Tag Archives: Featured

Beautiful Architecture – C F HIM in Istanbul

I promised two weeks ago I would share my experiences in Istanbul with you but have not been able to do so until now. I apologise for the delay and hope its worth the wait.

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) in all its beauty with a blue sky backdrop. This architectural beauty also holds great historical significance as it connects Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. It was once a church, then converted to a mosque, and now a museum. one of my fav monuments in the city

I will be sharing my experiences of Istanbul in two parts. The first article (this one) will look at this city’s architecture, where the second article will explore food, hospitality and the people.

First of all, whenever I talk about architecture in Europe, there are two main cities I benchmark my idea of beautiful architecture from which are Barcelona and Prague. I know other European cities have beautiful architecture as well, but the above two left a lasting impression on my mind for so many reasons. You can check out articles of my Prague experience here and here. But anyway, this article is about Istanbul so let me reel it in a bit before I get carried away with talking about other cities. Oh and the fact that Istanbul is not even in the European union is probably a good enough reason for me not to compare but anyway, moving on.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue mosque) was built from 1609 to 1616 during the rule of Ahmed 1. This mosque caused an uproar within the muslim world when it was built with six minarets matching the great mosque in Mecca. The uproar prompted the Sultan to order a seventh minaret to be built in the Mecca as a gift. The blue most is opposite Hagia Sophia with less than four minutes walk between them

Ok, basically I have heard so many things about Istanbul from different people who gave good reviews about this city. At this point, you would think it’s a no brainer for me to just pick up my suitcase and head out there right? Well guess what, that’s exactly what I did. Apart from the little scare I got after seeing on telly the tragic occurrence of the Ankara bombing on the 10th of October, there was no stopping me from travelling to Istanbul. As with many of the places I travel to for the first time, I did not know much about Istanbul. In fact, I know so little that I couldn’t have told you more than 10 facts about this city. Shocking right? Well wait until you hear my big confession. Continue reading Beautiful Architecture – C F HIM in Istanbul

Sunday best – 3

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Hello and thanks for stopping by to read my blog. If it is your first time here, I recommend you browse through as many articles as possible to get a feel of what my blog is all about. And if you know friends and family who might be interested in my work, please feel free to share this blog with them and encourage them to subscribe. I appreciate every one of you who come by daily, weekly or even monthly to check out my work. Your support is highly appreciated.

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This article is the last of the three-part series I started some weeks ago called “Sunday best”. If you missed the first two, may I encourage you to go back and read first one here and  then the second here so the whole piece makes more sense.

Last week, I did a short video piece for a car company (which I hope to share with you all when it comes out) and one of the questions I was asked was “what does style mean to you?”. This question is not unusual to me as a style blogger but for the first time, I was forced to think deeper what style means to me as I face the camera to give my take on this. I gave my usual answer which is that my style is a way of bringing out some of what’s on the inside for the world to see.

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My style is purposeful and is driven by some of my character traits and evidently subtly challenges everyone around on how I wish to be addressed and related to without me having to say a word. This peaked the curiosity of my interviewer as his eyes narrowed and gently nodded in affirmation as if to say “I have not heard anyone put it this way before so please tell me more”.

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Before I knew it, I found myself talking about temples and their significance from a Christian perspective. A temple as I understand is a place of worship to God which automatically make one very important. A brick and mortar temple is distinctive and different when compared to other buildings. It is cared for and looked after very well by cleaning and decorating it beautifully as is evident with cathedrals. The physical structure of a temple is big, bold and has intricate details not usually found on other buildings. In other words, a temple is purposefully built with precision and care to such an extent that you don’t need to be told it is a temple. A temple stands out.

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I guess you know what I am going to say next right? Yep, I compared my style to the temple scenario. In fact, Continue reading Sunday best – 3

Cuts for Him and Her – Men’s fashion on the modern woman

Creative director Rita Colson and Model Jennifer Kamara – make up session just before the shoot

The short story

This article is not so much about me and what I am wearing but has everything to do with the look model Jennifer has on. You can read about the description of my look and it seasonal significance in my previous article “How to stretch your summer into autumn with a suit”. Right here right now, I just want to say men’s clothing rock. I mean how else can a woman wear an iconic piece of men’s item like a dress blazer and completely own it with such elegance and grace? One word, versatility!

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

The long story

Ok now hear me out for a few minutes at least. This shoot or indeed this concept of sharing my wardrobe with Jennifer started off as a necessity which quickly turned out to be a total blessing and a revelation to me personally. I picket up the phone to style consultant and creative director Rita Colson two days before the shoot was due to resign myself to the fact that the shoot might be called off as the male models I casted to feature with me could not make it. Sensing the massive disappointment in my voice the genius that is Rita quickly turned my fortunes round by suggesting the use of a female model instead. I have to be honest and say that I was very wary and apprehensive of the idea at first for the simple reason that I wouldn’t know what to do if I should style a woman using my wardrobe. I mean I already planned and styled the male models so I struggled to replace that idea at such a short notice.

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

 

You can image the relief and excitement I had when Rita offered to style Jennifer. With an entire floor to ourselves, we spent the whole day shooting and reshooting to get everything right. Because the shoot was a great success, I was able get enough content for four distinct articles two of which explores men’s clothing on women. I made the shoot with Jennifer into a mini two-part series with the first being this article and the second to follow soon.

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

Anyway, who better to talk about this look than the person who put it together herself, Rita Colson. Below is a few paragraphs she put together for this article.

Designers from Dolce & Gabbana to Ghost have sent dresses reminiscent of nightwear down the catwalk, and some stars have even worn nighties out on the town. It’s a real favorite on the red carpet.

There is nothing like a sexy slip dress with a masculine jacket to balance. As demonstrated by Rose Huntington when launching her collaboration with Marks and Spencer earlier this year.

This is the ultimate effortless look for the confident woman who likes to switch it up every now and then. 

A Perfect solution for the festive seasons upon us. If a slip dress or a ‘nightie’ is too daring, this look can also be achieved with a bohemian or a Victoriana twist with a masculine jacket to balance.

Why not try it in one of this seasons must have hues ‘Masala Tones’ Paprika, plum, and burgundy to give it an autumnal touch

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

So there you have it. Here i was thinking the shoot was doomed only for it to turn out to be one of the best so far. Never underestimate the power of men’s clothing.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I will try to reply to every comment or question

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Model – Jennifer Kamara

Stylist – Rita Colson

Photography – Mista Skee

Location – West thirty six

How to stay warm but stylish for Autumn

Just in case you have not noticed, we are smack-bang in the middle of autumn (or Fall if you are American) and the chilled weather is a testament to that. To be honest, autumn has been very kind this year so far as far as England is concerned. The weather has thrown up a pleasant surprise and stayed relatively warm for the the time of the year.

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One thing I always look forward to during autumn is the falling leaves and how nature paints beautiful images all around us. Living in a concrete jungle like London unfortunately robs one of this natural beauty.

Anyway before I digress any further, this post is part of my autumn collection shoot I did a couple of months ago with three other incredible talents (a model, a creative director, and a photographer) whom I will introduce to you later on in other posts.

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For this post, I will share with you an alternative autumn look which I think works very well for mild weather conditions. Continue reading How to stay warm but stylish for Autumn