Sweet Tooth: Print Pants

L-R: Jewel by Lisa, Nasty Gal, Tory Burch
Below: Re'Bahia
 
We're ushering February in with one of our most consistent style cravings over the past few months - tribal/batik/global/african print pants in an array of patterns, colours and textures fit for the new global wanderer.

We love the loose, relaxed vibe of the roomy pant and the looks above and below have caught our eyes and hearts: Jewel by Lisa's embellished printastic piece, Nasty Gal's scrumptious batik pants, Tory Burch's silk pantaloons, and Re'Bahia's intricately embroidered pants. Perfection and a half.

 What are you in the mood for?

XO

Photos:

Jewel by Lisa blog

Nasty Gal (shop here)

Tory Burch (shop here)

Re'Bahia

Inspired: Mara Hoffman meets Ndebele

The first thought that occurred to us when we saw Mara Hoffman's latest swimwear collection was: "Oooooh, Ndebele!" (yes, really):

[Ndebele wall art common among the South Ndebele people of South Africa]

Wouldn't you agree? Between the geometry, symmetry and colours, we find the art-meets-Africa-meets-swimwear execution very exciting and refreshing indeed. And then there are the wonderful "crack" batiks common in parts of Africa and Indonesia, all simply and stunningly accessorized with layered beads. Feels like summer already.

 Don't you just LOVE it?

XO

Photos:

Fashionologie

Google

Africa-inspired: Alessandro Esteri's scarves

It's one thing to travel through West Africa taking photos as you go along. It's another thing entirely to print those photos on cotton, preserving the nostalgia and keeping your favourite images close to your heart. Photographer Alessandro Esteri's picture perfect scarves show the rawness and vibrancy of day-to-day Africa in a way we haven't quite seen before. What a testament to beauty in unexpected places.

More info. here and here.

XO

Photos courtesy of:

Couture Lab

Vogue

Spread Love: Derek Lawlor Spring/Summer 2010

 

Derek Lawlor - British knitwear/fashion genius - translated his elaborate spring/summer 2010 collection into a "back to basics" shoot. Incredible pieces aside, we love the tranquil, rustic setting, complete with huts and greenery, and new face (at least to us), model Layola. What's most charming, however, is how Africa continues to work its way into the most unexpected of narratives and in the most unexpected ways. Knitwear and huts? Yes, please.

 See the entire spread here.

XO

Africa-Inspired: Masai-style "Sobat" necklace by Noir Jewelry

The wave of Afromania has inspired many-an-artist this season - from print pillows to the celebration of a prominent African on Broadway. Jewelry has also taken on a very "tribal" or "ethnic" aesthetic, incorporating the beauty of several countries on the world's most fascinating continent. Recently, we spotted colorful seed beads - reminiscent of Masai-style neck wear in all their splendour and majesty - forming the the crux of a stunning necklace by Noir Jewelry. So far, Kelis and Solange have been charmed, and we're not too far behind:

So, so gorgeous! We certainly love to see Africa inspire beyond the shores of Africa and we greatly admire the beauty of this piece. We want!

Get yours here.

XO

Photos:

Kelis

Necklace

Solange

Model

Africa-Inspired: Missoni Resort 2011

 Missoni's trademark zig-zag print got the "tribal" treatment for Resort 2011 - think geometric shapes, rows of color, maasai-style layered/choker necklaces, stacked bangles, head wraps and fun zig-zag hoop earrings. Mouthful, yes, but we can't say we're not loving it!

See the entire collection here.

XO

Love: The Textured Mask Bangle by Siki de Somalie

We're absolutely in love with this stunning bangle by Somali/French jewelry designer, Siki de Somalie. Where to begin! Between the bold African masks and the textured brass cuff, we're smitten by the beauty of this piece. At $1,129, it's quite the investment piece but even the price can't make us shake it off our minds. 

You like?

XO

Lookbook: Boxing Kitten Resort 2010

Boxing Kitten has found a winning formula for what works and continues to recruit more disciples season after season. The photos from their latest Resort 2010 Lookbook showcase the most simple but  covetable pieces in vivid colors accessorized with African Print shoes from Osborn Design. We're absolutely in love.

See all the photos here, courtesy of the insanely talented Kwesi Abbensetts, and shop here.

XO

Spread Love: Alek Wek//Financial Times, "Global Gathering"//May 2010

Summer 2010 sees many editorials taking a tribal, global and/or Africa-inspired direction. The latest offerings come from a Financial Times spread ("Global Gathering") and features SLiq favorite Alek Wek in an assortment of prints. We especially love the strong geometric shapes, colors, Alek's versatility and the rustic backdrop, but we're not in love with every image. That said, see what you make of the shoot:

What do we think?

XO

Photos from:

Atelier Management

Spotlight: Suno Fall 2010

SUNO NY FALL 2010

We've been loving SUNO NY long time and their latest collection has only made us fall deeper. Some of you will recall our first encounter with the brand and the stunning kanga pieces in their debut collection. More recently, however, the brand seems to be favoring more of a mixture of influences. In this collection, the fusion of elements including color, metallics, layering, patterns, print, velvet, and range [lots of wonderful separates, dresses, and jackets] might make it seem like utter chaos on paper. However, this collection is a delightful melting-pot and alchemy of sorts, injecting a dose of joy to winter and sustaining it well into spring. Of particular interest to us was their use of glorious prints and patterns to create a collection that's already nudging our wallets and tugging at our heartstrings. The sheer brilliance of this collection is that it does so much but doesn't lose itself to disorderliness in the process. Here's a closer look at the prints and patterns that stood out for us:

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GEOMETRIC PRINT: Africa-inspired without being too obvious. Several African wax prints bear similar geometric patterns, but the use of neon colors made this stand out especially well.

ZIG-ZAG PATTERNS: Featuring a blend of orange and blue and trimmed with floral patterns.

IKAT PRINT: Suno borrows inspiration from Indonesia's famous ikat print, combining it with metallic pieces.

MORE ZIG-ZAG PRINT: Easily some of our favorite pieces worn separately or as is.

EVEN MORE PRINT

With so much to choose from, what's not to love?

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Watch the collection come to life:

INSANE.

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See the entire collection here, see photos from Suno NY's past collections here and shop Suno here.

XO

Photos courtesy of elle and fashionista.

Spotlight: Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2000

"In the fall season of 2000, McQueen moved his collection from London to Paris with a collection titled Eshu, dedicated to the religious philosophy and iconography of the pre-colonial Yoruba people of West Africa..."

What a staggering loss.

XO

Photos from TFS

Text from Zimbio