Pants to Poverty London Fashion Show

Pants to Poverty is a seemingly relentless cog to the #IF Campaign. Raising awareness since 2005 to the plight of global hunger .Born through Nelson Mandela's call for" a generation to rise up and Make Poverty History " .The Pants to Poverty brand now  sells its ethically approved Fairtrade  pants in over 20 countries.Their catchy slogan "buy our pantatstic underwear " found me  face to face at their Diaspora Catwalk at the Tabernacle in Notting Hill back in June in a truly pantatstic mood.Hosted by Analiese Dayes , the show proved enthralling.

The fashion show exhibited not only its ethically approved Fairtrade underwear range but a number of exciting  designers whose lines kept the evening exciting , energetic , vibrant with the audience.

Here is what caught my eye: 

1st impressions count and a knockout performance anticipated by the crowd was captured when these gloves did come off.

Rosemary Chileshe, former Miss Zambia and Miss Universe, elegantly graced the Diaspora catwalk.

I would like to say thank you to @PantstoPoverty, www.enoughfoodif.org for the invitation and for the opportunity to be part of an exciting evening that not only raised the roof, but raised awarness.

Til next time,

Kassim Makorie
BFF blogger and photographer

Braid Raid

Having lived through the 90s, I vividly remember braids coming and going. Honestly, I was relieved when fashion currents swept braids away for a while. I loved the finished look, but Lord knows sitting still for four hours to have them done did my head in.

Boom Shaka

Boom Shaka was the hottest music group in South Africa in the early 90s thanks to Lebo Mathosa and Thembi Seete's butt-grazing braids. I can only wonder how many kilograms of hair these two went through a month!

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child also favoured the braided look. Actually, in all the photos I've found of them, only Beyonce braided. But then again, Beyonce is Destiny's Child. Otherwise they would've called the band Destiny's Children. So my premise still stands.

Brandy breathed braids.

I remember the days of Moesha, 'Have You Ever', 'I Wanna Be Duh-huh-huh-huh-wn'... Ok I've always loved Brandy. I was so curious to know what she looked like without braids- but the girl stuck with her trademark look for a minute! Well now I know- she looks great, albeit a lot more slender now.

So braids are back with a bang- the longer the better. 

Beyonce rocked them during the Cuba anniversary trip that rocked the USA. I was searching for photos of Blue Ivy with braids. I haven't found any yet, but something tells me it's just a matter of time.

South African presenter/ model Boity wears them elegantly. This girl is just too pretty for words.

Braided mohawks are very popular with guys and girls alike. 

Solange strikes me as a free-spirited, 'I am an African', Erykah Badu-type. Afros and 'box braids' are right up her alley. 

Poppy Ntshongwana wore them in a lighter hue with a fringe. Not sure how well fringes go with this look... Or perhaps it's this particular fringe that doesn't quite hit the spot. The overall look is still a good one, though.

One of these days, I will scrape together enough patience to sit through a braiding session. They're that hot!

Ta for now

Mrs M

Restaurant Profile: Sticks n Sushi London

The boys tried this place out for our youngest son's birthday, so Mr M and I decided to have dinner there a few nights ago. Parking was close-by and hassle free, which is very rare in central London- I was impressed already. Walking in, we were greeted by friendly and attentive staff. The decor was beautiful- Oriental, but not in the usual 'over the top' way we frequently see in Eastern restaurants. 

Sticks n Sushi London Ambience

There were hardly any customers there when we came in. I was more than happy about that because I like dining in a quite restaurant- is that weird?

I chose a table close to the window- I like to keep an eye on the outside world while I'm indoors. Call it FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), call it ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Or maybe I'm ODD (just plain odd!). We were served by a charming lady named Penny. Poor thing laughed at all my jokes, even the scary ones (I told her about an incident at BBB, and possibly expressed a desire to harm the guilty party). I was kidding, of course,  but I'm not sure if she got that- I have an awesome p-p-p-poker face :)

Sticks n Sushi Cosmo

I love me some cosmopolitans, but this hasn't always been the case. The first cosmo I had was AWFUL, made me think this drink was not for me. On a whim I tried one again (at a different establishment) and loved it. Watch out for 'Cocktales', which will feature a lot of cosmos. Back to Sticks n Sushi...

Sticks n Sushi London menu

Sticks n Sushi drinks menu

The bar menu was pretty cute- 'The bar is open', lots of drinks pictured- my kind of vibe.

Sticks n Sushi Bankrupt

I ordered a 'Bankrupt'- lovely meal, but the presentation was disappointing. Who's grandma's kitchen did this reject plate come from?

Sticks n Sushi Airbrushed Bankrupt

It would've looked so much better in a smaller, cleaner plate. Ah, well.

Salmon, Duck and His Friends

He had a 'Salmon, Duck and his Friends'- the name alone was endearing.

Salmon, Duck and His Friends

This meal looked great from every angle. And of course I had a bite- my own meal looked like a haggard housewife who couldn't be bothered to dress up for her own dinner guests.

Salmon, Duck and his Friends

The website version looks good, too. But honestly, we were sold on the one on our table.

Overall, a pleasant experience. If I find myself in the area again, I'll gladly pop in for a meal. Thank you, Penny, for helping put Sticks n Sushi at the top of my recommendations list.

Love, 

Mrs. M

A Glimpse of Ethiopia

We were headed home via Addis Ababa when this caught my eye... 

 A soft, flowy beach option. Maybe for Mauritius if we make it there. But these cool, earthy hues would suit any tropical resort. Or at least give the illusion of sun, sand and sea if you happen to be stuck somewhere 'untropically'!

 I like the idea of adding colour with these earrings.

Or chose from a treasure trove of accessories

Photo source: inoutnet.com

And finish it off with pretty cork and rope wedges. Yum!

Perhaps a matching top for Mr ;)

Love

Mrs. M

PS: We're working on bringing you video content in addition to photos. Watch this space!

5 Things We Love About Ituen Basi

Accessories have never been bolder.

She's not afraid of colour- bless her heart.

Runway style = everyday stylish

African couture: HAUTE!!

They're available at Soboye. YAY!

Photo credits, in order of appearance:

1. Shadders-online.blogspot.com

2. Bukchris.wordpress.com

3. Sinazoyolwa.blogspot.com*

4. Ituenbasi.co.uk*

5. Soboye.com*

*watch this space!

Til next time

Kassim Makorie

Welcome to BFF!

Beauty, fashion and food

This blog caters to the lovers of some of life's greatest pleasures: 

Beautiful people

Fashion

and Food

beautiful people from all over the world, cutting edge fashion and exotic food. Our contributors are seasoned globe-trotters who will be giving us a glimpse into their travels. 

We welcome contributions from our readers. For submissions, suggestions or more info, kindly email us: bffbloginfo@gmail.com.

Thank you and happy reading!

Ms Mak, Kassim Makorie

Creators