Fashion - Inspired Living SA

Witchery and Mimco Dates in Store at Woolworths

You may remember my post at the end of last year, about the launch of iconic Australian brands Witchery and Mimco, at Woolworths stores, in South Africa. Following the successful introduction of Country Road and Trenery to South Africa, Woolworths decided to launch Witchery and Mimco to the South African retail market.

Well I thought I would give you a bit of a heads up and let you know when these brands are scheduled for release, in Woolworths stores:

• from 25th March in Cape Town
• from 26th March in Durban
• from 27th March in Gauteng

I am super excited to have a closer look at these brands! The time is perfect as I am starting to plan my winter wardrobe and hopefully add a few key pieces from these two brands.

For more info on Witchery and Mimco, you can read my full post “Witchery Mimco are set to launch at Woolworths”.

Fashion, Fashion, Pret-A-porter

Label Collections

At the end of last year, I visited the showroom of one of our Summer Makeover sponsors, Label Collections and I thought I would share some of their gorgeous creations with you.

LABEL Collections founder and chief designer Nadia Turton, has always had a keen interest in fashion. She began her fashion journey in the retail industry, where she learned the basics and established her own sense of fashion. She then went on to graduate from Cape Tech, with a degree in fashion design, in 2001. After spending two years in London, familiarising herself with international style trends, she returned to Cape Town. Nadia gained further fashion experience in Cape Town, designing for retailers Truworths, Foschini and Edgars before finally launching her own fashion brand – LABEL Collections.

As you may know I am a bit of a fashion junkie, so I relished the opportunity of browsing through all Nadia’s stylish designs.

Label Collections is a locally designed and manufactured fashion brand, consisting of two lines – Labelfemme and Labellamere.

The Labelfemme fashion range is aimed at the modern woman, who has a unique sense of style and also values function and comfort. Nadia uses beautifully flowing fabrics and adds subtle nuances of feminine lace and pops of colour to further enhance her designs. Labelfemme consists of relaxed casual pieces for everyday wear, as well as stunning bespoke evening wear.

I loved the colour palette of the Label Collections summer line – featuring among others, one of my favourite combinations, of aqua and white!

Labellamere is a trendy fashion range for the mom-to-be. There is, after all, no reason pregnant woman should not be fashionable! Again the designs are created using soft billowing fabrics, which help enhance, rather than hide, the beauty of the pregnant form.

Label Collections also design a fab range of accessories and belts, the perfect addition to any wardrobe. the stylist I have being working with stressed that every fashion conscious gal needs at least one good quality leather belt in her wardrobe! I am in love with these belts, especially the broad, leather, figure belts!

If you would like to find out more about this fabulous fashion brand and one of our amazing sponsors, then pop over to the Label Collections website or you can visit their show room, which is situated in the Manhattan Building, 60 Hopkins Street, Salt River, Cape Town or contact Nadia on +27 (021) 447 3456.

Accessories, Fashion

Witchery & Mimco are set to launch at Woolworths

Following the successful introduction of Country Road and Trenery to South Africa, Woolworths is launching two additional, iconic Australian brands, Witchery and Mimco to the South African retail market. Witchery & Mimco are set to launch at Woolworths in March 2014.

At the 2014 Woolworths Winter Premium Brands Preview held recently at the Waterfront, we were treated to a sneak peek at what to expect for Winter 2014 ~ from the new addition to the Woolworths premium brands Witchery and Mimco, as well as existing brands Country Road and Trenery.

For a fashion lover like me this type of event is bliss! Surrounded by gorgeous clothing and the most stunning bags and shoes – what more does a girl need! After a preview of the Winter 2014 range for Country Road and Trenery, we were introduced to the soon to be launched Witchery and Mimco Range for 2014.

WITCHERY

Having heard so much about the Witchery brand before the preview I was super excited to see the brand first hand!

As one of the most inspiring of Australia’s big fashion brands, Witchery is a global style authority loved by Australians and New Zealanders since the 1970s. Ahead of the curve, Witchery’s fashion radar casts a worldwide eye, delivering feminine, fashion-forward collections that capture the latest ready-to-wear runway trends.

“The Witchery woman adores fashion and loves to put her own spin on the latest trends to make a stylish, personalised statement. She looks to Witchery for pieces that are fresh, glamorous, edgy and wearable that can take her from day to-night, and from work to a party,” ~ Witchery’s Managing Director, Matt Keogh.

MIMCO

As an iconic Australian accessories brand, Mimco is at the forefront of delivering accessible luxury with its quirky designs and statement pieces. Mimco celebrates unique design and eclectic styling, which was very apparent at the preview. I loved the bold red heads, dressed in fun and flirty garb, adorned with unique Mimco pieces.

The brand will offer leather and non-leather handbags, evening bags, wallets, tech accessories, footwear, jewellery, timepieces and hair accessories.

Each season, Mimco’s design team creates limited edition pieces to push the boundaries with creative design, materials and styling that offer customers rare and dynamic pieces. These personality-filled pieces will also be available locally.

“Since 1996, we have designed beautiful pieces for women who love to add a touch of glamour to their every day and who understand the value that a unique accessory adds to their wardrobe,” ~ Mimco’s Managing Director Cathryn Wills.

“Both Witchery and Mimco are strong brands with their own clearly defined points of view. We believe that they will help cement our place as a leading fashion destination and resonate with the South African woman who is looking for fashion that reflects the latest international trends and her own personal sense of style.” ~ Woolworths CEO Ian Moir,

In addition to standalone stores at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and at Hyde Park in Johannesburg, Witchery will be available at Woolworths V&A Waterfront, Cavendish Square and Tygervalley in Cape Town, Gateway in Durban, and Menlyn, Brooklyn, Eastgate, Sandton, and Melrose Arch in Johannesburg.

We received a few goodies to take home with us ~ my favourite being this stunning black & white clutch purse from Witchery! I am loving a monochrome palette at the moment, so this addition to my accessories is perfect! Thanks Woolworths!

Accessories, Fashion, Fashion

Old Khaki Summer Trends

Old Khaki is one of my favourite stores for casual wear, especially for summer. I love the quality of the fabrics they use and I find their clothing stylish, as well as reasonably priced as!

Last week I visited their Cavendish store to get a heads up on what their summer fashion trends are. I thought I would share a few of my favourite looks with you:

I am really loving the Old Khaki Summer Trends and the colourways which they have used in this seasons range. My favourite colours Aqua and Coral feature quite a bit, complimented with pretty florals and neutral shades.

I absolutely adore this bag and have added it to my shopping wish list. It is the perfect shade to compliment all these gorgeous summer colours!
[Read more…]

Accessories, Fashion, Fashion

Summer Fashion Essentials

I love summer! Especially the warmer weather, which means spending more time outdoors and more importantly changing over to your summer wardrobe!

There is always that transition time between seasons, when you are not quite sure whether you should pack your winter woolies away but once summer is here in earnest there is nothing better than swopping your winter boots for strappy sandals and a pair of jeans and a jumper for a gorgeous summer dress.

With the help of Dominique Luck I did a spring/summer wardrobe sort a few weeks back. Once we had sorted all my existing clothing and decided which items would make the donation pile, we made a list of the summer fashion essentials, which I need to add to my wardrobe.

These are a few of the Summer Fashion Essentials, which were on the list:

Trousers: Pleated, printed,tapered or wide leg its all good! I find that I tend to live in jeans but often I need something a bit smarter for evening wear or I simply want to achieve a different look. Dominique’s advice is no matter what style you choose ensure they fit well and make a statement! A few great trends for this season are preppy cotton trousers or statement printed wide leg or tapered trousers. To find similar style printed trousers click here. I managed to find the pair below, from Trenery at Woolworths, which are perfect for an evening out or an event and you can wear them with heels or flats.

The ballet pump: Pumps are essential for spring/summer, especially during the transitional weather when it is still too cold for flip flops or sandals but too warm for boots. There are so many styles and colours to choose from in the shops at the moment, we are spoilt for choice but it is also so good to have at least one neutral pair. I especially love handmade pumps like the pair above from Luli Pulani. On my search for a new pair for everyday wear, I found the pair below at Old Khaki, they are part of their Rare Earth range – they are super comfy and look great with just about any outfit!

Strappy sandals: The best part of summer is getting your tootsies out! Donning a pair of strappy sandals or wedges, with a bright and summery colour painted on your toes – perfect! My sandal collection is a bit sad at the moment, so I opted for a very versatile silver pair from Aldo to start off my summer sandal collection. I am still on the hunt for a sexy pair of high wedges for summer!

Dresses! I think I love the idea of dresses more, than dressed themselves but I think my apprehension lies in finding the “right” dress – one that makes me feel and look sexy and feminine! Last summer I found two pretty pastels lace dresses, which I loved wearing, they are both shorter in length and make me feel super sexy. If you prefer something longer then opt for a statement maxi dress, there are so many gorgeous prints available – a few new maxi dresses are definitely on my shopping list! To find summer dresses click here and here.

Scarves!!! I love scarves, much like shoes and bags, if I walk into a shop I HAVE to look at the scarves they have on display, whether I need one or not! Florals, pastels, geometric brights it does not really matter!! Mix match and or clash – just have a bit of fun 🙂 I found the gorgeous scarf above at Old Khaki and have had so many compliments when I wear it. {I had to go back and buy the cardi, which is also from Old Khaki. I did not buy it first time around as I have quite a collection of cardi’s but coral is one of favourite colours, so I had to have it :)}

A few fashion tips to remember:

~ If you find a classic clothing item, which fits you well, then buy more than one!

~When buying a T shirt ensure that you remember the secret formula – 95% Cotton and 5%Lycra or Spandex, this will help it hold its shape and last longer.

~When buying denim, especially stretch denim, buy a size smaller because it will stretch and lets face it there is nothing worse than a saggy-butt!

~Keep a scarf in your bag or car – it will perk up any outfit and take your look from ordinary to fabulous!

There are many other items which are essential to complete your summer wardrobe but these are a few of the basics.

Items Featured: Black Trousers R599 Trenery at Woolworths, Nude Rare Earth Pumps R599 Old Khaki, Silver Thong Sandals R499 Aldo, Coral & Pink Scarf R160 Old Khaki, Coral Cardigan R350 Old Khaki, Floral Dresses bought on holiday in Thailand.