Franschoek Uncorked/ Cape Town Living

Hi guys. Living in Cape Town definitely has its perks. I love the spontaneity of always having something to do. Even in the height of winter the city offers a variety of things to do. This past weekend my friend Unathi & I woke up and decided to attend the Franschoek uncorked wine festival. The festival is an annual wine do in the historic town of franschoek. I didn’t get to capture the beauty of the town (except for myself………. LOL).

I am definitely attending in 2016 and with better planning this time. This year 21 wine farms participated in the festival. You can imagine trying to explore that many wine farms in a day. Next year the plan is simple. Book accommodation because all that “tasting” can get to your head. There are many resturants that I never got to explore that I want to give myself time to.  All in all it was great.

I wore a shirt which is part of a two piece. Knowing me ofcourse I wore it alone. I paired it with my favourite shoes from Woolworth & Bag From Zara.

 

The duodesk For Sunglass Hut/ Punk Avant Garde

Hi guys. I had such a great Monday this week. Theduodesk ala Crystal Kasper & Palesa Mahlaba were in town for the Sunglass hut Punk Avant Garde talk. If you don’t know who Palesa & Crystal are, well here is a quickie. They are the brains behind #theduodesk. Crystal is a very well established fashion blogger & stylist, check her site here. Palesa is a former True Love fashion editor & stylist. Both are well known faces in the industry and the turn heads wherever they go.

Crystal & Palesa teamed up with Sunglass hut to give a talk on the avant garde trend. Crystal explains the trend and its background on her blog here. In summary from what I got, the trend was started as a fashion rebellion by individuals who wanted a different identity and thus the punk inspired trend took off. To date the trend has been transformed and the duodesk emphasized that it’s all about making it your own. Take it in your stride and personalize the trend. Please don’t conform. Of course one key piece to have to tie the look together and give it the ultimate cool is a pair of sunglasses. The right pair of sunnies just pulls a look together and can transform your entire look.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself & made a new friend, which is always hard for me. I follow both Palesa & Crystal on social media. I always wondered what kind of women they are. To my delight they are both very kind people who made time for all our questions and wanting to take pictures. I asked them all sorts of questions and they were more than happy to oblige.

One of my questions was where is theduodesk going? What’s the intent? What can we expect? Their vision is an online publication that will be a source of style & beauty advice for women. I for one is looking forward to it. For more on the duodesk check out their social media handles @newhipisterstyle @simplypalesa @theduodesk.

Fabiani Spring Summer 2015 Launch

Hi guys. So last week Fabiani launched their Spring Summer 2015 Range. It was a gentleman’s affair held at Crossley & Webb in Gardens. The venue suited the event so well. The vintage cars on display spoke so much to the Fabiani guy and what he represents. 

Chivas drinks were flowing and I had my first taste of a Chivas cocktail & lets say I know what to try at home.

I wore a vintage blouse & pants. Paired them with Courts from Mr Price.

Loza Maléombho/ Spring

Hi guys. Spring has sprung (kind of). Living in Cape Town we are always behind when heading into the Sunnier Seasons. I am excited for this year as I am looking forward to fun in the sun with family and friends. I am especially excited as I bought and designed quite a few bright items for the season and I am looking forward to taking more risks with my style.

So about this look, I pre-posted this look on my instagram feed @dineostyled and I got tons of questions about these gladiators. Believe me I know exactly how you feel as I went through the exact same feeling when I first saw them. The sandals are from Designer Loza Maléombho. She is an Ivory Coast born New York living designer. Check her site here. I first saw these sandals on a street style post and I researched up and down until I found out who the designer was. When I realized they were sold in New York, I was stuck on how I would get them. I then sent money to a friend who lives abroad to buy them for me. They finally arrived 2,5 months later. It was a long process but they were worth it.

One thing I would advise on is to be careful when shopping online especially internationally.

1)    Consider the Rand exchange rate of what you are buying at that time.

2)    Consider if you are buying from a trusted brand and you can track and trace your order.

3)    Be sure of the items you are buying. It’s one thing to see something online and receive the complete opposite.

4)    Set-up a paypal account which is accepted by most countries and can be separate from your bank account.

5)    Consult your bank if you are not sure who you are paying and see if they are able to help.

6)    Big Brother SARS will charge customs fees, be prepared for these fees as well.

7)    If you know & trust someone living e.g. in the USA and coming home anytime soon, send them the money and they buy for you. When I lived there shipping was most times free or very cheap. This will eliminate Big Brother SARS on your case.

All in all be careful when spending money online and buy carefully.

I paired the sandals with this dress from Mr Price and the Clutch bag is my own design.

MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA