Cia.Mathing's Collection at Miami Fashion Week 2013

During the show at Miami fashion week 2013, prints were absolutely stunning. Multicolored and blended to look almost like a gorgeous night sky.

 

Stylish Black and White Stripes Leggings

Material : 85% Nylon+15% Spandex

Chinese Style Colorful Floral Printed Slimming Leggings

With good flexibility, one size fits most

Perfect as a gift for your lover 

Specification:
• Weight : 0.14 kg
• Color : Blue

Women's Chiffon+Cotton Dress With V-Neck Sleeveless Ruffle Design

Women's Chiffon+Cotton Dress With V-Neck Sleeveless Ruffle Design

Women's Chiffon+Cotton Dress With V-Neck Sleeveless Ruffle Design

Lilly Alfonso Malawi’s designer set for Africa Fashion Week London

‘Lilly Alfonso’ is a fashion design label that has evolved over the years to become one of the top fashion labels in Malawi. The whole phenomenon was born out of Lilly’s pure passion as a fashion designer, having discovered her passion for fashion at a very early age.
Despite the low level of development in the Malawi Fashion industry, she moved against the tide until the year 2010 when she won the Malawi Fashion Edition, popularly known as FAME, as the best fashion designer.
Lilly has been an inspiration for many women in Malawi with her clothing designs which remain current on the market trends and she possesses vast creative techniques, having a strong eye for colour, fabric, trim and embellishments.
Her work is a mixture of ethnic style with western inspiration. The first ever Malawian to earn a place to showcase her exquisitely creative designs at AFWL, Lilly is also involved in interior decorating for both houses and office.
Africa Fashion Week London
Africa Fashion Week London is one of the biggest African events based in the UK that is dedicated to celebrating the work of African inspired
Ronke Ademiluyi, founder said,“At the heart of Africa Fashion Week London is the willingness to showcase the work of African and African inspired designers to an international level audience as well as work with them to become sustainable brands. We are looking for a creative and unique talent that lives and breathes fashion.”
The two-day event, in its second edition, will hold from Friday, August 3 to Saturday, August 4, 2012 at the Old Spitalfields Market, Brushfield St, London, and will feature pieces from African and Africa-inspired designers from all over the world.

Miami Fashion Week 2013 Collection Swimwear By Agua Bendita

Created in 2003 by designers Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza, Agua Bendita’s designs are exclusive and made with impeccable detail and quality, explaining why they have been shown in some of the most coveted magazines and trade shows in the world. The line is characterized by giving an innovative and modern touch to genuine Columbian garments. Pieces are hand-made and based on traditional Columbian handcrafts that give a vanguard touch. The brand is youthful, cheerful and alive.

At their runway show during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Miami, the line showcased their 2013 collection and it was wow-worthy. Models wore one piece swimsuits that even had sleeves- I truly had not seen this before. Colors were vibrant and patterns were unique, featuring neon hues, which have been shown all over the runway recently. With beading, embroidery, and exquisite detailing, each suit was better than the next.  My favorite suit by far was a one piece that was open in the mid-section, attaching the top and bottom by various strings and a middle piece. Accessorized with a clear visor and lace shoes, this was show stopping and oh-so-chic.

Africa Fashion Week Los Angels Launches Official Runway Model Search Contest

from October 10-13th,Select number of Africa’s premier designers will invade the United States in headlining the inaugural Africa Fashion Week Los Angeles (AFWLA).four days course,this eclectic production will showcase designers from all over the continent—transforming Los Angeles into a hub of dynamic cultural exchanges and experiences. Building a diverse guest list that includes at least 1,000 dignitaries, celebrities (national and international) and a host of global citizens, AFWLA will set the standard for the ways in which African/African-inspired fashion is interpreted, regarded and revered; here in the United States,

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: Rihanna flaunts body in range of bikinis

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: Rihanna flaunts body in range of bikinis: The singer is currently on holiday on board a luxury yacht she is renting off the coast of St Tropez in the south of France ...and she's bee...

ISIS MODELS AFRICA: ISIS Model Olubunmi Ademokoya, Aisha Bello and Bri...

ISIS MODELS AFRICA: ISIS Model Olubunmi Ademokoya, Aisha Bello and Bri...: In 2007, Stephanie Rolland, Elie Saab and some other Designers featured at the Best Model of the World 2007 and Olubunmi Ademokoya was sele...

The Hotest Celeb Locks of the Moment

Sexiest Victoria’s Secret Models Exposed

 

The Sexiest Angels of All Time

We've taken a look at Victoria's Secret models past and present (like Doutzen Kroes, Karolina Kurkova, Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrosio, here) and their best off-duty moments while vacationing at the beach.

Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr gets hot in the Florida Keys

Miranda Kerr may look like she’s frolicking on some far-flung desert island in her Victoria’s Secret bras and panties.
But the Australian beauty is actually posing pretty in the USA.
Islamorada, a small village in the Florida Keys, is the tropical backdrop for the latest  campaign for Victoria’s Secret’s Cotton Lingerie line.
Victoria's Secret/YouTube Miranda Kerr for Victoria's Secret  Victoria's Secret/YouTube
“It really does feel like we’re on a Caribbean island,” the dimpled 29 year-old said in a behind the scenes video. “But we’re only an hour and a half south of Miami Bea

Victoria’s Secret Model Anne V Wants To Get Serious With Alexander Skarsgard

Ever since her split with hottie Adam Levine, Anne Vyalitsina, 26, has been rumored to be dating several different men. So who is it this time?
A source says that she has been seeing True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard since June. Skarsgard, 35, ended his two-year relationship with Kate Bosworth about a year ago.
So are they both ready to move on? Apparently, Anne is. A source close to the model says, "They don’t have a title, but she’s ready for something serious!"

| Related: Adam Levine Blindsided By Anne V Split |
| Related: Adam Levine’s Ex Now Dating Jared Leto! | 

The source also reveals, "She’s in that nervous, waiting-for-him-to-call phase." Anne certainly sounds smitten! She apparently began courting Skarsgard just a few months after her breakup from Levine.
She isn’t the only one rebounding though. Levine has been rumored to be dating fellow Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo. The two have been photographed together on several occasions.

Naomi Campbell For Glamorous W Magazine Photoshoot

Naomi Campbell is one of a few models, supermodels actually, for whom the time seems to have stopped long ago, who seem to have stuck in their early 30s and will never age. The beauty, who has walked hundreds of runways and done dozens of ad campaigns, has appeared on pages of the July 2012 issue of W Magazine looking glamorous and sexy.Naomi Campbell has modelled a number of luxurious designer garments during a glamorous photoshoot for W Magazine. She is featured wearing an unusual A-line coat, a richly-printed pant suit and even an ensemble composed of a tunic with a front split a pair of black hotpants underneath.aomi, who is now busy with her The Face project, lives with her Russian billionaire boyfriend Vladislav Doronin in Moscow.

012 BET Awards Performances: Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music, Usher, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Maybach Music Group, Melanie Fiona and More

Getting the 2012 BET Awards off to a “G.O.O.D.” start, Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music family kicked off the show in Los Angeles Sunday night (Jul 1).
Dressed in all white, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz took turns hitting the stage to rap their respective verses on “Mercy” … before Kanye emerged from the gigantic white Lambo in the backdrop to perform his viral single “Way Too Cold,” and a new freestyle we think is called “New God Flow.”

Next up was R&B crooner Usher, who performed his single “Climax,” and later, Young Money rapstress Nicki Minaj — who won the award for Best Female rapper — performed a song called “Champion” and her 2 Chainz assisted single “Beez in the Trap.”

Other performances during the night came from Maybach Music Group (featuring Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill and French Montana), singer Melanie Fiona, who, wearing a flowy grey dress, sang a lovely rendition of “Wrong Side of a Love Song,” and Pop sensation Chris Brown, who, half-painted like a grey minotaur, danced up a storm with a laser-light backdrop while he performed his singles “Don’t Wake Me Up” and “Turn Up the Music.”

One highlight of the night was when the legendary Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, recipients of the “Lifetime Achievement Award,” performed on television for the first time ever, following tribute performances from Joe, Tyrese and Faith Evans

R&B songbird Chante Moore also performed “Bad Girls” and “Love To Love You Baby” in a spot-on tribute to the late Donna Summer; and rappers Tyga and Cash Out closed out the show with performances of their respective singles “Rack City” and “Cashin Out.”

Black Leather – Hottest Fall 2012 Trend

leather is beautiful, chic and practical which explains why it is so popular despite all the protests of PETA and other activists. Wearing leather does cause controversy and criticism sometimes, but if you are ready for that and would love to add a few stylish leather outfits into your wardrobe, then keep reading to learn how to sport leather and look cool in it.

Let’s start from the fact that leather, which is undeniably one of the hottest trends of the Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 fashion season, abounds in designers’ collections. It comes in many colors but black is definitely dominant. Leather is used to make dresses, trousers, coats, jackets, gloves as well as shoes, bags and even jewelry. There is hardly a piece of clothing that doesn’t come in leather this season.

Edgy Trend of Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 – Black Leather

Leather skirts
Leather skirts have been a hit this spring and summer but they were colored red, orange, blue, mint and other trendy hues. For fall and winter 2012/ 2013 leather skirts are mostly black. They come in shape of pencil skirts, asymmetrical ones with hemlines of various lengths or skirts adorned with embroidery or embellished with crystals. However, simple skirts without fussy details will be much more in-demand.

Leather Dresses
Leather dresses have had a huge comeback recently with both stars and ordinary fashionistas wearing them to a variety of events. Mini and straight-line black leather dresses are the two really popular designs which will continue to rein for at least one more season.

Leather coats

Black leather coat is quite a practical item for a colder season when rains are normal phenomena and women have to hide under waterproof garments. Leather coats created by designers for the Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 fashion season have A or X silhouettes and finish just right at the knee line or a little higher.Leather trousers
Maybe leather trousers are less popular than skirts and dresses now but we can’t deny they will be trendy during Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 season. Leather pants come oversized and often high-waisted, but there are some skinny versions too, for women with perfect slender legs.

Leather trousers
Maybe leather trousers are less popular than skirts and dresses now but we can’t deny they will be trendy during Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 season. Leather pants come oversized and often high-waisted, but there are some skinny versions too, for women with perfect slender legs

Leather Jackets
Leather jackets have been with us forever. Being worn with everything including evening dresses they will keep filling our wardrobes this fall. Black biker jackets, classic pieces, elongated jackets with asymmetrical cuts as well as oversized jackets (Do you remember that oversize is also a trend of the Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 season?) which will be trendy during the upcoming season are all hot and chic. Experiment with shapes to find which suits you the best!

Leather Suits
If you are a real leather-lover you might want to try leather suits this fall. They can come both with skirts or trousers but skirted suits are much sexier. Use a belt to create a slim waistline.

Total Leather Look
Yes, we often say that denim + denim is not the best idea, but it works perfectly with black leather. Total leather look is luxurious and edgy, but can be a little too overloaded.

Leather Insets
Since leather is a hot trend of the Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 season designers have found plenty of ways to use it in their collections. One of those is incorporating leather insets into outfits made of other fabric. Looks interesting, doesn’t it?

Leather Gloves
Gloves will be very fashionable during the upcoming season. Not only because they are a true necessity for women who live in regions with cold winter, but because designers have made them so much stylish.

How To Wear Trendy Leather During Fall/ Winter 2012/ 2013 Fashion Season

To look good in leather, one has to follow a few simple rules:
- To avoid overloading your look, especially if you want to try a total leather outfit, choose pieces in classic shapes with little or no detailing. A neat belt can be a good option though.
- Leather is a luxurious material and looks good by itself. It is already quite attention-grabbing, so adding funky accessories is not necessary.
- Opt for a goth beauty going for pale skin and crimson lips or make your leather look tough by going natural.

“Basketball Wives L.A.” Stars Show Off Their Bikini Bodies at Pool Party [PHOTOS]

Now that the original “Basketball Wives” have wrapped their latest season, it’s time for the L.A. cast to show their faces … and their bikini bodies!

The ladies of BBWLA hosted a pool party at Custom Hotel in Los Angeles to celebrate new cast member Brooke Bailey’s birthday … and (with the exception of Imani Showalter) the show’s entire cast — including Laura & Gloria Govan, Draya Michele, Malaysia Pargo and Jackie Christie — came out to support Brooke and flaunt their beach-ready bodies.
The second season of “Basketball Wives L.A.” is currently being filmed, and will make its debut on VH1 this September.

Dead Toddler Wakes Up At Funeral, Asks For Water, Then Dies Again

Brazilian news websites are reporting on a bizarre story about a two-year-old boy who, originally presumed dead, woke up at his own funeral, and asked his father for a drink of water before lying back down again in his coffin, lifeless.

According to news sources from Brazil, Kelvin Santos was declared dead after he stopped breathing due to complications from pneumonia at a hospital in Belem, northern Brazil.
SBT — the Brazilian equivalent of CNN — reported that the boy was declared dead Friday night at 7:40 pm, and his body was released to his family in an airtight plastic bag, where he remained for up to three hours before his family gathered later that night for a wake.
The two-year-old’s father Antonio Santos said that the next day, while the family was grieving over little Kelvin Santos’ open coffin shortly before his funeral, the boy sat up, and asked, “Daddy, can I have some water?”
“Everybody started to scream, we couldn’t believe our eyes,” Santos told SBT. “Then we thought a miracle had taken place and our boy had come back to life … Then Kelvin just laid back down, the way he was. We couldn’t wake him. He was dead again.”
Mr. Santos rushed his son back to the hospital, where doctors re-examined the boy and pronounced him dead a second time. “They assured me that he really was dead and gave me no explanation for what we had just seen and heard,” he said.
Hoping that little Kelvin would wake up again, his family decided to delay his funeral for at least an hour … but he didn’t wake up, and he was buried later that day in a local cemetery.
Mr. Santos says that he believes his son was the victim of malpractice, and has filed a formal complaint with the police who have launched an investigation.
“Fifteen minutes after rushing him away for resuscitation, they came and told me he was dead and handed me his body,” Santos said. “Perhaps they didn’t examine him properly. Dead people don’t just wake up and talk. I’m determined to find out the truth.”
We can’t help but agree with Mr. Santos. Dead people DO NOT just wake up and talk.
Is it just us … or does something about all of this sound really fishy?

Marc’s Politics,Barack Obama's re-election campaign

MARC JACOBS says that fashion and politics don't always mix. However, the designer is known for his open support of several political causes, including Barack Obama's re-election campaign, gay men's marriage rights and his promotion of the Tibetan Freedom Coalition, creating a capsule T-shirt urging the country to be freed from Chinese occupation. The latter caused a furore on China's version of Twitter, Weibo, with Chinese users threatening to boycott the label.
SEE MARC JACOBS' STYLE EVOLUTION
"I guess with politics and fashion, you've always got to be a bit careful because somebody's going to get offended or somebody's going to feel it isn't right," Jacobs told WWD. "I don't want to sound stupid or ignorant or anything, but I spend my time in the studio choosing fabric and colours and trying to figure out what we're going to make. If you want to avoid controversy, you just don't do [political] things like that."
Jacobs hosted Louis Vuitton's debut Shanghai show last night, complete with the label's famed Express train, in celebration of its newly-renovated Shanghai Maison.
SEE WHICH STARS ATTENDED THE STORE LAUNCH
YOU SHOULD SEE: Marc Jacobs' South Park alter ego...
YOU SHOULD SEE: Marc Jacobs' style in pictures... Jacobs hosted Louis Vuitton's debut Shanghai show last night, complete with the label's famed Express train, in celebration of its newly-renovated Shanghai Maison.

Mass Shooting at Colo. Movie Theater, 10 People Dead

By ANTHONY CASTELLANO |
shooting at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado early today has left at least 14 people dead and at least 50 people injured, authorities confirmed.

Police now have apprehended a suspect who has been described as an adult male and have recovered a gun after the shooting at approximately 12:30 a.m. CT at the Century 16 Movie Theaters at the Aurora Town Center in the Denver suburb.

Witnesses said that the man appeared at the front of the theater with a rifle, handgun and gas mask. Witnesses said that he then threw a canister that released some kind of gas, after which a hissing sound ensued. The gunman then opened fire on the crowd packed into the early morning screening of the film, according to people in the theater at the time.

An explosive device was also found inside the theater. Police are unsure of whether the device, which investigators are calling a bomb, was already in place or whether it was thrown into the crowd.

Ambulances rushed to the scene as audience members fled the theater. Aurora's police chief said that he cannot elaborate on women or children injured or dead in the shooting.

Once apprehended the gunman told authorities that there were explosives in his North Aurora, Colo. residence. Investigators rushed to the apartment complex, which was quickly evacuated and now under lock down.

Though police have said that they believe the shooter was acting alone, they are now taking precautions and checking all cars in the parking lot and clearing near the theater.

There is believed to be no connection to Islamic terrorism, per a senior official monitoring the situation in Washington. Investigators are now interviewing friends and associates of the suspect to get a sense of the man's background.

Also Read

Why Kanye West won't watch Kim's sex tape

Kanye West refuses to watch girlfriend Kim Kardashian's infamous sex tape and the sensitive rapper has banned his entourage from mentioning the X-rated footage

 

Kanye West won't watch Kim Kardashian's sex tape.
The rapper has been dating the beautiful socialite since April after being friends with her for years.
Before their relationship became romantic, Kanye would not look at the X-rated footage the reality TV star recorded with her ex-boyfriend Ray J - which was released as a DVD entitled 'Kim Kardashian Superstar' in 2007 - and now they're an item he wants to block it from his mind.

A source told America's OK! magazine: ''For all his bad-boy image, he's quite old-fashioned and [while they were still just friends] he thought it inappropriate to view Kim's tape. Now that they are a couple, there's no way Kanye's ever going to look at it.''
The 'Gotta Have It' hitmaker is so sensitive about the sex tape - which features Kim and Ray J participating in a variety of erotic acts - he won't even let anyone in his entourage or circle of friends talk about it.
The source added: ''When some of his buddies were teasing him about it over a few beers just recently, he went crazy and told them in no uncertain terms that the subject was completely off limits. At first they thought he was joking, but he was deadly serious. Kanye never, ever wants to see the tape, and he has banned anyone in his entourage from even talking about it.''
This week, Kim has credited her eight-year friendship with Kanye as the reason why their relationship has been so great so far.
The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star said: ''Me and Kanye spent time as friends first and I see a real benefit in that.
''Once a relationship goes past the honeymoon phase, you need the strong base of friendship to keep it working.'

Timbaland! "What are you talking about?"

It's no secret that music producer Timbaland gave a toast at Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel's engagement party in May.
But it sounds like the long arm of the couple's desire for privacy has even got ahold of Timbaland!

"What are you talking about?" Timbaland said with a big smile when I asked him about the toast before he guest deejayed Sunday at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's Rehab pool party in Las Vegas. "What engagement party?...I will not answer that because I don't know what you're talking about."
PHOTOS: Celeb Wedding Guests
He won't budge on whether he'll perform at the wedding either. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to perform at Justin Bieber's wedding. He's getting married to that girl Selena Gomez."
Kidding aside, Timbaland gushed about Timberlake, "That's my bro. That's magic. That's Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings. We are all of those. He's Zeus and I'm Poseidon."
Um, OK.
Demi Lovato is also a favorite. "She can sing," Timbaland said. "She's real good. She's super good…Demi is the best. She's a great vocalist."
Maybe she can perform at the wedding

Know your body's panic buttons

Money, work, kids, in-laws, home repairs, relationship problems – basically if you're not stressed to the hilt, you haven't been opening your mail, e-mail, or answering the phone.
Imagine a fire station on full alert – all emergency vehicles are set to race off, all staff members are dressed and ready, all equipment has been checked and uploaded, and only really essential things are given any attention.
That's what happens to our bodies when we become more and more stressed: our bodies give the on-full-alert signal, but the phone call never comes to say where the fire is, or even if there is one.
You're ready to fight or flee, and a flood of stress hormones washes through your body, preparing it for a life-or-death battle which never comes. And now you have adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol rushing through your system, all dressed up with nowhere to go.
And as your spouse bickers, or the bank manager phones, or the kids fight again, you just never get to switch off that panic button.
These stress hormones can do a lot of physical and mental damage as they coast around your system. They're sending blood to your muscles, increasing your heartbeat, reducing blood flow to the vessels under the skin, and dilating your pupils. Our body's natural response is to try and restore some sense of equilibrium, but this doesn't always work.

Here are 13 ways to tell that your body is begging you to slow down:
You're losing it. You snap at people, even though it's not in your nature, and you feel that it takes a great deal of effort to control your temper. This is because constant stress depletes and weakens your mood-lifting mechanisms.
You feel lightheaded. It's difficult to think straight when you're really stressed. An adrenaline surge causes blood flow to be partially diverted from your brain, and sent to your muscles, so you can either run away from the threat, or attack it. Hence the feeling of lightheadedness.
You breathe more quickly. Your muscles need increased oxygen levels to function at their best. The only way to make this happen, is to speed up the breathing process.
You can't sleep. Racing thoughts and anxious feelings would keep anyone awake. A complex chemical process leads to our falling asleep every night. This process is severely hampered by the constant presence of high levels of cortisol, which are supposed to be at their lowest levels at night.
You get eczema or urticaria. Excess cortisol in the body stimulates the release of histamine. And the next thing you know, you've come up in hives, or your eczema has flared up again. Or you have a nasty bout of urticaria, which can make you itchy for weeks.
You sweat. When you're stressed, your heart rate and breathing speed up and your blood pressure also increases. This causes you to sweat more in order to keep your body temperature even.
Your vision blurs. There are many different causes of blurred vision, but some of them, such as high blood pressure, can be made worse by stress. Blurred vision is also a symptom of migraines, which are often caused by stress.
You need the toilet all the time. When you're stressed, your body gets depleted of vitamin B6, and this can lead to frequent urination. Some people who suffer from anxiety especially suffer from this condition at night, when it stops them from getting a decent night's sleep.
Your weight seesaws.Constant high cortisol levels can interfere with your metabolism and lead to unexpected weight gain. Stress and hormonal disturbances, among other things, can also trigger a condition in women called PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) of which obesity is a symptom. Ongoing stress can also make you lose weight, as stressed people not only use more energy as a result of their constant state of high alert, but they also neglect eating a healthy diet, or eating regularly.
You get mouth ulcers. Many things can cause mouth ulcers, but one of them is a shortage of vitamin B12, caused by constant stress.
You're drinking more. Many people respond to stressful situations by increasing their alcohol consumption. Alcohol, when taken in moderation (1 unit) can indeed be a stress release, but oddly enough, when taken in greater quantities, actually makes the stress worse.
Frequent infections. When your body goes on full alert, as it does when you're stressed out, all other bodily functions take a bit of a back seat. Your immune system is one of them. Getting ill, or suffering from infections after an exam, or a break-up, or some upheaval at work is nothing strange. Your immune system has simply not been firing on all cylinders, and your body is telling you to slow down.
No interest in sex. Believe it or not, your body doesn't register sex as a life essential, especially in the face of danger. And constant high stress levels will simply play havoc with your libido. A pity, as sex is often a stress reliever in itself.

Obamas pay tribute to Mandela's iron will

Washington - US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, paid tribute to former president Nelson Mandela ahead of his 94th birthday, saying he has "abiding humility" and "unbreakable will".

"On behalf of the people of the United States, we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 94th birthday and the fourth annual Nelson Mandela International Day," the US first couple said in a statement honouring the antiapartheid icon.

Mandela's "extraordinary life and steadfast commitment to the principles of democracy and reconciliation continues to be a beacon for people of all backgrounds who strive for dignity, justice, and freedom," they said, describing his personal story as "one of unbreakable will, unwavering integrity, and abiding humility.

The Obamas said their family "has been inspired by Madiba's example, and has deeply appreciated the time we have spent with him, and his wisdom, grace and generosity of spirit".

"By any measure," the statement read, "Nelson Mandela has changed the arc of history, transforming his country, continent, and the world."

The US first lady met with Mandela June 11, 2011 on a visit to South Africa with her daughters.

Bill Clinton visit
Obama's Democratic predecessor Bill Clinton meanwhile hailed his close ties with Nelson Mandela before visiting Mandela's home in his childhood village.

Clinton spent two hours inside Mandela's family compound in Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where Mandela grew up.

Media were barred from entering the area and Clinton left without speaking.

Before the visit Clinton opened a library at a primary school together with Mandela's wife, Graca Machel, and daughter Zindzi ahead of the statesman's birthday on Wednesday.

"We worked together as presidents and even after we left office we continued working together to improve education of the children worldwide in order for them to share the future," Clinton said.

Mandela, who was president from 1994-1999, spent 27 years in the apartheid regime's jails. He retired from political life in 2004.

Bill Clinton visited Nelson Mandela at his home in the Eastern Cape the day before his birthday

Nelson Mandela celebrates 'quiet family' birthday

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Mandela's life and times
• The battle for Nelson Mandela's legacy
• Mandela's Bard to go on display

Some 12 million schoolchildren across South Africa have sung a specially composed song as part of official celebrations for Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday on Wednesday.

The former South African president will spend the day quietly with his family in his village home of Qunu in the Eastern Cape, near where he was born.
Mr Mandela met former US President Bill Clinton on Tuesday.

Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player.

Nelson Mandela's granddaughter Ndileka: "He can charm bees out of their beehive"

He spent 27 years in jail for leading an armed anti-apartheid campaign.
Mr Clinton, accompanied by his daughter Chelsea, opened a new library for the No-Moscow Primary School in Qunu, ahead of his meeting with Mr Mandela.
He told the children that Madiba - as Mr Mandela is affectionately called in South Africa - believed in the future and not the past.
"When I think about Mandela I always think about someone committed to the future," Mr Clinton said.
'Extraordinary life' US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, have also paid tribute ahead of Mr Mandela's birthday.

Bill Clinton visited Nelson Mandela at his home in the Eastern Cape the day before his birthday

The US first couple hailed Mr Mandela's "extraordinary life and steadfast commitment to the principles of democracy and reconciliation".
The BBC's Milton Nkosi in Qunu says that across South Africa, Mr Mandela's birthday is traditionally celebrated with the poor communities receiving help from those who are more fortunate.
Our correspondent says to celebrate the number of years Mr Mandela spent in public life, people are encouraged to spend at least 67 minutes of their time helping those who are less fortunate.
The guest list for a private lunch with Mr Mandela has, however, been kept a closely guarded secret.
Mr Mandela stood down as South Africa's president in 1999 after serving one term, handing over to Thabo Mbeki.
After leaving prison in 1990, he led the African National Congress party to a landslide victory in 1994 - the first time South Africa's black majority was