Alexandra Del Lago - Cape Quarter Lifestyle Centre, Cape Town

and so I’m back..

alexandradellago — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:50:32 +0000

in cyber space..

…yes I was gone.. for long (in cyber terms a few lifetimes…) …been busy rethinking Alexandra Del Lago.. We need to grow into something bigger and better and the quest is consuming me.. think I’m getting closer to opening the next chapter- you’ll hear it here first (I hope… it always amazes me how fast news travels in Cape Town..sometimes others know my business before I do!!…yep..I’ve seen it!)

In the meantime… more images from my style icon..

who does it better then her!? really??

Taylor Tomasi Hill -the one and only … not to be copied (quite impossible)…but to draw on for inspiration and fashion courage

mille baci

love

Get Fit with Rick

alexandradellago — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:00:03 +0000

..I love this guy! I love his designs..his approach to life (even if not always shared!) and his look! ..I really enjoyed reading this post from Industrie -hope you like it too!

Mr Owens’ guide to sublime physicality

Rick Owens was once a chubby Californian kid dreaming of rock-hard washboard abs. But once he’d been nudged towards the gym to compensate for his excesses, he dramatically transformed his physique. Now he’s such an expert that we’ve asked him to show us how it’s done.

Photographed by: Kacper Kasprzyk

Written by: Murray Healy

Rick Owens discovered the joys of the gym relatively late in life. The desire to sort out his body had always been there, languishing in his heart, weak and neglected, since childhood. ‘As an introverted sissy growing up in a small town in California,’ he remembers, ‘all I wanted was Joe Dallesandro hair and washboard abs. But I wore “husky”-sized poly pants,’ he says, referring to the American boys’ trousers made with added ease on the waist and hips, ‘and I had big, soft, 13-year-old-girl nipples. And buck teeth.’

A couple of years in braces sorted out the teeth, but it wasn’t until his early thirties that he started picking up the weights, when his partner Michele Lamy persuaded him to do something to compensate for the excesses of his lifestyle. ‘Her reasoning was that if I was going to drink so much, I had to balance it out. After years of enjoying overindulgence, discipline felt even better.’ As his efforts slowly remodelled his physique, Rick soon found working out as addictive as life’s more obvious pleasures. ‘The changes were imperceptible from month to month, but after a year things had changed. By then I was hooked.’

Right from the start he worked with a trainer. ‘If you want to make serious changes, that’s essential – otherwise it’s too easy to suspect that you’re not doing it right, and get discouraged. I couldn’t really afford one then, but I prioritised.’ His search for the right trainer wasn’t particularly scientific. ‘Frankly the main qualifications were that they had to look like they knew what they were talking about, and be someone pleasant to hang out with every day. Because no matter how technical you get, the main thing – the main thing – is

consistent repetition.’

He worked his way through five instructors over the next eight years. But when he relocated from Los Angeles to Paris seven years ago, he decided not to employ a trainer. It’s not as if he needed the encouragement: working out had long since become as integral a part of his day as brushing his teeth. ‘And there’s only really about ten things you can do,’ he reasons, ‘so you just have to do them over and over. Like a Donald Judd installation: classic, simple, pure, repetitive.’

The purpose of his workouts has changed since the early days too: he’s no longer so goal-oriented, as each session has become its own reward. The entire ritual, from the second he steps out of his apartment, heading out through the Tuileries and up rue de la Paix to his gym near the Paris Opera, is a moment for some me-time. ‘Working out has become a combo of discipline, joyous release, meditation and vanity. It gives me a break in the day to absorb and formulate ideas. I used to love dancing, but music never sounded as good as it does now through those earbud headphones, pounding bass into the pit of my stomach as I enjoy the simple pleasure of feeling physically alive.’

But away from the free weights, he is less disciplined when it comes to his health. ‘I smoke, I don’t particularly watch my diet and I hate cardio,’ he admits. ‘If I had to run a mile I’d probably pass out in a pool of vomit.’ He never had any patience for supplements, preferring to use steroids to boost his training – a strategy he thoroughly recommends. ‘Sure, they bloated me for a while. But after I stopped, the bloat went away and the steroids had gotten me to another level. It was very rewarding. And I’d certainly taken worse before.’

When asked the particulars of his workout, he declines to give a detailed answer (‘Oh God, that would put me in a coma!’). But briefly: ‘I do one leg part, two upper-body parts, stomach and stretching every time I go, which is five or six times a week. I take my time and don’t worry about the weights – I just do what feels good. I don’t feel the need to force my body the way I used to.’

He’s philosophical about his gym-going these days. ‘Obviously, I’ve replaced the romanticised determination to self-destruct with the fantasy of control and immortality. And at this point in my life, it’s as lovely an indulgence as any.’

..Personally my favorite workout site is www.bodyrock.tv ! Super short and super fierce! I’ve only been doing them off and on but I can already see results!! Now I just have to commit to doing them 3-4 times every week!!

Love

shine..

alexandradellago — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 10:31:57 +0000

geez…I dunno what happened with yesterdays post!? I just could not get the writing right..sorry about that! It was all over the place and just not where it was meant to be!

So today I’ll just blind you with these beautiful jewelry….

shine on….

love

xxx,me

today I love….

alexandradellago — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:35:12 +0000

I just love the different textures together and in particular I love the clutch!! Stylestalker knit, Free People shorts, Alexander Wang clutch, Pamela Love and Dannijo rings

The sweater with the pink shorts is just soooo “summer”

Isabel Marant SS2011

this is my absolute favorite beauty find of the moment!! I’m usually not really into shampoos and

tend to use whatever I buy from the health shop… but this one…this one is AMAZING! The great thing is that it’s totally natural AND it leaves your hair in the most healthy condition ever!! Unfortunately we don’t get in South Africa…yet…I’m working on it…

Findings showroom in LA… this is where I do most of my buying for Alexandra Del Lago -I love their space! I could live in there! …and they have the best collection of labels-ever!! Lock me in there for a month…I won’t mind!!

Striped sweaters…I’ve always loved them, always will…last year I loved them tiny…this year I love them oversized..

love her/them always…always the right amount of dishevelment..ok, almost always!

..the coolest jacket ever!?…

I love leather..

my current obsession is mexican food…hmmmm thats what I’d want for dinner…-just don’t think there”s a mexican take away here

…and a margarita…thank you!

Enjoy your weekend!

love

FOG

alexandradellago — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:00:27 +0000

…I left for LA and disappeared into a cloud of FOG…

that’s what it feels like…

I arrived in LA and for 8 days -and nights until 11pm when everything closed- …I shopped LA Market Week as well as ALL the

vaguely interesting stores, department stores and markets in LA…I devoured the fashion, the newness, the cool people who dress soo freely, bohemian and understated…the individuality (not many sheep here!!)…the friendliness and the camaraderie amongst the fashion buyers… I met Raquel Allegra -a personal highlight as I just adore her designs!- and fell in Love with Orduna Designs (www.ordunadesigns.com)…her hand made jewelry is just too beautiful and poetic…I can just see her soul poured in every piece- I love that! …Oh and all the wonderful products that we don’t have here and that I just wish I could stock -I NEED a BIGGER store!!-. On most days I forgot to eat… and ONLY fashion does that to me!…nothing else can hold my attention for so long and intensely to make ME forget about FOOD…

Oh Barneys…Barneys as well as Opening Ceremony and Fred Segal…it was just too much for me!! I could have slept there and had a ball for days on end- without food! …Oh I also fell in love with Alexander Wang! His shoes especially are just magic!!

So now I’m back and I’ve had to digest it all…and most of all recover from a bad bad bad jet lag… dunno why it hit me so bad…probably because I slept so little in LA!

I’ve finally had a chance to spend time on my favorite blogs and scour some new ones for that LA feeling…

Paris Je t’Aime Mon Amour !

Ohhh how I fell in love with MOTHER jeans!! They are just the way I like them! …supersoft and yet they hold you in and just very flattering in all the best colors!! Can’t wait to get them in!!

much love

transparence…

alexandradellago — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:31:59 +0000

just beautiful and perfect!!

I’m off to LA Market Week for 10 days!! Will try and post from LA but you can definitely find and follow me me on FB http://www.facebook.com/AlexandraDelLago

Gonna bring back some awesome pieces and hopefully soon after start the online shop!!

xxx

love

totally electrified

alexandradellago — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:41:58 +0000

…this blue I love…so electrifying for our South African winters!! …and I am madly in love with Taylor Tomasi for wearing those crazy sneakers with THAt outfit!! She always thrills me!!

…blue blue blue…is my favorite color in the whole world!!

xxx

BURRRRRsting COLOR

alexandradellago — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:48:50 +0000

I’ve been keeping my eyes on PROENZA SCHOULER for a while now and every time I am just blown away by their collections!! …and those shoes…….!!

…this is they FW2011…totally over the top…totally modern AND totally classic!! I LOVE IT!!

…maybe one day I’ll be able to propose a few pieces at Alexandra Del Lago!!

I wish…and so it may be

love

…over the atlantic..

alexandradellago — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:54:33 +0000

..while here in Cape Town we are still experiencing summer and don’t even want to think about fall and winter..across the Atlantic “they” are getting excited about spring..bursting out in full color everywhere…LOUD and FUN colors are on every street and every fashion magazine!

I love the mix of electric blue and black! very chic and sleek…I could see that combo working in our winter as well!

..long fluid body skimming deconstructed etherial and clean is what we’ll be seeing lots of..

…and what can we look forward to for fall??

…fur fur fur and fun fun fun coming for fall

soon I’m off to LA to shop shop shop… all for you!

xxx

..how’bout a horse ride in your living room!??

alexandradellago — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:30:57 +0000

THIS could very well be the worlds sexiest stool!!

Cowboy Junkie Stool by Fernando Akasaka- now available exclusively through Alexandra Del Lago
ABOUT COWBOY JUNKIE STOOL

The Cowboy Junkie stool is a tribute to Cowboy Junkies band (www.cowboyjunkies.com) – Mr. Blair Woods (manager) and Mike Timmins (guitar/songwriter ) from the Cowboy Junkies band allowed me to name the stool “Cowboy J…unkie”.

The main element of this stool is a saddle because of the stool’s theme & inspiration – the saddle is imported from France and it is made by one of the best French saddleries in the world and it has an exclusive F.AKASAKA design. The saddle is a professional jumping saddle made with french premium soft leather. It is is removable (i.e. you can use it as a normal jumping saddle in your horse if you want), bounces up and down, and it features large knee and thigh rolls, hide covered pads, cut back head and stuffed panels.

The stool structure is made of solid AISI 304 stainless steel with highly polished to mirror finish and it goes with 3 accessories: a jump leather bat, professional stainless steel stirrups and stirrups leathers.

STOOL FA32 “Cowboy Junkie”

Material: AISI 304 stainless steel

Finish: Highly polished to mirror finish stainless steel

Structure: Laser-cut saddle base and stool base

Saddle: Exclusive F.AKASAKA professional jumping saddle imported from France made with premium soft leather. The removable saddle bounces up and down and it features large knee and thigh rolls, hide covered pads, cut back head and stuffed panels.

The FA32 stool is stamped, signed, numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity

- Seat Size: 17 1/2″

- Color: BLACK

Accessories: Stainless Steel Stirrup, Stirrup Leathers and leather bat

Dimensions: H: 70 cm (27 1/2 in) | W: 50 cm (19 5/8 in) | L: 60 cm (23 5/8 in)

Net Weight: 19 Kg (11 kg Stool Structure + 8 Kg Saddle)

Available now on pre-order only -email me at info@alexandradellago.com

As featured in:

I’m soooooo in love with this piece!!

….having all sorts of fun fantasies about it ………………………………………………………

love