So, hear I am contemplating what may be one of the top decisions of my life. For about 4 years now, my mind has been lingering on the idea of getting some "ink" (as the die hards say I think) It's quite a controversial thing in my life as I would be the first in the family to do so, I cant imagine my precious parents to be too happy about me doing it but I’m sure they would embrace it over time. I mean let’s be serious, I’m not exactly the skull bearing, motor cycling, barbed wire, hard core "jail bird” that one immediately associates with tattoos. I look at it more as a way to express some inner feeling that I possess that I feel best describes me and that I sometimes battle to show it to the world. 

I don’t look at it as something that I may live to regret, I believe that one day when I'm old and the wrinkles have taken over, Ill be able to look at the tattoo as a little symbol of my youth and remember some incredible times that revolved around it. I guess one could say, I would always be "Finding Neverland" hmmmm 

Did I just make my mind up? I think so!! 

On my gap yah.....;)

So today has been a complete waste of a day for me.... It’s probably been one of the grimmest days we've had in Cape Town this winter. Morning started off with hail against my window, (reflecting my mood ironically) slowly followed by a continuous down pour that continued all day. This sort of weather makes it absolutely impossible to do anything, I must confess, my TV has even been moved into my room so I can stay under the duvet. Feeling melancholic, like the weather, I opt for not writing emotionally and boring you all, instead focus on a decision that I made to completely change my life.

I never took a gap year after school, I always felt like I should of, but when I moved to Cape Town, I got completely engulfed by everything this city had to offer. How can one not like Cape Town? The thought of finding somewhere more beautiful is hard to imagine, and I’m not completely naive, I have been to Venice before ;) However, due to recent changes, I am feeling the pull of Cape Town loosen more and more and I’m seriously beginning to question my purpose here. I am slowly starting to realise that at this moment, there is actually nothing holding me here anymore. After graduation I will have absolutely no plans, nothing and nobody determining where I should or shouldn’t be. It’s the most freeing thought and I feel a complete sense of contentment. Ok where was I going with this...um... oh yes...my gap year! So I have decided to do the gap year I never did in 2013. Some may see this as running away, but for me, as dramatic and cliché as it sounds; I’m going to rediscover a person that I lost a long time ago. To many, this may not seem as big a deal because they've already done it or whatever, but for me leaving my family and Cape Town is a toughie. There is truly only one place on my mind and that's Australia. I’m not going to give much away just yet... but there is more to come.... I can smell adventure and new beginnings.... wow that sounds flowery, but whatever!

But for now...I’m letting go, moving on and am permanently connected to my sewing 

machine! Gosh! 

By the way, Ellie Goulding...WOW!

xx

Good Morning!

Monday is upon us again....but I'm not feeling that horrible bleh feeling that is generally associated with this day. Maybe it's because I graduate in 38 days or maybe it's because I spent a gorgeous weekend with my girlfriends in Stellenbosch, tasting wine at "grape day out." If you weren't there, you missed out! I have to say it was probably one of my most favourite days spent this year.

I'm feeling a complete lack of inspiration at present, but I've figured out a solution. I kind of have this theory, if a girl is feeling good on the inside, it will completely reflect on the outside. I think that girls who feel good and sexy in their underwear will be able to emulate that on their outer layer. Where am I going with this.....? Oh yes, so I have taken that theory and transformed it into my everyday life. I have decided to decorate my apartment in a way that will continuously inspire my life. As a student, the budget is limited so I'm going to have to get creative. Went for a walk around Canal Walk and I discovered my Utopia, "Typo" possibly the world’s most beautiful decorative, bits n bobs, store. Do yourselves a favour...It's not expensive, but if you have no self control like myself, make sure you go with some savings, once you start its going to be hard to stop.

So I'm going to disappear into the world of interior decor...student style! Song of choice... "Run, Baby, Run" download the track free from www.kfc.co.za...so incredible.
<3

Something to disappear into....

 

 

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

 

-Edward Estlin Cummings

Hi All,

Well winter holidays have come and gone and the next term is about to start...tomorrow in fact. Bittersweet feeling personally as I have now realised that this is my last winter holiday as a student. However as melancholic as I’m feeling right now, I know this feeling is short-lived. I am graduating in plus minus four months. I am literally bursting at the seams with excitement as I know my life is about to start, in a real way. I do not want to wish the next few months away though...so I will remain focussed on the subject at hand.

My end of year collection was leading in a direction that I couldn’t quite keep up with. I lost sight of my end goal and I felt as though my collection disappeared from anything that represented me. After interning with the one and only Colleen Eitzen (www.colleeneitzen.co.za just do it, trust me) I found the motivation to adapt my collection to perhaps the new me?  I feel now as though I can present a true piece of myself when the time comes in my final months at Fashion College.  If there was any advice that I could perhaps lend to a struggling designer such as myself, it is to not forget who you are, and what you choose to represent as this. I learnt a very valuable lesson through Colleen that went something like this “you have missed a fundamental part of the design process and that is to design what you can achieve yourself.” With this vital lesson, I have chosen to start again and produce a line that I am proud of and represents all that is MADELEINE.

Wish me luck x

Colleen Eitzen-SA Fashion Week 2012-Spring Collection

 

Alexander Forbes - Forgotten Dreams

Just Go With It....

Hi All,

So much has happened over the last month that I am at quite a loss as to what I should base this post on. Politically, we have finally said farewell to Julius, Helen Zille rode the Argus and a brave bunch of Americans have decided to bring a stop to Joseph Kony, to name a few. Personally, I choose to go with it. This may seem as though I show little interest or care in what is going on in our world but that is quite the contrary. I have become slightly irritated at my own generation. It seems as though the minute there is any introduction of a new quest to help out the less fortunate, it is immediately assumed that these people are a) evil conspirators aiming to build a cult etc. or b) they are trying to reap all the rewards for themselves. Is this what society has come to? Is it that hard to believe that there are actually good people out there wanting to make a difference? I am referring to "Kony 2012" as I assume many of you have guessed. I have read all the articles, all the conspiracies made about this movement from both sides, and I just can't seem to disagree with what they are trying to do, in fact I am completely envious of their courage to take on one of the most evil dictators of all time, I sure as hell wouldn’t. So instead of questioning EVERYTHING, why don’t we all try and focus on the positive and maybe get involved...Just go with it.

On a lighter note, my collection is on the go ahead and I am extremely inspired and motivated. This week we are starting with our first garments, daunting, but exciting. I am looking forward to creating a collection that is ready to wear in winter and can then be transformed into a spring look. I reckon we should bring colour into this year’s winter fashions, keep things bright even when the weather wants to tell us something different.

Thats all for today... just go with it...

Madeleine....

Wow it has been awhile! I must say I have been itching to get to the keyboard for some time... I have just been lacking inspiration I suppose... alas, here I am, once again insomnia ridden and finding it hard to stay away from the computer.


I have been struggling to find something interesting and alluring to share with you all, but as my lack of posting shows, it has proven unsuccessful. However, this is the year in which I create my own collection. I somehow got blessed with some incredible ideas while bed bound by a broken leg, unbelievable for it to happen over the summer holidays, but so worth it for the amazing skiing trip.

So, here it is my very brief introduction to M.A.D.E.L.E.I.N.E. I have been inspired by Marie Antoinette. For those of you who are unaware of this controversial yet amazingly stylish queen, she was married to King Louis XVI and was blamed for placing France in great debt due to her extravagant tastes. Aside from that, she had style like no other. Her colour palette was a mixture of pastels and the trimmings were highly lavish. For MADELEINE, I aim to represent her in a modern and fresh way. I hope to keep femiminity a focal point while adding fun and interest through candy-coated ideas. I want to keep my styles and fabrics simple, as I feel that the colour palette will take main focus. This line represents everything that is me, Madeleine. I have decided to document this journey along the way so if any of you are interested....stay tuned!

I leave you with some of my personal inspiration and to say Bonjour....Madeleine

p.s My theme song for this collection "I want Candy"- The Go Go's (Amazing!)
xxx

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