ice cream.

Bonang Matheba and Jonathan Boynton-Lee showed us how it
is done.  

Sadly Bonang and Jonathan wouldn't create our ice creams,
so we had to fend for ourselves.

We bumped into fashion designer Craig Jacobs and our friend, Mr
South Africa, John Owens.

Gert-Johan Coetzee was decked out in gold
to fit in with the Magnum colour theme.

We always love seeing one of the hottest couples in town,
Chris Nkhosi and Lalla Hirayama.  

At last we were able to see our friend Roxy Burger's new brunette hairdo for
ourselves.  

Jonathan Boynton-Lee wanted to make sure we hadn't missed
out on the Magnum experience.

Maps Maponyane couldn't wait to show us the pics he had
taken of us at fashion week before tucking into his own
treat.

#ALANKRISHEN GIVEAWAY - Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup

We will be out in our finest attire to attend the Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup on Saturday, 29th November 2014 at the Turffontein Racecourse. The Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup is Johannesburg's premier equestrian and fashion event. The theme for this year's event is 'Hats Off' - it is all about the fashion: smart dress is mandatory for this elegant occasion, gentlemen should wear a suit or a jacket and ladies are expected to wear a hat. With a total of 12 races taking place throughout the day, as well as a fashion show and celebrity dash for charity, it is sure to be an incredible day!

Alan and Krishen, in association with the Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup, are giving away two awesome SANSUI Bluetooth Speakers as well as two sets of 4 tickets to attend the event on the day. To enter this exciting giveaway, simply send a Tweet to @alankrishen using the hashtag #SANSUISUMMERCUP and tell us who the gorgeous face of the Gauteng SANSUI Summer Cup is... Entries close Monday, 24th November 2014. 

2 x SANSUI Bluetooth Speakers up for grabs!

FABIANI STORE LAUNCH - Sandton City, Johannesburg

High-quality menswear is of course a passion of ours and were thrilled about the launch of a slick new Fabiani Flagship Store in Sandton City. Many well-known fashionistas and socialites about town were there to celebrate with Fabiani and Chivas. A favourite for us was that there were pops of colour everywhere: just what the South African man needs to brighten up his wardrobe. 

Krishen chose a monochromatic look with shorts
while Alan opted for more colour, choosing to blend red and purple

Aaleya Omar and Atish Jogi made a pretty picture in White and Black
Atish was rather taken with Krishen's new Sophia Chang for Puma sneakers

Always lovely bumping into our favourite female bloggers
(above): Irina Domanchuk from www.illtakeitall.co.za
and (below): Leanne Van Breda from www.arumlilea.blogspot.com

Some gentlemen looking particularly sartorial
We love the details!

The photographer being photographed!
Seen here with our 'stalker', Oupa Bopape

Chatting to the editor of Sunday Times Fashion Weekly, Tiaan Nagel.
We always seem to miss each other at fashion events

The lovely Vicky Crease catered the event
A huge block of cheese was flown in from Italy specially 

This made Alan rather gleeful: pocket squares in funky patterns
and his favourite thing in the world: coloured socks

Catching up with Paledi Segapo from Palse post SA fashion week
He was rather intrigued by what Alan had to whisper in his ear

We love seeing Jay Anstey out - it always leads to a laugh
Here, we're doing some strange hand gesture in unison and then big giggles afterward
(What was that all about?)

Apparently 'Photobomb' is the word of the year...
Look carefully as Krishen's conversation with Tamerin Jardine
is artfully photobombed
Picture 1: 'I see an opportunity there. I'll close the gap.'
Picture 2: 'Hey! Me, over here! Big Smile!'
Picture 3: 'If all else fails, just pout and pose. Works every time'

And then it was time for a Selfie:
Tamerin's new iPhone 6 Plus was so big that she couldn't manage to actually take one
After much trying, it had to be taken the conventional way!

#ALANKRISHEN GIVEAWAY - Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer & STR CRD 2014

Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer will be adding some flavour to Africa’s  #1 street culture brand, Str Crd 2014 and YOU and a partner have the chance to join in this ultimate celebration.

Str Crd 2014 will be taking place at the centre of the cultural youth hub, Constitutional Hill in Braamfontein, on Saturday 8th November 2014 from 12:00 noon – 01:00 a.m. Visitors can expect a day of action packed entertainment, fashion and an array of Urban Street Culture Festivities adding a perfect start to the 2014 Summer with Flying Fish.

To stand a chance to win x2 double tickets to attend on Saturday, tell us how would you add a fashionable flavoursome twist to Str Crd 2014 by Tweeting @AlanKrishen and @FlyingFishSA using the hashtag #AddSomeFlavour 

Closing date for entries is 12 noon on Friday, 7th November.