Miscellany

Happy 2008! A gal is trying to accomplish a lot this year. (Don't we all start every year off with such sentiments?) I attempt to visit at least one new place annually and as I mentioned a few posts back, this year I hope to go to South Africa. Well, I just learned via WWD that Paul Smith recently opened not one but two locations in South Africa. The first was in the Jo'burg suburb of Parkhurst followed by a second in Cape Town on the prestigious Millionaire Mile of the V&A Waterfront. I'm pumped. Y'all know how I feel about Paul Smith. 'Ole Paul is not alone either. Chloe, Marni, Miu Miu, Missoni and Stella McCartney have apparently also set up shop in S.A. within the last few months. Now, before anyone goes getting their panties in a bunch, I am more excited about learning of new, raw talent when I do eventually visit South Africa. I'm so not that chick who goes to another country and shops at The Gap. The multi-colored straw fans I purchased at a market in Guinea, West Africa in '02 are hanging on my kitchen wall as I type. (They really compliment my purple kitchen.) Still, I am quite excited about one of my fave designers having two retail stores in a country I've been wanting to visit for the past couple of years. Let's just hope that South Africa doesn't resemble Disney World in the next decade...


Stayin' cool as a Guinean fan in '08

I would be remiss in mentioning Africa and not commenting on the craziness in Kenya. What the crap?! Sadly, I am not nearly as informed about the siutation as I need to be but one of my goals in 2008 is to become more aware of global news. Staying fly but being clueness about what is going on in the world has never been (and will never be) in style. In the meantime, my prayers go out to those who have been displaced, hurt or lost loved ones in this horrible ordeal.

Well, I'm off to the Met to check out The Costume Institute's new exhibit: blog.mode: addressing fashion. I will report back on it next week!