Grand Opening: BoConcept

Last night M and I attended the opening of a furniture store, which was a first for me. Not just any furniture store though - BoConcept. Heard of it? Well its a Danish design line that's opened its doors in Nairobi.

A Danish design store might seem unusual for the old Nairobi, but this is the new Nairobi. This chic aesthetic for life is the new frontier. And with all these new glass buildings popping up around town to house them, let's hope this is only the beginning.

View of the BoConcept showroom from the parking lot.

The BoConcept concept is about European minimalism. Long, clean lines, seamless wood, some textured fabrics (goatskin cushions and carpets...), industrial lamps, and colourful statement home accessories (vases, knickknacks, shelves, etc...).  The prices were of course eye-wateringly on the high side (not for the faint of pocket), marked clearly in Euros. It's an upper-middle class project obviously.

The store display; sorry, a little blurry.

The foyer display. Me acting nonchalant. It's one of those brand spanking new Nairobi buildings.

Inside the store with Hawa & Marek. Image courtesy of SHK Consulting.

We had a couple of vodka cocktails and chatted with some lovely Danish Embassy people. Then on the way out we spied this adorbs Parisian-style cafe across the way called MAMA'S Fine French Patisserie. 

Fancy! Our town has arrived!

Food for Thought/(Shocking) Image of the Day

"Sexy lingerie seeks new owner". Image courtesy of theasianfashionjournal.com.

I was innocently doing some article research when I came upon this image on The Asian Fashion Journal. It's nothing shocking I guess, I see second-hand underwear for sale almost every day of my life on the streets of Nairobi, nothing new there. I love markets waaay too much to criticize them, so this isn't easy for me to admit...

But when is it all too much? How ethical is it to recycle underwear, for anonymous populations to send used undergarments to developing economies for us to wear again? I mean, an H&M top is one thing, but frilly panties is quite another, non? I can't help but feel like we're getting the raw end of a deal here.

The flip side of the coin is that the majority of developing country populations do not buy brand new panties and bras because of the disparity in quality (second-hand vs. locally-produced). And then there's the obvious question of price. It's just cheaper to buy second-hand on the street than, say, at Woolworth's at the mall. Again, raw deal.

Are the Europeans/Americans/whoever who dutifully donate their used underwear for shipping to us poor Africans to blame, or is it our own fault for being such willing consumers. Or are we all unwitting participants in global economies of scale? Or maybe there's nothing wrong at all with wearing second-hand underwear! *Confusion all around*

If You Ever Needed An Excuse to Overdo It

It's hat time again! I never get to wear fancy hats in my life except on this day. I instructed Marek last night that we would channel Kate & William this year (corny, I know, but necessary), meaning that on this third edition of Fashion High Tea we will go back to the traditional idea of 'dressing for tea'. I want to keep it classic and clean this year.

This event is usually a fashion PARADE, a very sunny version of the Royal Ascot, but without the horses. A Stylist's dream. Those of you in Nairobi, come to Zen Garden this Saturday 9th from 2-7pm. Tickets are Ksh 5,000 (US 57) and proceeds will go to Therapies for Kids.

I suggest you come armed with your most stare-worthy hats and camera-ready smiles.

Fashion High Tea 2012

With Stylist Wambui Thimba, Fashion High Tea 2011

Behind-the-Scenes: Mashariki Mix, Episode 59

Mashariki Mix Presenter Nic Wangundu

Presenter Sarah Hassan wears turquoise dress by AVID STYLE

Shot at Siyara Spa at Enashipai (Naivasha, Kenya)

Watch Mashariki Mix weeknights at 19.30 on AfricaMagic (MNET). Also check out Avid Style.

Pampered! By REVLON.

So I told you how I got that gorgeous gift box and invitation for an "afternoon of pampering" from the people over at REVLON. I now know that those people were Sonali Shah (Cosmetics, Nakumatt) and Shreya Karia (SHK Consulting). It may sound completely overdue but REVLON is finally launching (officially) in Kenya. At the cosmetic department of Nakumatt to be specific, Kenya's largest supermarket chain.

And so we were treated to a taste of what is to come:

The REVLON 'Day of Pampering' invitations; that feeling when a fancy package all for you is delivered to your door.

...inside.

The setup. The SANKARA Hotel courtyard.

The desert bar

Sonali Shah (Cosmetics Dept. at Nakumatt)

Shreya Karia of SHK Consulting and a macaroon.

With the gorgeous Suzie of SuzieBeauty (left) & model stunner Elsie Njeri (centre)

REVLON gift bags

I think most outsiders don't realize how under-developed retail and cosmetics are in this country. There have always been fake products (MAC, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, etc...) flooding the market, and you're usually forced to send people travelling away to bring you back what you need. As the mood for makeup has developed, we now proudly have SuzieBeauty, the first ever homegrown Kenyan makeup brand. Now more than before, more and more brands are interested in us as a market; hopefully soon Sephora will no longer be the stuff of our dreams.

The afternoon of pampering hosted by REVLON was an exclusive and hyper-girly event (just what I needed; just what I always need) designed to make us understand what the brand is about. If you can't seduce women with manicures, massages, makeovers, chocolate, wine, gossip, a lot of roses, and the best salad bar I've had in a good while, then there's no hope.

I'm excited. If you're in Nairobi, look out for the REVLON counter at a Nakumatt near you. Oh, and I've tried the makeup (we got gift bags); The New Complexion Powder (Caramel No.15) is officially my fave discovery of the new year.

REVLON Colourburst Lip Butter. They gave us all one. I love it.

Images courtesy of REVLON.

The TASTE Awards 2013: A Post-Mortem

The setting, tented at Karura Forest.

The lounge area.

Host (& my boss at Mashariki Mix!) Mr. Fareed Khimani

Me with Asa Isaacson & her fox

EatOut Kenya Founders Ami and Mikul Shah (they're married)

Model Namnyak Odupoy

Aprelle Duany & Ann McCreath of design house KikoRomeo flank Mikul Shah (Founder EatOut  Kenya)

Johan Jensson & Marek Fuchs

Shreya Karia & Ami Shah, both Directors of TASTE

DJ Cortega

Marek Fuchs with Bien Aime, Delvin, & Polycarp of band Sauti Sol

Chefs of the Year: Karan Suri (Norfolk) , Marcus Mitchell (Talisman), Kiren Jethwa (Seven)

Singer Sanaipei Tande & Designer Wambui Kibue (Image by Generali Njogu)

Great bangs. (Image by Generali Njogu)

Me with the ever lovely Susan Wong & Melissa J. (Image by Generali Njogu)

Thanks for everything guys (Mikul & Ami Shah, & Shreya Karia), superb evening! See you next year.

All images are courtesy of EatOut Kenya & Generali Njogu, and you can read the full story at KenyaBuzz. The full list of winners is on Yummy.co.ke.

The SAUTI SOL Project lands in The Standard!

Yay, and yay. One of the images that came out of our SAUTI SOL project was printed in The Pulse today, the lifestyle magazine pull-out in The Standard newspaper. We should all be very chuffed to have made these dapper award-winning gentlemen look even more dapper: Teddy Mitchener (photos), Barton Melablooms (wardrobe), DRESSUPNATION (styling), Tricia Wanjala (makeup).

Behind-the-Scenes: Mashariki Mix, Episode 58

Presenter Sarah Hassan and her body that won't quit wear Jorge's Wardrobe

Presenter Nic Wangundu  in cheerful separates.

I know, my pics aren't great; my camera got stolen (pick-pocketed at Blankets & Wine) a couple of weeks ago, so I'm reduced to using my camera phone. For now anyway. Watch Mashariki Mix Tuesday and Sunday nights at 19.30 on AfricaMagic channel 151.