G-Star Raw launches a new store in Canal Walk

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Karisa

Last 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:

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…

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

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

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Karisa

Listen 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:

** 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:

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:

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

The all new Cotton On super store opens in Canal Walk

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Karisa

On Sat I popped into the new Cotton On “super store” which opened in Canal Walk on Fri 9 Nov, downstairs right by the food court, where Look & Listen used to be.

I wasn’t able to make the official opening on the Friday as it took place during the day and I have this annoying little thing called a 9 to 5′er. Aaarrggh. So my mission on Sat was just to quickly pop in, take some pictures & duck. You see I’m not supposed to be buying clothes at the moment because I first need to do a proper “wardrobe cleanse”. My wardrobe is a total mess and I really have no more space. All thanks to my extremely bad shopaholic behaviour, tsk tsk… BUT, in the end, I left there with quite an impressive loot. It’s really not my fault though. They just have way too many great things. I’m calling it a summer wardrobe investment… *cough cough*

The term “super store” refers to the fact that they have everything from this great Australian brand right under one roof. Mens fashion & accessories, ladies fashion & accessories, kids & babywear and even their stationary/gifting/decor range, Typo. This store has replaced the previous Cotton On store, which was quite small in comparison. But the stand alone Typo store is still there.

I will admit, the ladies section totally overshadows the other sections in the store. But that’s just because women have more needs dammit! They’ve got you covered on all the hottest summer trends, neon sandals, fitted summer blazers, bright skinnies, pastels, fun & flirty beachwear , hot shorts, you name it – they’ve got it.

Then I also love that they have great sleepwear, lingerie & activewear sections as well:

Even though the mens section is a little smaller, they still have the guys covered on all fronts. I really loved all the bright colours and fun prints/designs. Their range is for the guy who’s not afraid to stand out & play with fashion. Basically, the kind of guy I love…

The little ones will definitely be on trend this summer without moms and dads having to break the bank. They have lots of fun things for boys, girls & the very very little ones. And I thought the pricing looked pretty good.

To give you an idea of pricing (from the ladies section), here’s what I walked away with:

Graphic T (R179), bright skinnies (R299), sheer white blouse (R179), necklace (R99), Navajo print knit (R299), strapless maxi dress (R299) & white top with shoulder embellishment (R249)

The other great thing is that they have lots of “buy 2 for” specials. Like you can get two ladies graphic Ts for R250. Or two pairs of mens shorts for R300. So that makes it even more affordable than it already is.

Next time you’re in Canal Walk, don’t miss out on this one. If you don’t normally go to Canal Walk, then this is a good reason to make the trip out there. Happy shopping!

xxx

PS. Canal Walk finally has parking pay stations which give you change in notes. Happiness…

Support the GHD Style-A-Thon and get a great “do” at the same time

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Karisa

Photo credit: GHD South Africa

I love having great hair… and I also love helping a great cause… With GHD South Africa‘s annual Style-A-Thon event in support of CANSA, combining these two loves becomes super easy.

This Sat, 27 Oct & Sun, 28 Oct, for a donation of only R50 (or R20 for the little ones), you can hop on over to a shopping centre near you and get your hair straightened, styled or curled. The proceeds will then go towards the extremely important fight against cancer. Yup, that’s right, you leave there looking amazing AND you’ve put your money where it’s really needed. How’s that for multi-tasking hey?

In Cape Town, you can pop into the V&A Waterfront or Canal Walk to getz-your-hairz-done (during normal shopping hours). JHB ladies can choose between Sandton City, The Glen, Clearwater Mall, Menlyn Park or the Brooklyn Mall. And all the Durbanites out there can go check it out at the Gateway Shopping Centre.

So come on ladies! If there’s just one thing you do in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, let it be this.

Me at last year’s Style-A-Thon – all curly’d up and lookin’ purrdy.

xxx

Steve Madden opens in Canal Walk – shoe lovers (guys & girls) check this out

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Karisa

Last night I attended the opening of the first Steve Madden store in Cape Town which has found its home in Canal Walk.

You’ll find it upstairs, close to the food court. I think there used to be a San Marina shoe store there before. Anyhoo, Mr Madden is considered one of the most successful shoe designers in the US and has been designing shoes for the Steve Madden label for two decades already. He gets his inspriation from street style he observes in places like NY and London and his target market is young fashion forward guys and girls who aren’t scared to show off a bit of flair. I like the sound of that…

We were welcomed by seriously some of the best food & drinks I’ve had at a launch in quite some time. The canapes were soooo yummy, especially these red wine super soft fillet steak sosaties… Mmmmmm.

Oh and then they had all kinds of candy everywhere! Pyramids of everything your heart could possibly desire… Chocolate covered marshmallows, donuts with sprinkles, cake pops (that’s a lollipop with soft, fluffy cake inside!), heart shaped candy canes, you name it… they totally stuffed up my summer body plans… I guess that will start next week now:

Ooooh and then cocktail wise they had Turkish delight flavoured cosmopolitans! Doesn’t that sound amazing??? That’s cause it was. Even the men were braving to drink some pink drinks because it was just that good…

Now let’s get down to the business of the store and the main attraction, the shoes of course. You’ll be happy to know that the shoes you’ll find very closely matches that of which you’ll see overseas right now, with the only difference really being the very seasonal stuff. As the US is going into winter now, they’ll obviously have lots of boots to pick from, but for us summer sandals make more sense right now. Also the store interior apparently matches their NY store as well.

Now I’m going to kick off with the mens shoes because I know I lose the boys once I start going on about heels, sexy sandals, oversized cluthes and stuff. These are some of the cool mens shoes you’ll find:

Top left – two tone shoe R999; Top right – black snakeskin R999, Middle – boots (these were my favourites) R899; Bottom left – casual loafers R599; Bottom right – brown smart shoe R899

For the ladies: this season think bright neon sandals, sky high wedges and any kind of “bling” detail like studds, glitter, snakeskin, animal print, etc.

Main – studded heels R1499; Clockwise from top right – snakeskin R1199; glitter heels R799; Blue wedges R1199; diamante heels R1299; summer wedges R799 – I’ve just got to own that snakeskin pair!

Top left – sorry, didn’t get price on these, but loved them too much not to show them to you; Top right – boots R1799; Bottom – neon sandals R499

Of course what’s a good pair of heels without a fabulous bag, right? Don’t worry, Steve’s got you covered girls:

Top left – bright clutches R499; Top right – quilted black bag R999; Fringe bag – R699; Middle – animal print clutch R699; Bottom – neon bag R799

There’s quite a few things on my wish list already. I’m just battling a head cold at the moment, so my brain wasn’t in shopping mode last night. I think I’ll go back over the weekend and take my time to look through everything again. I mean shoes are an investment purchase, you can’t just rush into it, especially when you’re not thinking straight.

xxx

Cool things at Typo

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Karisa

My friend Leigh gave me a tip-off about a new decor & gifting store in Canal Walk. She was like “you are going to absolutely lose your brain, it’s that awesome”…

Now Canal Walk is not my favourite place to shop, it’s just sooooo big, and people walk sooooo slowly, the parking is insane (I mean when you have to remember that you’re on the dolphin level for example, that’s scary) and their old school parking pay stations which doesn’t give you change in notes just irritates me. They need to take the lead from the V&A on that one. So because of all these reasons, I don’t really go there a lot. Mostly only if I need a specific item which I can’t find anywhere else, because being so big, of course one plus is that they do pretty much have anything & everything.

But how could I not plan a visit after such a convincing sales pitch from Leigh? So off I went. You’ll find Typo on the lower level, near Edgars, on your left if you’re heading towards Pick ‘n Pay. It’s actually linked to Cotton On – an Australian clothing brand which also opened a store in Canal Walk during December of last year.

The store really is very cool. They’ve got all kinds of weird & wonderful things to add some quirkiness to your space, whether it’s at the office or home, as well as some fun gifting things for the friend or loved one who appreciates something a little off beat.

They’ve got a big variety of canvas prints, which is an easy way to add a bit of interest to any room:

As well as some crazy cool iPad, netbook & laptop bags and sleeves:

Then this was a big draw card for me – their greeting card selection is pure awesome. I always battle to find good greeting cards. The stock you get at places like CNA and Cardies is just plain sad. But here you really can’t go wrong. They are fun, different and beatifully designed:

Oh and I also found some things that I now desperately need, but never even knew I wanted before entering the store… Like these super cute porcelain owls:

Take us home! Take us home!

And every home needs a cupcake salt & pepper set:

Right? PLUS it’s all the fun but with none of the calories!

So if you’re in Canal Walk and your feet are tired from all the walking, your brain feels like mush and you desperately need some creative inspiration, do pop in at Typo. I just know you’ll find something there to lift your mood immediately.

xxx

PS. I see there’s a store in the Tyger Valley Shopping Centre now as well.

Check out Lovisa for some cool accessories

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Karisa

Australian jewellery & hair accessories brand Lovisa has opened a store in Canal Walk (lower lever, shop 144A).

A while back I was on a mission to find some bronze or dirty gold toned accessories. I first stopped off at Accessorize, then Sass Diva – my two “go to” stores when it comes to accessorising. But I weirdly didn’t have any luck. Slightly depressed with my unsuccessful shopping mission, I decided to quickly get a fast food fix at Steers to cheer me up (I loooooove their chips, it’s my shameful little secret – I usually end up scoffing them down in my car!). Anyhoo, as I was heading towards the food court, I walked past this new Lovisa store and decided to give it a bash.

The store is very organised. Everything is coordinated according to their specific colour scheme, which I love – makes things so much easier. They also have everything from very casual to super smart accessories to suit your every need. I would have loved to show you some piccies, but they have a rule against allowing pictures to be taken of the store. So instead, I’ve stolen some images from their website to give you an idea of their goodies:

Cool right? I ended up finding exactly what I was looking for. I got a leaf design bracelet for only R130 and a spiral ring for only R100:

I’m very glad that I now have a 3rd option for fun, modern accessories. I’m not really a long term investment piece kinda girl. I like to constantly change things up and take some risks. So it’s better for me to buy things I won’t mind tossing away in a few months time if the trend dies or if I just happen to lose interest. So girls, if you’re like me, go check this spot out. I’m sure you’ll love it too.

xxx

OK, so I totally cracked…

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Karisa

Yesterday I told you about the Rock the Runway fashion show I attended at Canal Walk last weekend. BUT… what I didn’t tell you is what I did afterwards…

I’m very ashamed to admit this, but I had McDondalds! Yes yes, I know… I have failed as a human being… But it’s not my fault! Just look at what was staring me in the face for a whole 2 hours:

Come on, how the hell are you supposed to ignore that!?!

I had a bloody yellow glow on my face during that entire fashion show… It was like that huge M was sucking me in… slowly, but surely… Just plain evil I tell you!

As I stared at that McDonalds sign, I suddenly remembered seeing a TV ad of theirs for chicken nuggets and a dip of your choice. I guess all that subliminal messaging & flash advertising of theirs finally made a dent.

THEN I had a flashback to my childhood… I used to love the chicken nuggets at KFC, they were like my Kryptonite. But then they stopped making them. Bastards!!! Instead you now get those stupid KFC Pops things. Me not happy. Grrrr… So I figured, to relive those happy childhood moments of me enjoying my totally awesome chicken nuggets, I would have to give the ones at Miccy Ds a bash.

Now this was a big moment for me. I haven’t had McDonalds in years… at least more than 5 years, maybe even 10. I just don’t believe their food contains anything that could be remotely nutritious and after watching “Super Size Me”, I was totally put off for live (or so I thought).

We had to brave quite a long queue… but once my mind is set on something, I don’t budge. When we finally got to the front, I opted for the 6 piece with a barbeque dip. Figured 6 little nuggets wouldn’t do too much damage, right? haha.

This is after I practically inhaled the first 4! Mmmm, I'm lovin' it... Paired it with yet another childhood classic: Cream Soda. Yay!

As bad as I know that was for me… It was actually soooooo good. Took me right back to when I was 6 years old. I’m certainly not going to be making a habit out of it. But maybe I’ll try it again someday when I’m in need of a little comfort food fix.

Oh and while we were stuffing our faces with poison, I looked up and noticed this place for the first time (apparently its been there forever though):

Canal Walk.... Canal Wok... classic!

Pretty clever play on words there guys. Love it. Might try those noodles next time… So there you go, I feel so much better now that I’ve come clean about my dirty little secret. I hope you guys aren’t judging me too badly.

xxx

Rock the runway

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Karisa

Canal Walk shopping centre hosted a 4 day “Rock the Runway” celebration from 7 – 11 Sep.

The idea was to get young talent from five of Cape Town’s schools to each produce a fashion show at Canal Walk to raise school funds. Then the main event would be a showcase of couture collections by top Cape Town Designers presented by Elegance Fabrics, Cape Town Designer Paul van Zyl and Canal Walk.

I went to go check out this Couture Summer 2011 Collection show on Saturday eve. You could buy tickets to the seated area, but the really cool thing was that it was also open to the public, you just had to be willing to stand – but there was plenty of space with a good view of the action. That’s what we opted for.

The show took place in Canal Walk’s main exhibition area, close to the food court:

A view from above… Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

I’m actually one of those people who usually rushes through Canal Walk – totally focused on my “to do” list. I never take a slow stroll to take it all in. Hell I barely ever lift my head… if I did, I think I would have noticed all the cool detail high above the store fronts:

Seriously, has that stuff been there all along?

The show opened with a special segment where all the featured designers got to present some designs to show off the latest summer fabrics available from Elegance Fabrics. I didn’t catch all of it, was fiddling with my camera (sorry, it’s new OK… and I haven’t read the manual yet! haha) – but some of the Hip Hop ideas were pretty interesting:

Apologies for some of the shaky images to come. It was pretty hard taking decent shots because those models move to bloody fast…

The real couture show kicked off with a collection by Hendrik Vermeulen:

Must say, not sure where the hell that white poofy thing would be appropriate. You wouldn’t even be able to have a drink all night!

Next up was Stefania Morland:

Loved the fun & flirty details to her range – it was very pretty. Then we had Robyn Roberts:

I thought most of her stuff would be too “old” for me. But I did love that short, shimmery number. It had a super low back which made it very sexy. And then I also thought that last wedding dress was also quite pretty.

Next up was Hip Hop – but this time with their couture stuff:

I didn’t really love anything in that range… not my style at all. Then it was time for Cindy Bam:

Some very dramatic gowns in that collection. But where do people still wear dresses like those these days? Even if the event invite says “black tie” – Cape Town girls simply rock out a short coctail dress. Hmmmm.

Next up was Rosenwerth:

Beautiful gowns. But loved the cute feather head pieces even more! Then we had Jacques Lagrange Couture:

His stuff was a bit OTT for me personally, but at least it was creative. That red glitter dress however was a total mess – doesn’t it remind you of a bad Christmas party outfit?

Next we had Umbra:

Loved the bright colours and also how every dress seemed like it had been perfectly molded to the model’s body. I love a perfect fit.

Then we had Kobus Dippenaar:

Loved the crazy hats! Also his attention to detail was impeccable. From a creativity perspective, I enjoyed his range the best.

Next up was Paul van Zyl:

I’ve always been a HUGE fan of Paul van Zyl. But I must admit, this collection did not blow me away. I wouldn’t really want to wear any of those pieces.

Then we saw the all-in-black collection of Francois Rall:

Now I love black just as much as the next girl. And there were some really nice pieces in that collection. But I couldn’t help feeling that there was nothing new or exciting about it. A bit blah unfortunately.

Lastly we had Jenni Button:

The only thing I really loved in that collection was that short, partly sheer, sequenced dress. Unfortunately it didn’t photograph too well. Trust me, it looked much better in person. Would only be able to rock that if I had a killer tan though…

So there you go boys & girls – now you’ve seen what some of the best Cape Town designers had up their sleeves. I actually really enjoyed the show. Was far more extravagant than I had expected. To be totally honest – my expectations were super low… like as low as you could imagine… I wasn’t feeling too great (had a cold) and therefore I didn’t really feel like doing anything too hectic, so this just sounded like the perfect alternative to simply vegetating on my couch.

I’m glad I did manage to drag myself off of my couch in the end. The show has now inspired me to jazz up my summer party wardrobe quite a bit.

xxx

The two new men in my life: Charles & Keith!

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Karisa

There is a new major player in town when it comes to fabulous shoes & bags – Charles & Keith.

The Charles & Keith brand originated in Singapore back in 1996 and has since taken the fashion world by storm. It’s been brought to our South African shores by the Foschini Group, which means you can use your Foschini group store card here ladies!

The first store in Cape Town was opened last week on the 25th of Aug in the Canal Walk shopping centre. Actually, I’m not sure if this is the first store in the country? I couldn’t find much info on it on the web… Anyhoo…

Yes... come on in ladies, and bring those credit cards!

It’s a truly beautiful store. Great lighting, great displays… all conducive to total shoe & bag indulgence.

Oooooh, look at all the pretty things...

I especially loved the super sexy in-store campaign posters:

How gorgeous is that?

I was so lucky, because while cleaning out my “every day” handbag – which had turned into a scary abyss where things go to die or disappear forever – I discovered R550 in Foschini Group vouchers! I think I got them for my bday last year and had totally forgotten about them. Score!

This meant I could go crazy without really worrying about the price tag. Woohoo! Turns out thought that I really didn’t have to worry about the price tag, these shoes & bags are really well priced. I would say Charles & Keith would be competing in the Zoom Footwear category… Ooooh, some competition there guys…

I walked outta there with 2 new pairs of shoes – a pair of black gladiator style sandals (R349) and a sexy pair of dark purple heels (R449):

I just can't wait to show these babies off...

With my awesome vouchers, that meant I only had to pay in R248! Just plain faaaaabulous…

I got so excited about all of the shoes, that I didn’t really pay enough attention to the bags. So I’m gonna have to go back for a follow up visit… soon! You guys better get your asses over there before I clean shop.

xxx

My Love Affair with Cape Town…

Just random fun in my mother city

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