{OUT & ABOUT} | Hyde Park Corner Hosts the Rotary Art Festival

The Rotary Arts Festival is a hugely anticipated and esteemed event on Johannesburg’s art calendar and for 17 years Hyde Park Corner has hosted it. This year is no exception and from the 2^nd to the 12^th of June you can experience it curated throughout the centre’s upper, middle and lower mall.

“The 2016 arts festival promises to expand the concept with more workshops and music. It sees the exciting launch of a Portrait Competition. The participatory aspect of the popular art-making workshops is educational and art lovers can learn about how their favourite artists work,” says Joan Sainsbury, the festival event organiser and Curator.

The Festival began with a portrait competition which was awarded to 47models – Paul and the Austin by Cathy Verheul at one of Hyde Park Corner’s iconic, dazzling evenings.

You can view the artworks in Hyde Park Corner in these spaces

·         Guest artists – Centre court

·         Bag Factory – Lower mall (2^nd floor)

·         Botanical group – Upper mall (6^th floor)

·         Figures&Form – Middle mall (4^th floor)

·         Miniature artists – Upper mall (6^th floor)

·         Photography – Upper mall (6^th floor)

·         Printmaking – Upper mall (6^th floor)

·         Watercolour(IWSSA)– Upper mall (6^th floor)

With the 30% commission that is generated from sales, the Rotary Club of Rosebank contributes meaningfully to charitable institutions and youth development training.

Also don’t forget to get your latest issue of Destiny and Destiny Man. With Tony Gum and Nelson Makamo (he was one of the judges for the portrait competition too) gracing the covers in a magnificent shout-out to everything creative and unique; you don’t want to miss this one!

The Rotary Arts Festival runs from the 2^nd to the 12^th of June 2016 at Hyde Park Corner, Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg.

Images of artwork supplied by Zebra Square and Hyde Park Corner

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{OUT & ABOUT} | Taste of Waterfall

Last week Shuaib and I attended a really chic; denim and white picnic at Waterfall Corner. The Taste of Waterfall was a stylish showcase for all the scrumptious food that you can find and devour at Waterfall Corner.

The “picnic” was a collection of white tables; ornamented with lovely blue accents. We were going to be fed by Vovo Telo, Yamada Sushi, Mio Col’cacchio, Remo’s, Wakaberry, The Raj and Life Grand Café. It was so great to see my fashion family when I arrived but I just couldn’t keep my eyes off Life Grand Café’s dreamy looking dessert installation table. More on that in a bit ;)

The tasting began with delicious, freshly baked artisanal breads from Vovo Telo. I particularly enjoyed the sourdough and coconut loaf. We were then treated to a large selection of exquisitely crafted sushi from Yamada Sushi. The California rolls were absolutely to-die-for!

This was followed by a few meat options that we, of course, had to skip. We then tucked into Remo’s scrumptious deep fried risotto balls stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and topped with basil pesto and a balsamic reduction. I could have eaten an entire bucket full of those!

Wakaberry treated us to some energizing, zesty lemon sorbet with peach popping pearls before the savoury platter from The Raj. The cheese and corn samosas were crispy and full of flavour and the onion pakoras were crunchy and had the perfect fiery punch.

Dessert was outright heaven. From Remo’s; there were platters of freshly made mini cronuts. Wakaberry gave us bowls of frozen yoghurt in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, litchi and English toffee flavours. And what is fro-yo without toppings?! They also provided loads of toppings to personalize our yoghurt including crushed Oreo cookies, candies and almonds.

The pièce de résistance was, of course, the dessert table constructed by Life Grand Café. There were mini cheesecakes, pannacottas, mini meringues stuffed with caramelized figs, peppermint and white chocolate bark, cake pops, brownies, strawberry pots and a Croquembouche. I didn’t think I’d manage to eat any more but I surprised myself by truly doing justice to the desserts!

Naturally I could barely move after that meal! I had to roll into the car where I might have napped a little while being driven home ;)

Now that I’ve had a taste of Waterfall Corner i can recommend it to you too. It’s a lovely, relaxed setting that’s perfect for a brunch date or lunch with the girls!

Waterfall Corner is at the corner of Woodmead and Maxwell Drive, Midrand.

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{OOTD} | The Last Days of Summer

Shoes – Flossy | Jeans – H&M |Top – Forever 21 | Necklace – MrP (old)

The weather has been inexplicably blazing hot despite us being well into the Fall. I long for the cool air (and an opportunity to wear my coats and pashminas) but I’m also trying to make the most of the warmth by exploring my city.

I snapped these photos while out at 27 Boxes in Melville. It’s a very casual outfit that can be dressed up with heels and accessories. The top is quite simple, but the text on the back adds some character.

In this “look” I chose to wear comfy flats from Flossy. Flossy is a shoe brand that originated in the Rioja region of Spain where the shoes are still produced today. The loafers were worn by artists and sailing enthusiasts of Barcelona and the Bealeric Islands who wore them across the Mediterranean.

Flossy shoes are not just your average loafers though; they come in all sorts of lovely fabrics textures and prints. You can get a basic pair in bright or pastel shades or you can be a bit more quirky with bold prints like tropical flowers, leopard print and liquorice allsorts (!!!).

Each pair also smells lovely and sweet like cotton candy, so you don’t have to worry about wearing them all day. I’m keen to wear my Flossys when I travel because they are so practical and comfy but also look uber stylish. I’ll definitely wear them on the airplane and while sightseeing.

Have a look for yourself on www.flossy.co.za . They also have free delivery which is a total win!

I hope you all have an awesome week!

Until next time

“When bad things happen, I know you want to believe they are a joke, but sometimes life is scary and dark. That is why we must find the light” –BMO (Adventure Time)

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

{OOTD} | Don’t War. Do Fashion

T-Shirt – ZARA | Coat – Second-Hand Store | Jeans – ZARA | Heels –Legit | Glasses – Dior

The world looks like a mess today. War is tearing through the Middle East, terrorism is a very real and frightening threat and presidential candidates are basing their entire campaigns on fear and hate.

Pop culture also seems to be telling us not to get along. Batman vs. Superman, Kanye vs. Taylor (and Deadmau5 and and and…), Tony Stark vs. Captain America.

In fashion though, I find creativity, diversity, art and love and it gives me hope.

About This Outfit:

This is my “lucky coat” because I found it at a second-hand store and it fitted me like a glove. I couldn’t wait for the very first slightly cold day so I could wear it!

In this outfit I wore it with bootleg jeans, a statement tee and black lace up heels. I think this is going to be a base for my signature look throughout fall.

Until next time

“Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.” – Alexander McQueen

Love and sparkles

Zaakira x

{OUT & ABOUT} | EB Social Kitchen

The Exclusive Books in Hyde Park has always been one of my favourite spaces. I could get lost for hours in all the books and I’d often visit if I needed a little mood pick-me-up. When I heard it was closing for renovation I panicked at the idea of not having my space for a few months but I also felt a hint of eagerness at the prospect of something new.

The product of the renovation was something way beyond what I had expected. The warm, welcoming feeling of the books still there, but now there is an added section; bathed in gorgeous natural light and filled with delicious food. The Social Kitchen is actually built into the existing Exclusive Books from an old parking lot and boasts spectacular views of the city.

The kitchen is headed up by Russell Armstrong who has worked in many Michelin starred restaurants including Le Gavroche in London. The menu is created around the idea of sharing and the flavours are very complex and interesting. My favourite is the grilled chermoula marinated fish with saffron new potatoes and spiced tomato coulis. Yum!

If you love experimental food you will love The Social Kitchen. If you don’t, it’s still the perfect place for an enriching bit of me time or a date with a friend or two. Sip a Moroccan mint tea and page through some literature with a wonderful view of the city!

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

P.S if you love food (who doesn’t?!) look out for something super exciting that I am launching at the end of the month. 

{OOTD} | French Fried

 Sleeveless Coat – MrP Project | T-shirt – Soda Bloc | Leggings – Woolworths | Boots – ZARA | Quilted Bag – Chinatown | Necklace – 32 Clothing | Sunglasses – ZARA

Hi lovelies! As you can see, today I took my Furfrou out for a walk ;) Furfrou is a Pokemon based on a huge French poodle. If you manage to catch one, you can take it and have it styled in many different ways. They’re usually quite large in size, sometimes bigger than the trainer!

The transitioning of seasons is my favourite dress up time of the year. Unfortunately this year we went straight from icy Winter to scorching Summer. That didn’t stop me from wearing the clothes though and this is one of pre-summer looks.

As you probably already know, I love monochrome. It’s really chic and it works for any season but it is especially perfect for the in between.

Because of this adorable t-shirt I decided to go a little bit French with the outfit. The tee is from Soda Bloc which is new store by the Foschini Group. They actually cater for teens but they have the cutest pieces and the size 30 or 32 fits me perfectly. Statement tees are fun and quirky and you can work them on their own or under cardigans and jackets too.

Leggings and boots are also key pieces for the seasonal transition. These boots have really gotten some great wear over Winter and I think they’re going to be on my feet until the very last cool day.

Sleeveless coats like this one are really in right now and they’re perfect if you just aren’t ready to bare your shoulders yet. It’s also a really chic piece to finish off an outfit.

Add some statement sunnies, a pretty quilted bag and your straight out of the grooming parlour Furfrou and you are good to go! ;)

Until next time

“Bad days are best forgotten over French fries” - Unknown

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox