Africa Fashion Week!

Little did I know the very first runway show I would ever attend would be in Africa! I attended the Craig Port for Miss Port show which was welcomed with great applause and a shower of confetti. While Craig Port may have initially thought that falling confetti would be the perfect introduction to his Paris themed fashion show, I think he might have begun having second thoughts once each of the models started tripping on fallen pieces while entering the runway. Whilst still trying to keep their pose, they all had to start looking down slighty to dodge the slippery squares. Ports women’s collection presented lingerie, swimsuits, and sportswear first and then moved onto the men’s collection. The primary colors were soft pinks and greys. The frilly pieces portrayed a very delicate, sweet demeanor yet edged on the provocative side with the see-through garments exposing lacy black underwear. My favorite swimsuit was a black strapless one piece worn by a pale, short brown haired model with large black sunglasses and an oversized clutch; It gave an almost Audrey Hepburn approach to swimwear. A reoccurring trend I noticed with the hairstyle was the messy, teased, just rolled out of bed look (an up and coming style for the season). The men’s line was mostly focused on whites other than the occasional tints on light blue of soft grey. The male models received quite the applause when they strut their chiseled bodies down the catwalk in nothing more than speedos for the swimsuit section. Overall, a very well done production; I thoroughly enjoyed watching my first runway show (and in Africa!).

Life in the Village

No running water, barely any electricity, and a small cot for a bed.... This was definitely not what I was used to. The other night we stayed in a tiny village with the nicest people who wouldn't know the difference from their Marshalls and their Chanels but they couldn't have been happier. A host family kindly opened up their house to us and welcomed us in. It showed me that even the people who have the least to offer, can still try and give so much. Living off of virtually nothing didn't wipe a smile off their face or seem to get in the way of their fun loving attitude. Although to us, the woman's soccer t-shirts didn't match their long caci skirts and their worn out flip flops but it seemed as if the women of this village had adapted their own style based on what was a available to them. They had made due with what they were able to afford and what was clean that day. A lot of woman's hair was either in tight braids or tucked away under a headscarf. However, I believe these styles had a lot more to do with keeping their hair out of their face on hot days than keeping up with the current hair trends (even though headscarfs are becoming quite popular). This experience has made me realize that one's style is not only based on what they like in accordance with the current trends and seasons, but it can also just be based on sole availability and affordability of the garments.

Safari in Style

Coincidentally, right as the time came to pack for my trip to Africa, the “safari” trend was just starting to hit stores. As I scoured through Nordstrom’s half yearly sale, I came across a pair of green cargo Rich and Skinny’s that ended up being a crucial item in my wardrobe throughout my trip. That one pair of pants became so versatile that I was able to wear them day in and day out. During the day, I paired them with a cotton tan B.P. short sleeve shirt and a pair of black tennis shoes. Switching into the evening, I cuffed them for more of a tailored look, and paired them with a black silk tank top and some black Michael Kors zip up heels. As for accessories, I wore some authentic wooden beads and bangles which was a nice bold counterpart to the delicate top. The pants are are a nice, comfortable fit and the small front zip pockets come in very handy. Here are some great pictures i took of animals while on the safari.

Coco before Chanel

As it is already clear, I am a huge fan of Chanel so when I saw the movie "Coco Before Chanel" was available to watch on the little Delta TV screen on my flight to Africa I thought it would be a perfect way to pass the time. When I first started the movie though, little did I know that I would be sitting through 1 hr. 50 mins. of subtitles. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and listening to the foreign French accents in the background became quite pleasant which made reading all the subtitles not so cumbersome. I learned many things about Chanel that I never would have guessed. For instance the fact that she was originally an orphan as a child and through one extraordinary journey she became legendary woman she is today. Gabrielle (nicknamed Coco at a bar she used to sing for) was able to rise from poverty and create an upscale worldwide brand that is the empitomy of classy and chic. If anyone is interested in the story of how Chanel came to design her timeless collections, I would definitely recommend this movie! Just today I also purchased the book "The Gospel According to Coco Chanel" so thats next to read on my to-do list!

Pretty and Polished

Just the other day I left for Africa and had to endure a 19 hour plane ride (california to africa is no quick flight, let me tell you). Although we did have a layover in Atlanta which turned out to be a lot more exciting than I had expected. After reading a recent fashion magazine (i forget which one because i now subscribe to about 5) I read an article about the Chanel Black Satin nailpolish that had once sold on ebay for around $150! Wondering what was so special about it, i turned to google (my go-to site for just about everything). I came across an article showing tons of celebs wearing the infamous color. http://www.nitrolicious.com/blog/2006/08/17/chanels-limited-edition-black-satin-nail-polish/ Needless to say when I spotted the limited edition bottle in the duty-free store at the Atlanta airport I jumped on the opportunity to own this legendary color. While I was at it I also purchased Particuliere which is a really pretty grey taupe color. However, I'm still on the hunt for Paradoxal (a deep purple looking color).

First Post!

I just started blogging because I want to become part of a fashion magazine in the future and thought what better way to gain experience than to start writing about it for people to read on the web! I absolutely love fashion, clothes, and shopping, as well as chocolate and sweets so I thought chocolate & couture would be a perfect name for my blog :)