Photography: Vince Oyolo

Sustainable fashion is thus partly about producing clothes, shoes, and accessories in environmentally and socio-economically sustainable manners, but also about more sustainable patterns of consumption and use, which necessitate shifts in individual attitudes and behavior.

As a nation, at least 30% of it has thrifted an item once in there life not knowing that they are saving the planet one piece at a time. In this day and age with depleted resources and the impact human life has had thus far on the environment, sustainability isn’t just a fad or trending hashtag.

The main responsibility of fashion companies is obviously to change their production, distribution, and marketing practices and strategies towards greater sustainability. 

It also means considering fashion from the perspective of many stakeholders – users and producers, all living species, contemporary and future dwellers on earth. Sustainable fashion, therefore, belongs to and is the responsibility of citizens, the public sector, and the private sector. 

To help you incorporate more sustainable options in your shopping, other than thrifting, I’m sharing about a sustainable fashion brand I have stumbled upon in Kenya.

Introducing my Lilabare, more specifically, my Kimono.

Each Lilabare piece stems from there mission of zero-waste & preserving handcraft. Sourcing post-production industry excess that is borne of ancient spinning & dyeing techniques, they bring each piece to life in Kenya alongside small scale artisans in there atelier in Nairobi.

You should definitely check them out.

To be considered sustainable, brands must work to improve every single aspect of a product’s life cycle. They must use sustainable raw materials, store and transport clothing responsibly, and do their best to ensure that items can be repaired and recycled.

Fast Fashion has been the longest trend and because of it, many of today’s inexpensive fashion items are being discarded only after being worn just a handful of times. In fact, thanks to such practices, fashion has been introduced as one of the most polluter sectors.

Did you know that producing just one kilogram of cotton takes 20 thousand liters of water, for example?

Outfit Details

Neckpiece: Kadenyi Pop Up
Kimono: Lilabare
Watch: Guess

Belt and Pants: Thrifted

Shoes: Dumond

One specific issue that affects us all is the water usage in the manufacturing process. This depletes the amount of safe drinking water in the world which is already impacted by other industries and human waste. 

In an ecological context, sustainability would be achieved when all that is taken from the environment can be renewed.

Small steps make a big difference

Where’d you get those shoes?! I absolutely adore them!

Oh, you know. . . they’re vintage.

There’s a special rush that comes with knowing your fresh new thrift goods that are one of a kind, and even more so when they’re retrieved from the long-gone time of decades past.

Buying secondhand is not only a great way to discover some buried treasure and make it uniquely your own but also a meaningful stand against the damaging fast fashion industry.

As professional women, we need to take responsibility for our daily choices. Commit to buying less, limit your outfits per day, and invest in pieces that last longer.

Next time you’re shopping, do your research. Pay close attention to how brands use the term “transparency.” Do they really mean it and prove it? Does the brand take initiatives with the fabrics used? Are they committed to ethical/sustainable practices?

It’s easy to forget the impact of purchase or the power you have as a consumer. There are small steps we can take each day to pave the path toward a more sustainable fashion future.

Fashion has always been a way to indicate who you are to the world – so now is the time to think about what you want your clothes to say about the kind of world and future that we should aim for.

Stay stylish,
Kadenyi.

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I am constantly drawn to the Delta corner branch in Westlands (a.k.a my local) due to the beautiful aesthetics as well as the super awesome graffiti wall which is all about giving its patrons an authentic Kenyan experience.

PSSSSSSSST….. You can definitely get your Instagram, worthy images here.

Most of my favorite solo dates as well as family dates have been had here. What keeps me coming back? The ambiance ( I cannot emphasize this enough), happy hour cocktails, the food, and the super friendly wait staff services.

When you get into the indoor seating, there are two entrances. Straight in front of you are the open kitchen and the bar. The other leads to the washbasin and the area near the ramp is a larger seating area decorated with wooden furniture covered with vibrant, colorful dynamic kanga (Kenyan cotton fabric) printed pillows. You will see this Kanga in different prints throughout the restaurant on pillows and the super chic lamp shades.

There is a larger lounging area on one end where you can also see the bar (of which is my favorite spot for solo dates) and the open kitchen where we could watch the talented chefs cook.

I can honestly say what differentiates Nyama Mama cocktails with other restaurants is that they serve them in the iconic metal Vikombes (metal mugs popular in Kenyan homes).

Nyama Mama cocktails…

If you ever find me there, it is normally during happy hour (which is EVERY DAY from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.). The most fun aspect of these delicious cocktails is that they are served from those metallic cups you probably drank uji (Porridge) in ushago (upcountry).

My go-to cocktails are;

1. Mamas ‘Lion share – Ksh. 850
Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch, Martini Rosso, pomegranate, fresh ginger, lemon, and watermelon

2. Mama’s Mule – Ksh. 800
Ketel One vodka, ginger syrup, lime, and Kisampa honey syrup

3. Charcoal Manhattan – Ksh. 950
Charcoal infused Bulleit bourbon and Martini Rosso and chai bitter

4. Yes we Can – Ksh. 950
Ketel One vodka, Kisampa honey syrup, lime, chai bitters and coconut water

Now let’s move on to the food…

Now we all know an empty stomach ad alcohol are a HUGE no, no. I highly advise you to not do a quick perusal of the menu. Just take your time and read them, you will so impressed with the choices… You will love it!

I ordered Mama’s BBQ half chicken, with sautéed sweet potato and arrowroot – Ksh. 1350

Migalusia ordered the Spicy traditional fried matumbo with ugali – Ksh 900 with a side of Buttered terere & managu – Ksh. 150

This made for a beautiful flat lay

And boy was this food delicious, we thoroughly stuffed ourselves while sipping on some great cocktails throughout the night. Expect the extraordinary at this modern African roadside diner and you’ll fall in love it!

Nyama Mama is also conveniently located in central locations delivering a dose of hearty mama’s food on the go in Nairobi’s Kilimani area at Yaya Centre and in Gigiri at the Village Market. Try it sometime and let me know what you think.

Thank you so much for reading and hope you try this amazing space,

Stay stylish,
Kadenyi.

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Since I began my blogging venture back in 2012, I’ve taken quite a few breaks, some of those breaks lasting just a few weeks, while some a few months.

Photography: Vince Oyolo

This time though,  a few months went by, then six months and now I have done less than 10 posts in the last two years! How did that even happen?!

One of the biggest barriers of me getting back into blogging was that I became uninspired —I started to look at it as business rather than my little creative outlet to just explore my writing and photography, something needed to change.

This break has been great for me as I got to seat back and do “normal” things without always having a camera infront of me and thus reminding myself of my writing and photography loves making me ready to go back into blogging.

I am going to be honest, between now and the last time I blogged, a lot of interests have changed a bit but arent humans supposed to? I cant wait to share all these new topics and ideas I have but dont fret, I will still be writing about all my core topics on here with a bit of a twist.

I started by changing out the look (template) from my old blog. What are your thoughts on this new template?

I plan to go back to the dreamer university girl who would jump headfirst into creating fantastic posts. I have made peace with the reason for my break. No more doubting myself, the less time I have between thinking of the idea and implementing it, the better. 

Outfit Details

Sports Bra – Reebok
Pants – Nike
Shoes – Adidas

“The longer you take a break, the harder it is to come back,”

The reason for using these images was to mark them as my “Day one” Images as I get back into fitness. As you can see I have gained quite a bit of weight. Though cliche, I want to start 2020 with a progressive step forward integrating a couple of days of flexibility workouts in order to increase blood flow and circulation while assisting my range of motion and joint mobility. Once my body has properly readjusted to the new demands that will be placed on it.  I will work back into my goal weight which is 55kgs.

I also intend on doing a lot of small, everyday healthy changes that are going to help me eat more nutritiously, have more energy and just feel a whole lot healthier, because that’s what it’s all about. I hope to share as much as I can with you throughout this journey. I hope you stay for the ride.

MY DREAM

You might giggle while you read this. However, my ultimate dream is to live by this blog, travel and take photos. I hope to never let my beloved blog wither in the shadows of neglect.

Let’s see how this goes

Stay stylish,
Kadenyi.

The post Getting Back To It appeared first on Kadenyi.

Photographer : Vince Oyolo

I am always out and about exploring fun events, restaurants and new Art/music in Kenya. The Kenyan creative scene is growing every day with so much variety it makes my soul swoon. On this road of discovery, I happen to meet one of my Favorite performers and now good friend; Kenyan-American rapper Barak Jacuzzi. He hosted  first ever “Barak Jacuzzi & Friends 90s Jam” at the Creative Garage to celebrate his latest release and the theme was 90’s. The crowd and I did not waste any time and had so much fun creating oldie looks like we were back in the 90s.

This time round, he held a casual documentary film of the making of the Juice Bar 2 Album at J’s Bar which was such a different feel to his last event.

I went with a bunch of my friends and Sister Yimbiha, watched the film, drank some cocktails and had thee most amazing chicken skewers. I have a whole vlog (Video Blog) about it HERE.

If you are ever looking for a weekend plan just check our Barak Jacuzzi instagram, he is always doing a show and never disappoints.

 Outfit Details

Sunglasses & Choker : Kadenyi Pop UP

Denim Jacket: Denim Co

Crop Top: Thrifted

Watch : Aldo

Rings and Bracelet : Maasai Market

Jeans: Zara

Boots: New Look

I have been loving a simple pieces outfit looks currently with thick heeled black booties. For this look, I went for a bohemian style floral crop top with slim straps from partnered with black high waist skinny jeans from . Since the event would be running late into the night I added on my faded, ragged but fitting blue denim jacket (I’M OBSESSED) which I wore off shoulder until it was too cold outside.

My hair was in twist outs which makes me look so street. To accessorize, I wore my gold choker and brass cuff  finished the look with green lipstick to just throw off everything lol.

If you read this blog post up to here, you are the greatest

Stay stylish,

Kadenyi.

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The Kilimani Street Festival is an event that has been taking place regularly since 2014 and is hosted by Kilimani Project Foundation,a community and residents association that seeks out to build a community of choice in Kilimani. My good friend and photographer Vince Oyolo has been trying to get me to attend the event for months now and I am glad I finally did as it was lots of fun.

The fun-filled day offers a perfect platform for family and friends to mingle and sample some of the products, including kids entertainment, sales from organic farmers market, fashion item vendors, food vendors and soul soothing entertainment flowing through the day on display.

The Kilimani Street Festival initially targeted the  cultural diverse population of people who live and work or play in Kilimani but It has over the time grown to an event that attracts an attendance of hundreds of Nairobi residents and their friends of all walks of life.

HOW TO ACCESS THE EVENT:

 Private/Personal vehicles:

• Use Dennis Pritt Road and Park at St. Georges Primary School

Public Means of Transport:

• From Westlands: Alight at Dennis Pritt Road and walk down the road. The venue is 2mins from Road House on your right.
• From Town: Take a No. 46 and alight at Quality. Walk down the road toward Lenana Road. The venue is a few minutes from Spinal Injury Hospital.

When there, I noticed that Fashion also took center stage of the festival, with different designers showcasing their creativity on interiors and fabrics. I loved this as I got to snap some fabulous Pictures for Nairobi street style.

If its something you have not attended before I would highly recommend it. Prepare yourself  and come and enjoy a carnival affair with fan, food, drinks, kids corner and wide variety of vendors dealing with arts and fashion. The aim of this event is encourage familiarization with your neighbor for a safer and friendlier community feeling. I mean, How cool is that?

If you live in Kilimani, then you should come experience a special day of shopping and having a good time with your friends on your street. How fun!

On To The Outfit

Boho chic is one of my all-time favorite style vibes, but it can be tricky to pull off. Fret not as I have a simple, easy cheat sheet to help you nail bohemian style in a flash. Maxi dresses represent an easiness  and femininity often seen in boho chic style. The color white and the maxi dress goes so well as you often create a breezy and refreshing outfit.

One advantage of wearing a maxi dress is that you really don’t have to do much to style it. It literally covers your entire body. So it comes down to the style and cutting of the dress, and the accessories and shoes that affects whether the outfit looks good. In this case, I simply wore the beautiful dress with black sock boots and it looked amazing.

If you are one of those who like more creativity or you simply like more layers, this one may be for you. Simply drape a denim jacket over your shoulders for a super chic look. Turn this outfit into a boho outfit by wearing a boho style statement necklace and some chic African rings. Whether your prefer distressed leather or cloth, fringe or suede, a tiny cross-body or an oversized hobo bag, having a reliable and fantastic purse is key to tying your outfit all together.

Outfit Details

Jacket: Thrifted

Dress: Forever 21

Rings: Maasai Market

Bag: Old

Boots: H&M

If it were a sunny day, Oversized sunglasses would have been the choice as  they transcended boho girls and became a huge fashion trend just a few years ago. Although they aren’t as popular in the mainstream anymore, they’re still a bohemian staple. I tend to break, scratch, and lose sunglasses, so I typically just get inexpensive pairs from Kadenyi Pop Up.

If you have reach this point of the blog post, I really want to encourage you to take just one little step further. That is to go to your wardrobe or your local stores to try out a bohemian maxi dress, got to the Kilimani Street festival and get out of your comfort zone.

Stay Stylish,

Kadenyi.

The post What I wore: Kilimani Street Festival appeared first on Kadenyi.

A stunning white beach fringed by coral reefs and a tidal saltwater lake surrounded by a mangrove forest.

A diverse mixture of indigenous and tropical Flora that attracts a wide variety of fascinating insect and primate life.

All this combined with the loving care of our Kenyan staff will make your holiday on Chale Island intriguing, relaxing and warmly memorable.

Wanna see More? Check out this video

Till next time…

Stay Stylish,

Kadenyi.

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Y’all should definitely check it out. Till next time…

Stay Stylish,

Kadenyi.

Website:
http://kadenyi.com

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Kadenyi_M
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@Kadenyi_M

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