Before I am a “fabulous” fashionista, beast on the football field (haha), amazing girlfriend, or wonderful daughter, I am a very proud Haitian woman. My ethnic background means the absolute most to me and as I have stated in numerous other posts, am honored to be from a country full of resilience and such a beautiful culture. Most know nothing about Haiti and are just snooty about it because it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere but our economic standing has nothing to do with the locals. Alot of very affluent CEOs and higher ups in Fortune 500 companies are in fact Haitian. Many celebrities such as Sean Penn spend most of their time in my beautiful homeland helping rebuild after the devastating earthquake and floods. Many fashion houses are also aiding in the way that they can by assisting the creative inhabitants of the island. Donna Karan was one of the first and now popular and social conscious show retailer Toms has launched the Haiti Artist Collective. Like all of their shoes, it is buy one and one is donated to someone in need of proper footwear. Please visit the site for more information on each of these ingenious artists and their beautiful designs. I am partial to Norelus’ shoe because it reminds me so much of the original Haitian paintings with its vibrant blues and greens!
Also in Haiti news, for those not in an area where purchasing Haitian Pate (Patties) are readily found, a new online bakery launched today offering Gourmet Haitian Patties. It is launching at 10am (I believe EST) and trust me I will be one of the first to check it out because I love the Haitian delicacies more than anyone! YUM!!!! Living in DC, you would think we would have Haitian restaurants but alas the other West Indian and Caribbean island cuisines have taken over. Im praying that someone opens one up sooner rather than later because my tummy craves food from my country!
