Audi Joburg Fashion Week Series: Marie Bishara in a league of her own

Today was the forth and final day of Audi Joburg Fashion Week 2009. I wanted to see Thula Sindi's progressiveness but didn't realise that his show was the first one for the night, therefore missed it. I'm not complaining though as I thoroughy enjoyed seeing Egyptian Marie Bishara's outstanding piece of work.

Her traditional Egyptian elements were present in her collection, but she added a certain level of sophistication, class and style on most of the garments that made her show stand out from other female designers. From day wear (mostly complemented by crocodile sandals) to cocktail/evening wear, it was absolutely stunning. Her clean-cut designs and attention to detail make for a top-notch fashion designer. The collection exudes her flair for fashion in every way possible.

It seems designers like Gavin Rajah have some tight competition from this Egyptian threadsmith. Not only is her understanding for womenwear up there, but the professionalism could be seen through the show with how she dressed the models.

Teraji P. Henson and Viola Davis up for Oscars

The Academy Awards nominees for 2009 were announced this past Thursday and it gives me great pleasure and pride that Teraji P. Henson and Viola Davis were both nominated in the capacity of Best Supporting Actress in their respective roles in The Curious Case of Banjamin Button and Doubt.

I had an opportunity to see The Curious Case Of Benjamin where Teraji plays Brad Pitt's mother, but couldn't make it because of other engagements. There is a lot of buzz about how excellent her performance was. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the film when it opens at cinemas here in Mzansi. What with a whopping 13 nominations for this year's Oscars, that's just 1 nomination shy of reaching the record set by Titanic in 1997.

Another actress who is nominated against Teraji is Viola Davis, a Tony Award winner. She has been nominated for her outstanding role in the Meryl Streep-led film Doubt. I watched this movie about 2 weeks ago and immensely enjoyed it. She used the screen time she gets phenomenally, which is actually about 14 minutes, commanding the role and making it her own. She belts it out in the memorable scenes. I was bowled over and feels she really deserves all the accolades.

As tight as the competition in that category is (Penelope Cruz is also nominated for her role on the exceptional Woody Allen picture Vicky Christina Barcelona, whilst Amy Adams got a nod for her performance on Doubt and Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler), I'm really hoping one of these amazing black women takes the crown come the Oscar Awards night. I'm certaibnly looking forward to what Teraji does on Benjamin Button, I've been a fan since seeing her with Tyrese Gibson on Baby Boy.

Audi Joburg Fashion Week Series: David Tlale tones it down a bit

He's been known to go to the extremes when it comes to creativity in fashion, but David Tlale tones it down in his latest collection. I guess many people were highly anticipating to see what the edgy, trendy and creative mind would put out this time. Last night there was a difference in his approach to creativity, slightly toning down from the somewhat weird clothing he has done before.

David Tlale seems to understand his art, especially when it comes to women's clothing. The dresses, the ladies' pants, the skirts, and the ladies' shirts were all done in precise cuts and phenomenal abstract designs. Spotting similar designs he had done before was a bit of a letdown, although he put a nice twist into them.

The guys clothing was marginally great and creative, although he tapped into his over-creative mind, again resulting in rather weird designs at times. The case in point in this reagrd would be the MC Hammer-style of pants that dominated the men's clollection. Although you could see where his head was, it's just not imaginable that a guy would wear those type of pants in real life, but again, you will never know.

David Tlale used a lot of metallics in his collection, including silvers, golds and bronzes. I noticed a great use of tweed as well, for pants and jackets (coats). The classic checkered fabric was also a huge feature in the clothing. Overall, the collection was good. It contained a lot of well-done garments and cordination was perfect. The blending of African beading accessories, even the shoes, gave it an added edge and spunk.

Audi Joburg Fashion Week Series: Abigail Keats knows how to do wearable

Last night I attended my second day at Audi Joburg Fashion Week with every intention to see what Abigail Keats was going to pull out of her sleeve this time, after very successful shows in the past. And to say I was satisfied would be putting it mildly, it was absolutely refreshing. Fashion is about trends, but those trends need to be translated into what the consumer should instantly take a liking into. And Abigail accomplished just that with her autumn/winter collection.

Her show was combined with another designer, Suzaan Heynes, whose creativity was appreciated, but the execution not done very well. There were some numbers that stood out, but some of the garments looked rather odd.

On the other hand, Abigail Keats did a sterling job in creating garments that are fashion-forward and creative, yet wearable and simple. The details were clean and unique. Although she also played with a lot blacks and greys, there was a hint of innovation in how these were mixed with silver trimmings and the right kind of accessories. Again, we saw the darker denim colours, including black and dark navy blues.

I really enjoyed the what Abigail had to offer. Fresh ideas, coupled with simplicity and a touch of edge.

Will Smith shows his depth as an actor Seven Pounds

The King of Box Office has returned with another of his more serious and deep roles after the success of Pursuit Of Happyness. With the same director, and still heading the production ropes through Overbrook Entertainment, Seven Pounds sees Will Smith dig deep into the core of his art to make a his character more raw, unique and believable. His charisma and charm are not lost though, as he throws clever and smart jokes here and there.

Without giving too much of the plot away, the movie is about a man who has lost his soul because of losing a loved one through an unfortunate incident. To make reparations and redeem himself, or at lease ease his guilt and conscience, he takes into a task that will change the lives of seven people, some he knows and others strangers, in an unexpected way. The tale follows him as he struggles with his demons and subsequently making peace with what had happened and his destiny. The significance of the film title lies in the link between the number of people he helps and how he helps them

Will Smith is known for his fine skills as an actor, but the surprise was Rosario Dawson, who plays one of the people he helps and his love interest. She took the role and made in her own with the realness and sincerity she displayed. On the very same level is one of my favourite actors, Michael Ealy, who plays Will Smith's brother in Seven Pounds, and is also one of the people whose life is changed through Smith's character's deeds. Woody Harrilson always displays a great deal of comfortability to his character.

Although the movie seems difficult, things become very much clear if you pay attention to the flashbacks and how the story develops. The intensity of the story and the characters engages you and keeps you in suspense. Another noteworthy fact is the sombre nature of the story, so there are great chances that you will cry, especially towards the end of the movie.

I believe that this was a project that was intended to see Will running for a spot on the Oscar nominee list. Even though that didn't happen, the film is still a great body of work. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Will Smith has once more created another gem in Seven Pounds.

Seven Pounds releases at cinemas nationwide on the 30th of January 2009. Be sure to check it out. If you enjoyed the emotional and inspirational Pursuit Of Happyness, you will definitely enjoy Seven Pounds.

Audi Joburg Fashion Week Series: Fabiani takes it back to the old classics

My second show for the night, which just ended a few minutes ago, was Fabiani's trailblazing interpretation of the latest in menswear. Beginning with classic grey 2-piece suits donned with well-cordinated shirts and matching shoes, the tempo changed to more modern cuts and designs, but maintaining that polished and sophisticated look.

The brilliant tailoring, blended with immaculate craftsmanship and attention to detail, the Fabiani show set a standard for what men should look like this season. The assortment of accessories ranging from ties, to man-bags, to bowties, to cravats, all in bright and friendly colours, accentuated the different looks.

Also quite trendy and fresh, was the update of an old jeans and blazer combo to one that used darker tones of the denim. This worked perfectly well, especially with the skinny jeans. In addition, I found quite dazzling the pairing of pants, long-sleeve shirts and different designs of cardigan jerseys. This is definitely a look that won't fade away easily, as it has been around for a few years now.

Fabiani designers really understand how meticulously sophisticated and classy men need to look, not just to make a statement, but to show their female counterparts that fashion is not only understood by them. Like I've said, the classic look and taste was the order of the day, or rather night, in this latest Fabiani collection. From the different shades of greys, to the blacks, to the pint-stripes; it's all about comfortability, confidence and class.

Audi Joburg Fashion Week continues until Saturday, 24th January 2009 at Sandton Convention Centre.

Audi Joburg Fashion Week Series: Leigh Schubert with a fresh look

Over the past week we featured profiles of a few designers showcasing their latest collections at the Audi Joburg Fashion Week. The event has started and I just witnessed my first show this evening. This is actually my first attendance of any event this year. It's off to a good start I must say.

The first show I attended a few minjutes ago was Leigh Schubert, an amazingly talented designer from Durban. Over the years I've grown a likeliness of her designs and creations, perhaps mostly because there was a strong presence of different linen fabrics. This time she has switched things up, completely abandoning that signature of hers and experimenting with different types of fabrics including satins, lace andn even shimmery threads.

Leigh has also dumped the very earthy colours and explored with mixtures of powder pinks, banana yellows, and a variation of silver and bronze metallics. What I also noticed was that there was a strong presence of ankle-length tights worn with short dresses.

Overall, although I liked what she had done for the past seasons more, this wasn't totally out of the radar. She should be applauded for getting out of her comfort zone and experiemneting with fresh ideas.