REVLON BAR!!

Sooooo... this is kinda awkward
I think we have been off air for like what, um.. three, five maybe six months and that is horrible, absolutely horrible but, as you know me (Annie) and Chezza had just graduated from high school/ pre-college, argh! whatever, and were preparing to go to university so busy does not even begin to describe the past year.

But we are back-ish cause Chezza's just started school, HUZZZAH! and i'm pretty sure is super busy. I have like 2 and a half months (hopefully) so i'm the free one!

Anyway we are still planning some epic stuff to come your way which we won't mention this year but here's a hint, Fashion!  mwahahaha! Yeah, that was kind of obvious but, its the best I can do for now. Also you will also realize a change in fashion reporting. Because fashion is such a cool part of our lives it was impossible not to blog about the culture that comes with it in terms of music, art, lifestyle, so the hiatus really served as a reflection on what we need to change, so if you are into art, music, subcultures and the like then Ta Da! you have found a home here :)

Now to some fashion news,

The Revlon Bar in Nakumatt, Click to read more at Capital news

REVLON is HERE!!!

Yup that's right the super uber cool New York makeup brand has recently opened up a Revlon bar in Nairobi in conjunction with Nakumatt who as far as I can tell is planning on turning into a department store, (congrats Nakumatt!) they also are planning on releasing more cosmetic brands this year for their cosmetic department which I am so stoked about. Do I see your lovely lipsticks Cover Girl or your awesome nail polish O.P.I?

Hands up if you are extremely excited by this development, I haven't seen the bar yet but i'm heading to the Junction today so hopefully i'll will see this marvelous, wondrous, goodness, Om Nom Nom!! Maybe buy something?
Have you seen it yet? If so what do you think of it?

Keep you Posted!

-Annie

Daydream Nation- Princess Chelsea, Cigarette Duet

This video is not the usual generic stuff, ( oh how I can hear the resounding accusation that i'm a hipster) but I love it! At first you may be like, um, woah what the Santa Claus but hang in there, its actually quite awesome and the message at the end of the video is so funny.

I absolutely adore Princess Chelsea, and this duet is so adorable (see what I did there, hardy har!) and this song just gets stuck in your head. Warning Earworm!

Here is New Zealand lady, Princess Chelsea with The Cigarette Duet.

-Annie

Save the Date: FAFA 2012

... and the fashion continues, FAFA is back, this November 17th and looking at the lineup this year I am super excited for the show. I love  Gloria Wavamuno from Uganda and cant wait to see what she showcases and FAFA insight emerging designers competition designer Jamil Walji.
Here is a line up of the Kenyan Designers showing:

Anna Adero

Blackbird Jeans

Deepa Dosaja

Embody Accessories

Jamhuri Wear

John Kaveke

KikoRomeo

Kondakis

Kooroo

Monica Kanari

Riri Jewelery

And a few designers from the continent:

B’ExotiQ (Ghana)

Gloria Wavamunno (Uganda)

Mudi Africa (Nigeria)

Zekaryus Solomon (Eritrea/UK)

I know, I mean amazing right... though, (cough, cough) if I went for this i'd be set back a few thousands, WHY!! #helplessness but we will be blogging about this through pictures from other sources. Life of a recessionist.

-Annie

Daydream Nation- Alpine, Villages

GAH!

I love Alpine when I found them I think I overstayed on Youtube, their sound is so surreal and yum (i'm out of adjectives)
It just feels like i'm eating dreams with my eyes!!!! Mmh... that sounds weird.

So before I sound weirder here's Aussie band Alpine with the song Villages.

-Annie

Lagos Fashion Week- Menswear Focus

Where European, American fashion weeks reign supreme in the fashion world, underrated fashion weeks in the world go on with spectacular shows rarely reported on internationally, specifically in Africa.
If you are within the international community, you may not know that this is Africa's (unofficial) fashion season; from Nigeria to first timers, Ghana and the obviously well known Mercedes Benz South Africa Fashion Week.
Yes, its a lovely time.

Though I decided to do things differently, I really love men's fashion I do and I applaud the revolution its going through at the moment (in case you don't know the Revolution sounds something along the lines of, "LIVE A LITTLE!") So as a strong unrelenting supporter of that cause, I've decided to round up my favourite Menswear line from Lagos fashion and design week (Nigeria)



Kelechi Odu- This line is basically saying relax and I love it, inspired by resort life and Spain (there were *subtle hints of some tassles somewhere) it was one of the more successful Menswear collections of the Lagos season.

Daydream Nation- Metronomy, The Bay

Here is Brit band Metronomy with "The Bay".
My gosh, I love this song, such a summer playlist kindda song, you know those days where you're languishing at work or home bored to death and you're minds just feeling kindda escapist...
Ugh, I need a holiday!!

-Annie

The Model Prey

Picture me ( A models diary) created a storm as it exposed the ugly side to a seemingly glamourous profession.

During our long break this year I became exhausted with some cinematic commercial material and decided to switch to documentaries that have a long reputation here of being boring and time wasting, blame it on slacking/un-engaging journalism in Kenyan media, whatever you fancy. Of course, the first thing i thought of watching was a fashion documentary in an attempt to learn more of the world that i was blogging about and I stumbled upon material that specifically talked about the modelling world, long story short it was not that pretty.

You need a Fashion Shower

Anna Dello Russo is Queen. Period.

Therefore, I would like to thank Chezza for introducing me to her highness' style, Chezza I hereby owe you a pair of shoes...(Just keep it on your wish list *tee hee*)

In this short clip through a series of very interesting (read very Anna) fashion lessons, Anna advertises her collabo collection of wonderfully gaudy accessories for H&M and you know what? I LOVE IT!! After watching this I just wanted to run, dance and throw my wardrobe away because its too bland (mild brainwash might be the cause of these spontaneous delusions) and I think a Dello Russo accessory should be a staple... (Insert face that realizes you may need to save here)

I'll have a fashion shower over here QUICK!

Keep you posted!

-Annie

African Fashion- Print-topia...NOT!

Katungulu Mwendwa- NY fashion Week

Khanga, Leso and Ankara, these prints are now the identifying factor in the fashion game quite especially on the runways of Kenya; multitudes of designers are coming up with designs which feature in what is becoming a seemingly cliche tactic, stereotypical African prints on an over commercialized western trend eg. a peplum dress.

Is this the way Kenyans view African/Kenyan fashion? I think it is quite disappointing for anyone to think that that is simply what African Fashion constitutes of, a collection of loud, bold prints on a specific fabric and   hey presto! You've got an African design. Consequently, people who have realized the popularity and insatiable demand for an African print (which was looked down upon not too long ago) here in Kenya, are creating what seems like a mass distribution of the product which results in a over saturated and over commercialized  fashion market of literally the same item.

Nairobi Fashion Market- Finally!

Having delayed my older sister leaving the house to go to the fashion market because of a fixation on  watching Jimmy Kimmel Experiments on YouTube that involved breaking kids hearts, yeah i'm just that kind of person, I finally got ready and left the house with a pissed off sister, whose friend by the way was waiting on her.

After a series of unfortunate and hilarious events (including being a blogger whose camera pulled a disappearing stunt and coming to the sad conclusion that I would have to use my very unprofessional phone for pictures) we ended up at Impala with my little sister who was forced to attend it with us when my parents picked us up in the blistering heat waiting on a jav...
I must say from the entrance I was a bit discouraged thinking that we would be 5 people at the event,  it was nearly empty despite the numerous cars parked outside, however once inside, I realized that the tents enclosed everyone inside, therefore explaining the apocalyptic feel of the entrance.

Nairobi Fashion Market- October Edition

Nairobi Fashion Market Poster

I wanted to write "we are going for this" in large dominating and fearful capitals but I didn't want to seem like I was shouting at you guys. This event is seeing more and more people jumping on board and I think its good exposure for local designers and boutique owners and for bloggers too, so that we can have more content to blog on and there's gonna be an Arcade!!! I'm such a child. Praying to my lucky stars for BARGAINS.

WE ARE GOING FOR THIS!!!!!! 

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!

See you guys there, damn, it feels good to be back :)

-Annie

East African Designer's Fair

Hellowall!

 Today is UP MAGAZINE article day, ah the free press... here is what we were up to at the East African Designers Fair.

Aug02

Freaks at the Fair

1 Comment

Chilli Mango T-shirts

Read It Here only on, Up Mag

-Annie

Peeling Back The Skirts

Amen

Yes, I had to jump on this bandwagon.

I know some of you are wondering what this means, well, a few weeks ago a Girls School protested over what they deemed UGLY UNIFORMS; they complained that their skirts were too long. Seriously, they were, I am talking Ankle Length.

Most of my readers are American so I have to go on and say that I live in Kenya, it was once a Brit colony so a lot of what we do here is Brit, meaning almost everyone has a school uniform. I have been to catholic school, boarding school and finally a British System school and have practically worn uniform my whole life, first it was tartan skirts, sky blue skirts(yikes!) then navy/ black trousers, the latter making us all look like we were caterers.

I have to applaud these girls because in the end their skirts were shortened but, crap hit the fan when the minister of Education mentioned that girls should wear short skirts... he never said mini just short! Of course there was outrage as most of the education system here is largely controlled by religious clerics and our country is mainly patriarchal but I say, THANK YOU minister! You are revolutionary

I have never understood why school administrations should make girls look matronly and boring in their wear, if they did not realize, these uniforms are what most girls and guys wear  and since its an everyday thing, we should at least be allowed to feel comfortable wearing it shouldn't we? Besides, if someone is comfortable aren't they more happier and more productive in their work? Students are not robots, they are people too and their opinions should be taken into consideration.

Anyway for those who find their uniforms boring, here are a few pointers taken from the most stylish student of all Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl.

Children of Summer

The most ironic thing is that July - August holidays are referred to as Summer... BIG JOKE! 

I have frozen religiously for the past two months but hey, you cannot control hormonal weather jacked up on global warming but I am out to prepare for summer.

Just as predicted by the Coca Cola Ads that "when the world is grey, Africa is vibrant', its going to be a FRYING PAN in a matter of months until Mid February and Chezza and I should know just how hot it will be due to the less than comfortable situation we were in when we had to don our all black uniform in school...  tough times, tough times...

On that note, we graduated from school (wooooh!!) so that means we have more time to be children of summer ie. we get to wear no more uniform and use clothes we racked up!!!

Here is my inspiration for summer, the Prada 2012 Spring /Summer Lookbook. I love how its represented in fantastical mixed media; it feels nostalgic, almost cinematic in character like a summer story... Whimsical!

Frosty, Fiesty: Keeping Warm

So the other day i busted ice gathering at the back of the sofa, yep its become that cold, so what are the rest off us meant to do if the weather is insistent on freezing us all to death?

Ans: spend your life in a Java restaurant

We are in the tropics for sakes so trust me when i say about half of the populations wardrobe is made out of shorts, skirts, vests and lightweight hosiery as the sun is killer. I mean i went shopping last weekend and thrifter stalls were selling sundresses... really really!!! The sun is not till AUGUST.

So of course i hit the blogs- here are some inspirations for the lost souls for how to keep warm in Cold Weather

Get scarves and head wraps- Scarves go for like 20 bob and the wraps can be bought in material form from Maasai Market, Toi Market. Jus wrap 'em and work 'em

Freaks at The Fashion Show...Too legit

The Eastland Hotel

So yeah, i was tech challenged and a bit lazy so the last post emulated exactly what was in my uninspired mind so i will redo this post for my peace of mind. The first was a wreck dudes. So what exactly inspired me? My Picasa just updated and it's so fun... Oh, the trivial things that make me happy, especially since i think my mind is stuck in another era that does not have internet, C'mon what other explanation do you have apart from insinuating that i should have probably paid more attention in Computer Classes? I know there are some of you out there with this exact problem.

Blah Blah, here is the Fashion Show i attended for the Mcensal Grad students/ Kiini, and as i said before, it was so awesome and fun and that really should be the essence of fashion.

 Backstage: The Calm The Chaos

Designer Diaries: Kiini 8

Kiini 8 by Thandiwe Muriu

New designers, big designers, what's in and what's out that's the name of the fashion game... basically. However, how is it all determined? I mean, no one just wakes up one day and decides Peplum is in right? Well today on our Designer Diaries series, I have a backstage exclusive (well kinda...)for those dying to know... HOW DO THEY DO IT?
 
I want to introduce you guys to a bunch of lovely fashion students from Mcensal Fashion School here at home(that's Kenya outside world) who have allowed us to be part of the intricate process of making a collection. How many of you have been to a fashion studio, and i'm talking inside the studio itself with the designers and all? For those who have not, brace yourselves for a Fashion aneurysm!!