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FASHION . BEAUTY . CULTURE ISSUE 56 | NOV 2018

A MAN IS WHAT HE WEARS

THE NEW LAWS OF POWER

IT'S MOVEMBER AGAIN! FOR THE LOVE OF THE BEARD

KES 500 USD 4.5 | UGX 22,000 RWF 7,000 | TZS 14,000

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THE NEW JAGUAR E-PACE

DRIVE LIKE EVERYONE’S WATCHING

Get used to being the centre of attention. After all, the New E-PACE’s bold, sporting design looks dynamic, even while parked.

When you’re ready to turn heads, simply put it in Drive. With Jaguar’s signature dynamic chassis and suspension tuning, New E-PACE has the performance to match its appearance. Don’t let its beauty and compact size fool you though. With up to 1,234 litres of loadspace and a host of clever features designed for your convenience, Jaguar’s newest cub proves sensible doesn’t have to be boring. With dynamism at its core and discerning design inside and out, you may suddenly find every road becomes a catwalk.

Inchcape Kenya Limited Jaguar Land Rover Centre Oracle Tower, Westlands Nairobi, Kenya 254 (0) 730 191 000 Jaguar-kenya.com

CONTENTS

COUTURE CONTENTS

IN-HOUSE 6 The Team 10 Deep Dark Red

NEWS 12 DIGITAL 16 COUTURE 18 FASHION 20 BEAUTY 22 COUTURE CULTURE

EVENTS 26 MAYBELLINE FITme! Launch 28 DARLING Kenya Rebrands

STYLE 30 Recreate Yourself

COUTURE CELEBRITY 34 Business woman, beloved wife, mother of two, influencer and all around woman Maureen Waititu is more than someone you would be lucky to have as a girlfriend.

COUTURE FASHION 40 We’ve seen the new Instagram man, all suited up. We have seen the modern man, breaking the rules.

COUTURE CONTENTS

THE GENTLEMAN 48 Michael Mwai was the goto car insider for 12 years, starting out at the East African Standard, Nation Media Group, Business Daily to True Love EA magazine.

HISTORY 54 Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City at African Heritage House

BEAUTY 58 The Eyes & The Lips Have It 60 Simply Sophisticated 66 Grooming 101 For Him

PROFILE 70 Sippy Chadha

CULTURE 72 Dressing Up For A Day At Access Leo Burnett 74 The Fit, Glam and Joyful DR. Fitness 76 The Modern Man's Style Landscape by JayTakeapic 78 Design It Like A Man: Wake Up Your Bedroom 82 The Art of Power Tools 84 Do You Have The Stones For Your Whiskey?

CONVERSATIONS 88 The New Laws of Power 94 LAST WORD

COUTURE CONTRIBUTORS

COUTURE Africa Magazine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carol Odero carol@coutureafricamag.com STAFF WRITER Jackline Njagi jackline@coutureafricamag.com IN-HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER Khalifa Louie khalifa@coutureafricamag.com FASHION STYLIST Ruth Odhiambo CONTRIBUTORS Alan Donovan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alfred Matuku MAKE-UP ARTISTES

Lintons Beauty World & Lintons Beauty College HAIR Djohnie Empire COUTURE Africa Ltd FOUNDER & C.E.O Olive Gachara olive@coutureafricamag.com DISTRIBUTION & EVENTS MANAGER Gemiene Mueni couture@coutureafricamag.com

ACCOUNTING Alphacap Ltd. LEGAL M M Gitonga Advocates DIGITAL: digital@coutureafricamag.com ADVERTISING: sales@coutureafricamag.com SUBSCRIPTION: subscribe@coutureafricamag.com KENYA OFFICE: COUTURE House, 37 Eldama Ravine Road, Westlands, Nairobi COUTURE Africa CONTACTS +254 714 770 516, +254 716 573 013 info@coutureafricamag.com © COUTURE Africa (K) Ltd COUTURE Africa Magazine is published by COUTURE Africa Limited of P. O. Box 359 Nairobi 00621 Kenya. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in parts without written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited. While every care is taken in preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information held herein, or any consequence arising from it.

6 | COUTURE AFRICA

#FindYourBeautiful

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WEAVES

COUTURE AFRICA | 9

DEEP DARK RED

THE UP & DOWN OF IT What are little boys made of?

What are little boys made of?

Frogs and snails, And puppy-dogs' tails; That's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice, And all that's nice; That's what little girls are made of.

An old English nursery rhyme This, is my favourite issue all through the year. The one that talks about, to and with men. Men, to me, are compelling, enthralling, captivating subjects. Nothing like me, yet in some way, human, like I. I observe women and their interactions with men, and watch men and how they respond, sometimes react, to women, and secrets are always revealed. I have read up, and I am familiar with, PUAs - pick up artists, men who teach men to pull women, and some of the overwhelmingly silly things they teach, some bordering on macho, misogynistic crap. I listen to feminists, and how anti-men they can become, and they stand their ground, declare themselves radical. I listened to my mother who was terrified of my vulnerability to men - or so she thought, because it turned out I was not boy crazy, I just have an intense affinity for male energy. I thrive around it. I surround myself with it. I need it like air.

Everyone I know has been hurt, wounded deeply by the other gender in ways they feel they may never recover from. It could be mothers and fathers. Daughters or sons. Significant others.

Figures in authority. We are all the walking wounded. None so much, dare I say, as the men, afraid to reveal themselves.

Clumsily stepping their way through the world with big, untrained, inelegant feet. I rewatched Charmed, and I am now bingeing on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the current season of American Horror Story. In these worlds women are all-powerful. Warlocks and wizards, the male version of witches, are constantly reminded by the women in power that it has always been known men cannot handle power. That they will never grow to be as powerful as any witch, and it is for this reason women rule. It is a most intriguing twist. Because those are actual things that have been said by real men in real boardrooms about real women. The result, it is all too easy to make a case for the frogs and snails and puppy-dog tails.

As you sit back with a cuppa, putting your feet up and prepare to get engrossed in this issue, I invite you to read from the perspective of a little girl who grew up, only to realise being sugar and spice and all things nice has stopped her from truly living. It has turned her into a sweet, terribly afraid to dive deep into her chocolatey interior with a pinch of chilli and lots of sauce because she thinks she will melt or get lost. It is not only women who feel trapped by their roles and universal definitions of who we are - supposed to be - and how that has insidiously crept into who we think men should, or increasingly should not, be.

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BRAIDS

#FindYourBeautiful

Highlight Braid

Quick Braid

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LIMITED COLLECTION

COUTURE DIGITAL

October 19 Have you picked up you your October Issue? The new #Couture is packed with beautiful features, as well as some makeup tips to help our lovely #Melanin readers always achieve a camera ready face.

Get your copy now at: Total - Karen, Ridgeways, Utawala, Madaraka, and Magathi Chandarana - The Well on Langata and Two Rivers Montys Naivas Ciata Mall - Buruburu

October 20

October 23

theofficialsonalmaherali “Luxury is an exclusiveness. A certain uniqueness. Luxury is everything you want it to be. Luxury is an attitude”- SM Thank you @coutureafrica for this feature on Couture Celebrity. Africa IS capable of luxury. To read more get your copy of Couture Africa magazine today.

Couture Africa stylist @ruthodhiambo Hair by @djohnieempire Makeup @lintonsbeauty Photography @khalifa_louie .

April 5

eveoriga Accesorize with Style stocks the best jewellerry in town! Feels nice to see this beautiful model i did makeup on a few weeks ago during the Couture Africa magazine shoot featured on their page

September 23

christinewanza It was an amazing opportunity working on these beautiful ladies and the gentleman as they told their story on @ coutureafrica magazine.

Makeup: @christinewanza Stylist: @ruthodhiambo@ ruthodhiambostyles Photo credits: @khalifa_louie @olivegachara

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October 22

sheena__c Thank you @coutureafrica for a beautiful feature😊.

Couture Dresses by @jamil_walji Tux by @jefferywilsone Make up @edellenoela

October 17

annabelle Thom by African classics We wanted to say a big thank you to Coutureafrica for their beautiful spread on our products. We love what you did with them and how absolutely beautiful everything turned out! Asante Sana!!

October 24 theofficialsonalmaherali

The word will keep spinning whether people understand you or not. Why not make this next trip around the sun about you.

You are your biggest commitment, so love your flaws, your awkwardness, your intensity, your vulnerability, your everything. Time waits for no one. So be you, do you, now. Not tomorrow, today.

Image @coutureafrica

giftkwetto My first time doing make up for a magazine ..🤗🤗🤗🤗 @shades_by_nikki you are the real one thanks for the call and the endless opportunities....

The gorgeous cover girl @shekinah_imani..... @ afrodesiacworldwideher designs are beyond I mean beyond...get yourself a copy of @coutureafrica you need to see those dresses October 19 ·

Winnie Odande Mama see your daughter!

From newspaper features, TV, to magazines; making you proud all the way in absentia.

Grab your October issue of @ coutureafrica magazine and read about this 32 year old charting her way in the fashion industry (Respect your elders).

October 26

whitecollarmag The September issue is here!!! We talk to Entrepreneur and Branding expert @olivegachara , the Founder of Image with Olive and @coutureafrica a leading fashion magazine.

We also look at Kenya's at how Kenya's Lake Bogoria powers the global Bio tech industry.

This is and so much more, inside.

STAY CONNECTED TO COUTURE AFRICA MAGAZINE ALL THROUGH THE MONTH

www.coutureafricamag.com Follow us on :

@coutureafrica instagram / limkedin / twitter / facebook / tumblr / pinterest email: editor@coutureafricamag.com

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COUTURE NEWS

Men Are The Future of Fashion

Ermenegildo Zegna turns up in the news yet again for launching their XXX capsule collection in the US market for the first time ever this November. Their collection, Zegna says, is designed for their XXX tribe, men who ¨celebrate both streetwear and tailoring.¨ XXX represents the three classic tailoring stitches on a suits lapel. It may as well stand for Zegna´s unusually distinct style. Off their summer 2019 collection comes what they call çontemporary and comfortable couture and luxury meets street. It includes Tiziano sneakers. Ask any old school classic man if they thought the day would come, and their jaw would drop. The Zegna XXX collection has been on something of a world tour, launching in each market in collaboration with what they consider as their kind of people. In the US, they launch with Farfetch. The Asian XXX tribe has included the delightfully unconventional stars, singer and actor William Chan and off K-Popś most influential band EXO, Sehun, launched in September 2018. Speaking of, have you noticed how much sneakers are taking over the fashion world? If you have yet to, best open your pretty eyes. Womenś style is drawing lots of inspiration from here. From Serena x Virgil Abloh x Nike, Riri x Puma, Kylie x Adidas to the remaking of Air Jordans. That, and how every luxury fashion house is somehow embracing the rubbed sole. It all started with Jordans of course, all the way to ballers collaborating with the big names. This resulted in a very masculine face and ripped body aka straight men finding their inner fashionistas. And since 2009 Euromonitor has predicted the accelerated growth of menswear. Streetwear was very much a guy thing, but while women are dressing down thanks to athleisure, more men are dressing up. If you surf the local gram by now you have noticed the rise of stylish men. Kenyan men love their fitted suits, never mind when it is a size smaller.

Men have their own fashion week now.

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COUTURE NEWS

Is Your Scent Fire?

Any perfume lover now knows there is an elemental flavour to scent. They change with seasons. Of course in a climate that experiences four seasons in a day as opposed to a year, the rules are a little unique. That being said, showerstoyou.co.uk compiled a list of the top 10 fragrances in the fall for both men and women.

Their data is quite reliable too, gleaned off of the biggest fragrance blog in existence, Fragrantica, adding up well over half a million views. That included pegging scents as day or night experiences. The best part of this research is how women are embracing, nay, continuing to embrace masculine scents by selecting woody fragrances, which, incidentally, is 50% of the most popular hers perfume list with vanilla and sweet scents, presumably floral, taking up 30%. His scents are, as you have figured out by now, 80% woody. Inside this very potent woody-ness lies 40% of warm and spicy, and 30% amber. Research constantly reminds us scent makes one sexier. Maybe that is because they who wear scents are also ¨more likely to be confident and self aware.¨ 68% of women also find men more attractive when they smell good enough to eat, compared to only 48% of men! It is also possible for you to match your zodiac sign with a fitting fragrance. If that is your kind of thing. As for what makes him, well, hard, there is a science to that too. The American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons researched it.

The paper, Human Male Sexual Response to Olfactory Stimuli, intoxicated 31 men with 30 different scents while recording sexual arousal. You know what turned them on the most? A ¨combination of lavender and pumpkin scents.¨

Kikoromeo Revisits Its Menswear Roots

Kikoromeo certainly left its mark at this years Heineken Lagos Fashion Week. Not only did Elle magazine (USA) feature them on the list if 10 Brands You Need to Know From Lagos Fashion Week, it was Ann McCreath´s daughter turned protege who took the latest Spring/Summer 2019 Kikoromeo collection to Lagos on the 25th of October. 22 year old Iona represents the new, emerging generation of fashion talent and has the unusual advantage of watching, and working with her mother since birth! This was her first ever major showcase where the co-designer took a bow at what is the most influential fashion platform in Africa.

Iona is a recent graduate of Art & Design from the iconic Central Saint Martins - University of the Art London. Elle paid obeisance to Kikoromeo´s boiler suits and coveralls with their hand-made dye technique. It isn't surprising they would love to see Jaden Smith as well as Beyonce's proteges Chloe x Halle who have a Solange-should-style-us vibe. This is Iona´s influence, injecting a freshness that is both modern and contemporary. Small wonder avant garde artists like Blinky Bill are drawn to the brand.

COUTURE AFRICA | 17

COUTURE NEWS | FASHION

Lagos Fashion Week 2018

The much anticipated annual Lagos Fashion Week was lit and phenomenal with Africa’s gender fluid designs showcasing at the fashion extravaganza. Serving as a hub to connect African fashion stakeholders, the event had fashion designers from across the continent and the globe streaming into Nigeria for its 8th edition, October 24th -27th. This season’s event featured over 50 designers showcasing their Spring/Summer 2019 collections. It also featured the Fashion Business Series, #LagosFWRetail in partnership with #SheTrades, Visual Makers Fellowship with Canon, Green Access Showcase with Fayrouz x Garment Care and Heineken Live Your Music After Party. Launched back in 2011, Lagos Fashion Week has established itself as one of the most important fashion events on the African fashion calendar - attracting thousands of fashion experts, enthusiasts and media across the continent and beyond.

Nairobi’s Mango-ed Up

Lately, Nairobi has been awash with retail stores. Global fashion brands such as Lacoste, LC Waikiki, Coco Lili, Foschini and Pierre Cardin are pitching tent. The newest entrant is Spanish fashion company, Mango, which has been expanding its African footprint with the opening of its Kenyan store in Nairobi. This flagship store boasts the unique position as their maiden outlet in East Africa, and is so far the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sitting pretty at Westgate, it carries the Mango Woman, Man, and Kids’ lines. The brand blends its European eye for design with Nairobi's pulsating urban vitality with the intention of dressing the young and the urban clientele in high-quality clothes. We expect this cornucopia of trendy fashion with its selection that is ever ahead of the curve will fast become your new favourite shopping spot. Mango promises they will be your one-stop shop for everything fashion at affordable prices with new looks on the shelves every two weeks. A host of local stylists and trendy personalities are on hand to create looks and share tips. This brings the number of Mango stores in Africa to 64, adding up to over 2,190 stores in 110 countries.

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House of Boateng behind British Airways New Uniforms

2018 has definitely been a great year for black excellence and just when we thought we could have a little breather, another iconic black personality breaks another barrier and makes history! British Airways, the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest airlines in the world, is working on designing a new look uniform for its 32,000 employees with renowned Ghanaian-British fashion designer, Ozwald Boateng. The uniforms will be the masterpiece of their centenary celebrations in 2019. Ozwald, bespoke couturier of Savile Row, follows the strokes of iconic designers such as Paul Costelloe, Hardy Amies, Baccarat Weatherall, Roland Klein, and Julien MacDonald in designing the new threads.

Known for bringing a modern contemporary twist to the classic British institution of tailoring, he brings to the table numerous accolades ranging from holder of the Order of the British Empire OBE and the Impact in Fashion Award at the Ghana legacy honors last year, The 51 year old father of two is a 2017 TEDxLondon Fellow. He commissioned what transformed into a 12-year documentary, A Man’s Story. Offering an inside at his career and his role as a father, the 2012 film became a deeply intimate look capturing a man reeling from his first divorce, how it affected his work, right down to the disintegration of his second marriage. It opens with his Russian ex-wife screaming at him to “Be a man!” at which point he asks, “What does that mean? Be a man?” The phoenix rose into a multi-faceted being designing costumes for, creating and directing films, turning Ozwald into a rare specimen that is half human half legend. British Airways couldn’t have made a better choice!

COUTURE NEWS | BEAUTY

It’s A Human Panther Thing

Beard & Bonnet

You have all heard of no shave November, right? And the common #beardgang phrase. The delightful view of seeing a dark, nicely treated as well as combed full beard. Sigh! Only that guys get to only see the beauty of the beard though – but as the saying goes “every rose has its thorns.” Bearded guys deal with a lot and unless you are bearded, you’ll never know the struggle. Figuring out the right beard care regimen, your beard hair getting everywhere, the annoyance of brushing your teeth after grooming your beard and the least favorite; oil residue getting on your shirt or tie while getting dressed. And that is why we have the beard bonnet – which serves as protection for the beard against food crumbs, sauce droppings, and dirt etc.

As a guy, this is what your beard arsenal has been missing. Keep your products working longer and better for a better looking and feeling beard with a bonnet. So, will you or will you not wear the beard bonnet?

Jowls & Gobble-chin Be Gone!

K-Beauty’s latest beauty craze will have you taping your face for an instant facelift! Gone are the days of getting a nip and a tuck instead in its place, we have the V-masks from Korea. Like the under-eye patches for your chin, the v-mask promises to impart a youthful appearance and accentuate your Godgiven facial features. They help shape the chin area while lifting and defining the lower part of the face.

It optimizes the profile and tightens the face without surgery. Basically, the V-masks are a hybrid of a sheet mask, an under-eye patch, and a chin strap. There are holes at each end, which you loop around your ears to hold the mask in place. The fabric is infused with firming ingredients - collagen, vitamin C, vitamin E, macadamia nut oil, and caffeine – thus sucking the skin in, which helps stimulate blood flow. The mask is also KFDA approved - Safe and Irritant Free. While I am tempted to hold bold personal opinions; on why women (and men, because some men do use it) want to achieve this almost alien shape rather than be happy with their original shape, is beyond me. We don’t fall in love with inner beauty at first sight, do we? Anyway, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

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Being authentic and aligned on your path is the only key capable of unlocking your true identity in the Black community. This is how Benny Harlem took ownership of his narrative by creating a mystical movement to help black men heal and grow with a vision beyond typical masculinity and stereotypical black masculinity.

He has mesmerized the world before and for those who know little about him, Benny is the Guinness World Record holder for the tallest high top natural high top fade standing at 52.07 cm (20.5 inches) which he has been growing for more than 12 years! Benny is revered as the poster child for creating a conscious hair regime that has established a blueprint adopted by like-minded hair fanatics, urging Black men to embrace their natural design. He is also known for the most sought-after natural hair care products in the world. But fabulous hair is not the only treasure the singer, songwriter, and model has. Harlem also pours his heart and soul into his daughter Jaxyn by teaching her how to be confident and embrace her uniqueness, as well as showing her how to be proud of their heritage. Benny’s footprints to a powerful natural hair movement are tied to Africa – having taken a trip to Africa during an important period of self-discovery, the ancestral motherland presented him with a profound paradox of pain and healing. It expanded his understanding as he found himself contending with the innate desire to avoid confrontation by remaining within the walls of his comfort zone. Benny is using his hair as a medium to make a series of bold political statements that spark conversations centered on defying conventions of race and gender.

COUTURE NEWS | CULTURE

Music Let’s Talk Colour and Bleach

"Black girls lose confidence because they tie the word 'ugly' to a complexion” - words by Jamaican dancehall singer, DJ, actress and songwriter Spice aka Grace Latoya Hamilton, as she decries the prevalence of anti-black beauty standards within black communities in her new song Black Hypocrisy. Talk about putting your message in the music! The artist caused an uproar on social media when she debuted a picture of herself with much lighter skin, her unconventional way of announcing her single. In an Instagram Live interview with Billboard Spice said she lightened her skin to appease those who have said she was "too dark" or "dirty" - which she sings are the only lines to ever hurt her because “they did not come from a caucasian trust me.” That she would "do better if she were a "brownin" — a Jamaican equivalent of yello yello. "I was told I would reach further if the colour of my skin was lighter/And I was made to feel inferior 'cause society say brown girls prettier," she sings. In the music video, Spice is surrounded by melanin beauties, the dancehall diva goes ahead to call out the hypocrisy in the same community singing praises to lighter skin, and wants to see if her brown will now be called pretty. Skin lightening is fast growing, increasingly becoming a multibillion dollar industry. Lighter is better from America to India and back to Africa. It amounts to a choicier mate, upward mobility and lots of success. A powerful song, a powerful video, an even more powerful message. If only we could be sure of the bleach. PR stunt or real? Videos are already popping up on YouTube. As for Black Hypocrisy, now there is a tune to bump one’s head to.

Film Nappily Ever After

Let me start by saying I really wanted to like this movie. After All The Boys I Loved Before and Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, highly acclaimed Netflix teen movies, came Nappily Ever After, a movie buzzed about for months thanks to Sanaa Lathan’s beautiful cropped head. And rumours that she bit Beyonce in the face. She dismissed them saying if she did “it would be a love bite.” So there she is, a woman living an Instagram life in the real world thanks to the encouragement of a mother she’s unhealthily attached to. Their shared hair trauma could coil the continent in circles. Violet Jones is a perfectly dressed perfectly coiffed perfect woman with perfect hair done by mummy. Till mummy is unavailable and disaster strikes at the salon. On her birthday no less. When she is expecting a ring. But gets a big-eyed handbag pup instead. From her gorgeous co-star played by Ricky Whittle and far more interesting in American Gods. There is a break up. There is THE overacted scene where she shaves off her hair with none of the poignance of Demi Moore’s GI Jane. Violet/Sanaa are absolutely stunning bald.

Except the brittle confidence built on what may or may not be part 100% worthy of a Vitz human hair weave no longer holds. Her edges fray. Once a headturner Violet is suddenly invisible. Her every flaw, magnified. Considering she is a highly successful, very ambitious ad exec in her mid-thirties, there were many, many moments I itched to reach out and slap both her uptight spoilt-brat flawless cheek, and her useless girlfriends’ agreeable faces. Violet ruins things. As all women do. Because at her undeveloped core, lies a warped sense of beauty because, mummy issues. The ending is a bit of a surprise. Pour some wine on an easy Saturday night, get popcorn and a sista, curl up, shut off your brain, then catch this movie.

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COUTURE NEWS | CULTURE

Books Strong Hair. Strong Black. Strong Woman.

With an aim of empowering, inspiring, and engaging a diverse audience in the importance of representation, identity, and individuality, Brooklyn-based Nigerian-American celebrity hair stylist is set to release a book, Lady in November. Also known as African Creature, Susy Oludede explains that Lady is not just a book – but a movement towards being entirely confident in one’s identity and celebrating black hair in all its glorious forms. Inspired by Fela Kuti and his rather spectacularly unhinged and uninhibited love and celebration for women – Lady is all about highlighting strong black women and the amazing things they are doing in the beauty industry and the world.

If you visualised stunning curated images on every storytelling page after storytelling page, you would be right. This book is a visual treat.

Susy is not just representing hair. The colorful work showcased through her work spreads a constant, unwavering message of pure hair confidence in the midst of societal standards of beauty. Digital copies of the book are already available on pre-order while physical copies will be available from November 8th. We can’t stress this enough, you want the actual book. Who is Susy, you ask? Only the creative mastermind behind Beyoncé's iconic cornrows in Lemonade, Zoë Kravitz's signature box braids and Solange's eccentric beaded styles.

She's been doing hair since she was 9. She owns a salon in Brooklyn, Hair by Susy, which, obviously, births some of the most epic styles in pop culture. With over 23,000 followers on Instagram, Susy is not a mere hair goddess. She creates culture by speaking life into hair.

Television Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia

Trevor Noah is definitely riding high these days. He has taken global pop culture by force, ascending to one of the most recognisable pinnacles of the entertainment world. He continues to bring local comedy to the world on the small screen with his wit and hilarious commentary. The South African comedian gets out from behind The Daily Show desk for a stand-up special touching on explosive topics such as racism and immigration down to camping. The hottie took to his social media to announce a stand-up comedy special titled Son of Patricia. One that Netflix will debut on our screens this November 20th. It will be The Daily Show’s second act with Netflix following on the heels of last year’s Afraid of the Dark. As the title strongly hints, Patricia is the name of Trevor's mother. His 2016 memoir, the one being adapted for film by our very own Lupita Nyong’o, who will play Trevor’s mother Patricia the mind boggles - has detailed much of his upbringing under the watchful care of his mother and grandmother.

His second book, in conjunction with The Daily Show writers, The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library, was announced in February 2018. All we can say is Son of Patricia begs for a save the date!

Art Art × Lagos Art Fair 2018

Art × Lagos is not your traditional contemporary art fair in any form or shape. In fact, the event takes great pleasure in bending the rules. The Art Fair is anticipated as what will be one of the most vital events in the continent. With the intention of widening our connection to the global contemporary art scene as well as revitalizing the art business. The 3rd edition of what was initially dubbed as ‘West Africa’s premier international art fair’ will be held in Lagos, Nigeria from November 2nd – 4th. The event will include exhibiting galleries and artists, conversations, specially curated projects, music shows and things you won't know to describe. The fair is expected to attract a potpourri of Africa’s most sought-after, established and emerging works and display the works of 18 prestigious galleries from a variety of countries like: Art House – The Space (Nigeria), Stevenson Gallery (South Africa), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), Tafeta (United Kingdom), Tiwani Contemporary (UK), Out of Africa Gallery (Spain), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria) and Circle Art Agency (Kenya) with renowned East African artists namely Kenya’s Paul Onditi and Cyrus Kabiru making their maiden exhibitions. Since its launch in 2016, the fair has hosted over 15,000 attendees.

COUTURE AFRICA | 23

COUTURE NEWS | EVENTS

NOVEMBER 2018 EVENTS The pop ups scenes have really exploded over the last couple of years. No longer are we confined to conventional bars, clubs and pubs – instead, we have places with an "anything goes" music policy, cocktails flowing with a friendly and up-for-it party crowd and everyone is all about having a good time. Luckily for you, we've got a rundown of these pop-ups in town, right here!

The JW Show 2018 Date: 10th November Venue: TRM – Thika Road Mall One show where style meets elegance. Set to open its doors to designers, models, and fashion enthusiasts, the JW Show is a one-of-its-kind experience that aims to Connect Africa and The World through Fabric and Design. For its 8th Edition, the show is a style-studded fashion show extravaganza that congregates men and women who are pushing the envelope of sustainable local fashion brands that have transcended borders and caught global attention. A brainchild of #madeinkenyabykenyans, the show will have designers and models showcasing their artistic styles on the platform. The judge panelists will include Betty Kyalo, Jane Sempeo, Aulgah Nato and Ken Pope Ndolo. The red-carpet dress code is strictly #madeinkenyabykenyans.

Make a date with them and be part of this iconic show by getting your tickets for KES 1500 regular and KES3000 for the VIP. MPesa till no; 207373. A/C no. JWSHOW.

BLANKETS & WINE X 10 YEARS Date: 4th November – 5th November At Ngong’ Racecourse and Golf Park And they are back! The popular Afro Music Festival founder by singer Muthoni Drummer Queen (MDQ) will be back for a special anniversary edition. Join Blankets & Wine as they celebrate 10 years of music, laughter, fun, and festival. Organized by Good times Africa, in partnership with Red Bull Music, the festival will be a great chance to celebrate remarkable artists who have been in the game for 10+ years, recognizing the magnitude of this staying power in a tough industry. It will be an absolute vibe with something for everyone – from a food fair with cuisine from around the world, the city's best in fashion, and an eclectic lineup of performances from Kenya’s best including Sauti Sol, Elani, MDQ, Blinky Bill, Chris Adwar x Atemi and Suraj. Grab your ticket, Early Bird: KES 2000 (limited numbers!) and Advance: KES 3000. Get yours at BlanketsAndWine. com

Natron 100 2018 Edition Dates: 9th Nov – 11th Nov. At Multiple Venues Lake Natron Camp presents the inaugural Natron 100 - 2 evenings of delectable beats, bands, and vocals infused with days of adventure set in the sublime location that is Lake Natron, Tanzania.

Mixed with music, adventure, food and drink, your days here will be filled with adventure while exploring the unique area. Start your morning with a yoga session. There also are waterfalls to see, perhaps take a walk around the gorgeous flamingo lake, or maybe just have a chill afternoon to get you ready to dance through the night. Book your ticket at bookings@natron100.com where you will be sent a link to book via Mpesa, Credit Card or Debit Card.

Mark your calendars now!

The Afro Hair Awards 2018 Date: 16th Nov – 17th Nov 2018 At the Intercontinental Hotel This is one annual award celebrating Afro excellence in all areas of society that you don’t wish to miss.

Hosted by the Afro Hair Awards Kenya, the Afro Hair Awards is Kenya’s largest and most inclusive beauty event offering unlimited networking, education, & professional growth opportunities to all sectors of the industry. Geared towards encouraging normalization and aspiration towards Afro hair, culture, and identity, the awards ceremony creates a platform for the many hairdressers to showcase their prowess in the trade as well as business acumen for salon owners.

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EVENTS

COUTURE EVENTS

MAYBELLINE FITme! Launch Who: Beauty lovers, celebrities and the lovely women of Nairobi Where: Yaya Centre, Ground Floor When a huge cosmetics brand like Maybelline sets up shop smack dab in the middle of a shopping mall, you know it's about to be a party. With their glam, well-lit stretch of a makeup table, Maybelline set up their own store in Yaya, first floor, welcoming Nairobians to come try the range of FITme! foundations they have just hauled into the market for our melanin. They did not just glam up the ladies and their girl squad, they fed women cake, daytime cocktails and threw in sweet goodie bags. Maybelline is also available at Carrefour. We had been looking forward to spotting their newly-minted brand ambassador, Victoria Kimani. Maybe next time! To counter that, did we tell you Maybelline have sales on Jumia this month?

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COUTURE EVENTS

DARLING Kenya rebrands Who: Stylists, influencers and VIPs Where: Radisson Blu Hotel, Upperhill You know how you have always thought you might look great in blue hair but just do not want to commit to colouring your hair yet? Darling Kenya have a solution for you. Keeping in mind how the average Kenyan woman changes her hairstyle a minimum of twice a month, Darling not only rebranded, changing their logo to purple, they also unveiled three tiers of hair products from mass market to elite. What better way to encourage women to have more fun with their hair and to take huge style leaps?

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COUTURE EDITS

Sapele Briefcase – KES 22,000, Hidden Multipurpose Wash Bags – KES 5500 each, La La Palm Weekender – KES 20,000, Nara canvas, Weekender – KES 10,000, Natal Male/ Bifold wallet – KES 3,000, Khaya Belts, Beaded – KES 4,500, -Double strap – KES 3,000, -Single strap – KES 2,500, Clam Man Bag – KES 7,500, Mopane With Fabric- KES 13,000, Moringa Cardholders – KES 2,000 each

RECREATE YOURSELF

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I had a teacher who loved this expression, ‘little things make men.’ 10 years old at the time, it made no sense. Him repeating it twice, thrice, in every class made no difference. It just never sunk.

Until I was grown and ready, then it suddenly clicked. The devil is in the detail - not details - because a man is a series of decisions over a lifetime. Including something as profound as a lapel pin and choice of man bag. Yes. I said it.

COUTURE EDITS

Collection

by EDEN LEATHER COUTURE AFRICA | 31

COUTURE ACCESORIES

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Collection by Cittifficial_Klothing

Floral ties – KES 1,000 each, Lapel pins – KES 1,000 each, Musical Lapel Pin, God of War Lapel Pin, Eagle Wings Lapel Pin, Wildlife Gold Lapel Pin, Wildlife Kingfisher Lapel Pin

COUTURE ACCESORIES

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SHE'S GOT IT HANDLED Business woman, beloved wife, mother of two, influencer and all around woman Maureen Waititu is more than someone you would be lucky to have as a girlfriend. She is the kind of woman you need in your circle of influence, who will tell it as it is. Her lioness contact lenses declare her truth in her eyes - she is the mama bear whos has the beautifully independent yet collaborative life with her man. It is a quality that is hard won and has allowed her to create a wonderful life. Her deeply feminine nature is rare in these times where women want to be the alpha. Not because she rolls over, but because she embodies a nurturing spirit, creative energy and an instinctive understanding of partnership. This is a woman who knows what she wants without the need to be abrasive about it. Centered is a word that comes to mind. Of course it helps that her delicious curves are about that womanly thing!

By Carol Odero

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Makeup by Julie Nsambya of Lintons College of Beauty | Hair by Dkesi Hair Care | Styling by Ruth Odhiambo of Ruth Odhiambo Styles| Photography by Khalifa Louie and courtesy AlphaBeta | Shot on location at The COUTURE House

COUTURE CELEBRITY

MW: COUTURE CELEBRITY COUTURE Africa: What is it like being one half of a couple that went viral in july this year?

Maureen Waititu: It was an honour that the shoot went as viral as it did because we completely did not expect that.

CA: Tell me about the photoshoot. Don’t leave anything out!

MW: As soon as we found out we were expecting, we we started planning for the maternity shoot and we knew that it would be 100% african! The idea was to have me on a horse with african fabric, but as my pregnancy progressed, it became more and more unlikely but eventually we ended up with the shoot that went viral. Several people were involved and each and every one of them made the shoot a great success CA: This kind of shoot takes a lot of body confidence and self love. What was your state of mind?

MW: For the better part of my pregnancy, I felt like a whale! But during the shoot and as soon as I wore the famous attire, something liberating was born in me and I was so charged throughout the day and this can be seen in the end results!

CA: What made you choose to publish them on social media?

MA: Our social media followers had walked the pregnancy journey with us and it was expected that we would share with them the pictures. Then from there, we had no control on how the pictures went viral.

CA: I interviewed your hubby last year. He is smitten! And, even though you and I never met, he was very respectful towards you. What is the most vivid memory for you about how you met and what makes him a great father?

MW: I thought he was too much of a pretty boy to entertain but in the following months he was relentless with his pursuit of me, and five years later, here we are. I used to be a very private and withdrawn person especially on social media, but he insisted I had a gift and encouraged me to open myself up to the world and share it. I do not regret having taken that bold step. I would say what he has learnt from me is to say ‘I am sorry’ and ‘you are right’ even when he is not! Solves everything! But on a serious note, he has seen me at my worst and that has not shaken his faith in who I am. He walked with me through both pregnancies, took me to every prenatal visit and was with me in the delivery room both times while I laboured and delivered our babies. He is also fully involved in our boys’ lives. He has never hesitated to change a diaper, wash them, feed them or put them to bed.

So much talk about how couples need to support each other. I do wonder if that word is as clear as expected. Could you share an example of how you and frankie have supported each other in the past.

He single-handedly helped me begin my hair business and I, on the other hand, have been a silent partner in most of the decisions that he makes concerning his business and general life plans.

CA: Who’s alpha and who’s beta?

MW: He is the alpha, I am the beta.

CA: As a couple building a business together, are there any rules?

MW: No matter what circumstances arise, you have to separate business from emotions.

CA: You’ve modelled for COUTURE Africa and are a former model. Has the industry been good to you?

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COUTURE CELEBRITY

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COUTURE CELEBRITY

MW: Yes and no. When I did not know anything about modeling, I really struggled finding my niche.

As soon as I learnt the ropes, things have been good, although I must insist that they could have been better.

CA: What is it, exactly, that you do?

MW: I have a degree in law but I am not practicing.

Currently, I work as a client and account executive in a creative agency, I run my online hair business lifeandmauhair, I still model and I also co-run AlphaBeta YouTube channel.

CA: What does ‘influencer’ mean to you?

MW: Swaying a large group of people towards a product using an online platform.

CA: Would you say you understand men?

MW: I definitely get to understand men a little better each day. I have a long way to go but I am being deliberate in understanding them as I have two little boys who will soon become young men and I do not want to get caught off-guard.

CA: You and Frankie share generously on social media. Is this something you had agreed on?

MW: There were no prior discussions on how we would go about sharing on social media. What we do is, we always run each photo to be shared by each other especially when it involves family or the two of us as a couple.

CA: How do you choose what goes up and what stays private?

MW: It is simple. If we are not comfortable about anything, it does not go up. Frankie always lets me watch our YouTube videos and double check anything that might have repercussions before they go up. There has been very little backlash but sometimes it stings.

CA: How do you keep your identity as Maureen without disappearing into your marriage?

MW: Before I began life with Frankie, I had a very full and vibrant life as a single girl. Motherhood and being a wife has not only fulfilled me in more ways than I ever imagined but more often than not, I get lost in this new life. I have no regrets about it. When I feel absolutely drained, I pull back and have some me time or I just hook up with my girls because if I do not replenish myself, I cannot offer my family anything. Your dreams and life aspirations do not end with marriage. Marriage should be another chapter of your life that propels you to the woman you are truly meant to become.

CA: What do you wish you had known before having your boys?

MW: I wish I knew about postpartum depression, the hormonal imbalance that carries on even upto a year after giving birth. Most importantly however, it has to be the incredible joy that motherhood brings.

CA: There is a lot of talk about how mothers are responsible for raising good men. Do you feel that heat?

MW: I most certainly do. In fact my life is currently revolving around that aspect, because it is becoming more and more difficult to raise decent human beings in these times and I worry how my boys will turn out.

CA: How different, or even similar, are Lexi and Kai? MW: Holding Lexi and Kai as newborns felt like I was holding the same exact baby, twice. As Kai grows older, I am appreciating how different both boys are. Yes, personalities develop very early. Kai is

a very happy baby and very vocal already. Lexi was more chilled and super curious!

CA: What would you say women tend to get wrong about relationships and men?

MW: Women tend to try and guess if a guy is into them and do not know that men are very simple. If he is into you, he would never leave you guessing, he will not make excuses and he will certainly clear his calender for you.

CA: In what ways would you say becoming a mother has changed you?

MW: In summary, my life did change drastically.

Physically, I have added quite a number of kilos since Lexi’s birth. I have experienced emotions at a very intense level. My priorities have definitely shifted from the wellbeing of my babies coming first. Things that used to worry me so much do not anymore.

I feel more sexually confident now and I must say my relationship with God is now more than ever the centre of my life. I fully rely on his guidance on how to preserve my family as a woman. Compared to my life five years back, this is more of a ´shock me out of my mind.´ It has been a whole 360 degree turn around.

CA: Are you a fitness buff or been one in the past?

MW: Before Franke, I used to be physically very fit and health conscious. I still am and I carry on like before. I have also been more forgiving of the changes my body has undergone, what it is capable or incapable of doing after birth until I can gain my strength back.

CA: You battled with postpartum depression after Lexi and discussed this on AlphaBeta YouTube channel. Had you had a history of depression prior to that?

MW: No I had not and I am really grateful for that. I have not yet fully recovered from giving birth to my youngest. Both processes have been a little different from each other. I am keen each time to replenish my body after what she went through, and at the same time continued nurturing my young one.

CA: With your glamourous, sexy, body-confident style, how have you figured out your sense of style?

MW: Thank you! Comfort comes first. I try my best to dress for any occasion from running to the grocery store to attending a high profile event. Fortunately I have not had major and drastic body changes apart from the extra weight. However, I am practicing patience, a good diet, a little exercise and dressing my body as it changes. I am very proud of my body and what it has done. But what I sometimes miss about my previous body is fitting into some really cute outfits that do not fit anymore. I choose to take that as motivation to cultivate a healthier lifestyle as a mum. Fashion to me is owning a good look without becoming a slave to trends. Body positivity is about embracing each stage of my body changes and not giving into pressure to look a certain way.

CA: Who are your style icons?

MW: Folake Kuye Huntoon - she goes by Style Pantry on IG. Her outfits are everything I would want in my wardrobe. They are decent, flattering, versatile and ever evolving.

CA: What kind of husband and father had you visualised when younger?

MW: When I was younger, I thought my love life would be a telenovela. Boy was I wrong! Finding love on its own in the 21st century is becoming more

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COUTURE CELEBRITY and more difficult. When I finally found it, I learnt the hard way that love is a journey and often not so pleasant but when two people are determined to stick together and work through their differences, then love can be a beautiful story. My mom taught me resilient and forgiveness. I saw her forgive my father over and over again even after he treated her so poorly. My father abandoned my mother and I when I was very young so mine would not be a lesson learnt from him. Rather, a prayer that my children experience fatherly love, care and guidance and in return they become good fathers to their kids so that the narrative can change.

CA: Legend has it marriage is work. What, exactly, does this mean??

MW: Marriage is an endless act of kindness even when the other person is unpleasant and hard to love. It is not successful because of the love you have for one another, but how well you continue building that love until the end.

CA: I’ve watched you making posts. You’re very chill in front of the camera. Is there a TV show or web series in the offing?

MW: I am most definitely thinking of adding a section in AlphaBeta where it will be all about me and the many items that I feel like I want to share with the world.

CA: How do you suss out brands to work with?

I have a few brands on board. It all comes down to how I feel about the projects they would like us to do. I like owning what is on the table so that I can be as seamless as possible in my deliverables.

CA: What would you not trade for anything?

MW: My babies. They make me feel like I can take on the world any time.

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Model: Boaz Hosea | Photography: Khalifa Louie | Styling by Ruth Odhiambo of Ruth Odhiambo Styles | Collection by Cittifficial_Klothing

COUTURE FASHION

EVEN FASHION CAN’T ARGUE WITH EINSTEIN This collection is, naturally, inspired by this, trends highlighting the stylish man, giving him an edge in these sartorial times. In a world where he can, and is, free to express himself, in action, in speech, and in appearance.

Even then, there is that one thing man he is not exactly allowed to define, but only experience. That is elegance. It was Albert Einstein who said, "If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.” Who wants to argue with the genius of Einstein? Levis produced a limited edition of Einstein’s well-worn Levis Strauss original Menlo Cossack leather jacket in 2016 - only 500 pieces at $1,200 a piece, and worked on a scent with perfume house D.S. & Durga that is a blend of, wait for it, tobacco, papyrus manuscripts and leather. You can’t buy the latter on its own, but you might get lucky and swing the cologne when you buy the golden-brown slice of inspired history. And here you thought style was for airheads.

NB: All Shoes by Cittifficial_Klothing

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Navy Blue Fancy Floral Pattern Tuxedo with Black Satin Wide Peak Lapel: Two-Button Notch – KES 7,000 | Black Tapered Pants – KES 3,000 | White Formal Wing Collar Shirt – KES 3,000 | Rich Navy Blue Velvet Butterfly Bow Tie – KES 1,500

COUTURE FASHION

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Flower Print Tuxedo Jacket with Big Black Velvet Shawl Lapel - 8,000 | Black Tapered Pants – KES 3,000 | Formal Wing Collar Shirt – KES 3,000 | Solid Black Velvet Butterfly Bow Tie – KES 1,500

COUTURE FASHION

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Mini-Windowpane Two-Piece with Double-Breasted Plain Blue V-Stance | Waistcoat – KES 15,000 | Plain Formal White Shirt – KES 2,500 | Floral Tie – KES 1,000

COUTURE FASHION

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Vintage Floral Print Tuxedo Jacket with Black Shawl Silk Lapel – KES 8,000 | Black Tapered Pants – KES 3,000 | Formal Wing Collar Shirt – KES 3,000 | Solid Black Velvet Butterfly Bow Tie – KES 1,500

COUTURE FASHION

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COUTURE FASHION

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Plain Spiffy Light Grey Two-Piece Suit – KES 10,000 | Plain Formal Blue Shirt – KES 2,500 | Floral Tie (with Hanky) – KES 1,000

COUTURE FASHION

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Classic Black Wide Peak Lapel Slim Fit Suit with One-Button Notch: Two-Piece – KES 12,000 | Neat Woolen Brown Overcoat – KES 7,000 | Plain Formal White Shirt – KES 2,500 | Floral Tie – KES 1,000

COUTURE FASHION

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Photography by Khalifa Louie | Shot on location at The COUTURE House

COUTURE GENTLEMAN

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COUTURE GENTLEMAN

N E M Y H W O T T H G U O D N A T S R E D N U S R A C Michael Mwai was the go-to car insider for 12 years, starting out at the East African Standard, Nation Media Group, Business Daily to True Love EA magazine. His love for cars has resulted in a most extraordinary career path, leading to travels around the world where he test drove all the cars you have ever wanted and dreamt of. He run his own design company, using that eye to suss out the attention to detail and point of view to set foot into the luxury world long before it even became a thing with a name.

Discovering along the way that car design, this skill requiring up to 10 years of research, meant anticipating what the market needed even before it knew it needed it. Now he runs The Luxury Network which sounds exactly the way you think it does, working behind the scenes with a lot of brands you want to own and some you have never heard of, to live life like it is golden because to him, it is.

By Carol Odero

So much talk about aspiration. But does aspiration actually inspire?

Absolutely. It also has to be put in context. With luxury, the context is, will this ever get to a point where more than 1% will be able to enjoy it? Unfortunately luxury prices keep going up. Then there is premium luxury goods which introduce you to luxury. A Mercedes A class is an entry level to the Maybach (pronounced my-back). Land Rover have Defender, then Freelander, then Range Rover.

What is luxury?

It is simple really. It is not a necessity. It is something you want. You go to a party, see a bigger house, and want it so you buy it. Money and taste do not always go together. Luxury is rare, expensive, high quality, extravagant. I can't think of any sector in the industry that has so many negative words to describe it.

Decadent. Unnecessary. Indulgent. Exorbitant.

Aspiration also has a negative connotation.

Why live then when we can live now?

The journey we are looking at is having something better. That with time you will achieve more in future than you have achieved now.

Who are these consumers of luxury?

There are two kinds.

- The Ultra High Networth Individuals (UHNWI) with more money than he needs in this lifetime.

(Investopedia define them as people with assets, excluding personal assets like their homes, worth at least $30 million.In May 2018 Business Daily identified only 10 UHNWI in Kenya.)

- The high networth individuals, who I call the HENRIS High Earner Not Rich Yet. It is very important for them to look the part. They are currently rich. (Wikipedia pegs their financial assets as above $1 million.)

Which to me means, what do you have left after everything else? This allows you to spend. You have a watch, you want a timepiece. You have a shoe, you want a Jimmy Choo or a Christian Louboutin. This is where luxury comes in. You have more than you need. If your wardrobe is exploding, and you have a minimum of six key events in a year and you cannot be seen in the same thing, and you need someone to help you prepare.

Does sustainable or slow fashion fall under luxury? It is fashion built to last.

It could depending on the story they tell and the craftsmanship. If it is rare and expensive, it can be.

If it is not for everyone/mass market and the design adds unique elements making it pricey such as distinct accessories, a strain of bamboo going extinct and only 2% of the world's population can get to it. Silk in large quantities does automatically translate to luxury. That is about the designer making something extraordinary with it, the people involved in its creation are very highly skilled and a lot of time and effort has been put into it. Take the example of 82 year old South Africa´s Esther Mahlangu partnership with BMW M7 series.

In 2016, then 80, she designed wooden trims for a special edition. She is a designer but doing something unique for the brand makes it a limited edition and therefore luxury, which makes it more expensive. (She also designed a special edition Belvedere Vodka bottle with 50% of the proceeds going towards fighting HIV & Aids in Africa.)

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COUTURE GENTLEMAN Does anyone vet the luxury industry or can I just wake up one day and say I have a luxe product?

It will be vetted by peers who are very protective of that space. You have to earn their respect. There is a special calibre of journalists who position products according to where they feel it fits. There is a very strong western bias toward luxury. But in Africa, there aren't enough people writing from this perspective.

Is it because they are unaware of what constitutes luxury or there are no publications? What is the missing link with Africa?

I may be wrong, but a lot of the Africans who know enough to write authoritatively are doing it for European publications. It will only change when they are brave enough to write from an African perspective for that market, and nurture African creatives who have a scalable business. They have to be able to capture a global audience for Africa such that stock is available in London, New York, China.

Maybe it is easier for them to write about what has already been identified by someone else as luxury as opposed to identifying what is luxury in Africa.

I think they know how to identify luxury both in and out of the continent. They mention and profile it, but not enough African brands step up often enough to get the attention of the Western media. And they need to write about African offerings that are available to the West. It is also about commerce. Any publication is about money, and they consistently push their agenda. They are a PR machine. The heavyweight gatekeepers of the continent, such as you, are the ones who need to say if there is enough content for Africa by Africa. luxuryreporter.ng does this. But she is also limited. How does she get to African luxury brands, and how do they get to her?

It is two-way. Someone has to be bold enough to tell their story, and publications need to do a call out for talent. The big boys like LVMH and Kering have bought out so many brands they are in control of the industry. Does Africa stand a chance? Yes. There are a lot of people looking for content and products.

I am not convinced 5 billion people cannot sustain purely luxury African products. We are just not confident enough to embrace that thought.

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How did others develop their luxury industries to the point of recognition?

They have an interesting habit of complaining. As Kenyans, we are too forgiving. If you complain, you get someone to step up. Instead, our appetite for mediocrity is very high. A designer can get away with low standards for a long time. Maybe the new generation will change it. The others have also matured with societies and associations setting standards for professionalism in the industry. Here, we do not have any checks and balances. Anyone does anything. The industry cannot afford to have quacks claiming to be producing.

I'm curious. When testing things out your price range, are you inspired or depressed by the disparity with your real life? Are these experiences a motivator or demotivator?

My mantra is to give my dreams content. So, a motivator. Initially, I was very depressed each time I moved from a brand new car to my jalopy. Then at some point I had a jalopy that was better than a few new cars, and I had hope. You get your taste buds refined, standards upgraded, understand how yarn feels the way it feels and priced the way it is priced.

I have learnt to ask questions. The problem is when you buy things just because they are expensive.

Not because you are asking yourself, why does it launder this way, iron, look better both to the eye and the camera? Our lifetimes are limited. There are so many people making amazing things. I want to experience as much so I can tell my kids to go out there and find it. Don't be limited to your village. It can of course open you up to more disappointment, but you get to experience and learn. I had thought of having enough money to buy better things. Then realised money will never be enough. There will never be an end to excellence. Now I want my life to be magnificent. That is what I now encourage people to do. Go out and eat food created by a magnificent chef with passion for his work. And you can't do fine dining at home either because there are things you will not have in your home or kitchen.

We are in a recession which some economists now say is a depression. Yet luxury still makes money. How now?

Luxury is very therapeutic. Retail therapy at another level. I can't speak for them, but people with money tend to be very lonely, alienated from people, their circles becoming smaller and with everyone is acting. This is a growing group of people so luxury will not stop succeeding. People are making more money. People with new money want more. Then they buy brands to keep them away from the masses and keep them luxe. That is why Rolls Royce makes a specific number of cars annually. If you can wait, buy a BMW. Luxury has taken a hit in some places, but not enough of a hit to take it down. Africans need to get to a place where they can celebrate their success.

When we realise we are the true originals, maybe that might change our experience, and we will stop flying out to shop then come back pretending to be poor.

Menswear and the male grooming industry are growing, and growing fast. Studies show men are getting married later and so they have more money to spend on themselves.

What have you observed about the Kenyan man´s experience in luxury?

Men are coming under a lot of pressure. The battlefield moved away from being a responsible man with a wife and family to social media where you look like you have more. There is a lot of pressure to look trendy, which was not there in my time, keeping up with trends that move faster. A lot of information is in circulation about how to look and there is no excuse to not look right. It has created a new industry of fakes who look, but are not about, the part. If you aspire, can't afford, you get a look like. What I am battling with is, how long should you fake it? Is it to impress and fool yourself or those around you? If so those around you, and you, are all a bunch of fools fooling each other. Do you want to be a poser in Louis Vuitton or Chanel knowing full well your salary is KES 70,000? Do you ask for a KES 20,000 Rolex at Adlife Plaza? The media has a role to play in teaching people about the heritage of luxury brands. I meet ladies complaining about the men - and age does not count because they are older than 20 or 30. That there is something amiss.

Enter the infamous boychild….

Yes. If you want to live that life and focus on it, instead of the real life where you do real work, how much of a life are you having?

Sounds a lot like the female version: this slay queen brought to you on the Gram has been sponsored by ….

The danger with that is this. When is it time to stop?

You have created a persona people have come to believe is who you are. How do you live a normal life with normal people? Because if you are not careful, it will lead to a dissonance between who you are online and in real life, and in comes depression.

Nobody looks sad on Snapchat or Instagram which is not real.

So, should a woman expect her man to understand cars, smartphones, electronics and technical stuff or should we just concede to being independent women in our relationships?

I think it is important for any man in a relationship with a woman to have technical knowledge. It is sexy for a woman to change a bulb, but it is not necessary for her to do it. It is also sexy for a woman to bend over checking the bonet. But she does not have to do it.

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COUTURE GENTLEMAN

At the point where there is car trouble at home, trouble that is not electrical, then it is negligence on the man's part. If he checks that the tyres are inflated, there is fuel, all the fluids are where they are supposed to be and the car is running, this is what keeps him out of the kitchen. If as a man you find yourself in the kitchen, and her in the garage, there is something very wrong with the picture. You do not have to know how to fix the car. But the man is the one who makes sure the car does not need fixing. Then she will do things for you that you will not believe. If you cannot buy her a car, look after a car. If not, she will fall in love with a ´mechanic.´ You have reinvented yourself a few times.

What is the secret?

I inevitably would have ended up in cars because I was reading about it for 6 years. If you want to get into an industry, read up on everything about it. I am not a writer. I took pictures and the editor asked for captions. The captions grew longer and I started writing. I don't think I would write for a New York publication unless it is to reach the African audience, which should be reconfigured. I reinvent myself by immersing myself in what I like. It started with cars, luxurious in many ways, and led to other aspects. Some of the cars I was testing had to be tested in very opulent environments. I go out and look for good things. I do not know what is next but luxury should be the last thing I do. Do something with passion and someone will want to engage you.

I can't compare what I wrote about cars 15 years ago, to now. Then I was in the the same position as my readers, only I was thrown into a candy store. I wrote from that perspective. That is the same thing I am doing now with luxury. I am very intrigued by people and with conversations. I was shocked when after 18 years in corporate I could not transition with my contacts. As an entrepreneur I had to start from scratch. Building through word of mouth.

What conversations do you need to have with people when you are rebuilding your network and transitioning? Based on this, I am writing a book.

You have not done my PAL test, have you?

- Identify the 3Ps. Passion. Purpose. Prayer.

If I know these things, I know the reason for your existence. Any given year I should know what these are about because they change.

- Ambition, achievements - if I know these, I can connect you to opportunities. Then write down three things each from the two As that you have acknowledged them for.

- L- what do you like, love, and three things I have learnt from you.

If you can fill in these three, and especially three answers in each, then you are and have a very good friend. Some people cannot even fill in one. We don´t ask our friends the right questions. We gossip, talk about which girl who slept with, how you bought Johnny Walker and your massive hangover.

Do all that, yes, but insert these key things in there.

For every friend you believe is a good friend. Make it five people. And because out of the five, there is likely one relative who can stand you, so, add someone else.

The theory behind this is that it comes down to pallbearers. You need six. I challenged someone with thousands of names in their phone book.

Write down 50 names of the people you have not called and who have not called you in a long time.

Pick someone you don't need to call, don't need anything from them. Just say hello, find out how they are doing. At the end of the year, check. How many of the 50 people you did not need, ended up calling you back. I bet you they will. And it will be to have coffee. Because they will want to know if you are alright. This is how I am encouraging people to experience their magnificence. People should live lives of significance and magnificence. And people who know us, should know the authentic us.

I invited my friends for a nice dinner and I did the PAL test. One of them was traumatised. He said he needed to be his own best friend first because he could not answer any of the questions for himself never mind for me.

You know what you have just described? The two greatest luxuries money cannot buy: time, and self knowledge. But. What if you don't have the right friends or any friends?

This allows you to find friends. The right kind of friends. You want friends that are passionate. I am not religious, but I am spiritual. I don't go to church but I pray for others. You can help friends find the missing elements in the PAL test. In every aspect of the PAL test, you can give someone the gift of finding themselves. You don't need many friends.

Just high quality.

The whatsawhoa?

It is a test you can do with your friends to gauge their knowledge of you. A friend should be able to know a few things about you. It starts with you putting down their name and how many hours you spend in a year on phone or in person. It is easier to break it down in numbers. What have you talked about that tells you who they really are? We do not often think like that. It started when I was asked to talk to golfers and find out, do they really network as we are told men do when they golf? It turns out they don't. Let me explain.

So what is your purpose?

To help people find their magnificence, and to save lives. Death on the roads in Africa is too high. I ask myself, so I have written about cars, their functionality and beauty. What next? Smart mobility. There is no need to die because of a machine.

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COUTURE GENTLEMAN

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H COUTURE HISTORY

Saks Fifth Saks FifthAvenue, Avenue,New NewYork YorkCity, City, at Af “Journey through African Heritage” by Alan Donovan. www.africanheritagehouse.info

CLIPS FROM THE PHOTO SHOOT...

The African Heritage House, designed by American Alan Donovan, overlooking the Nairobi National Park, provided an ideal setting for our fall collection. Housing one of the world’s finest collection of arts and crafts, Mr. Donovan’s home provided a rich combination of color, pattern and texture with which to photograph St. John. Textiles, carvings and furniture represent the diverse African culture we journeyed around the globe to photograph.

St. John Collection for Saks Fifth Avenue

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COUTURE HISTORY

H

at African African Heritage Heritage House House City, at

e.info

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B E A

U T Y

COUTURE BEAUTY | MAKE-UP

Model: Natalia Waweru from Ajuma Limited | Makeup Artist: Nicole of Lintons Beauty World

THE EYES & THE LIPS HAVE IT

A Stain Upon Your Lips

MAYBELLINE Colour Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick: KES 1,500

LIPS Go bold in lip glass or muted in a lip stain.

So long as you keep it red, you will always be classically on-trend.

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MAC Retro Matte Bengal Tiger: KES 3,200

COUTURE BEAUTY | MAKE-UP

Lips of Marble MAYBELLINE Lip Lipstick Vivid Matte in RebelRed: KES 1,500

BellaPierre Pigment [Karat Gold]: KES 3,200

M.A.C Tinted LipGlass: KES 2,800

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COUTURE BEAUTY | MAKE-UP

WINGED EYES Getting the perfect wing tip is almost like a perfect science.

The trick: practice practice, practice!

Under Eye Wing MAYBELLINE Crayon Khol Colossal Kajal Black: KES 700

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COUTURE BEAUTY | MAKE-UP

High Drama MAC Fluidline Gel Liner: KES 3,200 Black|Up Blue Lip Pencil: KES 2,800

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COUTURE AFRICA | HAIR

SIMPLY SOPHISTICATED They say long hair is the hardest to style… However, with a little thought and effort, you can easily change up your look to suit every occasion.

Dressy Playtime

Model: Tatyana Mburu from Ajuma Limited | Makeup Artist: Gift Kwetto of Lintons College of Beauty | Hair by: Dgonnie Hair Arts

Occasion: The Fancy Miss

Styling tip: - We are still working that flip fringe.

- Only this time, spiral this very fringe with a curling iron, taking wisps of hair at a time.

What you need: - ORS Olive Oil Glossing Hair Polisher: KES 1,000 62 | COUTURE AFRICA

COUTURE AFRICA | HAIR

Here She Comes Occasion: Congratulations!

It’s your wedding!

Styling tip: - Keep the hair in position using a smidge of gel.

- Now fringe the hair at the highest point of the eyebrows.

You can’t afford to skip: - ORS Olive Oil Edge Control Hair Gel: KES 800 - ORS Olive Oil Professional Flexible Holding Hair Spray: KES 900 COUTURE AFRICA | 63

COUTURE AFRICA | HAIR

Sleek But Flip Occasion: Woman at Work

Styling tip: -Comb hair out with a fine-tooth comb to achieve and refresh the sleek look.

- Flat iron the flip to complete.

You will need: - ORS Olive Oil Glossing Hair Polisher: KES 1,000 - Argan Smooth Silk Press Hair Protector: KES 1,200 64 | COUTURE AFRICA

COUTURE AFRICA | HAIR

Sleek & Classic Occasion: Purely couture and full glamour

Styling tip: - What is a bun if it does not rise to the top? Use fillers, like kinky hair extensions, to give volume to it.

- Prepare edges for serious laying as you secure the bun.

- Hold the fringe in position with bobby pins to get it out the way.

- Lay the edges.

You saw it coming: - ORS Olive Oil Edge Control Hair Gel: KES 800 - ORS Olive Oil Professional Flexible Holding Hair Spray: KES 900 COUTURE AFRICA | 65

Photography: KabuthaKago | Retoucher: Alfred Matuku.| Model: Alfred Matuku

COUTURE BEAUTY | BEAUTY

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COUTURE BEAUTY | BEAUTY

GROOMING

101

For Him

10 Things Every Metrosexual Male Must Have!

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COUTURE BEAUTY | BEAUTY

Out with the rough and rugged, and in with the metrosexual male… Where Getting a manicure and washing your face with a cleanser [not just plain soap] are not frowned upon but celebrated. To guide these men along, here are 20 things that every modern man should have!

CLEANSER – TONER – MOISTURISER: Yep, even today’s modern man needs to go through the C-T-M process. And there are lots of options to choose from too, with the beauty industry realizing that the male demographic is a growing one and needs to be catered to.

SOLID FACE SCRUB: Yes, men need to exfoliate too…and a solid face scrub will help you do just that.

It is great in evening out your skin texture, as well as soothing out any razor bumps that you may develop along the way.

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EYE CREAM: have you seen those 60-something year old men who still look like they’re in their forties? AntiWrinkle Eye Cream!

ANTI-AGING MOISTURISER: And why not take it one notch higher with a great anti-aging moisturizer.

SHAVING ROUTINE: a solid shaving routine to men is comparable to a solid tweezing routine for women. Find that one thing that works for you [and does not give you razor bumps] and stick to it!

COUTURE BEAUTY | BEAUTY

A GREAT SHAVING CREAM: If you shave at home, your shaving cream is one of the most important items you shall have in your vanity, so make an informed and educated decision.

SUNSCREEN: Yes, yes, we know your skin is tougher than nails. But even the toughest of surfaces needs some protection. Even more so as we get into the hot season.

EDITOR’S PICK! BEARD CARE: Akin to Movember, you may choose to do away with shaving altogether! Well, no judgements here, juts ensure you take utmost care of the hair on your face – more so even, than the hair on your head!

MILD AFTERSHAVE: A great aftershave is not just about the scent, but also about the soothing and healing effects it has on your skin. Stay away from any aftershave that feels stingy on application!

MILD AFTERSHAVE: A great aftershave is not just about the scent, but also about the soothing and healing effects it has on your skin. Stay away from any aftershave that feels stingy on application!

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COUTURE PROFILE

SIPPY CHADHA Making a career out of film-making requires painstaking determination, resilience, and vision. It can be a tough road to travel. For Kenyan writerdirector Sippy Chadha, following your bliss is her modus operandi. Passionate, intelligent and with a keen eye for films that challenge perceptions of culture and society, Sippy Chadha, by and large, has immersed herself in the world of women in a given situation. We talk to her on bringing a personal story to life and her insights and experiences as one such filmmaker.

By Jackline Mukami CA: Who is Sippy Chadha?

SC: Sippy is one passionate woman, who believes in living life as a celebration and digging deeper into a more fulfilling life. I am also a mother, a wife, a humanist, and a filmmaker. Up until a few years ago, I used to work in financial services until I decided to pursue my passion in filmmaking by telling my stories. I have written, directed and produced four short films; Subira (2007), Tick Tock (2006), Kibera Kid (2006) and Charcoal Traffic (2008). Subira has received global recognition and won 10 international awards. It was actually the first Kenyan short film to premiere at Cannes Film Festival. My hunger to do my next masterpiece and tell my stories on a worldstage pushed me to produce Subira (2018) which is set to premiere in November.

CA: Tell us about the Subira feature film concept?

SC: The journey of Subira started way back in 2008.

So I had just moved to Kenya, married through an arranged marriage and raising my two kids. When the second born was born, I really felt I had a story within me. I used to feel that I have a lot of stuff I needed to address but to which I could not find the answers to. I was doing financial services then but felt I could not do it anymore. It had no meaning in my life. I was in this weird state of mind and that is when I knew I had to address what was happening to me. I explored further and it finally dawned on me by way of art I could put my emotion out there.

I actually got emotional any time I saw art. I was taken to boarding school at the age 5 in India. I was a great achiever but I had all these emotions. I felt abandoned and unwanted by my family. Little did I know these would have implications later in my life.

That was how Subira was born. I felt that I needed to actualize my emotions through the film. There was a lot of freedom in that. Subira is based on my life events. About a woman finding self-love and living out her dreams but with all these obstacles. It took me 8 years to actualize the concept.

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Photography by Khalifa of Cool Pixx Studios | Makeup by Eunice Salantoi of Lintons college of Beauty

COUTURE PROFILE CA: How has the response stacked up to your expectations?

SC: I honestly can’t tell. We have just been climbing one mountain after the other. However, the reception has been impressive so far. The feature film recently got the highest nominations with 13 categories at the Kalasha Awards to be held in November: Best feature film, Best local language film, Best actress - Brenda, Best actor – Tirath Padam, Best DOP, Best Lighting, Best supporting actor and supporting actress, Sound, Best Director and Best editor. We are hopeful that should we win top awards at Kalasha. We can then head for the Oscars and represent Kenya come 2019.

CA: Were you always creatively focused?

SC: It has been a long journey driven by my hunger and passion to be heard. I have always had this urge that the whole world must hear my point of view through film. I would not want it any other way. I wanted it visual with real-life characters. It so happens even in real life I see people like movie characters. Maybe it is because I went to a boarding school away from society. I felt sheltered and detached. So when I came home I saw the society from a third perspective with a detached sense.

CA: Is it harder to get started or to keep going?

What was the most difficult challenge in making your film?

SC: I think the most challenging part is the writing process and getting the structure correct. For instance, for Subira film, it took 4 years to make it a reality. I knew what I wanted to say and when I felt it was ready I sought a 2nd and 3rd opinion. I had people telling me I needed to get rid of a certain part of the script, or some characters did not cut it.

Writing is tough if it is an emotionally driven story.

My stories are strong and I always need a co-writer with me. For Subira, I had my co-producer from Denmark who we co-wrote with. All in all, I have had my fair share of challenges in film production but I keep getting better.

CA: So what’s your writing process?

SC: Writing comes from within. I always have these ideas in me and in my notes all along. However, I need them to come out effortlessly. The most fascinating part is finding a collaborator who has helped me put my words into concept. I just had to shut my eyes, get into Subira’s character, feel her personality and everything just flowed. The project felt safe within me, but having a collaborator with me gave the story more sense. I will tell you for free; when it comes to writing, all you have to do is give it space and it just goes and sells itself out.

CA: What was the inspiration behind the Subira filming location?

SC: A few years ago I had gone for a vacation in Lamu. And something really deep crept within me while there. I was gripped with so many emotions that reminded me of my childhood – growing up in India, the happy moments and the overwhelming love I received before joining boarding school. I was also really drawn by the culture in the place.

There is a particular culture there that goes beyond the stereotypes. It really symbolized our culture and the conformity that comes with it. I did postproduction in Hollywood. Not that we don’t have great editors here, but I wanted that commotion anthem and a finer brush to the end product.

CA: Your films boast an ensemble of great actors.

How do you choose them and can you describe the process of working with them?

SC: First I would say that unlike my previous short films that took me 9 days to produce, Subira feature took me a month. The cast had to go through emotional arcs in order to connect with the storyline and get the back story. With that, I knew that I could not pick new actors off the streets as I had done with my short films. We have two casting agents on board who know where to get these incredible actors we have in the industry. Robert Agengo helped me get a cast from Nairobi while Ken Ambani, from Mombasa.

CA: How did you go about raising funding for it? I ask this because most filmmakers, especially female filmmakers, struggle a lot with this.

SC: Yes, it is not easy for most filmmakers to raise funds for a film. The Danish government gave me money for script development which was really encouraging. However, 90% of the money and 90% of the content is Kenyan.

CA: You balance social issues with the telling of compelling narrative, something not very easy to do. How do you do it?

SC: I believe that as a creative person, it is required of me to tell a particular story or touch on specific issues. Personally, I was looking for something that embodies the woman in society. I am not Swahili, neither am I a Muslim but I felt there was a purpose for the film to be shown. Filmmakers have a responsibility regarding cultural life and that is why I made countless trips to Lamu, got women from different age groups and asked them of their social and cultural problems. And I realized most women, especially the second wives felt degraded.

Do you think that the creative landscape is getting better for female filmmakers in Kenya?

Absolutely. It is. I am a perfect example of that. It is usually a huge responsibility when you are starting out but eventually, it all adds up.

CA: What would you like to say to young, independent filmmakers who are just starting out?

SC: Just go for it. Follow your bliss, and with that doors will open even where there were none. That’s one of my mantra which I have borrowed from one of my gurus, American Philosopher Joseph Levine.

Secondly, have the courage and take your dreams head on. The other side is unknown; play into the unknown. Go beyond your doubt and fear.

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COUTURE CULTURE | OFFICE STYLE

WHAT WOMEN [AND MEN] WEAR TO WORK Skirt or slacks? Khakis or pants? Sandals or pumps?

These are the questions most of us find ourselves asking each morning as we select work attire. And, depending on the dress code your company enforces, you could be spot on – or woefully off-base in your fashion choices. Get out of your black slacks and buttonup ruts with some office style inspiration from Access Leo Burnett.

By Jackline Mukami | Makeup by Christiana Wahu of Lintons College of Beauty | Photography by Issa of Photochase Photography

ACCESS LEO BURNETT

Everyone has a story – and for Access Leo Burnett is that they have seen it all and in doing so have the wealth of experience to stay ahead of times and adapt with agility.

As the hub agency for East Africa, they have been shaping consumer conversations and building brands since 1979. A true soul for the business of communication in the true African spirit.

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Caroline Mbarire Digital media lead My personal style is comfortable, decent and timeless while my office look is pretty casual but professional. On both occasions, I go for uniqueness and convenience. My moods determine what I wear for the day. I admire Margaret Kenyatta’s sense of style.

We all know she can afford to go extravagant but her looks are so humble and grounded. I also draw my fashion inspiration from Kate Middleton – she can afford not to repeat her wardrobe, but she always creatively does.

My favorite accessories are my wrists pieces. I splurge most on earrings. I am more of an impulse buyer. I normally shop at MRP Fashion. I am one of their die-hard fans.

Earrings: CBD Top: jade collections Pants: MRP Wrist pieces: gifted Shoes: MRP Fashion

Diana Mukunu Client service accounts manager My personal style is chic and casual with a tomboyish touch in it. My personal style and office look are not any way different. Fashion-wise, I admire Alicia Keys’ sense of style. I feel that her style reflect my personal look. She has this New York tomboyish look – the backpacks and the boots. When shopping, I go for comfort and convenience.

Considering my athletic build, I opt for pieces that help me embrace my body build and speak “that was easy to put up”. My favorite accessories are my silver and gold earrings, my watch and African bracelet. And of course my natural and trimmed hair. I also do a lot of shades and boots. I splurge most on boots and tops. I would never be caught dead wearing stilettos – they just don’t match my dressing personality. I normally shop at Toi Market; it has something for everyone.

Earrings: Mombasa Top: Toi market Pants: Toi market Boots: Toi market Watch: Mombasa Bracelet: Narok

Mark Ngoloma Strategy director Casual, comfortable and fun best describe my personal style. For my office look, however, I opt for a more formal look. I dress to suit to occasion and I believe my smile is my favorite accessory. I spend most on shoes and cologne. I believe shoes maketh a man while a nice cologne maketh a good smelling man. For my formal wear, I draw my inspiration from Hugo Boss. For my casual wear, I am inspired by Zara.

I would never be caught dead wearing bright colors.

I also don’t like the Jordans.

When shopping, I go for the high value. I normally shop online.

Jacket: online Jeans: LC Waikiki T-shirt: gifted Shoes: online

COUTURE CULTURE | OFFICE STYLE

Mike Macharia Associate media director Simplicity wrapped in elegance best describes my personal style. For my office style, however, I prefer beginning my week in a more serious and official look then ease into a more casual and relaxed look as the week progresses. The occasions determine my dressing for the day. I admire Barack Obama’s sense of style- it’s smart, casual and comes so naturally for him. I don’t accessorize much but once in a while, you will spot me in a watch. I tend to spend most on pants. As far as my shopping habits go, I am more of a spontaneous buyer; I spot and buy. With that, I shop anywhere.

T-shirt: CBD Bracelet: Maasai market Pants: CBD Shoes: LC Waikiki

Whitney Speke Digital account executive I always have this artsy, chic and funky kind of fashion sense. This perfectly works for my personal style since I go for a catchy but simple and smart impression. My moods determine how I dress for the day. There are days I’ll show up laidback, other days really hot and sometimes just chilled. I would switch my wardrobe with Kelly Bradshaw any day. She is the epitome of style; so her and funky.

I also admire Victoria Beckham’s style; she has this fresh look that has its own English modern laidback mood. My favorite accessories are my earrings and my anklets. I splurge most on shoes and bags. As far as my shopping habits go, I plan my shopping. I normally shop online.

Earrings: Maasai market Shirt: gifted Pants: CBD Shoes: InStyle

Nickson Zachary Digital Strategist My personal style is simple, spontaneous and bold. It mostly entails of smart casuals. You will likely spot me in suits and ties from Mondays to Thursdays then I tone it down on Fridays. I am not into trends. Considering I work in Digital, the vibe and feedback I get from Social media determine how I’ll dress in a particular day.

My favorite accessory is my watch. I spend most on shoes. I love my kicks, especially the Jordans, the Nikes, and the Vans. I am not into fads and trends. I draw my fashion inspiration from basketball players; the likes of Stephen Curry and LeBron James. I would never be caught dead wearing skinny pants or harem pants. I normally shop online. I don’t plan my shopping; I spot and buy.

Glasses: Optica Watch: capital center T-shirt: greenhouse Pants: MRP Fashion Vans: Mr. Price

Michael Gathiru Revenue accountant My personal style is spontaneous and unpredictable which is not different from my office look. Being appropriately dressed for the weather and the occasion is so crucial to me. I am not into fads and trends. I define my own style - I find pieces that fit my preference then blend then to give me a unique and edgy look. I would never be caught dead wearing tight pants; they don’t define my personality.

My favorite accessory is my watch. I spend most on shoes with my collection growing rapidly every day.

I own like 2,000 pairs of them. I normally shop at F&F. Shirt: African fabric and design limited Watch: London Pants: F&F Shoes: London

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COUTURE CULTURE | HER STYLE

The Fit, Glam, and Joyful DR. Fitness Doctor, Fitness enthusiast and mother of three, Esther Dindi is undeniably stunning. She injects a dose of glamour into the world of fit and feminine physiques and manages to make her off-the-scale sexiness look positively effortless. Her unique look and style is the epitome of fashion-meets-fitness.

With discipline and work ethic, we think this is the epitome of Iron (wo)man. Think it's impossible to keep fit while looking after your family?

By Jackline Mukami CA: Who is Dr. Esther Dindi?

ED: Dr. Esther Dindi is an ordinary Kenyan, a wife, and a mother of three. Besides medical practice, I am also a certified fitness trainer. My passion in fitness pushed me to launch Dr. Fitness which is a blog spot on fitness. It has corporate wellness programs and an online coaching program, particularly for women.

I am also an author of the book “Hot & Healthy” and I recently launched an activewear line called Fitsistaz activewear.

CA: Tell us more about your brand, Dr. Fitness…

ED: I have always wanted to inspire people to commit to a good lifestyle. So Dr. Fitness is a brand meant to motivate and encourage women into healthy eating, have an accountability system and just gel with other ladies who have the same goals. It actually began as an FB page called Fitsistaz Kenya. I used to have people asking me where they would start in matters fitness, healthy eating, and weight loss. So at a small fee, I started a program where I post a workout program in video form for participants to use. The program runs for 60 days, where thereafter you graduate and move to another level.

The activewear, Fitsistaz Activewear, is where fitness meets style. So many women do not know where to find the right supporting bras or even the right outfit. And that is how I got the idea to start the line.

How you feel determines how you execute what you are doing and I want women to look and feel funky when working out. I am actually looking forward to doing a local production of the line.

CA: You are in incredible shape and look amazing!

What really inspired you into fitness?

ED: For as long as I have been around, I have technically been leading an active life. At a personal level, what really reignited my fitness passion was to get back in shape after pregnancy.

How I came to think of other people, especially after my masters and now being a physician consultant, is I basically encounter many young people suffering either from obesity or lifestyle diseases. I began getting drawn to sit with my patients longer and explain to them the need of exercising and changing their lifestyle. So I decided why not start a fitness training camp? Besides online coaching, I also do a one-on-one clinic which is purely on lifestyle issues.

That is how Dr. Fitness was born.

CA: How has been the reception of your brand?

ED: The reception has been good and the awareness is already there. Generally and globally, there is an 74 | COUTURE AFRICA

increased awareness on health and fitness with people adopting it as a lifestyle. With the rising trends of lifestyle diseases, it was only natural for it to trickle down to us in Kenya. I get really excited when I get good reports and testimonials from people.

CA: And the book?

ED: The book too has done really well and I am getting very good. It was my first book; I put my heart into it. The book gave me a chance to share a lot of experiences since I was getting a lot of questions on diets, fitness, and health. I am actually working on writing Book 2 by end of 2019.

CA: How is your workout routine?

ED: My style of working out is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I exercise at least 4-5 days of the week. I have created a program where I know when and what to do while working out. I know when to do cardio and when to work on my lower body. I just keep varying the routine. I exercise in the house and sometimes it just takes me 30 minutes. Focus, pushing hard and discipline drives me.

CA: You make fitness look so super glam. What’s the secret?

ED: Someone once made a joke that ‘it's hard for a weight loss product to sell when you are obese.’

So living the part is part of inspiring others. Some people are inspired purely because you have some glam going on, you know. It is good for me to have a good sense of dressing and a good sense of doing my hair and makeup. I have been keen to get good quality products that don’t clog my pores or get runny while working out. A good attitude and a good smile also go a long way.

CA: What’s your diet like? How do you get in shape while still keeping your curves?

ED: My diet plan is very basic and simple. As a matter of principle, I try to get at least two meals of the day. Two meals are perfect for having proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables – with the most outstanding food being the vegetables. As for my fats, I’ll have a bit of avocado or nuts. I also try to keep it as natural as possible. I also avoid snacking as much as possible since that’s where most calories tend to come from. This goes for me and my family.

CA: Don’t you have cheat days?

ED: I think most people cheat themselves out of good results by having cheat days because they are overrated. That does not mean I am an extremist. I will have chocolate, a piece of cake or a sip of soda once in a while. My trick is to share the chocolate with everyone in the house to ensure that I eat a small portion.

CA: In addition to diet, do you believe in supplements?

ED: Personally, I don’t use supplements. I am one person who likes to advocate for a natural diet.

As medical doctors, however, we do prescribe supplements depending on one’s condition – may be some form of deficiencies. Guys should know there are a number of supplements out there and they should be used with a limit. It is important

to discuss this with your nutritionist or doctor or better yet get your nutrients from natural products.

Supplements should not be confused with steroids.

Steroids are an abuse of hormones.

CA: And what about all these “lose belly in a week” products we have in the market?

ED: I would say they are just fads - products cashing in on people’s gullibility. They are there to offer short-term solutions and by and large, they don’t work. People should pursue the traditional form of dieting – it’s the only long-term solution.

CA: Have you ever considered competing in any fitness battles?

ED: No, I haven’t. I salute those who compete but it’s not my thing. Partly because I am shy. I can’t see myself strutting in a bikini. Secondly, I have branded myself as making fitness very attainable for regular people. I am here to symbolize a professional woman who has some fitness going on.

CA: What do you think is the biggest issue women face today in regards to getting involved in fitness?

ED: The biggest challenge is the mindset. Most women struggling to get fit do not have a reason as to why they are even pursuing fitness as a form of lifestyle. They don’t take responsibility for their state – from failing to take charge of their situations to blaming others for the states they are in. Another challenge is the hunger for quick solutions which eventually end up causing more harm than good.

You can be fit without enrolling in a gym – it’s all about the attitude.

CA: What’s in future for Dr. Fitness?

ED: Currently, my focus has been on corporate wellness. I am working with a number of corporates - giving health talks and comprehensive programs on fitness and wellness. I have had some good engagements with a number of corporates so far. There is the ladies-only master class that I am planning on launching soon. It is a curriculum program running for sixty days whereby you go through a training program and share your progress.

CA: How is motherhood?

ED: Motherhood is one of my primary mission. It is fantastic, incredible and exciting. It is a learning process – it teaches you to be patient. My first two kids, the twins, are heading towards teenage and starting to ask questions. Trust me we are ready for it. Motherhood has also ensured I combine soft-love and tough love in equal measure. Quite a beautiful adventure it is, despite all the flaws.

CA: I imagine all these takes of a lot of your time.

What hobbies and interests do you have to balance out your life?

ED: I love traveling. I love to design and doing crochet for fun. I also love visiting and attending social events with family and close friends.

CA: What’s your personal style?

ED: I have never been keen on fads and trends. I define my own personal style. I will go for pieces that are not common and those that I feel connected to.

Photography by Khalifa of Cool Pixx Studios | Makeup by Christiana Wahu of Lintons College of Beauty

COUTURE CULTURE | HER STYLE

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COUTURE CULTURE | HIS STYLE

The modern man’s style landscape by JayTakeaPic JAYSON MBOGO, Blogger, 29 If you are a gentleman with a genuine liking to beautiful things in life, and the latest fashion trends, then Jay is the man for you. Better known as Jaytakeapic, his popular blog reviews food, fashion, travel, and lifestyle – which are the epitome of a modern city gent. As one of the undisputed capos of the menswear blogosphere, his style is also elegant, sophisticated and impeccably 21st century. We speak to him about how he has carved his niche in the blogging industry;

By Jackline Mukami CA: What is your story?

JM: I am a lifestyle lover and a blogger – which is what I have been doing for the last four years. I started off with food blogging which was my initial interest then branched off into more lifestyle kind of content which included fashion, events, travel adventures and music as well. This kind of opened up the kind of structure of work that I can be able to do now. I kind of slacked on the food bit, since I eventually did learn how to cook from the internet, which was fun- but I am now into doing restaurant reviews and kind of exploring food culture in Nairobi and Kenya.

CA: Who or what gave you the inspiration to start your blog?

JM: Blogging gave me space where I could express myself. It is my open book space – a place where I would be able to kind of do something other than what I would be doing from a typical 9-5. If I weren’t a blogger, I would be in marketing, which is what I do. I was fortunate enough to be in a space that allowed me to kind of cross my job and what I love to do.

CA: Are there challenges you have experienced when blogging?

JM: Yeah, like when you are getting paid with exposure. It is absolutely crazy when you are not being appreciated for the job you are doing.

Somebody wants to hire you for a job then claims there is no budget, while you clearly know there is budget, and they just want to take advantage of the platform - working with such companies is one of the most difficult tasks to do. However, you eventually learn how to power through and how to say no more graciously.

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CA: How can we increase the visibility of men's fashion on the streets?

JM: I think up and coming events are a huge part of how people can be able to make guys dress up more.

Guys feel the need to dress up for such events. You get to see the trendiest of streetwear when everyone comes through. Guys should also be comfortable in their own skin and what they wear. Many are times we dress up to express how we feel on the inside - so don’t get boring with your dressing.

CA: Who or what is the creativity behind your opulence-dripping photo shoots?

JM: Most of my friends are photographers but honestly, I have met great people like Joy Kendi with whom we have grown a lot in the Blogging industry.

It is great when you have such a person who happens to understand the ropes of the industry, go the extra mile with you, and teach you about photography and other skills like Photoshop. It gets a lot easier with such people.

CA: Could you share your favorite spot for finding fashion treasures?

JM: Locally, I have worked with Wangari Mathenge who has basically been dressing me for everything. I met Wangari about four years ago – one week before I attended my first Fashion High Tea event. I think she was just starting out in the industry and so was I. And so we had an agreement; she would dress me, I wouldn't pay for it but then I would put post the looks on my social media. I have eventually created a long-term relationship with her and she basically dresses me for all the outfits I dress in except for the casual pieces. When it comes to shopping abroad, it definitely has to be Zara or H&M. Mr. Price South Africa also happens to have really good gems for me.

CA: Which bloggers do you look up to?

JM: In Kenya, I look up to Joy Kendi. She happens to be impressively bold when it comes to fashion.

Internationally, I look up to The Dobre Brothers. I like how they dress and talk about their iconic style. I also look up to Maps Maponyane from South Africa.

CA: Your style icon?

JM: I don’t have a style icon. I like how I dress.

CA: What is that one thing most have a misconception over you?

JM: That I am not socially awkward. You should see how socially complicated I can be. I am an adult, but just a different kind of adult.

CA: What’s your definition of beauty in a woman?

JM: A good spirit and positive energy.

CA: Are you dating?

JM: I am not dating anyone.

CA: Plans for the future?

JM: I want to get into the traveling space come next year. I have really enjoyed exploring Kenya and Africa and with it comes a lot of travel content to share come that time. I also want to explore beyond

Africa, say Europe and see what’s out there. I also want to explore more fashion – finding out new trends, what’s working and not working for me.

CA: How would you describe your style?

JM: My personal style is quite over the top. I find myself wearing what I want without subscribing to the rules. However, how I dress outside the country is totally different from how I dress while in the country. In here, I tend to be a little bit toned down.

In Kenya we just don’t get it, you know. My style also goes with my mood. If, for instance, I am having over-the-top kind of day, I’ll end up wearing the longest kimono, a hat, and my sunglasses.

CA: Current fashion obsessions?

JM: Sunglasses.

CA: 90s grunge or 60s glam?

JM: 90s grunge. I am more into the rough look and I just love how everything was ripped and leather and so raw. The glam side feels so clean and dainty to me.

CA: What are your top 3 fashion items that you can’t leave without?

JM: Sunglasses, a good bag and a nice pair of Chelsea boots.

CA: Favorite accessory?

Sunglasses CA: Do you have any fashion rules when putting an outfit together?

JM: Always carry a jacket.

CA: What’s your next fashion must-have?

JM: I need to get myself some fur.

CA: What do you splurge on most?

JM: I spend most on jackets CA: Favorite vacation spot?

JM: Johannesburg in South Africa CA: Favorite dish?

JM: Sushi any day.

Boxers or briefs?

Boxers Suits and ties or jeans and sneakers?

Jeans and sneakers Current playlist?

Mahalia seasons, the ep Jay in three words

Let’s do it.

Photography by Khalifa Louie of Cool Pixx Studios | Shot at The Couture House | Makeup by Eunice Salantoi from Lintons College of Beauty

COUTURE CULTURE | HIS STYLE

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COUTURE CULTURE | DÉCOR

DESIGN IT LIKE A MAN: WAKE UP YOUR BEDROOM Guys, when did your bedrooms become the sad, second-class citizens of the house with just dark shades, bare essentials, Xbox, and poor lighting while your living room gets the design love and the kitchen stocked with hand-forged cutlery?

By Jackline

Whether enigmatic or minimalist, industrial or rustic, your bedroom is the place where your lifestyle emerges. It has nothing to do with impressing women (okay, maybe a little- maybe a whole lot) – but if you make your bedroom more than just a room with a bed, it becomes your sanctuary. You don’t have to be a Feng Shui devotee to understand the profound effects your surroundings have on your moods and well-being – all you need is find the right balance between your masculinity and comfort you can enjoy and admire when you open your eyes.

Stumped? Décor experts have a solid recommendation on the best place to start: what us the best hotel room you have stayed in? Most hotel suites lean towards the serene, have great beds and favour minimalist design that speak efficiency, practicality and functionality — hallmarks women basically call masculine designs.

Read on for our manly baby steps and elevate your bedroom or Chambre à coucher, as the French like to call it, with a generous touch of sexy masculine style.

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COUTURE CULTURE | DÉCOR

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COUTURE CULTURE | DÉCOR

YES, THAT IS A BEDSIDE TABLE

Most guys – especially those who live in female-free households- tend to overlook the bedside table. It is understable. Most are dainty images of ornate designs holding flowers, scented body lotions and candles. But bedside tables are compulsory. No exception. It will make your life easier if you have a place for your belongings. If your room layout allows, having a side table on each side of the bed is ideal. And here is a list of what’s okay to keep on your nightstand; lamp, clock, a book you are actually reading and this is debatable - your phone. Make your life easier by picking nightstands with doors or a chest of drawers.

DRESSERS AND DRAWERS

Ah, storage – a genius way to reduce clutter in your room and increase restful sleep. The less stuff lying around, the better your bedroom will look. Having enough storage for your clothes and shoes is a musthave. If you’re not lucky enough to have a bedroom endowed with built-ins, a classic hardwood dresser or chest drawers is your next best bet. This will soften your neutral, minimalist palette. Pick wood and metal. We know you want to. Use this to store your work and stationery before turning off the lights to a reminder of paperwork and deadlines. And your laptop. Finally, get a hamper. It’s the basket which your dirty clothes go into. Not around, close to, next to or hanging on a thread. It is a three-pointer score everytime your clothes make it through the hoo. Seems like an obvious statement, but this is a very common item missing from lots of bachelors’ bedrooms.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Having only one light source is not enough – indulge your grungy side and opt for a lighting design with tons of charm. High time you ditch those stiff bedside lamps wearing stuffy white shades. First reason being, they are ugly. Second being; they are not doing a great job of lighting the place, are they? It is not just surround sound that has a mind blowing effect. Having different lighting options in your room creates a sophisticated mood with a soft-glow ambiance. The kind that favour company and illuminates both of you in your best light. There are fantastic wall mounted and hanging pendant lights available. Consider a standing floor lamp in a corner of the room.

SHOW US WHO YOU ARE

Yes, your bedroom should be functional, but it should also reflect your personality. A personal touch adds character. Layer the space with art, books, ornaments, wallpaper or rugs. At the risk of projecting into a fight a few years from today, do you have a collection of your favorite Star Wars action figures? Display them. Favorite album covers?

Vintage guitars? Ok, maybe you can save some of these for the living room or study. A set of watches nay, timepieces - passed down from great-grandpa?

They deserve an honorary station encased in glass.

Surround yourself with things that are meaningful to you. Having a room where you can organise and display your stuff and keep them safe is one of the reasons every man needs a room “just for him.”

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COUTURE CULTURE | DÉCOR

DON’T BE DRAKE

That iconic shot of Bad Girl Riri in a lingerie has been on your wall since college. Believe me, we share the feels. But why not replace it with art? A big-and-bold graphic print? A grouping of three or more artworks gather beautifully around and over your headboard and bedside lamps. Consider these; center a great abstract with a restful view of the horizon and place two complementary pieces on either side over the lamps. This reflects the symmetry that often works well in bedrooms. Or, depending on the width of the wall, cluster smaller artworks into an arrangement that extends beyond the bed and over the bedside lamps.

SOME COLOURS ARE STILL BORING

Ecru. Off-white. Taupe. Whatever you call it - the paint has been on the bedroom wall ever since — and it's boring as hell. Other guys tend to feel more comfortable with a palette of black, gray or white. A base palette of black, white and grey is okay, as they create a clean, serene atmosphere, but at the same time, it’s important to balance this with pops of colour. Fix that with a fresh coat of color, something bold and a little sinister. It is just a half a day's worth of sweat equity and your bedroom gets a whole new look. You can also choose a shade featured in your favorite artwork or item and use it as your accent colour. Grab a couple of pillowcases or a few throw rugs in the same colour and watch the room transform into a cohesive sleeping den.

HOW MUCH TECH IS TOO MUCH?

Most guys definitely desire to incorporate technology into their bedroom. However, having a TV and gaming consoles in your bedroom disruptS sleep. The expression that goes ‘the bedroom should only be for two things - sleep and sex,’ is constantly disregarded. So let’s have a trade. If you have a TV in your room - sorry but gaming consoles in the bedroom are just tragic - make sure it can easily be put away when it’s bedtime. The best tech in your bedroom would need to be audio with speakers that can range from blowing the roof off to intimate blips that rock your man-cave.

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COUTURE CULTURE | GADGETS

THE ART OF POWER TOOLS Grown men do not borrow tools. They own them! You don’t need to go overboard with the tools. A couple of power tools can fix broken things, straighten askew ones or even grease the squeaky wheel. There is nothing quite satisfying like finishing a job on your own. Even the most hands-off, ordering-out, valet-parking, neophyte do-it-yourselfer needs to hammer a nail, tighten a screw, or hang a picture once in a while. Here are the tools every man needs, from the most minimalist brown bag to an experienced DIYer’s toolkit.

THE ROOKIE Tekton Flat and Phillips Screwdriver set

This is a definite must-have tool in any man cave. From opening child-proof battery compartments to prying the lids off of paint cans screwdrivers are a must-have. They are also right there whenever you need to pound a loose nail or two. You need an assortment of the flathead screwdriver and the Phillips screwdriver in need different sizes and types of the set for your projects - from slotted to Phillips and square-drive. Aim for the heavy-duty type with magnetic tips and comfortable grips to make screwing or unscrewing easier.

BLESSEDLY INTERMEDIATE

FC Folding Pocket Utility Knife

Most pros opt for a utility knife for a good reason. When working on any project, there will always be something that needs cutting – from cutting some drywall to shortening a bit of hose. And there's nothing better for the job than a utility knife. The FC Folding pocket utility knife is a toolbox workhorse – its handle can store up to three spare blades, each with a triple-ground edge to help you cut everything from drywall to linoleum. Buy one with built-in blade storage and rubber-covered handles for comfort.

Rip Clawhammer

Mention a toolbox to a guy, and the first thing that gets into mind, besides that guy at work, is a hammer. A toolbox is incomplete without a solid claw hammer.

Thanks to a head and handle forged from one piece of highly polished steel, the claw hammer is virtually unbreakable. Once you are done hanging picture frames, you can scar it up smashing stuff on your next demolition job. One end of the hammer is used to drive nails in while the other side is used to pull (usually bent) nails out of wood or a wall. Opt for one with a 16inch handle weighing about one pound.

While they come in variety – from rubber, plastic, or vinyl handles – go with what feels comfortable in your hands, offers shock absorption and a better grip as well.

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Milwaukee Jigsaw

The jigsaw is the ultimate king when it comes to cutting curved lines on the go. This makes it a very versatile tool that can be used for a number of different projects- from framing pieces to cutting drywalls and curving shapes.

Another great aspect is the number of options available, including wireless jig saws and ones that have laser guides. They are also easy to operate and can be easily guided with one hand. Unless you plan to rip long sheets of plywood, a jigsaw is preferable over a circular saw. Opt for one with multiple orbital settings for greater control over speed and accuracy.

COUTURE CULTURE | GADGETS

RidGid Circular saw

When it comes to cutting through 2x material or long sheet goods, nothing compares to a circular saw. It can actually cut through a stack of wood in two minutes, where a regular handsaw might have taken ten times that. Furthermore, the Circular saws come in a variety of shapes and sizes with the most popular size being 6 ½", so finding one that fits your needs is pretty straightforward. For jobs that require limited cuts, consider purchasing a smaller, cordless circular saw, which is easier to handle and maneuver especially well in tight spaces. Keep in mind that a circular saw cuts through skin and bone just as happily as they do wood, so make sure you follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations when brandishing this tool.

Bosch Maxx 5-in-1 cordless drill

Although you can make do without a drill for a while, sooner or later, you will need a drill – and after getting one, find it indispensable. And no one likes the bulk and inconvenience of cords, particularly when it comes to drilling. A cordless drill is convenient for working anywhere – it not only drills holes and drives screws, but also, with different bits, sands and grinds materials, stirs paint, and much more. Without one, you will be looking like an old-school carpenter as you hand-bore holes at a rate of one per hour. Go with a brushless drill if you think you'll mostly drill into wood, drywall, or other relatively soft materials. There are also hammer drills; suitable for drilling into bricks and masonry.

I GO WHERE I AM NEEDED GURU Dremel 4000 series Rotary Tool

Portable Electric Air Compressor & Nail Gun A nail gun comes in handy with projects that require brad or finish nails. This includes installing baseboards, crown molding or wall trimming, and basically anything that requires a fastener with a low profile. While nail guns come in all shapes and sizes, the easiest and most convenient ones to use are battery-powered since you will not require an air compressor. However, an air compressor with a nail gun will make your workload a lot easier and will allow you to do your projects a lot faster. Just install the correct nail that corresponds to the project and you are ready to go.

The biggest strength of a Dremel rotary tool lies in its utility. It may not be a necessity, but it sure comes in handy for a great variety of applications. With different attachments, you can use the power tool for drilling, carving, and grinding, cleaning, sanding, sharpening, sawing, routing, polishing, engraving – and if you run out of ideas of what to do with it, Pinterest has you covered. It is basically a toolbox in itself. The key is having plenty of attachments and accessories. The Dremels come in a number of different options including cordless, which makes this tool a perfect fit for just about any level of DIY project.

DeWalt DWS780 Miter saw

Perhaps the greatest part of a miter saw is its versatility. While you might be quick to dismiss it as a tool for the advanced DIYer, a miter saw can be used for a host of simple home projects. You can basically do quite a bit of home improvements with nothing but a miter saw, nails and a hammer. This versatile saw allows you to make fast, precise crosscuts and angle cuts in any woodworking projects. It is also the perfect tool for cutting trim and framing work. To get the perfect cut every time, simply turn the saw to the desired angle and pull down.

As with all the tools on this list, make sure you follow all the outlined safety measures to ensure you remain accident-free.

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COUTURE CULTURE | DRINKS

DO YOU HAVE THE STONES FOR YOUR WHISKEY? Bless whiskey - whisky…? tastings. They are the life equivalent of teeth brushing lessons age primary tooth. Whiskey, that is good whiskey, costs a certain amount of money and is therefore expected to be a certain kind of experience for the drinker, more so a connoisseur. You would be surprised how much debate is involved in its drinking. To ice or not to ice? Get your rocks off versus use a whiskey mould. Whatever is a man to do?

By Carol Odero.

As it so happens, like every other simple choice in your life this one is riddled with confounding tentacles. Everyone knows, and if you did not you are about to find out, not all stones are created equal and some are made in China.

Infact, yourbestdigs.com went as far as listing the seven best whiskey stones. Here are the big boys.

1. Balls of Steel 2. Kollea Stainless Steel Chilling Cubes 3. Teroforma Whiskey Stones 4. Great White Ice Whiskey Stones 5. Soapstone Whiskey Stones by Spirit Stones 6. Sipping Stone Whiskey Chilling Rocks 7. Maker’s Mark Whisky Disk Whiskey stones are made out of soapstone, with smoothed out edges so as not to scratch your glass. Chilled for at least four hours before use, they replace ice, chilling your drink by dropping the temperature without diluting it. That being said, whiskey stones can be made out of steel which releases gel slowly for ultimate cool.

These stones are the very soul of minimalism; small, clean cut geometric beauties with an unmistakably neutral hue usually grey, increasingly silver, occasionally white. Square or rounded, the most recent innovation in whiskey stones are much bigger and golf-ball sized.

Bigger is mistakenly believed to be better. Size can factor in, bumping up against the teeth, getting in the way of a good drink. But, the best thing about whiskey stones, they come in a set.

As the whiskey grows warmer and fiery, you can simply to up with another stone. Why else would they be 6, 9 or 12 if it was not meant to be scotch on the rocks? Tasteless, odourless and FDA-approved, they last a lifetime. Hence engraved stones in a bespoke set making the perfect gift. If your woman is a wine lover, keep her away from your stones. Gift her a set of wine pearls instead.

Cleaning is done with warm soap and water. Lay out on a paper towel on a flat surface, preferably some place the sun hits like a windowsill. To kill any flavour simply soak it in a mixture of water and that cheap vodka you swear you would never be caught drinking as an adult, half a

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DRINKS | COUTURE CULTURE glass to quarter, making sure stones are covered.

Leave them there for at least three hours. Or when the oven is in use the day before you want to freeze your drink, bake them till they are completely dry.

For some reason they do not get intoxicated by whatever is cooking! Whiskey stones are stored in the muslin bag they come with. Redouble any likely absorption of scents and flavours by putting them in a resealable bag or airtight container. Fridges are notorious for pulling food scents and whiskey stones are porous. If your stones cannot purge that everything but the kitchen sink taste, ditch them.

And get yourself Balls of Steel instead.

A STORY OF ICE AND FIRE Legend has it whiskey experts drink it neat. Not so fast. Rumour has it they add water in extremely tiny doses via a dropper. And that a little water will hit the surface of your golden drink, sink in to deliciously release hidden molecules for even more flavour. It makes a great case for ice. A solitary cube does the trick, it is said, chilling the drink by melting into it. Unfortunately there are puritans who will have none of this, considering it the gravest of offences against a well-matured flavourful number. This might help you make a case though. Mixologist and director at the Culinary Technology at the French Culinary Institute has published a book just for situations like this. Dave Arnold´s Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail breaks ice down elegantly. "There is no chilling without dilution, and no dilution without chilling. The only reason a cocktail gets diluted is that ice melts and turns into water. Conversely, the only way ice can melt is if it chills your drink." There is a chemical reaction between ice and whiskey, a unique fire and ice dance. Ice takes in some of that spicy whiskey heat, bringing it to a warmer temperature, in turn cooling the whiskey. Arnold seals it by declaring, ¨Even extremely cold things, like blocks of steel stored in liquid nitrogen, don’t chill as fast as melting ice cubes."

Except yourbestdigs.com begs to have the last word stating, ¨One of the arguments against whiskey stones is that they don’t chill a glass of whiskey as much as a glass of ice. While true, it is important to remember that a glass of whiskey starts losing its complexity around 45° to 50°, so the fact that whiskey stones don’t chill as much as ice is intentional and by design.¨ The emphasis, theirs.

Your confusion at this point is understable because, come on. Those whiskey stones are the coolest thing ever! Not to mention a perfect conversation starter over the holidays. Ice is also so 2016! Hold on. It is not over yet. Perhaps you might instead consider whiskey ice moulds. A blend of ice and stones. Just mid this year, luxury online shopping guide CNNunderscored tested whiskey stones and found them to have a 25 minute chill threshold. After that the stones hit a plateau which interferes with the pleasure of a languorous drinking session. Why? At that point the stones, because they can't melt, absorb the warmth of the whiskey in effect making it warmer. The solution is a large mould that takes its time cooling whiskey for much longer than the stones. The stones are much more dignified for the man who appreciates a fine single malt.

The molds - American English - released skulls thanks to Halloween. A miniscule silicon Titanic ship has been spotted on Alibaba.

COUTURE AFRICA | 85

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COUTURE CONVERSATIONS

THE NEW LAWS OF

POWER

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COUTURE CONVERSATIONS

It is hard being a man in these times.

Confusing, volatile and censored, the modern man is subject to studies and articles declaring him extinct, socially clumsy and a sexual predator. How To Be A Man is the title of an invisible book no one has written, and even the very nature and act of being a man is under intense interrogation. What is it to BE one? How does a man look? Like a Greek God or like a financially endowed sponsor? Will the boy child ever grow up instead of just older?

Macho men have been brought down

By Carol Odero

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COUTURE CONVERSATIONS

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COUTURE CONVERSATIONS

Why are you not on Black Twitter?

Ask your partner what they want in bed. You can do more than WhatsApp a potential lover how hot and The most untapped social media platform for men bothered she leaves you. Really participate in this is Pinterest. It is where male influencers outshine seduction. Here is the catch. Actually listen. Every women. partner is different. Needing a specific touch. Pay attention to the details and nuance in her answers.

Chances are you have been neglecting your soul and She is not another one just like the other one. spirituality. Read the following books to get back on track and make your mind flexible and questioning. Dance for dance’s sake. Google the two-step if you - Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch are a hopeless left-footer and save yourself. Just - In Conversations with God, Meditations For Each no dancing with your arms up and over your head.

Day of The Year by Francisco Fernández Carvajal That’s just a no.

- The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida - The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Cultivate your own opinions on the Kardashian- The Essential Rumi by Jalal al-Din Rumi and Jenners. I’m dead serious. So many minds are lost to Coleman Barks us because they are spent regurgitating isms. Your - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho thinking is best served individual, not mass. When - The Seat of The Soul by Gary Zukav was the last time your brain really made you sweat?

- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Stretched to such a state it can never snap back to - The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama ignorant mode. Only then are you allowed to speak.

- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Everyone is not entitled to their opinion. Everyone is Chopra entitled to a well-thought out, intelligent opinion.

- The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck - The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu Look at your social media accounts. What are you - The Tibetan Book of the Dead by Sogyal Rinpoche putting out there? Would you want to hang out on a - The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman Saturday afternoon with that guy?

- Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche Ditch the nail cutter. For an emery board. Not a Every month, find a novel by a female writer. Read it metal file. Keep your boards at home. Unless you from cover to cover. No, this will not give you entry have nail extensions you don’t exactly need it in into the female mind, at least not in the way you your back pocket. Always file your nails straight and think. But it will be enough to scramble your usual across. Stop biting off the corners off your nails. thought patterns.

Keep your nails square, not oval. Inner nail corners catch infections faster than you can say finger. Oh, Know what you want in bed. No, we are not born and have a nail brush on your sink. Use it. Every day. with an instinct for practising sex. What humans have is an instinct for wanting and seeking out sex Moisturise your skin. I don't care what you think which is very different. Paying attention to what your grandfather and his grandfather did. Women turns you on makes you a better lover. You would like it when your chocolate is smooth. Why else do be surprised how many men are unaware what it you think we keep touching and kissing your bare takes to get their rocks off. And, once you know, tell skin? You have no excuse to be ashy. Not unless all your partner. Make your sexual encounters mutually your male ancestors join you whenever you strip. pleasurable.

Grapple with your own definition of a man. You Treat sex with reverence and prepare for the earth must. Because it is a you thing, not the to move. The Kamasutra comes in handy as should person the feminists are telling you to be, your this collection of fascinating reads. Thank me later. uncles turned out to be, you dad says you have to - Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, be or your boys have defined for you. You will live and What It Means for Modern Relationships by your life standing inside the flexibility of whatever Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha definition you have created for yourself. For that - She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to reason alone, you might as well have this definition Pleasuring a Woman by Ian Kerner informed by your own brand of peculiar logic. You - The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged are the one who will live with it. Resisting this Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text by process of creating your own definition means living Alain Daniélou a life others have designed for you. That facsimile of - Sexual Behavior In The Human Male by Alfred C. a man, that shadow, is what you will have to live up Kinsey to. As opposed to you, getting to be your own man.

- Sex Matters: Sex to Superconsciousness by Which him would you rather be?

OSHO - The Way Of The Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide Support the women in your life. Before you pipe to Mastering the Challenges of Woman, Work, up and say you do, be sure. Support her the way and Sexual Desire by David Deida she needs to be supported, not the way you think a woman should be supported based on an amalgamation of womanhood your mind has curated over time. The best way to do this, is ask. Next best thing, because, let’s be honest, we

both know no asking will be going on unless it’s a romantic partner, and even then. So, observe, and see where she struggles, and how you can step in, then do it. Keep doing it. Support is a for life thing.

Even women would like men who ride or die.

Learn, find and set your sexual boundaries. Just because you are now a grown man does not mean you are not vulnerable to sexual predators. Bad touch can still happen to you. Actor Terry Crews is living proof. Know what you can and are prepared to tolerate. Here is why this is important. When you understand when, how and why to stand up for yourself, you will realise how much ownership you have over your own body, how much agency, in contrast to a woman. Some things you cannot learn through Twitter threads. They can only carry lessons when personalised, and when pain is respected and acknowledged.

Go to the doctor if something feels off. No matter how old you are or how tempting it is to wave off that nagging feeling. Men have instincts too. It could be the difference between life and death.

Take a step back and reevaluate your boys. Are they good for you? More importantly, are you good for them, or are you the one in the group who stands proud as the dark energy.

Yes, there are now million woman marches reclaiming the world for women. But, you still have to know how a car works, what’s the deal with the inner workings and software of a smartphone and what’s what with electronics. Be the man who can fix up things or who has a guy who fixes up things even if you have to pretend to roll up your sleeves and get your manicure wet or knows there’s an app for that. Just, know stuff about stuff. No one said life was fair.

Go to bed an hour earlier than you think you should.

Sleep. It keeps you out of trouble and makes your head clearer in the morning.

What happens in porn, stays in porn.

Know your status.

Find a support group. These are not your boys.

Surround yourself with a group of level headed men who have working lives, call you out on your BS, raise funds when your mum is in hospital and will take you drinking when you’re going through a divorce while waiting three months to tell you what an ass you were. Men will get you in ways your woman can’t. They are also more forgiving of your manly foibles. And they will offer you a different kind of shoulder. Your life requires the balance of strong men and a strong woman throughout your life to help you thrive.

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COUTURE CONVERSATIONS

Be a mentor. It is shocking how men turn into touch-me-nots around younger men and boys. So maybe you did not have this opportunity growing up. The young uns want that pain, vulnerability and shookethness it took to turn you from a boy into a man. They need to connect with that imperfection, realise the treacherous same path awaits them. Only this time with someone pointing out which steady rocks they must step on. I mentored 15 to 17 year old boys. Nothing broke my heart like their yearning to roughhouse and longing to commiserate with men. There was nothing I could offer that can ever match that man to man insight into manhood and masculinity. Adopt a brother. Or three. Please. Save a life.

The rise of blogs, sites and magazines looking to develop and grow men is incredible. Bookmark and refer to the following pages be they blogs or social media:

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- artofmanliness.om: Never was there a more glorious ode for how tos.

- oyungapala.com: you read him for over a decade. Whatś better than the writing of an older, wiser - and married - Kenyan man?

- lifehacker.com: All the headache-inducing forays into Android and that very male word hack - adds up to a quick, efficient solution. Think of it as compressed Google.

- esquire.com: because they break down the zeitgeist as brilliantly as Playboy once did, with style. Coupled with entertainment, food and drinks.

- gq-magazine.co.uk: No one does culture, grooming and fashion like they. Who surely love their women. I have a bias for the British edition.

- markmanson.net: and while at it, get yourself The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck - ducdubois.com: Stylist for GQ, The New York Times, Vogue or Esquire, Salomon Thiombiano is a fashion critic with the kind of blog you will love: boldly visual.

- MensHealth.com: There is a reason a magazine on fitness, nutrition, fashion and fitness is not only the best selling US magazine, it is also the biggest and baddest.

- tim.blog/: Tim Ferris is testament to the restless spirit men believe they possess. Expect for how he uses it. His blog is a smorgasbord of the worldś No. 1 podcast on Apple, years of research put into books, a TV show and investments. A role model on how to channel adrenalin if there ever was one.

- projects.huffingtonpost.co.uk/buildingmodern-men/: In 2016, HuffPost UK ran a month-long focus on men and the unique challenges faced in this day and age. The project was called Building Modern Men. Conversations were around body image, LGBT identity, male friendship and mental health. It’is still up. You want to visit it. You NEED to visit it.

COUTURE CONVERSATIONS

- goodmenproject.com: Even I have bookmarked this one. Their tagline is The Conversation No One Else Is Having. It reads like a book by profound, grown-ass men who constantly ask themselves, what does it mean to be a good man?

- sharpologist.com: In the spirit of facial hair, this is worth a mention. What Your Father Didn't Teach You About Wet Shaving pretty much says it all. Though I have to add a disclaimer here.

Mantic59 is Caucasian and Black men shaving is a special enterprise.

- manmadediy: Because not a whole lot of people can make a shelf over the weekend that will still be standing on Monday at noon or what all those thingies inside a Swiss Army knife do, exactly.

Let us talk about depression. Depression does not make you weak. Real men get depressed. Real men ask for help. Real men have feelings and emotions because they are human, and we are humans having experiences driven by emotions and feelings, unacknowledged or otherwise. Depression does not make you a burden. Talking to someone helps. You know why depression matters? Male depression manifests as anger and violence which Psychology Today May 2018 article Diagnosing and Treating Male-Type Depression says has ¨deadly consequences.¨ Men are more likely to attempt suicide and not talk. Or self medicate with alcohol.

If you are reading this and feeling some type of way, download Headgear, a mobile app specifically targeting men under depression and available on iOS and Android. It was built in partnership with Beyond Blue with funds from the Movember Foundation If you can't handle your liquor you have a problem. and launched in October, Mental Health Awareness Get help.

Month. At least take a discreet first step.

Work out. Human bodies were built to embody functional strength. So there are no lions to ward off at 2am. That physical strength is the reason Men's Health sells. It is why you will be able to lift a loved when when they are ill. It is how you will stave off the anger and frustration that seems to accompany manhood. It is how you will bump up your testosterone levels and figure out why you have to eat this and not that. It is one of the main reasons you will live longer while stronger, healthier and fitter than your folks. Who cares what your preferred workout is so long as it happens more than three times a week, makes your heart pound such that you know you are about to die and you feel like you conquered the world afterwards. Did I mention exercise is great for your sex and intellectual life?

No? Well, it is.

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Jacket: Deepa Dosaja | Neckpiece: Accessorize with Style | Styling: Ruth Odhiambo | Photography: Khalifa Louie | Hair: Dgohnie of Dgohnie Hair Arts | Make-up: Rose Ntong’ondu of Make-up by Rose | Shot on Location at Fairmont The Norfolk, Nairobi.

LAST WORDS | OLIVE GACHARA

LET’S GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE… It is said that, ‘behind every successful man is a strong woman’ and that, ‘behind every successful woman is an army of strong women who have her back’. Where is the rhetoric on men supporting men, or men supporting women? It is no wonder that todays modern man feels so emasculated, insecure, threatened or all three. Then there’s the whole Girl Child Vs. Boy Child conversation. We have fought so long and hard for the rights of the girl child that the boy child has long been forgotten, been left behind, and almost diminished in our line of sight [by ‘our’ here I mean the masses; you, me and everyone around us]. Then, as opposed to supporting these boys when they become men, the girls – now successful independent women – shame them saying that there are no good men to marry.

In tune with our Men’s Issue, and our support for the Movember Movement, let us take some time this month to celebrate and support the men and boys in our lives, like society has done for women and girls. As soon as you are done reading this, turn to your Mister, turn to your Father, to your Brother, turn to your Baby Baddy and thank him for something, anything…and make it a point to thank those men on a regular basis for the positive impact they have had on your life.

As you raise your young King [you know, because today’s modern woman does not raise a son, she raises a King], teach him the ways of the world. Teach him the principles of life and instil in him the great qualities of hard work, perseverance and integrity just as you do your daughter. Do not assume that this is his father’s role or that he is a man, he’ll be alright. Because contrary to our beliefs, men just might be, the weaker sex. Physically stronger, yes, but they need more emotional and mental support than our girls ever did.

So yes, behind every successful woman is a man [or an army of men] who have her back but never get enough credit.

O. .

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