ABC

Louis Vuitton, from left: Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Pre-Fall 2013, Fall 2013. Click to see the full Fall 2013 collection. 

The ABC of fashion now. 

Steal In Style

Karlie Kloss wears a Jil Sander coat in American VOGUE October 2012.
Photographed by Craig McDean. Fashion Editor: Grace Goddington.

Trends you can find in your parent's closet.

VOGUEBAMA

Michelle and Barak Obama photographed by Annie Liebovitz for the April 2013 issue of American Vogue. Fashion Editor: Tonne Goodman. Click to read the full story.

What the Michelle Obama VOGUE cover means for America. 

Strike A Pose

UCT Students could be Boss models. Click to read the article. 

My investigation into the world of the student model. 

Suitable Occasions

Behind the scenes at SA ELLE's March 2013 Suit Yourself story shot by Ulrich Knoblauch.
Fashion editor: Poppy Evans. Photograph by Daniël Geldenhuys. Click to see the full story. 

The trouser suit is back. And there's one for everyone. 

Have you been framed?

What really influences the clothes you see in your favourite fashion magazine?

ELLE SA Takes New York!

This is definitely the most exciting news of the year in local magazine covers. Less than an hour ago, ELLE SA October 2012 cover girl Bonang Matheba tweeted the first official image of her ELLE cover.

Hitting the shelves on Monday, this is the second original cover from ELLE this year, and the first (ever?) to be shot in New York! Bonang, one of the most popular personalities in South African television, is looking very sexy, stylish and spirited indeed wearing Louis Vuitton's Yayoi Kusama collaboration.

As usual, but this time even more than usual, I can't wait to get my hands on this issue. The only question is: will ELLE ever be able to top this? Oh right, next month will probably be the Solange cover.

Like a fashion boss.

 

Your girl B with her ELLE cover.

 

We Need To Talk About Kristen. (And Gwen, And Britney)

How do we feel about Kristen Stewart? I know I was always a fan, but in light of the whole cheating-on-Robert-with-the-Snow-White-director thing one must wonder if she's really as cool as she's been made out to be this year on the cover of UK ELLE, US ELLE and Vanity Fair.

You may think that with a scandal like this, she'd be a cover no-go. But British Vogue certainly doesn't shy away from controversial subjects...

Here we have the alleged home wrecker wearing Gucci on the October 2012 cover to UK VOGUE. Of course the magazine hasn't hit our news stands just yet, but it is said that we can look forward to an interview that touches on her big scandal. I for one can't wait to read it.

 

Meanwhile, UK ELLE has been styling up a storm for their October issue, the result being Gwen Stefani in a Peter Pilotto top and McQ skirt. How refreshing! That's the newsstand cover above and the the subscribers' below...

 

And finally, US ELLE has decided it's time for another Britney cover. I must say I do think their cover making skills are showing some improvement.

Newsstand October 2012 above, subscribers' below.

 

ELLE: Behind September

Okay friends, remember the September issue of ELLE I interned on? You better buy it while it's still on shelves. Of course, ELLE always uploads behind the scenes images and videos on their website, and these two are worth the view (and love).

Click HERE to see what went on behind the scenes of Poppy Evans's POP GOES AFRICA shoot. My highlights include chatting to Karyn Kruger about her time in New York shooting UK VOGUE, and working with my mother (in joke) the amazing intern Araffa. (ABOVE)

 

And HERE you can get the low down on Asanda Sizani's incredible SHE'S A LADY shoot. This one was a potential logistical nightmare - R20000 Louis bags on a not-so-safe road - but the amazing team pulled it off without a hitch.

 

Must Buy ELLE

Here are three excellent reasons why you must buy the September issue of SA ELLE.

ONE: It's the perfect intro to the new season. All the best trends, clothes and accessories are in here. There's no edit like an ELLE edit.

TWO: Suri's mom is on the cover.

THREE: Yours truly was a fashion intern on the entire issue.

 

 

These are my favourite shots from the three main fashion stories (all of which I had the honour of witnessing while they were being created). That's SA supermodel Katryn Kruger on the left and Spud actress/ former ELLE cover girl Charlbi Dean Kriek at the top right.

Want more? Go buy the issue NOW NOW NOW!

50 Shades Of Fashion

So here's the latest style buzz.

Lady Gaga released a new image for her perfume campaign which I'm really enjoying. I love the whole Zorro feel... That said, if you're an American Horror Story fan, this is actually a little scary.

 

A label by the name of Marc New York Andrew Marc (which I've never heard of and has nothing to do with Marc Jacobs) have opted for a 50 Shades Of Grey theme for their fall campaign. You have to hand it to them, it's a smart way to get press exposure. The whole thing got me thinking about which designers should reference which films in their campaigns. Here are some ideas:

Prada: The Hobbit.

Alexander McQueen: The Dark Knight Rises.

Meadham Kirchhoff: Any Afrikaans movie.

Dior: Black Swan

Dolce & Gabbana: My Big Fat Greek Wedding

 

Stop the press! Victoria Beckham is guest editing the September issue of American Glamour (note: this sounds great when said out loud.) I don't usually (read: ever) buy Glamour, but queen V may prove impossible to resist...

 

This next one (my favourite) she tweeted exclusively to her fans yesterday...

 

 

But the Beckhams didn't stop there! David makes his return to mens magazines with the September cover of UK Esquire. If I had a Prada shoe for every Beckham cover this year...

 

 

And finally: US ELLE revealed their decision to put Katy Perry on their September cover yesterday. They're up against the biggest Vogue ever (with a yet-to-be-revealed Gaga cover) and the Viccy Glamour... But this is one of the least boring covers I've seen from them in a while. Nice work.

 

So what does all this magazine mania mean, you may ask... Well, it means I will soon be bankrupt.

 

Model Covers. September Is Here!

It's the most exciting time of the year for magazines! That's right, the September Issues are strutting their way to the newsstands and I can't wait to get my hands on them. As usual, the british covers are released first and it looks like both the powers that be have chosen to opt for a September model cover. I love this trend!

Model slash actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is dressed in Dolce and Gabbana's finest on the cover of UK ELLE. This is one of those rare instances where I like the newsstand cover (above) and the subscriber cover (below) equally.

 

 

And over at UK VOGUE we have Karlie Kloss looking fabulously retro on the cover of 'their biggest issue ever.'

VOGUE really isn't playing around this month, the US edition (with Gaga on the cover) will be their biggest issue yet as well. They've even got fans guessing the golden number on Facebook with the closest guesses winning a signed copy. I'm secretly hoping the number has four digits - now that would be iconic!

 

1 Girl. 4 Covers.

 

Usually I don't believe in coincidence. But unless four different editors from four different magazines in four magazines are being held hostage by Marion Cotillard's publicist, the what you're about to see is just wild.

Exhibit A: above is the August 2012 SA ELLE cover.

Exhibit B: below is the August 2012 US ELLE cover - released on the same day as the SA ELLE one.

 

And here she is again on UK Marie Claire August 2012...

 

And finally, the August 2012 Paris VOGUE cover.

You're probably tired of staring at her face by now. So here's something I'm REALLY excited about: a first look at the AW12 ELLE COLLECTIONS cover. Can't wait!

Mila Kunis Covers UK ELLE August 2012

It's finally here! The aw12 collections issue of UK ELLE... The excitement would be overwhelming if we didn't have to wait more than a month for it to appear on South African newsstands, but let's not get into that.

Cover girl Mila Kunis is looking very retro glam in either Prada or Miu Miu (will have to check on that one) photographed by Doug Inglish. That's this newsstand cover up there, and below is the subcribers'. I'm liking both pretty evenly at the moment.

 

US ELLE Brings It!

I was not very friendly in the last post I did about a US ELLE cover, and while I stand by what I said I am happy to say I'm a lot more optimistic this time around.

Although I am not a Selena Gomez fan at all, I must admit she looks v amazing on this July cover in a Dolce and Gabbana dress. And best of all: THE BACKGROUND IS NOT WHITE!!! I think I should celebrate. Congratulations, ELLE! Do keep it up.

Fashion Now

This an exciting time of the year for fashion: he collections issues are coming up soon, new designer campaigns are being released, and more exciting celebrity covers are popping up everywhere. Here is a roundup of my favourite stories right now.

 

Okay, if I don't stop blogging about the Beckhams for at least a month after this, you can shoot me. It turns out the Beckham covers UK ELLE released on Monday were in fact both newsstand covers... So you get a choice (yay!). The real subscribers' is this one right here. I'm a sucker for covers with really cool writing on like this - so I absolutely love it.

Meanwhile, Queen Victoria (totes going to start calling her that) was photographed for the June/July issue of German Interview by Angelo Pennetta. Styled by Beth Fenton, this shoot is all about Viccy reading a book. Simple and lovely. I wonder if she and David will keep a bookshelf with magazines they covered for their children...

 

 

In non-Beckham cover news we have Rihanna on the July cover of UK Esquire.

So this cover isn't much about fashion (I don't think those dog tags, or the other scant items they put her in for the rest of the shoot are going to change anyone's life) but may I just say how perfect the SA ELLE editors was to put her on their June cover? Rihanna is definitely in right now.

Photographs by Matt Irwin.

 

 

Moving away from the cover and on to what you may find inside... The AW12 campaigns are slowly but surely being revealed. These are the ones that tickled my fancy...

Those legendary hats by Stephen Jones and Marc Jacobs for AW12 have finally been immortalised in this campaign shot, of course, by Juergen Teller.

And let's not forget Marc's new fragrance coming out soon called spot. The bottle is obviously inspired by a ladybug, one of the only bug I not only tolerate but actually like. Also shot by Juergen Teller, this one is definitely a winner!

Burberry takes us into a cinematic British fantasy. Shot by Mario Testino at the Royal Naval College in Easy London (not South Africa) starring Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes, this campaign is nothing if not classic.