H Mystique Inc. : Petion-Ville

Antilaise Galerie D'art Nader Hmystique JP Media Group Lart de la Mode Lumiere Petion-Ville Pink Diamond Prajje 1983 Prajje Jean-Baptiste

Haitian born- internationally known designer Prajjee Jean-Baptiste returns to Haiti, after over twenty years, for a special fashion Exhibition.

Prajje 1983 will hold its first ever fashion exhibition show on the 28th of December, 2014 at the renown Galerie D'art Nader in Petion-Ville, Haïti. The New York based brand will showcase a collection of its beloved line from it's inception in 2003 to its current "Antilaise" collection, which will give attendees an in-depth history of the designers' mind, intelligence and creativity

The invitation only show will be attended by some of Haïti's elite class, from socialites to dignitaries.

"I am elated to share my love of fashion to the place I love the most, my country, Haïti" said Prajje about his upcoming presentation, "This is the place where my creativity started at a young age, and now, I am thrilled to be going back home to work with my fellow cher patriots".

Galerie D'art Nader, the events' home, is a name that has been associated with fine arts for nearly five decades. The Nader’s collection, considered as the largest collection of Haitian art in the world, includes over 17,000 artworks. Out of this large collection, the family has carefully selected around 1,000 paintings of great historical value from the most renowned Haitian artists to exhibit in a National Art Museum they plan to build in collaboration with the public sector. These masterpieces will be displayed in an effort to commemorate this national patrimony.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER:

Born in Haiti and raised in Boston, MA, Prajje has been making strides in the International fashion industry since 2003, following the opening of his own fashion company, Prajje 1983. Prajje is a leading exemplar of ethnic-inspired fashion. He is best known, however, for his glamorous evening dresses, at once romantic, dramatic, and feminine. Prajje has dressed some of the most beautiful women in America, whether celebrities or CEOs. His clientele includes Lara Spencer, Good Morning America; Sara Underwood, Fox 25 anchor; World renown Supermodel Alek Wek, Cnn anchor Sunny Huston and Haitian sensation, Wyclef Jean, to only name a few.

The Partners:

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Fotokazyon Haiti HaitiLibre Hmystique Kenneth Cole Kinam Hotel New store opening Petion-Ville

The new and improved Kinam Hotel complex is now home to Haiti’s first Kenneth Cole Store.

The store officially opened to shoppers on Friday, but Thursday night was a VIP reception held at the Petion-Ville location. Cole himself was on hand to meet and greet, as was Prime Minister Lamothe, other officials and local celebrities.

How did Kenneth Cole Store get to be in Haiti? It’s thanks to the initiative of co-owners Valerie Pompee and Sandrine Nau.

["Kenneth Cole is a brand that I represent in my other shops and I could see the enthusiasm of the public. These are quality products at an affordable price," explains Valérie Pompée, young entrepreneur, owner of several clothing stores and accessories in Petion-Ville, who chose to invest in a new adventure with a partner.]1

The store looks like any other Kenneth Cole in the US, except that in this location Kenneth Cole Productions is trying something new. Proceeds from store sales will go to the Kenneth Cole Haiti Health Center, which will be providing medical care to people in Cite Soleil and the surrounding areas.

Local designer, Gregory Vorbe, created a line of t-shirts in collaboration with Kenneth Cole which will be sold exclusively to benefit the Center. Pompee tells me that the store intends to do such collaborations with other local designers with proceeds again going to the Center.

Haiti is one of those countries where a good could just as easily be a bad, and really quick. Meaning yes it’s great that a store of its caliber and quality is in Haiti. Not only does it give access to shopping, which in itself is a luxury, but access to a quality and diversity. The bad, this is access to who and at what cost? How is this affecting the local market? The Haitian designer who are already competing from a limited pool of consumers? I guess time will tell. Till then, a lovely pair of silver espadrilles caught my eye as soon as I walked in the door. Priced at $110USD, it would appear that things are comparable to the US counterpart.

Happy Shopping!!

For purchases made in Haiti, the funds collected will only go to The Kenneth Cole Haiti Health Center (KCHHC) of St. Mary Hospital in Cité Soleil. Note that the KCHHC is part of a collaborative three-tier medical system, which works in partnership with the Saint-Luc Foundation, a Haitian organization employing more than 1,000 people in Haiti that provides education, medical care, and humanitarian awareness through key programs.2

Sources:

1,2: HaitiLibre

Kenneth Cole
Fotokazyon

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Carolyn Desert Fleur de Vie Gout et Saveurs Haiti Food & Spirits Festival Karibe Hotel Luck Mervil Mishou Miss Haiti Petion-Ville Ralph Leroy Reviv Haiti Saskya Sky Sun Auto Vin Dore

There's usually not much new happening on the island, but this weekend was pretty action packed.

Kicking it off Friday was the first night of Gout et Saveurs: Haiti Food & Spirits Festival. An evening of tasting was held at Karibe Hotel. Twenty local restaurants and 28 chef, created bit sized morsels of delectable delights along with creative cocktails.

My first stop was the table of Vin Dore, a line of champagne and sparkling wine with real 24K flakes of gold. It was like drinking luxury. It will soon be available in Haiti and I for one, can't wait!

My favorite female bartender, Mishou was on hand again this year with her famous Shou Shou Cocktail. Only she can tell you what's in it, but what I will say is that her's was the fan favorite table of the night.

Aside from the Hall of cocktails, there were tables and tables of everything a foodie could desire; from conch ceviche, curry fish, to bbq crab burgers. There was also a whole separate room filled with nothing but sweet treats. Everything you could think off from crepes and cakes to deep fried chocolate balls with caramel syrup.

Singer Luck Mervil and Miss Haiti 2014 Carolyn Desert

Designer Ralph Leroy (l) and friend

A night of entertainment, amazing food, and great cocktails. Can't wait to see what else these chefs have up their sleeves! The remaining 9 days will be filled with Brunches, Cocktail competitions, as well as several cooking seminars and information sessions. For more info: http://goutetsaveurlakay.com/

On Saturday, Fleur de vie (which means Flower of Life), a not for profit organization based in New York had their annual Back to School Recreational Day Event at Sun Auto in Tabarre. FDV holds the event in an attempt to promote education and health awareness in Haiti. This year approximately 500 school children took part in a day full of fun and activities, which include health screening, and team building exercises.

A young up and coming artist, Saskya Sky, was on hand to perform for the children, and to speak with them as a peer mentor. At the end of the day each student received a backpack full of school supplies and the participating schools received teaching supplies.

It was an amazing feeling to participate in this event, I will never forget the smiles we made along the way. Priceless. Kudos to the Fleur de Vie Team!
For more information on how you can help or where to donate http://www.fleurdevieonline.org/index.html

Also on Saturday, Reviv Haiti, a natural hair salon and boutique in Petion-Ville, celebrated their one year anniversary. Salon proprietor, Bianca, was very excited and on had to greet and chat with guest. A Troubadour band played while guest socialized and sipped on house cocktails and Haitian canapés.

Reviv is one of the first of it's kind in Haiti, in that it is geared specifically to natural hair and it's care and maintenance. Offering services such as help with the Big Chop, protective hair styles, natural hair supplies as well as education on natural hair. Call Reviv for a free consultation. 509-28110918

Always tune into the Blogspot for what's going on in Haiti!

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