If you didn’t know, now you know: The magazine I work at, FAIRLADY magazine, has a reality show hitting TV this Friday. The show’s going to track the trails and tribulations of a group of young people as they vie for the position of Style & Beauty Intern.
I can’t really say much more (for fear of giving anything away), just watch it! First episode screens this Friday (2 April), 9PM on MNet Series!
Joyous Celebration singers
Yesterday I attended the launch of Joyous Celebration’s 14th album and upcoming tour at Sandton’s Old Mutual Theatre on the Square. Now, I’m not really one for religion, but I’ll always appreciate good music and, if there’s one thing the JC crew does consistently, is produce AMAZING gospel classics.
And say what you will about Jabulani, Lindelani and Mthunzi, but they sure know a thing or two about picking talent. Just the other day one of those ignant (yes, ignant, not ignorant) commercial music ‘DJ’s’ was wondering why the South African version of Idols doesn’t produce the same talent as American Idol. Here’s one reason: because they aren’t looking in church. As part of the launch, we were treated to a performance by some of the JC ladies and … damn … do they ever have pipes! A truly moving experience. I mean, I think I know the difference between someone who can sing and someone who can sang! and those women delivered. Goosebumps material.
But one of the highlights was when some of the former JC members in attendance were called up on stage. Zandile Nkonyeni, Vicky Vilakazi, Margaret Motsage and Brian Temba showed dem for real. Margaret was magic and Brian … sigh… No words for that man.
The Sowetan has video of their performances HERE.
If you don’t know who Brian is, here’s his vid for ‘Dominoes’
So I’m delayed and have just discovered Polyvore, where you can basically play fashion editor to your heart’s desire. If I had me some cash money, this is how I would see in the cold months ahead. Go over to Polyvore and play!
Naomi Campbell has made another stop on her Global Contrition Tour 2010 (as Gawker puts it). Recently, the Blackberry Basher was accused of hitting a limo driver, but he later withdrew charges, claiming it was a misunderstanding.
This past weekend, the serene sounding supermodel opened up to Live magazine about her foibles and the lessons she’s learnt, yakkety yakkety, blah blah blah.
Now, I love me some Naomi Campbell. I will always love the original Supers, but sister needs to get real. Actually, I take that back. Her assistants (who are too slow to duck, as the reporter put it) are the ones who need a reality check. As much as I heart this woman, you best believe it’ll be on if she ever comes at me with a smart phone.
In other news, Miss Naomi is turning 40 this year and still. looks. like. that. If I make it to 40 looking that flawless, I think I might hit somebody just for the hell of it.
Here are some choice quotes from this lady’s interview:
On turning 40
I thought I’d never actually make this birthday
On introspection and coming to terms with herself
I’ve had times when it was hard for me to look at myself in the mirror, because I didn’t really like who I was. The period from 1998 until 2005 was very difficult. I had to work out what was important – what I wanted to change and what I wasn’t happy with. The thing with modelling is that we’re so used to travelling. The thought of just sitting still and having to digest and to think is scary, so you avoid it. It’s terrifying to look in the mirror and face all your fears.
On insecurities, addictions and issues
I have people around me who tell me I’m beautiful. But that goes in one ear and comes out the other. Anger wasn’t the only one of my issues – I have lots of them. I had to get clean and stay in the AA programme. I understand what keeps me on the right path. I don’t go every single day; I just go when I need to and I have my sponsor.
On regrets and responsibility
Everyone knows what I’ve gone through. I’m human, I make mistakes, but I’ve come clean on them all. I don’t deny them. I’ve taken the heat and felt highly embarrassed by a lot of them. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done and the incidents that have happened in my life, and I would never say I was. But I did something about it. I’m not above learning lessons.
On the importance of family and friends
My family and my friends have helped. I don’t like yes-people. I don’t want yes-people around me; I think they’re extremely dangerous. I like people who are honest with me and tell me the truth. I can take it. I have much more respect for someone who tells me the truth. My real friends tell it to me like it is; I don’t need “enablers”. I need people who tell me what’s what.
On growing up
I’ve matured. I stop myself from getting tired and burnt out. I want a quieter life today. I’ve been through the party scene. You get older and your life changes. Things that matter to you when you’re 20 don’t matter so much when you’re approaching 40.
On being Nelson Mandela’s honorourary granddaughter
‘I don’t know why he reached out to me. Every time I’ve made a mistake he’s told me to keep my head up and keep going. Sometimes it’s hard because I feel so much shame. It seems to always happen that every time I get in trouble, I see him right after. He never tells me off. He just tells me to keep going, which is something that’s been hard to do.
Karl Lagerfeld
Uncle Karl* gave a lengthy interview – 6400+ words, hello! – to Vice magazine’s writer Bruce LaBruce. The man is as entertaining, thought-provoking and sharp as ever. Here are some of the most notable quotables:
On why he is never photographed without his sunglasses: They’re my burka … A burka for a man. I’m a little shortsighted, and people, when they’re shortsighted, they remove their glasses and then they look like cute little dogs who want to be adopted.
On being a hard worker: [H]ard work is like being politically correct. Be politically correct, but please don’t bother other people with conversation about being politically correct, because that’s the end of everything. You want to create boredom? Be politically correct in your conversation … It means people talking about charities. Do it, be charitable, but don’t make a subject of conversation out of it because then you bore the world to death. It’s very unpleasant. But I don’t go out a lot so I’m not so exposed to people.
On his opposition to gay marriage: I’m against it for a very simple reason: In the 60s they all said we had the right to the difference. And now, suddenly, they want a bourgeois life.
On his childhood: When I was a child I asked my mother what homosexuality was about and she said—and this was 100 years ago in Germany and she was very open-minded—“It’s like hair color. It’s nothing. Some people are blond and some people have dark hair. It’s not a subject.” This was a very healthy attitude.
[As a child] I was very much like a grown-up. I have photos of me as a child wearing a tie, and it’s the same as I am today. And of course I was very successful with pedophilia. I knew about it when I was ten … Well, I wouldn’t go that far. It was impossible to touch me. I would run away and I would tell my mother about people she knew, like the brother of one of my sister’s husbands. Nothing happened, but my mother said, “You know, darling, it’s your fault. You see how you behave.”
On politics: I’ve never voted in my life—for any kind of politics … I’m in fashion. Politics is not my job. I don’t vote in France even though foreigners here can. I will never vote in my life.
On French first lady, Carla Bruni: She has a great education and speaks many languages. She’s perfect for the job of first lady. I even photographed her naked … Yes, but they were elegant and she had nothing against it. She couldn’t care less. She’s very cool like that. The photo is beautiful. I can show you the nude of her. I did it for Visionaire in 1998. Everybody knows how a man or a girl is built, and everybody goes to the beach. So where’s the problem?
On his support of prostitution and porn: And I personally only like high-class escorts. I don’t like sleeping with people I really love. I don’t want to sleep with them because sex cannot last, but affection can last forever. I think this is healthy. And for the way the rich live, this is possible. But the other world, I think they need porn. I also think it’s much more difficult to perform in porn than to fake some emotion on the face as an actor … Frustration is the mother of crime, and so there would be much more crime without prostitutes and without porn movies.
On why he uses fur: That’s why I always say, when people talk about not using fur, “Are you rich enough to make an income for the people in the north who live from hunting? What do you want them to live off of when there’s nothing else to do?” … It is farmers who are nice to the cows and the pigs and then kill them. It’s even more hypocritical than hunters. At least the hunters don’t flatter the animals. I remember when they killed the pigs when I was a child. I still hear the noise in my ears.
On eating meat: I have to eat meat once a week because my doctor wants me to, but I prefer fish. I don’t like that people butcher animals, but I don’t like them to butcher humans either, which is apparently very popular in the world.
On technology and the digital age: I hate telephones. I prefer faxes because I like to write. [Who uses faxes?] People I’m really friendly with have faxes. Anna Wintour has one. We speak via fax. And in Paris I send letters to people. I have somebody to deliver letters all over every day.
Civilized living for me is like this. I’m not a chambermaid whom you can ring at every moment. Today, you know, most people act like they work at a switchboard in a hotel. I’m not working at a switchboard. I have to concentrate on what I’m doing. The few people I have in my telephone are already too much. When I’m on the phone I talk, but I really want to be alone to sketch, to work, and to read. I am reading like a madman because I want to know everything.
On intellectuals: I hate intellectual conversation with intellectuals because I only care about my opinion, but I like to read very abstract constructions of the mind.
On the reason he doesn’t smoke: I cannot smoke cigarettes. I need my hands for something else. When I was 14 I wanted to smoke because my mother smoked like mad. I wanted to smoke to look grown-up. But my mother said, “You shouldn’t smoke. Your hands are not that beautiful and that shows when you smoke.”
On Andy Warhol: I shouldn’t say this, but physically he was quite repulsive. He was not handsome.
On losing all the weight: Well, there came this new line from Hedi Slimane at Dior, that you needed to be slim to wear. It said, “You want this? Go back to your bones.” And so I lost it all. I lost 88 pounds and never got them back.
* In my mind, Karl Lagerfeld is really my slightly kooky Uncle who carries a hip flask to family gatherings (even though he doesn’t drink) and adds shots of gin to my glass of juice, to help me get through them. He is also a supreme underminer and never misses an opportunity to tell me that the reason I’ll never marry well is because of my wide hips (not from his side of the family) and my inability to speak German without an English accent. Ah, I love my crazy Uncle Karl.
What a sick, slick video! I LOVE this song, it’s my empowering tune of the moment. I’ve been going through a lot of unnecessary duh-rama of late, and every time this song comes on the radio, I go into sing along mode.
I quite like the styling and make up in the vid – job well done. Woulda been tempting to be tacky and go all Zulu + ibeshu on our asses and I’m so glad they didn’t.
Enjoy!
Bilal Oliver is headed to the Cape Town Jazz Fest
Last year, it was Mos, this year Bilal! Thank you Cape Town Jazz Festival. Y’all doing something right, for real!
If you don’t know who Bilal is, use Google. For those of you more cultured in these things, you know this man needs no introduction. He’s a neo-soul favourite and is set to (hopefully) rock the stage in Cape Town and give us a taste of his forthcoming album.
But Bilal is only one of 42 artists playing 5 stages over two days. Other artist include George Benson, BLK JKS, Iridium Project, Lira, and TKZee.
See you in Cape Town on 3rd and 4th April!
Mr South Africa 2010: Denver Burns
Yes, we have a Mr South Africa pagaent. Who knew? The last time I paid attention was when Michael Mol was crowned – and that’s only because he became a Top Billing presenter when Top Billing was still hot.
Moving swiftly along.
This is the new Mr SA, Denver Burns. He’s a lawyer based in Port Elizabeth and, according to his little online profile, a waterpolo player. Damn, I used to love the waterpolo guys at varsity who recruited members in their Speedos. Sigh. Anyways, I digress. He seems like a nice enough guy. Last year, he swam 20km across Algoa Bay to raise R10 000 for the Animal Welfare Society.
He says he’s a ‘passionate, intelligent, fun-loving guy’. He also believes chivalry isn’t dead. And made no reference to world peace. We have absolutely no idea what Mr SA really does, but we wish him luck during his reign.
Yummy Pastrami and Egg Salad
So I’m on some kind of a food tip lately, right? I’m not really known for my prowess in the kitchen and I’m trying to correct that (promise).
This will be the first post from a new series of mine where I learn to cook follow a recipe. I’m trying to do wheat-free and it’s hard to find wheat-free food in the Mr D book, so cooking is my next best option.
Anyways.
There was this delectable looking Pastrami and Egg salad in Fairlady’s March 2010 edition. It combines a few of my favourite things: eggs, pastrami, mustard and potatoes.
Here’s the recipe:
[Serves 4]
12 baby potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices pastrami
4 eggs, soft boiled
1 packet baby leavesFor the easy Caesar dressing
4 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp grainy mustard1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Boil the potatoes until cooked, then drain and turn out onto a baking dish. Crush each one with a potato masher then drizzle with oil and season with mustard seeds, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and crispy.
2 Combine the dressing ingredients and process until smooth.
3 Divide the leaves between four plates, top with potatoes and pastrami; drizzle with dressing. Top each salad with a soft-boiled egg and serve immediately.
Because I only cook for one, I tweaked it a bit by using one large potato. It was very filling and yummy – and it only took about 30 minutes to throw together. Try it sometime. Let’s eat!
Pretty Wings at the Spitz store
Today in random pretty things: walking through Sandton City this weekend and saw these pretty decorations outside Spitz. Although we’re moving into Autumn, this is definitely a Spring look and put a smile on my face.
Random pretty things
Say what?