Month: June 2015

What to Wear: July 4th Edition

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My wardrobe’s colour palette definitely skews patriotic — particularly blue and white. It’s hard to get me to turn down a blue and white summer dress. As for red? There’s something about my skin tone and red, I look damn good, it gives me confidence, like, stop-traffic-confidence. Naturally July 4th and Bastille day are my favorite holidays to dress for. Fireworks, summer glows, bare skin and red, white and blue. I can’t think of anything better. Last minute shopping for the long weekend? Check out my picks below! Shot by Simone Carter in Crown Heights, Brooklyn

If these walls could talk…. Raffles Hotel and ’N A Perfect World for Drink Du Jour: Singapore Sling

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Singapore is in the midst of 50th anniversary celebrations. Coinciding with this anniversary, is the 100th birthday of the island nation’s namesake cocktail, the Singapore Sling, created in historical Raffles’ Long Bar. I got the scoop from a manager at Raffles for Du Jour magazine — check it out!

That time I went to Italy and didn’t like the food…

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Without hesitation I can say that one of my favorite travel destinations is Italy. In the days leading up I salivate as I plan my first meal of my go-to Italian delights and research regional cuisine that I will most certainly be trying. So, when I was recently in the Veneto region in the town of Vicenza I thought, “Yes! Venetian seafood!” The last time I was in Venice, my dining experiences were just fine. To be fair, I ate in very touristy areas and the better meal I did have was when my friend Kate and I ditched our travel companions. I was very eager for a dining upgrade during this trip, although, I wasn’t going to Venice, I was going to Vicenza a city a little more up in the hills. None the less, I had a pretty solid list of the cuisine I wanted to try. Very excited, rice & peas? Hello! My family is Jamaican. Polenta e osei? Mouthwatering…. I’m a big game bird fan. Give me a quail, pheasant or …

Fast Track: How to live out your dreams of the Italian countryside

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I’m sure you’ve daydreamed about owning a home in the Italian countryside. I know I definitely have. Well, according to the New York Times, a town below Mt. Etna, Gangi is actually giving away homes! Really (some are being given away, some are going for as little as one euro). Located close to central Italy, in the Madonie mountains, Gangi has dealt with a seriously dwindling population in the last century, loosing over half of it’s population to emigration. These houses were left abandoned and the town government is trying to bolster the local economy, and attract new inhabitants that will love and want to preserve Gangi. The catch: these homes are hardcore fixer-uppers, sometimes gut jobs and you have only four years to do it. As someone that’s spent time in Southern Italy, let me tell ya, that’s a pretty big catch, especially if you’re a foreigner. However, in 2014, Gangi was voted the most beautiful village in Italy, Borgo Piú Bello d’Italia, so maybe it’s just about rolling up your sleeves and getting …

Bené ‘Round The World: Travel inspiration sparks creativity to create fashion brand

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Studying abroad is often life-changing and an experience that we can’t advocate enough here at ’N A Perfect World…. So it was no surprise that we gravitated towards the Bené brand: the line is inspired by co-founder, Michelle Blue’s experience during her time in abroad in Ghana. Bené, is a collection of scarves, light-weight, flowing caftans and kimonos, inspired by the culture. Each pattern is named after a girl Michelle met in Ghana. Michelle and her partner Sasha Matthews are committed to providing education to girls in Ghana by sponsoring tuition, books, supplies and uniforms. If Michelle and Sasha’s amazing cause doesn’t captivate you, the pieces in their collection will. These fun, bold patterns are great additions to your summer wardrobe.  I’ll take any cute way to dress for the juggling act between sweltering heat, and blasting AC. Voilá, the summer scarf! To learn more about Bené, the girls that inspired the brand or to purchase from the collection check out benescarves.com. And just for ’N A Perfect World… readers: Enter promo-code NAPW15 at check …

‘N A Perfect World for DuJour Magazine!

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While in Singapore, I had the honor of interviewing internationally renowned food guru, KF Seetoh for Du Jour magazine. Anthony Bourdain is building a mega food market / hawker centre in New York City and he called on none other than Seetoh to consult with and curate the hawker centre. Check out what Seetoh had to say about food, Singapore and the business of street food at DuJour.com!

‘N’s Nomads: ELLE’s Beauty & Fitness Editor, Megan O’Neill

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You know when a girl passes you on the street in Bushwick and you immediately think DOPE then do a major head turn? That’s Megan O’Neill; imagine the extent to which she blew my mind when I saw her in Amherst, Massachusetts. I couldn’t believe we had never met in New York. In a sea of popped collar polos and Patagonia fleeces, I had to know the girl in the leopard swing coat with perfectly undone hair. Recently made Beauty & Fitness editor at ELLE magazine and a veteran of Lucky, I can’t think of a better representative of the new wave of editors heralded by Eva Chen: Megan is incredibly stylish, funny and witty — oh, and an enviously tall stunner too! Her potty mouth humor got me through many an Amherst night and it’s always a pleasure bumping into her backstage during New York Fashion Week. Extremely articulate, Megan has a skill of painting pictures with her words that often has me trying products I never knew I needed and eagerly awaiting her next …

Sunday Dinners with my Heather: Jamaican Stuffed Red Snapper

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It’s Sunday! As you wind down and prepare for the week ahead, if you’re anything like me, that involves a trip to the farmer’s market. Browse some delicious fresh goods and get inspired for Sunday dinner! Whenever I’m in town, without fail, I have dinner with my mom, Heather. Yes my home is New York, my roots run deep here. But one of the things I can always count on missing, no matter where I am in the world and how amazing of a time I’m having — or one of the people rather — is Heather. So home is wherever Heather’s kitchen is. In honour of this, I thought I’d share some of my favorite dishes of Heather’s to come home to in Sunday Dinners with Heather. #WestIndianGirlDiet 🙂 ** This is baking, not cooking; the measurements won’t be precise as they are family recipes. Season to your liking and with love. You’ll need: a whole red snapper 1/2 of a lemon kosher salt ground black pepper plum tomatoes 1/2 an onion scallion okras …

Embracing the Curl – Summer Hair

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Probably dating back to I started posting photos online, I’ve gotten hair questions. I guess before that if you count friends and family. I’m always willing to share my hair “secrets.” #TeamNatural #TeamRelaxed #TeamWeave #TeamExtensions, I’ve been them all and as long as you’re doing you, I think you will always look your best. Side note: I find a lot of the hair conversation in media directed towards black women incredibly divisive. “It should be spoken of like we speak of a beauty “look.” Not this end-all-be-all thing.” Tai Beauchamp said this to me a few months ago when we were discussing hair and it really stuck with me. I whole-heartedly agree although don’t get me started on Rachel Dolezal’s hair story. I’m thrilled that summer seems to have finally hit New York. Everyone looks their best with a healthy summer glow and whether it’s because you can’t be bothered due to the heat, or because you’re just having too much fun, beauty routines suddenly become effortless. Little celebrates that effortlessness more than summer hair. …