The Legendary- Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton is one of the oldest names in the business. In 1854, Louis Vuitton opened his first store in Paris, hawking finely made trunks, hat boxes, and other luxury luggage for the well-traveled set. By 1888, he had his signature brown and tan checked pattern, and by 1896, the now iconic monogram that peppers its supple leather goods, including some instantly collective women’s bags—the Speedy, the Steamer, the Pochette—appeared. Amazingly, the company didn’t tap into the ready-to-wear business until 1997 when New York designer Marc Jacobs joined, immediately adding an incredibly lucrative clothing business while bringing Vuitton up-to-date by collaborating with such artists as Stephen Sprouse (who irreverently graffitied bags) and later Takashi Murakami (who added a bubble-gum anime humor to the line). Today, the label encompasses ready-to-wear, watches, jewelry, beauty, home, and, of course, that want-worthy luggage.
EYE-CANDY OF THE MONTH!
Thapelo Mokoena is a South African actor and television presenter best known for presenting the first season of the South African version of the reality competition Fear Factor, in 2005.
Mokoena was born under a tree 22 kilometres from the nearest hospital in the KwaZulu-Natal town of Ladysmith, in 1982. His father is Sotho and his mother is Zulu.
He completed his schooling in Ladysmith before moving to Johannesburg to pursue a degree in accounting, which he gave up in favour of studying filmmaking.
Upon finishing his course at film school he made an instant impact in acting when he landed the role of Gabriel, the bodyguard of Karabo Moraka (played by Connie Ferguson), on the SABC1 soapie Generations.
In the show he famously (and scandalously) had a torrid love affair with Karabo, which made a lasting impression on fans of the show. Initially contracted for three months, he ended up playing the role for six months.
In 2006 he took over the role of Vusi from Fezile Mpela for the second season of the SABC1 drama series Mzansi.
Also in 2006, he was cast as the presenter of the first season of Fear Factor South Africa, which aired on e.tv. He was replaced for the second season by Lungile Radu, as he was filming a British television series at the time.
He replaced Pepi Khambule as the lead character, Bongani Thwala, for the third season of the SABC1 drama series Mtunzini.com, which premieres in 2009.
Khambule was fired from the role after demanding better wages and working conditions in March 2008.
Grrrrrr….! (My wild-side)
To those nay-Sayers who whine that leopard print (along with other assorted animal prints - zebra, cheetah, tiger, etc) is tacky, outdated, and just plain "you wouldn't catch me wearing that", I have this to say: get out of the country this instant before I hunt you down like a rabid bunny. There are a few simple rules to pulling off animal prints. Follow these, and anyone can look like a glamour girl with a jungle touch.
1) No spandex. This applies not only to animal prints, but pretty much to all aspects of fashion and life that I can think of at the moment.
2) Moderation. As tempting as it is for people like me, you can not go around draped in head-to-toe leopard print unless your name is Tarzan. Try little touches mixed with classic pieces. One of my favorite outfits is my short, slightly furry leopard print skirt paired with my black merino wool ribbed turtleneck, black opaque tights, and knee length black leather boots. I look divine in it, if I do say so myself. Very "I'm a diva, look at me because I rock".
3) Realistic prints. There are about three million variations of the leopard print alone, and some of them are terrifyingly tacky.
Article by:Karen Vigela
MODEL OF MONTH:
Juana Burga
The love4fashion Converse party coming soon…
Join us on Facebook
Enter our Competition
