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Wednesday 30 November 2011

ISLAND IN THE SUN

We did a photoshoot the other day on the beach in Barbados. It was so easy to make beautiful photos. The light, the blue of the sea, the pale pink beach. We had to get the shots on very early and play peek-a-boo with the sun. It is not the best time of year to try to do this kind of thing-the rain has been playing havoc with everyone's life. Will post more pictures as they come to hand.

WWW.BAREFOOTDIVAONLINE.COM

We have launched beautiful jewlery by Catherine Rocheford, Hand crafted swarovski crytal and faceted bead earrings. Coming soon - necklaces and bracelets by Sankofa Designs.

Barefoot Diva will also be launching a menswear line featuring linens and cottons, childrens wear and a llimited edition lingerie line - stay tuned!!

Wednesday 16 November 2011

THE HEIGHT OF FASHION....

PUSS IN BOOTS....

...I think, was the first male, feline character to wear high heels. Apparently the trend for men wearing heels has returned. I say returned, because, well because, all three Muskateers wore them, rock stars (Hendrix), film stars (Tom Cruise) and short a** dictators (Sarkozy, Ghadaffi) have all worn some variation of the men's heel. These are not drag queen heels either - they are bonafide "heels for men" (or so they say). The designer Rick Owens has made a wedge boot this winter with a 5inch heel. Knee high boots with a 6.5cm heel are also on offer, and the shoe boot as seen on Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever has made a comeback. Height seems to be a source of concern for many men - maybe a beautiful pair of Jimmy Choos would work?

I failed to make the chess team because of my height.

-Woody Allen-

Sunday 6 November 2011

LOOKING FORWARD.

THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON...

2012 is the Chinese year of the dragon - happens to be my year too! Hopefully it means that, for me at least, we will see more positive energy in our lives

"The Dragon is magnificent. He is flamboyant, attractive and full of vitality and strength. In China the Dragon is the imperial symbol, the sign of the emperor, or the male element Yang. The Dragon is the symbol of power and wealth."
Go me!
As it relates to fashion - Ralph Lauren in AW2011 went all out to woo the Chinese market by using obvious chinese symbolism in his collections and ad campaigns. Lots of red, red lacquer, beautiful jade and ruby earrings, and plenty of embroidered and brocade dragons. Scroll down on his page to see some of the details.
http://www.ralphlauren.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=11272811



TALL TALES....

I am 5'8", so I can't relate to the need to walk in 6" heels. I do love my heels though, and will always look forward to any occassion I can wear them, (and a tall enough date!) AW 2011 saw a lot of desingers featuring a pointy toe, 80's style pump with a modest heel. Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Dolce and Gabanna, Salvatore Ferragamo and Charles David, to name a few, all had ad campaigns with this style featured. Not seeing much of it featured for SS 2012, but keeping my eyes open for the trend going forward.
Alicia Keys arrived at a charity event in a pair of stunning Louboutins with a very pointed toe and and a very high heel, so I am gueesing it's a trend we are going to see more of. Btw, I notice that a lot of the shoe designs we see nowadays are very much based on shoes that were found only in the fetish and bondage communities. Hmmmm...

On the other hand there is this...

“Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker is truly a jewel for anyone with even a fleeting interest in the fashion business—or for those who still believe in the plausibility of fairy tales.”

http://nyjb.door3.com/review/manolo-blahnik-and-tale-elves-and-shoemaker-fashion-fairy-tale-memoir

MY "BLING"...

Cute jewellery was never my thing. I love a big bold look, Bulgari being my favourite. However - when you REALLY want bling in all it's outrageous glory - look to Dior. Unashamedly baroque in design and flourishes, the ring in this snippet is a fine example!

http://youtu.be/HmpX9N5-j14

Tuesday 1 November 2011

I MISSED YOU TOO....

I have been away for a while - working on back-to-back projects. That is, I know, no excuse for abandoning my blog, so I will make it up to you!

BACK TO BASICS...

One of the activities that distracted me was spending a couple of days at a beach house on the east coast of Barbados. Cattlewash is a district where people have quaint wooden, and sometimes concrete homes on the waters edge, and often families will spend a week "away" from home - just hanging out and bonding. I love it  there. Nature is wind blown by the prevailing Atlantic winds, "primitive" in it's energy, and absolutely grounding. The kids play on the beach all day long and then play board games, EVEN though there are the modern amenitites of internet and satellite TV!!

WHAT WAS OLD IS NEW AGAIN...

With the popularity of "Mad Men" there is suddenly a surge interest for "vintage", even here in Barbados. I am a little peeved when the 80's is considered vintage though! None-the-less, I personally love the 60's. I love the geometrical and clean cut of the clothing (mid 60's) Not keen on the 50's/60's look of "Mad Men", far too high maintenance for me. I found some fabulous patterns online (you can find so many things online!!). My heart beats a little faster for all things Elsa Schiaparelli, I didnt realize how ground breaking her work was, in fact, many designers have been inspired by her work.

YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF SWEDEN....

The Scandinavian in me loves this website. I am drawn to the romanticism of the imagery and the clothing. The photography is brilliant, the stories are compelling and I love the layout of the website. Have I gushed enough?

http://www.h-i-g-h.com/book-spring-summer-2011.php

Sunday 4 September 2011

Fashion Pot Pourri Vol 1 - Issue 1

PROJECTS IN THE WORKS

Barefoot Diva is working on a photo shoot!. I will be posting little teasers to give you an idea of what we are working on.  I'm really excited to be working with talented women on the shoot - stay tuned!!


WEARABLE RETRO

http://tuckerbygabybasora.com/fall11/

I'm usually not a fan of retro looks - they tend to be girly and too literal. Loving this line - Tucker by Gaby Basora. She uses retro prints to make clothing that are chic, flattering and modern. For the fuller figure there are some lovely wrap dresses and the lace blouse and a-line skirt would be divine on a girl with banging curves.

BODACIOUS DIVAS- REJOICE!

Here is a website for the full-figured diva - full of gorgeous dresses and seperates for every occassion. The jewelry and accessories are also the right scale :-) From American size 12.
http://www.igigi.com/plus-size-dresses/plus-size-casual-dress?linkid=topmenu&p=2


WE ALL SCREAM FOR....

I love costume jewelry - they give so much scope for fun. Pearls are a great way to dress up any outfit and give instant lady-like appeal to any look - even jeans. Layer faux pearls for that great Chanel vibe! Colombian Emeralds Intl has elegant, affordable cultured pearls (think of them as "starter pearls" until you can afford the real thing.) Otherwise there are lots of main stream fashion stores that have an array of costume jewelry to choose from - Chicos http://www.chicos.com/ - has some amazing pieces at affordable prices.

See you next week sweetie for more... (I am aiming to post twice a week on Monday and Friday)

Kisses!

Friday 26 August 2011

Rhyming Ability...

Hello friend,
Glad to see you again!
I thought I would let you in
On how this blog will begin.

There's a social experiment on the way,
About perception = how much you weigh,
I'm blogging about my favourite things,
Where to go and what is in.

About beauty and glamour, fashion and fun
In this beautiful island in the sun!
And when to another place I fly,
I'll share the things that have caught my eye.

Visit again when you have the time,
I'm looking forward to our 'cyber' lime.

(Reading Dr. Suess you see
gives you super rhyming ability)

Saturday 20 August 2011

Welcome (and what now?!)

I said I was going to start a blog - so here I am. The question is "what now?". It's an infernal question that could be applied to so many circumstances - the end of a relationship, marriage (the beginning and end of), gaining a degree, a new born baby and job loss, to name a few.  My life has been a series of "what now?"'s

There is no tried and true answer to the question - the only one that seems to work for me is - "just bloody get on with it and learn as you go along" (usually it's in my mother's voice, but more on that "voice" later)

So welcome and let's see where this takes us.

My content may be full of ramblings , disjointed conversations and random bits until I have a clear idea about where this blog is heading, and that's what makes life fun. Bear with me as I test my weird sense of humour and untried hand at keeping an audience interested - you will survive - I promise.