Rainy Day, Boots & Benzes - Dr Martens

Dr. Martens is a British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs.

Dr. Martens were invented in the 1945 by a couple of Germans- Dr. Martens and Funck (engineer). Apparently Marten had a skiing accident injuring his foot. To make things easier whilst it healed, he and an engineering friend Dr. Funck set about developing a shoe with an air cushioned sole- one that would be comfy yet durable. Funck suggested selling these shoes to others, as they had sold well to around Germany.

In 1958, Bill Grigg's spotted an ad in Shoe Record by Martens and Funck. They were looking for overseas companies to produce their unique sole. The Grigg family then acquired global rights to use the air cushioned sole.(Bet they are counting their dollars and thanking the beer god for that decision!). So their factory in Wollaston-Northamptonshire (England) started making the boots and shoes as we know today. The first boot was produced on the 1st April 1960, hence it's name, the1460. "Airwair- with Bouncing Soles" comes from a doddle Bill Grigg had made.

The emergence of the skinhead movement saw the first adoption by a British subculture of Dr. Martens boot. In 1968/69 skinheads wore concealed steel toe caps. Steel caps were often polished or painted white, though they were classed as offensive weapons so Dr. Martens soon banished these other styles.

The 8 eyelet Air Wear brown was by far the most popular with the laces drawn through the heel tag and the trousers high enough to reveal it. Black Dr. Martens virtually were never worn until well into 1969/70. It became a fad in early 1970 and brown boots were often dyed black. As the year went on Dr Martens developed many other styles but the 8 hole and 11 hole seemed to be the most popular with Skins preferring the ox-blood and cherry red versions.

My Friend in Tambov, Russia. Galaletsang Mosweu Rocking her DM's

Now you can't say you haven't found a proper shoe for the rain, get your DM's on homies :-D

Summer Must Haves - Shopping Guide

Out of my little spare time of which i didn't want to go to waste i decided to go on a little shopping guide for my Fashion Beings all in the name of style. If you are looking for something light-hearted, fun and easy to wear this summer, here's a place to go. This store is like a little heaven on earth & you sure can find anything & everything for the summer. I just love it :D

Thread Skinne Styling - Mateke Brand Mark, Look Book

Founder & Editor also Head Stylist Loago Skinne styles a Look Book of MTK Mateke Brand Mark by Head Designer Fatima Mekgwe for the collection Galactic Rock Candy - Spring/Summer 2013.

To make orders contact Fatima Cell: +267 75536215 Email: mtk.b.mark@gmail.com Models: Kwame Acheampong & Nature Inger, Photography: Uyapo Ketogetswe of Haus of Kings

Solange Knowles - ELLE SA Cover November 2012

I have never kept it a secret that im totally inspired by Singer turned Model/Stylist/DJ Solange Knowles, just as anticipated she doing major on the fashion industry and i continue to feed on the soul of her style. The ELLE team made the month of November complete for be as though it had started already by doing such a great job of putting Miss Knowles on the cover.

The “Losing You” singer is captured on the November 2012 cover sporting bold colors and eye-catching prints, a combination that she iss known (and loved) for. The bright yellow background and Solange’s enviable curly hair add to the cover’s overall awesomeness–don’t you agree?

Solange told Hummington Post during New York Fashion Week last month that the shoot would feature outfits created by South African fashion designers, and she didn’t disappoint. For the cover image, which was shot by Justin Polkey and styled by ELLE fashion editor Asanda Sizani, Solange is wearing a sleeveless satin top by Tart, high-waisted shorts by Loin Cloth & Ashes and two wrists full of extra large rope bracelets by Pichulik.

And here is the magazine’s press release:

ELLE SA’S NOVEMBER COVER A HIT WITH THE HUFFINGTON POST

The Huffington Post has named ELLE magazine Solange Knowles cover their favourite magazine cover this year. The Pulitzer-winning US news website has singled out ELLE SA’s November cover featuring Knowles in a sleeveless satin top by Tart, high-waisted shorts by Loin Cloth & Ashes and rope bracelets by Pichulik.The cover shoot, by Cape Town photographer Justin Polkey, was produced by the ELLE fashion team headed up by fashion director Poppy Evans.
The decision to bring Knowles to South Africa for a cover featuring local designs was made after entrants in an ELLE reader style feature named the US singer-songwriter as their style icon. A cover line describes the singer as ‘fashion’s new It-girl’, a title they fully endorse, writes Julee Wilson of The Huffington Post.
Wilson adds: ‘The “Losing You” singer is captured on the November 2012 cover sporting bold colours and eye-catching prints, a combination that she is known (and loved) for. The bright yellow background and Solange’s enviable curly hair add to the cover’s overall awesomeness.’
ELLE editor Jackie Burger described the Solange Knowles shoot as ‘a moment beyond our wildest dreams’, saying the team had ‘taken a “what if” and turned it into an “if you can dream it, you can do it” reality.’
Of the acknowledgement from The Huffington Post, Burger commented: ‘It puts the seal on what is turning out to be a very special year for ELLE.’
Social media networks went into overdrive at the end of August when word leaked that Solange Knowles had arrived in Cape Town for an ELLE cover shoot. Knowles spent several days with the ELLE team in Cape Town, where she was later joined by her mother, Tina. Members of the ELLE fashion team were invited to feature in the video for Knowles’s song ‘Losing You’ shot in Cape Town the following weekend. The video, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the cover shoot, can be viewed on elle.co.za.

Look of The Day - Breath of Life ▲

I was looking for a breath of a life, for a little touch of heavenly light but all the choirs in my head sang no oh oh oh. To get a dream of life again
A little vision of the start and the end, but I needed one more touch. Another taste of heavenly rush and I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh. And I needed one more touch, another taste of divine rush
and I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh. Whose side am I on? Whose side am I? Whose side am I on? Whose side am I? And the fever began to spread from my heart down to my legs but the room is so quiet, oh oh oh oh

 Inspired by Florence + The Machine

Model Crush - Anai Ekalino

My obsession for dark skin has just leaped to a whole nother level and i wouldn't like it to stop. I'll watch it sky rocket to heaven so it meets the Fashion God and tell me what he's like. Meet my super model crush Anai Ekalino; 6'3 Feet tall, originally from Sudan, raised in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I hope to meet her in the after life if not soon.

Photographers: Orin Fleurimont and Natasha Kertes

Spring Color Splash - Red On Red

I don't need to say much, "Red" is the new "Floral Print" this spring no doubt about that. Not only is it a color of love but also a color of happiness, go out feel the spring breeze filled with floral scents hitting your shoulders as you walk the streets in red. Paint your town red, paint your sartorial instincts red. Let your clothes bleed, be red.

Go on and stop the traffic, stay stylish.

Pictures in association with: GaTsh Fros

Footwear History, Dirt On Dirt Part II - The Vans

Paul Van Doren was born in 1930 and grew up in the Boston Area. When he reached the eigth grade, he realized he didn't like school and promptly left. He had a passion for horses and at the age of 14 and a half made his way to the race track. He was known as 'Dutch the Clutch' and for a buck he would give you odds on the race. Paul’s mother couldn’t stand he wasn’t working or going to school. She dragged him into the shoe factory where she worked and got him a job making shoes and sweeping the factory floor.

 This was to define the young Van Doren’s future. In twenty years, Paul worked his way up the ranks and became the Executive Vice President of Randy’s, a Boston based shoe manufacturer. Randy’s was well known at the time and made canvas shoes for Bob Cousy, the flashy Boston Celtics legend who was later voted one of the top 50 NBA players of all time.

During the early sixties, Randy’s had become the third largest manufacturer of shoes in the US. But they had a factory in Gardenvale California that was losing a million dollars a month. Paul Van Doren, his brother Jim Van Doren and long time friend Gordon Lee were given the task of straightening out the factory, and after 8 months they turned the west coast factory around and it was doing better than the one back in Boston.

 Three months later Paul Van Doren sat his five kids down and announced he was quitting his job to start a new shoe company. “Don’t worry we’re going to be fine” he said to his children, who weren’t at all concerned. Their dad was fanatical about cleaning and they were hoping this meant they only had to wash his car every second day instead of every day as it was currently.
 Paul had been making shoes for most of his life and the most he ever saw the company make was a dime a pair and they were making hundreds of thousands of shoes.
The retailer was the one who was making all the cash. His dream was to have his own factory and his own retail stores. He was a great business person, his brother Jim was an amazing engineer and their friend Gordon was an excellent manufacturing man. They formed the Van Doren Rubber Company with Serge D’Elia, an Belgian friend Paul made in Japan, who had been supplying shoe uppers from Japan to the USA.

The company was formed with Paul and Serge owning 40% each and Jim and Gordon owning 10% each. It took a year to set up the factory at 704 East Broadway in Anaheim. It was built from scratch using old machinery the bought from all over the USA. It took a lot of machinery and was a lot harder to do then, compared was with todays modern processes. Since 1900 there had only been 3 companies that had manufactured vulcanized footwear in the US, Randy’s, Keds and Converse.
And now there was Vans...

From Dirt On Dirt part II we all are aware of how obsessed i am about worn out dirty shoes, they suit my personality, my mindset. My feet feel much happier with dirty shoes. Lets all move to the sound of Indie in our dirty Vans and connect with the 10 years old little ones within us, it's allowed plus it does not hurt at all, it's like fashion's own therapy or should i say it's like yoga? You tell me. ☮

Play With Those Vans Vans Vans Vans Vans Vans In The Mud. Get Some Dirt On Those Vans. Free Your Spirit :)

Footwear History, Dirt On Dirt Part I - The Converse

The origin of Converse shoes dates back to 1908 when Marquis M. Converse established the Converse Rubber Company in Malden, Massachusetts. The small company began producing shoes in 1909. In the last hundred and three years, the company has grown to become the largest  manufacturer of footwear worldwide.

Converse made its mark on the footwear industry when it introduced the canvas All Star® basketball shoe in 1917. Through the endorsement of Basketball Hall of Famer Charles “Chuck” H. Taylor, the shoe captured a majority of the basketball shoe market. As the first athletic shoe endorser, Taylor became a salesperson for the company in 1921. He traveled the country promoting the shoes and conducting basketball clinics for coaches. His signature was added to the ankle patch of the shoe in 1923, and the shoe style became known as the Chuck Taylor® All Star®.

As one of the most popular shoes of all time, over 550 million pairs of the Chuck Taylor® All Star® have been sold. Until the 1970s, when leather supplanted canvas on the basketball court, the shoe retained between 70 and 80 percent of the basketball shoe market. The Chuck Taylor® All Star® continued to be popular as a fashion shoe, and it continues to attract devotees eighty years after its introduction. During the 1970s, Converse developed new, high-performance leather shoes and acquired new endorsers. Following in the tradition of Chuck Taylor, NBA basketball players Larry Bird, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and Dennis Rodman have endorsed Converse basketball shoes.

Now that we know the theory of the Converse lets all reveal the hippie in us and get that dirt on it, there's just something about a dirty converse you can't ignore. ♥