Hemma creates fresh, elegant collections using authentic hand-woven Kente, a textile rich in African royal tradition. Kente began to flourish in West Africa in the 17th century and still remains prominent representing social prestige, luxury, and cultural sophistication. Each garment is uniquely handmade from intricately hand-woven Kente imported from Ghana. By incorporating the same techniques used to dress Ghanaian nobility for centuries, Hemma allows each client to exude royalty. By investing in quality pieces that last a lifetime, the lives of Ghanaian school children are also impacted. A percentage of all proceeds will be donated to a West African middle school where the designers instructed classes.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Girlfriend Beauty Bag in NYC 6.13.09

On Saturday, Hemma's college associate Loren, and I attended the 2nd annual Girlfriend Beauty Bag in NY
C hosted by Bettina Lee.
This was a wonderful and informative beauty event where expert panelists answered hair, skin and make-up questions for women of all shades! That type of info can be hard to come by and I was so excited to hear about all the great tips that would be just right for me! Guests had everything from makeovers, mini manicures, cocktails, product sampling, massages and acupuncture...What more could a girl ask for.

On top of all of these great treats, I had the pleasure of meeting Antonique Smith, Actress who played Faith in the critically acclaimed film NOTORIUS. She was so sweet and a great woman!

This event was also sponsored by Girlfriends Get-Together created by Bettina. GGT is an inclusive social networking organization for women. It provides structured and supportive opportunities for upwardly mobile, business savvy girlfriends from various ethnicities and professions to empower themselves and learn methods to achieve their life’s goals.

When I found out about this, I immediately wanted to be a part of it because I saw the real need for it. There exists so many men's clubs and groups but not enough circles for women to empower themselves and each other. This is a great org because the women that attend these events are genuinely caring and ambitious so its a great place to find business partners as well as friends!

Bettina, like so many of us modern women, has a ton of great things going on simultaneously like the company she founded, Tinalee Media & Events, Inc. This is a hands-on social media and lifestyle event marketing firm. Focusing on the areas of beauty/wellness, empowerment, entertainment and women’s issues, they understand that successful public relations and events demand a wide-range of responsibilities and talents, boundless energy, quick thinking and even the occasional hand-holding.

Also, check out Guts.Glam.Grace, a great site Bettina set up with great uptodate tips on fashion, health, finance and life in general for the busy, beautiful, 21st century woman.

Now I'm off to put on one of the FAB deep conditioners that I got in my goodie bag! Thanks Bettina!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Hella Dope Kente Sneakers...The time for Kente has arrived!

Adidas Originals by Jeremy Scott - Nizza 2 Hi - Fall / Winter 2009

Jeremy Scott has done it again...always edgy, sexy and innovative. He's designed 2 great multiculturally inspired sneakers as part of the Adidas Originals Nizza 2 Hi collection. While one sports a unique Kenta Cloth design across the upper, the other features a world map design, which also complements his African influenced dress collection, Tut TV. They both feature a solid canvas construction, and are sure to sell out as soon as they are released as part of the Fall / Winter 2009 collection.

Let us know what you think?

Monday, June 1, 2009

Drama Desk Awards

We at Hemma admire and support all forms of creativity including drama & theater. We were lucky enough to attend the 54th Annual Drama Desk awards! The awards gala was established in 1949 where critics and journalists writing on theater, give annual awards honoring outstanding work in theater. These awards are unique in that Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway compete in the same categories. The Drama Desk continues to be dedicated to furthering excellence in the theater.

Billy Elliot The Musical Wins 10 Drama Desk Awards to head the list of 2008/ 2009 Drama Desk winners!

If you know any actors, you probably are already well aware that they are a special group of people in their own right. Having so many stars under one roof was incredibly entertaining, whether it was the impromptu breaks into song and dance or the heartfelt insight into the ups and the downs in the life of an actor.

We had the opportunity of meeting some of the celebs including Geoffrey Rush, a prolific actor on and off the big screen in such pieces such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Munich, Elizabeth and much more. Present were such stars as Andre De Sheilds, Jane Fonda, Condola Rashad (a wonderful actress in her own right, daughter of Phylicia Rashad), John Lithgow, Liza Minnelli, and the always fabulous Carson Kressley, to name a few!