Women’s month calls for a celebration of all of South Africa’s best known names in fashion. From designers to models, we take a look into why the four following women have made an impression on fashionistas far and wide, and what makes them so extraordinary!

Candice Swanepoel

Candice Swanepoel is arguably South Africa’s best fashion export – a Victoria’s Secret angel, cover model for international magazines, including Elle and GQ, and runway model for incredible brands such as Chanel and Tommy Hilfiger – she is indeed a supermodel of epic proportions. Aside from her achievements in the fashion world, Swanepoel is also involved in a number of different charities, including Mother2Mother – an HIV-related charity striving to achieve an HIV-free generation of mothers and children in Africa.

Palesa Mokubang

Palesa’s talents were first acknowledged by fashionistas all over the globe when her work was included in the Daimler Contemporary Art exhibition in Berlin. After that, aside from releasing her own fashion label, Mantsho, Palesa also took part in a variety of fashion shows all around the world. Palesa’s designs are bold and beautiful with a strong tribal feel and have earned her massive success in the local market. We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Candice Boucher

Another stunning model, Candice Boucher is a proud South African. Along with being one of the faces of international brands, like Intimissimi, and modelling in famous magazines, including Cosmopolitan and Sports Illustrated, Boucher has also made waves in Bollywood, starring in 2011’s hit Aazaan. This hard working gal is inspiration for many aspiring models – the sky truly is the limit!

Bongiwe Walaza

This talented fashion designer learned everything that she knows from her mother - who was a seamstress and who also had a flair for all things fashion. Bongiwe Walaza is well known for her gorgeous, traditional wedding dress designs and bold patterns and has, over the years, earned herself international acclaim.

“I have always believed that fashion was not only to make women more beautiful, but also to reassure them, give them confidence.” — Yves Saint Laurent

Here’s to the fabulous, fashionable females of South Africa. Happy Women’s Month!

The freezing temperatures that are currently sweeping over the country shouldn’t stop you from strutting your stuff in your dancing shoes or getting your jol on! In the interest of keeping all of the self-proclaimed party animals on their toes, we have put together a list of some of the best places to party at in South Africa throughout those chilly winter months.

Zulu Jazz Lounge, Durban 

Obviously, if you want to escape the freezing cold during winter in SA, Kwa-Zulu Natal is the place to be - and if extraordinary live music is what you are after, there is no better place to visit than the Zulu Jazz Lounge. Located in central Durban, this classy underground lounge can be found underneath The Playhouse Theatre. Not only is its location incredibly exciting, but this lounge is also well known for exhibiting the most amazing talent, with artists like DJ Krush making regular appearances. If Kwa-Zulu Natal’s warmer climate isn’t enough to convince you to venture outdoors, the warm, soothing vocals of the artists playing at the Zulu Jazz Lounge sure will be!

  

Numbers Dance Club, East London

Whip out those shapely jeans and sky-high heels - it’s time to explore the entertainment that Numbers Dance Club is so famous for! Seeing as though Numbers Dance Club is considered to be the one of the best nightlife locations in East London, you can always rest assured that it is going to be packed over the weekends. That means plenty of dancing and just the right amount of body heat, making it the perfect wintertime destination for those looking to let their hair down and have a bit of harmless fun despite the less-than-pleasant temperatures. 

The Blues Room, Johannesburg

Sandton’s hidden gem, The Blue Room, has become a firm favourite amongst local party-goers. Aside from its versatile music (you can be sure to enjoy anything and everything from classic blues and jazz to fusion and rock ‘n roll), the venue also offers a cosy atmosphere and a wide selection of delicious cocktails. 

Cape Town Comedy Club, Cape Town

There is nothing quite like a much-needed belly laugh to warm you up on a cold winter’s night – and it is for this reason that the Cape Town Comedy Club secures its place on our list of local winter hotspots. Enjoy the quick wit of South Africa’s best talent along with a warm, hearty meal if you’re also looking to tantalise your taste buds. Don’t forget to take advantage of half-price Sundays!

Why sit in front of the heater longing for those fun, sweaty summer nights out on the town when you can enjoy yourself just as much throughout the wintertime? Come rain, cold or shine… it’s always party time! 

Organizing your wardrobe can be a rather timely affair with loads of indecision's. We have some tips on how you can organize your cupboards efficiently and effectively in order to make your wardrobe accessible and neat.

1. Remove all the clothes from your cupboard:

Take out all your clothing items, including hanging items & shoes and fold them neatly onto your floor or bed. 

2. Separate your clothes:

Make two separate piles for both your clothes and shoes, a Keep & Throw Away pile. Scrutinize yourself while doing this & be reasonable. If you haven't worn an item for longer than 6 months then clearly this garment is not that important to you and you need to get rid of it. This is all about creating space and keeping things neat. 

3. Separate your seasons:

Depending on what season it is plan your closet accordingly, make either your winter or summer items more accessible. Ensure that you have neatly stored your unnecessary seasonal items away and purchased mothballs to keep the the clothing moths from eating the fabric.

4. Storage:

Storage is an important aspect when arranging your wardrobe. This helps you find your items quickly and ensure they are kept neat and tidy. It’s always a good idea to have storage baskets for items like socks, underwear and bathing suits. Since these items are loose and get lost easily amongst other garments it's nice to keep them in a separate storage area. Shoe storage is also important when it comes to preserving the quality of your footwear. Keep expensive shoes in their boxes, prop up boots with cardboard inserts to keep their shape and never put one shoe on top of another...this will damage the shoe and the shape.

5. Hangers:

You can't have too many hangers but the quality of hangers makes a huge difference. Purchase hangers that will keep you garments in the best possible shape as well as the keep the clothing from pulling and from falling onto the floor

With these tips you are bound to have a beautiful wardrobe full of clothing that is neat and accessible at any point.There is nothing better than knowing exactly what's in your cupboard on those days when you think you have “nothing” to wear.

Its that time of the year again..On Monday 11th July Soviet Denim began shooting for their new 2016 Summer Campaign. Now we're giving away any trade secrets but, it's going to be a campaign to remember. See what we got up to behind the scenes on set this week and watch this space... Soviet Summer 2016 Coming Soon! 

6am Setup...

The beautiful Miss SA and Soviet Denim brand ambassador, Ntando Kunene has taken SA by storm. From fashion icon to charity extraordinaire, Ntando has made a huge impact since taking on her Miss SA 2016 role. So we at Soviet feel she deserves some serious props with 5 reasons why we love Miss SA.

Smart: Intelligent and beautiful what more could you ask for. Miss SA has a Bachelor's Degree in Education with an Honours in Curriculum Issues. 

Charitable: Running and working with a myriad of charities in SA, Ntando lends a helping hand wherever she can and celebrates the power of our Youth. 

Business Savvy: With a strong business mind and level head she’s got only the best plans to make our country great.

Style Queen: Both sophisticated and stylish, Miss SA knows how to strut her stuff. 

Beautiful: Ntando has many amazing traits. She is also as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out. Much love for Soviets most gorgeous brand ambassador. 

We all have that one favourite denim jacket in our cupboard that we bring out every year as the weather begins to change. It seems though that this jacket has seen better days, the colour has faded, buttons have fallen off or the sleeves have frayed. You know it’s time to move on but you just can’t let go. We suggest that you keep that old raggedy jacket because we have a few tips on how to re-vamp and make it look as good as new.

1. Studs, Pearls & Bling:

These three items are the perfect way to start off your jacket re-vamp. Head to your local fabric shop or haberdashery and hook yourself up with some of these awesome accessories. All you will need is some fabric glue and you are sorted. Get creative and make some intricate patterns especially over the areas of the jacket that don’t look so hot. Why not also style up the collar of your jacket, this will make an interesting statement piece? 

2. Patch-Work

Don’t be afraid to patch it up. If you have any rips tears or even a stain somewhere on the jacket, grab some funky fabric cut offs, a needle and thread or a sewing machine if you have one and patch it up. This will create a fun and interesting contrast between the denim and the funky fabric you choose to use.

3. Colour Change-Up:

There is nothing better than a little colour re-vamp. If your jacket is looking super faded and dull why not vibe it up a bit. Purchase some fabric dye in the colour of your choice and give your jacket completely new look. We suggest you go bold, try dark blue and even something a little out there like purple. 

4. Sleeveless: 

If the bottom edges of your sleeves are frayed and have seen better days, why not take both sleeves completely off. Grab some sharp fabric scissors, use a black marker to plan out your cutting line and go for it! If you prefer the grunge look, leave the edges frayed or if your preferred to hem the edges with a sewing machine leave a little fabric on the sleeve in order to do so.

5. Embellished Collar:

Why not also style up the collar of your jacket, this will make for an interesting statement piece on your garment. Grab some studs or even head to the scrapbooking store for some ribbon or little fake flowers and use fabric glue to stick them on to the collar of your jacket. If you decide to do this re-vamp, we suggest you hand wash your jacket so that your creation doesn’t get ruined in the washing machine.