Author: Khadijat Oseni

Candid Chats w/ KO

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Last year at BlogHer15’s Experts Among Us conference in New York City, I met fellow blogger, Liv of Unbelievably Human and we connected on travel and life experiences. I invited Liv to be a part of my #100DaysofConfessions project and she equally had a few questions of her own for me regarding thoughts on travel and self-love. View our candid conversation below! Has travel always been apart of your background? or Did something call you to Travel? Travel has always been in my genes and from birth I’ve been nomadic due to having parents from different cultural backgrounds creating a delicate tight rope between America and Africa. Tracing where I was born and raised always turns into a geography lesson of sorts with the most frequent stints in California, New York and Nigeria so roaming has always been a natural extension of who I am at my core. However, despite my frequent movement as a child, I truly didn’t appreciate the character growth that stems from travel until my junior year in college when I …

Postcards from the Edge: London Edition

Postcards from the Edge

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I long for summer days and playing through the rain. Days that make you feel despite the weather, absolutely nothing has to change. With these days I gaze through the corners of memories well spent, right there over on that park bench. When the times of my life were so vividly engaged as though the life in my palms were meant to create. Gone are the days that fall by the sidelines but by and by are built with the dreams of my unflinching eyes… x KO    Queen Mary’s Gardens//Regent’s Park, London, U.K.   Instagram | Twitter    

The Curious Case of Beauty

Published by Khadijat Oseni

When it comes to the concept of beauty, I was raised from the neck up as a “smart symbol” and as a result, have always had a disjointed connection to my psychically as a point of entry to celebrate. Growing up, I found beauty in all forms of art including paintings, literature and music as well as through genuinely connecting with people and ideas outside of my general perspective. Beauty was always an experience, never quite a destination. I almost always found beauty particularly striking in two extremes – belly-aching laughter and painstaking vulnerability – expressions and emotions that could never be concealed behind any set of eyes. My confidence came from my intellectual awkwardness and although I had a brief moment during school days where I was teased because I was too tall, too skinny, my lips too big, my eyes too far apart, my gap in my teeth too wide, I never dutifully placed a value in those moments because I lived inside my head and subsequently fought back against my bullies with …

Right as Rain

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Rain. What is it about rain that makes moments in the city that much more dramatic? Is it the pitter-patter sound of droplets propelling from the sky, setting a silencing, melancholic stanza for droves of New Yorkers waltzing about from light to light? Though rain is symbolically the giver of life from a vast nature standpoint, in a concrete jungle like NYC, it often insights the “mean reds” which include fears of being poked in the eye by overzealous umbrella swingers, continuous loops of every Adele record possible to further drown out altered plans and of course, the inevitable struggle of what to wear to combat the unpredictability rain presents while remaining stylish. With the latter part of the equation, shoes are the most difficult statement to master because it’s easy enough to slap on a trench coat, cover your head with a scarf, pick up a poppy umbrella and feel as fabulous as Sophia Loren in The Key until you look down and realize you’re walking around with purpose in shoes that either remind …

#Artlife: Dan Flavin’s “Corners, Barriers, and Corridors”

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Fluorescent lighting isn’t exactly the sexiest invention known to man but somehow Dan Flavin mastered transforming this mundane and sometimes annoyingly buzzing source of light into magical works of art. A minimalist who referred to himself as a “Maximalist”, Flavin was able to create transcendent, futuristic teleports through fluorescent light tubes and bend reality in ways that were so delicate yet strikingly alluring at the same time. Last month, I was glad to have been able to actively explore perceptions of space through the beautifully curated, “Corners, Barriers, and Corridors,” a collection of some of Flavin’s noted works from the 1960s and 70s at David Zwirner Gallery in New York City. Though the exhibit has since ended, Dan Flavin’s pieces still conjure up many thoughts on duality which have helped expand my definitions on style and aesthetics. While at the gallery, I unknowingly started to play with binary oppositions like femininity vs. masculinity, anonymity vs. recognition through the masking silhouettes, tones and shadows formed from the different color gradations of each piece. Here are some …

How To Have #Jetsetterproblems

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I often get asked the question, “How do you get to travel so much?” It’s inevitable but also one I have a hard time responding to. Why? Because I’ve made a conscious decision to see the world and committed to going. I do not come from a place of privilege where I hit a magic button and, “Voila!” I’m transported into the sky…a misperception many assume based on my experiences. I’m a middle class girl from Brooklyn who had a dream early on in life to see the world and wanted to make this dream a reality. I took this fiery passion and found ways to manifest this dream through various mediums. One way was working hard in school and getting a scholarship that would place me at a university (NYU – Go Violets!) that supported experiential learning and global exchange via study abroad options. Another way was making sure that I remained open to connecting with people from all different walks of life. In maintaining these relationships and being open, I have had the …

24 Hours: Luxembourg City

Published by Khadijat Oseni

“Where are you headed next?” “Luxembourg!” “Oh cool…silly question, where is that again? Switzerland?” “No, but close, there’s a “Little Switzerland” in Luxembourg!” “Wait, I thought Luxembourg was a capital city in another country?” “Yeah, Luxembourg City IS the capital of Luxembourg!” “Oh jeez, get out of here before you drive me nuts!” “Haha, love ya!” Typical conversations that surrounded my recent trip to Luxembourg always seemed to either begin and end in a cloud of confusion as to where Luxembourg is, or garner disbelief as to how I spent an entire weekend there without electing to hop over to popular neighboring cities like Brussels, Paris and Cologne. However, during my summer in London, I decided to zip over and find out what the local sensibility of this city full of drifters is, with 60% of its population being expats and having 170,000 people commute back and forth each day. Outside of having well-paid jobs particularly in the EU and financial sectors, what is the draw to life in Luxembourg City? Upon arrival, I quickly …

Mid-life crisis 100 day project

Mid-Life Crisis Averted!

Published by Khadijat Oseni

The journey from 25 to 50 days of confessions was a spirited test of endurance. The continuous momentum I was able to gather at the beginning of my challenge with lining up subject after subject, who readily respected deadlines and the collaborative creative process, vanquished and I was left stuck and muddled in a path that only seemed to lead to frustration. I agonized about whether my questions were engaging enough…I wondered if I was too passive or assertive with follow-ups…I pondered about whether I was crazy for taking this task on in the first place… Yet, every time I questioned whether my project was effective with my initial intent of connecting, inspiring and redefining cultural norms through shared travel experiences, I was reminded of its significance via little nudges in the form of a kind note of appreciation from one of my subjects, inbox inquiries from strangers wanting to be part of the project and general enthusiasm over the idea popping up in water-cooler conversations. It became apparent that I didn’t have a choice …

Vintage 70s Travel Style-Jetsetterproblems.com

Travel Style: Vintage 70s

Published by Khadijat Oseni

70s fashion has always inspired me to be more audacious with mixing bold prints, patterns, colors and high & low statement pieces in an unruly manner. One weekend this summer, I teamed up with photographer and Jetsetter Problems motley crew member, Cesarin Mateo and kindred fashionista, Kivvi Rachelle Roberts to explore the streets of lower Manhattan through a retro lens. Here’s a photo set from our session, “Wild & Free: The Rebirth” which was influenced by the unabashed attitude of 70s fashion set to the raw, gritty grooves of a Curtis Mayfield soundtrack…   Creative Direction: Khadijat Oseni, Cesarin Mateo & Kivvi Rachelle Roberts Photography: Cesarin Mateo Models & Styling: Khadijat Oseni & Kivvi Rachelle Roberts Apparel Credits: On Khadijat – BCBG (Boots), H&M (Belt), Missoni (Scarf), Urban Outfitters (Romper, Sunglasses, Stockings), Zara (Trench Coat), Vintage (Jewelry) On Kivvi – A.P.C. (Pants, Wedges), Miu Miu (Sunglasses), Zara (Top), Vintage (Jacket, Earrings, Scarf)   Instagram | Twitter    

KO-Austin City Limits-Jetsetterproblems.com

Say Yes To Austin City Limits!

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Being a kindred “analogue girl in a digital world” like Texas native, Erykah Badu, visiting Austin struck a chord with me since it’s a city that literally revolves around music boasting festivals eleven months out of the year. Last October, I flew out to Austin City Limits, aka ACL, and highly recommend a pilgrimage for fellow music lovers alike. Here’s why! TWO THREE-DAY WEEKEND OPTIONS IN A PHENOMENAL CITY ACL has two separate weekends for concertgoers to choose from with dates typically falling around Columbus Day. This is a huge bonus for crowd control and the line-ups for both weekends are synonymous with the exception of a few acts. Options allow for purchasing either: early bird specials, which are three-day passes issued prior to line-up announcements for $225, regular three-day passes at $250 or single day passes at $100 each. I chose the latter since my main focus was seeing Outkast who kicked off the first night of the weekend I attended. I spent the rest of my time soaking up Austin, which translated to …