Forever New #WILDORCHID

We all know and love the brand Forever New! Want a sophisticated work outfit? Forever New. Want a gorgeous dress for a wedding? Forever New. Want an elegant playsuit for the Polo? Forever New.

Forever New is one of the fastest growing international brands in SA and I had the honour of attending the launch of its latest collection, #WildOrchid.

Celebrities, socialites and Forever New VIP customers attended the unveiling of the new Wild Orchid Collection. The colourful and energetic Wild Orchid collection was modelled in a unique fashion presentation by eleven of the country’s most illustrious female personalities. The aptly-titled Orchids included 5fm DJ, Sureshnie Rider; celebrity make-up artist, Gina Myers; socialite and journalist, Mokgadi Seabi; actress, Zakeeya Patel; TV producer and presenter, Lerato Kganyago; actress, Amanda du Pont; South African superbike champion, Janine Davies; publicist Melanie Ramjee; TV personality, Roxy Burger; blogger Allegro Dinkwanyane and actress Hayley Owen.

 Early summer parties, tropical holidays and balmy nights set the scene for this spirited story, where vivid pinks and sunset coloured exotic flower prints are enhanced by clean white. Now, If you want these items, I’ve made it real easy for you. Just click on them and it’ll take you straight to them.

TV personality, Roxy Burger, wore this Andrea printed wrap skirt (R799) with a Briony Strappy Silk Cami in porcelain (R599).  Accessorize your outfit with clean elegant strappy sandals, oversized tote bags or a pop of colour statement clutch – much like this. 

The beautiful actress, Amanda du Pont, wore this Isobel Tiered Lace Dress in porcelain (R699). All white remains a key summer trend, worn head to toe or with brightly coloured accessories and these retro oversized sunglasses finish the fun summer vibe.

Actress, Hayley Owen, modeled the pretty Bethany Ruffle Skirt Dress in vibrant chartreuse (R1139.75). Make a glamourous summer fashion statement with this simple yet head turning dress.

Actress, Zakeeya Patel, wore the Simone sweetheart sundress (R999). This dress with it’s vibrant floral print can go from a day at the polo to dinner with the girls.

Celebrity make-up artist, Gina Myers, wore the Adrianna Burnout Stripe Midi Skirt (R799) with a matching cross-over crop top. While bright new look co-ords are perfect for day wear, black can work just as well too. 

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Forever New also announced its sponsorship of The EPIC Foundation’s Fairy Godmother Project at the event. Founded by Alta McMaster, the charity assists underprivileged girls in Matric who do not have the financial means to purchase Matric Dance dresses. Forever New initiated its sponsorship by donating a number of dresses to the Project, as well as all profits made at the event. The eleven Orchids also each contributed a number of personal items to the Project, including special occasion’s dresses, shoes, jewelry and handbags. 

The Forever New Wild Orchid Collection is currently available in all Forever New stores and select Edgars stores nationwide.

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Here’s what the Elite TV girls wore to the event;

Sheena D wore this sexy laced black tube dress from Young Designers Emporium and I wore a Gingham Skaterskirt from Mr Price with a Mesh V-neck bodysuit. Because I am in love with gold I just had to accessorize with a nude and gold clutch from Zoom.

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I made it into @GRAZIASAmag from the @ForeverNew #wildorchid launch! 👯 #spotted #SA #sandton #fashionshow #redcarpet pic.twitter.com/Q5UuaA2efK

— Lauren Jenae (@LaurenJenae) November 17, 2014

Keep it Fashion Fab.

LJ  ❤

Want to know more about Lauren Jenae? Check out her website here.

Follow LJ on twitter @laurenjenaevk and instagram @laurenjenaevk

Win 14 GUESS Dresses in 14 Days

It’s every girls dream to become one of those gorgeous GUESS models, right? Well, now you can – kinda. You get to look like a GUESS model by winning 1 of 14 GUESS dresses in the next 14 days starting from November the 17th. That’s this Monday! 

GUESS has decided to partner with South Africa’s favourite women’s magazine, Cosmopolitan, and is making November the month of the dress. One person will win a GUESS summer dress daily, with the final winner receiving the 14th GUESS dress and a R2000 GUESS voucher. Ka-Ching!

Each day is giving away a different dress ranging from mini to maxi-dresses, in a wide range of designs and finishes. Because the summer holidays are nearly here I’ve decided to show you the 14 dresses you could win matched with your perfect holiday destination:

This white Embroidered Lace Dress is perfect for sipping cocktails while your toes squish through the white beach sand at the Grand Cafe in Granger Bay, Cape Town. Then party all night long in this Sheer Corset Dress at Cape Town’s premier beach club – Shimmy.

If you’re in the sunny St Francis Bay this year, wear the Leopard-print Tube Dress for those magical sunsets on those booze cruises. Then slip into your Moroccan Tube Dress for a night of fun, good company and even better music at Billy’s Beach Bar.

Keeping it classy and staying in Jozi this December? This Studded White Dress will turn heads at The Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein. Then go from chilled to sexy in this Betzabeth Dress as you party until sunrise at Taboo in Sandton. This little number is my personal fav!

Playing in Plett this holiday? Hit Vegas In Plett with full-force on New Years Eve in this monochrome Body-con Dress and then recover from your hangover and celebrate the new year to come by chilling on the Lookout Deck in this casual Belted Tube Dress.

Sun City. The Palace of the Lost City. You better be wearing this Open Back Dress when you’re strutting your stuff along the poolside. Head to the palace bar in this Beaded Cocktail Dress and you’ll be treated like royalty.

Keen to get down in Durban? Spend the day window shopping for clothes and surfer boys at the Gateway Wavehouse in this stunning Black Body-con Dress. Then make your way to Joe Cools in this Pink Sheer Corset Dress. When you look and feel this good – no one can slow you down.   

Kenton on Sea is the place to be this December. Wear this Ashcroft Dress to your New Years Eve dinner party with friends and if things start to get messy, slip on your Snake Print Tulip Dress and head on down to Winkies on the beach. 

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The 14 GUESS dress styles will be clearly marked in all GUESS stores with a MUST-HAVE COSMO tag for all those who didn’t win the dress of their dreams and from 17th to the 30th of November, these tagged summer must-have dresses will be available at 25% off at all GUESS stores. Hell Yeah!

To win your favourite dress submit your entry here: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.za/uncategorized/win-14-guess-dresses-in-14-days/

There’s a GUESS dress for every occasion!

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A lil birdie told me that @GUESS and @CosmopolitanSA are giving away 14 dresses in 14 days? Holding thumbs for day 6💃 pic.twitter.com/4UvC7vXX5q

— Lauren Jenae (@LaurenJenae) November 13, 2014

Keep it Fashion Fab.

LJ  ❤

Want to know more about Lauren Jenae? Check out her website here.

Follow LJ on twitter @laurenjenaevk and instagram @laurenjenaevk

Rosey & Vittori: Black on White.

If you’re from Cape Town and if you haven’t heard of Rosey & Vittori. Where have you been? Have you been hiding under a rock or behind Table Mountain for the past year?  Well… come out of your cave as you’re just in time for the launch of Rosey & Vittori’s latest collection: Black on White.

Oh ya… and for all you Joburg Folk, I introduce to you the new men’s label you should be keeping an eye on: Rosey & Vittori or R&V for short.

Rosey & Vittori was established in 2012 with the vision to develop modern street couture designed in South Africa. Inspired by Cape Town lifestyle and diversified by street culture of the world, their mission is guided by local and international street culture – but works to create Everyday street classics accented with a sense of madness. R&V is known for it’s Limited Edition, One-of-a-kind pieces and this Slim Fit Cycle Tee (R239.95) is exactly that. This forms part of a collection of 8 in total – this means only 8 were produced. What? Just 8? Better get ordering! 

Sports Luxe is the trend that seems to be lasting the whole year round! Major sports brands like, Adidas, are now collaborating with high-end fashion labels like TOPSHOP. Rosey & Vittori, decided to jump on this bandwagon but added their own South African flavour to their designs. Proudly homegrown street wear couture, this SA Flag Crew Neck (R359.95) and Two Tone Chino Shorts (R499.95) epitomize what R&V stand for.  

Drawing upon the sweet science of fashionable sportswear, the designer, Steve Rosenbaum, is no doubt reinforcing a sporty aesthetic to men’s voguish fashion pieces by embracing porous, breathable fabrics when forming sharp, clean lines. This Blue Windbreaker (R1100) and Zebra Print Shorts (R599.95) take the amalgamation of sport luxe and street couture to a whole new level and I love it!

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According to designer Steve Rosenbaum;

“the ever-evolving industry of fashion is like a hoop. New trends are borrowed from old, and what is in now, will probably be in style again in another 20 years.”

The Black on White collection is a lot more simple than the last. The previous collection were solely statement pieces, adding a sense of madness to men’s fashion. Here’s a little taster on what R&V’s previous range included:

R&V is an unconventional way of self-expression by blending what was, with what is.  The aim of R&V is to celebrate non-conformity. It is about being comfortable and whilst doing that,  looking good. This means blurring the line between comfort and style in the most impactful way, but still keeping it simple. Much like mixing Camo Chino Shorts (R550) with a Grey Honeycomb Knitted Jersey (R699).

Lets just be honest, R&V is not for the faint hearted. It’s for the fashion forward man willing to push boundaries to look good!

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To order anything from RV’s latest collection, Black on White, simply request the specific piece by sending them a message on their Facebook page, or visit Boaston Society in Long Street.

Rosey & Vittori ships to anywhere in South Africa.

Attention all men who are into looking good-you should all be!Take a look at @RoseyandVittori I love this cycle T 😍 pic.twitter.com/EQkwOosczH

— Lauren Jenae (@LaurenJenae) October 29, 2014

Keep it Fashion Fab.

LJ ❤

Want to know more about Lauren Jenae? Check out her website here.

Follow LJ on twitter @laurenjenaevk and instagram @laurenjenaevk

Steve Madden 2014 Spring Collection Out NOW!!

A rock-and-roll story of young love in the city unfolds for Steve Madden this spring. But not all of Steve Madden‘s life has been as glamorous as one would think. Did you know that he started out with just $1000 to his name and selling shoes out of the boot of his car?  Or that he was put in prison for alleged fraud in April 2005? Nope? Neither did I… Shoes out of a car boot or not, Steve Madden has undoubtedly built a 9 inch empire when it comes to shoes.

His latest Spring 2014 collection campaign is set in Williamsburg, New York and is inspired by young hipster couples that embody the 60’s Brit rock lifestyle. Late nights lead to early morning hangouts around their Brooklyn apartment and atop their roof over-looking the city skyline.

PLATO – GLADIATOR SANDAL – R899

 

Welcome to Gladiator City. The Steve Madden girl takes her love of vintage to the next level by sporting the styles of the Romans. The GLENDAEL gives a sexy twist to the Gladiator trend by adding height—a stacked platform and heel give her legs for dayssss.

GLENDAEL – PLATFORM STRIPPY SANDAL – R999

Turning heads is standard practice for the Steve Madden girl and the knee high ARISOTLE will make sure she’s grabbing attention wherever she goes. The shorter PLATO is perfectly styled with shorts, vintage t-shirt and floppy hat and sunnies – best suited for warm spring days spent outside.

KROATIA – FLAT STRIPPY SANDAL – R699

Heavy Metal rock-and-roll style. Never one to blend in with the crowd, the Steve Madden woman makes a statement in spring 2014 by rocking bold metals on her feet.

DAISEY – FLAT SANDAL WITH GOLD METAL BOW – R699

Sporting strappy flat sandals like the DAISEY and KROATIA, she stylishly goes through her day of vintage shopping, reading, and practicing guitar.

STRETCHE – ELASTICATED STILETTO – R1199

Elasticity – a must! Spring is all about music festivals, picnics, concerts and parties and the Steve Madden girl is doing it all in style. Sky-high cork wedges, like the ROPERR and PRIDE have elastic uppers, which make them daytime adventure-approved.

ROPERR – CORK WEDGE WITH PYRAMID GOLD UPPER – R999

Take the fierce STRETCHE stiletto out on nights when you want to embrace your inner rock goddess.

 

 

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 All these stunning shoes and more can be found in Steve Madden stores at Canal Walk, Eastgate, Fourways Mall, Sandton City and select Edgars stores nationwide.

Hurry up and get your feet looking stylish and ready for spring!

@SteveMaddenSA new Spring Collection now out!Absolutely love these Glendael Platform Strippy Sandals💗 #shoes #fashion pic.twitter.com/VihzVxTNIr

— Lauren Jenae (@LaurenJenae) August 29, 2014

Keep it Fashion Fab.

LJ ❤

Want to know more about Lauren Jenae? Check out her website here.

Follow LJ on twitter @laurenjenaevk and instagram @laurenjenaevk

And the New Face of TOPSHOP is…

The talk of the fashion world is the introduction of TOPSHOP‘s new Autumn/Winter 2014 campaign girl. Drum roll please. Introducing the iconic British supermodel, Cara Delevingne. At the mere age of 21, Cara has modeled for the likes of Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry just to name a few – and now campaign girl for TOPSHOP! So casual. When you think of TOPSHOP you think trendy, you think cutting edge – this is exactly what the controversial model brings to the catwalk.

TOPSHOP is renowned for staying ahead of trends every season. It exemplifies affordable style, while its brave and irreverent approach has captivated the fashion-conscious shopper the world over.  Previous TOPSHOP campaigns have featured Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily Donaldson, Rosie Tapner and Eliza Cummings but this Autumn/Winter campaign holds a slight difference. It is the first time a TOPSHOP campaign will feature a single girl as Cara, single-handedly, dominates each image.

 The Autumn/Winter 2014 collection speaks to the diverse and experimental style of a TOPSHOP girl as hero pieces with go-anywhere appeal take centre stage. The biker jacket, the Jamie jean, the Martha parka, Cara effortlessly personifies London style and brings it straight to South African shores.  

Evening wear is re-worked as modern fabrications and astute tailoring play with the concepts of smart/casual dressing and urban sophistication; the statement sequin and feather cocktail dress worn by Cara epitomizes this look.

According to TOPSHOP’s creative director, Kate Phelan;

“Cara is a true TOPSHOP girl. Her style is confident and playful and she can be sophisticated and chic as easily as she can be cool and casual. Putting her spin on everything she makes the TOPSHOP collection her own. Her uninhibited natural energy is intoxicating, she is free spirited and fun.”

Keep a look out for the new collection as it launches in TOPSHOP SA stores from September 2014. In the meantime, check out the behind-the-scenes of the TOPSHOP shoot produced by Leigh Johnson.

The campaign images were shot in London by renowned photographer Alasdair McLellan and styled by TOPSHOP Creative Director Kate Phelan.

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Cara’s personality is contagious – from modeling with elegance to pulling the ugliest faces – she makes the stereotypical “dumb model” a myth. Watch her famed ‘Harlem Shake’ video which took place backstage at TOPSHOP UNIQUE AW13.

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 Keep it Fashion Fab.

LJ ❤

Want to know more about Lauren Jenae? Check out her website here.

Follow LJ on twitter @laurenjenaevk and instagram @laurenjenaevk

We’re bringing HiFashion to Afrika!

No more Miuccia Prada, no more Gorgio Armani – it’s time to focus our attention on the emerging young and talented designers that Africa has to offer. 

The Nigerian-born Executive Producer, Faith History Nsa, has brought Africa’s first Fashion docu-reality TV show, HiFashion Afrika,  to the continent. The TV series offers a unique look into the African fashion industry through the journey of aspirant fashion “Wannabes” as they learn from and experience ‘a day in the life’ of some of Africa’s most successful fashion icons. These icons include Gert-johan Coetzee and David Tlale – so casual. 

I attended the HiFashion Afrika launch at the ever-so-fitting Fire and Ice Protea Hotel in Melrose Arch. We sipped on cocktails, posed for pictures, mingled with celebs and – the reason why we were all invited – ogled over the the fabulous fashion! Here are a few of my favs…

Designer, Disebo Pelo, chose to put all this seasons trending materials into one garment and I… uh…  love it! If anyone had to say I should check out a mini dress made out of just mesh and leather, I would probably say it’s too much.  But this, with a pop of African detail, add some hard pylon sleeves to it  – and what do we get? A fashion hit.

This garment, designed by Heresh Vaga, looks as though the Egyptian prince from the fairy-tale, Aladdin, has just arrived on an elephant after travelling many nights through the dry desert. Abu his pet monkey… OK enough about that – lets get back to the fashion! Heresh‘s use of sheer and soft fabric gives off an ethnic Indian feel that just screams comfort. The beauty lies in the detail  here. Shweshwe, made in complimentary colours keeps the design grounded in ancient African-Indian culture.  To complete this garment, Heresh adds some diamond touches to the Chinese collar and down it’s centre, because diamonds attract girls and what is an Egyptian prince without his ladies? Hmm?

This was definitely my favourite design! I adore the mesh with a leather peplum finish – adding some sophisticated transparency into the mix.  The calf-length matched with a peplum is extremely flattering to those tall girls who want to add some curves. Lawrence Nteo‘s design looks beautiful from afar and once you take an even closer look you’ll begin to uncover it’s hidden secrets. The leather peplum finish is lined with a orange African print to make sure we all know exactly where it comes from.  And just take a look at the back…
Speechless (trying to pick up jaw from the ground).

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So as you can see, sophisticated transparency is definitely IN right now so I went with a loosely knitted metallic Cotton On top with a classic black bra and some Faux Leather Sailor Leggings from Forever 21. Oh and what is winter without the winter bangs?!

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The show will air on Fashion One channel and  Africa Magic Entertainment, but until then check out the HiFashion Afrika Promo.

@faithhistory and I at the @HiFashionAfrika launch at the stunning @ProteaHotels Fire&Ice 💃#fashion #pose #drinks pic.twitter.com/9xshtE226p

— Lauren Jenae (@LaurenJenae) June 18, 2014

 

Keep it Fashion Fab.

LJ ❤

Want to know more about Lauren Jenae? Check out her website here.

Follow LJ on twitter @laurenvank and instagram @laurenjenaevk