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                             SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE

1/1/2016

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MAKOTIS: THE COLLABORATION
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VISION TO LIGHT
One of the most amazing things about being @frogirlginny is being able to work with brands who embody so many wonderful messages. I love having the freedom to create my own aesthetics with photographers and scenery. This collaboration was completely spontaneous as Zoe from Design Essentials (@dehair_sa) took us out on our last day of South Africa to “The Old Joburg City.” 
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We found the most amazing stores alongside the street of the Maboneng Precinct.
​One in particular had prints which were so vibrant that I had to wander around and try on everything which fit. It wasn’t until me and René had a lightbulb moment to work with this store and give it our vibe.
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The ever so gracious owner Yusuf kindly gifted us with 2 skirts, a T-Shirt and the cutest denim dress that I will live in until I go back to the cold British weather!
It was so fun doing this shoot with René, it was completely spontaneous with the wonderful Iwani Mawocha who captured our simple and free vibes in her magical home in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Each clothing brand I have worked with or had the chance to meet always have an insightful story of how they started and who inspired them to start so I really wanted to find out the Makotis story.​

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WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MAKOTIS CLOTHING?
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Makotis was created by our Grandparents in the 1960’s. They would retail South African cultural fabrics and began creating a network of home sewers to make traditional clothing from the fabrics. They would mostly outsource production to home seamtresses and retail the finished garments.

Today the business still embodies the family business traditions as we keep up the empowerment of home seamtresses and tailors by outsourcing a considerable amount of our production. The younger members of the family have recently began making ready to wear contemporary clothing using the traditional beautiful fabric to make designs more appealing to a wider market and not just the cultural market.

​"Makoti" which means a bride or daughter in law was chosen as a name as many of their traditional garments were sold for traditional weddings. Makotis specialises in the supply of South African “shweshwe” fabric which is a South African produced material which is instantly recognisable by its kaleidoscopic colours and funky geometric patterns which dominate the designs.
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WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT AFRICAN PRINTS AND DESIGN?
I love how colourful and funky they are! They are also so versatile, that the fabric can be used for fashion and for home products. I’ve seen couches upholstered in the fabrics, pillowcases and clothing.
AN ESSENTIAL ITEM WOMEN MUST HAVE IN THEIR WARDROBE?
In Africa, every women needs to have a colourful dress made with african fabrics for a traditional function, be it a wedding, or other ceremony. It emphasises the beauty of the culture and with modern designs made to fit each curve it really makes women feel confident in their skin.​

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WHAT INSPIRES THE COLLECTION?
Our current collection was actually customer inspired. We offer a bespoke designing service where customers bring in their own designs and we manufacture it for them. We have creative customers that we find ourselves inspired by their designs but we always finish with a Makoti finish to give it a range of design.
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WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR MAKOTIS?
In the short term, we’d love to expand across South Africa and across Africa.

DO YOU GO TO ANY CELEBRITIES FOR INSPIRATION?
Not really, we instead look at social media to see what people are wearing.
Sometimes they happen to be celebrities but most of the time its people like you with a considerable following who help us identify what interests people.
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Thank you to Makotis for gifting us with these gorgeous garments!
Also, a huge thank you to Iwani Mawocha for photographing us in her beautiful home.
This blog featured my darling @OwnByFemme.

love & light,
frogirl
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                                  FRO'S IN BLOOM

12/23/2015

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​OWN IT
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​THE OUTFIT
Every woman has that outfit that makes them feel like they are the sugar.
This suit happened to be mine on my travels in Zimbabwe.
I planned my trip 3 months before so I made sure I put together fun collaborations.
This suit is from @InTheStyleUK who have the most gorgeous clothes!
It was hard for me to choose one outfit but this suit spoke to me.
I thought it would be best paired with a bikini top to give it that pop.

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THE SHOOT 
René (@OwnByFemme) was also sent garments so we decided to jet off to @IwaniMawocha's house where it is complete paradise to capture it all.
Her house is absolutely beautiful and perfect for getting different shoots done depending on the theme. We managed to do 8 shoots for hair products, clothes and accessories.

This shoot was inspired by our differences and being confident in your own skin.
I absolutely love René and everything she stands for,
She inspires me to love myself in ways a woman should yet isn't taught to us in society.
As I am a lot younger than her, this shoot embodied the growth from girl to woman.
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DETAILS BABY, DETAILS
Our hair was washed on the day of this shoot with Design Essentials.
We spent an intense 5 minutes fluffing our hair with our Afro combs to get that volume!
To read about the products we used, click here.

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"If you see a beautiful woman, 
do not compare yourself to her.
She is beautiful.
You are beautiful.
You are both two different kinds of beautiful.
You cannot compare the sun to the moon.
and you shouldn't.
So when you see that woman,
Say God bless her, and God bless me.
and keep it moving."

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Keep up with the #FroGirlAdventures on Instagram, Twitter & Snapchat.

love & light,
frogirl
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                     Adventures with @OwnByFemme

12/23/2015

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NATURALS IN HARARE 
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On the 3rd day in Harare I took René to one of the nicest shopping centre's in town.
Sam Levy's village is situated in Borodale where people come to enjoy the beyond amazing restaurants and shops which offer a variety in African and modern styles.
We met with my Mum and my Auntie Kundai for lunch at Pistachio's.

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THE OUTFIT
I love travelling because you can be expressive with your style.
In London, it is so cold so this hot weather has given me style inspiration to wear what my heart desires, Luckily, I was sent so many gorgeous pieces by brands to wear on my travels. 
​These boots were gifted from iKrushShoes!
They are super cute and went with the 70's vibes I was trying to recreate. 

I use fashion as a way of reflecting my mood on each particular day.
On this day, I felt fierce and ready for Monday so I wanted to show it.
The jumpsuit was perfect as it was super comfy but enhanced my body in a simple way.

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THE FOOD
It was my second time visiting Pistachio's as the food is absolutely amazing.
René (@OwnByFemme) has made me want to start considering what I eat a lot more.
So I ordered grilled Tilapia with salad and fries with an amazing smoothie.
It came up to $24 for both which is great for healthy food.

René ordered Avocado and Buttnernut Squash with a Spinach and Feta Muffin.
She doesn't eat meat or junk food so it's always interesting to see what she orders whenever we go out. 

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Keep up with the #FroGirlAdventures on Instagram, Twitter & Snapchat.

love & light,
frogirl


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JOBURG ADVENTURES!

12/23/2015

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ON WEDNESDAYS, WE WEAR PRINTS
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On the second last day of venturing back to Zimbabwe, 
my lovely new Auntie El invited me to her colourful and vibrant home.
​It was in a peaceful town and the weather matched on the day.
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Apart from being @frogirlginny and a student, I also revitalise curls.
This is a passion of mine which I am aspiring to grow into a future business.
I gave Auntie El a trim to give her curls shape and that pop!
She hasn't had her curls by anyone besides her husband so the pressure was on.
but, she absolutely loved the results.
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It was so refreshing to spend the day relaxing by the pool with watermelon and snacks.
I'm so used to being busy in London that this time away has made me embrace peace.
Sometimes I feel that I am not at my best if I am not busy,
but your mind, body and soul need to rest.
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Keep up with the #FroGirlAdventures on Instagram, Twitter & Snapchat.

Follow Auntie El at: @EleanorJadore

love & light,
frogirl
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             @OwnByFemme & @FroGirlGinny Event.

12/23/2015

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FRO IN BLOOM BRUNCH!
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THE STORY.
On Saturday 12th December the Fro In Bloom Brunch came to light at a lovely restaurant called The Kitchen Bar. After only 2 weeks of planning we arrived to see so many Queen's exactly as we hoped for. I intended for my trip to Africa to be a relaxing break as this year I worked so hard.
 From planning the Los Angeles, New York and London events to finishing school and graduating,
However after speaking with the lovely Sharon Thompson, she saw something in this trip that I wanted to see but I was afraid of trying to make it happen. It can be very intense planning something by yourself, considering I do not live in South Africa; the experience of it all wasn’t something I wasn't mentally ready for.


However, the team of Design Essentials were absolutely amazing with bringing the vision to light. Sharon always emphasises that I have a light to share so I really wanted the event to be this for women. I have a new perspective of how I see myself; I am less focused on being recognised for my hair and more so the little things which contribute to making me shine my light. I wanted the event to be this and working with René Daniella was perfect for this as she embodies so many features I adore. It was insightful to hear what her brand @OwnByFemme means and the story she aims to tell through social media as well as sharing with the attendee’s my passions of emphasising that your age does not depict your value as a woman. 

"I used to be told I was too young to do some of the things I have done and this motivated me to continue to do even more beyond measure. This event was planned in 2 weeks and although it was a big risk it turned out to be perfect."
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To begin with, we were greeted by so many friendly women in a very nicely decorated room with the sunlight peeping through the silky golden curtains. After ordering juices and a menu with so many wonderful options me and René began the Fro In Bloom brunch talk!

We introduced our brands, the meaning behind @OwnByFemme and @FroGirlGinny then went on to discuss our blogs and the reason we started. The were plenty of outbursts of laughter when René first discovered the beauty in her ‘fro and all the things she thought she had to do to achieve it.
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I wanted to send out a different message which I usually do at the Happy Froday events so I spoke about being young and where this journey has led me to.

After speaking, the fruitful and vibrant Chaka gave the technical talk all about the amazing products which we also used on our hair on the day of the event. With the excitement in full bloom, Chaka managed to spill product on an attendee! Indeed it was one of the funniest moments of the day. 
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To end the day we all soaked in the South African sun whilst taking selfie’s! Thanks to my beyond amazing cousin Kree who was the photographer for the day and captured the most amazing shots.
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I absolutely loved this Queens look! So simple but vibrant.
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Thank you to the Design Essentials South Africa and United Kinkdom team for allowing us to bring this vision to light in such a short amount of time! You are appreciated.

And shout out to my big sister @OwnByFemme for being the best person I could've done this with.
Travelling to South Africa and Zimbabwe has been the best experience with you!


To purchase @designessentialsuk/@dehair_sa products head over to:
www.britishcurlies.co.uk


love & light,
frogirl
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Product Review: Design Essentials

12/23/2015

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 FRO' ESSENTIALS
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THE COLLABORATION.
Going to Zimbabwe and South Africa has been beyond amazing for me, this year has been the best year yet and it has been relaxing to spend the last month with Mother Nature. In the time of being here, I really wanted to capture home in a different light. Considering it is the first time of me travelling to Africa whilst in my @frogirlginny element; it took much planning before hand to make sure I was able to project the messages I have always been passionate about since I was young.

My hair is a part of me and a way of expressing myself so it was only right to team up with one of my favourite hair brands right now. I recently did a review for Design Essentials but they were gracious enough to give me a supply of all the products which I will need to keep my hair hydrated and moisturised.
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STEP ONE: CLEANSING 
The heat was definitely something I wasn't ready for, in London my hair can last up to 5 days without me having to wash it. However, in this hot climate after 2 days my curls were very flat and dry. So I woke up nice and early to give myself enough time to let the sun dry my hair before I ventured in the streets of Harare.

I cleansed my scalp with very soothing massing to clean out my pores and let my hair breathe, after doing this I rinsed my hair with warm water. The water is very different compared to London so my hair was even more silky than usual. After this I applied the conditioner to my ends first then worked my hair up. The ends are the oldest part of your hair so it’s important to give the most care to that part if length is your desire.
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STEP TWO: CONDITIONING 
After this I applied the conditioner to my ends first then worked my way up. The ends are the oldest part of your hair so it’s important to give the most care to that part if length is your desire. Detangling with my fingers has become a part of my routine which seems to be a lot quicker than using tools, it also ensures you are less harsh with your hair as your fingers are not able to rip through your hair in comparison to a comb. 
After this, I tied my hair up with some clips and sang away for around 3 minutes. Keep in mind the environment when washing your hair. If you want to deep condition for a longer amount of time, do it when you are finishing the shower process then put on a shower cap and rinse once you are finished getting ready. 
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STEP THREE: STYLING
I hadn’t tried the leave in conditioner but it really did make me and my curls happy.
I crated this through on fully drenched hair as usual and applied my absolutely favourite; the deep moisture milk cream. It is so thick but a little goes a long way. This was followed by the curl gel to give my curls hold.

These three are the perfect combination for defined and big hair!


TOP TIPS!
1. Crate the leave in conditioner through on fully wet hair.
2. Crate the moisture milk then smooth down the ends to let the curls pop.
3. Scrunch the gel but do not use too much.
4. Make sure you scrunch with your head upside down.
5. Shake your hair lightly afterwards to separate the curls.
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STEP FOUR: FINISH
I noticed after air drying my hair needed some oil as some of my ends were very fluffy so I finished off with the oil mist. This is a hand bag or glove compartment essential for those who drive frequently. It is super light but really gives your hair the important oils needed to make your curls pop! 

The curl refresher is for those who do not like washing their hair so much.
Many of my followers talk about how they want to keep their Wash N' Go lasting longer than a day. Spritz this on your roots and on your ends then shake and fluff.

Even though the products do not make my curls last as long as they would in the United Kinkdom, I still do not mind washing my hair every 2 to 3 days as I feel so refreshed afterwards. 

Thank you so much to Design Essentials for looking after me this holiday! 


To purchase their products go to:
@designessentialsuk 

@dehair_sa 
www.britishcurlies.co.uk


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December 23rd, 2015

12/23/2015

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HELLO JOHANNESBURG!
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​After 3 days of being in Zimbabwe it was time to fly to Johannesburg!
Me and René planed this trip in less than 2 weeks with an event to host.
The vibes were nothing but happy and peaceful as we were really excited to bring our vision to light.
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On the first date with the lovely @EleanorJadore we visited Pappa's!
The food was absolutely amazing and the exchange rate made life worth living.
I ordered everything I love in one plate alongside the most divine smoothies.
We ate on the Sandton Square which has a beautiful statue of Nelson Mandela.
Kids were running around by the fountain with positive vibes, it was definitely a warm welcome.
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I love social media and the opportunities it has given me,
but more so the ability to meet so many amazing women.
Everytime I travel, it is a blessing to be able to reach out to people and connect.
This one lady in particular, Eleanor was someone who made my trip nothing but special.
We met and instantly our energies connected.
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Keep up with the #FroGirlAdventures on Instagram, Twitter & Snapchat.

love & light,
frogirl
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December 22nd, 2015

12/22/2015

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WELCOME HOME
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It's my first time travelling to Zimbabwe since being @frogirlginny.
I had a different energy and I was very passionate to capture the beauty of Africa.
As I am blessed enough to have a following on social media, I wanted to share how beautiful Zimbabwe is and despite the bad times it has rich culture and cultivating history.
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I used to come to the Chanakira village when I was younger but as I have grown up, 
It was very insightful to see a place which helped shape my Mum's golden soul.
This village was where her Mum grew up and where she would visit her family.
I saw beauty in it and wanted to capture this in a positive light.
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Being mixed race, I always struggled defining my identity.
Until I realised I didn't need to be defined.
I am Zimbabwean and English and I love being able to embrace the different cultures.
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I absolutely loved the atmosphere here, 
People were completely content with sitting outside and socialising.
They appreciated us coming to visit and sharing our recent ventures.
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Keep up with the #FroGirlAdventures on Instagram, Twitter & Snapchat.

love & light,
frogirl

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    ABOUT ME.
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    I'm Ginny, the creator of Happy Froday from London, United Kinkdom. Read more about my journey here.

    "Embrace who you are, embrace everything about you, embrace your flaws. They are what make you, you."


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