You know how they say rather late than never right? Well I'm about to use that same line but with a tad more embarrassment!
However, I'm sure you all know the drill by now. This time of the year most of us are held down by tons of paperwork, deadlines and basically trying to tie up any loose ends before the year dawns in on us.
With that said, I haven't had enough time to share an amazing event I attended last month.
The Ford South Africa team were so kind to send over the
cutest invitation one day.It was a box of
assorted teas and thus to attend their #fordfusion High Tea on Monday 11th
September.
We arrived at the beautiful location on chapmanspeak, Hout
Bay and were met by the lovely ford team on arrival before getting whisked away
to the beautifully hidden and tranquil lodge, ‘Tinstwalo Atlantic’. The event was a bit different to what I’m used
to, this one was intimate and hosted a few Cape Town Bloggers, Other media
personalities and representatives of the brand.
We were introduced to the chief group designer of Ford 'Susan Lampinen' who talked us through the design process she and her team in USA Detriot, follow to bring us the end result which is the soon to be launched Ford Fusion car. South African Designer Suzanne Heyns aslo spoke about the creative process of designing her Runway Collections and how its similar to the design process of cars, taking us on a journey through where she finds her inspiration for her outstanding collections.
I was very impressed with how informative the event really was. I know very little about cars so it really boosted my knowledge of how much work and thought actually goes into designing and manufacturing them. Its safe to say I am excited to see the end result which officially launches in 2015. Besides the perfect detailing, colours and overall design aesthetic, the new ford will be able to park itself with out you having to steer. Now that sounds like a dream right?
PS: Shout out to FORDS amazing team for having us :)
Below is the YOUTUBE video of the event and some pictures/Sketches of the new ford master piece.
Last week South Africa’s leading online retailer ‘Spree.co.za’
hosted their infamous seasonal lookboard event and this time it was to bring in
their latest Spring Summer 2014 collection called “Spree Boutique”.
The fast growing online store has been around a while now and every
season they come forth with an even better installation than the last.More intense, but also just the right amount
of fun to keep it playful and leave us all in ooohs and aaahhhhs.Being in this industry, most of the ‘Fashion
‘events we attend are similar.A brand
trying to do the same kind of different as everyone else.However Spree never fails to tell us some kind
of story through what they send out on the models, walking the show.I unfortunately wasn’t
able to attend the press briefing before the actual event to hear what exactly
Creative Director ‘Chris Viljoen’ and Fashion Producer 'Deon Redman' were trying
to bring across to guests, although I’m pretty sure everybody took something
good and inspiring from it.I find
that having a creative process, finding inspiration and then processing that
into art is so much more than just throwing good fashion together. For me Spring
should be fun, Colourful and light weight.Exactly what Local Designers Thula Sindi, Gert Johan Coetzee, Kluk CGDT,
Marianne Fassier and Clive Rundle of the "Spree Boutique" collection , showcased on the night.Good Quality garments for men & women and
also from well-established SA designers now brought to you on SA’s fast growing
online space Spree.co.za.I really admire the brand
and what they’re doing to change and continuously evolve fashion into what we
as fashion enthusiasts enjoy every season as well as their fast delivery
service everybody is raving about.
Spree hosted us at the perfectly located Brydun Gallery on
Buitengracht street in Boo Kaap.The
all white Gallery was set with accents of spring and pinths which models rotated on as
guests and photographers formed a paparazzi crowd and started snapping
pictures of the beautiful installation. It’s been a while seeing
everyone, so it kind of turned into the night out someone else had planned for
us.Drinks on tap as well as finger
foods to keep us happy, not to mention the obsession that is social printing
genius, Nifty250 (gotta love those guys).
Hope you all are keeping warm as Autumn finally kicks in. Or is this winter? (who even knows)
Lately life has been quite exciting for me, as I start the planning phase of a new business venture in fashion design and manufacturing. Hopefully within the next month or so I am able to share with you what I have been working on. I can however say that it's something for the ladies and would be a perfect fashion statement for Eid this coming winter. Other than that, the blog has been taking off quite well since the beginning of the year and I am grateful for the few of you who show me so much love across my social media platforms. You'll are too kind!
Having had two off days from work last week, It gave me the opportunity to experience what it feels like to be a full time 'blogger' and by this I mean getting up at 8am, dealing with some admin before heading out the door to a radio interview with 2OceansVibe radio followed by lunch with the girls, a short meeting thereafter and finally covering an event later the evening. This made me realise on the reals that the industry I chose to take a swing at couldn't have been a better one for me. Though I would love to wake up everyday and be a 'full time blogger', this may not be the most realistic goal for me right now and that's okay really, all in due time I guess.
Needless to say, I am back at my desk, doing what I know will generate me a definite income at month end, so no complaints further more.
I attended the Chanel Cosmetics Counter Launch in Edgars, Canal Walk on Wednesday with the girls and what a fantastic evening it was. We've never attended any beauty related events with the blog, so I was lucky to attend with my girls Saima & Qudoo-siyyah, who by the way is a make up artist and was willing to let me in on the must knows in cosmetics.
The event was well attended by a few bloggers as well as good clients of the Chanel Cosmetics brand in SA. Bubbles and beats flowed throughout, whilst the ladies got makeovers and touch-ups by the friendly staff working the event. The counter had good spacing with rotating mirrors and enough space to makeover at least 7-8 clients at once. I've always been quite a huge fan of Chanel, not only because they're one of the worlds most hard-core brands out there, but because their products are of good lasting quality and desirable scent. A bit pricey here and there, but well worth it if you ask me. This goes with saying that I need to get my hands on their Allure Sport Fragrance for men. I cannot help but die a thousand deaths every time I get the alluring smell of it. Pure amazingness in a bottle.
"You live but once; You might as well be amusing"- Coco Chanel
About a week back, Sam and I attended the Lovell Gallery in Woodstock for the launch of their LOVELL TRANYR ART TROPHY, a competition held for artists from all over Africa, to make their mark in this respected industry. But before I go any further
, let me add that this was the first time we've ever been inside an art gallery (lame We know). It's just that I've always looked through the window from the opposite side of the street and never really felt like I would fit in, judging by the clients who go in and out on a daily basis. So since neither of us have been to one, we thought it would be a great opportunity for the both of us to experience something new and break down this bridge of separation between what we thought it would be like, and what it's really like on the inside. A tad Late, (obviously) we finally arrived and took our first jaw dropping lap around the all white and buzzing Gallery that is the Lovell. The pieces we saw were so inspiring and mind boggling at the same time. It was the first time I have experienced raw talent on this level. Every piece with a great story behind it. Every picture with emotion and almost all made from recycled materials. One cappuccino later we met the curator of the show, Kefiloe. She was genuinely excited to have a chat with us and so were we. She spoke to us about how she wanted more people to know that art galleries are not necessarily those up tight quiet places they've been made out to be. We instantly giggled because we were those exact "people" she spoke about. The people who felt they couldn't walk into a gallery because of the expensive art pieces on display. She has a vision to break down the barrier between Street art and Gallery art, to mix the two. Not comparing the difference in price, but just finding that happy medium between the two, kind of brilliant if you ask me. I totally agree with her! I feel like every artist should know that his or her work is noticed, not because of the gallery or price tag hanging from the back, but because of the ART itself. The thought that went into planning it. The effort that went into creating it. The emotion and message behind it, and lastly, how many people would be touched or moved by it in the end. So If you're an artist trying to branch out, then this competition is for YOU!
With that said...
My holiday and leave is now officially done for. The time of chilling by the pool all day is history. In-fact, Its that time of the month where my printer decides to spit hundreds of pages at me and wont leave me in peace. I do however, leave you with some more details on the competition, our almost regular Event Video Edit from our Youtube channel and some pictures I managed to snap. Enjoy!
Peace&Love
Press release by Lovell Gallery
"This
competition began in 2011 as The Lovell Gallery Artist Competition, with the
aims of identifying fresh artists with great collectable potential, and helping
them over the long term to achieve that success.
We
realized that true collectability requires more than an artist’s talent and
quality works – it also requires support from the art-world, collector
confidence, and constancy over time, and its these other factors that most
young artists are in real need of help with. We thus designed a layered process
beginning with a portfolio of 5 works, a requirement to write about the work, a
group show, a year of close gallery and artist interaction and development
towards a solo show, and the opportunity for ongoing representation.
Now in
its fourth year, the results of the approach are already evident in the success
of previous winners. Last year’s winner Vivien Kohler is working towards his
solo, but has already been offered two more solo shows through his group show
exposure (one in Cape Town and one in London) and has two commissions from
collectors. 2012’s winner Benon Lutaaya
has found great commercial success with sell out solo’s and a long commission
waiting list. His prices have risen from R8000 when he entered the competition
to R57000 now, driven by hard work, significant talent and exposure. 2011
Winner Neill Wright is gaining a solid reputation among collectors, and was
recently listed among the top 10 artists to watch by The Times of South Africa.
He has just hired his first studio assistant. Neville Petersen, also a 2011
solo winner (that year we offered more than one) has since won a list of
international awards, including exhibitions in London as finalist for
Environmental Photographer of the Year as well as the Terry O’Neill Award in
2013. We are very proud to be an ongoing partner in these artists’ success
stories.
In 2014
Tranyr Logistics, with offices across Africa, came on board as logistics
sponsors and partners to enable us to meaningfully expand the competition reach
to the whole continent. In the spirit of true partnership, and recognition of
the significance of this expansion, we are re-launching the competition under
the new name: Lovell Tranyr Art Trophy.
The competition allows applications in any visual
arts medium and is open to any emerging artist with a portfolio of at least 5
original artworks.
The prizes include:
§A finalist group exhibition at Lovell Gallery
§Career development by the gallery for the year leading up to
the winner’s solo show
§A solo show at Lovell Gallery alongside the following year’s
group show towards which Lovell Gallery we will provide all the help and guidance the artist
needs on how to prepare and present their solo exhibition
§Special exposure in a group show in London during Frieze art
week
§Exposure in local and international media
§Tranyr sponsorship means the artist does not have to worry
about, or pay for, any logistics – all artworks will be collected from the
artists’ studios, crated, freighted and delivered to the various exhibitions
and back again."
for more details you check out their website over here.
