Highlights of the year 2014

As 2014 comes to a close, it’s that time for the blog to reflect and look back at the year that was. This year was the year of growth. I discovered a new side of myself that wanted to know more, understand more and define myself as a woman. I moved from a stage of being a student to being a graduate. I longed to find recognition and acceptance for my passion in fashion and I filled that void by editing for two online digital magazines; Infinity Magazine and Induna Magazine. I also took a deeper plunge and exercise my power to style in local photoshoots, model in one and start something of my own, from personal challenges I have faced, bringing you Fashion Bloggers Association of Zimbabwe. 2014 has been an interesting and fulfilling year, and I can only imagine what 2015 has in store for Signature Toscie.

Induna Magazine

INDUNA is Ndebele for “Leader”, first of its kind as a pan African Female based magazine in Zimbabwe. Induna was founded by Zanele Mhlaba, a fashion lover, fashion blogger and African feminist. The debut issue introduces you to a summer edition that covers a variety of topics from some of Zimbabwe’s young and influential women, with three Ladies gracing the cover issue; Lorraine “LochNation” Bgoya, Samantha “MisRed” Mussa and Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa – all from ZIFM Stereo. I contributed to the magazine in the Fashion section, where I covered Fast Fashion Retail in Zimbabwe, summer trends feature on this season’s top skirts and an interview with Women’s Couture designer Paidemoyo Chideya-Mazhandu. If you can recall, Paidemoyo launched a RTW collection of her label DeMoyo early in the year which you can read here. Induna magazine was a great opportunity to exercise my power to write and better understand what contexts truly make it into a magazine. The photoshoot alone helped me to better understand what really goes on behind the scenes of a magazine cover shoot. Find INDUNA Magazine online here.

        

Infinity Magazine

Infinity Magazine is an urban culture magazine, aiming at empowering the youth with features on the young and upcoming entertainers in the business. Sharing their stories of growth, success and obstacles they faced whilst going after their dreams. I jumped on board with Infinity Magazine from the get-go and what I love about it is it’s my platform to write about anything fashion related for the young and modern millennia. It also goes further as being that first magazine that gave me a full page column to write just about anything I wanted and desired, which in turn helped to exercise my wording and knowledge of current fashion trends. Infinity magazine’s editor Sophia Chitemere is also a former model, a growing powerhouse in PR Management and a young achiever at heart. Check out Infinity Magazine’s profile on ISSUU here and twitter page here.

                                 

Ngosikadzi/Signature Toscie Collaboration

Ngosikadzi blog and Signature Toscie did an exciting collaboration mid-way through 2014, that gave you six different looks from two Ngosikadzi local dresses. First of it’s kind and first for the blog, the collaboration paved way for the popular African print trend on a smaller blogger scale in Harare. Two of the dresses to mention where a paisley print tent dress and a floral print wrap dress that where given interval looks of day to night, and winter to summer. During that time you may recall the collabo being labelled under The GLAM Project ZW, which has now gradually shifted to Signature Toscie Styling – still the same concept and vision but with a more blog aligned branding. Check out all the Ngosikadzi/Signature Toscie Collabo posts right here.

Fashion Bloggers Association Zimbabwe (FBA ZIM)

I always had a broader vision, and this was one of them. Fashion Bloggers Association Zimbabwe came out of the frustration that there was no proper body to represent the growth of bloggers. Sure there is @ZimFashionBlogs on Twitter, but I felt there was no physical preference, no board that can solve the challenges that bloggers faced in Zimbabwe. Sure there is Blogger of the Year under Zimbabwe Fashion Week, but that’s pretty much it! So with a little thinking, a lot of my frustration and a couple of bloggers on board, we launched FBA ZIM in September 2014 and had an official strategic meeting on 20 December 2014. With FBA ZIM it’s really about growth; growth of the digital sector in Zimbabwe that can accommodate the digital media of fashion! Early 2015 will be the official press conference/seminar launch, and I openly encourage every blogger community in Zimbabwe to engage with us. Find us on Twitter here, with our Tumblr blog here.

Graduation Day

I saved the best for last – my graduation day! When 2014 came I knew this was it! After a good three years of studying, with ample amounts of blogging on the side; I graduated with a BSc Hons in Sociology and Gender Development under the Women’s University in Africa. I love my degree because it answered a lot of the questions onto society that I had which no one around me could really explain or understand. Best part about it is that I’m a scientist, which suits every arena of my current environment in women’s fashion, digital media, FBA ZIM and my feminist advocate. Of course on my graduation day I had to pay homage to the Zimbabwean Fashion industry by wearing a locally designed dress with a pattern I chose. The day couldn’t have been more lovely, as for one day a year I was the centre of attention and my hard work had paid off!

So 2014 was the year of growth – I challenged my fears, conquered my goals and met new friends along the way. Thank you 2014.

xo

Tendai!

NGOSIKADZI Wrap Dress Goes from Day to Night

I have been having a lot of fun styling the NGOSIKADZI dresses for the blog, and I’m even more certain that print dresses will be a big trend in Harare pretty soon (I have already spotted quite a few printed frocks, and I’m soo glad the trend is finally taking flight). This post focuses on the NGOSI wrap dress which was a huge highlight for me on Sunday (24 August 2014), as I took the dress from Day to Night; with two looks that I’m going to share in this post. And I will honestly say I was truly a highlight as everyone kept complementing the dress – a lovely feminine print if I must say so myself :).

Pretty in PINK

I love the colour pink, and I’m not ashamed to say I own a few pink pieces in my closet (check out Pink Nostalgia here). So when I had the “AHA” moment of styling this dress in pink, it was a visionary ‘Modern African Princess’ (this is the theme I was going for). I paired the frock with some of my favourite pieces, keeping in mind to match with the colours on the dress:

1. Pink blazer from Truworths Zimbabwe – this is my go-to blazer that doesn’t let me down and looks good with just about anything.

2. Pink head band from Bling Bling – Lost accessory but found right in time for this look.

3. Silver Bubble choker – great solid colour that works with just about anything, and adds a quirky/edgy pizazz to any look.

4. Zara Black tote – I personally think totes are great to carry anything and for an uber stylish feel; bonus points if it’s black because black is a neutral colour that blends in with anything.

5. Black pumps – since I took this look to church, pumps where the preferred shoe choice to keep it neat and polished for the church environment.

6. MrP Sunglasses – I don’t think any outfit is complete without sunglasses, and this particular pair is a go-to favourite, #BigAndBoldSunglasses.

You can't go wrong with Black accessories.

African Themed Wedding

Later in the day I took the dress to an African themed wedding; #NaijaZimWedding – which was absolutely beautiful at the Wild Geese Lodge. Although a lot of the reception party took a modern route to dressing for the ceremony – I was glad I was one of the few who opted to go African. There’s soo much I can describe of Wild Geese Lodge but it will take two good blogposts because I wouldn’t want to leave out any detail. But I will say the lodge is a great recommendation for any wedding, conferences or party – with a 10 km radius out of Harare, if you are coming from Harare drive.

For the evening I switched from pink to black and gold, with a black peplum jacket form Jet, Gold Envelope clutch from Sapatos and black sandals from MrP. I kept the silver neckpiece and the sunglasses, whilst my hair went from sleek pushback in the morning to a low pony tail for the evening. I must say I loved the sunset over the lodge that it was a perfect scenery for a photoshoot by the stairs of one of the buildings – a hazy but golden light as the sun goes down. An “African sunset” it was.

That beautiful African sunset.

Forgive my poor home pedicure but these MrP sandals are too adorable!

Scenes From the Wedding

With that said, I hope this post has inspired you to invest in a print dress this season, because with these two looks in one day – I guarantee you there are a ton of ways to style and rock a printed frock for the summer!

With these two looks, I want know to know which one is your fave NGOSIKADZI Wrap Dress style? Sound off and share your thoughts.

Stay Gorgeous,

Tendai Sophia.

NGOSIKADZI tent dress rocked Casual!

The third look from the blog’s NGOSIKADZI collabo, and the second look with the Ngosi tent dress is given a casual twist. In the last post we focused on an Evening glam look with the printed frock – downplaying the accessories with red, black and gold which complemented the dress’s vibrant colours. This time I’ve given the frock a casual day look which really centres around a good day in the African sun, whilst keeping trendy and chic.

How I Styled It – The GLAM Project Way

This time around I focused on comfort and being chic in the sun, so I paired the dress with black leggings, black scarf as a head wrap, favourite oversized Mr. Price sunnies, Marie Claire tote from Bata shoes, gold bracelet from Bling Bling and silver neckpiece also from Bling Bling. Inspiration for this look pretty much drew from my constant movement with public transport using kombis and taxis to get around. I always believe comfort is key and sometimes I’m in the mood to wear a dress, feel cute but at the same time appropriate. With fashion trends being a big down factor in Harare streets – it is sometimes suresafe to tone it down but still be uber stylish - (This is just my verdict, people have different experiences and I have my own).

What I Love About the Tent dress!

In the last post I mentioned how much I adore this dress; and here are some of the reasons why:

1. It is a light frock with the loudest and boldest print - The design boosts strong accents of reds and oranges, which makes the dress super exciting and different for a fun loving personality.

2. The dress is also great for colour co-ordination (and I love to co-ordinate in quirky ways); if you wish to incorporate with red, orange, blue and yellow. But keep these colours to your accessories, so that the dress is the centre of attention.

3. The dress reminds me of a 60s era! And I’m all about Nostalgia and good ol’ classic fashion – but this dress has a modern twist which is the PRINT. Remember in the last post I spoke of the added features of the V neck slit at the back and pockets?! Yep, this dress has got that IT factor!

GLAM Project Tip: take this dress from day to night by throwing on a nude/neutral cardi and switch the sandals for a summer thong wedge! It’s that simple.

Live, Love Print Fashion

Tendai Sophia.

NGOSIKADZI Casual Look:
Black Leggings
Black scarf as head wrap
Black and Gold sandals from Mr. Price (Now MRP)
Marie Claire tote from Bata Shoes
Gold Bracelet from Bling Bling
Oversized sunnies
Silver Neckpiece also from Bling

The GLAM Project – NGOSIKADZI Evening Look

Beyond excited to bring back this project, after a mini hiatus. I always love a good styling challenge and giving it my Signature look. With the continuation of The GLAM Project ZW and NGOSIKADZI collabo, I bring you the NGOSIKADZI tent dress which is very bold, colourful and too cute for words. Now if memory serves well, the GLAM Project ZW - NGOSIKADZI collabo covers two Kitenge print dresses. The first being the NGOSIKADZI wrap dress back in June, which I styled appropriately for an evening look, with boots and all!

The second dress is this cute but super bold tent dress that has a plunging V neck at the back and pockets in the hem sides. I styled this dress for an evening look with some added quirkiness. With such a strong print, it’s only natural that the dress has to do all the attention grabbing. I paired the frock with a black cropped jacket, black stalkings, black scarf (tied as a head wrap), red heels (to pick up the accents of red on the dress), a gold envelope clutch from Sapatos (again this helps to match with the yellow and orange accents on the dress) and a gold with black neckpiece from Bling Bling in Harare.

Now seeing that this is an evening look, it makes it perfect to stand out on a Night Out On The Town, a romcom with the girls or even a subtle date. Personally, this is my favourite dress and I can see it going pretty much anywhere this upcoming Spring/Summer – especially with the Casual pairing and warm summer nights (Coming up soon on the blog).

Now, how would your style this sassy little frock? Sound off and let me know, because there are soo many ways to style and play around with print!

Lots of Love,

Tendai Sophia

NGOSIKADZI Look:
Paisley print tent dress
Black cropped jacket
Black stalkings
Black scarf as head wrap
Red heels
Gold clutch
Black and Gold neckpiece
Sunnies for an added touch 

NB: Don’t be left out of The GLAM Project ZW styling and NGOSIKADZI dresses by purchasing your very own NGOSIKADZI tent dress or Wrap dress at $25.00 on the Concrete Jungle NGOSIKADZI online store or email robynchaibva@gmail.com to make an order!

The GLAM Project Collaboration with Concrete Jungle NGOSIKADZI

The GLAM Project is my blog styling venture, which focuses on affordable, fun and chic fashion straight from myself. It’s something that I’ve been working on for quite a while now, and if you check links on the blog and on twitter, you can see a lot of my outfit posts have the hashtag #TheGLAMProject. The GLAM Project is really my story of styling clothing in an economy where fashion is linked to a lot of cheap imports, expensive goods and the tailor becoming your best friend to alter and design your preferred clothing. This is where The GLAM Project comes in, I try to link all of the fashion problems I face and create something exciting out of the negative – I don’t believe in turning a blind eye to something that could be potentially good; if and only IF you choose to change it.

With The GLAM Project I channel that through fashion, by mixing and matching, scouting around town for good finds and sometimes giving in the sacrifice to invest in a good piece that lasts long in my closet. So The GLAM Project is really my journey to creating classy, sophisticated, edgy and chic fashion in the streets of Harare. 

Earlier this month The GLAM Project took on its first collaboration with Concrete Jungle NGOSIKADZI (renamed from Concrete Jungle Fashion) to bring you two of Ngosikadzi African print dresses in Dutch wax African print, with the fabric texture being Kitenge from East Africa. Now this is a first blogger style collaboration so expect it to be super fun, affordable, chic and directly to YOU! The dresses in question are in two modern styles; the classic wrap design embodied by renowned international designer Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF), who introduced the dress in the 1970s. The tent dress is the second dress from Ngosikadzi that has a V neck slit at the back and embodies a 60s shift dress silhouette.

For each of the two dresses I will be giving you 3 looks in the following categories; a casual look, glam look and a quirky look – which runs down to a total of 6 looks. These looks will be flowing onto the blog for the rest of June and into the month of July with fun tips and suggestions coming from you!

Since African print is a really big trend right now, it’s only feasible to incorporate it into the winter season with fun and feminine ways of layering, which will also show bits n’ pieces of my personality.

With that said, my mission for this GLAM Project is to show support to our own designers and the textile industry, so any queries or questions OR how you wish to be featured on the blog as an emerging/upcoming designer, do email me or Tatenda with signaturetoscie@gmail.com or Tatenda with cjfashionzim@gmail.com.

The Wrap Dress – Casual Look

This wrap dress is absolutely super cute with the bold print and the little heart details. The fabric is a bit light for the winter season, so I did some super layering with a chunky knit cowl neck from Edgars, which picks up the strong red and purple detail very well. I let the dress speak for itself by toning down the rest of my look with a black peplum jacket, black stalkings and black ankle boots to keep warm. My personal favourite sunglasses to finish the look, and a bold watch to add a personal touch. What’s beautiful about the wrap dress is its timeless factor – it’s a go to piece that comes in many silhouettes, whether flared (like this one), straight, A-line, knee length or maxi long; as well as in different sleeves (this one in particular is sleeve less). You can take it from day to night, from the office to the happy hour and should be an important piece in a woman’s closet just like the LBD and LWD.

Yours with The GLAM Project,

Tendai Sophia!