The Best from MBFWJ17

I’ve always been an avid people watcher. Gawking at passersby with an almost stalker enthusiasm. I can’t help but be fascinated by the shapes and forms people come in. What they wear, how they speak and where they go. Fashion week is then an ideal playground for my ever curious eye. I get to gawk away unashamedly at a bevy of enthralling individuals decked to the nines. Viewing all this stylish splendour in one place would be comparable to watching rare birds congregate and compare feathers. Fashion week always brings (sartorially) the best out of people and Mercedes Benz fashion week this year was no exception. The event was held in Midrand celebrating its 10th anniversary at the very massive Mall of Africa. Although the sub-zero cold front gave people, myself included, a bit of a challenge with what to wear, I believe we all rose the occasion. Say one thing for Joburgers is that we love to get dressed up.

In terms of style the fashion MBFWJ crowd opted for a brightly hued palette with black, red, blush pink and pastels, and neon greens being the colours of the week. Expectedly fur jackets in various textures and colours were a beautiful yet functional fashion choice for most of everyone. We particularly enjoyed seeing how tailoring had a huge influence with what people wore. From skirt-suits, oversized blazers and pleated trousers to feminine cuts taking centre stage. Special mention has to go to the oriental pyjama set as it was the go-to trend with many street stylers being caught in the sophisticated number. I often enjoy fashion weeks not only for the designers but also for what people wear with their own interpretation and even introduction of new trends.

The Runway Report: MBFWJ17

Fashion week in Johannesburg has come and gone as swiftly as that bone-chilling cold front. It threatened us with its icy temperatures but thankfully not enough to keep the stylistas away from the extravagant affair. Perhaps I could contemplate the reasons as to why Mercedes Benz fashion weeks are always cursed with bad weather but… I think it would be far more productive to talk about all the great shows that MBFWJ presented us with! From getting lost at one end of the monumental mall of Africa to running between the punchy Xperience Afi shows, this fashion week was a week of firsts. Other than my qualms with very late scheduling and confusion between shows the production was impressive.

Kluk CGDT

Although we didn’t have the opportunity to see the actual show live Kluk opened fashion week with a bang. This charitable return to the runway saw the design duo collaborating on a show with the sunflower foundation. The collection itself displayed an artistic flair with bold patterns, unconventional details and vibrant colours.

Gavin Rajah

Controversial King, Gavin Rajah, put together a breathtaking collection that was both ethereal and seductively gloomy. From the decorative asianic florals dripping onto the runway to the couture craftsmanship on delicately embroidered gowns this was exquisite show to watch. Impressive still were the graceful Models sweeping across the ramp unfazed as gowns snagged onto the floral sculptures.

Spero Villioti

Spero Villioti is known for his proficiency in couture garments and he did not disappoint with this runway extravaganza. Each dress had it’s own distinct story and the attention to detail was astounding. The colourful dreadlocks, however, could be considered culturally exploitative but were none the less well done.

Adama Paris

Adama Paris showcased their collection entirely in a powdery white broderie anglaise. Garments were accessorized with orange accessories for an injection of colour. All in all the collection felt cool and perfect for spring.

TN Collectiv

Tuelo Nguyuza’s runway collection stood out for its interesting  layering of sheer fabrics and rosy embroidery. The effect was romantic and gave the occasion dresses an editorial quality. The designer seemed to have gotten the memo that floral embroidery was the finish of the week.

Marianne Fassler

No other designer has the ability to splice fabrics and and textures the way that Marianne Fassler can. With this quirky collection she gave us colour, beehives, and a much-needed breath from the drama and richness of fashion week. Dynamism and a youthful cheer are undeniably what makes Fassler fun to watch.

Thula sindi

Thula Sindi put on a show that was a delight. His clothing was the perfect blend of sweetheart couture and feminine daywear. This show highlighted not only his ability to expertly mix but also his eye for cohesive styling.

Ruff tung

I don’t think I’d be alone in thinking that what BRIDGET PICKERING and LUDWIG BAUSCH created for ruff tung was awe-inspiring. Known for their body inclusivity the designer’s collection was crisp, oriental and livened with eye-catching sequins.

Special mention needs to be made for all of the Xperience AFI young designers whose collections felt pertinent to the times with their IDGAF approach to fashion.

5 spots in Cape Town for a girl’s brunch this Women’s Day

A day to spoil (and thank) the favourite ladies in your life, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite brunch spots around the Cape for an ultra special Women’s Day outing.

1. Lola’s

On the corner of Long and Buitenkant Street, Lola’s is the resident lunch and breakfast spot to a bustling inner city crowd. We love the artsy-bistro vibe and minimalist aesthetic through its neutral colour palette and eclectic décor. Combined with a wholesome breakfast menu, Lola’s makes the perfect eatery for an elegant brekkie with the girls. Try the scrumptious sweetcorn fritter stack or order a cheeseboard or Mezze platter to share.

2. La Belle Bistro & Bakery at The Alphen Boutique Hotel

La Belle Bistro and Bakery sits amid plush greenery and old oak trees at The Alphen Boutique Hotel in Constantia.  This charming café serves some pretty amazing freshly-baked goods and sports an extensive tea list. We’re sure your Women’s Day brunch will spill over to mid-afternoon thanks to the cosy atmosphere and beautiful views. Plus, their buttermilk pancakes are to die for too.

3. Four & Twenty

With its relaxed ambiance and chic Parisian theme, we’ve singled out Four & Twenty as one of our top spots to share a few giggles with the girls, while the quirky décor makes for some cool photo opportunities. The all-day breakfast menu features light meals, delicious bakes as well as some great vegan and gluten-free options. Indulge in the sweet breakfast “hot-dog” – a honey butter-brushed croissant stuffed with roasted banana, topped with strawberry coulis, fresh strawberries and a dollop of mascarpone – yum.

4. Lily’s Restaurant

Stylish and sophisticated, recently opened Lilly’s restaurant is comprised of delectable breakfast food and feminine, luxe interiors. A list of nutritious food offerings cater to a range of dietary requirements – great for the health-conscious foodie in your group. But with options such as the ‘Espresso Yourself’ molten lava cake with salted caramel centre, you can be sure they excel in the sweet department too.  This laid-back space is contemporary and cool.

5. Pajamas and Jam

If you feel like venturing a little further afield, Pajamas and Jam is a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Somerset West. Don’t be deterred by the industrial surrounds; inside, the café boasts a cosy atmosphere and rustic charm. An in-house antique store means you can browse old trinkets and vintage clothing while you wait for your meal. The food is still the star of the show though, with everything from freshly-baked bread and cakes, to home -made preserves and great coffee. The usual favourites of Eggs Benedict or simple omelettes are tweaked with punchy flavours while the plating is trendy and modern. You can even toast to your ladies with a round of Lind hot chocolate.

In-betweener Style Guide

There’s nothing more frustrating to me than onion skin weather, I never know whether I am hot or cold, coming or going and often have moments of regret. Although winter is on its way out, we are still in the thick of things in the Southern Hemisphere. With fleeting moments of sunshine and warmth around Cape Town, Spring is slowly showing its face  – but am I the only one that feels spring is low key winter with a few sunny days? Regardless of my weather woes, this week we are offering you a little in-betweener style guide and discount on Superbalist! With warm textures and wintery tones, but can easily be peeled off to reveal a summery top for those few sunny hours.

Featured in this story is my recent shopping haul collabo with Superbalist. You guys probably already know how much I love this store, I am often twitter stalking them with my proclamations of love, or sending links to friends of things I want to buy. They have always had an app, and offered me the chance to shop off the app and do a Haul & Try On for you guys on Youtube (scroll down to watch). I was pretty stoked that they decided to collaborate with me, I think they’re the epitome of cool in SA and I really love their vibe and blog. Superbalist has given me a Promo Code to share with all my peoples, type in AISHA20 when checking out to receive a young 20% discount from us! They’ve given me my own page on the site where you can shop everything I’ve shopped, so that makes it a little easier for you to get your hands on some of these items. Everything not pictured here can be seen on my instagram and in the haul video so be sure to peep @bakedonline.

Shop my cart here! And check out some of the jackets & coats while you’re at it.

5 Must Have Lipsticks

In honour of National Lipstick Day, we thought it would be a great idea to compile a little list of lipsticks that you definitely should try if you haven’t already. With a mix of high-end and pharmacy brands, there’s a lipstick for every budget.

LA Girl Matte Lip Color

Available at Dischem Pharmacies for only R49.95, this lipstick is a favourite because it has a beautiful matte finish, without the drying feeling. It also comes in a range of adventurous colours, including grey, black and navy blue! Check out Nubia Silver’s mini tutorial on how she uses this lipstick to create her signature wine stained lip.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick

The Maybelline Colour Sensational is a creamy lipstick that’s about to get a whole lot better – adding to the existing shades of nudes, pinks and reds, the Colour Sensational collection is about to get a whole lot better with the Loaded Bolds. For the same R129.95 at Dischem and Clicks pharmacies, you can get bold blues, jet blacks and bright white lipsticks too.

Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick

With 30 shades to choose from and the option of matte or metallic colours, Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick is definitely something that you should put on your wish list. At only R290.00, you can see if lipstick truly is your vice. Shop it online here or in Urban Decay stores!

ConnieTransform

When talking about lipsticks, we have to pay homage to a local brand that makes incredibly long-lasting, light-feeling and matte yet not drying liquid lipsticks – and all for R180.00! ConnieTransform has a colour for every mood, and you can order from here.

MAC Cosmetics 

Of course, we had to pay homage to the brand that probably introduced us to the luxury of lipsticks. Most women can testify that when you think of lipsticks, you probably think of MAC. With colors like Ruby  Woo and Candy Yum Yum earning cult status globally. These days, they’ve expanded to include limited edition collections like Fruity Juicy and they have their own range of liquid lipsticks, but we will always think of their satin, lustre and matte lipsticks as our holy grail for only R240.00. Here

Weekend Getaway Style Guide

There’s nothing like a quick breakaway to get those mid year blues away. I spent 3days and 2 nights traveling with Urban Decay South Africa to celebrate the launch of their new Naked Heat collection. Packing for a short trip to reunion island was a lot easier than packing for cold climates! There’s nothing like throwing in a swimmining costume, slops and some sunscreen and heading to the coast.

However If you’re looking to make your trip a little more fashionable consider some of my tips below;

1. Play with colour
Any good summer vacay, whether you’re heading to Durbans tropical coast or out of  the country, it’s a good time to play around with colour! I kept with trendy shades of red, pink and printed florals to bring the heat, and fun to my looks!

2. Wear your hair up

Taking a dryer, curling tongs and your other hair tools can be a real mission. Play with up do’s, effortless braids and high ponys to keep your outfit stylish but low maintenance. I went to a local market to get some printed scrunches to jazz up my usual bun. You can get scrunchies like these at any accessory store.

3. Accessories complete the look

I’m really into local arts and crafts at the moment but African prints can be a little intimidating if you’re new to them. Although I have dressed top to toe in prints before I am really into adding just a touch of print to a full look. I suggest going in slowly with a pair of earrings, sling bag or scrunchies. You can get these at any local South African market and add some excitement to your looks. Make sure you pack loads of sling bags, sunglasses and earrings to make otherwise boring denims and tee’s look a little more exciting.

xo A 

The Accessory that will change your life

You may have seen local celebrities wearing South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo’s Mna Nam cuff, all over social media. Everyone from Maps Maponanye to Knaomi have been sporting this fashion accessory around town and on Instagram.

After soliciting intrigue at its Durban July launch, I was excited to get my hands on this savvy accessory myself along with their press kit.

Laduma collaborated with Sanlam to create the cuff with his signature design messaging, inspired by his acclaimed MaXhosa collection. The accessory is more than just fashion, it takes a step further allowing its wearer to scan the QR code embedded in the printed design to open a savings wallet. Using we chat to scan the code, once scanned one can add any amount you intend on saving, so instead of snapping to purchase we now snap to save.

“Having the accessory around the wrist gives people a visual reminder to consider carefully before buying. What interests me is that we took the fashion industry, which is traditionally associated with spending, and subverted it to be a space for saving. We also took technology used primarily for spending and repurposed it for easy saving. Africa has a history of ingenuity when it comes to repurposing tech to solve very specific problems”, says Laduma.

Yegs Ramiah, CEO of Sanlam Brand, says, “We wanted to make it as simple to save as it is to spend. This is fashion with the potential to change behaviour and start an important conversation”.

We commend Laduma & Sanlam for their effort in using tech and fashion to change the narrative of South Africa’s saving dilemma.

Watch the Sanlam campaign video below if you’re still confused. Be on the look out for a giveaway in our Baked Newsletter later on this week!

For more on the Mna Nam check out www.mnanam.co.za

Xo Aisha 

Why We Love Queen B*, Bonang Matheba

Here at Baked Online, we love powerful women and in the South African entertainment industry, we have a lot to be proud of – namely, Bonang Matheba. The bona fide mogul has done it all and she’s barely 30 years old!

Although Bonang’s career began and still lies in media, having started on SABC1’s LIVE in 2007 and moving on to present Clash of the Choirs SA, Top Billing and a popular radio show on MetroFM, Bonang has proven that she’s a force to be reckoned with. With her Distractions lingerie line at Woolworths and being the brand ambassador for Ipanema sandals,  Ciroc Vodka, Couvoirsier Cognac and Revlon Cosmetics, Bonang shows no sign of slowing down. In 2017 alone she has a new fashion line coming soon, a book that’s already sold out, a reality TV show airing mid July, and her very own Emojis!

Despite the drama in her personal life regarding rapper boyfriend AKA and his ex-girlfriend, DJ Zinhle, Bonang proved the importance of having pristine PR and letting your work speak so loudly that people would have no choice but to listen to it. The Queen of, not only South African entertainment, but branding, has secured over seven figures in her global campaigns with Revlon and has had international hosting opportunities since.

But what makes Bonang a little bit more special is the fact that she believes in empowering women just as much as we do. With The Bonang Matheba Bursary Fund, she gave 10 deserving students a bursary to Boston College in 2017, which was especially heartwarming considering the Fees Must Fall movements of recent years.

A South African fashion icon who never fails to grace our red carpets in beautifully designed gowns by Taibo Bacar, Gert-Johan Coetzee and the likes, we’re excited for Bonang’s TV show, Being Bonang, her new book, Bonang: From A to B, her Bmojis and everything else she has in store. As the millionaire aspires to become a billionaire by the next big milestone of age 50, she should know that Baked Online is in her corner!

Catch Being Bonang on Vuzu Amp on 14th July 2017 . 

Save The Date: HM to launch new flagship store in Cape Town

It’s no secret we’re pretty much obsessed with H&M’s affordable fast fashion being available in South Africa for the past year and a half.  We couldn’t be more stoked about the announcement of their  4th flagship store at Canal Walk shopping centre! This is an official save the date, as the brand announced its plan to launch crazy-huge, two level  4600 square meter store on November 18th. “We see a lot of potential in South Africa and we’re extremely excited to be opening yet another flagship in the western part of the country,” says Pär Darj, Country Manager for H&M South Africa. The store will offer fashion for the entire family and customers will be able to shop ladieswear, menswear, kidswear as well as Home, H&M Mama and H&M Sport.

We’re sure that H&M will do a great job hosting pre-launch events to hype up their new store, and if you guys subscribe maybe we can hook you up with access to the exclusive event… but thats just a maybe. If you’re lucky enough to be one of the first shoppers you can look out for opening deals.

H&M has already opened 11 stores country wide since its official launch in October 2015, in addition the group plans to open five more stores locally by the end of the year.  Check below for sore launch dates in your city.

  • Cavendish Square – Cape Town on 16 September 2017
  • Table Bay Mall – Cape Town on 28 September 2017
  • Highveld Mall – Witbank on 28 October 2017
  • Boardwalk Inkwazi Shopping Centre – Richards Bay on 11 November 2017
  • Gateway Theatre of Shopping – Durban on 23 November 2017.