Henry Holland and FUN. collaborate with Mr Price

Today, the South African blogosphere is a buzz with news that Mr Price have collaborated with Henry Holland, the extraordinary talent behind House of Holland, and the super cool indie band FUN. to create two ranges of limited edition t-shirts which will be sold through Mr Price. And even better, R10 from the sale of each limited edition t-shirt will be given to the REDCAP Foundations Schools Project which empower learning excellence in schools throughout South Africa. How incredible is that??? Mr Price you have truly outdone yourself.

I am beyond thrilled about this collaboration as Henry Holland is undoubtedly one of my favourite designers ever since I got my hands on a pair of his limited edition Alphabet tights in the UK last here (as seen here). I live for his use of  contrasting black and white with vibrant colours and use of traditional British design elements like Houndstooth and Tartan. Even more so, it is amazing to realise how far the South African fashion scene has come that we are starting to see collaborations like these. Wow. I am feeling very proud right now.

For those of you not familiar with Henry Holland, his label House of Holland, is all about the 'London girl aesthetic' and is a label which is continually inspired by the variety of attitudes, cultures and mindsets that exist throughout London. The House of Holland girl is cool, confident and savvy and wears labels without letting them wear her.

AW 2012/2013

 

 Images sourced from House of Holland facebook page

If the thought of seeing this exciting range of denim and tees wasn't enough, I've been invited by Mr Price to attend the launch of this range and will get to meet Henry Holland in person. Woweee, I think I am still in shock even as I type this. So expect to hear lots of report backs from the launch (and equally as much fan girl hype). 

 
 Mr Price,  you deserve a standing ovation for being the most cutting-edge and innovative South African retailer. Well done!

S.

Angel Wings

 Happy Monday!

Today I wanted to share two of my most precious finds while I was in England. I normally go a bit mad clothes wise while on the High Street, but this year I found myself more drawn to accessories over clothes. This may be because shops were selling winter clothing which meant a lot of dark grungy colours which just didn't appeal to me. But never fear, I did find a few pieces of beautiful clothing which are just lovely and will make their debut on here soon.

Introducing item number one....  

These Angel wings from Miss Selfridge were on sale for £3 which I immediately snapped up not thinking of their significance to this blog. I'd say that I am not a huge jewellery person, but I this year I've seen the collar stud trends on everything from pinterest to the bloggers I follow regularly, so I thought I'd give the trend try. Only later that day when I was falling asleep, did I realise how apt these little gems were for me and my blog. I now officially have angel wings - so very appropriate for The Angelheaded Hipster.  

 

 

 And introducing item number two......

 

 

This green Stag head bag was such a lucky find at Accessorize in Sheffield. Why I say a lucky find is that I had seen in on Instagram on a blogger's account which I follow and the mentioned the bag being sold out both online and in stores. So when I popped in to Accessorize on a whim, I was absolutely delighted to see it there. And I haven't       regretted buying it even when I convert pounds into rands. It's a bag that I continuously get compliments on - such a keeper! I must have an obsession with stag heads as earlier this year I bought the exact same stag head in brooch form. 

 

Making his usual appearance....

 

Outfit: Blouse - Jane Sews, Collar Studs - Miss Selfridge, Jeans - Levis, Shoes - Mr Price, Handbag - Accessorize

S. 

Paris Je t'aime - La deuxième journée

During Day Two of my time in Paris (see here for Day One), we visited so much with the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the delights of Paul being some of the highlights. But reflecting back, the most special moment was was our dinner in the Latin Quarter where we were surprised to have two of our friends who we studied with surprise us at the last minute! To me that dinner was so special and the one thing I will take away and remember always. Friendship is much sweeter than any Macaroon Paris can offer. 

A splash of colour for the Parisian staple - Macaroons

Rasperry tart at Paul - sublime!

The Greeks understood the interplay of clothing and architecture

If you are wondering about my disheveled appearance outside of Chanel, trust me that was not planned! Unfortunately the weather was not on our side and upon exiting the Louvre to walk down to Rue Cambon, just 5 streets down, the rain bucketed down. It has always been my dream to visit Chanel's apartment which sits above the Chanel store at 31 Rue Cambon, but as that is not yet a possibility, I was determined to visit the store. In my mind I envisioned an elegant and chic picture outside the apartment which has haunted my inner fashionista, but sadly due to the heavy rain, car traffic outside and my general wet and frazzled mood, the picture was not what I had hoped. But again, it's another excuse to go back! All things aside, the place is truly magical and makes me think fantasise about Paris in the 1920's and where Madame Coco walked and saw. 

Mussel starter in a three course dinner for  €16, an absolute deal for Paris!

5 Things I learnt in Paris

1. Being able to speak at least some French is an absolute must. It is more than a little alienating having being talk to you and not have a clue as to what to say, or even worse trying to express yourself and ask where the nearest metro is in hobbled together French phrases. 
2. Plan what you want to see on a particular day, and then halve it. With learning the metro, having to walk far more than we do in South Africa, and the vast crowds surrounding the exhibits or attractions, everything takes longer than expected. 
3. While walking the main streets and trying to see the big attractions, I loved losing myself in the little streets around Paris and seeing the 'real' Paris devoid of tourists. Deviating down one unsuspecting street led us to the apartment where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote. Cue Midnight in Paris....
4. Every season in Paris is tourist season so if you can invest in the Paris Pass which lets you skip the lines by simply flashing your pass. It also take care of your metro fare!
5. Most importantly, remember to stop, take a breath and look around you. While so much emphasis is placed on visiting the Louvre, Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, all the architecture in Paris is magnificent. I found myself falling in love over and over again with the buildings, the street signs and the art deco Metro signs to name a few. 

I have one more post about Paris to do but I am hoping to fit in an outfit post this weekend just so I don't go on Parisian overkill!

S. 

Paris Je t'aime - La première journée

Paris is a dream city if you are an art, culture and fashion fantastic like myself. That much beauty happening in one city - the city of lights, is almost too much to handle especially when you have less than 48 hours to be there. Yup, as per usual I set my expectations as what to see and do far too high, and come the train ride up to London that Sunday morning, I was exhausted. But isn't that the point when you are in a new city?  Exhaustion and being overwhelmed are the natural results of stimulus overload. Coupled with being let loose in Paris, I was also reuniting with four special friends that I studied with while being an exchange student in America. I knew that this weekend in Paris wouldn't be one that I would ever forget. 

As I sit here, thinking about my time there, I find myself struggling with what to say because Paris, as Hemmingway said, is a moveable feast, and something which invites all of your senses. So no matter what I write here, I know that it won't truly capture the city. But I will try to share some of Day one and what I did along with the pictures in an effort to capture what a truly special place Paris is. 

That Friday morning, I arrived fresh off of a ten hour flight (with no sleep I may add) with one specific goal - to see the Musee d'Orsay. The building itself, is a work of art and took my breath away when I entered. And though I ate up the rows and rows of Impressionist work, Renaissance art and Neo-impressionism, the actual building of the museum built upon the former Orsay railway station, for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 was even more superb than the art works it holds. Truly magical and everything I dreamt it would be. 

 Lunch outside the Musée d'Orsay. 

Only in Paris can you get a Salmon Sandwich as a takeaway from a street vendor!

 

 Next on my expansive list was the Musée de la Mode et du Textile, next to the Louvre. I walked and walked to find this museum, and once I found it in the larger museum, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, I was then told that it was closed for the season. I could have cried. Walking into the gift shop, I felt even worse as I just saw rows and rows of books on the designers that were exhibited; Chanel, Lanvin, Yves Saint-Laurent, Paco Rabanne, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior..... I feel depressed all over again just thinking about how close I was to seeing actual pieces in person. Luckily, the French wine is magnificent and an evening spent with some of my closest friends, in a little square in St. Germain drinking Chardonnay and catching up until well after midnight was the perfect recipe to let the disappointment of Musée de la Mode et du Textile go. Besides, it's just another excuse to go back!

From left: Jill, me and Dominik on our way to a quick PR event for Silhouette, the company that Dominik works for (I'll share more about that soon!). 

These two are two are just so special and I treasure their friendship so much. 

St. Germain - such an incredible area to stay in Paris!

Anaïs and Dominik

Day two of Paris will be coming up shortly as well as a few musings on what I learnt during my time in Paris. 

S.