Fashionably Yours - April

Annamé Lotz dons her ‘leathers’ | The Month April 2012

Ask trendsetters like Alexa Chung, Rihanna and Sharon Stone to point out the next big thing on the fashion horizon and they’re likely to suggest that much-loved item, leather pants.

No longer reserved for aged rock stars and hairy bikers, leather pants are for everyone – but they do come with a bit of a warning: They are as difficult to wear right, as they are versatile.

To wear leathers as a normal pair of pants, you’ll need to be rather skinny and well-toned, as leather tends to cling to skin. A useful alternative is to wear this ‘second skin’ as you would leggings; combined with
a longer top to cover up.

If you’re inclined to be a little more open-minded, leather pants can be extremely versatile and I’m willing to suggest that they might even be the new denim of the season! Dress them down for a casual look by pairing them with quirky pumps and a soft-knit jersey or cardigan. 

Make it office-appropriate by keeping things simple and pair your leather pants with classics such as a well-cut white collar shirt and nude heels. The result is sure to be ultra-sexy and make for a surprisingly sophisticated look. 

Get ready for a great evening out and put on a sequined frock and a great pair of heels.  If you dare, swop the frock for a funky top and a cropped jacket and prepare to get noticed for all the right reasons.
Take a walk on the wild side; experiment with this trend and I’m prepared to suggest that you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised!

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ashley-Marie Miles
MODEL: Nikki Leigh Horsten
MAKE-UP, HAIR & STYLING: Annamé Lotz

Dress To Impress

The Editor discovers  the secret of Luisa Spagnoli | The Month April 2012

Chatting to Ilsje Crots de Beer at her brand new Franschhoek fashion boutique, Isabella Charlotte, recently, my eye was caught by a fabulous red winter Meina jacket that I suggested to her would cause a sizeable dent in my credit card, once my wife got to seeing it.

“Yes, but it IS a Luisa Spagnoli,” she laughed before popping to the back of the small shop and returning with a similar red coat. “This is my Spagnoli,” she said simply, “it’s eight years old.” Given that the coat could easily hang next to the 2011/12 iteration, she didn’t need to say much more. Pretending to know all about Luisa, fashion and good taste, I thanked Ilsje for her time, promised to get a coffee at her other business interest, Traumerei Café, also in Franschhoek, and headed home to Google ‘Spagnoli’…


The Spagnoli brand was established just after WWI, when Luisa added the breeding of poultry and Angora rabbits to her repertoire, which at that stage already featured a successful chocolate business called Perugina. It seems that the introduction of the Angora yarn for knitwear was a master stroke and despite not seeing the business hit the heights it has today, in her lifetime, it must have been clear to her that she had set the scene for something great. Her vision is probably best honoured by noting that despite the male-dominated age in which she found herself, she believed in the value of women and their ability to contribute to the economy.

Under the care of her son Mario, the company went from strength-to-strength and today Luisa’s great-grandchildren are at the helm of a company that had an estimated value in excess of 134-million Euro in 2010.

The company’s unrelenting quest to innovate new yarns and fabrics, to make use of both classic and fresh clothing designs  and to create a strong and immediately recognisable brand image have seen Luisa Spagnoli creations adorn many of the most desirable women to have taken to the world stage. Not least of these was Kate Middleton who wore a stunning Luisa Spagnoli skirt and ‘sushi’ jacket as she set about on her first Royal outing to St Andrews with Prince William.

Given that Kate looks drop-dead gorgeous in the outfit, I’m looking forward to trading a dented card for a wife dressed in  her own Luisa Spagnoli Meina jacket and matching Molly skirt thanks to Isabella Charlotte.

Isabella Charlotte, Huguenot Square, Shop 7, Franschhoek, 082 7848004