It is worth a mention because it added a little difficulty to our traveling in and out of Bogota. In order to eliminate congestion, there is a law in place that says if your license plate has an even last number you can not drive your car on Monday Wednesday and Friday; the alternating remaining days are forbidden to those whose cars end in odd numbers! So, while we were in Bogota, there was a huge riot. Tribal Gal 1&2 a little frightened to almost be caught in the shuffle; but what one does in the pursuit of fashion. I should not have started this by saying that; Colombia is such an incredible place and sadly has such a bad rap. Not everyone is Pablo Escobar, and quite to the contrary, some of the most talented, beautiful (both inside and out) live in Columbia; Tribal Gal 1 LOVED Colombia. Tourists are welcomed with open arms; second probably only to Hawaii (and less the luaus 
). We travelled to Raquira (4AM driving departure to avoid Pique Plaqua) and witnessed incredible pottery in the making; ie, cochinito boteros stylo 1 and stylo 2
Nalu Store Owner, Lisa
the Goods for Sale
Nantucket- Famous for its Lighthouses
Nalu's Store Sign
This past weekend Tribal Societe were guests at a lovely little shop on Candle Street called Nalu to sell some hand crafted goodies. Nantucket charm and a warm summer afternoon made for a perfect backdrop for an afternoon of shopping and greeting fellow would be eternal Nantucket Islanders islanders. Most favorite choice was nantucket blanc necklace.
If I had to write a short list of what one is able to see and do in Ecuador it would start something like this. Downtown city center, unbelievable churches, amazing street vendors, and many many Ecuadorian Indians proudly displaying their traditional dress. Of course, to be tried… sopa de locro, a potato and cheese soup that is PURE heaven (add avocado for perfection), every single fruit you will find… in the states we pay a massive premium for organic, pesticide free and natural. In Ecuador, the most exotic and delicious fruit is plentiful and hormones are NEVER injected into anything. Despite the hectic schedule I feel as though I returned to NY looking years younger just from fresh mountain air and a week of eating all organic and hormone free (in Ecuador, you will only pay a premium for processed foods).
To do: view all the incredible hand made accessories in Otavalo, climb mount Cotopaxi… quite possibly the largest active volcano in the world (5,897 meters) don’t worry, you don’t have the start all the way at the bottom! Climbing ‘the neck of the moon’ is quite an AMAZING experience and highly, highly recommended. Beware of mountain wolves (although the ones that seem to have found food don’t seem to be much trouble) on the contrary, they are a perfect photo op!
So SurrealAt the Top, Finally!
Designers ‘going green’ should think…buttons, buttons, buttons. It is a fact that plastic destroys rainforests and its production harms animals. Tribal Societe is encouraging designers of the world to embody something entirely green. It is as simple as buttons, literally! Tagua is vegetable ivory that exists naturally in the Amazons. It can be molded into various shapes and styles, dyed carved etc etc. and is very easily transformed into buttons of all shapes, styles, sizes and colors! The excess of the material not used post-shaping is not discarded, but rather, fed to cows! Unbelievably organic! With designers feeling pressure to go-green, Tribal Gals suggest replacing those little plastic buttons with tagua buttons! Naturally superior, totally affordable, and far more animal and environmentally friendly
All Dressed Up and Lots of Places to Go!
Today I went to Otavalo, about a 2 hour drive from Quito, Ecuador to visit the family of one of the artisans Tribal Societe works with. I spent the afternoon with the Guevara family and at the suggestion of the children, played dress up with them before lunch. The eldest daughter (20 years old) and the youngest (12 years old) dressed me in the very traditional Otavaleno cothing, complete with the golden necklaces typical of the culture and coral would bracelets. The jewelry is beautiful and Otavalo women never walk around without their traditional dress and adornments. See Tribal Societe’s derivation of the most typical adorment of this custom: valo princess. The women of the Guevara family of Otavalo, Ecuador are responsible for hand crafting Tribal Societe’s ‘whispered emma’ and ‘pomegranite layers’. I took delivery of some beautiful handmade necklaces, stayed for lunch and was sent off with 3 dozen farm fresh eggs as a gesture of gratitude. I hope to showcase the Guevara family again one year from now. Should Tribal Societe flourish, so will the financial well-being of the Guevara family and the families of all talented artisans with whom we work, also flourish.
Dressing Up
Among the most memorable takeaways from India; cows roaming aimlessly in the streets, totally totally undisturbed. The cow is a sacred animal in India, no news there, but to see what that actually means, is a bit eye opening. We went to Agra of course; Tribal Gal 2 to a wedding and dressed in a very cool Saree. Both Tribal Gals 1 & 2 had a special identifiable feeling when we saw that portion of Slumdog Millionaire (the part where some tourist was asked to raise her hand in the air and seemingly clasp the top of the Taj Mahal; yeah, we did that. We ventured to Kerela one separate occasions and discovered the world of Ashrams and Ayurveda. Stay tuned for product offering from apothecaries 1812! The gift of perfect ageless skin from India; used by ancient royals in India (and devoutly embraced by Tribal Gals 1&2)!
There is so much to love about South Africa. If you ever decide to go, despite the distance and a very long flight from the US) I promise every minute of it is worth it. It is absolutely the best trip you will ever take. Lets start with the safari, this year’s biggest trend and fashion inspiration.
Best Thanksgiving of my life trekking in Thailand from Chang Mai to Chang Rai. Along the way one of the many cool things encountered; the Long Neck Tribe. The longer your neck and larger your lobes; the more beautiful you are. So from birth onwards, loving Mothers add increasingly more bangles around their daughters necks and larger diameter ‘earrings’ to secure beauty for their adored daughters. Goes to show you, beauty is defined by ones culture (or societe) as Tribal gals like to think. Common trade of the Long neck tribe; weaving incredible silk scarves (I am wearing one); each one takes weeks to make. I have worn this exact scarf out in Manhattan; everyone asks if it’s Missoni! Fabulous natural finds in the most unsuspecting of places. Tribal Gals will go back to the land of the Long neck tribes; stay tuned for fabulous scarves and and much more.
ThailandThailandThailand BeautiesTrekking
The land of Alpaca and Pure Silver! Not to be confused of course with sterling silver- Pure silver is like a Maserati; sterling, like a Toyota. :)
PeruHeading for a SwimSwimming with the Sea Lions
