Harare Mbama: June 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Graffiti Girl

There's something about Brunswick's abandoned warehouses, random cafes whose owners don't seem to be in the cafe game for the money and industrial pockets where containers are unlawfully unloaded. There's something about Duckett Street, a street that graffiti artists flock to in gangs to showcase their work. There's something about good graffiti that always moves me.

I don't quite understand why the prospect of seeing it makes me giddy. I just don't understand why I take time off to scour parts of this inner city suburb looking for the dopest work. There's no point in me trying to figure it all out. I'm just going to share this art-form with you and hope you might see what I see. I hope it makes you smile, gasp and sometimes squeal with glee. I thought I'd share what I spotted a couple of day ago and re-visited today. I thought I'd also share what I wore.

The Outfit Of The Day (OOTD) is quite informal for midweek but I'd planned to watch Papillon, an old classic film starring Steve McQueen and Dunstan Hoffman, tonight so thought I'd keep it sassy with a polka dot blouse, some trusted skinnys and a pair of power pumps. I've recently re-discovered the power of my cleavage so a sheer-ish blouse was a must. Ladies, life is too short to keep it all covered before gravity has its wicked way.

Top - ZARA

Jeans - Dejour

Bag - Chanel

Shoes - Gianvito Rossi

Sunglasses - House of Harlow

Jewellery - Hikari pearls studs + Swatch watch +

BVLGARI ring + bracelets

xxx

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Barmy About The Boots

It's been a wild week thanks to plummeting temperatures, howling winds, random showers and an earthquake. After an earthquake that saw me evacuating my apartment and heading to a swanky city bar with a number of people from my complex, I promised myself that Mother Nature's rage wasn't going to dampen my spirits. I perked up and decided that back to back social engagements were in order! Lunch with a pre-loved one kicked things off. This is what I wore.

I recently snapped up the boots in a crazy shoe sale. I was on my way to fight my old dry cleaner about a pair of pants they lost a couple of months ago when I spotted a woman crossing a busy street with what looked like seven boxes of shoes from Luisa, one of my favourite shoe stores. Seven boxes had to mean there was some hush hush super sale so I ditched my plan to 'get ghetto' on the dry cleaner and headed straight to there. I'd been looking for edgier style boots that fit my calves for while and as soon as I tried them on, my No Unplanned Purchases Policy went straight out the window. To ease my guilt about buying them, I've been wearing them at any given opportunity.

Top - Isabel Marant

Skirt - Isabel Marant

Boots - Sergio Rossi

Jewellery - EA Drew ring +

BVLGARI ring + earrings

*Psssssst ----> nail colour is OPI Got The Blues For Red*

xxx

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Saturday Night - No Fever Here

It's freezing outside.
I'm fresh faced and all rugged up.
Baduizm on repeat.
A tall glass of red standing within arms reach.
A Jo Malone candle my only company.
The Wife went out with friends.
I declined yet another invite.
A wise woman knows when it's too cold to paint the town red.
A wise woman knows when to do a blog post.

Big shoutout to my Twitter followers and dearest friends ---> @svikie @tondyton @Lisa_Monae

xxx

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Guess Who's Back?

A thousand apologies for not posting for over a week. The blame lies with a brown bear who's had to work through a number of lunch breaks when most photographs are taken, impatient random street photographers and a temperamental camera. Yes blame yourself, other people and technology!

On Thursday, I caught up with my fashion blogger family for lunch and it was another day I was reminded that I'm the luckiest girl in the world to be friends with such down to earth women of colour who I share the same passion with. Women I can talk to about all sorts of things including what I've recently spotted on sale, what led me to shave my head nearly fifteen years ago and my latest fashion blogger related observations. I feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world to even know them.

Friends and Harare Mbama followers brace yourself for non-fashion related stories of loved ones and incredible people I meet in my day to day life and along my fashion journey. There are so many amazing things that happen to me, I sometimes just have to tune out from the real world and reflect on what's going on in my own time. Just this past week I met Philip Corne, Chief Executive Officer of Louis Vuitton Australia, and we bonded over artworks in Paul Smith's newest store here in Melbourne. Forgetting who he was, I bid Monsieur Corne farewell like we were childhood friends who see each other only a few hours later at our local pub. There goes that glamour job!

Back to Thursday - this is what I wore.

Jacket - ZARA

Singlet - Forever New

Jeans - Levi's (Wash code is 12501.01.61)

Belt - Hermes

Shoes - Chanel

Eyewear - Chanel

Jewellery - Sportsgirl earrings ($4.95) + Swatch watch +

BVLGARI ring

I absolutely detest shopping for jeans particularly here in Australia where retailers are yet to understand that my curves are my weapons. Weapons people! I've always found it difficult to find jeans that fit well without any alterations that can take me from day to night so have been wearing Adriano Goldschmied Stilts for the longest. Desperate for change, I headed to a Levi's outlet where I snapped up two pairs of boyfriend jeans for $70. What a steal!

xxx

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Weekend Warrior

What an amazing weekend! What a mad Monday and Tuesday!

So much has happened over the last couple of days and I really have no idea where to start. I've been feeling extra 'golden' and at first I thought it was something I ate or somehow pay-day related but it's not. Whatever it is, it's got me belting out Aretha's Midnight Train to Georgia, planning a trip to the South of France, doing a baby voice that scores free coffees and wearing dresses back to back.

Moo is leaving town in less than 48hours and instead of sitting on my balcony teary eyed nursing a cheapish wine, I've been doing The Azonto for my flatmate at any given opportunity. Life is so good and I'm so foolish on so many levels!

Thought I might I share what I wore over the weekend. Thought I might also share what I'm usually really dressed like on Sunday mornings.