Lauryn Hill - Lose myself

I used to do it for the love a long time ago
And all I ever wanted was love
I used to love without fear a long time ago
And all I ever wanted was love
Then somebody came around and tried to hurt me
Tried to make me feel like I was unworthy
Took a pure love and tried to make it dirty
Truth was they never did deserve me
No!

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could love you better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
love you better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could love you better
Had to lose myself in love
And that’s just the way it is…

Couldn’t tell me I was love when I needed it
When, all I ever wanted was love.
Should a told me just me because!
I’m worth receiving it
But all I ever wanted was love
There’s is something awkward about the selflessness it
takes to
Give love and the good that it makes you!
True love can never really forsake you
But it took a little while just for me to see!

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could love you better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
love you better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could love you better
Had to lose myself in love
And that’s just the way it is…

I had a paralyzing fear of facing failure
And I couldn’t love you perfectly with fear in my head
So I peerlessly had to face the danger
So I could come back and love you whole instead
All of your soul I said!
So I could make it better

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could love you better
[Lose Myself lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
love you better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could love you better
Had to lose myself in love
And that’s just the way it is…

B-Sec:
And so it goes that I never meant to hurt you
Couldn’t stay but I never meant to desert you
Whole lot a things I just had to work thru
Time to heal and restore myself worth too
Confrontation of my fears and anxiety
Cried a whole lot years I suffered quietly
And though it may have taken years I can finally!
Tell you that you were always on my mind!

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could make it better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
make it better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could make it better
Had to lose myself in love
And that was just the way!

Bridge:

Takes strength to absorb all the abuse I did
Great love to absorb all the misuse I did
Hey baby it’s not an excuse I give.
And I’d do it all again because for you I live

Takes strength to absorb all the abuse I did
Great love to absorb all the abuse I did
Hey baby it’s not an excuse I give.
And I’d do it all again because for you I live

Chorus:
I had to lose myself so I could make it better
I had to lose myself, had to lose myself so I could
make it better
Had to lose myself, had to lose myself
So I could make it better
Had to lose myself in love
And that was just the way!
And that was just the way it is…

Update

Hey everybody- all five of you that read this blog. LOL. Soon very soon I will really make this blog fun and at least try and update 3 times a week and make it more interactive. We'll see. In the meantime My website is FINALLY going to be up very very soon. Tashia. www.tashiacreative.com is doing my website. She is really the only one that REALLY understands what I need and understands what the brand is about. She totally GETS it! From
I have been really busy and dont like to compromise and wanted to do it right. She has been responsible for my site from the beginning and lately with wholesale orders I have been soo overwhelmed. Anyway in a month It WILL be up and running. With a BANG!! Yippeee www.koketso.com I will have all the updates and stores beacuse we are in over 30 stores now.




The pictures above are really KOKETSO, the brand. Its fun and all about comfort. I make clothes and not costumes. I make clothes that people WEAR. Its important for me that people be comfortable when wearing the clothes and they can dance, laugh, jump and without worrying if buttons will pop off or zippers will come undone. Its a happy and fun positive line throughout beacuse that is ME... who I am. Koketso.
We shot on location// way back in FEB. lmao! Out of over 600 pics you have to choose what best represnts the clothing. Yetunde sells it and Joe( www.josephkeller.com) is just a good photographer.

James Morrison

I am just loving my Brits lately with the music, Amy Winehouse and now I just discoverd James Morrison. Love love it.
I love this jammy jam!

Bags and Beyonce!

The last couple of weekes have been really crazy!! Just busy busy busy busy. Yes! that busy. i really hope that once I am fully settled I can blog as often as i'd like to and keep it fun and informative in my style.
This past Friday was very intersting. I went to beads world on 38th & broadway where I go almost every otherday. i get my tray and look acroos the aisle and who do Isee with a tray in her hand too? BEYONCE!!!! Yep Beyonce was there with her mom and her cousin/ assistant Angie. Beyonce up close and personal is REALLY gorgeous. I spoke to her for a lil bit and her ousin and they are really cool. You know I was looking at the bags and the clothing. Beyonce had a Jimmy Choo bag, her cousin had a chanel big classic style quilted bag and her mom had an YSL bag and some van cleef and arpels jewelry. Diamonds galore!! bling blinging but very tasteful.. Beyonces Mom is very tiny actually. I am thinking maybe they are making smaples for the tradeshows in Vegas in August and maybe introducing a jewelry line to their accessories. What really impressed me is that she is really hands on and involved in the creative process. So GO Beyonce! There were only about 5 people in the store and once people heard after about 15mins or so people started pouring in to the store and had to be sent out. Chaos!!

I am having all these celeb run-ins lately. Debra Messing came to the designer market too a few weeks back and just stood at my booth talking for a while. She is very funny and has a great sense of humor. She got one of these leather bracelets with the chunky chain. These are just accessories that compliment the handbags because having them actually helps at the trade shows because when ordering the bags its always nice that you have a full line of bags belts and some leather accessories for merchandising.

I did ask to take her picture..to which she very politely declined and I should have known better than to do that because she was not picture ready and she had her very big dog on a leash plus and these shoes


Can anyone tell me why everyone is wearing these shoes??? I just dont get it. Kids yes but anybody else- NO! just my opinion.

Amy Winehouse

This song was produced by Mark Ronson who is the coolest guy & dj. Mark Ronson is also the brother of Charlotte Ronson of
CRonson whose line was licenced by Damon Dash at some point then they cancelled it after a few years. I guess thats when they launched Rachel Roys line. Charlotte now has 12 stores in Japan and is doing sooooo well. Can somebody say konichiwa! lawl.. lawl Japan loves fashion.. Konichiwa!! lawl

I am sooooooooooooooooo loving Amy Winehouse. I love her her voice and her lyrics are VERY VERY original. She sings about weed, smokes.. F me pumps. LMAO! and waking up alone.. shes just very refreshing not trying to be cute just doing the darn singing and I just love Amy Winehouse.
A few months ago a friend told me he had exclusive tickets for Amy Winehouse show. I was like Amy Who?.. Amy what? Well I did go and I saw this whte chick stumbling on stage and the minute she sang.. I was hooked. The voice, The beehive.. oh my.. Amy is the Queen bee of the beehives. Trust me, I dont think anybody has the courage to rock THAT humongous beehive. Gwen stefani tried a subtle version but Amy is on her own with this one.. LAWL! love her though. Still on the hair tip I hear that Rihannas assymetrical bob is the most requested hairstyle right now everywhere.


leaving u with some of her funny but real lyrics..LMAO! LAWL!!

F ME PUMPS
"When you walk in the bar,
And you dressed like a star,
Rockin' your F me pumps.

And the men notice you,
With your Gucci bag crew,
Can't tell who he's lookin' to.
You don't like ballers,
They don't do nothing for ya,
But you'd love a rich man six foot two or taller. *LOL*

With your big empty purse,
Every week it gets worse,
At least your breasts cost more than her

My friends

We are each of us angels, with only one wing. We can
only fly by embracing each other-
This is my quote of the week.
Independence is good but interdependence is letting go of that control and allowing others to help because we really cant do it all alone. With that said I am really grateful to my darling friends who are my cheerleaders and give me the support & encouragement which is so needed.
This weekend I did a huge fair in Brooklyn. It was just alright nothing specatacular but my very good friend Note came to help me out. He really is a true friend. When I was packing to leave my studio in the garment district he was there helping me again. Aissata also came for that moral support. I love my friends!



The last couple of weeks have been super crazy. My highlight however was the CFDAs. I went to the afterparty.. saw some very beautiful people. Miss USA is really beautiful.. oh my. I also went to the Kanye West party at the Luis Vuitton store. Now that was something. I saw many faces I see every week in the pages of Life& style. LMAO! Designed by Jun Aoki, the Luis Vuitton store is a sight to behold with its milky checkered glass facade. Just beautiful!!

I also love the apple store on 5th ave. Its a beautiful glass box and the store is underground. LOVE it!

Outing with Cirese

Cirese, the girl I met this past sunday is the creator of this fabulous soap for Bobbi Brown.

The reason why I was just blown away by Cirese is her drive. Shes so young, only 26 and she makes soaps for Estee Lauder and Bobbi Brown. The amazing story is that she met Bobbi Brown doing a fair in Montclair NJ where BB lives 6 yrs ago and Bobbi Brown loved her soaps and gave her this wonderful opportunity. I just love stories like that. I actually got a little emotional just hearing it. So beautiful and inspiring! awwww!
So.. Yesterday we went for the opening of the Bobbi Brown store in Montclair.

I met Bobbi Brown and she is REALLY down to earth and her skin is AMAZING! 50 yrs old andyou wouldnt even know. Love it!


The crowd

Cirese holding her soap..awwwwww am so proud of her!!

I took another picture of the soap. Cirese is just so humble and I love & admire that so much about her. At one point Bobbi Brown introduced her to the president and another bigwig from BB and they were just so excited to see her I think even more because of how the whole thing came about-how it started and all. Everybody loves that soap! Its in this months VOGUE too we found out.
It was such a beauiful evening, so inspiring.. just amazing.
I had a hit with my silk organza top that I made 2 hrs b4 the event. Who would've thought? The fabric had just been sitting there.. this yummy cotton candy yellow with this fluffy embroidery. Apparently yellow is the new black-LOL

Working holiday weekend

This weekend I did the designer market in Soho, why do I keep saying Soho? Its in Nolita, same thing anyway. It was a holiday weekend & I promised myself that I wouldnt work and just take it easy, but I did anyway. I just had to. I have so much stuff in production and paychecks are only coming in October/ November. I have no choice. Its really not easy being me. Next time this year I will have a staff and I dont mean interns but staff. Hallelujah! LAWD knows I need help! Its all good. everyday I am just thankful that I do what I love.
PICS FROM SATURDAY

Mother & daugher bought these similar dresses. The mother looked so young and she said she attributes it to lots of exercise , lots of water & no alcohol. The Grandma was even uber fab!
My darling BFF is off to Paris then Switzerland for two weeks. I will miss her dearly. I swear she lifts me up all the time. our phonecalls are filled with 90% laughter I guess that explains why we are so "YOUNG". She is a phenomenal woman and I am so inspired by her. I love my friends. check out her myspace http://www.myspace.com/aisscool


I will have to do another post entirely about Aissata and her amazing work. The picture above is my fave. She was doing a Yoga pose when this idea came up. She uses illustrator for all her work and recently just started doing HUGE paintings.

I also met a young business savvy woman called Cirese. Soon everybody will know about her. I was really blown away by her. She really inspired me and I will blog about her later this week because me and her have an event to attend on Thursday.

Event in Philly

Pictures from the evnt in Philly yesterday. I did the same event last fall and I complained about the goody bags on another blog I have and one of the organisers found it and was bothering me about it. Anyway I wont mention the event name because she'll be on my neck again. Needless to say the goody bags this time were ten times better. I have never seen people so excited to buy my cute lil clutches. A fight almost broke out for the last red one. YIKES!!


decisions, decisons....

Ok Koki, we'll take all 3

i'm back 4 more..

I just looove it Kokes, My friends are gonna be so Jealous..

Girl I'm loving this red, I got the perfect shoe for dis.. mmmmm hmmmmm!

I love it!
Yetunde I am sure u are happy now ;P

Bags, giveaways and Sample sale

The Sheckys events have been sooo much fun. I have been out of town every week since April. I've gone to Dallas, Philly, L.A & Minneapolis every single week doing these shopping events. Its been an experience watching how people shop from state to state and which of my products they are drawn to the most & yadi yada. THE highlight howeverrrr was two weeks ago when I did the designer Market in Soho and miss Tyra, Ty-Ty baby came to the market and bought one from me. I was really excited about that because I sell to a lot of stores and I don't really know who buys them, all I know is whoever is buying them is FIERCE with a capital F. lol
I didnt take a pic, I'll just be buying life& style weekly to see if I can see someting. My pet peeve is grown folk who like to act like fans and hound celebs for pics.. I just dont understand it. I used to have a boutique on the lower east side with my designer friends.We used to have everybody from Britney Spears to Vivica Fox to Bjork , Drew Barrymore come in there . the last thing they want is for you to start asking for pics when they are trying to do some shopping. At swag parties or style Lounges its appropriate because they are there for your products and u can use their images for Marketing purposes. Style lounges take place before major award ceremonies or film festivals.

They are product showcasing and gifting suites which allow your company to directly gift celebs and capture photos of them with your product.. They usually have Wireimage or Getty Images taking the pictures. At the end of the day be prepared to give away/gift about 100 products for pictures.
I will be in L.A for the MTV movie awards style lounge and I am going to have a sample sale at my friends house at the weekend so if anybody wants to come let me know so we can prepare a goody bag for you.
Some of the things you can expect at the sample sale



I also have some fabulous belts, and the cutes dresses. I have one coming up in New York and will keep u updated when its time.

Shows... fashion

I will be in Minneapolis tomorrow doing one of those shopping events, then next week its off to Philly then L.A. What I really love about them since I stared doing them is that I really know which of the styles I develop do well where, and the ones people respond to the most. ITS REALLY helpful. Its different from a tradeshow because u are face to face with the consumer and not a buyer who is buying for the consumer. I have definitely learned a lot from them. Next month I have the accessories tradeshow at the jacob javitz in New York. Everyone u can think of shows there. Its really a big deal & I am totally excited. I'll be launching my luxe line of bags made from Ostrich and croc skins and other luxurious items. Having had things produced locally, I've had to compromise on the quality and details that I want because it gets very expensive. I just have found a really great bag manufacture for my bags in India and he makes bags for some of my favorite designers, so all my samples are done for my show and am very pleased with the work. Part of the reason why I have manufactured locally is because I know they are not manufactured in a sweatshop & I sleep better at night. I will be in Italy in 8 weeks looking for the right manufacturer for my bags for my spring '08 collection. It doesn't get better than Italy when it comes to craftsmanship.. soo excited.

Video Look Book-very cool

The video below is from 80%20 shoes. I just LOVE it. Me and Cece(the designer) used to share a design studio in the garment district not so long ago. The good thing about working or being around other creative people is that you can bounce off ideas with one another. Being around Cece taught me alot about the business side. Its really important to develop ideas with an idea of how and where they are going to sell. Sales are a sign of success and not hype. You still need the other to get the sales though so for me tradeshows are the way to go because there you are dealing directly with buyers from the big department stores or small boutique owners. You get an idea after a while of what people are drawn to the most in which market and you recreate that or reinvent that each season but staying true to your design philosophy.
I just love this idea for a Video Look book. Very well done and engaging storytelling with the shoes. I am inspired to do my own for my spring '08 collection. I really love it plus my girlie friend is a film director and 've asked her already.

Check out her spring collection on her website. I am such a fan and have many of her shoes

Miriams Video for her single RUDI

Last week I got the video treatment for Miriams video because the director wanted me to style it. Unfortunately since I had a retail shopping event in Chicago I was not able to at such short notice. THE VIDEO IS OUT. Already?? Talk about super duper fast. This video was shot last week Thursday. Thats just amazing. I love love it.Enjoy the video plus Miriam is just so hot anyway! The guy in the video is also the director for the video.

Miriam is just really beautiful. Below are pictures I styled a couple of months ago for her album cover. All clothing and jewelry by yours truly.




Check out her myspace page www.mysace.com/miriamchemmoss

Yomi Yo

When I met Yomi I met my muse, this young lady is just headed for some big things and she inspires me soo much. She is cute, sexy, FUNNY, intelligent, eloquent and just wise beyond her years. Her story telling is tooooo sweet & she always has me in stitches. In fact Yomi should have her own one woman show. Thats how funny she is.
Yomi is one of my favourite models because none of her pictures ever look the same. She is very versatile and really knows how to work it. She is fierce with a capital F.

Its your birthday today, Happpppppppppppppppy Birthdayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Yomz. You are one of a kind!

S.A fashion week Hats

S.A fashion week took place last week and my favourite show of course was by Ephraim for Ephymol. Ephraim is one of my best friends. We are always around each other when I am in joburg. He just knows style, and he knows what works, Ephraim is style. We both made our debut in 2002 at SA fashion week in a show sponsored by Pace magazine and since then his collections have just been getting stronger. I am soo soo proud of him. The most excting thing about his show this year was that he was going to have Albertus Swanepoel make hats for his collection. albertus is a super talented South African milliner whose hats you've seen on the marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Betsey Johnson shows to name a few. He is based in New York and his work is just out of this world.



PICTURES FROM EPHRAIMs SHOW



More pictures on www.safashionweek.co.za My other favourite designer who is just so talented and really undersatnds construction is Clive Rundle. He never dissapoints.

Golde Globes

Jennifer Hudson Won!!
I am soooooooo happy for this lady. She soo desrves it. Thats my gurl

A celebration of New beginnings

Wow what a way to start the New Year than to be so insired by this woman called Oprah. I am Inspired by her, I am inspired by anyone who is so selfless and generous.We should all be inspired to inspire.
Being an artist, a designer, a creative being I am inspired by life and draw inspiration of course from my lifes experiences travels as well as my heritage. I am a home-bred global gurlie girl. I hope to and want to grow my business to be one that is socially responsible and stands for something, one that has a special/real story behind it. Bonos Edun line has been a great source of inspiration for me. I will combine my passions and just go for it! I am already working towards that and am just excited for this 2007 . I will be all over Africa and making a very big bold and long overdue move. I am sooooooo excited.
Have you bought any RED products? Founded by Bono and Bobby shriver. Thiis is just the coolest way to give back and look stylish at the same time. I love it.
I want to congratulate Oprah on opening the leadership academy in South africa for girls today. What an inspiration this woman is. She invested $40 million of her own money into this school and handpicked everysingle one of the 152 disadvantaged but now forunate girls whose future is just so bright.