Personal | Busy Bee

First off, I'd like to apologize for the major hiatus Oh, Kenzo has undergone. I'm not dead, but I might be dying from lack of sleep and an oversupply of work, seeing as I'm currently writing year-end exams. I think this is a pretty good justification to my absence, so please forgive me. (I'll be done in just under a week from now, hollaaaaa!)

With that said, I thought it would be a good time to show you some of what I've been up to. If you don't know, I take art and design as subjects, and so my hours are dedicated to working on my art, and although I'd like to say that this is the reason behind my non-existent social life, I doubt I'd have one without all the art to do... *laughs awkwardly*

For our exam, we were asked to research (through photography and experimentation) different viewpoints/perspectives and media. Basically, aerial views, worm's eye views etc., and media like pen, watercolour, colour pencils, etc. I've used colour pencils for the majority of the art work below, graphite pencils, black pen and watercolour for the minor sections. My hair, which was mostly cut off when photocopying the reference, was done with chalk and charcoal.

As you can probably tell from the bottom section, it's not finished, but I had to hand it in for marking nevertheless. This project pushed me to my limits, because using a bunch of foreign media in such a large piece, for me, (A2) is very daunting. I'm quite surprised by the way it turned out, considering that I've never attempted anything in colour pencils before... Anyway, blah, blah, fish paste. *rambles on forever*

Tell me what you think!

xo,

Mr. Photographer | Mattias Tyllander

Here's a truth for the day: The only thing better than finding other brilliant photographers to cyberstalk is re-visiting some of your favourite photographers whose work you haven't seen in a while, and going through all their latest works. The excitement of seeing the artist's growth, combined with the familiar nod to their prior works is an incredibly wonderful feeling.

When I first joined Instagram, I had an account under a different username (I would post the name, but it's far too embarrassing - it stemmed from a song on the Twilight soundtrack - enough said.) I abandoned that account for my current one after about a year or so... The account was entirely aimed at photography, and so, my following list was loaded with photographers and similar creatives to my heart's content.

Recently, I logged into the old account in search of visual inspiration, which I managed to find on Mattias Tyllander's page; He's a 15 year old photographer from Sweden, with a feed filled with intense and seemingly effortless photos. I've been racking my brain for months now in an attempt to recall his Instagram username, so finding his page made my lack of creative stimulus worth it!

Now that I've gotten far enough down memory lane, here are some of his gorgeous photos.

(image source: flickr and tumblr)

If you're just as fascinated by him and his lovely work as I am, and would like to see more, you can do so on his Flickr or Instagram (which is probably better regarding posting frequency.)

Cheers to the freakin' weekend, I'll drink to that! (this is my gesture to the fact that there are only 9 days until the Rihanna concert! Eeeek!)

xo,

Lovely Links | 21.09.13

(image source: IMAXtree)

• I am literally obsessed with these suede and rubber wedges (above) used in the gorgeous Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2014 runway show at New York Fashion Week. Colour-blocking, eat your heart out!

• The newest addition to my iTunes playlist is Lorde, a 16 year old Kiwi singer whose music is a sort of electronic take on Lana Del Rey. She's becoming pretty popular right now with her incredibly fresh, electro-pop music. You can listen to her first EP, The Love Club, here.

• Tyra Banks has taken the challenge upon herself to transform into some of the most elite supermodels, including Iman, Cindy Crawford, Twiggy, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne to name a few. The photographs (taken over the course of a YEAR) are just mind-blowing!

• I recently downloaded the most fantastical overlay design application which has had me hooked for a good couple of hours over the past few days. It's very versatile, professional-looking, and so much fun! Download the Studio Design app here.

• Typography a day keeps the creativity block away... Well, that's what comes to my mind, at least, when seeing the 365 Days of Type by Sabrina Smelko. Check it out and be inspired by typography, 365 days of the year, or what's left of it.

• I'm in love with this bright and colourful brand identity and package design for Trig jewellery by designer, Olivia King. She's created the Trig application, which is used by customers to design their own trigonometric jewellery (custom shapes, colours and materials), which is then packaged in the loveliest boxes and shipped off. I love love love it!

The internet is such a brilliant place filled with such brilliant things that sometimes I just wonder, what would we do without it?

Anyway, I wish you all a great weekend.

xo,

Lovely Links | 31.09.13

(image source: fancy)

• Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have both released (well, the songs were leaked, but anyway) new singles that I've listened to more than what could be regarded as a healthy amount! Take a listen to Gaga's Applause and Katy's Roar.

• Victor Hertz has recreated some popular logos in a very amusing, and insanely accurate series called If Corporate Logos Were Honest.

• I was recently introduced to a brilliant film maker by the name of Casey Neistat. The first video of his that I watched was this one, which was commissioned by Nike, with the aim of illustrating the words "Make It Count." Neistat has done the job so creatively, it just fills me with all sorts of inspiration.

• It's been said that people will do crazy things for love, and that's never been more true than in the case of Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman, and their 40 Days of Dating.

• Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town took place a few weeks ago, with more fashion and flair than ever before. Check out some highlights of the event here.

• I absolutely love short films. They're like little slices of video heaven. I came across this short film titled Beyond The City, and created for Stills' Fall Collection 2013 (Dutch fashion brand). It was shot and directed by Annemarieke van Drimmelen, and stars Dutch model, Kim Noorda.

• I've had a link to Taibo Bacar's collection opened in my Safari tabs for a straight week now. It's just so so stunning! Bacar is a Mozambican designer who has drawn inspiration from traditional capulana sarongs to create his gorgeous Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. Pssst... Can I have it?

• I think it's pretty evident when watching Justin Timberlake's brilliant VMA performance that he is back in the music scene with a vengeance! This past Sunday, he performed a medley of his greatest hits, as well as a surprise performance with 'N Sync! Watch it here.

(Gee, I hadn't realised how many videos this post consists of... Oh well, they're all great, and all worth watching!)

So, yet again, I've missed a Lovely Links fortnightly deadline. I think that from now on, instead of pressuring myself into searching every surface of the web to reach the deadline with truly mediocre links, I'll scrap the deadline entirely and wait for truly LOVELY links to find their way to me in due time. It only makes sense, right?

In other news, here in sunny South Africa, it's a wee-bit on the chilly side... As a result, I'll be spending my weekend re-reading The Outsiders (I'm obsessed) and watching the new season of Suits (Eeeeek!), while sipping on oceans of tea. Sounds like a plan!

xo,

Trend Alert: Denim on Denim

The fashion industry has time-traveled to the 80s & 90s, and brought back the double denim trend to the present day. I always find fashion time travel a little amusing, especially seeing that over the last decade, the majority of us have sworn off Denim on Denim as a complete and utter no-no...

For today's post, I've collaborated with the Megan, Christine and Mzcocoh who are all really great fashion bloggers. They've each styled a denim on denim look in their own way and added a little creative blogger flair, so as to show you how easy it is to wear double denim without looking like you've literally stepped out of the 80s.

Megan - The Thread Affect

Christine - Petite Hues

Mzcocoh - Mzcocoh (Blog)

Accessorizing is key when wearing denim on denim. As you can see in the first picture, Megan's clutch is the only factor of the outfit apart from the denim. It's one simple piece, but the pop of colour totally ties the look together. Neutral, strappy sandals are a great addition too!

To tone down the trend, wearing a blazer like Christine has done in the second picture will draw away attention from the denim. You barely notice that she's wearing double denim, and yet the little peaks of blue keep you on trend. The scarf if the main accessory which kicks the outfit up a notch!

It's often said that when wearing double denim, you should wear a different wash from the top to the bottom, and yet Mzcocoh gives a flawless example of how to break that rule. The look is casual but sophisticated, and the bright red pumps give a cute twist to the whole outfit.

Here's my take on the look:

Denim on Denim by kenzolm

I think it's refreshing to see new faces on the blog, so here's a HUGE thanks to the three lovely ladies and their sense of style for helping me out! Make sure to check out all of their blogs, because, evidently, they all know their stuff! ;)

xo,

Diet Coke x Marc Jacobs

I first found out about this lovely collaboration of Diet Coke (Coke Light) and designer Marc Jacobs about a month ago. I thought that since it isn't really the newest thing on the block, everyone would have already seen it.  Now Coke has done the whole designer-collaboration thing before with Jean-Paul Gaultier here, but I think Marc's version is a little more successful. The packaging is distinctly Coke's, but has the high fashion finesse needed to make it look a little extra.

This particular rendition of the Coke bottles and tins are a celebration of 30 years of Diet Coke, and the three available designs portray women of the 80's, 90's and 00's. I fought the urge to post about it, until now, because the design is so beautiful that I couldn't help it. It's quirky, fun and flirty, and incorporates both brands really brilliantly. 

Unfortunately, only the tins are available in South Africa, which breaks my heart a bit, seeing as the bottles have a sort of chic-ness about them.

Anyway, just take a look for yourself!

xo,

Kenzo

Lovely Links | 03.08.13

(image source: Carly Zinga)

• What I'd expected to be tedious hours of art research proved to be a rather entertaining and speedy scavenger hunt for inspiration, which I found in this these sculptures by Emil Alzamora and these paintings/illustrations by Adara Sánchez.

• Among the many people I follow on Instagram, Carly Zinga is a fashion photographer who consistently makes my feed considerably more beautiful. Follow her Instagram page and view her blog. Her photos are simply stunning (Eg. the cover photo above!)

• In the spirit of blogger love, I'd like to send you over to check out What I Wore and eat.sleep.wear! To be entirely honest, I highly doubt I would've discovered the wonderful world of blogging, let alone become a part of it, had I not come across these two lovely sites. Love, love, love!

• If there's one local contest (of sorts) that I faithfully follow, it's most definitely the ELLE Rising Star Design Award in association with Mr Price. Their mission is to find the best rising fashion designer in South Africa, and as far as this year's search goes, the judges have selected 8 insanely talented finalists. Check them out here!

• I stumbled upon this really retro Classic Horror Book Series by Nikola Klímová. The layout is minimal, which is right up my alley, and the illustrations are great! 

• While procrastinating with the help of the ever faithful Twitter, I found a short documentary series by The Sartorialist (Scott Schuman). He, being the creative genius that he is, came up with the idea to show us a side of behind-the-scenes Fashion Week we virtually never get to see; the Pit Photographers...     Take a look at Part I and II.

• Moving right along on the documentary train, I happened to encounter yet another short, fashion documentary that's worth a look (totally by chance, I swear!) It's appropriately titled 'Take My Picture', as it explores the phenomenon that street style photography and fashion blogging has become.

Alright, so this is my awful apology for the delay of a 'Lovely Links' post, which was scheduled for the 20th of July. Along with returning to school and being piled with work, I received an incredibly strong dosage of writer's block. 

*breathes in*

Now that I've listed those poor excuses, here is the actual reason for the delay: I hadn't found any links that I felt were worth sharing, and having grown up with a quality > quantity mindset, my heart wouldn't allow me to type out rubbish I found through Google. Sorry.

*breathes out*

Now that we're done with formalities, I hope you have a month of greatness ahead of you, and that you're currently enjoying a relaxing weekend on behalf of those of us who aren't!

xo,

Bleh...

It has been a long week, and whether it's due to the fact that it's the first week back from holidays or it's simply been a drag, I feel like each day has been an entire week in itself. The exhaustion has reached an all time high, and in the only and most precise way I could describe it, I'd say I'm feeling rather bleh.

My go-to remedy for times like this is most commonly music, so for all the guys and gals inwardly hollering in agreement, I've compiled a list of 10 songs that have pulled me through this week, and maybe a few in celebration of the weekend! Can I get a whoop whoop?!

1.  Candles - Daughter

2. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding

3. That's How Strong My Love Is - Alicia Keys

4. Christmas Eve - Justin Bieber (Yes, it's a Christmas song, and yes, it's by Justin Bieber, but at least give it a try.)

5. Burning Desire - Lana Del Rey

6. Waiting All Night - Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre

7. Wake Me Up - Avicii

8. Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki Remix)

9. Silvia - Miike Snow (Robotberget Remix)

 10. Treasure - Bruno Mars

I sincerely hope that the majority of you (at least) have had a much better week than I have. Happy Friday, and enjoy your weekend! 

xo,

Mr. Photographer | Davide Zanoni

During one of my recent Internet escapades, I came across a brilliant man by the name of Davide Zanoni. He is an Italian photographer who takes the most gorgeous photos. Although his primary focus is wedding and documentary photography, he recently went backstage at Milan Fashion Week to take a few snaps to let us in on the glamorous world that is fashion.

I first saw these photos a while ago, but somehow I just couldn't seem to get them out of my mind. Whether it's the intimate take he has on photography or simply his eye for a good photo, it all comes together in a sort of nostalgia and holds so true to the saying we all know so well: 

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

And with that overly excited introduction, you can take a look at that the photos below knowing good and well that I truly love these pictures. If you're just as enthusiastic as I am and would like to see more of Zanoni's work, you can check him out here.

(image source: VSCO Journal)

I hope you've all had a good week so far. For most of us South Africans, holidays have become but a distant memory as we all return to the daily grind. I've got a number of things planned for the blog, starting with the change of layout which should be pretty evident if you've been reading for a while. (You like?) I'll also be partnering up with some IFB and Lucky Magazine bloggers for a new post, which is very exciting! For me, at least...

xo,

Trend Alert: Military Madness

A trend I'm loving right now is the military vibe the fashion world has taken on. Street fashionistas seem to have taken the trend as literal as the go with camo print on everything from t-shirts to sunglasses, while designers on the runway have gone in the completely opposite direction and steered far away from the camo print, opting for military colours, sharp shoulders and big buttons to stay on trend.

Runway:

(image sources: pinterest)

 Street Style:

(image sources: pinterest)

I'd prefer to wear one statement camo piece with solid colours, but there are some of us brave enough to wear the look from head to toe. (Kudos to you!)

Camo Jacket, Sneakers, Bralet, Jeans, Blue Backpack, Beige Backpack, Lipstick

Happy camouflaging! (That was cheesy, I'm sorry...)

xo,

Lovely Links - 06.07.13

• A while ago, I discovered the photographic treasure that is VSCO Journal. This is the blogging site of an iPhone app called VSCOcam, which consists of interviews of some brilliant photographers. Head to the blog and download the app!

• I love shoes, and I love brand identities, so it's practically inevitable for me not to love this brand identity for Loeffler Randall, a New York based footwear company. This stunning aesthetic was designed by the RoAndCo Studio.

• Market On Main at Arts On Main has become quite a well-known Jozi hotspot which I'm sure you've heard of before. If you haven't visited it as yet, make sure to pop in soon to grab some lunch, indulge in a snack, shop, explore, and mingle with the good old inner city urban folk.

Address: 264 Fox Street, City and Suburban Gauteng, Maboneng Precinct.                                       Running every Sunday, 10AM - 3PM.

• This week, I've been enjoying my holidays at home, and as a result of that, I've had plenty of time to pamper and spring clean my Pinterest boards. They look pretty fabulous, even if I say so myself.

• One of the presents I received for my birthday was an iPad mini (thanks dad!), and I recently downloaded an app that is so beautiful, so easy to use, so efficient, and so creative... And it's FREE! It's a drawing application called Paper, which gives you an easy way to sketch down ideas and such. Download it here.

• Good poetry is like food to my soul, and the poets of The Strivers Row have yet to disappoint me when it comes to good poetry. They're comprised of the most incredible poets, and among them is Alysia Harris, my favourite modern day poet. As a whole, they make my heart go asdfghjkhasdasfdla!

• Very high up on my list of favourite and most hilarious books is Neither Here Nor There (Travels In Europe) by Bill Bryson. The author tells you about his lonesome journey through Europe, while simultaneously bringing you to tears with laughter. Note: Don't read it in public. You'll honestly be laughing too hard, I swear!

• I absolutely love short documentaries, and the other day I came across one about Scott Schuman aka The Sartorialist aka the King of modern day street style photography. Even though the documentary is a few years old, it still gives you a quick peek into a world which a lot of us might be dreaming of. Watch it here.

This is probably my favourite set of links so far. Hmmm... Anyway, I hope you all keep warm this weekend, seeing as the weather forecast has predicted some grey skies and rainy days! 

xo,

Philip Barlow

While reading the Saltwater Girl magazine's June issue a few days ago, I saw a group of these fuzzy photographs of people all over town... Seeing as I love photography, I took a closer look, only to find out that they weren't photos at all, but paintings by Cape Town based artist, Philip Barlow. I couldn't believe it! I mean, they're absolutely incredible! 

I bookmarked that page (digitally) in seconds with the title: "blog!" So, here I am, sharing with you the work of a very talented South African artist. It triggers the patriot in me when I see us creating such beautiful things... Go figure!

You can take a look at more of Phillip's work here.

With that, I hope you're having a lovely week and a good start to the new month!

xo,

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

(image source: the amherst student)

There's really no one in the world that could possibly say they haven't heard of the dynamic duo that is Ben Haggerty, commonly known as Macklemore, and Ryan Lewis, or better yet, heard their hit song Thrift Shop. If that doesn't ring a bell, then I'd say it's about time you crawled out of the rock you've been under over the last few months... Just sayin'.

Anyway, their album The Heist is super incredible, and Thrift Shop (surprisingly) is not the only great song on there. After listening to the rest of their album, it's probably my least favourite. Two of their songs that I have on repeat right now are Same Love and Can't Hold Us. They're both quite different, with Same Love tackling the topic of same-sex relationships, and Can't Hold Us being the ultimate party song.

I am a little bit of a crazed fan, as I am with most things I love/enjoy... With that, I guess it's not surprising that in the two weeks that I've had these two songs on my iTunes, they've gained 64 plays between them. I don't think I'm ever not listening to music, so don't judge me. Take my word for it, or don't (you're missing out), but their album and overall sound is incredibly fresh, authentic and worth every cent.

So, here they are:

Have you fallen in love with them yet? No? Just me then, I guess...

xo,

Sindiso Khumalo

If you followed ELLE's Rising Star Design Award 2012, you'd probably remember Sindiso Khumalo as one of the incredible finalists. The lookbook of her AW13/14 collection is gorgeous, and makes me so excited for the future of the South African fashion industry.

Khumalo's use of print and colour is bright and bold, and done ever so tastefully. The silhouettes are so clean and flattering, and I just love the below-the-knee skirts and dresses... It's a truly beautiful collection, and on that note, it's going on sale online here in August this year (Get keen!)

(image source: elle.co.za)

My favourite look is the second one... I mean, those contrasting prints are stunning! Also, how great are those shoes?

xo,