Lanre Da Silva Ajayi x #GTBLFDW

Photo credit: Kola Oshalusi

Ejiro Amos Tafiri x #GTBLFDW

As I mentioned, Lagos Fashion and Design week just wrapped up and I will be sharing some of my favorite collections. 

Photo credit: Kola Oshalusi(Insigna)

Fall Lookbook

It's getting colder out there. Hello layers. Hello boots. 

Instagram Chronicles

I've been trying to spend as much time as possible with my friends. Because we're always so connected through iMessage, this and that gadget, we don't realize how much time passes without us physically being in each other's presence. Nothing beats sitting in front of your friends, hugging them, seeing their smiles and everything in between.

THINGS I'VE DONE RECENTLY

1. celebrated baby Ian's first birthday, with friends family

2. went to a Nigerian restaurant and danced my heart out to afrobeats, with friends

3. ate chicken and waffles for the first time, with friends.

4. ate sadza and boerwors at Madiba and then partied at a beer garden in Brooklyn, with friends. 

Wedding Invitation by Me!

I was asked to create a wedding invitation and I really enjoyed doing it. After a lot of back and forth about what the couple wanted, if I could do it and what I thought was best (lol) I dusted off my old Adobe CS skills and got to work. In total, I gave them  four different invitations with varying color and font combinations etc. This is the one they chose in the end. I'm happy that I could help them and I cannot wait to see the printed out version. 

Backstage at Guaranty Trust Bank Lagos Fashion & Design Week #GTBLFDW

All week I have been following the sartorial happenings in the number one fashion capital in Africa. Yes, I said it. Lagos is on top, sorry Johannesburg and Cape Town but you have been dethroned.  From what I have seen and heard, Lagos Fashion & Design Week looks was quite a success. Designers, buyers, consumers, media and others gathered to get on with the business of fashion. There were workshops, marketplaces, a series of business discussions, parties and of course, beautiful (and not so much) clothes. There is no shortage of pictures and reports from those who were there: from the good - oohing and aahing over clothes, the bad - complaints about the consistent late starts and the weird- skin bleaching cream and soup in some goodie bags (no comment on that).

Throughout this week, I will be sharing some of the collections that I really liked or found interesting. Maki Oh's collection looked better in Lagos than it did New York, to me. In the meantime, check out some backstage pictures as shared on the official GTLFDW Instagram account.

Quotables x Audre Lorde

           

Lookbook x Fall Friday

Loving Lupita Nyong'o

Vogue November 2013

Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o is HOT! She is in soon to be released (Oct. 18) movie "12 Years A Slave." This movie is supposed to be really good; lots of buzz and excitement around it. I will be going to see for myself :)

I first came across Lupita when she starred in Shuga (season 1) as Ayira. Shuga is a series set in Nairobi, Kenya about love, relationships, sexual behavior etc. I really enjoyed Shuga, as I enjoy most of these edutainment series. You should watch it! Anyway, back to Lupita, she was cast in 12 Years A Slave just before she graduated from the Yale School of Drama and there's already some Oscar buzz surrounded her. Naturally, she has been on red carpets and doing promo all over the place and she is looking good. Those arms? Wow.

Loving her. Check out this video from Vogue :)

#AnythingButHim x "Oh, That Good Hair Pt. I"

My latest Anything But Him post is up. This month it's all about hair. I divided the post into two parts because apparently, I have a lot to say about hair. Check back next month for part II. Also there's a link on the blog header that'll take you straight to my Anything But Him page so you can read everything I've written so far. Enjoy!

I do not remember the first time I got a relaxer but I do remember always dreading going for a retouch or anything to do with hair. If the option of wearing a wig had been presented to me at a young age, I am almost sure, I would have taken it.

I hated hair --combing it, washing it, braiding it, the burns I'd get from relaxers-- I hated all of it.

In fact, it always made me cry. There is no salon chair from Sam Levy's village to Union Avenue and Leopold Takawira St. that I had not cried in, by the time I was 12. At one point, my mother got so tired of the constant bribing and hassle that she took me to salon and said "it's either you retouch it or you cut it." I happily chose the latter option, to everyone's dismay and for two years, I proudly wore this horrendous (hindsight is 20/20) boyish haircut. It felt amazing to avoid salon visits because the salon was an intimidating place, especially as a child. They were so nice while your mom was there but as soon as she left, you were on your own. They were rough and they complained that you cried too much. They supposedly knew it all and they always wanted to decide your hairstyle for you. A few weeks before leaving for America, I found myself at the hair salon again. On this day the stylist said, "munhu arikuenda kuAmerica angaenda akadai? Aiwa ticha muisa dark and lovely." That is one of the first times I remember feeling inadequate because of my outward appearance. 

These hair dressers like so many other people believed chemically straightened hair was the best ever. Somewhere along the line: natural hair had come to symbolize being backwards, or rural or poor. Only people who could not afford to get their hair done had natural hair. People did not willingly keep their hair natural (hello, it doesn't even grow) if they had a choice. "I'm going to cut your hair" was a legitimate threat from adults. It was punishment. We did not celebrate and embrace our "mufushwa" and we certainly did not go to America with it.

Read the rest here

"We Need New Names"

I am slowly making my way through this  list of books I said I wanted to read.

We Need New Names has been the most polarizing one. Lots of mixed, mainly negative, reviews from fellow Zimbabweans, especially. I started reading this book and it has been very emotional. I was not expecting all these feelings to come up but they have. I have found myself overcome with sadness at some points. This book is fiction but only fiction in the sense that what is described did not happen EXACTLY as it does in the book. The events of the story come from a painfully real place.

The writing is fantastic, NoViolet's technical skill is on full display. She takes all these complicated and nuanced facets of a difficult time in our (Zimbabwean) history and presents them through the innocent childlike-perspective of Darling and her friends, in a beautiful way. While some have criticized the book as just "poverty porn," I strongly disagree. It is much more than that.

--Sidebar--
NoViolet Bulawayo (real name Elizabeth Tshele) is nominated for Britian's prestigious literary award, the Man Booker Prize. She is the first black African woman to be nominated for the prize. Also nominated is one of my personal favorites, Jhumpa Lahiri. The winner will be announced tomorrow, October 15. 

Meet Ekari #IDG2013

Since today is the International Day of the Girl Child, I would like to introduce you to a (virtual) girl child named Ekari. Ekari is an 8-year old Malawian girl who travels to all 54 countries in Africa with her mother (a journalist) and teaches readers (7-9 years old) about all of the wonderful things the continent. Each book in the series will be about a different country and Ekari is the main character. Move over, Dora! On October 4, 2013, the first book in the series, "Ekari Leaves Malawi," was launched at the African Leadership Network annual gathering in Mauritius by 19 year old, Priscilla Semphere. 

Priscilla is a graduate of African Leadership Academy. While at ALA, Priscilla and some friends created the Ekari book series under "PenAfrica." According to the Ekari fundraising page, PenAfrica is "a pan-African organization promoting African literature and literacy. The organization aims to promote African literature, increase its readership, and ensure that young Africans with a passion for writing do just that." Pretty cool, right? I love it.

International Day of the Girl Child #IDG2013

On October 9, 2012 a young Pakistani girl named Malala Yousafzai (who should have won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize but anyway...)  was shot in the head and neck while on a bus home from school. I had no idea who she was but I was intrigued and heartbroken by the story. I immediately started to do some research and ended up watching the 2009 New York Times documentary about her life. Within the first few minutes of Class Dimissed, Malala starts to cry as she tells the interviewer that she wants to get an education and wants to become a doctor. Seeing Malala in that documentary and each time since then reminded me of the things I had always taken for granted - that school fees would be paid, that teachers would show up, that I was permitted to attend school, in the first place. At such a young age, Malala was risking her life not only by attending school but also by publicly advocating that all girls be allowed to attend school. It was truly inspiring. Two days after Malala's shooting, when the first International Day of the Girl Child was observed, it was so crystal clear why we need this day.

The theme for this year's IDG is "Innovating for Girls' Education" focusing on how educating girls is the key to creating a better world. Nelson Mandela said, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." By leaving girls uneducated or with very low levels of education, we are missing out on tapping into a larger talent base and the contributions that they could offer to the world. Education is instrumental in transforming the course of girls' lives.

There are 66 million school-age girls who are not enrolled in schools. Only 30% of girls worldwide are in secondary school. Some families cannot afford to send their children, and if they can, they usually send the boys (because the girls can be married off). In communities without access to water, women and girls are tasked with collecting and transporting water among other household chores, time which could be spent in school. Lack of access to clean water also affects sanitation and hygiene -- many girls drop out of school or miss school regularly once they begin their menstrual cycle. In other cases, girls are prohibited from attending school for cultural or religious reasons. In order to get more girls into school, we have to address these and other barriers.

To Malala, all girls and women who refuse to be silenced, those who work tirelessly to empower and uplift girls. Happy International Day of the Girl!

United Nations: International Day of the Girl Website

UN Women: International Day of the Girl Child

Jukebox: Yeezy

For the past week I have listened to nothing but old Kanye West and I was reminded why I loved him so. It all took me back to different and times places in my life. I was a sophomore in high school when College Dropout first came out, we would be in drama rehearsal playing it over and over, rapping every single word. We all fell in love with Kanye spell at the same time.  So many hits!! I know it is selfish but I miss the old Kanye, I wish he hadn't "grown" and changed. I honestly can't even decide which is my favorite but it is between College Dropout and Graduation. 

Naomi Campbell x Harper's Bazaar Espana

Please note these are cropped to emphasis how much she giving face.  They do not call her a SUPERmodel for nothing. I mean, wow. 

From Harper's Bazaar Espana October 2013. 

Light Sweater Weather

This is my type of "casual." Except it's not casual at all, just simple. Skirt, sweater and pumps. Above, the sweater is Alexander Wang and the skirt is Nic+Zoe. Loving the pattern.  Below the sweater is Kenzo and the skirt is Opening Ceremony. Finally, a Sonia Rykiel sweater paired with a leather Katia circle skirt. 

Forbes Magazine x Africa

Forbes Africa celebrated its 2 year anniversary by launching TWO new titles. Forbes Woman Africa and Forbes Life Africa. The inimitable Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe and Alek Wek made history as the first to grace the covers of the magazines. -- sidebar: Dr. Moloi-Motsepe is so naturally gorgeous, I wish that they would have calmed down with the photoshop--

Anyway, naturally, I subscribed as soon as the announcement was made. So far, so good. I'm looking forward to seeing and reading more. I am all for expanding the range of opinion so the more quality publications, the better.

Enjoy this behind the scenes video from Alek Wek's cover shoot. Shoutout to Rosemary Kokuhilwa (the stylist) also featured in the video. I met her at the FACE Africa Gala earlier this year. Check out her blog www.fashionjunkii.com

Street Etiquette x Nordstrom et al.

Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs are two of the best dressed men I have ever come across. As much as I appreciated their style and work, I did not pay that much attention to it because I do not really follow the mens fashion/fashion blogging world, closely. Recently, two things made me start paying more attention to them.

1. Seeing them in person as we walked from Afropunk Fest to the subway.

2. Their recent trip to Johannesburg, South Africa activated my stan mode. I have been checking their blog daily because I was loving the pictures they were taking. 

I came across some cool videos and interviews that they have done and they have some great insights on creativity, fashion, travel and style.  Here are a few links for you to enjoy. 

Nordstrom Men's Shop Interview

VSCO Cam Feature

Urban Outfitters Feature

Details Feature

www.streetetiquette.com

Instagram: @streetetiquette

www.streetetiquette.tumblr.com

Happy Friday!

One of my favorite songs at the moment. Royals by Lorde. 

A Taste of Home

One of my favorite places to eat in Harare is a restaurant called, Amanzi. While I was home (Zimbabwe) last summer, I found myself at Amanzi quite a number of times. Whether it was for lunch, dinner, or to "party" on a Thursday night when they have live music. 

Amanzi has a gorgeous garden, the food is delicious and it is just a nice place to sit and enjoy yourselves. My absolute favorite dish is the oxtail with mashed potatoes. This is real food. Perfectly whipped, creamy, organic potatoes with some steamed veggies and savory oxtail. I was never disappointed.

The food can be a bit pricey but it is worth every single cent. I always order the oxtail but I also picked of other people's plates and determined that no matter what you order, you will like it. When my family arrived in Zim, I suggested that we all go for lunch at Amanzi and they loved it just as much as I did. 

Me with my sisters. 

Me with my bestie.

Amanzi Restaurant

158 Enterprise Road, Highlands, Harare

Kerry Washington x NAACP Image Awards

I love this speech Kerry gave at last year NAACP Image Awards. So many great points. We all have a voice and a story to tell, never take that for granted. Speak your truth, even if your voice trembles :)

Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique, but we all have a story to tell. Gone are the days when our lead characters can only look like someone else. Heroes look like all of us. We see ourselves in each other's stories, we see who we are, we see who we want to be. Sometimes we see who we don't want to be and through that we have greater understanding of ourselves and acceptance of each other. I consider it an honor to be an advocate of the arts and to serve on Obama's Committee for the Arts because just as we must ensure that "we the people" includes all Americans regardless of race, class, gender and sexual orientation; we must also work to ensure that the stories we take, the movies we make, the television we produce, the theatre we stage, the novels we publish are inclusive all those same ways. I stand here tonight on the shoulders of those who have blazed a path of art and activism. Harry Belafonte, I stand on your shoulders. I stand on your shoulders Diane, I stand on your shoulders Ben, with gratitude for what you've sacrificed so that we can tell the stories that we are all telling. I receive this award with great humility and I hope that I may one day live up to that legacy of service, not for me but for us and for the next generation of story tellers. Thank you.