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Sunday 19 May 2013

Baby, Don't Look Away 'Cause You're Lookin' In a Mirror


I think just about anyone who considers themselves cool has heard Kat Dahlia's heart churning, raw and rough single, 'Gangsta' which is about her childhood, growing up in Miami. If you haven't heard it yet, you must. Kat Dahlia is going to be really big. Give her two months and she's going to become Tumblr's new obsession.
This is another song of hers, 'Mirror' and I've been playing it all day long.
I really hate the uneducated, ignorant YouTube mass who don't know the difference between a comma and full-stop are comparing her to Rihanna because she has a very different and unique sounds. Just because someone can be hard and real does not make them Rihanna. Like, please die.
But Kat is amazing.


"Never trust a man because they're all hungry"
Khenzo xx

Friday 17 May 2013

We Can't Rewind, We've Gone Too Far

 
Unlike most teenagers, I never have plans on a Friday night (or afternoon, really). And, no, it's not because I'm socially awkward (that may be part of the reason but not the only thing) but high school is so draining (oh, no, a high school kid finding life hard) and all I want to do on Friday is watch Hart of Dixie, The Secret Circle and Revenge (because I never catch it on Thursdays). That and pass out in a puddle of 100% fruit juice, chocolate/coffee cupcakes and fried chicken.
So I decided to post some of the drawings I did tonight. Well actually, I did the first two in English, when I should have been paying attention. But we're just watching Moulin Rouge and the colouring takes my mind off how annoyingly in love Christian is with Satine. 
 
You wear designer shades just to hide your face...

Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. None.

These are some of my favourite looks by Aqeelah Harron from Fashion Breed. She's so amazing. I'm head over heels for her style and the travelling she gets to do.


Vouz avez un bon samedi (have a good Saturday)
xx Khenzo

Sunday 12 May 2013

[Outfit Post] I Got it From My Mama

Black and white star print beanie from Ackerman's, heart pendants - gifts, Mr Price cobalt cut-out top, Mr Price pencil skirt and wedge sneakers from Mr Price
 Happy Mothers' Day, infants! I had a late lunch with my mother dearest today and had the best peach and gooseberry filled pancakes every from Dros. I'd also like to attribute all my current happiness and peace to Mr Delivery. Last night I had an three course meal for Africa.
Anyway, I bought this pencil skirt - my one and only - from Mr Price quite a while ago but I hadn't thought of anything to wear it with that didn't make it look like the stuffy skirt some uptight, dry haired, cranky business type-A woman would wear to a board meeting when she was trying to be out-there.
Oh, and I found these lovely wedge gems at Jet! How great? And they were at a steal.



Now I'm going to watch season two episodes of As Told By Ginger until I fall asleep,
Khenzo xx

Wednesday 8 May 2013

[Outfit Post] Roxanne, You Don't Have to Put on That Dress Tonight

Rose dress worn as top from my sister's closet, striped skater skirt (oh, alliteration) and skinny belt from Mr Price, patterned Mozaic tights, jean jacket (photo below) from Edgars and spiked high heels from LEGiT (absolutely in love with them)

Tonight the grade ten music class had a cute, little concert to show off everyone's amazing talent. Some of the songs were a little bit of bad taste but a lot of them were great and all the girls looked fantastic but the best part was definitely interval when we had the best food ever. Generally school functions means some OK tea and coffee and stale biscuits but not today, however, we had chicken kebabs and mini meringues with raspberry and apricot and lots of sweets.

Sorry about the ratch setting but I was running really late and decided to take the photos in my room for the first time which actually wasn't too bad. I've misjudged the lighting in my room. If only it wasn't the place right-foot socks went to die.

TGTWAO (thank God the week's almost over)
Khenzo xx


*Exams are coming up soon so most likely the majority of my posts are going to be scheduled - to keep me away from wasting away hours looking at pretty clothes I can't afford.

Talking to: Ludo and Andrea from It's About LA


So couples and fashion blogs are pretty synonymous but you hardly ever find that said couple are both in front of the camera. I absolutely love Ludo and Andrea and their very minimalist approach to fashion and they all their well composed photographs.  Also, I'm a sucker for a little Jungle Fever.

How did you two meet?
We first meet at a party. Then we started to talk about everything and that's how we realize that we were similare and we have exaclty the same hobbies.

What made you decide to begin a fashion blog together?
Because fashion is something very important to each of us. We thought that there weren't enough blogs with couples, that's why we decided to create a fashion blog together. So we can share our fashion's view with the blogosphere.

When you're not taking great photos, what can we find you two doing?
We can be found shopping, watching movies, listening to music, talking about many topics and eating lots of nice food.

Besides fashion, what other interests do you share?
We can say that we are exactly the same person, we really love the same things and we also have the same way of thinking. We always agree on everything. We listen to the same style of music and we have the same way of seeing the life and the world.

Are you both from Paris originally?
No, we are both from Angoulême. It's a city known for comics, there is a festival every year. We actually live there.

Well, how would you describe the fashion scene in Paris?
Fashion in Paris is really chic but it's casual too.
Andréa: I personnally think that the Parisian wants to give the cliche of the "chic à la française" so they wear chic jacket or high heels with a jean and lose t-shirt. I think that people who are not French think that we have a really good sense of fashion but it's just some people. A lot of person are simple and don't have great looks like we see at Fashion Week.


Do you have any favourite places to shop in Paris?
We are not Parisians so it will be difficult to give you some really good addresses. There is a shop where they sell watches from many brands, the place is really cool and some [of the] watches are not so expensive. The address is Rue Tiquetonne and the name of the shop is Chez Maman.
Are there any French blogs that you like?
Paris is a big city of fashion. So there are many fashion blogs but some of them are very cool. Our favourites bloggers from Paris are Betty, Adenorah , Kenza and many others.

How would you describe your sense of style?
We don't want to have the same style as the other people. That's why we always trying to have unique clothes, we are not the ones who will wear the "must-have" [clothes]. We want to wear clothes that we like, not because they are trendy.
So we describe our styles in constant evolution.


What is a great influence on your personal style?
Ludo: For me Andrea is my influence. Everytime I want to buy something I always need her advice and the same for Andrea. We are just like partners [in] shopping.

June is the beginning of a new season. What are your favourite trends for summer and what are your least favourite?
I think you need boat shoes, a bomber jacket, a soft jacket, a hat like a panama or a wide-brimmed hat and shorts because it's more comfortable than skirts or dresses - and don't forget the sunglasses.
Least favourite for us [are] Vans sneakers and sweaters.


Items you never leave the house without.
Ludo: My phone and my credit card.
Andrea: My phone and bag.

Lastly, what is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Ludo: 'Live the present day like it was the last,' from my mom.
Andrea: 'Never be influenced by other people' from my grandma.

Find Ludo and Andrea on their blog It's About LA.



All images are from www.itsaboutla.blogspot.fr

Monday 6 May 2013

Talking to: Leah R from The Frill Seekers


Leah is a tart. I actually developed a teensy bit of a tooth ache reading through her blog and loving how sweet and sincere she is in her posts. She isn't one of the bloggers who want a me-me-me-me page on the internet but she just says what she thinks and what she likes and posts some really pretty photos. Also, how cute is she? Ridiculously so.

What got you into the world of blogging? And how did you decide on the really cute name of your blog?
A couple of years ago I got really into reading fashion magazines (though technically they were just the style section of my parents newspaper) and I came across  fashion bloggers who really inspired me to start my own.
Well, I'm going to have to give credit to my friend for the name, as I  was struggling with finding a good one and she came up with it and it just clicked - its cringy but my first blog name was 'fashionphotographyandblog'.


Who are your favourite fashion bloggers?
CoMonroe  - she is my favourite, her photography is so great too
Rookie Mag  - not really a fashion blog but they have a great style section
Ms Vintage Virgin  - her outfits are crazy but amazing
Fashion Rush  - also loving her outfits at the moment


If you could have dinner with any of the biggest names in fashion, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Coco Chanel - it's kind of obvious.

You live in the UK but you also visit Spain quite often. How different are the fashion scenes between these two countries?
Very different! The way I see it is that England is cooler and more ahead in terms of vintage and experimenting whereas in Spain they are more stylish and elegant yet their fashion scene can get a bit samey and boring - especially the small town where I am from.

Where are your favourite places to shop in the UK and Spain and why?
[In the] UK it has to be Urban Outfitters, Charity shops (they don't exist in Spain), Topshop and H&M. I love Zara in Spain and Stradivarias and Pull & Bear are also great.

How would you describe the way you dress and what influences your style?
My mixed background means that I am quite influenced by things I get to see when I travel abroad. I'd say I don't have a defined style, because I like changing it to suit my mood. I'm mostly influenced by what I see on other people, or my grandmas are a big source of influence as well as other fashion bloggers of course..oh and Lana Del Rey

You work/worked at the British Heart Foundation, which is a charity store? What’s that like?
It was awesome, not only did it make me feel like I was doing something good for the charity (its voluntary) but I also developed my passion of styling because my role became focused on styling the mannequins. It made me aware that you can easily make anything look good. Clothing is not exclusive.

You’re obviously a big fan of photography. Who are some of your favourite photographers?
I love art and photography, to be honest I haven't ever studied it so I don't know much about it but I love Cindy Sherman and Norman Parkinson.

Do you plan on taking photography as a career? Or art? (Your drawings are really great.) If not, what do you plan on doing?
At the moment I'd love to do something to do with the creative industries, whether that [is] art or photography or fashion I have no idea! I probably prefer art to photography but I also love writing as well as my languages (Spanish and French) so I'm a bit stuck! I'm just gonna go with the flow and see where the tide takes me.

Your friend, Sophie, is featured quite a bit on your blog. Is she often the focus of your photography and do you ever style her?
I love to bring my friends into my fashion blog to make it more personal and fun because they have great style and I don't want the blog to be all about me; plus I get to test out my photography (don't get the same satisfaction using self-timer). I love to do collaborative posts where we think of a theme, e.g. Molly Ringwald in the Breakfast Club and use each other’s wardrobes to make-up outfits. It’s like a dress-up game, only we ain’t kids no more.

You’re very into music. What are your top five favourite songs at the moment?
At the moment I'm in love with No Angels by Bastille ft. Ella (it’s a remix of TLC’s No Scrub and something by the XX, I think - so good.
The Kooks – Naïve
Imagine Dragons – Demons
I love Wicked Games cover by Coeur de Pirate 
As We enter by Nas and Damien Marley

What are your trends for June/July are you absolutely in love with and which ones would you like to see end?
I am so over studs. I used to be really obsessed [with them] but they kinda look a bit tacky when overdone now. Love the new dungaree trend, though not sure if I'd go for full length and pretty, lacey tops are essential for summer.

Are there any style rules/guidelines you follow or rebel against?
I never mix prints. I like co-ordination a bit too much sometimes (my Spanish influences) and never ever wear Uggs or Crocs - even if ugly shoes are for fashion, they are ugly full stop.

Lastly, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and from whom?
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain -- someone I know.







Find Leah on The Frill Seeker and fan her on Lookbook.


All images are from Leah's blog.
 

Good Hair


From the Man Repeller
We all know Chris Rock--most of us love him. (If you think Chris Rock is some sort of assortment of boulders/stones name Chris, you need to take your little ignorant self back to 2005)
And I'm sure that everyone has at least heard of his film, Good Hair. The movie that still annoys me to this day. Well, actually, it's not the movie and the content of the movie itself that drives me up a wall but the way lots of people have interpreted it.
But people's idea of how desperate all black women (because they're all the same, right?) are to have perfect hair and that natural hair is the only way is not what I'm going to go on about.

The movie - documentary - actually is about the lengths some black women will go to for hair they believe is good because they are not happy with their race. It is not about how bad relaxing and braiding and weaves are (despite how itchy they can be) but rather as to why some women cause themselves so much stress and spend so much money. Obviously not all women do all that to their hair because they want to be white or Asian. If it looks good, why not?

Recently on the blog Man Repeller, she shared the story of how she wanted to go blond but was never completely sure it was for her. And it's a funny thing, right? The relationship between girls and their hair is a very fragile and very important one but I guess from the 'matured' perspective: totally daft.
Hair is very important. It determines how you feel about yourself for the rest of the day.
Messy bun and a hat = rushed.
Blown out and shiny = fabulous!
Lopsided top knot = is that another cheese stain on my sweatshirt?

I don't know if you've noticed but I actually have closely, cropped hair. But I didn't somersault from between my mother's thighs like that. And deciding to cut your hair for almost everyone isn't an easy decision (granted that it's only hard when you're not drunk or, like, crazy).


This is me in September, 2011. All bright eyed with long, thick hair that was pretty much my sole purpose for living. The hours I spent relaxing, washing, moisturising, combing, blowing and straightening were all I looked forward to. Sad, I know, but it was so pretty! And don't even get me started on how every other black girl would be all, "Oh my gosh, your hair!"



 Ah, me circa April, 2012, trying out quail for the first time and, despite my facial expression in the photo, loving it! I got kind of experimental with my hair: I started braiding it and plaiting it in what I thought were cute styles and then curling it sans heat. It got damaged pretty quickly after that. And ever since I got into high school I decided that I would never spend eons in uncomfortable leather chairs having a loud, gum popping woman poke and prod and pull at my scalp. So what was I to do?


Cut it! There I was July, 2012 being ever so brave as to remove an important part of my identity. But I couldn't just "cut my hair to, like, cut my hair" - Lord knows that I don't have the skull for a close shave nor the willingness - so I spent hours looking at hairstyles online and I decided on one.


Wham, bam, turkey and ham! As brave as I thought I was I couldn't just part with all of the hair I'd spent years growing so I settled for an in-between with closely shaved sides and longer hair in the middle.
I think that everyone has this idea that when they get their hair cut shorter their lives change dramatically but they don't. You're still awkward and clumsy and spend too much time in front of an empty fridge. A lot of my friends would ask me if I missed my hair and they were surprised when I was indifferent. Something a lot of black women need to learn - actually, women in general - it's just hair. And you know what's so magical about it? IT GROWS BACK.

And if you're really sad you can get a wig or whatever.
Purple braids, December, 2012.
Itchy-as-hell, ratchet-as-ever weave, January 2013.
Constantly-falling-out, itchy-as-hell-part-tow braids, February-March 2013
 
And back to what works, yo!

 And besides; short hair is never mainstream.
xx Khenzo xx



Sunday 5 May 2013

Badgley Mischka "Fall" Ready To Wear 2013

First off, it's autumn. Fall just sounds so obvious and pretentious. "Oh, look, it's the time of year when leaves fall off of trees. Let's call it fall."
Moving on...
If I had the money and the multiple invites to formal events I would be a loyal customer of Badgley Mischka. I love all of their collections. It's cool, fun, different and quirky.
Here was their most recent fall line and what I thought about the pieces. There were forty-three looks but I didn't care much for all of them so I'm posting the ones that caught my attention.
If you want to see the rest without my wonderful commentary just go to Style.com, which is where I got them all.















And in regular Sunday news:
My Sunday play list.
Bless Debby Harry and her fantastic lyrics.
Khenzo xx
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