speak.

all images from style.com

a few of my FAVORITE LOOKS from PARIS: stella mccartney. isabel marant. dries von noten (my favorite runway show this season). chloe. haider ackermann. lanvin. ysl. valentino (the blue dress)

Q & A :

WOW- some of these questions were very thought provoking.

You guys are amazing.

Keep on asking if you want... i will answer anything!

I want to know if you go to school or work??

*I am getting my degree in Consumer Science and Specialization in Clothing Management, but because I was almost on my way to becoming a Social Worker I still have 2 more years to go! So I study full-time, but am definitely looking for a part-time job or internship.

my question is...do all of your friends and family know you manage a blog???



* I would say halfsies! My immediate family knows as do my best girlfriends, but because we are so close and open it gets discussed and passed on unintentionally. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

*I have two GLORIOUS siblings:

*Brother, Mark, 26 & Sister, Krista, 21

*They are my best friends and I could not be more blessed.

I want to know what you are planning to do for a living, after you've finished school?

* I would love to be a free-lance stylist, trend-scouter, buyer + mom…i loooove kids. but not at this exact moment.

My question is do you work in fashion ? if yes in what exactly 

* No, not yet but will in a few years, although I am looking for something fashion related right now.

Question: What or who inspires you?

* love. Family+friends+God. Catwalks. Model style. Flowers. parisians. Books. editorials. Magazines. Other men + woman. blogs. lookbooks. Traveling. Nyc…. Pretty much anything & everything!

I was wondering why you moved to South Africa?.

* This is quite the story- but to sum it up L-O-V-E.

brace yourself.

* Here is the run-down: I was a dancer my whole life, therefore after completion of grade 12 I knew I wanted to use my life of dance for something more. With this goal in mind I auditioned for Royal Caribbean Cruise lines and became one of 8 dancers aboard the Enchantment of the Seas. I completed a year contract and during my last two months on board, I met “HIM”… he was also working on board too ( not a dancer!) and the rest was history. We watched a movie one night and stayed up chatting the whole night. At that moment I KNEW ( I know it sounds cheesy, but I did ) Anyways, he was born + bred in Cape Town, South Africa. Therefore we jumped on the long distance relationship train and did so for 2 years ( I went to SA once, and he came to Canada 3 times ) After 2 LOOOOOONG years one of us had to make a move. Since he was specializing for 5 years, I packed up my bags and have been here ever since ( 4 years)… Still to this day I do not believe I live in Africa!


my question: By that you inspire to do your looks? Some day in the morning have you woken yourself up without being able dress like? 
:)



*well I definitely do not photograph everything ;) I am a sucker for big vintage T’s and jeans.

*usually it is the weather. Magazines. My mood. just my all around feeling.

I notice you eat a lot of sushi, what's your favorite? I'm a big sushi fan myself.

*SHITAKE MUSHROOM MAKI! 

Best parts of Canada VS Best parts of South Africa!

*CANADA- PROS: family + friends (#1) & everything that comes with them. 4 distinct seasons. Cheaper clothes. Snowboarding + mountains. No excess shipping fees. Starbucks. The smell of spring. Ikea for cheap thrills. The first snowfall. Closer to nyc. Recycle more. Availability of fashion magazines. Soaking up the summer.

CONS: WINTER for half the year ( and not only winter but -30 temps!). winter driving. 4 hour drive from the mountains. Antifreeze. 2 month summer. Thunderstorms (insanely scared). tornado's.

*SOUTH AFRICA- PROS: my heart is here. beach beach beach. 2-3 month “winters”. Culture + diversity. Summer concerts in Kirstenbosch. Table mountain. Camps bay. The family beach house. Vineyards. Fresh flowers in our garden 365 days a year. the emerging fashion scene. 

CONS: crime + poverty. orphaned children (it breaks my heart). the deep chill during winter. Having to be EXTRA cautious of my purse. Expensive online shopping shipping. 

i wanted to know how long you've lived in cape town and what is life like there? do other people dress as fashionable as you? =)

*4 crazy years!

*There is so much culture here that the fashion scene is extremely diverse. Everything from the traditional African wear, to the super wealthy sporting designer wear. Fashion here is so exciting, but since South Africa is still considered a third world country, the scene is still quite small, and does not even compare to the commercialism of north america.

what's the deal with your jetting back and forth between cold canada and SA? 

*My heart belongs to Canada AND South Africa, but Cape Town is now my home! 

I have three questions and a request:

Questions:
-What are five basic, key pieces you think every girl should own?


*giant CLUTCH

*KILLER heels (any style) but ones that make you feel sexy & confident.

*a FOUNDATIONAL outfit → weather it be: all black OR jeans + T OR trousers + a striped shirt OR cut-offs + tanks… a solid foundation that allows you to feel comfortable & you, which leaves wiggle room to add + dress up or if you are not in the mood, just being able to rock the basics with comfort.

*JEANS

*BLAZER

-If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

*My beautiful mother who passed away in 2003…to ask her all the things I never got a chance to.


-You have such gorgeous hair, why do you always wear it up?


*Bottom line: I am hair lazy. I do not own a blow dryer, straightner, brush or any hair product! SO I usually just air dry, and put it up, easy peasy. 


Request: Can you do one of those inside of your purse posts?

*YES of course, I will get on that super soon.

This is a question I'd really love for you to answer.

What do you think about the modelling industry? And the overall pressure to conform to Aryan beauty? I think it's important that you answer these, I do not think you realize how much of a positive influence you can make.

*I definitely have lots of feelings + thoughts about the modeling industry, but I do not want to get too into it or else I will write forever. But coming from the dancing world which I think has some of the same principles of conforming to a certain image, it can get quite scary as competition runs rampant. BUT in the end, as sad as it is sometimes EVERYTHING comes down to business & money. Producing a show and displaying a collection which buyers want to purchase & stock, profit, paying rent, making a living. SO what we see is such a small part of the industry. I think we cannot take it too seriously and just hope that each individual, from designer to model, is doing what is best for them, as it's truly out of our control. It is saddens me to see some of these images, which I know are being viewed by young teenage girls which can greatly strip them of their teenage years, and even ends up taking lives. Who is to blame? Can we even point fingers? AH. At the end we can only lead a truly authentic life for who God made us to be, and just pray and hope.

Who is someone that has inspired you that is blissfully unaware of the impact they've made on you?

*My boyfriend, Ian.

*He truly is an inspiration to me & has a heart of gold. 

* Everyone falls in love with him instantly.

*I have never met anyone with such a passion for what they do, his never failing love everyone in his life and the true unselfishness he displays everyday. His profession is killer & life saving and I admire his genuine & humble self

ah. sorry for gushing.



Where would you like to settle and live with your own family one day?

*I can definitely settle here in Cape Town, but could live in many places : Canada, Australia, New Zealand, New York… but will probably end up staying here & we have heaps of travel plans for the future! 


What is your favourite comfort food?

*Homemade pizza & cereal + bananas (peanut butter puffins, cheerios, crispix) & butternut/sweet potato fries & veggie burgers.

What do you do to keep fit? I notice you have impressive calf muscles!

*I hike with the dog + do yoga ( power, vinyasa, bikram) + jog sporadically.

*I danced for a good 18 years, but honestly my leg muscles are genetic, as I had the same legs at the age of 5! I was actually ridiculed in middle school for my legs, as they were a tad too “ripped” for a young lady ( seriously, they called me man legs!!!)

would you rather have all of kaiser karl's rings OR one pair of crazy designer shoes ? 
(cl for rodarte, nicholas kirkwood, chanel gun heels .. etc)




*SHOES without a doubt→ YES PLEASE to a pair of structured Nicholas Kirkwood’s 

i wanted to ask you if you have a job or how do you spend your time, what do you like to do in your spare time?


*I am not working at the moment, but am definitely searching…

*Things I love to do: anything with the boy + drinking tea/homemade espresso coffee + reading (books. Magazines. Newspapers) + lounging by the pool (spf 100) + hiking with Romeo + hanging with the girlfriends + interior decorating + yoga + vintage hunting + movies of all kind + learning to sew ( for school & I am taking evening classes! ) + walks on the beach + weekend sleep-ins + skype dates with my fam + friends + making veggie meals for me & the man + church + weekends at the beach house… ah so much.

Um, lets, see, I love films and music so much so...

What are some of your favorite films?
Favorite musicians and bands?


*FILMS: dirty dancing. Sixteen candles. Breakfast at tiffanys. ROCKY (thanks to my brother). Girls just want to have fun. Into the wild. Sleepless in seattle. Money can’t buy me love. Shawshank redemption. Love actually. Tsotsi. Nobody’s perfect… I have a gross obsession with 80’s flicks. 

*MUSIC: the strokes. Missy Higgins. Flyleaf. dashboard confessional. stars. tegan & sarah. Angels and airwaves. Bloc party. Goo goo dolls. Metric. The postal service. Secondhand serenade. Carla bruni. Justin nozuka. Jimmy eat world. City and colour. Matt nathanson. Sia … + heaps more. It IS WAY to difficult to pick a favourite!

I lack the confidence to try new things? any ideas?

* confidence is key. be proud of who you are. we are all unique + special. A smile. Dress for yourself, if you love it, that is all that matters. Express yourself from the inside out. Clothing is only such a small part of who we are, so HAVE FUN & do not take anything too seriously. Just be you.


What do you do to stay fit?

* walk. Hike. Yoga. Jog a couple times a week. 

What is your three top beauty tips?

* SPF (save your skin)

* eye cream (it is never too early !)

* H20 + green & roobios tea = hydration is key

5 fave items of clothing/accessories?


*bag – all sizes ( but favorites. Miu miu + Alexander wang… still aching for the PS1)

*sunglasses – love my raybans + persols

*my gold mens timex

*frye biker boots

*all my American apparel basics (!!!)

You look tall,but in a good way, are you tall? 

* I am about 5 8 ½ 

what were you like as a kid? were you shy, outgoing, etc? how is that different from how you are now? 

*I was a super shy girl!!!

*I used to be afraid to order food on my own or approach someone to ask a question! But I did/do have a loud voice ;) 

*I always had heaps of energy and wanted to be nice to everyone! 

* I was also one of those "mature for her age" girls... I was silly, but never walked down the wrong side of the road ( teachers pet ;) )

* NOW- I have gained much more confidence which stemmed from my ship contract. I had just turned 17 and delved right into the professional dance scene, which forced me to break out of my shy-shell and discover who I am. Which is still continuing to this day...

Oh and who is your favorite musical group?

*I seriously can’t pick just one! I find so many bands + artists have played an important role through my transitions in my life . It almost feels like I have a soundtrack for each phase of my life...

how did you dress as a child? (are we talking girly-girl or tomboy ;)?

* I think I was BOTH! I definitely nurtured the girly side of me, through ballet & dancing, but I loved my jeans + overalls. I used to steal my brothers plaids & would not let my mom do my hair as I loved the “messy” look. 

tell us all more about your workout routine! yoga? running? weren't you training for a marathon a while back?

* I was  going to complete a portion of a triathlon but had an injury! BUT I honestly was not that fit going into it, so maybe my injury was a sign. I now just hike. walk. and do yoga, which I LOVE. I sometimes take a bikram class or just practice at home through online yoga classes ( they are intense!!!)

You mentioned earlier that you are Ukrainian - as am I. Is your family Ukrainian and have you been there?

* Not yet, but I hope to go one day soon.

* Both of my grandparents were born in Ukraine, therefore both of my parents are Ukrainian. We spoke it growing up and we all went to a bilingual school from 7 years. I sadly lost a lot of my language skills, but as a family we still celebrate all of the holidays, and it is something I hold very close to my heart and am 100% Ukrainian.