Year: 2014

Travel Style Inspiration: The Photography of Louise Dahl-Wolfe

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Louise Dahl-Wolfe was a wildly popular and talented American fashion photographer that was most notably recognized for her work as a staff photographer for Harper’s Bazaar during the late ’30s up until the 1950s. Her signature was shooting exquisite, environmental portraits using natural light. Being a huge fan of vintage fashion, photography as well as collecting old magazines for travel inspiration, I’ve always felt a great wealth of wanderlust and solace in her imagery. Here are a few of my favorite jet set moments from Louise Dagl-Wolfe’s archive: xo Khadijat  

24 Hours: Savannah, GA

Published by Khadijat Oseni

The haunting beauty and charm of Savannah, Georgia is not meant to be reduced to a day. From its sweeping oaks adorned with garland-like Spanish moss to its immaculately squared off patches of history and legends scattered about as points of reflection throughout the city, the air of Savannah is one that thickly lingers long after you’ve departed. With only 24 hours to explore due to a spur of the moment road trip from Atlanta, I attempted to ingest Savannah’s allure in one hardy sitting and was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do in this small town and how deeply I long to return for more. Come take a nostalgic stroll through some of the many highlights during my 24 hours as a first-time drifter in Savannah… Exploring Savannah Streets & Architecture The streets of Savannah are pristine and picturesque with rich architecture and amazing landscaping that it’s hard not to go around make-believe house hunting and fantasizing what décor may lie behind each door. I highly recommend staying at one of …

The Perfect Staycation For A Francophile

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As the famous words often attributed to Audrey Hepburn go, “Paris is always a good idea.” Being the self-professed Francophile that I am, I constantly have a daily dose of wanderlust for Paris, which is one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. However, the luxury of time or budget isn’t always on my side to plot a getaway. It’s in these instances that I become creative and have mini escapes throughout my day that fondly remind me of Paris. Come join me on une journée Parisienne à New York (a Parisian Day in New York). Le Petit Déjeuner Chez Ladurée (Breakfast at Ladurée) Ladurée, one of the most popular bakeries and tea salons in Paris established since 1862, has two locations in Manhattan – a storefront on Madison Avenue in the Upper East Side and a full tea salon in SoHo and their macarons are my kryptonite! For this reason, I skip the typical breakfast fare and head straight to dessert. My favorite flavor is pétale de rose (rose petal), but you can’t …

More Than A Single Story…

Published by Khadijat Oseni

“Stories matter, many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and malign. But stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people but can also repair that broken dignity.” ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story I had the honor of meeting a lovely little girl named Fatima and her beautiful family during my travels through the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Their grace and generosity despite whatever life circumstances they faced was the very first time I truly understood the danger of a single story as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie brilliantly discussed in her moving TED Talk. I began to see the world and the value of travel differently after this encounter and am forever blessed for it. I find it very important to experience and portray the balanced dynamics of life – both luxury and struggle; joy and pain; laughter and depth; love and loss and any other manifestations of emotion one can think of. As a result, I try my …

Time Travel: 1920s & The Jazz Age Lawn Party

Published by Khadijat Oseni

A week ago, I had the opportunity to travel back in time to the 1920s via the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor’s Island in New York City. It’s always a fun affair that perfectly captures the decadence, elegance and vivacious energy surrounding this era. New York fashionistas show up in droves and dress to the nines to escape to an alternate steamy world filled with big band sounds, high-stepping foxtrotting dancers, and fancy St. Germain cocktails outside of the sweltering heat of the summer. When nostalgically reflecting on this delightfully chic summer activity that has now become a bit of a tradition for me, I also particularly love looking back at old photographs of New York City for vintage style inspiration. So, I’ve decided to integrate some of my favorite atmospheric shots of New York during this decade with images from my past weekend playing dress-up on the lawn. Enjoy! xo Khadijat

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Ride A Camel Like A Badass

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As affirmed in a previous post, camels are pretty badass animals and riding them makes you equally as badass. But riding definitely is not as easy as it looks. Here are some tips to stay cool while getting one of the most epic thigh workouts of your life and in no time, you’ll master how to ride a camel like a badass! 1) Cover up – protecting your skin from harsh sun rays as well as guarding your eyes from sand are lasting keys to your journey so bust out those sunglasses and sunscreen. My desert attire always follows the 3 Ls: long, light and loose, but if you’re not into completely covering up, dress in layers so you can pull on and off articles of clothing if you get too hot. To avoid itchy skin due to camel hair, I suggest going with long pants. For my naturalistas out there, turbans are especially your best friends.   2) Don’t just creep up on a camel unknowingly without a firm introduction Same rules as with a …

O’ Captain, My Captain: Life & Travel Lessons from Dead Poets Society

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As a millennial obsessed with pop culture and digging up old movies from a young age, I stumbled upon my first entry into the wanderlust worlds of Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau and Robert Frost via sneaking a view of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society past my bedtime. Far too young to fully understand the depth of the various themes outlined throughout the film until I later encountered the original texts, I nonetheless was emotionally inspired by the overarching message of living life to the fullest without seeking the permission of others to explore self-expression through the arts. It was then that I fell in love with one of my favorite movie characters of all-time, Professor John Keating portrayed by the genius Robin Williams. With Williams’ untimely passing on Monday, it is here that I share five pre-mature life lessons I learned and still carry along my journeys from dear O’ Captain, my Captain John Keating, through quotes and travel images, in honor of one of my favorite actors, comedians, and creative inspirations of all-time. Rest in peace Robin Williams, you will …

Mood Board: BALMAIN RESORT 2015 COLLECTION

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Still in awe of the mind-blowing Iman, Naomi Campbell, bad gal RihRih & Olivier Rousteing shoot in W Magazine’s September issue, I was reminded of last month’s unveiling of Balmain’s beautiful resort 2015 collection where Rousteing drew his design inspiration from the airiness, graphic colors, bold lines and geometry of California, Native American beadwork & 70s glam alike. Makes me want to practice my best Bianca Jagger impression and jetset back to Cali ASAP! Here are a few of my favorites from the collection below:   See the entire look book here and seriously, can we still discuss the epic portions of that W Magazine shoot though?!?! xo Khadijat #jetsetterproblems

Afternoons at Café Angelina

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I always have a delectable ritual whenever I’m in Paris regardless of what district I’m staying in. And, this ritual simply includes always having to make a quickie at Café Angelina after visiting the Louvre for their divinely rich cup of hot chocolate – the perfect blend of a bitter/sweet symphony for true chocolate lovers. It seems this tradition doesn’t only run deep with me but also with my fellow Jetsetter Problems crew members. Here’s a glimpse at us all up to the same old habits during separate visits to Paris…vive le chocolat!!! Cesarin eagerly anticipating his cup of bliss to descend from the heavens… The second coming is upon us, the one & only Angelina hot chocolate! Let’s all take a moment to relish in its deliciousness before going h.a.m! Too rich and thick to gobble all at once, it must be savored with a spoon which lends equal points to keeping it classy and playing fake French…Oui, Mademoiselle V!! Umm take a cue from Mel, attempting to interrupt this euphoria is a negative! But having …