BUSINESS LESSONS: Why we decided to go fully African Print in our shop

HARARE – Hello Darlings, writers block and life becoming overbearing had me wanting to write this for weeks. So here we go, as a company we decided to go fully African Print when an aunt who closed her African retail sent her stock.

Get ready to try new designs to tap into potential market

Too Legit To Quit ~ staying stylish while getting fit!

MOTTO thanks to Cassper Nyovest, Too Legit to Quit in his hit song “TWO LEGIT”.

This is 2017, I started my health journey after a trip I took to Swaziland  last year. It was after my 3rd or 2nd day in gym, Cassper was on TRACE.

From his new body, high level fitness and style, I knew it was time I took this journey as a test of my character and stay stylish while at it.

I’m feeling my fro’

The ease of natural hair can be amazing…take for example the trend on dreadlocks

This Me Time tag thing…here it goes

There is this me time tag on blogs going around, so I just got tagged by Alex of Persuasion Inc. ZW blog

How I stopped biting my nails

It was back home from school, walking alone that I decided to make my nail biting a habit. I made that decision, …this is why kids need sports and after school play dates

Livingstone, the other side of the Zambezi

Livingstone was the first feel of Zambian soil, and it was a delicious experience.

I decided to stay for one night, waiting for my flight on Sunday from Victoria Falls town at the Zambezi Waterfront Hotel/Victoria Falls Waterfront Hotel.

The beauty of Asia, my travel to China

This post is long overdue, but it is important I jot this down. I have taken a break from my column, to really express what Concrete Jungle Fashion readers want, some “Keeping it real and 100…blogging”

September last year I was sent by my job to represent Sunday Mail as part of a program in China training journalists.

I was stoked, given that back in those days, I wasn’t public enemy no. 1 at work…now I kinda am, but this is my life, was never meant to be popular. It was at the point I had gotten tired of the monotony of work and knowing how to do my job…yes I enjoy a mental challenge and when I find an equilibrium I become very bored.

So TRAVEL saved me, made me realise why people travel. They hate their monotonous repetitive  jobs so they need a break from all that.

It was very cool that exactly three years ago I had gone on my first holiday in Malaysia, I have been lucky and unlucky in having failed crushes and toxic relationships with guys who like to travel.

So China reminded me of the first trip.

So now because I had experience of going to Malaysia, I knew how to pack, bought myself my luggage set and with a VISA card in tow I boarded an uncomfortable flight.

Lessons from my trip to CHINA

I learnt the beauty of tea and teas and tea drinking culture and benefits of drinking sugarless flavourful green tea.

Tea making ceremony and tea shop in Beijing

I could work in TV as a TV presenter, in WuHan city we visited a very highly developed TV studio for Hubei District news and TV station. This is a provincial media company.

I learnt I could work in TV with the right lighting

A backpack is great for exploring the walking tours and always carry water! Water is great to drink when you cannot read the drink labels, besides the coke sprites etc will have diff recipes in diff countries… and outside Africa they suck!

In WuHan city with my backpack

Summer Palace…the way I was so excited was so real!

Great Wall of China

See the extra junk in my trunk…on my 26th birthday with ZBC’s Ruwende

Also owning a camera is important when it comes to capturing these moments, I use a Canon EOS M – disadvantage is that it has separate flash…which i have not learned how to use.

This Jamaican was happy to see black people…weird but one of those tourists things

A hippie Asian guy

And of course the shopping was amazing, whether high end or lower end the sales are REAL sales as production happens there,There are wholesale places and more designer replica areas.

Tourist shopping, SILK MARKET

And OH YEAH I went HAM on the shopping scene!

ALWAYS Remember to research travel tips!!

So here are some few lessons so far:

• Lock your check in luggage, and be wary of baggage size and weight limits.
• Bring travel toiletries in your hand baggage and changing clothes, a delay in Addis Ababa happened so we had to sleep in Ethiopia for one night.
• If you are on a conference trip and the hotel food starts making your jeans tighter, limit calories and more protein than fat and starch.

xoxo

Robin

Travelling while fashionable – Victoria Falls (Part IV)

I have always struggled with finding what to pack, what to wear, when I am on holiday. it can be quite daunting to get over 1000 km from home to find that the dress you planned to wear…does not fit.

That was me back in September in WuHan City in China! I found myself having to innovate to make the wardrobe work for me.

I have not travelled a lot and this time when i visited VicFalls for the carnival I was more prepared for this holiday spread of gaining weight, so I kept is airy and stretching clothing.

In terms of Zimbabwean designers I wore: Yanai Tshirt and a Tanya Nerfetari playsuit. The best part of VicFalls fashion is that mini skirts and little shorts, are socially acceptable

…yes to the jiggle in my thighs!!!

Cruising on the Zambezi

Wearing an African Print glammed up tshirt at tshakas den

David Livingstone statue

So here are the guidelines, packing light and all

• Have one set of necklace and wear studs to make it easier for you.
• Bring flip flops, sneakers and soft foot tennis shoes…if applicable formal flat shoes
• Bring clothes you know always fit, slightly bigger size jeans and dresses in case the holiday food gets toooo delicious, you know EAT PRAY AND LOVE type thing.
• Lots of tshirts, vests, body tops are good as you might not repeat them as often.
• A pair of jeans you can rewear and loose easy clothing you can wear again
• Also check in liquids and aerosols…and carry spare outfit and travel pack size cosmetics (according to regulation) in your hand luggage!
• carry stuff you love wearing

xoxo

rob

 

For the love of the party! – #JVFC2015 (Part III)

“We like to party!” – Beyonce

When people in my culture talk about partying, they must automatically think. All parties are bad and might imagine their child dancing like an exotic dancer…

So when I found a lot more parents of other cultures sending their kids off to Jameson Victoria Falls carnival, I was not surprised.

But partying is a way of releasing stress and at a Victoria Falls party… we are all one and united in the boogie!

Blame it on the boogie!

United in the love for the boogie

I genuinely felt only good vibes, even from the conversations, backstage, in the loo, in the field from the people at the Victoria Falls Carnival!

HIGHLIGHTS

The lead act by Mango Groove band!

This was the best performance I have seen! I loved the backup dancers, felt like I was back in the days dancing to the South African tunes!

Mango Groove

DJ DILOXCLUSIV was the best DJ session

Without a laptop to help him mix and for some…cheat on mixes, he played four tracks mixing sounds audio snippets of multiple genres.

DJ Diloxclusiv set was on fire

Best part is he performed himself by also dancing on the stage, even leaving the decks to show us his moves and Cape Town dances! WOW it was an explosive and very short hour playing his set.

Me being one of those cheesey people who pose with DJs

Let’s face it, the party scene should be about positive vibes, no time for flossing here!! Yes I am talking about these bougie upmarket bars where people are wearing shoes they cannot even dance in!

More power to the boogie!

CHEERS TO THE FRIGGIN NEW YEAR! …Ohh let the Jameson Sink In!

xoxo

Rob

 

Planning to travel on a budget – Victoria Falls (Part II)

There is a misconception that one has to travel only when they have lots of money. That travel is for the elite and that people who travel do so with excess money.

WRONG! 

I eavesdropped a family talking about their money dwindling on their holiday and proper budgeting – it can be included.

We all deserve to travel!

Travel is a necessity and it can be done on a budget, properly planned.
So think before you buy those shoes you are not going to wear!

This is my whole ideology towards it, this is from my background as an ordinary kid – side of me.

• The government school I did my primary school organised trips for culture and travel experience for junior school and Grade 7 students. It was either Matebeleland or Eastern Highlands tours – A ZUPCO bus and govt school camping would be organised.
• My parents were civil servants and they planned trips and holidays for us – and we used local airlines for the long trips.
• My maternal grandparents were sponsored the travel vouchers by Air Zimbabwe and have seen South Africa, Tanzania, VicFalls, Kariba, Israel – retired rural teachers by profession.

NOW with online means, it is even better.

STEP 1

Visit Trip Advisor on accomodation, read the reviews of the places from users. Take them with caution as people seek things that are different. If you want a luxury hotel, check the room attributes.

It is important to check all these, along the website.

The Zambezi River

STEP 2

With a VISA card or MasterCard you can pay for accommodation. The tricky part is finding a suitable site to pay through

Had a terrible experience with JOVAGO and after reading reviews on the Facebook and site, I was not the only one. So I had to go HAM on them to make sure my refund happened.

Breakfast in the garden at Wild Trekkers Lodge – BUDGET lodge, not so bad if the activities are what we came to do

So I used EXPEDIA.com for the other trip, which was direct quick and efficient. Thank Goodness.

With a VISA card you can also book flights, make sure you own the card so when you are boarding flight you can show them the card at FASTJET counter.

All passenger aboard FAST JET

REMEMBER to not leave arrangements up to the last minute, have emergency funds in bank and on hand and take care of your personal belongings when you travel

xoxo

Robin