It’s taken me 3 months to get my act together and do a proper shoot in Cape Town. I’ll admit this is partly because I’ve been distracted by all the exciting places, people and experiences this beautiful country has to offer. But also because I’ve been focused on tracking down some great brands. And once I’d done that I needed to find a photographer, shoot location and, of course, do millions of squats before I was happy to bare all. Finally I got my ducks in a row and then, without any warning (it rather passes you by out here), Christmas happened. A load of friends and family came out to visit – there was much eating and drinking and all of a sudden it’s 2018. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!
One of the most common questions we get at HøFSisters is “where can I find a swimsuit long enough for my body?”. So tracking down a great swimwear brand became a priority. It didn’t take long to be pointed in the direction of Joanna Hedley, one of South Africa’s most exciting up-and-coming designers and the genius behind swimwear brand, BeachCult. Jo is a vibrant, smiley, gorgeous and incredibly talented bundle of energy and her swimwear reflects her personality down to a tee. Expect bold prints, elegant shapes and a hint of spice. I’ll be featuring a few BeachCult pieces in the coming weeks.
The bright orange print, mesh side panels, deep plunge and low cut back make this Venus swimsuit a show stopper in so many ways. Because of the thin straps and plunge design, the Venus does just about work on a longer torso, but it could do with an extra inch or two on the strap. So… I spoke to Jo and she’s going to make a tall range just for HøFSisters! We’re working on 3 or 4 designs as part of an exclusive BeachCult x HøFSisters collaboration and they’ll be available to buy in the spring only at HøFSisters. If that isn’t the best news you’ve heard all day…!
It’s so striking this swimsuit you could wear it to the most glamorous of Cape Town establishments with the addition of a layer or two. In fact I bumped into Jo in this swimsuit last night at the Goldfish Closing Party at Shimmy Beach Club. She was wearing it with black jeans and a leather jacket. The word that springs to mind is fierce!
On the subject of South African fashion talent, I was recently introduced to Adele Stein, the designer for a local boutique brand called ArteM. Having once been responsible for the Yves St Laurent franchise in South Africa, Adele is no stranger to luxurious fabrics and creates limited edition pieces from materials discovered on her travels around the world, particularly Asia and Europe. Japanese influence in particular permeates much of her work. This longline silk shirt is one of her beautiful pieces – I’ll write about her work again in the coming weeks. But for now, if you’re in the Cape Town area, you can shop her collection at the concept store, Virgule in Claremont.
For something a little more laid back, just throw on a pair of denim shorts and a hat. These pink shorts are from H&M and perfectly complement my pink dip dye by Overtone. (This, by the way, is the easiest process in the world – work a bit of pastel pink deep treatment into the ends of your hair (wet or dry), leave it on for 10-15mins and then rinse out. I LOVE it). This fabulous “Talk To The Sand” embroidered sun hat I bought locally.
The jewellery is all by South African brand, Soul Design, which I have mentioned briefly before, and will feature in greater detail in the coming weeks. I must also mention fake tanner extraordinaire, Nicole, who brought a Vita Liberata mobile spray tan to my home and gave me the most beautiful natural golden glow I could have ever imagined. Capetonians, get your glow from no other. You can find her here.
SHOP NOW
I return from Cape Town early March so if there is anything from BeachCult or Soul Design that you would like me to bring back for you, just drop me an email at hannah@hofsisters.com
Venus Swimsuit by BeachCult – SHOP NOW
Jewellery by Soul Design – SHOP NOW
Tan by Bronze Me – GET YOUR GLOW (Follow on Instagram: @bronzemevita)
Dip Dye by Overtone – Pastel Pink Deep Treatment – SHOP NOW
Hair & Make Up by Jacqueline Viljoen (Follow on Instagram: @jacqui_dnielle_mua)
