G-Star Raw launches a new store in Canal Walk

photoLast Thu eve I joined the boyfriend at the launch of Cape Town’s 2nd G-Star Raw store which has opened its doors in Canal Walk.

Now Bjorn is a HUGE G-Star fan.  Every time we hit the V&A Waterfront (which of course is the home of their original store), I have to pry him away from the clothes before he buys the whole store and totally bankrupts himself… then… I still have to listen to him talk about the amazing styling, fit & quality for like hours, sometimes even days… ;)

So needless to say, he was pretty excited to check out the new store.  Sadly we only had time for a very quick visit as we also had a date with the ballet daaahlings, but it was at least enough time to grab a few snaps.

For those who aren’t familiar with the brand, here’s a very quick rundown:  Dutch premium denim label, founded back in 1989.  Known for their raw denim – an unwashed, untreated denim.  Their style is described as urban street wear, and they’ve been known to also draw from vintage military influences.

If you do know the brand, chances are you don’t need any further selling.  You just want me to get down to the nitty-gritty of the new store.  So here goes:

DSC07493

gstar3

gstar4

DSC07496

gstar5

gstar1

gstar2

It was a very cool launch, coordinated by Girl About Town PR & Communications.  There were sushi platters in abundance, Jameson flowing at the bar & the boys from Goldfish were there, creating some great background noise.  It was really too bad we couldn’t stay and mingle…

922952_519570824747568_1333815212_n

Photo credit: LOOPFILMS / Girl About Town PR & Communication

But next time you’re in Canal Walk, do go and have a look for yourself.  Fashion lovers will be very impressed with the store, I’m sure. (the BF certainly was)

You’ll find G-Star Raw on the bottom level, close to entrance 2 and almost right next to Mr Price.

xxx

Traffic Live Winter fashion show @ Shimmy Beach Club (with video)

DSC07144Last Monday eve I got to attend Cape Town based label, Traffic Live‘s Winter Fashion Show which was held at Shimmy Beach Club
in the Waterfront in association with BlackBerry.

Traffic Live has been around since 2004 and specialises in edgy Cape Town street fashion for both men & women.  With this show, Traffic Live also launched a new logo and rebranding plan which will be rolled out across all Traffic Live stores this year.  They also announced a new branch which will be opening at the V&A Waterfront as well as a Traffic Live e-commerce store which should be launching in September.

Before the show kicked off, we got to take in the beautiful view, have a look at the Traffic Live pop-up store, mingle & enjoy some bubbly and snacks.  No complaints here. :)

DSC07138

DSC07146

DSC07134

trafficshow1

trafficshow2

Now I’m not just going to do the standard thing and show you some pics from the show, I thought it would be more fun to see the clothing in action.  So I decided to do a little video instead, compressing all the fashion awesomeness down to just under 2min of highlights.  But before we have a look at that – here’s some extra info on the show:

Now here goes:

The key looks you would’ve spotted there were: Utility, berrylicious, new nudes, sport luxe, embellished and black & gold.  There were quite a few things I loved, but my ultimate favourites was that first look with the studded blouse and light denims, then that hot leather jacket & long floral dress combo and I really must have the denim jacket with the spikes…

Saw anything you liked?  Then pay them a visit at either their flagship store at 197 Long Street or their other stores in Canal Walk and Cavendish.  For any enquiries you can also contact them on 021 424 2250 or info@trafficshop.co.za.

Here’s to winter and the fun fashion it brings…

xxx

Luminance pop-up store in town until Sunday!

DSC07188Right ladies, if you have some cash to burn, or even if you don’t but you have just always dreamt of owning a beautiful designer piece from the likes of Alexander McQueen, Armani, Balenciaga, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Fürstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney and Valentino… then get yourself over to the Victoria & Alfred Hotel by this Sunday to check out the Luminance Pop-up store which is in town as part of a country wide trunk show to promote the launch of a fabulous new store in Johannesburg which opens in July.

You will find items from all the amazing designers I’ve mentioned above (and many more) plus the Luminance Private Label, but like I said, you only have a few days to get over there…

Luminance is the brainchild of Destiny magazine founding editor and Ndalo Media CEO Khanyi Dhlomo.  Luminance, just like Khanyi’s name, means “light” and she says the concept is based on the kind of luxury retail experience that she’s seen in some of the world’s best department stores.  Khanyi says she really got into designer fashion and retail while living in Paris and this inspired her to look into some ideas which she could bring back to SA.  As the description on their newly launched website states:

Luminance is an accessible luxury and contemporary fashion and lifestyle retail concept store for consumers who covet world-class quality and beauty.

Now being high-end designer things, you can expect prices to start around the R4000 mark up to around R30000 for those really delicate, striking & intricate pieces.  But you’re walking away with a fashion investment here ladies. ;)

I paid them a quick visit last eve to celebrate the launch of the Cape Town pop-up, so I can give you a little sneak peak of what to expect.  Let’s shop:

DSC07263

luminance1

luminance2

luminance3luminance5luminance6luminance7luminance8luminance9If I had a nice pot of money to totally spoil myself with, this would be my dream outfit:

luminance_myoutfit

Balenciaga leather jacket paired with a lace Diane von Fürstenberg dress, Balenciaga shoes, Diane von Fürstenberg bag and this absolutely beautiful Oscar de la Renta ring.

Ah… life would be so perfect in that outfit…

The Cape Town pop-up is currently at The Forum, which is the conference space at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel (situated in the V&A Waterfront Pierhead section - opposite Crosstrainer).  Other pop-ups planned are as follows:

  • Bloemfontein: 25-28 April
    Protea Hotel Willow Lake, 101 Henry Street, Westdene
  • Nelspruit: 2-5 May
    La Villa Vita, 21 Klipspringer Street
  • Durban: 22-26 May
    Urban Park Hotel Umhlanga, 60 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga Ridge Town Centre
  • Port Elizabeth: 23-26 May
    No5 Boutique Art Hotel, 5 Brighton Drive, Summerstrand
  • Polokwane: 30 May-2 June
    Fusion Boutique Hotel, 4 Schoeman Street
  • Botswana: 30 May-3 June
    Lansmore Masa Square Hotel, Corner Khama Crescent and Western Avenue, Gaborone
  • Pretoria: 6-9 June
    131 on Herbert Baker Boutique Hotel, 131 Herbert Baker Street, Groenkloof

So if you’re in any of those areas, do keep an eye out.  Then over in Johannesburg there’s currently a Luminance pop-up running until 10 Jul in the Upper Mall – Shop 36, Hyde Park Corner.  After which the the big 700m2 Luminance store will open on 17 Jul (Shop 45 – Hyde Park Corner).

According to the website, more Luminance stores are planned for SA and key African markets over the next few years and the Luminance e-commerce site should launch in November 2013.  So that’s pretty exciting for all label lovers out there.

For more information email: store@ndaloluxuryventures.com or call Dineo on tel: 011 300 6743.

A huge thanks to Khanyi and to Jill Grogor & the team at Zebra Square (also find them on Twitter here @ZebraSquareSA) for a lovely evening filled with champagne and lustworthy clothing.  I’ve now starting my “Miss K Dream Wardrobe Savings Fund”, and if anyone would like to contribute, or happens to be extremely wealthy and would like to adopt me, please drop me a mail. :)

I’ll leave you guys with some people-on-the-scene piccies from last night:

luminance_ppl1

Top: With Leigh, Khanyi & Thandie Kupe; Bottom left: with Liezel van der Westhuizen & bottom right with Sonia Booth.

luminance_ppl2

Left: Clouds with designer Jacques Lagrange, looking glamourous in one of his designs; Right: The always fabulous Elrico from Luxo.co.za and his lovely girlfriend, Ritza.

xxx

Tommy Hilfiger launches in the V&A Waterfront

DSC06633Another store which officially launched in the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday eve is Tommy Hilfiger.

This iconic American label makes it’s first stand alone appearance in the Mother City and if you’ve always been a huge fan of the brand (and can actually afford to splash out on it), you’re going to love this store.

I will be honest and say it didn’t have me as excited as the Topshop / Topman launch, because for me personally, it’s just a little too pricey.  But the store was jam-packed with celebs, socialites and die hard fans who were all very pleased with the selection on offer.

To just give you an idea of pricing… For the ladies:  short dress R2399, short trench R3399, satin blouse R1999, high sandals R1799 and blazer R3999.  For the men:  mens sneaker R1199, hoodie R1299, parka R2799, check shirt R1099 and cable knit R1799.

The store has taken on (what I’m referring to as) a “life aquatic vibe”, with lots of cool little details to discover:

tommyh1

Let’s go sailin’ y’all…

And the clothing to me is screams minimalist chic slash preppy smart.  (if that makes sense in any way ;) )

Let me rather show you what I mean.  First up, some things for the ladies:

DSC06644

DSC06666

tommyh2

tommyh3

tommyh4

DSC06664

But they did add a bit of edge with their take on the new sneaker wedge trend:

DSC06652

R1599 – that’s costly for an “on trend for now” item, that’s for sure, but I did really dig them.

And for the guys:

DSC06657

DSC06662

tommyh7

tommyh8

tommyh6

Seen anything you like?  Then pop in for a visit.  You’ll find them on the top level, Woolworths side, towards the harbour.

Oh and just a quick mention – while there I bumped into Cape Town based hottie & singer Warrick Ryan.  He let me borrow his demo to give it a listen…

DSC06709

Love how I look like a deranged fan in this pic, and I just met the guy! Hehe. Warrick, I haven’t yet popped it into my CD player cause I left it in my friend Leigh’s bag. But it’s on my to do list for the weekend…

He’s really lovely and the boy sure knows how to dress.  So I have very high hopes.  No pressure Warrick, no pressure… :)

In the end, all I left with was this key ring:

DSC06822

But it’s OK – one day I’ll be popping onto a yacht of my own, wearing an elegant head-to-toe Tommy ensemble… one day…

xxx

Topshop / Topman finally opens in the Mother City

topshop1I have been waiting for this moment ever since I checked out that little Topshop/Topman pop-up store inside Unknown Union all the way back in July of last year…

And today, a whole 9 months later, waiting patiently during all that time, even turning the other cheek when Johannesburg got their first store towards the end of last year when we all know Capetonians deserved to have one first ;) … Topshop / Topman SA finally opens its doors in the V&A Waterfront today.

I was extremely lucky to be part of a group of people who were let in last night for a sneak peek and a bit of a pre-shop (yay!), so I can at least show you what’s waiting for you before you brave the craziness that I’m sure will be their first few days of being open.  I mean, there were people camping outside the store last night already!  There was a rumour going around that the first 10 people to enter the store would each get a R1500 voucher, so I guess that’s one good reason to be camping out with your Mc Donalds.  But another good reason is the amazing fashion inside that you don’t want to miss out on.

Price wise I’m gonna say it’s pretty much on par with Zara.  For the men, I took down some random prices to give you an idea:  sneakers R499, suit jacket R1699, suit pants R549, chunky knit R699, T shirt R279, short sleeve shirt R439.  For the ladies, have a look out at the things I took home below for some pricing examples.

The really cool thing about this store though is that it’s the first to offer a personal shopper service.  And get this, it’s FOR FREE.  All you have to do is call the store up before the time and make a booking (their number is 021 419 5934 or even email them on topshopps@edcon.co.za).  How cool is that?  I’ve always freakin’ wanted my very own personal shopper… livin’ the dream now I tell you… livin’ the dream.

Fuelled with enough sugar to kick start a jet plane, thanks to the awesome candy bar we were treated to:

DSC06777

I was ready to shop my heart out.  So enough talking now, I took a lot of pics, and we need to get going.  We’ll kick off with the guys:

topman1

DSC06751

topman2

topman3

topman4

Before I get into the ladies fashion, I have to note that they also have a make up range.  I’m no expert in this field, but my friend Leigh from Lipgloss is my life definitely is, and she gave it a big thumbs up:

DSC06819

So that’s good to know…

On the shoe front, expect things to be a little edgier and offbeat than you’d normally see here in Cape Town.  But I think that’s what I really liked about it.

topshop1

topshop2

DSC06720

Then they also have amazing jewellery, lingerie, hoisery & sleepwear sections:

topshop3

topshop4

And of course, lots and lots of fashion daaahlings:

DSC06715

DSC06719

topshop5

topshop6

topshop7

DSC06797

DSC06813

My OCD heart totally loved the fact that they’d given their changing rooms a little bit of extra thought.  Instead of just giving you like the standard hook to hang things on, they’ve also given you a rail for those items which might not have a hanger.  Genius! (well I got excited about it at least)

DSC06816

Those jeans were awesome btw… I just don’t really “need” jeans right now…

What did I settle on in the end?  Well I gave myself a budget beforehand, so I didn’t go completely mad, and I wanted to pick a few key pieces that could work with a lot of things in my wardrobe.  So this was it:

topshop_loot

Clockwise from top left: bird necklace R219, bird T R229, two tone crop jersey R499, blazer R779 (that lining in the blazer is absolutely stunning, the pic doesn’t quite do it justice)

And how much do you love the Topshop bags?

DSC06823

If you stare at it for too long… that cat starts sending you subliminal messages… all I heard was “you must shop more, more!!!”

I didn’t really do too much mingling while I was there (I was way too overwhelmed with trying to decide what to take home with me), but I did manage a quick catch up with my favourite SA fashion ed, Chu who now works for You/Huisgenoot:

DSC06810

I know I’ve said this before, but he is such a lovely guy…

And Clouds and I at least managed to squeeze in a pic in front of the Topshop/Topman signage as a “we were there” moment:

DSC06808

I was actually rocking a Topshop blouse I got at the JHB store.  Loving that blue cross body bag of Clouds.

A huge thanks to the folks at Topshop / Topman for letting me loose in their amazing new store last night.  I have a feeling I’m going to be popping again for another visit over the weekend.  Also to Kerrin Tessendorf from House of Busby for hooking me up with an invite. :)

As a final note, I’m going to say:  Topshop / Topman is maybe not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.  But what I loved about it was that there’s a little something for most.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a festival type, a grunge lover, a sophisticated lad, a feminine lady, or just someone who loves to chill on the couch.  There are lots of options.  And I’m certainly a fan.

xxx

Call It Spring V&A launch (girl & guy shoe happiness)

DSC06421On Wed eve I attended the official launch party for the new Call It Spring store in the V&A Waterfront. (it’s on the upper level, right next to the soon-to-be home of Topshop/ Topman, i.e. where Mango used to be)

Now knowing that I was going to be faced with an awesome selection of shoes, I had given myself a little pep talk before leaving the flat… it went a little like this:  ”Remember K, you do not NEED any more shoes.  You have NO MORE wardrobe space.  So just take it easy OK.”  Ja… that didn’t work!  Let me show you why…

Call It Spring is a Canadian brand with over 200 stores worldwide.  SA got it’s first Call It Spring store in 2012 and here in Cape Town you would’ve maybe spotted them at Canal Walk already.  I rarely make it out to Canal Walk, so hadn’t actually had time to check them out before.

Call It Spring specialises in on trend footwear & accessories at really affordable prices (hence my problem with trying to leave that damn store without buying anything). Their Fall/winter range is called “Almost Famous” and draws it’s inspiration from the young music scene.  Check out the video over here - it gives you a nice feel for the look they’re going for.

But back to the V&A store in particular.  This is what you’re in for:

DSC06445

DSC06458

callitspring

DSC06485

We were treated to some amazing cocktails & the best (yet worst for your bum) snacks I’ve had in a while.  Check it out:

callitspring2

callitspring3

I’m such a sucker for “mini” anything… mini burgers, mini hot dogs, mini freakin’ anything… just get it into my mouth!

And the talented Adrian Culhane was there to create some great shopping ambience…

DSC06484

He certainly had a tough job fighting for some acknowledgement with a mob of shoe obsessed chicks in the store. But he held his own & we took notice.

Right, but enough talking now… let the “shoe porn” begin… ;)  First up – some things for the ladies:

callitspring4

From left to right: cowboy boots R699, knee boots R799 & say hello to a Pretty Woman homage with these sexy boots at R899

callitspring5

Clockwise from top left: moccasins R499, deep red suede shoes R599, red ankle boot R599 & studded pumps R399

I was also really drawn to these sneaker wedges – a trend that I’ve been totally hating on since it’s appearance, but for some reason, these I just had to have:

DSC06515

R499 – but sadly they didn’t have my size…  what do you guys think?  I did a quick Twitter poll on the night and it seemed they were a hit.

On the accessories front, they’ve also got some great bags, scarves, hats & jewellery:

callitspring_accessories1

Just an idea on prices – the bag is R399 and the necklaces at the top were R99 each.

Now for the guys:

callitspring6

Clockwise from top left: bright sneakers R599, boots R999, navy or black sneakers R599 and moccasins also at R599.

callitspring7

Clockwise from top left: cowboy style boot R699, smart shoes R599, two tone sneakers R599 & suede shoes also at R599

And sing it with me now… Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur…

DSC06528

R799

Guys are also covered with some great accessory options:
callitspring_accessories2

Ooh and if you pop in store now, you can still get some of their summer/spring end of season goodies on sale:

callitspring_sale

Really loved that butterfly clutch which is on sale for only R255 – just couldn’t decide whether to get the beige or pink one.

But what did I go home with?  Ta da:

myloot

Ring – R79, wedge booties R499 and gold sneakers R499. Love?

I was very very chuffed with my loot, that’s for sure.  A big thanks to the Call It Spring team and to Kerrin Tessendorf, PR manager at House of Busby for allowing me to join in on all the fun.  You’ve definitely hooked a new customer in me.

DSC06525

Here with Leigh, Kerrin & Clouds.

Oh and before I forget… they had a photo booth on the night and the winning pic will walk away with a whopping R5000 Call It Spring voucher.  Does this face say “I totally deserve all those shoes”?

Scan

Or is it more “I’m so freakin’ high on the smell of suede & leather right now, I could pop”? Dunno…

xxx

Beautiful Maverick’s new website & winter collection

Cape Town based label, Beautiful Maverick, who’s been too awesome by offering to dress me for both the Marie Claire Loeries after party and the SA Style Awards

beautiful_mavrick_andme

Beautiful Maverick always rocks the sexy, feminine dress…

Has launched a new website along with a hot new winter collection.  Hop on over to www.beautifulmaverick.com to check it out.

Screen Shot 2013-03-26 at 2.50.24 PM.png

I’m already totally in love with this white dress with ribbon belt:

Screen Shot 2013-03-26 at 3.03.44 PM.png

This sexy red number with the faux leather insert in the back:

Screen Shot 2013-03-26 at 3.05.31 PM.png

Ooh and then a hot trend for this winter, the faux leather dress:

Screen Shot 2013-04-07 at 9.55.43 AM.png

If you wanna place an order, you can contact the lovely lady behind Beautiful Maverick, Genuvieve Davies, directly on:

Tel: (+27) 21 447 7186
Mobile: (+27) 83 686 7649
Email: info@beautifulmaverick.com

Or check out her stockists list on the website.  She has outlets here in Cape Town, JHB, Pretoria & Berea.

xxx

Win a top-to-toe outfit from Scottish fashion label, Lyle & Scott

DSC05757Listen up everyone, cause today’s your chance to walk away with an amazing prize worth a whopping R2400!

For the guys, a brand new slick look to impress the ladies.  And for the ladies, major brownie points from that special man in your life if you win this for him. ;)

But first, let me tell you more about Lyle & Scott.  The label was founded back in 1874 in the small Scottish town of Hawick by William Lyle and Walter Scott.  Today the brand still draws from a 125 year archive which (and check this out) includes designs by Christian Dior & Michael Kors.  In 1967 they also launched a golf range which became very popular and was worn by top players including our very own Gary Player.

In 2003 the label was rejuvenated with the launch of their Vintage collection with the ‘Golden Eagle’ logo.  It quickly became popular amongst the “cool kids” like young TV presenters & a host of indie bands which lead to the opening of the first stand-alone Lyle & Scott store in London’s Covent Garden in 2005.  Two years later in 2007 the Lyle and Scott Heritage Collection was also launched, followed in 2009 by the launch of the Club Collection aimed at young and trendy golfers.

Overseas they do both mens and ladies fashion.  But here in SA, only the menswear is available at this stage.  Let’s have a look:

lyleandscott1

lyleandscott2

lyleandscott3

** Photo’s provided by Lyle & Scott SA

Currently in SA there are 3 shop-in-shop stores within Stuttafords – one in Canal Walk, one in Sandton City and then they recently launched their 3rd shop in the newly launched Stuttafords Emporium in Cavendish.  I had a chance to have a quick look at their stuff while at the Emporium launch and thought it was really cool:

DSC05756

Great basics, fun colours and more quirky items for those who like to mix things up…

The brand is distributed in SA by Skye Distribution, the same guys who distribute great brands like Converse, Dickies, Millé, Brentwood, Cut-Rite and Samson, Nike Action Kids, Converse Kids and Jordan Kids.  So it’s part of a great family, that’s for sure…

Right, so what’s up for grabs??  The winner will walk away with a pair of Sand Mcintosh Chinos (valued at R999.95), a McDaniel Navy shirt (valued at R799.95) and some funky Mike blue sneakers (valued at R599.95).  Check it:

lyleandscott_win2

Hell yeah…

All you need to do is send the following tweet:

Hey @CTmylove please hook me up with stylin’ new gear from @LyleAndScott_SA #LyleAndScottWin

Terms & Conditions:

  • This competition is only open to people living in South Africa.  Once the winner is drawn – you’ll send me your sizes and the Lyle & Scott people will get it to you.  (if you get it and the sizes don’t quite work, they’ll sort out a swap out as well)
  • Only one entry per person.
  • Competition closes at midnight on Thu, 11 April.
  • Winner will be determined by lucky draw & announced here on my blog and on Twitter on Fri, 12 April.

Good luck everyone!  This really is an awesome prize.  I wish I was a guy… would keep it all to myself! :)

For retail queries about Lyle & Scott, you can contact the Skye Distribution Customer Service Centre on 087 940 4664.

xxx

I kit myself out for Rock Werchter at The Lot & score a free pair of sunnies too

From 4  -7 July this year, I will be in Belgium for Rock Werchter.  If you’ve never heard of it, it’s basically this: a 4 day music festival of pure awesome. :)

rockwerchter

This will be me!!! (Photo credit: pics taken from http://www.rockwerchter.be/)

It’s a music festival for all types… Rock, punk, hiphop, soul, dance, garage rock, folk pop, bluesy rock, whatever goes really, which is really great for variety over those 4 days.  And get this, the lineup’s already including bands like Green Day, Bloc Party, Dizzee Rascal (for the record, I’m not a fan – but I think he’ll at least be a entertaining live act), Rammstein, Kings of Leon, John Legend, The Lumineers, Blur, 30 seconds to Mars, The Script, Two Door Cinema Club, and freakin’ Depeche Mode! (absolutely looooove them – I’m such an 80s child)

Anyways, I’m not just here to rub in what a great time I’m gonna have (which I obviously am), I’m also here to rub in what awesome festival friendly gear I got myself at The Lot. ;)

The Lot, for those who haven’t yet shopped there is the perfect place to get your hands on some clothes with serious edge.  Rocker gear, hipster flair, whatever your deal, just don’t expect your usual department store garb.  I’ve always loved them for their accessories in particular as you always find things here that are quite unique.  Check my loot:

DSC06128

A good start to my festival wardrobe.  I mean, it’s all about looking the part you know… Rocker cropped Ts @ R199 each, high waisted shorts @ R350

But for realz now, I’m actually here to tell you about the awesome special they’re running at the moment:  Spend R750 or more and you get a free pair of sunnies of your choice:

DSC06130

My new babies… #HipsterDeluxe

So I thought I’d share the love and spread the word, cause I think it’s a pretty sweet deal. Plus their stuff’s pretty great at the moment too.  So go forth and shop!

Hope everyone’s having a rocking Easter weekend so far (or just long weekend for those who don’t celebrate this holiday).  Keep safe y’all.

xxx

Stuttafords launches their shopping Emporium, including the first Banana Republic store in SA

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the launch of an all new Stuttafords Emporium in Cavendish Square which also included the launch of the first Banana Republic in SA plus a new store by Gap.

DSC05703

An excited group of local personalities and fashion industry experts gathered outside the new stores, anxiously awaiting the ceremonious cutting of the ribbon so we could get our shop on baby…

stuttafords1

Top left: Irma G from Heart 104.9fm with photog, Denzil Jacobs; Top right: Jasna Zellerhoff aka FashionJazz, Roxy Louw’s younger sister, Misty & model Lee-Ann Roberts; Bottom left: cake pops wearing hats (yes hats!) & some yummy canapés; Bottom right: me with Decleor ambassador, Thandie Kupe & eTV’s Tanya Nefdt

But before we could do that, they spoilt us with drinks & canapés and further tempted our shopping tastebuds with a saucy little fashion show featuring SA celebs wearing some of the amazing brands Stuttafords now carries as part of their “World of Brands” philosophy.

stuttafords2

The fashion show’s models consisted of former Mr SA, Dieter Voigt, surfer/model Roxy Louw, model Tracy McGregor, TV presenter Tracey Lange, Expresso’s Leigh-Anne Williams, former Miss SA Nicole Flint & actor Tyrone Keogh.  All photographed at the bottom there with Stuttafords Group Executive Chairman, Mr Hilton Mer.

The Banana Republic store is actually it’s own separate store, so not a “store within store” as I initially thought it would be.  If you’re not really that familiar with the brand, let me fill you in on some background details.  Banana Republic is an American label.  It was founded in 1978 with a safari/travel theme (funny to imagine that now) and then bought over by Gap Inc in 1983 which then decided to give it a more upscale image and turn it into a luxury clothing retailer.  Today they have well over 600 stores internationally, with this one in Cavendish (as I mentioned) being the first in SA.

Just to give you an idea of pricing – for the ladies: shift dresses from R1299.95 to R1999.95, ladies Ts R449.95, ladies light knits R699.95, ladies trench R2699.95.  For the men:  chunky knit R1799.95, shirts from around R999.95 and men’s trench R3999.95.

bananarepublic1

bananarepublic2

bananarepublic4

bananarepublic3

The classic trench – a wardrobe must for both ladies & gents.

To me it’s the store where you buy those “investment pieces”.  Those wardrobe staples which you know will be in fashion year after year, like the trench, the chic shift dress and that perfectly fitted blazer or shirt…

I also spent some time in the new Gap store – as with Banana Republic it’s also a separate store.  Gap as you guys should know is another American label.  It was founded back in 1969 and they specialise in smart casual looks, with jeans, their Gap branded Ts & hoodies and blazers being some of their main staples.

gap1

gap2

Again, just to give you an idea of pricing.  Ladies cardigans around R499.95 to R549.95, logo T-shirts R299.95, pumps R599.95 & jeans R899.95.  Gents slim fit garment dyed canvas pants, R899.95.

Now back at the Stuttafords HQ (that’s what I’m calling the main store), the whole store got a refreshing facelift and they beefed up the size a little bit to make more space for those amazing brands like 466/64, Ben Sherman, Carducci, French Connection, Guess, Levi’s, Pringle, Ted Baker, True Religion, Elle Macpherson and many many more (both local & international).

If you don’t find that certain item here, I don’t really know where you’ll find it.

stuttafords3

Shop away!

And you’re gonna hate me know, but just look at the amazing spread I got in my goodie bag(s):

DSC05793

I’m such a lucky girl…

A big thanks to Stuttafords for letting me join in on all the fun last night.  I have some Cavendish vouchers to burn and I have a feeling I now know exactly where to spend it. ;)

xxx

PS.  Just FYI – there’s also a new Oaktree store as well as a new French Connection.  In all the excitement I never even checked out Oaktree store (sorry!) and the French Connection store is only officially opening today as I understand…