I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman (or even a man) that doesn’t like shoes. Me? Well, it’s no secret – I really REALLY like shoes! Actually, I LOOOVE shoes! Ok, fine….I’m a bit of a shoe-fanatic or more like shoe-obsessed! Put it this way, if you say ‘shoe-porn’, I’ll be there and I wanna be all up in that! Not in a nasty, foot-fetishy way or anything but ya know what I mean. When it comes to shoe brands and labels, I may not be an expert, but lets just say I know my way around the shoe department and I’m confident to say that I know my deets. So when one says Nine West, of course I know it! And to host their exclusive launch event? Yippee! Sounds good to me!! 🙂
Having been around since 1978 and in over 78 different countries, who doesn’t know Nine West? I always knew that the sophisticated ‘n chic woman’s shoe label offered a wide range of stylish sexy footwear and accessories, but now they’ve branched out even further and offer equally trendy threads for the modern woman.
The exclusive event was held at their Raffles City outlet in Singapore and to celebrate the launch of their new collection, there was a special fashion show presenting the six different lines for the season – Fusion, Snobby, The Poet, College, Clair Obscur and Victorian Folk. I hosted the event in a cute little number from their “Snobby” line.
Each of the guests also had the opportunity to get a caricature done of themselves and have it put on their very own personalised mug by Adam, the caricature artist.
Champagne, cute clothes, hot shoes…..it was a great evening surrounded by fellow fashionistas. Congrats to Nine West for the launch of their Fall/Winter Collection and thank you for having me as your host for the special occasion. Also a big thank you to my manager, Wendy from Fly Entertainment for taking such good care of me that night.
We all have a list of places we’d love to visit one day. We have adventures on our bucket list that we day dream about constantly. There are just so many countries, cities, towns, islands – each gifting the world and touching people like us in their own unique and special way.
Now, if you were to ask me what’s on my bucket list or, more specifically, what are the places that I fantasize about? I could go on forever! But the one place that has always been at the top of my list is….Africa! The wild life, exotic animals and the diverse cultures has always drawn me to this mysterious continent.
It was October 2013 and my hubby and I were manically trying to decide where to go for our year end trip. We have a tendency to wait til the last minute to plan and book things – Bad habit, I know, and we’re working on it, but luckily things tend to turn out ok….well, so far (knock on wood)! After a whole lot of hectic searching, asking friends, googling, scrolling through trip advisor, tossing ideas around we both thought – Hey, how bout Africa?!
We didn’t even know where to begin so we emailed a few travel concierge services and went with the first one that replied, Jacada Travel. They turned out AWESOME!!! We usually plan our own itineraries and like to kind of ‘just wing it’ and plan our days when we arrive by asking the locals for recommendations (to avoid all the touristy hotspots). However, with Africa – I’ve heard some very good but also some VERY bad stories, so thought best to try out a travel service…and it turned out perfect!!!
As it was our first ever trip to Africa, Tessa from Jacada Travel suggested South Africa would be a good first step. So South Africa it was!!! From point A to point B, C, D…..Z, they were so meticulous and everything was well organised. The majority of the trip was planned and booked for us according to our budget, requirements and expectations. We received our itinerary and even a personalised guide book before our trip. Impressed? Ooooh yah! Being a bit of perfectionist myself, not only was I impressed with their attention to detail, but my level of excitement went through the roof and I was ECSTATIC!
Aside from the safaris (which I’ll write about in a future blog :)) we spent most of our time in Cape Town. And WOW! Lemme just say, is this a gorgeous place or what?
Everywhere you look, its like something straight out of a painting or a story book. Picturesque, filled with life, vibrant culture, beautiful weather, gorgeous natural wonders, exquisite (and very affordable) food and extremely friendly natives – even with our expectations set so high to begin with, Cape Town just blew us away and we automatically got the feeling “we could totally see ourselves living here one day”!
If you ever plan on visiting Cape Town, here are just some of the things I would recommend……
The must do’s and must see’s:
Table Mountain– One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World
On top of Table Mountain
Cape of Good Hope
Wineries (Stellenbousch, Constantia, Franschhoek)
Wine tasting in Stellenbosch – Waterford EstateWine tasting with chocolate pairing
Hout Bay
Penguin watching at Boulders Penguin Colony
Waterfront for shopping and local arts and crafts
Whale watching in Hermanus – we unfortunately JUST missed it but if you’re keen, the season is June to November.
Lions Head – mountain with beautiful views of the city and the Atlantic Seaboard
Robben Island – where the late Nelson Mandela spent 18 out of the 27years he was in prison
As I mentioned, the food was excellent and I don’t think we had one bad meal there – seriously! The food is all made with fresh produce, paired with impeccable wines which were surprisingly incredibly affordable (compared to many other places). BUT be prepared – there’s quite a bit of game meat served at most restaurants, such as willdabeast, ostrich, wart hog and antelope. I personally didn’t partake and felt a bit sad to see them on menus, but apparently its very normal (I guess like beef, pork, and chicken for us?).
My top picks for great food:
Ellerman House – Western food. Apart from the incredible food and service, the view is amazing.
Boat House (now known as The Flagship) with the late Michelin Star chef Bruce Robertson. We were so honoured and privileged to have witnessed this culinary genius at work as he took our sensory palettes on a wild excursion through a combination of tastes from Africa all the way to the Far East.
Chef Bruce Roberston preparing our personalised meals
Tintswalo Atlantic – Gorgeous scenery set right on the rocks of the Atlantic Ocean.
Buitenverwachting – Western, local food. Beautiful surroundings as it is set in the middle of the winery.
Harbour House– great fresh seafood right on the V & A waterfront
Where to stay:
Ellerman House is a very unique and special place. A huge mansion with just about 10 rooms where the staff encourage you to treat it like your own home, it’s very different from other hotels, if you could even call it that.
Christmas at The Ellerman House
From the moment you step foot into the corridor, you get a warm feeling like you’ve just come “home”. Being so exclusive with only limited rooms, guests aren’t required to lock the room doors and all the staff know you by name. Like a real “House” you can relax wherever you like, whether it’s in the living room, on a balcony, in the library or on the lawn.
And one of my faves…..delicious homemade snacks, pastries and sweets that are prepared fresh everyday and are laid out in the pantry which can be devoured at any time of the day and to your hearts content (I’ll admit I may have helped myself to one too many cookies at times :p). The whole feel and ambience at Ellerman House was warm, intimate and very relaxed.
Tintswalo Atlantic “was” an incredibly beautiful, serene and scenic resort made up of about 10 villas perched on a beautiful isolated rocky beach right at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. I say “was” because in March 2015, I was so shocked and saddened to hear from a girlfriend of mine in South Africa that Tintswalo Atlantic had succumbed to one of Cape Town’s wildest bushfires and was completely destroyed! Since the fire, we have seen that works are underway to rebuild the resort which is great to hear!
The shores of the Atlantic Ocean
Each suite had a different theme and was named after an island in the Atlantic Ocean. Our suite was “Robben” after Robben Island. We had an unobstructed view of the ocean and at night we would sleep to the soothing sound of crashing waves.
I could just keep going on how and why I absolutely fell in love with Cape Town! It is definitely somewhere you just have to visit and take in its beauty in person. Breathtaking and so robust, this city offers something different and special for everyone.
I was contacted to do a fashion spread and interview for the elegantly modern female clothing label – KLARRA, and I was delighted as I adored the style and feel that the brand portrayed. Knowing that KLARRA was the brainchild of Beatrice Tan, who I fondly remember meeting for the first time years ago at an event that I was hosting, I was even more excited to take part in the collaboration.
I had an absolute blast throughout the entire shoot as everyone was so lovely to work with. The gorgeous photos were shot by the talented Tawan Conchennet. I wasbeautified by the sweet Kazumi and of course styled by the mastermind of KLARRA, Beatrice Tan
Check out the fashion spread and my exclusive interview with KLARRA by clicking HERE.
With its variety of sophisticated and functional designs, prints and textures, KLARRA’s signature detailed tailoring and feminine silhouettes are made for the modern day woman.
A big thanks to Cedric, my publicist from Fly Entertainment for organizing everything.
If you’re keen to work on something together or just wanna say whats up, I’d love to here from you so feel free to drop me a message or email! ~Hugs, Steph 🙂
Dancing, acting, jumping, bending and doing all sorts of things you’d never imagine a body could…..how could one not love Cirque Du Soleil?! I watched my first Cirque Du Soleil performance in Las Vegas a few years ago and it was AMAZING…..I was absolutely blown away!! It was called LOVE and the entire show was a tribute to the Beatles. So from that point on my standard for any Cirque or any similar type of performance was set very high. Since then I’ve seen a couple here and there, but as my standards were set so high, to my disappointment, they didn’t quite meet up to my expectations. When the kind peeps from Base Entertainment extended the invite to the gala premiere of Le Noir I was a bit hesitant at first…..will it be good? Will I get disappointed?? Well, I’m the kinda girl that will give anything a try or a chance so thought why not? WOW! Am I glad I did!! Sexy, sensual, risqué, hilarious, romantic….the show had all the elements and more! From the moment I first sat down to the end, Le Noir kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. The entire show was filled with thrilling surprises and nonstop excitement. The stage set-up automatically set it apart from the norm. The stage was placed in the centre with seats surrounding all around it which added to the dramatic element.
Interview with Starhub
Animated much? I guess you can tell how much I enjoyed the show. hehe! I even had a fangirl moment and got a quick snap with a few of the members of the cast. Yay! 🙂
I won’t give too much away as I highly recommend it’s a must watch. Featuring former stars of Cirque du Soleil and world class acrobats, musicians, specialty acts and comedians, catch Le Noir at the Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands while you still can!! You can book your tickets now til June 29 on SISTIC. The friendly folks at Base Entertainment are extending a 10% discount. All you have to do is input the discount code LENOIRSG. Enjoy!!! 🙂
From Left: Justin Vanderstraaten, Rosalyn Lee, Benjamin Kheng, Sandra Riley Tang, Marcus AC, Stephanie Carrington, Kiran Raj, Tracy Phillips, Chris Deakin with cast members of Le Noir
Keeping with the theme of the night, for my red carpet look was head to toe noir (black) with the exception of my bag. My dress and boots are both from BCBGMaxazria and my gun metal clutch from the one and only Alexander Mcqueen. 🙂
Pretty much every girl grows up dreaming of that magical day, that once in a lifetime moment, the day she walks down the aisle and devotes her love to that special person in her life…..her wedding day! The day when two soul mates unite, become one and commit to a life long journey together living happily ever after. Of course it’s a memorable day for both the bride and the groom, but let’s face it……it’s just sooooo much more important for the bride. Hahaha! Every girl may be different and will have her own preferences but the day she gets married is her time to shine and have her very own princess, fairy tale moment. The most important part of the wedding day is, of course, THE dress!!!
Recently, I hosted the Belle & Tulle exclusive trunk show and I was in gown heaven! As soon as I stepped foot into the boutique, located in Palais Renaissance, I was greeted with walls adorned with stunning gowns from international renowned designers.
Hosting Belle & Tulle trunk show wearing Garbo by Anne Barge
For the show I wore the Garbo gown from Anne Barge Black Label Collection and let me tell you, Anne knows a woman’s body and how to accentuate our lines! The dress fit perfectly! It was fate…..a match made in heaven…..Garbo and I were meant to be!! I was in looooove! Hehe!
Models before show time wearing Jennifer Behr hair accessories
The models wore gorgeous gowns from Lela Rose, Anne Barge, Kenneth Pool, Elie by Elie Saab and the couture collections of Romona Keveza and Naeem Khan. They each wore glittering hair accessories by Jennifer Behr, which are each hand made and are considered to be the most luxurious head pieces in the market today.
Hair accessories by Jennifer Behr
The beautiful afternoon featuring the best of Belle & Tulle was organised by the lovely folks from Directions Group Inc and the fashion show was coordinated by none other than fashion show maestro, international show director and stylist RS Danny.
With international fashion show director and stylist RS Danny
I had an absolute wonderful time hosting the event and a big thank you to Annie Wijaya for having me be part of Belle & Tulle’s very first trunk show!
With Annie Wijaya, owner of Belle & Tulle
Ladies and future brides, you can now put your worries aside…..no need to fly across the world to find the dress of your dreams! These stunning gowns can now be found right here in Singapore! Yay!!!
For any enquiries don’t be shy to drop me a message or contact my lovely managers at Fly Entertainment
Having been around since 1978 and in over 78 different countries, who doesn’t know Nine West? I always knew that the sophisticated ‘n chic woman’s shoe label offered a wide range of stylish sexy footwear and accessories, but now they’ve branched out even further and offer equally trendy threads for the modern woman.
The exclusive event was held at their Raffles City outlet in Singapore and to celebrate the launch of their new collection, there was a special fashion show presenting the six different lines for the season – Fusion, Snobby, The Poet, College, Clair Obscur and Victorian Folk. I hosted the event in a cute little number from their “Snobby” line.
Everywhere you look, its like something straight out of a painting or a story book. Picturesque, filled with life, vibrant culture, beautiful weather, gorgeous natural wonders, exquisite (and very affordable) food and extremely friendly natives – even with our expectations set so high to begin with, Cape Town just blew us away and we automatically got the feeling “we could totally see ourselves living here one day”!
Stephanie Carrington 
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