WHERE HAVE WE BEEN? More Importantly, WHERE ARE WE GOING?

08Jun11

YES, it’s been awhile. Winter has come and gone and spring is fleeting. Soon summer will be on the horizon. We feel energized and reinvigorated by the return of the sun.
New inventory refreshes the store. We’ve gotten boxes and mirrors from Brazil, Jewelry from Ambiti Moussa, the Tuareg jeweler from Mli who makes his way by “bush taxi” from the mountains in Niger to sell his jewelry in Senegal. It is an arduous and sometimes dangerous journey, not to mention expensive. He was held up in Burkina Faso where according to him, customs demanded a rediculous amount of taxes to get his jewelry through. Moussa is typical of the small, small scale entrepreneur in Africa who faces so many obstacles and yet somehow continues to produce and to survive. His new jewelry is beautiful.
From another corner of the world, the lightweight, airy, color rich clothing of Trinidadian, Robert Young is here. The colors and weight are perfect for a city built on a swamp. June is Caribbean month and we will feature his clothing throughout the month, but especially on the weekend of June 11. Robert has shirts for men and women and this time he has added a lightweight button down shirt with small panels on each side. Very nice.
This year we have also decided to celebrate Fathers in a bigger way. Mothers’ Day, quite rightly, gets a lot of attention. Given the current state of Fathers in our community, Fathers’ need to be supported, encouraged and appreciated. On June 11, 1-6 pm, Zawadi will feature the cards and photographs of Lorenzo Wilkins who has taken phenomenal photos of classic cars among other things in his travels. These cards call to mind some of the finest characteristics we want to see in hour fathers” classy, stylish and enduring through the years with a timeless love.
In July, Oumar Cisse will return with his wide array of traditional and contemporary jewelry and other items from Mali. (Watch out for your evite. Oumar is one of the success stories of a small entrepreneur who through hard work and determination has forged a reputation and an appreciative client base. Oumar was kind enough to take me to his home in Mopti where I saw the impact he had in employing many crafts makers. (He also arranged a trip to Dogon country which was as incredible as any place I have been.)
The final exclamation mark to the summer will be the 14th and U St Dog Days the first weekend in August. All the stores clear summer inventory and we recognize that most good things don’t last forever, but we can surely enjoy them while they do.