Met Gala 2013 - Fashion Police

Any fashion forward person will tell how much we look forward to the Met Gala every year. The Met Gala is an annual costume institute ball for the opening of the fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum and its main aim is to raise funds for, lets say art.

Now, I don't usually do this but...*said in my best R-Kelly voice* I HAD to do this one. I hardly ever do a fashion police blog post because I believe style is very personal and no-one can define it for another person, well unless they are hired to. BUT.... I had to with the Met Gala 2013. 

The theme for this year was Punk as in Punk Fashion as in rock-and-roll punk, yeah. How can so many people with so much money get it wrong? How is that even possible? 

I will do the best dressed and get it over and done with:

My girl Anne Hathaway totally nailed it!! She looked absolutely perfect!

NICOLE RICHIE, OMG!!!! She defied every possible fashion rule, did not conform to anything and she perfected the theme in her very own way. I love it! I imagine Rihanna doing this type of edgy fashion. Bravo Nicole.

I am yet to see Blake Lively in anything but amazing! She looked absolutely flaw-less, as always.

Dakota Fanning looked simply beautiful!

Now the worst dresses, I just had to pick a few from the lot:

Beyonce *sigh*. I love you with everything I am but WTH boo? Mostly why boo? I'm sorry but she looked tacky *wears bullet proof vest*.

Boring Biel..ever so boring. Has anyone ever put Jessica Biel on their best dressed list? This is kind of expected from her but even for her own standards she outdid herself. 

Why Madonna, why? You are over 50, when are you going to grow up? This is the worst of the worst!

Kristen Stewart, I just have no words anymore. What could have possibly been going through her mind when she put this on and looked at herself in the mirror? Was she happy with herself?

Lastly, Kim Kardashian, death by!! Someone likened her dress to her granmama's couch. It even has matching gloves that thing she is wearing. I'm sorry I can't look anymore. So wrong Kimmy!! Why? Who styled you?

Someone on Twitter said Joan Rivers is going to have a blast on Fashion Police, she sure is. I hope I don't miss that episode.

Styled by The Kokonut Stylist - Weekend Observer Article 1

Hi, My Name Is Koko & I Am Obsessed With Fashion

I remember it as though it was yesterday. It was two years ago, I had just started my own blog, when I first emailed a proposal to the then Editor. I wanted to have a fashion column which would be an extension of my blog and I wanted a platform that would allow for this column to shine through and not be swallowed by other things within the publication. It fizzled into thin air, I stopped following up and eventually gave up.

Little did I know that there is this creative person within me who would never allow me to ever give up on my fashion dreams. It was that creative person that nagged me until I approached the current Editor and pitched my idea to him. He not only did he loved it, he made me believe I could do an amazing job too.

I have come to the realization that I have two girls living inside me and this is not bipolar, hear me out. There is the smart girl; she is the one who has been getting distinctions at university, graduating cum laude, she got the Master’s Degree and she is the one who loves working in IT. Then there is the creative girl: she absolutely is a fashion addict and has been ever since I could remember, she is creative, she is the blogger, she is the one who gets invites to fashion weeks, high profile fashion events and she is the one who decides what Koko wears. I think this is the best explanation for why I am sometimes an IT geek and always a creative fashionista.

Who is this creative, fashionable Koko? You may be asking yourself. I am a 26 year old Swazi lady who is style/fashion obsessed (and that’s putting it mildly). My love for clothes was apparent at a very young stage. I am told I would put together my own ensembles at age there and always colour co-ordinated my outfits (monochromatic looks were the in-thing back then as they are making a huge comeback now). That love has sort of progressed and intensified through-out my years of growing up. I now have a business that focuses on styling people and yes, you can make a decent living by doing this in South Africa. I am very passionate about clothes and looking good!

You see, I believe I am Coco Chanel’s re-incarnation and there is absolutely nothing you can ever tell me that can convince me otherwise. I eat, live and breathe fashion! Coco Chanel was (she passed on in 1971 but her legacy lives on) a fashion great, a designer and founder of the Chanel brand. She is the symbol of fashion, the name that the fashion-cautious want to be associated with. Coco was the only fashion designer to appear on Time Magazine’s List of The 100 Most Influential People Of The 20^th Century.  

Here is why I believe I am Coco Chanel’s re-incarnation:  She was born on the 19^th of August 1883; I was born on the 18^th of August. She had five siblings; I also have 5 siblings (Do you see where I'm going with this?). Even though her birth name was Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, everyone called her "Coco" and I bet most people do not know me by any other name except “Koko”. I've been called Koko all my life. She went to a Catholic school; I went to an Anglican school, St Michael’s High School. She had a passion for fashion and comfort; need I say more?

This column is our weekend meeting place, I hope to feed you all things fashionable and stylish. Since there obviously is more to life than just fashion, Styled By The Kokonut Stylist is also about the people who actually wear the stylish clothes, their lifestyles, where they were seen and what they were seen wearing as well as a “fashion police” bit. In this column, there are titbits of people’s day-to-day ensembles, hairstyles, dress designs, designers, fabrics and a bit of this and that. I envision this being a very engaging column that all you fashion lovers look forward to reading every weekend.

Some of the greatest lessons from Miss Coco Chanel were: Be bold. Be one of a kind. Be inspired and Leave a strong impression. As we (myself and all you fashion lovers reading this column) embark on this new journey, may I be as inspiring to you as I believe you will be to me. May we find boldness in all our aspirations to follow our dreams and lastly, may this column leave a strong impression to all its readers.

Do you think in Swaziland we have a fashion person whose name in fashion will outlive them? Do we even have fashionable, stylish people besides the handful that we won’t mention? Are we a people that tap into their creativity or do we often just do what society (parents, immediate family, etc) expects of us? Personally I would never have left Swaziland for South Africa to study for a Fashion Degree, it was (is) so taboo, why is that?

I would love to hear from you. Your opinions, views and criticism are most welcome.

Follow this column and engage with us on:

*Facebook: www.facebook.com/StyledByTheKokonutStylist

*Twitter: www.twitter.com/kokonutstylist

For feedback, email: kokonutstylist@observer.org.sz

Written By: Koko Shabangu

The BIG Reveal

Remember last week in one of my blog posts I mentioned how I am crazy enough to think I can make a difference and how I had something big to reveal this week? Those who missed that post can read more about that here here. Well, The big news is that I am now a Fashion Columnist! Yes, your girl writes for the Swazi Weekend Observer.

I still have to pinch myself to believe that it is really happening. I remember in 2010 after I started this blog, it was something I wanted very badly and it is finally happening now, without any hustle.

The first article was published this weekend, I will post it in a different blog post.

That Chanel Logo gave me life throughout the weekend!

The first article was sort of an introduction of myself and the column thus it was befitting that they put my picture there, it is  not a 'seeking fame' tactic but merely the best platform that any fashionista who loves writing can have and I am thoroughly blessed to have such an opportunity.

I am calling everyone who has followed this blog and looked forward to my posts to please support my column as well. The vision I have for it is to make it a movement, fashion and otherwise. For us to dream together and all follow a similar dream together.

If you are on Facebook, please like "Styled By The Kokonut Stylist" as I will be posting the articles there as well as publish them here on this blog.

Let's do this!

My Weekend In Pictures

Last weekend was one of those epic weekends that keep getting better and better from Friday to Sunday. They say a picture says a thousand words and I present to you my weekend in pictures:

La Manche Boutique in Randburg. 

Ladies its everything and more!

Myself and Fezile at the LaManche Boutique Launch

 in Randburg on Saturday night. 

With my darlings Kea and Fezile

Bought myself a new heart and locked it. 

If only things worked this simply even in real life *sigh*.

Went to Arts-On-Main for the first time. 

My world, I have never be so blown away by great food and creativity at once!

I think one should work on having more weekends like this one. I trust everyone had a great weekend, I know we are 5-to-this-weekend buy hey..

I Am Crazy Enough To Think I Can Make A Difference

I've always been the odd one out, even with my sisters, I am the one who is just different from the pack. It used to bother me until about 4 years ago. I started embracing my uniqueness and all the things that make me Koko.

I recently got an opportunity to do something I wanted very badly 3 years ago. The way it happened was just so stress-free and it was received with such positive enthusiasm. I will be able to say what this thing is next week Monday.

One of the things that I am realizing about myself is that I have crazy goals and visions. I am the kind of person who when they are telling what they are planning to do you are either gonna laugh or ask me how on earth I thought of that.

I got this really cool Steve Jobs quote that depicted me in a way better than I ever could describe myself.

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Steve Jobs

It is so amazing when you get to a point of self awareness because then you don't try to chase after things that are not yours. 

This was the one comment that got me all excited and motivated, even the Swazi Observer Managing Editor agrees.

Do you also think you have gotten to a level of self-awareness? What did it take for you to get there?

PS: I cannot wait for the BIG reveal next week Monday!!

So, Lark, I Want A Dog

I honestly thought my obsession with Yorkshire Terriers had died down until recently. I suddenly (well, maybe not so suddenly) have this obsession for a female Yorkie all over again. Yorkies are honestly thee cutest creatures on earth. I want a female one in June, or maybe I should wait until winter is over? Mmmm decision, decisions! I already have a name for my Yorkie, her name will be Princess Oreo. 

Such cuteness, I die!!

I've been doing some reading up and they say because of how cute they are, Yorkies normally get away with anything. So one is advised to be a Yorkie mom with stern leadership skills and make sure the Yorkie doesn't take over the house. They are also extremely active animals that can easily get super spoiled. One is advised to do a weekly 'hair' brushing, walk them daily and give them attention. I can manage that! What I love about them is the they are one of thee most loyal creations of God but they do tend to become overprotective. Yorkies are also very sweet and loving. I sooo cannot wait for mine.

                                                           Ncooo...

I did a little online window shopping to sort of mentally prepare myself for all the things I will need. I am talking puppie bags, toys, sleeping bin bag, food, hair brushes, ribbons etc.

Good times lie ahead for me and my Yorkie!

How awesome is this puppy bag?

Do you know anyone who has a Yorkie? I'd love to hear from people who have them, are you coping? Are you enjoying the experience?

I Committed A Fashion Crime, I Missed Fashion Week

SA Fashion Week was between the 11th and 15 of April. This time the designers were showcasing the Spring/Summer 2013 Collections, it is always an entire two seasons ahead. During that time I was in Swaziland, I had taken a sabbatical month to help me heal from being extremely heartbroken (story for another day, another platform). Albeit, I committed a fashion crime, I missed fashion week *hangs head in shame*. 

I started attending fashion week in 2011 when I started taking this blog seriously. Its so cool to attend when you have the media pass and all that, you go from one fashion show to another. Sometimes you find that one show is in the North somewhere and the next show is downtown. It is the most exhilarating yet tiring week in any fashionista's schedule. Then comes the "what should I wear today" question with all of these days, throughout the week. There is something about seeing designer's collections on the runway that makes your own wardrobe look like trash bin.

While going through the SA Fashion Week Official Website, there were a few collections that stood out for me. My pride and joy comes from seeing young designers who were at Fastrack a few years ago now showing with the big, more well established designers. Halala to them!!! Fastrack is a fashion day for mostly graduate designers (mostly from Lisof) to break into the market. A few years ago AFI had partnered with Foschini group to enable these new designers to have a platform to showcase their designs.


Here are some items from the collections that really impressed me. I think at the moment South Africa is the place to be for fashion, we live in thee most exciting times!\

Black Coffee

Loxion Kulca

Stoned Cherrie (the use of colour here is amazeballz)

Gert-Johan Coetzee (Side note: Poppy has a hot bod!)

Jacquelin Munsami

Joel  Janse Van Vuuren

Suzaan Heyns (The creativity

 here is to die for!)

So ladies, it looks like the sheer look is here to stay. Black and white is very much in vogue and a pop of color here and there never hurt anyone!