The pretty and fun ankara fabrics and adire (tie dye) carefully selected, designed by Creative Director, Folake Kuye Huntoon. “It’s all about the kids having fun and being free spirited. Their clothes should always compliment their feelings”, she said.

We’ll keep you updated every step of the way until we launch the Ijinle collection in a few weeks. We are currently in Production, well, finalizing the patterns, so stay tuned, Lovers!

Cheers,

WeWe Team

Hope you are all well. Sorry to keep you waiting for far too long. It’s a good thing, though. We have a lot of exciting stuff cooking up. As the title reads: we are rebranding and refocusing our line. Our new collection, which consists of only kids, will be launched in a few weeks.

Yes, that’s right. We are no longer making pieces for adults. Just kids! We did some soul searching and decided that we wanted to go back to our roots; strictly designing for the “WeWe”(s), the kids.

While making all of these changes, we are also working on private labels for stores in US/Europe.

Oh, you are so going to love the new stuff. The colors, designs, shapes, so fun. In addition, our prices are changing. Yes, like drastically. Affordable pieces. Like Forever 21 for kids. That doesn’t mean that you can’t still buy the adult pieces. As a matter of fact, we are repricing those too, so get your credit cards ready.

Hope you are ready for the ride!

Cheers,

WeWe Team

Yes, I’m a tad bit psychotic. But my family likes it that way. That’s all that matters.

On a candid note, I really appreciate the fact that CNN picks up some of my posts and re-posts or recommend to their readers. It makes me feel important that my work is worthwhile and the message is getting out there. I love reading your comments, and I especially appreciate all the private messages.

Also, to all the other blogs that have my blog listed (with a direct link) on their sites, I’m working on a list and will have you listed on here as well. Once I figure out to do it (hehehe). You are all part of the community of making a difference - you are greatly appreciated.

Wow, it’s April 1st! April fools day. Today actually marks 6years that I moved out to sunny California from the east coast. It has been a heck of a journey, a fun one - and it continues to get better. I have been truly blessed, because without believing and having faith, I won’t be where I am today. To be doing what I envisioned as a kid, what I prayed for, and what I came out to California to pursue and get more?? Leaves me totally speechless.

OK, so this post just took a different turn. I totally didn’t plan the paragraph above, this I’m writing, or the one below. It just sort of happened when I realized the date, so if it seems like I threw you off, it was intentional. Albeit, the post is all about being appreciative and giving thanks, so I think it fits, right?

Many thanks to my families. The one that I have created been blessed with in California (husband, 1 bambino and 2 bambinas), my in-laws, my family on the east-coast and the ones in the great Nigeria, who always believed in me and stood by me. You all are rock stars!!! I’m just going to stop here before I get too emotional and you literally start to see the tear drops appear on your screen.

Enjoy April fools day. Let me know if you played pranks on anyone or someone got you good. Heck, share past jokes too.

Stay fab!

Credit:

Photo; Courtesy of Aviary from google images.

So, in place of a blog post today, I am making a special announcement. I am celebrating the launch of a new blog/online magazine. I have colluded with my fab friends and your favorite fashionistas to bring you “Style Pantry.” It consists of Arieta Mujay, River Island PR, London; Chalya Shagaya, International Fashion Stylist & PR, New York; Folake Kuye Huntoon, Fashion Designer, Wardrobe Stylist & Writer, Los Angeles; and Kemmy Oguntosin, Fashion Designer & Stylist, Lagos, Nigeria.

At Style Pantry, we set no limits or boundaries to our topic/content of discourse. We say it all.

“Style Pantry is your fashion and culture stockist. Looking for the ingredients and condiments that add to a tasty lifestyle? Help yourself to our pantry. Take all or as much as you need!”

The WeWe blog resumes tomorrow. In the interim, many thanks for stopping by at Style Pantry and shuffling back and forth. You rock!

Celebrity WeWe Pieces

Nicole Richie               Kimmy Dress in Sunflower / Sade Dress in Sand / Nikki Tunic in Lime

Lindsay Lohan             Molly Dress in Charcoal / Nikki Tunic in Skin

Ashlee Simpson          Kimmy Dress in Marine / Sade Dress in Forest

Eva Longoria               Molly Dress in Citrus

Tori Spelling                Molly Dress in Citrus / Toks Tunic in Bubblegum

Jessica Simpson         Sade Dress in Sand

Kate Hudson               Kimmy Dress in White Cloud

Jessica Alba                Molly Dress in Kiwi

Marcia Cross              Nikki Tunic in Lime / Toks in Sand

Audrina Patridge (The Hills)   Molly Dress in Charcoal

MEN

Gichi Gamba              Russell Tunic in Frosting

Dani Wooten              Russell Tunic in Moss

I may be missing others because the clothes are in stores. And like I said, WeWe Celeb kids are not included. Hope this helps!

Have a fab weekend!

Since I’m limited to three celebrities, I went ahead and chose four. Four is the new three. Lol!

That said, my immediate choices (this is tough - wish I could list more names) are Joy Bryant, Nicole Richie, Rachel Zoe and Zoe Kravitz. I picked these four because their styles are timeless, chic, vintage and boho. I design for the FREE. My pieces are liberating. You feel comfortable, beautiful, sexy and stylish. You’d rarely find these folks wear body hugging clothes, and that’s my mentality. Give me a maxi dress or tunic 4 sizes too big. Give me a flowy kaftan along with a glass of aged, fine wine. So far, out of the four I mentioned, Nicole Richie is the only celeb (I know of) that owns some WeWe pieces. She has the Kimmy maxi dress in sunflower, the Sade maxi dress in sand and the Nikki tunic top in lime. I can see all four of them in any and all WeWe pieces.

If I were to choose three men, I’d choose Kanye West (just because he is daring, bold, and would wear anything), Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt. What? Four? Ok, and Seal. There!

What do you all think? Can you pick a different list from mine? I think you should also include yourself!

Well, guess who is taking after this daring soul? Miss Zurhi. Where do I start? I just hope and pray that we don’t get a surprise visit from child services asking to join us for dinner. Because Zurhi is pretty banged up and being a lighter version of Sidney (and I mean really light), her bruises are apparent…even to the naked eye.

She goes full speed and indulges in every single activity she sees her brother enjoying, danger be damned. This also means that when Sidney is being ‘good’, she reluctantly imitates. I mean, I grew up with an older sister, older brother and a younger sister who came along after I was matured and self-sufficient, so I won’t focus on the 10yr gap. But growing up with my old sister and brother was a different story. We all had different personalities, but the same tendencies. Older sister was the really quiet one, took education wayyyy too serious (and still does) and just lived in her own little world. All she cared about was being the perfect child and getting perfect grades. She was the golden child.

Older brother, possibly the nicest, most loving, and kind-hearted  guy I have ever met. Very diplomatic too. Always protective of me. He is the one Sidney takes after, so when I describe Sidney, you get a sense of my brother. However, since I turned out to be a girl, I automatically became his younger brother. So guess who he practiced all his Bruce Lee moves on? Yup! Me. But thank God for older siblings and kudos to them because they are seriously under a lot of pressure. I did everything they did. Everything. I followed their footsteps. Most of the time, nothing my parents said to me mattered, but if my older ones said something to me, it was truth. So you can say I ended up like both of them. Half of my sister, half of my brother.

Fast forward to my Kids. Sidney gets Zurhi and vice versa. The chaos in our house? Insanity! You see Zurhi tackling Sidney to the floor like it’s a game of USC v. UCLA. They are screaming, running, jumping, playing video games, watching sports…and the list goes on. It is pure madness to the highest degree. It was/is the same with my niece, Bilikis. She looks up to Sidney. They are just a year apart, but Sidney is her idol. She sees Sidney and she flips out. Then put Zurhi in the mix, and you’ll see her emulating both. She has a learned a lot from Bilikis already, especially (questionable) dance moves. With one more on the way, Greg and I have decided to perfect our “tune them out” mode.

I’m going to leave you with what inspired this blog. A few days ago, I picked up Zurhi from school, she went running to Sidney’s room, however, met his absence because he was on a sleep over play date. She decided to stay in his room and play with his toys. Well, Sidney has a bunk bed in his room. A really tall one that has an open space on the bottom. She has seen Sidney climb up and down his bed and jump down like he is a super hero of some sort and I guess this particular evening was her night to attain the super hero status. She climbed all the way up (this still baffles me because not in my wildest dream would I have thought that my 16mth old could climb one step talk less of all the way up). I heard her singing out really loud, so I decided to check in to see what she was up to.

I walked in and I was in shock. How did she get up there? Am I seeing OK? Before I could reach out my hand, pick her up and bring her down, she got up and dove. Yup…landed right on the carpeted floor. Thank God she didn’t break any bones, but she did bust her lip and her wrist was sore for a couple of days. She cried herself to sleep that evening. I was scared shitless. I gave her Motrin, called her dad…I panicked. The rest of the weekend she was sick, but she is much better now and boy are we happy to have our jolly Zurhi back. I will rather have my kids screaming and running any day than have them confined to their bed or to my chest with sickness. This, folks, is a serious case of monkey see, monkey do.

Can you all relate to this, are your kids the same way or my kids are special? If not your kids, I’m sure you and your sibling(s) had similar encounters. No?

“If you’ve never heard of Arieta Mujay then listen up, she’s the River Island PR who had us whispering ‘Who’s that girl?!’ when we first clapped eyes on her. Her personal style always stands out, and even more so when you find out that her outfits are pure River Island with a little customisation thrown in. Read on to find out what she thinks of Lady Gaga, which RI items she’s snapped up for summer and her tips on getting a job in PR…

How did you arrive at your current position at River Island?
I applied for the position and came over from another high street retailer where I had worked my way up the chain from work experience intern to Pr Manager.

What advice would you give to people interested in fashion PR?
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know so start from interning and learn the in’s and out’s of the industry.

What was the most exciting/interesting thing that happened this week?
Our S/S09 product in store launch, we have some many lovely bits in store at the moment which makes the anticipation for summer heighten. I also had the stylist for Paris Hilton in stores pulling samples for her new UK show.

Which trends do you think are going to be big in the next few months?
The 80’s is going to be very big and we’re seeing the return of ditzy florals for the warmer months.

What are your fave items from the River Island S/S09 collection?
Stone washed denim dress and my over sized ‘Showaddywaddy’ jacket.

What are you wearing to death at the moment?
Hareem pants, punk tshirts and Brogues as well as my scruffy work boots.

What was the last book you read/album you listened to?
The last book I read was ‘One Fifth Avenue’ by SATC author Candace Bushnell and the last album I listened to is Lady GaGa’s ‘The Fame’.”

Interview and photo credited to Catwalk Queen, Shiny Fashion TV; and Arieta Mujay.

You get a few women (black, white, young, old) together and give them a few minutes….. and the main conversation will drift towards weight loss, diet plan etc. As an older mum (will be 41 in March) with 2 young boys and my health as a top priority I have found ways to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into my daily schedule.

It is so important that we do not forget ourselves when we are taking care of baby and maybe hubby ( I like to think that I have 3 men I take care of in my household 2 sons and my hubby ). We still need to look good. I use Arbonne facial products (I am not a consultant) and I have to say it works well for me. Actually it works extraordinarily well for me. I like to use natural products. I like to use a base primer that prevents oily patches (I have oily skin) then I add lipgloss, I just love lip gloss (Kiehl’s) with MAC’s lipliner, I am not a big fan of lipstick, eyeliner I have to use and I am good to go. For just a hint of drama I will add eyeshadow also by MAC.

I have made it easier on myself because time is one thing I do not have and most mums with young children will probably agree with me on this that once you have children gone are the long luxurious baths, lengthy makeup routines, sleeping in etc. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying forgo all these altogether – you are just probably going to narrow it down to perhaps once a month. Showers instead of baths, eye pencil and lip gloss, sleeping in let us just go ahead and give that one up. Maybe when the kids are teenagers we can relive that luxury

H20 does not discriminate it is a great thing for your skin, black, Caucasian or Asian. I can’t emphasize enough the miracles of water on the skin. Ladies increase your water intake and you will see the difference and if you don’t I can bet you others will. I used to go to the gym……don’t have that luxury on my schedule so I workout at home using a Pilates DVD it saves me time and a gym membership fee. I work out early in the morning between 5 and 6 am (I am a morning person …….Yikes! some of you might say) and it prepares me for the day. I always feel so energized when I work out in the morning. There is just an extra bounce in my step. Ladies working out helps you in other areas…hint! hint!

In my late teens I worked out a lot and I was very careful about what I ate. People thought I was crazy because they did not understand why I was working out as I was a size 2, however being slim does not mean you are healthy. Society has made us think that being slim is the goal, it is important to exercise no matter your size. It is also important to know your true size. For the` women out there that do not have kids yet and are planning to have kids, plugging yourself into a routine before you get pregnant prepares you for the MAJOR physical changes ahead. I know genes play a role too (Thanks mum) but I also know that you have to work hard as well.

Eating healthy is a must. It really makes a difference and most importantly we are showing a great example to our children. They won’t eat healthy if we don’t. I have been a semi-vegetarian (no chicken or beef) for the past 20 years. During pregnancy I ate beef to help out with my low iron count. I prepare chicken and beef for the men in my household but on a very limited scale. A healthy diet and exercise are what will help you lose weight if that is your goal. If you do one without the other you are fighting a losing battle.

Ladies I challenge you to make your health a priority in 2009. We deserve to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and look fabulous regardless of our age.

Kwavi Agbeyegbe

Her comment was discussing certain individuals and how they are the “pioneers of fashion styling in Nigeria. They get the top jobs and are quite busy working and not commenting on blogs and giving interviews.” The last sentence got my attention.

Does commenting on blogs, granting internet interviews, blogging, connecting with fans, and networking on FB or other social networking sites conclude that you are jobless? No. Not unless you are abusing it and surfing the net at a corporate job when you need to be working.

But if you had asked me this several months ago, I would have said yes. I remember when WeWe started, Greg, being the social and interactive media guru, used to encourage me to blog and comment on other fashion / arts / entertainment blogs. We used to go back and forth and I’d say, “Baby, I have a lot of work to do…and commenting on blogs or writing articles certainly isn’t part of it.”

His response was always, “You know hon, there might not be anything more important for you to do.” But still, he let me figure it out myself.

Well, let’s take a second to talk about the recession and how it has affected majority of the companies in our industry. Many of the big name fashion brands, magazines, newspapers, agencies are closing shop. Some magazines are going entirely viral. Paperless. And some stores are closing down to operate online stores only. People are turning more and more to online shopping to avoid the skyrocketed gas prices, limited parking spaces at malls, lines or whatever reasons you may have. In fact, these days, you can find better deals online than at stores.

A majority of us turn to the internet to get our daily scoop on what’s going on in our industry. It’s convenient. It’s readily available and we don’t need to pay for anything. I seriously don’t remember the last time I went to a newsstand (which carries the added benefit of reduced clutter, as I’m not constantly collecting books and magazines).

The truth of the matter is that the internet is taking over. Face it. Celebrities are blogging, fashion designers are blogging, Fashion magazines are blogging, Department stores are blogging. Everyone is in on it. Whether these folks are individually writing their blogs is a totally different argument, but this is how most connect with fans, readers, market products and turn ideas into sales. Most relying on internet advertising.

And as far as celebs, fashion designers, stylists or anyone in that industry goes, your fans want to hear from you. They really do. Celebs like Kanye West, Pete Wentz, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Zoe, and Ashlee Simpson (to name a few) all turn to their blogs to either set the record straight on a rumor, express themselves, or to let fans in on what’s going on in their lives and work.

I didn’t understand it until I started working for myself. People are curious and they want to connect with you. Can you blame them? You extend your services, they buy your products, they want to find out more. They are spending their money, and letting them in a bit helps them feel more comfortable and connected. You are selling something, whether you are an actor, artist, designer, agency, etc. It comes with the territory.

Of course there is a fine line, and you have to know when to draw it.

Yes, you are entitled to privacy, and this is where it gets tricky. You become your own PR, your own manager and you choose what you want to share, and what should be kept to you and your family.

I can’t stress it enough, the amount of connections and exposure I have made since taking to the internet. It is essential to one’s business. You have to create time to connect with your clients, fans and colleagues. Block a certain number of hours during the day to devote. Because I have a packed schedule during the day, I set my alarm to wake me up in the middle of the night to respond to emails, blog, etc.

But the good thing about blogging is that you can write up several posts in one sitting and schedule them to post on certain days / time, so it doesn’t need to be a big time hog.

Did I also mention that some people get paid to this? Blog? As in this is their main source of income…

There’s also the crack-berry that we are all addicted to. Everyone seems to have one these days. They come in handy. I remember reading an article about President-elect Obama’s addiction to his CrackBerry and how he may be saying goodbye to his constant companion. I won’t dive into the artcle, but that just made me realize how viral our world has become.

So, dear readers, no, it’s not a waste of time connecting on the internet. If anything, it’s the opposite. It helps your business and there are so many things to learn from others in your field. The internet is filled with ridiculous resources…right there at the tip of your fingers. If you are a business owner, invloved in the fashion/arts/health/beauty/media/advertising industry, make the internet your companion. If you work in Corporate, you may not want to spend working hours on the net - I have seen people get fired over this.

One of my favorite bloggers, Heather B. Armstrong of http://www.dooce.com is a perfect example. She is a brilliant writer. Well, a few years ago, she got fired from her 9 to 5 job for not only blogging, but blogging about co-workers. Granted, she came out on top as she now does what she loves to do best. Write for a living! She’s so successful she makes enough money to support her entire family. Yes, her husband quit his day job, and they both comfortably work from home. If you’re familiar with Alexa rankings (Alexa has a great little Firefox extension called Sparky, that shows you rankings for the websites you’re viewing), her website is ranked really high up there. She commands somewhere in the range of 100-150k unique visitors to her site monthly.

She is obviously a one in a hundred success, but take her lead and dive in with both feet. There’s a wider audience for you just waiting to be discovered…you just need to go raise your flag and let them know that you’ve joined the game.

Good luck!

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need around the world. The history of Save the Children is a story of positive change and people — millions of people in thousands of communities around the globe — working together to create opportunities for the world’s children to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.

We are happy to say that WeWe Clothing is now a Save the Children Business Sponsor. We are excited to be contributing to much needed health, nutrition and education programs for children in need.

We hope that our business sponsorship will make an impact on our employees, kids, friends, family, clients, customers and blog readers - by motivating and engaging all of you. Please help the kids. Give back - help a child live to see tomorrow. You don’t have to choose Save the Children. Find an organization of your choice - something dear and close to your heart. As long as you are generating good will. We hope that everyone recognizes the importance of giving back and the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped save a life!

One luv,

WeWe Clothing

We are happy to announce that we are one of the designers for this event. The “Hollywood Shop Til’ Your Drop - Kids Rock!” is going down. Come see our runway fashion show, and stop by at our booth. Party with the celebs - See the MTV, VH1 & TLC Ads/Commericals.

This is your chance to get the hottest kids fashion at wholesale prices! Did you hear that? Wholesale! Yup, so come out on July 19th from 11 am till 3 pm at the Ritual Restaurant; 1743 North Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028. You will be receiving a detailed invitation soon, but till then, mark your calendars.

You can also visit www.hollywoodshoptilyoudrop.com for more details.

One luv,

WeWe Clothing.

Keeping it real and fantabulous

WeWe Clothing.

So, Jenna Elfman, who is mom to Story Elfman, sent us a thank-you note today. They loved, loved, loved the WeWe Clothes and we are delighted. To take time out to write us a personal letter is definitely appreciated. Story Elfman is officially a WeWe baby…heheheheh. Can’t wait to see the clothes on you, Story. We are sure you’ll look adorable.

Hot!

WeWe Clothing.

We got a message from Marcia Cross of desperate housewives and mother to Eden and Savannah. Marcia loves the WeWe Clothes - she thinks they are HOT! Eden & Savannah, you are officially WeWe babies. Be sure to let us know when you are rocking the pieces and do send us some pictures.

All about the WeWes

WeWe Clothing

Many thanks for coming out to support us. It was such a tremendous success! We had so much fun and partied it up all night we’ll have the pictures up on our facebook and flickr page, so be on the look out.

Thank you to Phoebe Price and D.J Irene - that was quite random, but we enjoyed your company and generosity. To the Hollywood reporters, stylists, photogs and other designers, thank you for your support and writing about us. We can’t thank you enough.

To aLine media, your team is just impressive. Thanks for letting loose and partying hard can’t wait for you to see the pictures.

To The Standard, thanks for the venue, cocktails, and the food. It was awesome. The atmosphere was perfect and eclectic - just like WeWe. What a pair! We’ll definitely come back for future events.

Finally, to our friends and family, you are the best! You stayed till the very last hour - lol.

Such a great evening, people.

Stay lovely,

WeWe Clothing

So, guess what? Our launch party is tonight - the purple lounge at the standard. So excited! I can’t wait to meet new faces, old faces and be around supporters in general. I am a little nervous too. I have to give a speech and I am not totally prepared to do so. Not prepared at all. I have decided that I will just wait to the hour and freestyle. Good idea, huh? Right!

Alright, looking forward to seeing you all. Please, please, please walk up and say hi. Introduce yourself. Let me know what you think…

Lot of love

Folake Kuye