WINTER 12/13 LOOKBOOK

Gold and Yellow, Gold and Yellow

So I've been hard at work, so that has meant little time on the blog of the journey of ARNREUBY. To keep you updated of some of the work I've been up to, here is a picture of songstress Nomfusi in an ARNREUBY dress at the SAMA's. It was a pleasure to be able to work with this talented singer. I'm sure you'll agree that whe really looled stunning on the yellow carpet. She wears full length silk georgette dress with a gold sequin bustier with a duchess satin band.

Part 1 :"Pretty as a Picture"

Anyone who knows me will tell you, I am comfortable behind and away from the camera than in front. So yesterday was a first. What am i on about??? More jabba like i always do. So this is what happened. I was having a chat about how I never have my picture taken because most photographers don't know how to light this skin blah blah blah...

So like me to say that in front of one of the best photographers that one can come across... Meet Alexa Singer. This woman is an amazing photographer, I am in awe of her work. I first heard about her 10 years ago from my lecturer at design school. To meet her was just unbelievable.

Alexa a model and then became a photographer. Let's just say when I was 3years old, Alexa was already on the cover of VOGUE! Yes I did say VOGUE! Sher went on to shoot covers for VOGUE in here photography career. So you can imagine how big a deal to have a picture taken by here.

Check out her work on her site: www.alexasinger.com

Working Ahead!

So we've been working ahead to make sure the Pretty girls always rock in ARNREUBY. So I thought before the Summer Season starts, let me give you a preview of the shape of things to come.

I LOVE YOU AGAIN!

Dear Blog,

I know it has been some time since we've have spent time over my thoughts together, 6 months to be exact. I know it's bad, but if you knew the story behind the scenes you would understand. Well I am back now. Starting off the new year with you and I make a commitment to you that I will not neglect you ever again. I will fill you with my random thoughts, magical pictures and entertaining videos. You will love me.

Or have I shown you my new look. I figured it was about time the Fro gave way to something a bit fresh. So for now it's "Hello the 90's" in dress and hair.

I will post the pictures soon.

Yours lovingly
ARNREUBY

What'son the shelves!!!

Check out the must have top for summer available at Seventies80's on 89 Church street, Cape Town. Our little printed gypsey top. We suggest a pair of you boyfriends' jeans, rolled up and fringed suede sexy heels, a pair of hot sunglasses and your good to go. An easy fresh summer look.

The look!

'Youthful and elegantly put together", these are the qualities we celebrate in the ARNREUBY woman.

OFF THE RUNWAY

Get this look straight off the runway at our SAMPLE SALE available @ SEVENTIES80's lifestyle store on 89 Church Street, Cape Town. While we are at it, I want to say "HAPPY WORLD CUP 2010" to all of you. Definitely "PHILIP IS HERE I can FEEL IT!"

Icon # 1: What would a girl do without a thousand and sixty pairs of shoes?

"I was no Marie Antoinette. I was not born to nobility, but I had a human right to nobility." - IM

Hey! I agree. After all, nobility is a basic human right. I hope the UN heard you.

"People say I'm extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?" - IM

I'm sure that those of you who've noticed on my facebook that for this whole week my status updates have been quotes from a strange bird, one Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines. If you've never heard of her, I suggest you get digging for some knowledge. Why is she my kinda girl? Well because she had shoes and I mean lots of shoes. This girl is known for extravagance and excessive spending during the time she was first lady. After all, shoes are a basic right!

Be the first to know

Get your hands on some once off ARNREUBY pieces from my studio samples from the AW 2010 collection now available at the funky retail and hang out spot SEVENTIES80's on 89 Church street,Cape town. This is an in put of only 16 pieces and all in sample sizes.

As illustrated

sketch 1

sketch 2

Some time last year I got inspired to do a series of illustrations, more like fashion illustrations to be precise. The idea was that they should be simple but yet expressive of my love for fashion. Come to think of it I have been sketching since I was a toddler. Over the years I have sketched many fashions figures and I have seen them improve year after year. The challenge for me has always been to be able to adapt my style of drawing to suite the mood of the fashions that I am trying to convey. Say for instance if I was designing a collection that is hard and very street edgy, I would try and create a fashion figure that is suitable to the collection and clearly expresses that edge. Same would apply if I were designing a 20's inspired collection. This little exercise would sometimes prove very frustrating, but eventually achievable.

Many times I've been told that my figures look like alien men eating women with a certain mystical allure that oozes power and sex appeal. I don't know if that is true. I have always seen my sketches as a slight extension of my personality. An alter ego, if I can put it like that.

Just to get back to this series of illustrations, the idea was simplicity yet expressive. I chose to work with very common mediums, in this case a regular office ball point pen and photocopy paper. I was amazed at the results as they came out looking like a cross between the traditional stick drawings that you'll often see in curio African paintings at the flea market and a some what high fashion drawing. I have managed to produce a few of these and now I am short of Ideas as what to do with them. I was thinking maybe a book of some sort. What do you think? Throw me a few ideas. I would love to publish these.

Love and appreciation

A/W look 1

Hey a big shout out and welcome to all my blog followers. I love and appreciate your support. Thank you. LOVE from the Arnreuby studio on a humid February Cape town afternoon

She rocks in Arnreuby

Men's style blazer and skinny sloanstar pants

I recently assisted a friend of mine on a test shoot. We shot in studio with a great team, which made the whole process very easy. The model was great to work with and looked great in all the outfits. A lot of the clothes used on the shoot were from my winter collection for Arnreuby. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. The accessories are also from the collection. I thinks she rocks in Arnreuby.

Inspired

On the runway

The Ncheka Dress

This must be one of my favourite dresses in my collection at the moment. Even though picking a favourite piece is like asking a mother to choose her favourite child in the bunch. This dress was inspired by part of my Tsonga tradition. I was shocked that there are not many pictures of Tsonga women in their traditional dress on the web. I really would have loved to show you where the inspiration comes from for this dress. But anyway I will do my best to explain. The name "Ncheka" is a name given to colourful or embroidered fabric that Tsonga women wear over their tradition skirt called a "Xibelani". These fabrics are normally brightly coloured with a print or just plain with hand embroidery. Two ncheka's ( plural is "micheka") are worn at a time. They are square pieces of material draped across the body and tired at the shoulders over a plain t-shirt over a "xibelani" or sometimes called a "ndindani". I loved the shape that the fabrics make as they cross in the front and as they drape on the body. I translated this in jersey to create a contemporary piece that pays homage to traditional dress without being too much of a costume. I will try and get some Tsonga women in traditional dress so you can see the translation of inspiration to contemporary fashion.

I showed a black, short sexy version of this dress in Nigeria for the BNC celebrations. A little studded belt and leggings gave the dress a rock chick appeal.

Arnreuby on the runway

In October '09 I showed the first seasons collection from the Arnreuby line. Had great models. In the picture is Naomi King looking very strong in one of the outfits in the transitional colour palette of chocolate brown, beige highlighted with siren red. See the Nora skirt below. This fashion moment was captured by Jan Hendrik at SA fashion week regional shows in Cape Town.

My clothes

Rocksy Bustier


Printed Puff skirt

Nora Skirt


Ncheka Dress

Like I said, I'm a designer when I'm not blogging. This is one of the things that brings me great satisfaction. 2009 saw the return of my clothing line ARNREUBY. Yes, I decided to reach into the top shelf reclaim my passion. I dusted off the dust from what had become a box of dreams that had been stored away in pursuit of something elusive called "stability". Now I look back and wonder "WHYDIDIDOTHAT?". If you're wondering so whatdidieverdowithout my passion and dreams? It is feels good to be finally be doing what I love again, which is designing. These are some of the things are in my line.

The first entry

Well this sure feels comfortable. I cannot think of a reason why I didn't start doing this earlier. I mean blogging is not a new thing and I have heard many people talk about it, so why haven't I tried till now beats me. So I ask myself the fundamental question, "WHATDIDIDOWITHOUT BLOGGING? Well I can give a whole host of answers to that question that range from being just plain lazy to letting to many things clutter my life that I felt that was not even enough hours in the day to fit it, to insecurities like "what if no one reads my blog, what if they hate my blog then they'll judge me." Yes that annoying little voice inside my head. I've just given it one of those 'Mama backhand slaps' and told to shut up while I write.

So welcome to my world and I hope you'll enjoy the fun. I look forward to sharing with you all the things that I think are just grand which let me to ask the fundamental question "whatdididowithout...?". These will range from trivial little things to some major things that have revolutionized my world tha i cannot imagine life without these things.