The MAG weekly Blog by Lydia, every Friday at 1700 hrs. Nr 143 14th March 2025
Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.
This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi, this week's subjects: Styling Tips for Christie Brown’s stunning Pieces, Fall/winter runways, Is France the sexiest country in the world?, Croissants and Full Moon
Styling Tips for Christie Brown’s stunning Pieces. To make the most of Christie Brown’s stunning pieces, consider the following styling tips: Accessorize Wisely: Pair vibrant outfits with subtle accessories to let the clothing shine. Opt for handcrafted jewelry that complements the colors and patterns of your look.
Mix and Match: Don’t be afraid to mix different textures and prints. The beauty of this collection lies in its versatility, allowing you to create unique ensembles that reflect your style.
Footwear Matters: Choose footwear that balances elegance and comfort. Strappy sandals or sleek heels can elevate a casual look, while classic ankle boots can add a modern edge.
The Impact of Christie Brown: Beyond her beautiful designs, Christie Brown is a pioneer in promoting sustainable fashion and empowering women in her community. By sourcing materials locally and collaborating with artisans, she ensures that her brand contributes positively to the economy while preserving cultural heritage.
Christie Brown’s latest collection is more than just fashion; it’s a movement that celebrates women's strength and beauty. As we embrace the vibrant colors and intricate designs, we also honor the stories and traditions that inspire them. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast or simply looking to add a touch of elegance to your wardrobe, Christie Brown’s collection is a must-see. Stay tuned for more updates on the dynamic world of Ghanaian fashion, and remember: Every piece you wear tells a story. Let’s celebrate these narratives together!
Fall/winter runways. All the big fashion houses are currently running their fall/winter shows. Meaning that what they show today will hopefully be fashionable from September onwards, 6 months from now. So let's see.
Distributors place orders now on designers, designers place orders on the manufacturing countries, typically Pakistan or Bangladesh, who will now place orders for material on the textile manufacturers like China, India and Pakistan. Once goods are produced they are shipped to the main markets, USA, Europe, Far East, etc, then distributed to the main shopping chains and then to the individual shops. And all that in only 6 months, meanwhile manouvering between rising and falling tariffs and shipping fees. And if it doesn’t become fashionable? Bad news, send it to Africa as thrift. But if you like, this explains the huge difference between final retail selling prices and manufacturing prices, the risks are high. And so can be the profits.
Is France the sexiest country in the world? Maybe it is something they eat, but the French start to build quite a reputation for sexual excesses. First there was a recent court case against Dominique Pelicot (72) who drugged his wife Gisèle from 2011 to 2020 and had her raped at least 92 times by at least 72 men (those are the ones caught, sometimes against payment, sometimes “just for the fun of it”. I haven't read anything about Dominique himself having sex.
Then the French feel that a woman having children from another man but making buddy believe they are his children is in order because the family harmony should prevail, and hence they make parental DNA testing illegal (no wonder that postal delivery staff are so poorly paid, fringe benefits compensate). The latest one is that we have ex surgeon (now retired) Joël Le Scouarnec accused of raping 299 children under anesthetics, aged 1-70, but majority under 15, over a period of 30 years. (including 2 of his nieces). He admits that he is a major pervert and a pedophile and is happy about it and is ready to “take responsibility” for his actions.
How? By cleaning prison toilets? Lawyer Marie Grimaud told reporters that the victims are hoping to regain a little dignity, but above all consideration from the justice system because until now, the judicial violence has been extremely significant. Protesters staged a rally outside the court, shouting “Stop the code of silence, this trial is just “the tip of the iceberg, many such assaults against children go unpunished”.
Le Scouarnec's case highlights systemic shortcomings that allowed him to repeatedly commit sexual crimes, despite having been sentenced before, despite complaints from colleagues, and despite being promoted by hospitals who knew details of the case. More than 460 journalists from over 110 media outlets, including 40 foreign agencies, have been accredited to cover the trial.
Croissants. As we become more cosmopolitan, we consume more and more foreign things: pizza, beef burgers, shawarmas, Asiatic foods, and French croissants. Nope, the French eat a lot of croissants, but originally, the croissant comes from Vienna, Austria, in Europe, not to be confused with Australia, on the other side of the world.
And it is called a croissant, which translates as growing, because it resembles a growing moon, a waxing crescent. This is a nod to the Turkish waxing moon in the Turkish flag.
The Ottoman Empire at one time covered most of eastern Europe and was considered a threat by Vienna, and it influenced European pastry baking.
The Viennese croissant is called a kipferl, which also means crescent, but theirs is less light and often filled with chocolate or nuts or something sweet. Maybe we should rather call the croissants offered in Ghana kipferls, because what I have been offered so far has very little likeness to a real French croissant, which is airy, crispy on the outside, almost undercooked on the inside with a very slight hint of flour taste, not to sweet, not too salty, and with a light presence of butter and egg yolk flavour. It almost melts in your mouth, as they say, but for the local offer in Ghana, you need strong teeth and patience.
Full moon. Talking about waxing crescents, today is a full moon. Meteo predicts it to be cloudy, but I'll try a beach walk anyway.
# Lydia...