BHLDN - Wedding Magic

This amazing online and in store (USA) shop has the most exquisite, unique and ethereal dresses, jewellery, shoes, décor and accessories you can possibly find.

If you are getting married, this is the place to go for everything from that perfect wedding gown to your "2nd dress" to bridesmaids' dresses (these are just as lovely) and wedding décor.

With designer like Anna Sui, Fleur Wood, Azaara, Catherine Deane and many more, you are guaranteed to find something purely spectacular.

Discover everything they have to offer and order from BHLDN

Burnished Organza Gown $1400



Ethereal Monarch Gown $3200



Floral Artwork Dress $1800

Tiered Tulip Gown $2400

Fondant Tea Dress $600

Greenbow Lace Gown $600



Ribboned Silk Gown $1600



I Feel Like Doing this Today...

...and I LOVE this dress!

No doubt exists that all women are crazy;

it's only a question of degree.

- W. C. Fields

and we're proud of it!

A Dance for One

The very definition of beautiful is what this film is. A dancer alone in a smoky, early morning studio with warm sunshine flowing through the fairy tale windows. As she strokes her silky pointe shoes, she is clearly reminded of all the magic her dancing has brought into her life, how it has given her a purpose. As she stretches at the barre, a routine she will never forget and never give up, you see her stunning black lace shorts and later, applying stage make-up, she dons a cream lace dress: the perfect symbol of femininity. It ends with her dancing alone in a cloudy room, her image duplicating itself like a ballet dancer has to rehearse over and over to reach the proverbial "perfection".

This film shows off the new collection by Nic Briand and Susien Chong, the team behind Australian label Lover. In a collaboration with Australian Ballet's Amber Scott (she choreographed the dance herself to best present the clothing), they created a film to encompass what the collection means and what its inspirations were.

Enjoy!


A Dance For One. from LOVER® on Vimeo.

Once Upon a Time in a Little Fantasy Shop

Once upon a time, there was a tall, bright-eyed man who owned a tiny, yet filled to the brim shop in a magical place called "the Firs" in Rosebank. His little shop was not a shop you would find just anywhere and it did not contain objects and pieces that could be seen wherever you went.

When you stood outside the door, you looked into a dark space that did not scare you, but intrigued you. There was a wire doll that welcomed you at the door wearing a white lace creation that made her look like a creature from a different world. The rows of fabric pulled you in, because you wanted to know more, you wanted to explore this treasure chest.

"Down the rabbit hole," is what crossed your mind as you tried to place where exactly you were, because here you were surrounded by full flowing dresses, jackets made out of zippers, a long, black coat with Victorian detail and a crisp white shirt you could immerse yourself in.

Luckily this little shop with the bright-eyed genius of a designer is a reality and is there for you to get lost in. The website (http://www.cliverundle.com/) explains the master of South African fashion’s designs incredibly well: “A Clive Rundle garment is not only an ultimate statement of taste and style, but also an intensely sensuous experience. You are stroked and kissed with exotic fabrics and garments of extraordinary beauty. The Clive Rundle woman is modern, chic, elegant confident and comfortable in her second skin. Her beauty is not only skin deep.”

Once upon a time in a little fantasy shop there was you. You falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, into the fairy tale that is Clive Rundle fashion, but know you knew you would find something enchanting.

Happy Weekend!

To one who has been long in city pent,
'Tis very sweet to look into the fair
And open face of heaven, - to breathe a prayer
Full in the smile of the blue firmament.
~John Keats, Sonnet XIV

Happy Weekend!

Remember to Breathe...

Some Fun Polaroids

Making polaroids out of random photos is like a bug that bites you and you can't get enough. It just creates this vintage, artistic feel which I love...

In Love with This Style

This reminds me of fairy tales, stories my grandma told me when I was just a little girl and it makes me want to spend a day in an English garden: playing with old fashioned watering cans, having tea and scones and painting roses red. If you wear the clothes, you can imagine the life, can't you?

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

My Red Shoes

"And whenever I'm in a situation where I'm wearing the same as 600 other people and doing the same thing as 600 other people, looking back, I always found ways to make myself different, whether it be having a red lining inside of my jacket, having red shoes, it hasn't changed."

- Jeremy Irons


The Globes, of Course

The 68th annual Golden Globes has probably been the most discussed topic on the web in the last twenty-four hours, but I can't help it - it's where two of passions come together: the film world and fashion. As an actress one finds these awards inspiring, because you get to see and learn from the most increible talent the world has to offer. Some winners you agree with whole-heartedly, but others you wonder about and think: "why?" However, no matter what happens, this is where I usually get to know brand new shows and artists and discover even more about the craft I love so much.

 I've always been a fan of Colin Firth and he executed this difficult role of a stuttering King George VI with pure brilliance. Congratulations!

I'm a sucker for everything ballet, no matter how darkly portrayed. Well done to Natalie Portman for her Black Swan perfomance.

And to those who fell through the cracks:

 Inception was spectacular in every aspect of filmmaking and will always be one of my all time favourite films.

 When Johnny Depp steps in front of the camera, you don't even see a glimmer of Johnny Depp - it's all about the character and I admire him greatly for that. A good actor is believable, a great actor makes you wonder if the actor is even still in there: that's Depp!



As for the fashion: some of my personal favorites...

Sandra Bullock in fairy tale Jenny Packham.

Olivia Wilde in Marchesa with shimmery gold Christian Louboutins.

Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf.

Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé.

Julia Stiles in Romona Keveza.

For a complete listing of nominees and winners, go HERE

Such an Extraordinary Thing

Photograph: Ben Hassett

 "It’s such an extraordinary thing, music. It is how we speak to God finally – or how we don’t. Even if we’re ignoring God. It’s the language of the spirit. If you believe that we contain within our skin and bones a spirit that might last longer than your time breathing in and out – if there is a spirit, music is the thing that wakes it up. And it certainly woke up mine. And it seems to be how we communicate on another level."- Bono

A Favourite Photographer: Ben Hassett

Mystery, strategic color, contrast and drama. Those are the words that describe this fine art and fashion photographer's work. He brings art to fashion and fashion to drama...

Photos: http://www.benhassett.com/

Color Fun

"There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."

- Pablo Picasso

The Designer and the Tramp

John Galliano is the epitome of drama, theatrics, fantasy and intrigue. He never opts for the ordinary and, with his designs, creates a world where every dreamer could thrive. His Spring 2011 collection once again proves his mastery of the strange. This Charlie Chaplin inspired collection brings together two of my favourite things: unique fashion and the celebration of the dramatic.

"I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the make-up made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked onto the stage he was fully born." - Charlie Chaplin

In the Mood for... Something Beautiful

Zhang Jingna, only 22 years of age, was an expert with an air rifle at 14, but became an expert with a camera at age 20 and now shoots for countless high profile clients, such as Harper's Bazaar Singapore, Elle, Lancôme and Random House Publishing. She is the youngest ever recipient of Fellowship in the Master Photographer's Association and divides her time between Singapore and Los Angeles.

Her photographs are romantic, intriguing and fantastical. The magical, mysterious and almost ominous atmosphere in her work is what grabs every viewer.

Visit her website at http://www.zhangjingna.com/

Or go HERE for her blog

A Winter's Day in Summer

It's the middle of summer in South Africa, but that doesn't mean we don't have to throw on the odd jersey and tights... This is an outfit experiment for a chilly winter's day in summer - I stole the shoes from my mom's closet (her 80's pieces are perfect for 2010!)