Ode to My Fashion

 Tis’ the season again! And no, I’m not talking about Christmas or its festive cousins. I’m talking about the Dak’Art Biennale . The Dak’Art Biennale is the ultimate rendezvous for art and creativity in Dakar, lasting an entire month. If you’ve been following my blog, you might remember I wrote about it   two years ago here and here . This year, though, the Biennale came with its share of drama. Originally scheduled for May- June 2024, it was postponed by the new government, citing a lack of necessary funds. Naturally, this sparked backlash, especially from international artists who were ready to showcase their work. Some went ahead and participated in smaller OFF events around the city despite the delay. Fast forward to November, and the Biennale finally kicked off on the 7th, with the theme "The Wake." It will run for a full month, featuring the usual main exhibitions ( IN ) and the more informal adjacent events ( OFF ). I had the chance to visit the main exhibition at t...

Hello! Remember when I posted about returning to  Ngor Island  after so long? In that post, I mentioned my intention to explore the island further. Well, I finally did just that, and I brought the boys along. Spontaneously, I decided to spend a weekend there. I can't count how many times I've planned a weekend on the island over the years. I even bookmarked some hotels and rental houses. Yet, somehow, I never managed to go. I didn't want to go alone and I couldn't find anyone to accompany me. I booked a room online at a hotel I had previously visited called La Maison du Bonheur. Off we went with the boys on a Friday afternoon. I called the hotel in advance to arrange transportation since Ngor is an island and requires a boat to get there. Upon arrival at the beach, I called the number the hotel gave me and reached a boat operator. I purchased round-trip fare for the boat: 6000 FCFA for us three. We were given life vests while we waited. The beach was crowded with others...

 One Friday afternoon in summer, feeling worn out from working from home and dealing with everyone else's issues but my own, I decided to head into town. My plan was to spend some quiet time away from everything and everyone, doing something just for me. I chose to visit the "Sunu Diggante" (What Binds Us) exhibition at Le 19 M, held at the Museum Théodore Monod in Dakar.  For those who don't know,  Le 19 M  , created by the famous fashion house Chanel, is a building that brings together several artisans specializing in fashion-related arts in France, such as embroidery, feather making, hat making, and weaving. Over the years, Chanel has acquired several houses with these specialties to revive French savoir-faire and avoid outsourcing. The building's name combines 19, Coco Chanel's birthdate, and M, representing the French words for fashion (Mode) and Métiers d'Art. Le 19M is more than a building; it's also a gallery. Embroidered dress - Ngaye Eyelet s...

 Hi y'all.  I have been MIA all through this month. I had so many things to do, so many events to prepare for such as Eid el Adhaa, and a wedding all the while being super busy with work.  Back in May, we had several public holidays. I had the opportunity to enjoy a long weekend with Pentecost. Usually in my country, when a public or religious holiday falls on sunday, the monday is also a public holiday. Furthermore, I had worked on a Saturday earlier in the month, so I decided to compensate by taking the Tuesday after the public holiday,off just to drag the very long weekend.  A normal person would have planned something and left the city for a weekend gateway. The Jazz festival in Saint Louis was on top of my list. But I did not plan it weeks ahead and all the hotels were already booked. To top it all, my son was doing his final exams and I needed to be there for him. Therefore I had 4 days with no plans to travel.  I did manage to make the best of it. On satu...