Pop Goes Africa.

Pop'Africana has designated itself as "The Africana Book of Style" and I'm not gonna argue with the semi-annual art/fashion magazine. Their images and sensibility are poppin' fresh.

Find out more about the printed pub on their website and via Dazed Digital's interview with founder and visual director Oroma Elewa.

You Can Go Home Again.

Model Alek Wek has one of the most striking faces in the fashion business. Her distinct looks are courtesy of her Sudanese heritage. She was born a member of the Dinka tribe and fled her homeland in 1991 after war and violence tore it apart. Her discovery at an outdoor market in London in 1995 led to her to a world class modeling career and kept her from returning home for nearly 13 years. In 2008 she and her mother, who also has not been home since they fled, returned to visit family and re-see the past with BBC cameras in tow. It is amazing to watch Alek travel streets she hasn't been down since she was four, and visit the home she was born in. Also amazing are the stark differences and immense similarities between her tribal heritage and her Western life. It's all about love. Family and love.

The entire BBC piece is quite phenomenal. Click any of the screen caps above to watch video footage. In stark contrast, here is a clip of Alek doing her day job with the late great Yves Saint Laurent.



From Sudan to Saint Laurent. Fashion is a bizarre industry. Fascinating.

International Laundry Day

As I've posted before, I quite enjoy the sights and smells of laundry day. That combined with my ridiculously unending curiosity led me to ask this question: What is laundry day like in other countries? To find out I did some Sunday investigating. Here's a peak into the laundry rooms of some of the far corners of the world:

In Mumbai the hand washing operation is staggering:

They really beat the dirt out of those clothes.

Here's a drive by view of laundry time on the street in China:



Boys in Africa do some bucket washing near a watering hole:



In Iceland, white laundry blows in the wind.



Apparently, in Japan you hang your laundry on your roof with your children on your head.


Sun drying saves energy in Spain:

Such gorgeous colors in this video.

Finally, if you are Uncle Buck you do laundry in the microwave.

I'm pretty sure he would do that in any country.