The End Of An Era! Gisele Bundchen Set To Retire From The Runway.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, the world’s top-earning model, will take her final sashay down the catwalk at Sao Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW), the same event where she made her debut 20 years ago.

The 34-year-old Brazilian bombshell announced last month she was retiring from runway modeling, saying she wanted to spend more time with her husband, New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady, and their two children, Benjamin and Vivian.

“My body tells me if what I do is worth it, and it asked to stop. I respect my body, it’s a privilege to be able to stop,” she told Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

She will continue modeling off the runway and promoting her lingerie line, Gisele Bundchen Intimates, launched in 2011 for the Brazilian label Hope.

Her final runway show, for Brazilian label Colcci, is a symbolic return to her roots. Bundchen and SPFW were both just starting out two decades ago when she had her first show there, taking the runway for local label Zoomp at 14 years old. It was the start of big things for Bundchen, who went on to model for major fashion houses such as Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, Carolina Herrera, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Versace and Victoria’s Secret.

According to Forbes magazine, she has been the highest-paid model in the world for the past eight years, with $47 million in earnings last year. Only recently, she signed her largest ever contract – worth more than $25 million, according to Forbes with US sports apparel firm Under Armour.

“It’s marvelous she’s leaving the runway at a moment when she’s at the height of her powers. It’s an intelligent decision,” said Dilson Stein, the talent scout who discovered Bundchen in 1994 during a modeling workshop in the small city of Horizontina, in her native state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Bundchen began her career when the so-called “heroin chic” of pale, angular models like Kate Moss was the prevailing aesthetic in high fashion. By 1999, she became the face of what Vogue magazine, splashing her across its cover, called “The return of the sexy model.”

Stein remembers being wowed by the willowy girl of German descent, with her long blonde hair, sun-kissed skin and athletic build.

“I saw something in her. I knew she would be the great model of the future,” he told AFP.

Bundchen is now expected to turn her focus to print ad campaigns.

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Rimmel London To Add A Splash Of Colour To SA Fashion Week

Move over Red Carpet season, fashion week season is almost here! With the highly anticipated SA Fashion Week Spring/Summer Collections fast approaching, designers and fashionistas alike are gearing up for SA’s premier fashion showcase. Besides the designs, make-up has grown to become an essential thread to runway shows today, which is why fashion-forward and leading global brand, Rimmel London, is -thrilled to be associated with the platform that aims to showcase how great make-up complements great fashion.

Ever the trendsetter, Rimmel London’s partnership with SA Fashion Week is set to highlight the cosmetics brand’s sexy edge and daring street-chic personality. Synonymous with iconic ambassadors Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger and creative partner Rita Ora, this year, the brand promises a fusion of high fashion with effervescent colour, from vibrant lips, the -striking eye to electrifying nails, further showcasing its colour strength.

“As a brand that believes in fashion with no rules, we are thrilled to be adding a splash of colour, to this year’s SA Fashion Week Spring/Summer Collection showcase, the London way. The collaboration between Rimmel London and SA Fashion Week is quintessential and resonates with the brand’s philosophy of embracing the fashion-forward, modern woman, who is always on the go. Additionally, fashion and beauty go hand-in-hand, and for the trendy Rimmel consumer, fashion is at the core of their ever-demanding lives.”, expressed Fahima Saban, Senior Brand Manager for Rimmel London in South Africa.

“We pride ourselves in partnering with brands that believe in supporting and elevating the local creative industry. Having Rimmel London as a partner further re-entrenches our commitment to providing a platform that allows for innovation and creativity to ensue”, added Lucilla Booyzen, Director of SA Fashion Week.

Rimmel London’s ethos of “Beauty with Attitude” mashed with South Africa’s diverse culture and hugely nonconformist expressive nature, will be sure to delight guests with gripping runway presentations during this season’s showcase. “We look forward to seeing how local designers will incorporate the Rimmel London colour splash to add a fun, playful and edgy twist to their respective collections”, concluded Saban.

 

Lights, Camera, Fashion! Get the London Look at SA Fashion Week S/S 2015!

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Marianne Fassler to show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2015

 

 

Fashion Week Favourite Returns To Runway

One of South Africa’s most enduring and award-winning designers, Marianne Fassler, will show her new Autumn/Winter collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2015 on 5 March, 19h15.

As head designer for Leopard Frock, known for her use of bright colours and daring prints, Marianne Fassler has an aesthetic which has been described as an idiosyncratic and unique fusion of Johannesburg vibrancy and African-traditional design.

“The Winter 2015 collection is all about colour. The studio has been exploring new crafting techniques using raw South African Angora wool mohair and hand dyed pure silks to create lightweight warmth and cosiness,” says Fassler about her latest collection.

Having worked as a designer for more than two decades, few people have left such an indelible mark on the South African fashion landscape and it is this reputation which Marianne Fassler – who was also named Designer of the Year at the 2014 AFI Africa Fashion Awards – continues to demonstrate whenever her creations are sent down the fashion week runway.

With design greats like Marianne Fassler continuing to produce cutting-edge design, and platforms like AFI Fastrack and AFI Next Generation launching young talent, it is no surprise that South African fashion is developing at an unprecedented pace and gaining international attention in the process.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg, the country’s leading winter/autumn collection fashion event, will run from March 5-7 at Johannesburg’s premier shopping destination, Melrose Arch.

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Star SA designer Gert-Johan Coetzee adds more glamour to Magnum Joburg

Dynamic duo Jonathan Boyton-Lee and Bonang Matheba

South African designer to the stars Gert-Johan Coetzee has partnered with Magnum Joburg to add even more glamour to the store, which opened at The Zone in Rosebank on 1 November. Coetzee, a multiple award-winning fashion designer who has dressed everyone from international stars Kelly Rowland, Kourtney Kardashian and Kristen Cavallari, to a host of glamorous locals including Lira, Joelle Kayembe, Jay Anstey, Cindy Nell, Basetsane Khumalo, Shashi Naidoo and Louise Carver, dressed Bonang Matheba when she co-presented the official Magnum Joburg opening event on 29 October with Jonathan Boynton-Lee.

Jonathan Boytnon-Lee with Bonang on the Magnum red carpet

Having already wowed New York, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Paris and Istanbul, the Magnum Pleasure Store opened in Johannesburg for 8 weeks on 1 November, and gives you the chance to customise your own Magnum and share the glamour of a quarter century of pleasure with fashion shows, jewellery displays and VIP events hosted by the country’s hottest celebrities.

In keeping with the glamour of Magnum Joburg, Gert-Johan Coetzee promised to deliver a truly special creation for Bonang. “Magnum is all about indulgence and was my inspiration for Bonang’s gown,” he said. “I planned a dress that literally dripped in luxury”.

Fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee on the Magnum Red Carpet

 At only 26, Gert-Johan is one of SA’s most loved, well-known and respected fashion designers. His red-carpet couture is worn by celebs on TV shows and at all SA’s major events from the SAMAs, J&B Met and MTV Africa Music Awards, to the You Spectacular and Miss World. He has shown at international Fashion Weeks in Canada, Angola and Nigeria and has a growing following in Africa.

Bonang designing her own very own Magnum

There are also a host of other surprise pop-up experiences planned at Magnum Joburg – and the only way to get exclusive access is to stay engaged on facebook.com/MagnumSouthAfrica and keep your eyes peeled in the press! You can also follow @MagnumSA on Twitter and share the pleasure via #MakeMyMagnumSA.

Join Magnum and celebrate 25 years of pleasure your own way, by visiting Magnum Joburg at The Zone in Rosebank until 8pm every day (Sundays til 5pm) from 1 November.  The Make My Magnum experience costs R40, which includes your choice of 3 premium toppings.

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