beef or chicken?

There is something quite fascinating about the lives of air-hostesses. I'm not talking about the bored-out-of-their-skulls, average-Joe, polyester wearing air-hostesses and air-hosts (?) of today; I'm talking about the pristinely groomed, excitable, beauty queens, in their designer uniforms with matching luggage of yesteryear. I've been rather inspired of late by these curious creatures. One can't help but imagine a life filled with glamour and adventure (even if one is being completely naive and unrealistic).

Culture Chanel

I came across a feature on this current exhibition on the Wallpaper Magazine website (fantastic website about everything creative). I would LOVE to go! Looks fascinating!

From the MOCA Shanghai website: 

This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai with the support of the House of CHANEL and is curated by Jean-Louis Froment, a well-known figure in the contemporary art and design worlds.

"CULTURE CHANEL" highlights the historical and creative dimensions of the House of CHANEL.

The exhibition interprets Mademoiselle Chanel's universe through her designs, her iconic pieces and her literary and artistic inspirations. Throughout her life Mademoiselle Chanel was close to the greatest artists of her time, including poets Jean Cocteau and Pierre Reverdy, painters Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali and composer Igor Stravinsky.

From left: Original 'Cométe' brooch, created by Gabrielle Chanel for her exhibition 'Bijoux de Diamants', 1932, © Photo Didier Roy;

Pen and ink image taken from pavement of the abbey of Aubazine, the orphanage where Gabrielle Chanel lived, 1996, © Alexandre Céalac;

1965 - 1980 Haute Couture collection, © Photo Olivier Saillant;

Courtesy: Collection Chanel, Paris

From left: Half-Length portrait of Catherine de' Medici, by Francois Clouet, 16th century, © RMN (Domaine de Chantilly) / René-Gabriel Ojéda;

Gabrielle Chanel with a white collaret by George Hoyningen-Huene, 1939, © Horst; 

Carmen Kass wearing an outfit from Chanel's 2009 Autumn/Winter ready-to-Wear collection, by Dusan Reljin, © Dusan Reljin

From Left: Costume design for Potiphar's wife in 'Joseph's Legend' by Léon Bakst, 1914, © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Theater and Dance Collection, don de Madame Adolph B. Spreckels;

Gabrielle Chanel in front of the Coromandel screens of her apartment at 31 rue Cambon, Paris by Boris Lipnitzki, 1937, © Lipnitzki/Roger-Viollet;

The ‘Coromandel’ coat by Karl Lagerfeld for the 1996 Autumn/Winter Chanel Haute Couture collection, © Photo Karl Lagerfeld

From Left: Portrait of Gabrielle Chanel with her dog, Gigot, at her villa ‘La Pausa’, in Roquebrune, France, circa 1930, from Collection Chanel, Paris, © D.R;

'Acrobats' by Pablo Picasso, 1905, © Collection Marina Picasso/Courtesy Galerie Jan Krugier & Cie, Genève (Suisse)/Succession, Picasso 2010;

Barbara Palvin wearing an outfit from CHANEL’s 2010 Spring/Summer Ready-to-Wear collection by Martin Lidell, © D.R

all new prettyprettypetticoat

You will notice a few changes (complete revamp) to the prettyprettypetticoat blog. I hope it is a hit! What do you guys think?

I've been in hiding these last few months. Largely due to a sport injury resulting in an ankle ligament repair op, and many weeks of frustration and pain. Also due to a bit of lack in creativity and inspiration. I've heard that when the body is under emotional or physical stress, the first thing to suffer is one's creativity. This has definitely been true for me!

Hence the revamp to prettyprettypetticoat! Here's to creative juices pumping and flowing again!

My final range: A Gothic Love Tale

It took me a while to get the pics from my final range at LISOF, but here they are! My range was based on Gothic Architecture. When I began designing my range, I pictured myself standing in a Gothic Cathedral, and imagined everything that I might see around me. I pictured a dark shadowy corner, and then light streaming through a small window; I pictured the tall columns, the vaulted roofs and the epic buttresses; and I pictured thousands of doves fluttering in the courtyard. All these images pieced together to create a collection full of contrasts; a high-peaked shoulder, versus a small panel line; restrictive corsets paralleled against a flowing chiffon skirt; caging compared to feathered wings; and structured and hard shapes, but made with sheer, delicate organza

Loads of Living product launch 2011

I was privileged enough to attend the Loads of Living product launch on Thursday at the B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. Morrells Boutique Venue in Northcliff. Here are the pics of the incredible venue and the gorgeous product on offer.

For more info on the venue, visit the Morrells website

GARETH PUGH PITTI 2011 - FILM BY RUTH HOGBEN

GARETH PUGH PITTI IMMAGINE #79 2011

With a collection inspired by religious iconography and Florentine opulence, Gareth Pugh made his Italian fashion debut at Pitti Immagine #79. Showcasing his clothes via a unique fashion film, created with Ruth Hogben and projected onto the ceiling of a 14th-century church, Pugh melded the grand traditions and art of this ancient city with his own hyper-modern fashion vision

From: ShowStudio

Fashion Week Wrap up: Avant, and Stiaan Louw

Avant are fairly new on the Fashion Week circuit. Under the label Gaschette, a production, styling and design house, Avant showcased their women's collection entitled: Nude and Noir. "The collection is graphic, boxy, linear, uncomplicated and clean... it is a juxtaposition of definite form and shape within the loose confines of drapery". I loved absolutely every piece of the collection, and I think the Avant show is the favourite in my books.

Stiaan Louw presented his menswear collection, which came across contemporary, casual, and cool. "Inspired by social, sexual, and traditional cultural themes, Stiaan creates a modern interpretation, relating to specific forms of self expression... his work incorporates ideas of ambiguity and duality: masculine versus feminine, trendiness versus luxury, intellectuality versus understatement". I was very impressed by this collection, and I think menswear is a vastly unexplored market in the South African fashion industry. I'm so excited to see talent like this coming through!