street style muse: Caroline Issa

Caroline Issa has a contagious smile & knows how to rock the colour red. Aside from making a chic statement in the front row at shows & being a sartorial magnet for street style blogs, she’s the publisher and fashion director at Tank, an independent art and fashion magazine based in London. Always a favourite of mine, this exotic beauty with brains is my Street Style Muse for today!











images from Vanessa Jackman / Citizen Couture / The Sartorialist / All The Pretty Birds / Candice Lake
View my other Street Style Muses here.

sneak peek: bright idea

Need a little pop of colour in your day? Head over to Freeworld Design Centre for my weekly guest post with some fun lighting ideas…

46664 fashion

last week I guest posted about the colourful & hip fashion label 46664 Fashion for Freeworld Design Centre…

The global expansion of 46664 Fashion began last week on July 18 with the launch of the brand in North America on Mandela Day. This uniquely African fashion brand expresses the vitality, diversity, quirkiness and youthful vigour of the continent upon which it was conceived. The apparel brand designed by Chris Vogelpoel and Barbara Tosalli is firmly rooted in Africa and focuses on promoting Nelson Mandela's humanitarian legacy. Their winter lookbook is vibrant, eye-catching and embraces Madiba’s inspiring mantra, “A brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

But does yet another clothing label make economical savvy in a financial recession? Well, according to Brand ID, the brand custodian & master license holder in the US, the global expansion of 46664 Fashion will also see “an increase in funds flowing into 46664 and the possibility of creating jobs in South Africa’s local manufacturing industries. This means that the brand is also making good on its underpinning intention, which is to provide a sustainable source of income for 46664’s humanitarian work and also have a positive impact on the struggling clothing and textile sectors.”

In support of the community, Marie Claire magazine in partnership with GOLD, a dynamic non-profit organisation benefiting the youth, will presented a Pop-Up University at the Plascon Freeworld Design Centre. Five well-known personalities shared their insights and inspirations with GOLD’s youth, aiming to inspire these peer leaders, who in turn will influence and inspire their peers.

poketo

If I ever find myself in Downtown Los Angeles, I know just where I’d head… Poketo, the fabulous design-driven store which has just launched their real brick and mortar shop/gallery full of art for your everyday. These brass bottle openers are a perfect example of stylish form with real function:

Founded by husband-and-wife team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung in 2003, the online Poketo created a buzz with their limited-edition vinyl artist wallets & has grown into a leading lifestyle brand with a fun & functional signature style while still retaining the original indie vibe. These cool wallets are among my favourites:

Poketo (pronounced poh-KEH-toe) got its name through Angie’s Korean grandmother’s mispronunciation of pocket. I'm especially fond of their accessories range with their simple geo shapes:

To find out more, be sure to sign up on the mailing list and follow them on Poketo blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

sneak peek: 46664 fashion

If you click over to Freeworld Design Centre a bit later today, you’ll find my guest post showcasing the winter collection of the brand 46664 Fashion which expresses the vitality, diversity, quirkiness and youthful vigour of our continent… it’s bright, bold & vibrant!

delightful

in case you missed last weeks guest post for Freeworld Design Centre, it was delightful…

The simplest of materials can sometimes create the most beautiful objects. Take this ball of string... such a useful yet somewhat mundane household item, but look at what you could shape from the humble ball of string. Beautiful string light balls...

Or wrap some twine around a glass jar for an interesting votive holder...

A happy row of twinkling glass lights, strung together with twine, would make such pretty outdoor party decorations...

Perhaps give those crochet doilies a granny-chic update by wrapping them around a glass jar?

And the unassertive piece of paper? Imagine the delightful DIY cube string lights one could create with a simple sheet of white paper? Here’s how...

How about wrapping perforated paper with a delicate pattern around a glass vase for a sophisticated candle holder?

I love these DIY paper cup garlands covered in different wrapping paper prints...they look really easy and inexpensive to make.

This is a showstopper of the paper variety... a stunning origami-style paper pendant fashioned into a spherical prickly ball. Gorgeous!

So let your imaginations take flight and create beauty and charm with the humblest of materials. They’re truly delightful.

(Origami birds & circle garlands)

sneak peek: delightful

join me over at Freeworld Design Centre for my delightful guest post showing you some DIY lighting creations, made from just string & paper… it’s all very illuminating.

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sneak peek: wild thing

take a break and click over to Freeworld Design Centre for my weekly guest post. Things are getting a little wild over there…

still life

last week my guest post for Freeworld Design Centre showcased the still life photography of an extremely talented man…





Still life & advertising photographer Niklas Alm has a uniquely graphic quality to his work. This Swedish photographer began exploring the world of pictures while still a child in his parents' darkroom. His passion for creating compelling images with a personality of their own is evident in his editorial and advertising commissions. There’s a strong sense of the playful and the humorous in the work of this award winning photographer whose clients include international brands such as Adidas, Amnesty, Bosch, Lucky Strike, Toyota and Samsung.