Taugheedah and Anja at Seventeen were super sweet and offered to feature my blog in their magazine a couple of months ago. so today, while doing some grocery shopping in Woolies, i had a quick flip-through the new issue and yip... there i was. all v. exciting. sure my fellow sunday shoppers were wondering why two 20-something-year-olds were squawking at the pages of a Seventeen magazine. oh well.
so, a few weeks back, when Taugheedah sent me through some questions, she asked me to "please elaborate on the answers" and so i did - knowing full well that most of it probably wouldn't make it into the feature. so, for all you Seventeen readers who have popped by to check out the blog, here's the full q&a. it might also give you a good idea as to what that girl about town is really all about. enjoy!
Tell me a little about yourself… I’m a fashion enthusiast/magazine junkie, who spends too much time people watching. I have an inexcusable weakness for beautiful things and a lot of respect for the people who create them. I think a lot about fashion and I love writing, which is basically why I have a fashion blog. The fact that others find it informative and enjoyable only makes it that much more fun.
What is your blog about? It’s basically a place for me to put down my personal thoughts and musings on all things fashion-related. Fashion magazines and sites like Style.com track trends and break them down so well, that I feel fashion blogs should be doing something a little different. I mostly post about my own experiences, my likes, loves and dislikes, things that catch my eye, people I’ve met and places I’ve stumbled upon. I try to write about talented local designers, photographers, etc. - that deserve a little recognition - as often as I can. The fashion industry’s a tough place and young talents need our love and support.
Who are your fashion icons? Stella McCartney for her stand on eco-fashion and her always beautifully tailored clothes. Garance Doré for her minimalist style, elegance and French-ness. Notorious fashion blogger, Susanna Lau aka Susie Bubble for her daring dress-sense, eclectic wardrobe and for wearing the things I only wish I could. Alexa Chung for her I-want-to-steal-everything-you-are-wearing-street-style. Chloë Sevigny for her quirky coolness and always being a little offbeat in a very brilliant way.
What is your fashion style? I don’t think I have one specific style or am one particular thing. I own lots of basics and usually just team it with one or two key pieces – maybe a nice pair of shoes or a vintage blazer or some pretty gold jewelary. I do however, have a terrible weakness for t-shirt dresses, vintage bags and all things navy blue, which on most occasions tend to sum up my outfit.
What is your must-have item and why? Hmm. Definitely the most difficult question cause it’s impossible to choose just one thing! I’m going to be predictable and say… a simple well-fitted black dress. It’s easy to style when working with a blank canvas a.k.a. the little black dress.
How did you start your blog? When I was studying at the London College of Fashion, our lecturer advised us to start our own blog so we could put our thoughts into words and for her to track what was catching our attention and sample our writing style. When I graduated, I just naturally continued blogging cause I would still see things and think, “I need to blog about that…” Plus, I was traveling a lot at the time and doing a few internships and it was an easy way to share what I was seeing and experiencing in the fashion industry, with my friends and family.
How do you feel about the fashion industry? Well, where would we be without it? I think the fashion industry in South Africa is having a “moment”. There’s an overwhelming amount of creative talent floating around, I feel like we’re on the brink of something exciting. It’s definitely a good time to be in the fashion industry.
How do you decide on what to wear each day? I would say, “it depends on the weather” but as most will know, I always dress inappropriately for the weather. I guess it really has a lot to do with how I feel on the day… and what is clean and ironed.
What are your favourite stores? I do most of my shopping abroad when I'm visiting family in Hong Kong and London, but when I’m back in Cape Town I mostly buy second-hand and locally designed stuff. So my favourite stores would have to be Lulu’s little vintage stall on Church Street in Cape Town. Lulu is super sweet and she always has beautiful stuff. A visit to Lulu is usually followed by a quick look at Mungo & Jemima, which is just over the road. Otherwise, there are some great not-so-well-known second-hand shops in my neighbourhood, which I try to visit whenever I can.
My inspiration comes from... many things. It could be the girl or boy whose just walked past me, the latest Alexander Wang collection, an editorial in i-D Magazine, an old French film, a Style Rookie blog post or maybe even a store's window display.
and that's all of it. big love to the fashion team at Seventeen and a big thank you to all of you for visiting!! ♥
P.S. if you have a fashion blog of your own and want to be added to my blog roll, send your name and your blog's url to thatgirlabouttown@gmail.com and i'll be happy to add you to my list of must reads. :))
