Tuesday, May 18
Tights & Lace
It poured with rain this Saturday so I wore tights and my new tunic from Mr Price. It was nice to have some chilly weather because Durbs hasn't had much of an autumn at all. You must be tired of seeing my pocketwatch in every picture post but I just love it so much, it goes with everything! x
Monday, May 17
So you want to be a Trend Forecaster?
In the past year, I've become very interested in trend forecasting! I wanted to find out more about this career path and who better to speak to than a Trend Executive at one of South Africa's biggest fashion retailers? Please meet Joanne Coelho, Trend Exec for Mr Price, blogger and co-creator of the Lisa & Jo stationery line.
Hi Joanne, you’re a Trend Executive for one of South Africa’s biggest retailers. That sounds like a dream job! What led you towards trending? Is it something you studied or was it a natural evolution from other fashion related work?
It is my dream job & being where I am today was completely a natural evolution, it wasn’t planned at all. I studied fashion design & my 1st job was in retail, at Mr Price, back in the days when they were a real factory shop. I left after a couple of years to go into manufacturing, as to be a successful buyer, I really believe you need to have manufacturing experience behind you, did that for a couple of years & then returned to Mr Price as a buyer. The business was growing & evolving from a fashion perspective & I was lucky enough to be involved in the inception & creation of our design & trend department.
That's fantastic! Please can you walk us through a typical day?
Reading, researching & gathering of information takes up most of my time as well as meetings with our design, retail & marketing teams teams.
It sounds like trend forecasters get to do a lot of traveling. Lucky, lucky sods! Which cities do you visit to check out what’s happening abroad?
It sounds a whole lot more glamorous than it really is, it is an important part of enabling us to call things correctly, you need to be switched on at all times to ensure that you come back with the right merchandise for your market, or those trips won’t be happening any more! We travel to all the major fashion capitals internationally as well as local hot spots in South Africa.
I imagine you filling up empty suitcases along your travels! Do you get to shop up a storm?
The purpose of our trips is to bring back samples for our company, so space is an issue, I generally go with as little as I can so I can buy personally – I love to shop & seeing all the gorgeous things overseas is a problem! I always make sure to buy something special for our home, as I have learnt over the years that shoes & clothing aren’t a keeper for me, but special things for home have lasted & hold so many more memories.
Yes, you always post such special pieces on your blog. Which is your favourite city for fashion and why?
Without a doubt London. I love their creativity & innovation.
Agreed, the Brits are a seriously stylish bunch. What are your thoughts on South African style? How trend-driven are South Africans compared to other countries?
I think we have an amazing sense of style, I love the diversity of cultures & the way things are being mixed up at the moment is really exciting. There is a strong awareness of what is happening globally, we no longer lag behind the rest of the world.
How long does it take for elements of big-city runway looks to hit South Africa?
About 6 months if not sooner!
Wow, that's fast. What is the trick to incorporating trends into one’s personal style?
I think you need to have a strong sense of who you are & what suits you, then add a hint of a trend into the mix & all should be good.
How does one become a trend forecaster? Are there any study courses you could recommend?
There are no specific courses that I know of in SA & to be honest I would be sceptical of any such course! I think a degree / diploma in clothing design is a great starting point for a fashion trend forecaster, we also look at people that have studied graphic design or journalism – but there are no hard & fast rules, a person could have studied nothing but have “it”.
I see. Well, aside from a love for fashion, what other traits should a trend forecaster have?
A curious nature, enquiring mind, analytical, organised, great communication and people skills.
What do you love most about your job?
The research & creative freedom.
Please tell us who are your favourite local and international designers!
Shew that’s a hard one...I am no label girl! I have a long list of local designers I admire – a few of them are – David West, Sanche Frolich, Lunar, Amanda Laird Cherry, Leigh Schubert, the Holmes Brothers, Tiaan Nagal, Gideon, Anisa Mpungwe – seriously I could go on & on here. Internationally, to name a few, Paul Smith, Prada / Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, Chloe, Rodarte, Isabel Marant – stopping myself now!
Brilliant stuff, thanks Joanne!
Joanne is also the co-creator of the beautiful Lisa & Jo stationery line which you can purchase at I Heart Market in Durbs. Pop over to her charming blog to find out more! You can also keep up to date with the Mr Price team here. All pictures of the Mr Price office are courtesy of Samantha Maber. If you'd like to know more about a specific facet of the South African fashion industry, please let me know and we can do some investigating together!
Sunday, May 16
Share the love. Grab a button!
Hello! I hope you're having a lovely weekend. I made some buttons that you're welcome to yourself to if you'd like to share the love for Glossary on your blog. Ohh, I'd be so chuffed if you did! From time to time, I'll update the collection on my new page here. To grab a button, simply copy the code and paste it into your blog. If you're using Blogger, add an HTML/JavaScript gadget and paste it in there. If you do grab one, please feel free to send me the link to your blog so I can check it out! Thanks so much for your support, it means the world and makes me smile :D
PS: If you fancy a button in a different size, let me know and I'll scribble one up!
PS: If you fancy a button in a different size, let me know and I'll scribble one up!
Friday, May 14
What to wear on the plane!
I LOVE traveling. I love everything about it from the packing and duty free to those dubious in-flight dinner kits. Just thinking about it makes me crazy with excitement! I could write an entire post just about airports but for today lets chat about what to wear to one.
Right, so, before I get it into it, I should probably explain that I really haven't done that much traveling and that's mainly 'cuz I can't afford to from old SA, a million miles from the cities I want to visit. Nonetheless, I have done some and as I said, I LOVED it! Shameless confession: I want to be a travel writer. Or have a job that allows me to travel. I guess that's like saying 'I want to be a rock star' but I just thought I'd chuck that little nugget into the universe incase the gods of traveling are listening;) Ok, I'm going to get on with it now.
So, my jetset style philosophy (who knew I had one until today) is: be cute but comfy! The best thing I ever wore on a plane was a knee length smock dress with tights and a denim jacket. For some, jeans are like a second skin but I find jeans quite uncomfy over a long stretch. That's possibly because I'm in size denial and keep buying jeans a size (or three) too small. You also need to consider the various climates you'll encounter. It may be boiling when you're headed to the airport, blustering on the runway, chilly on the plane and freezing when you land. I reckon it's a good idea to wear lightweight layers that you can peel off easily. I say this but in all reality, I usually end up laden down with a bulky coat, hat in one hand and a scarf half strangling me. Below is an outfit I'd quite fancy wearing on the plane. I paired a Tee with tights but erm, you may wanna go for leggings instead. I would!
Random question: Do you ever feel a little cheesy walking through arrivals? For some reason I always start laughing nervously like an idiot. Maybe that's cuz I like to imagine I'm Mary-Kate Olsen breezing through LAX. Yes, I'm that lame!
Oh, remember, your feet swell on the plane. Trying to zip up a pair of boots after nine hours on your bum ain't fun!
Wear: Crinkle-free fabrics, lightweight layers, comfortable shoes, a roomy bag, something that makes you feel like a million bucks!
Avoid: Scratchy materials, heavy accessories, uber tight clothing, anything with alot of buttons or awkward zippers. Hey, you wanna get in and out of those miniature bathrooms!
Of course, Victoria Beckham proves you can travel in sky-high (excuse the pun) Laboutins, skin tight leather pants complete with military cap and jacket. So what do I know, eh!?
If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to bookmark or share it using the widget below. Thanks!
Right, so, before I get it into it, I should probably explain that I really haven't done that much traveling and that's mainly 'cuz I can't afford to from old SA, a million miles from the cities I want to visit. Nonetheless, I have done some and as I said, I LOVED it! Shameless confession: I want to be a travel writer. Or have a job that allows me to travel. I guess that's like saying 'I want to be a rock star' but I just thought I'd chuck that little nugget into the universe incase the gods of traveling are listening;) Ok, I'm going to get on with it now.
So, my jetset style philosophy (who knew I had one until today) is: be cute but comfy! The best thing I ever wore on a plane was a knee length smock dress with tights and a denim jacket. For some, jeans are like a second skin but I find jeans quite uncomfy over a long stretch. That's possibly because I'm in size denial and keep buying jeans a size (or three) too small. You also need to consider the various climates you'll encounter. It may be boiling when you're headed to the airport, blustering on the runway, chilly on the plane and freezing when you land. I reckon it's a good idea to wear lightweight layers that you can peel off easily. I say this but in all reality, I usually end up laden down with a bulky coat, hat in one hand and a scarf half strangling me. Below is an outfit I'd quite fancy wearing on the plane. I paired a Tee with tights but erm, you may wanna go for leggings instead. I would!
Random question: Do you ever feel a little cheesy walking through arrivals? For some reason I always start laughing nervously like an idiot. Maybe that's cuz I like to imagine I'm Mary-Kate Olsen breezing through LAX. Yes, I'm that lame!
Oh, remember, your feet swell on the plane. Trying to zip up a pair of boots after nine hours on your bum ain't fun!
Wear: Crinkle-free fabrics, lightweight layers, comfortable shoes, a roomy bag, something that makes you feel like a million bucks!
Avoid: Scratchy materials, heavy accessories, uber tight clothing, anything with alot of buttons or awkward zippers. Hey, you wanna get in and out of those miniature bathrooms!
Of course, Victoria Beckham proves you can travel in sky-high (excuse the pun) Laboutins, skin tight leather pants complete with military cap and jacket. So what do I know, eh!?
If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to bookmark or share it using the widget below. Thanks!
Thursday, May 13
Scrapbooking! I ♥ Candice Greenway
Before I knew about blogging, I used to scrapbook! I’ve been making simple ‘cut and paste’ scrapbooks since I was a kid but I only realized it had become a mega industry when I had to make a ‘proper’ scrapbook for work a few years ago. My friend, Claire, introduced me to a couple of local shops and I quickly became addicted! I remember sitting at home one Friday night with stickers glued to my face while watching a Metallica DVD and thinking, ‘What has become of me! I’m all crafty and stuff.’ Claire also introduced me to a super talented ‘scrapper’ (great word, that!) named Candice Greenway. Well, Candice is just terrific and she’s a South African to boot! Her photographs are spectacular and she’s got a brilliant eye for colour and layout. Here are some of my favourite layouts by Candice as seen on Tea Peas in a Bucket. Brace yourself for cuteness overload!
