Beyonce is pregnant with baby no. 2!

The celeb pregnancy rumour mill has been spinning on overdrive since Beyonce had to cancel one of her latest tour dates. And according to E! Online, sources have confirmed Beyonce is pregnant with bubba no. 2!!

Win McNamee/Getty Images Source: E!

Now, I know B must be dying for some privacy here but… hey I’m excited for one of my fave celeb couples! Mrs. Beyonce Knowles-Carter is one hot Mama – she’s fierce and one fabulous business woman. 

Here are favourite maternity looks worn by the gorgeously, chic Beyonce. We cannot wait to see cute little Blue Ivy with a baby sister / brother!

Beyonce revealing her first pregnancy

Beyonce’s maternity looks from pregnancy no. 1

Beyonce Knowles pregnant with Blue Ivy

Beyonce pregnant with Blue Ivy

See more of our favourite celebrity pregnancy style.

In the Press: OK! Magazine features Michelle, founder of Keungzai, discussing Kate Middleton’s maternity style and fashion rules inspired by The Duchess of Cambridge

A few weeks ago, I received a call from OK! Magazine requesting some expert opinion on Kate Middleton’s maternity style. I, of course, obliged, take a look at the Summer Special out now:

Kate’s doing a fabulous job styling her bump. She has retained her style kudos, pleased her fans and remained true to her personal style, which is key. I can’t wait to see what more she has in store for us! – Michelle of http://www.keungzai.com, OK! 

 

Pick up your copy of OK! Magazine’s Summer Special to read the full piece! Read more on How To Steal Kate’s Style, my pick of Kate’s best maternity looks and my style tips.

What do you think of Kate’s maternity style so far? Tweet us your thoughts!

In the Press: Baby London features Keungzai

So happy to share with you that we have been featured twice in this Summer’s issue of Baby London. The Editor chose our Ultra Soft Drape Side Dress and our Silk Ruched Peg Trousers to feature in their sports luxe feature, don’t they look fab?

 

Our Ultra Soft Drape Side Dress is available in french navy and white, roomy to grow with your bump but looks equally fab without bump including discreet nursing access. Crafted in a luxury modal jersey by British seamstresses in a local studio in the UK.

 

The Silk Ruched Ankle Peg Trouser is the perfect investment piece, crafted in sandwashed silk with a soft elastic waistband. Wear with our Printed Silk Blend Shirt, featuring an exclusive print designed by Han Liv or your favourite tee.

It’s time to come clean.

Hi everyone,

I feel this blog post is well overdue. And, since I’ve been working on my Kickstarter campaign, (it’s not live yet, but will be very soon!) – I feel like it’s time for me to come clean.

Keungzai is what it is, and I hope you really like it as much as I do. However, there is no big, mahoo-sive team behind it… Keungzai is a small, independent label, established since 2011. Born out of a personal journey, offering solutions to women like me around the world. 

But, more about the person behind the brand; I feel like maybe I haven’t been totally honest with you all. Maybe I entered the market with a little front, so the brand appeared, the way I wanted it to appear: affordable luxury for style-savvy women. Perhaps you’d expect then a well-to-do team behind the brand? A duo at least..? Maybe a high-flying couple with decades of experience in the industry? Time to come clean…

I am a single mother and entrepreneur, working from home with a goal. The goal is to do what I love, in the most ethical way, in the best way I can, to make an impact on the British manufacturing industry and to assist in changing the way people think about consumption. 

I am a self-confessed shopaholic. Or, I used to be. I admit, I once stepped into Primark … and ran out screaming. The sheer mass of garments and the sweaty environment gave me hives. I admit, there have been times I succumbed to a few pieces from one of my ex-employers – namely Forever 21. But, every little bit has now either fallen apart or gone straight in the charity bin. What a WASTE. If you consider the entire supply chain involved in one single garment in a huge fast-fashion chain such as Forever 21, you can count that as: waste of materials, waste of labour, waste of carbon emissions, waste of shop space – and finally, a waste of money. All for that single split second release of endorphins and short-term fulfilment of desire, was it all worth it? No. I have worked under a few big names in my time: House of Fraser, Arcadia Group, ASOS.com and Forever 21… and it was Forever 21 that pushed me over the edge into re-thinking the way I consumed fashion. Watching the crowds of girls throwing garments on the shop floor in desperation of finding their size; watching garments full apart in my hands while attempting to visually merchandise a space; feeling the materials in my hands – it all felt so … distasteful. My experience at ASOS.com taught me the business of fashion, so, for a £5 top from Forever 21, how can there ever be room for profit on the bottom line after taking into consideration the cost of materials, cost of labour, cost of shipping goods, cost of shop staff, cost of retail unit etc. etc… Who is losing out?

Let me rewind back to my childhood to explain my thought process a little more. My mother emigrated from Singapore to England in her 20s to join her mother who had married an Englishman. She left without a secondary school education but she was damn good at crafts and sewing. So, while raising three girls, she found some part-time work. Remember the early 90s when it was all about the scrunchie and the headbands? Well, she made them. Who knows which retailer it might have been for, because it was ‘outwork’. ie. a local factory outsourced her labour for faster results on their side and (probably) at a much lower cost. So once we three sisters had gone to bed, she’d get started on work for the evening until 2-3am every night. I would go to sleep with the sound of humming from the sewing machine. And then when it was headband time, she’d sit there with a glue-gun every night, hundreds and hundreds at a time. She’s a perfectionist, so everything was done neatly, perfectly, until 2-3am every night. She earned 25p per headband and 17p per scrunchie and was expected to produce hundreds at a time.

Memories like this make me think about the potential working conditions and demands on workers in factories in India and China. Only recently, we’ve seen the tragic results of poor health and safety at a factory in Bangladesh which now exceeds 1100 workers in its death toll from the fatal factory collapse. (Source: ABC news.) And just last week, there was news of a second incident at a Bangladeshi factory which involved a fire, thankfully it was contained to one floor but it still resulted in 8 deaths. Primark and Inditex are among the retailer groups whose goods were being produced at these factories. Are those £3 leggings worth it?

Credit: AFP
Source: The Telegraph

Photo by Andrew Biraj for Reuters
Source: Ecouterre

Relatives cry as rescuers look for survivors and victims at the site of a building that collapsed on Wednesday in Savar, Bangladesh, April 25, 2013.
CREDIT: A.M. Ahad/AP
Source: CBS News

Rescue workers carry a victim’s body after an eight-story building collapsed in Savar, Bangladesh, April 24, 2013.
CREDIT: A.M. Ahad/AP
Source: CBS News

I’ve done a few tours with my Keungzai collection over the past year and the reaction is wonderful. Women appreciate the craftsmanship and the handle of the materials when they can touch, feel and try on the pieces. But, that’s not to say there haven’t been a handful of comments and the ‘oh’ when people learn the price tag. In fact, one person said: “Oh I can’t afford that, what with the recession ‘n’ all.” Her comment bemused me; it reminded me how we, the consumers, still need an education in the local economy and re-education in the way we consume.

Keungzai Luxe Draped Back Dress, Made in the UK from the Spring Summer 2013 collection. Available on our website.

The Keungzai collection is crafted in the UK by British seamstresses, the pieces are designed to be worn by women, mothers and mums-to-be or in other words pre, during and post-pregnancy, increasing the lifespan of your new treasured purchase. The patterns are cut by a highly skilled British pattern cutter and the modal jersey materials are spun and dyed within the UK. Our highly skilled workers are paid fair wages within high ethical standards. Supporting a local business, means you actually help in allowing me, as a small business, to contribute to the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). GDP is one of a few factors that define a recession, so really, in my very basic understanding:

Consumers support local produce (sounds like food right? But essentially, we’re all in it together – locally produced, means locally produced.) —>> Small local business can produce more goods to cater to demand
–> Creating new jobs –> Contributing to local economy and GDP. 

So, perhaps my story is not something I made absolutely clear from Day One. But I have recently felt the increasing urge to have myself heard. The media are starting to listen to me when it comes to celebrity style, here and here; they like the Keungzai collection and we regularly feature in magazines but now it’s time to tell the World why I’m doing, what I’m doing. Why I’m producing my collection in the UK and why I feel strongly that consumers need a re-education in the way they consume goods. It’s time to think about buying less, but buying better; understanding the real value of the goods you pay for; supporting your local businesses; nurturing local skills and talents in the UK; giving LESS reasons for large fast-fashion chains to drive their prices lower and lower at the cost of ethical standards.

As an independent label, we would love to hear your support: tweet us @Keungzai and myself @michelekeungzai. I’d personally love to hear from you and to hear your thoughts on this topic.

“Like” us on Facebook and sign up to the Newsletter to keep an eye on the Kickstarter announcement coming soon!

Current Obsession: Dipped Hem Swing Dress in this Season’s Favourite Bright

Kim Kardashian proves her ‘yummy-mummy’ status on US Weekly cover – “You call this fat?”

Since announcing her pregnancy in December, Kim Kardashian has faced a backlash of media attention, facing harsh ‘news’ headlines like:

“Kim Kardashian: Baby Fat Or Fat, Baby!?”
“Kim Kardashian: Dumped for Being Fat!”
“Pregnant Kim Kardashian: Fat in Muumuu Photos”

Source: Babycenter

But this week, wearing a gorgeous plum coloured bikini on the Greek island of Mykonos during filming - she proves her critics wrong.

Get a load of this Journalists – you call this fat?

Source: Babycenter

Check out our Steal her Style: Kim Kardashian feature and more of our Style Advice for Kim.

Celebrity Pregnancy News! — Jamie King, Frankie of The Saturdays, Caprice

The celebrity world is rife with new pregnancy news! If its not Kate Middleton or Kim Kardashian, the latest bump news comes from Actress Jamie King, Frankie of The Saturdays and Supermodel Caprice..!

Source: Daily Mail

On Friday, Jamie King announced on her Twitter page the exciting news with an Instagram pic of herself, hubby Kyle Newman and the dogs:

Getting ready for another baby to to be squeezed into this picture

Source: Jamie King Official Twitter Page

Another announcement over the weekend came from Frankie of The Saturdays. Being the 3rd band member expecting, we can just imagine how fabulous those play dates will be!

Source: Sky News. Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images

The 24-year-old pop star posted the news of her pregnancy on Twitter saying:

“Some big news from me today! Wayne and I are having a baby. We are both SO happy and can’t wait for his or hers arrival!”

Caprice was spotted on a Florida beach stroking her baby bump. Having met Caprice at The Business Show 2012, I wish Caprice and her partner Ty the warmest wishes for their new growing family.

Source: Daily Mail

Here are Caprice’s favourite picks from my chat with her a few months ago:

Keungzai Luxe Draped Back Dress

Keungzai Spring Summer 2013 Collection
Luxe Draped Back Dress

Keungzai Ruched Asymmetric Dress

Keungzai Ruched Asymmetric Dress

Hoping to see these lovely ladies in Keungzai very soon!