OUT & ABOUT - Shashi Naidoo's Hamptons Party - Houghton - Johannesburg

We took a break from fashion week this weekend to mingle with celebs and models at the lovely home of Shashi Naidoo.  The theme was The Hamptons - and what better way to celebrate than sipping cocktails around the pool and enjoying the company of beautiful people.

The dynamic duo arrives

Socialising with old friends - one of our favourite pastimes!

Anne Dolinschek and Kevin McLennan showed us how to
stick to the 'all white' dress code

According To Jerri you can never have enough buttons!
Jerri's dress sense never fails to impress.

Ryan Hignett (centre) looked fab in resort-wear, from his panama hat
to his tropical print shorts.

"Shashi On The Mike"  Shashi Naidoo welcomed everyone to her
beautifully decorated home.

Also in attendance: 5fm's Tumi Voster and DaLes 

Previdar was in the house - Thato Blake and Lawrence Manyapelo

Chiano Sky arrived with Renton Wade - we couldn't help but take
a group shot 

Also bunking fashion week, Jenny Andrew looked stylish in her silver raincoat

While Krishen caught up with the latest gossip from Kevin McLennan,
Chiano Sky and Ryan Keys did the same.

"Is he proposing?" Jay Anstey appeared to be asking.

Krishen hams it up for the camera.  

OUT & ABOUT - Day Birger Et Mikkelson - Hyde Park - Johannesburg

We visited the newly opened Day Birger Et Mikkelson store in Hyde Park Corner for a guided tour of the fashion and accessories on offer from this Danish clothing line.  A camera crew joined us on our escapade and the resulting video (below) showed how much fun we have when we get excited about fashion.

We went back a few days later for a chat with Internationally renowned interior designer John Jacob Zwiegelaar, fresh from completing a massive Llandudno project for an international celebrity.  We chatted about the importance of watching what happens in fashion as it almost always translates into decor trends. Over and above the clothing, Day Birger Et Mikkelson's range of decor accessories is indicative of renewed interest in the idea of curated design - essentially tailor-made for each particular client's needs and, in John Jacob's view, the idea that modern and retro often exist hand in hand - often mistaken for one another.

OUT & ABOUT - Sprayground Launch - Carfax - Johannesburg

We headed downtown to Carfax for a GlamGrunge themed launch of the Sprayground range - now available in South Africa. From the graffiti sprayed walls to the urban setting the atmosphere perfectly captured both the theme of the event and the "breakdance/hip-hop" feel of the Sprayground range of backpacks.  A rap performance by Lil Red, and the announcement of DaLes as the local ambassador of collection, saw the hip-hop theme carried through to its logical conclusion. 

Our first task upon arriving was to do what we
do best - pose for a pic!

Always a pleasure bumping into actor and Live Arts Little
Theatre owner, Louw Breytenbach

Tresor Kankonda was excited to tell us he will be stocking
selected Sprayground backpacks
at his Juta Street store. 

We also ran into Mr SA 2014, John Owens, and model Chantelle Bothma

For once we both ditched the formal-wear for which we have become known
and went with the GlamGrunge theme.  Krishen was far more comfortable
with the idea than Alan.

Krishen couldn't resist a pic with one of the
Sprayground backpacks while Alan found it hard to
put down his signature Louis Vuitton bag.

OUT & ABOUT - Sweat1000 - Brooklyn - Pretoria

After attending two previous Sweat1000 classes last year (as observers), we couldn't resist taking part when the latest opportunity arose. As part of the build up to next week's Miss Veet finals, we joined the Miss Veet finalists, along with Veet brand ambassador and ex-Miss SA Melinda Bam, the gorgeous Lalla Hirayama and actress Taryn Louch at a Sweat1000 session in Brooklyn Pretoria. Krishen seemed to be a lot better at exercising than Alan as this video clip of our escapade shows...

IN CONVO - with Aisha Baker of 'Baked The Blog'

Aisha Baker is quite the delightful blend of coquettish and sophisticated. Her unassuming petite build belies a powerhouse personality with a healthy dash of good-natured humour. Aisha arrived wearing a denim cape draped over patterned tights topped off with a straw boating hat, wisps of hair just visible underneath. Clearly just another stylish morning on trendy Kloof Street for this well-known blogger. She mentioned that she made an effort to be on time as she knew she was meeting two Joburgers - and of course, she wanted to make a good impression. She certainly managed to do just that over the course of our breakfast. 

The lovely Aisha Baker of
bakedtheblog.com

Almost immediately, even before the first cappuccinos had arrived (red latte for Aisha), we launched into a multi-layered conversation spanning health, beauty, lifestyle, celebrities and of course, fashion and all things style-related. Aisha confessed that she was not quite sure what she was going to say to us while on her way to meet us concerning why she started the blog initially. She expressed that it has become a platform of expression for her: a place where she is able to let out her passion for writing and fashion. Baked the Blog is really an insight into her life on different levels. Her posts range from more personal and almost diary-like entries to the slick professional magazine-type spreads. Anyone who has been on to see it (and you really should if you haven't) will admire the simple yet sophisticated layout with a focus on the visually captivating images. An invitation to be drawn in and then to simply revel in the journey. In many senses, this summarizes Aisha the person as well: down to earth yet effortlessly stylish and instantly captivating. 

We had a lovely breakfast with Aisha while we were in sunny
Cape Town

Aisha discussed an upcoming project with us, and her excitement was palpable. 'Beauty School' will be launching on Baked The Blog soon and this is a concept that Aisha is particularly passionate about. When talking about the word 'beauty' and its meaning to her however, it became instantly clear that this is not a girl who has a limiting, constricting view of what beauty is. In fact, her views on beauty were far from conventional and incredibly refreshing. Aisha spoke of integrating the various elements that add to beauty and distilling those to create something beautiful. For her, this includes not just the usual suspects such as the fantastic make-up and hair but also a focus on the internal elements that add to beauty. Aisha spoke about nutrition and its role and mentioned her homeopathic influences which have encouraged her to better understand how what we put into our body affects what we see on the outside. 

Of course, it's not always easy; Aisha's love for pastries and 'baked' goods doesn't exactly assist with temptation when on a gluten-free diet. Aisha also placed an emphasis on moderation and a common-sense approach: she is certainly no fad diet girl. 

Aisha's sense of humour kept Krishen giggling throughout!

Aside from the world of blogging, fashion and lifestyle, Aisha has both feet firmly on the ground. She has taken over the management of the family-run business which specializes in embroidery and she is currently working hard to ensure that the business is successful. This is a full circle moment for her in some senses as her earliest inspiration comes from a family member and her namesake: her grandmother was a bespoke seamstress and Aisha's first love for fashion emerged from seeing her grandmother's garments bring joy to others. 

Aisha's grounded nature means that she also has her roots very firmly planted in South African soil. Although she loves travel and discovering new places, she has a passion for her home country and for a sense of family connection. We shared our mutual love for this crazy, wonderful country and reflected back on some proud historic moments. There's no place she'd rather be and we couldn't agree more. 

Enchanting and engaging - a total pleasure to chat to

After a wonderful breakfast - Aisha stuck to the gluten-free bread while we devoured the wonderful coconut bread at Manna Epicure - we felt as though we'd known her for ages. Aisha related the story of a recent meeting where the person meeting her brought along only a notebook but no pen. A few minutes into the meeting, once Aisha had made an impression, the person rushed off in search of a pen as she realized that Aisha is definitely someone to be taken seriously. This is most certainly true: she is an innovator and a pioneer in addition to being an enchanting conversationalist. And it's only just begun, we foresee great things in Aisha's future. The cliche couldn't be truer than in her case: dynamite certainly comes in small, very fashionable, packages. 

We loved Aisha's easy sense of style
and radiant smile

FLYING FISH PREMIUM FLAVOURED BEER - #44 Flavour

Continuing our pursuit of Jozi Hotspots with Flying Fish Premium Flavoured Beer, we headed over to 44 Stanley to see what the Sunday vibe was like. We had a great time fishing for restaurants and looking at the great little stores hidden along the way. Our trusty Flying Fish was there to ensure that we were refreshed throughout...

This cool venue is tucked away in the heart of Jozi -
the perfect little oasis is a great Sunday chill spot

Of course, we had some Flying Fish
to assist with our exploration

We loved the rustic, easy-going vibe of this spot...

There were a few quaint restaurants to choose from
Eventually we settled on Salvation Cafe

Time for some refreshment!

Alan felt quite at home in some of the decor stores

The stores had a quirky vibe about them -
this particular one had a gold rabbit as part of the window display

Relaxed style: whether more dressed down or up

Alan chose a more casual look for the afternoon
- no bowtie today!

Hmm? Wonder if they have Flying Fish in there?

We decided to #AddSomeFlavour to these pics:
Krishen decided on a jump pose while Alan looked startled
(we're not sure by what exactly!)

IN CONVO - with Chu Suwannapha

Chu Suwannapha has long been renowned for his personal sense of style. His recent SA Style Award was testament to a fashion-forward individual always pushing the envelope of men's fashion through his personal sartorial choices. When one looks at a dresser as 'avant garde' as Chu, it is a natural response to think: 'I could never wear that. He has a knack for putting items together beautifully'. Thus, it was with great excitement and anticipation that we went to Cape Town to view Chu's first collection at the inaugural Menswear Fashion Week. The point of great interest was how precisely Chu would adapt his personal style sensibility into a ready-to-wear collection for South African men. 

We often joke about the fact that we're the same height
as Chu and fit into the same sizes!

The Chulaap collection certainly did not disappoint. It was a perfect blend of Chu's Asian roots intertwined with his African abode. The collection was described as 'East meets South' and this was the perfect summary: from Origami inspired crafting to knitwear that had a distinct hybrid quality, this collection managed to marry two diverse design traditions into one seamless whole. For men not yet used to this level of stylistic interpretation, we were pleased to see that almost all of the pieces could be worn as stylish separates and dressed down or up. Of course, we loved the way it was styled for the runway: an evocative blend of an earthy South African feel combined with Chu's authentic sense of style. 

Chu's iconic looks have established him as one of the most
cutting-edge fashionistas in the country

We caught up with Chu to chat about the inspiration behind this collection. We know that Chu is well-known for his personal sense of style. Before seeing his collection, the central question on many lips was how he would take this and transform it into a collection of menswear items. In terms of inspiration for the new collection, Chu emphasised that his main aim was to celebrate Africa and that he was inspired by local street styles. 'I love mixing cultures and the idea of crossed cultures when coming up with my design ideas,' Chu explained. 'The main idea was to reinvent the existing African prints to make them cool, quirky and current.' In many senses, he wants his customers to feel like they are wearing fashionable items as opposed to traditional wear. From an Asian point of view, Chu confessed that he has always been obsessed with origami. He blended these divergent style backgrounds by choosing African prints which resembled the interpretation of Japanese paper wraps. Chu's take on this: 'You may say that I’m creating my own prints with the appliqué of origami.'

Prints for the modern man


When asked about his take on the dress sense of the average South African man, Chu believes that his collection can spruce up any man's wardrobe. He described his collection as modern and fresh. 'It’s all about being cool and unique.' We were curious as to why this was the right time for Chu to produce his first collection. 'I've always wanted to launch my own label but I took this opportunity as soon as SA Menswear Week and Cape Town Fashion Council approached me to do a show. I think you always sense when the time is right or not. But sometimes you have to take a chance and take the action to make it happen.' In this instance, Chu's gamble has certainly paid off. Judging by the response to his collection and subsequent reviews, this will be the first of many collections to come. 
Africa meets Asia

Chu expressed that he is incredibly excited but does not want to rush the progression of the Chulaap label: 'at the moment I will take one step at a time. I don’t want to go too big too soon. I’m still taking baby steps.' We expect that Chu's baby steps will soon turn into great strides - strides that will take South African menswear to the much-needed next level. The word 'Chulaap' means luck and success: hopefully, his choice of name for his label will be a sign of the many good things to come. 
The knitwear pieces were a highlight of this collection