Sam Blenkinsopp

Issam on Driving a Creative Movement in Morocco

India

New Delhi

11 Emerging Creatives From India You Should Be Paying Attention To

Tushar 

Lagos

Needs no introduction. This David Adjaye-built concept store is a visionary space and a must visit for anyone who comes to Lagos. Their restaurant in the back, NOK, is popping on Fridays

Lagos’ first non-profit artist residency program. They have brilliant artists coming in to work 3 sessions a year. It’s always great to go hang out on open days and talk to artists about their projects. They also have presentations of the artists’ work once the residency sessions are over

This is the showroom space for Bubu Ogisi’s IAMISIGO brand. Go here to shop, hang out and sip some rum agricole or, on special days and if you’re invited, party at the best raves in Lagos. Fashion Week season is always mighty eventful at this space

This concept space in Lekki is a collaboration project between a bunch of young creatives. They have a publication, a gallery space, a fashion label, and God knows what else. Their exhibitions focus on showcasing the process and use of technology

Located in the top flat of a seven-story building in Lagos and founded by artist Wura-Natasha Ogunji, The Treehouse supports creative experimentation, artistic investigation and the asking of radical and open questions. With views of creek and lagoon, prison and polo fields, it provides a perfect platform for thinking about how spaces, architecture, and community influence and inform how we move, feel, and imagine the world

Set up with the purpose of using creativity to engage with the community in Lagos Island, hFACTOR is a space and also a collective (of which I am a part). Through exhibitions, talks, gatherings and other engagements, we hope to have conversations opening people's minds to new possibilities

Creative Spaces with Tushar

Hawai'i

Owner and head instructor, Dharma Shay, opened the gym which specialises in functional fitness, athletic training, personal training, nutrition guidance, HIIT, post-natal exercise classes, youth athletic training, strength and conditioning, Olympic lifting, jiu-jitsu, and stand up martial arts. This is a great gym on the big island with highly trained and professional staff.

Owners, Randy and Gabby, opened their locally-sourced restaurant on the Big Island in 2011. They have delicious options such as blackened ono sandwiches, their Da Aina burger with a fantastic avocado cream sauce, lilikoi cheesecake or their tropical dreams ice cream. They also have an online shop selling their signature Kona Ketchup, Hawaiian Fire Sauce, and Mauka Mustard at great prices. Vegan friendly!

A beautiful studio in Kailua Kona that offers vinyasa, power, yin, restorative, and meditation classes.

A family-operated hearty, healthy, soul restaurant serving delicious, organic food in the heart of Lihue. The menu consists of Kauai-grown traditional soul food staples such as collard greens, candied yams, fried fish, and fresh baked cornbread.

Opened by two best friends, Chase and Mercedes, Pau Hana offers a high-quality mobile bar service for any event, celebration or reason to have a great time with delicious drinks in hand without having to worry about your guests desires.

After receiving her cosmetology license in 2009 from Western Beauty Institute in Van Nuys, California Raquel with her Los Angeles-native hustle and island girl heart is living out her dreams in Maui. In 2017, Raquel became a Curl Coach Educator for DevaCurl. While curly hair is a passion of Raquel's she also loves to style, colour, and cut all hair types. She has an online shop carrying various hair products as well.

A wonderful artist who tattoos around Maui and Kauai Island. He specialises in black and grey, Polynesian tribal, and ornamental work.

Qiana, a native New Yorker, from Red Hook, Brooklyn and her husband from Southern Italy opened Sale Pepe - Maui’s authentic Italian restaurant. Their pastas and artisan Italian pizzas are crafted by a certified pizzaiola with fresh, local ingredients in classic and creative presentations. Paired with the enjoyment of a fun, social wine bar atmosphere you cant find anywhere else on the island.

They are open for business.

This teahouse has multiple locations across Oahu inside various Sand People and Down To Earth retail stores. Founded in 2015, Kye Teahouse was established on the foundation of Going Back to Nature. Their ingredients are grown in Hawaii & picked only at the peak of freshness. It's one of the reasons why their tea taste so incredible. All of the packing and shipping materials are biodegradable & environmentally sustainable.

Chef, Lamont Brown, showcases locally-sourced ingredients on a worldly platform, with emphasis on Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. Visit their restaurant in Haleiwa for the perfect date night, or a great time with friend.

Owner, Soufiane Bouharkat, grew up in Paris and opened his first cafe there. Later moving to Oahu, he opened Le Crepe Cafe in 2009. He creates a bright and enthusiastic Ohana environment for everyone to experience and strives daily to provide his guests with fresh, natural ingredients that not only taste good, but makes you feel great as well.

Locally-owned scuba diving company located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Manny will take you on incredible diving adventures and leave with an experience you'll never forget! Check out his website for a list of activities and price.

Husband and wife team, the Bensons, whose roots are from Louisiana, were inspired by the Hawaiian Islands, which they decided to make Oahu home and open a mouth-watering deli.

Hawaii finally has their very first co-working space! Located on Oahu and birthed from the idea of creating a community of creators and dreamers, BoxJelly strives to cultivate an inspiring workplace that embodies the worth of a well-lived in home.

A food Truck that specializes in Jamaican cuisine. The truck was inspired by a great friend of owner, Damon, that taught him how to cook Jamaican food. He passed away about thirteen years ago and he's been sharing his food with friends and family for years. He actually started the business in December 2019 with a food cart only selling chicken and shrimp plates. In June of 2020, he obtained the food truck, expanded his menu to brown stew chicken and curry chicken. They also do a jerk pork belly, sandwiches and tacos with the Caribbean flare.

Black-Owned Businesses in Hawai'i

Area Noir & Tope Ajayi

Ibadan

Ibadan's Best Creative Spots with Area Noir & Tope Ajayi

Justice Wears Cool Pants

Los Angeles 

In LA, there’s really no Caribbean culture. So, the Jerk Spot is one of those places that I go to and it makes me forget that I’m in LA kind of thing. The food’s incredible, the area is like this little small, almost hole-in-the-wall type spot. I’m a big foodie.

In my free time, I’ve been taking photos. I’m like a fake photographer, for me it’s significant because it’s when you create memories and don’t take photos of them, you almost forget about them. So, when I go to that photo lab to develop my photos and I receive them, it almost feels like me reliving these memories.

The taco truck experience feels cultural, it feels like a good place to coagulate, sit on the block. Get some tacos, vibe out. It’s very communal, in like the most street-possible way. LA culture is completely different and i feel like that taco truck adds like a little bit more street-ness to Los Angeles. You gotta do the Carnita tacos with the green sauce.

For me, it’s all about trying to find different flavours in this city because like I said, LA is so spread out that sometimes it’s kinda hard to find pockets of things. But this spot has a very strong Parisian feel. It’s kind of like a little Paris hangout, it feels like you’re in the middle of Paris even though you’re in the middle of LA. And you know the drinks are amazing and the thought process behind that experience, again, like I said, I’m a foodie, so it’s kind of just where I hang out. The crowd there is more creative.

The thing about this spot is that it gives me a clash of culture and creativity. Because everyone that’s selling stuff there or goes there is usually from a lack of funds, it’s not a lot of wealthy people or people that are affluent that really go there. You just get to see what everybody’s taste is and how everyone’s trying to relate what they’re putting forward. It gives me a sense of a melting pot.


Eating in LA with Justice Wears Cool Pants

Naomi Accardi

Milan

Where we all get our hair done (they are great at crazy colors).

The tattoo shop of the “cool” kids of Milan. I don’t go here but they do cool residencies sometimes.

Similar to five guys in style but it’s not a real fast food chain. It was opened by somebody in the Milan scene. Nice burgers, cool environment.

Chinese restaurant I love. Mad cheap, AWESOME Food.

It's a coworking/restaurant and hang out spot, they make open sandwiches that are banging (it’s in Chinatown).

Incredible Tuscan food (a bit expensive but definitely worth it).

Cheap home made food, cash only. Like grandma’s kitchen.



Typical Milano food, I bring all my guests here for real local food (higher end but worth the money).

Iconic streetwear store and distribution company in Italy.

Best magazine and book selection (close to Prada foundation).

They make their own gin, the owners used to work in fashion and design. It’s an incredible place for late night drinks.

Vintage/flea market + lots of food trucks, music. It happens once a months but they have now extended it to every weekend. It’s set in an old factory - you need LOTS of time here.

It's a squatted building where they organise different art shows, photography exhibitions, different music nights. The worst stuff goes on here but it’s a staple in Milan culture. It’s very fun!

Naomi Accardi's Guide to Milan

Nasty C

Johannesburg

It's a place where you get to enjoy being outdoors and connecting to nature. A quick get-away from the city with tiny restaurants with good food and a great chilled vibe. There is always something new to experience in Harties. A great place to enjoy yourself and bask under Africa's sunny skies.

It always comes through with great old-school hip-hop and r&b music that brings back some of the best childhood memories. Melville is a place where the young, trendy and the old meet.

Rockets never disappoints when looking for a great night-out. The crowd is amazing and the drinks keep flowing. Everybody is there to just have a good time

I am big on gaming and motorsports. This spot offers some of the greatest motoring events at international standards.

A man needs to eat every now and then. This spot is a great place to catch up with friends while having some good food.

Shopping is one of my favourite things. This shopping centre is cosy and offers so easy different restaurants and retail stores. It's also easy to get around.

Nicely secluded boutique hotel. It has a relaxing and chilled ambience when in need of luxury treatment and relaxation.

Johannesburg is the concrete jungle where we hustle and chase our dreams. This area is where you get first-hand experience of authentic cultural expression of all those chasing their dreams and making things happen. The people here are very friendly and genuine.

This is an urban part of the city that is full of creative energy. The block is the arts and culture hub of Johannesburg.

A unique cosy bar that offers South African cuisine. It blasts some of the best of local music too.

Johannesburg with Nasty C

Tai Verdes

This beach is a secret hideaway. Less people more waves and sand. That might be cheesy but this beach is still great. There are cliffs overlooking the water where people are constantly taking pictures and even engagement photos. It’s towards Malibu so you also get that nice lil PCH drive towards this beach.

Monty's is a late-night burger place that is all vegan. These burgers vegan or not are some of the best in la. The milkshakes too are the cherry on top. If you want a real introduction of vegan food then go here and have your mind blown.

The sandy dunes in Malibu are kind of jaw-dropping to look at. I used to work out there twice a month when I was training for college basketball. That’s the type of workout you should look forward to when you’re climbing to the top of that sand. The reward is an amazing view of Malibu beach and you get to run down like a maniac.

This is where I get all of my clothes. Okay not all but most. This spot is overrun by people who love fashion. I don’t blame them. So many great vendors come to sell dope shit there. Every time I go there I find another staple of my closet. If you walk into the trading post you will walk out with something.

Where I performed my first show ever. I released my album on the night I played at Winston house. It’s a great venue where great artists come to make memories. I’ll never forget this place. You should definitely check it out if you’re looking more live music in your life.

This hilltop is for Instagram professionals only. You will get some pictures that might be cooler than all the pictures you’ve ever taken in your life. Sometimes if you go at the right time you will see a line of people waiting to snap the perfect shot. I think you should go get in line.

This is a very interesting museum in LA that I go to when people visit me. If you bring someone to this spot you can say that you have taste but your not too boujee. I love the creativity of all the modern art in this spot. Maybe one day I’ll make something that ends up in there.

This wall is iconic in LA. It’s right by the skate park in Venice and artists are always marking it up with amazing unique pieces. I’ve been there a bunch of times and almost every time I’ve seen an artist working on the wall live. I don’t think I could ever be a graffiti artist. Those people are so talented.

Bowl, double black beans, double pinto, a small amount of fajitas, mild salsa, guac, lettuce, orange vinaigrette, with an extra tortilla (NO MEAT). This was my order every single day for a year. The downtown chipotle next to staple centre in Los Angeles. This is the best chipotle in LA. I’ve never had anything stale or had anything missing in my order at this place. When I was going through some hard times the workers there even let me have some free chips because they knew me. This place is golden.

Secret Beaches in Los Angeles with Tai Verdes

Vivendii

Family owned gallery started by Ms Nike herself with some of the most amazing paintings, sculptures and other artwork in Lagos. Instagram heaven for all yall social media addicts. Real nice to just have reflective time away from the hustle and just appreciate art. It's fire

One of my favourite places in Lagos to go to. Pick a chilled day to pull up to the market to find amazing artwork, jewellery, painting, models, sculptures, leather products and a bunch of other fire shit. Cultural explosion all available for sale. Come with your bargaining shoes on because none of these cool pieces come without a fight

Exactly what it says it is, a centre promoting the welfare of the environment and its conservation. Monkeys and other animals running around and has Africa's highest foot path over the trees with amazing views. Great time with a bunch of people. Bring some food, drinks and have a picnic in the large open spaces

Amazing Italian/Peruvian (I think) fusion restaurant/chill spot/motel lol. Spot of a vibe and some of my best ideas have come just chilling outside enjoying their sangria. They also have a bakery with some of the best donuts in Lagos NO CAP

An authentic Nigerian beach experience. Pull up with a bunch of friends and enjoy the serenity away from the crazy streets of Lagos. Either go full local and take a banana boat from some of the docks such as Bonny Camp or BICS in Lekki or take a boat/yacht from one of the beach clubs and enjoy the vibe

Shrine is one of the most authentic spots in the city, a celebration of Fela's life and everything he was about. Fire spot you can smoke, drink, eat and watch some amazing performances from artists including his sons, Femi and Seun Kuti

Late food spot open nearly 24/7. Top 3 best chicken wings in the city. After nearly every night at the club, pull up to Maroccaine

Go on the day of exhibitions with great local artists. Get the tequila beer salitos with a slice of lime. SENSATIONAL in the heat. I think it actually tastes better in Lagos. Also, try 16 by 16's twist on zobo, a traditional blackcurrant drink

Vivendii's Top Spots In Lagos

Blue Hawaii

Montreal

A spa out on the water overlooking the old port. Beautiful views. Good at all times of the year.

Fine French dining. Best steak frites in Montreal. Stunning ambiance. Wonderful wine list.

Record shop with a really good selection and really good prices.

A book shop with graphic novels and modern novels - really special vibe here.

This cafe is the best, it feels like you’re walking into a cafe from the 1960’s. Wonderful atmosphere.

Small stalls and local farmers. A beautiful experience with all kinds of food to try.

The large orange globe with good drinks and hot dogs, a must see, especially in the summer.

Kabinet on a Thursday for jazz/tarot night. Cute cocktail club, try the rasputin. Datcha is the club side. Wednesday nights are best at Datcha or Thursday’s after-jazz tarot.

Blue Hawaii's Guide to Montreal

Eso Won Books is an independent Black-owned bookstore in Los Angeles, that actively champions African-American authors and has become a safe space for the community.

This is a Nigerian restaurant in Inglewood! Their okra stew! It's so spicy. I would go here and make sure to have a couple hours to spare, because sometimes it takes a while to get your food.

Inspired by thrifted clothing and 90s pop icons, Phlemuns has made waves in the LA fashion scene since its inception. James Flemons ultimately seeks to bring people together through not only his clothes but the creation of community.

ComfortLA started as a late-night, pop-up restaurant taking a clean approach to soul food. They use locally sourced, fresh and organic ingredients and healthier cooking methods to create top-notch, Southern cuisine including " Cousin Kina's Mac ‘n’ Cheese," Clean Mean Greens" and their signature "Organic Not Your Average Fried Chicken" with “That Sauce.

This is a really good breakfast, lunch, dinner soul food restaurant in Inglewood and they play great r&b!! I love their pork chops and free mimosas on Sunday I believe ;) Get there early because it gets pretty crowded

Delicious egg bread french toast! Beautiful memorabilia. This space used to be the spot many artists, poets, and black panther party members gathered at to hold open mics at in the 1960s.

Messob, the family-run Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax. A meal at Messob is like eating at home with your friends, because your mom’s in town and offered to cook.

The best shrimp and grits in Los Angeles.

Jackfruit Cafe is a West Los Angeles vegan restaurant that specializes in Jackfruit offering delicious, healthy bowls, tacos, burritos and salads.

The finest Chai in LA. Enjoy a cup of true bohemian coffee experience, or a quick espresso shot on the go. Any drink can be served ice cold.

Owned by Chace Infinite, this hidden gem of a coffee spot serves a mean matcha latte along with delicious vegan donuts. Hit their IG bio for opening times and services available at the moment.

A chill storefront spot serving Caribbean dishes such as jerk chicken, oxtail and curry shrimp.

Senegalese entrepreneur, Marianne Ndiaye, takes pride on using only Organic Fair Trade soap and shea butter from Mali and Ghana. These homemade products are made using an old family recipe to soften the shea butter and all scents are natural extracts from fruits and flowers.

An espresso bar with light bites and an adjoining production studio with events. Storefront pick up and limited outdoor seating available.

Found in n the Hyde Park area of South L.A., Kelli Jackson stepped away from a career in art to take over the family business. The market works with partners including the L.A. Food Policy Council, the local arts community, and the national restaurant chain, Sweetgreen, in pursuing a vision that combines healthy food and community empowerment.

Opened in 1984, owned by Percell Keeling and found in the heart of LA, this food spot attracts customers all over for its tasty nutritious food featuring authentic Jamaican fare. They have a strong community value and aim to enhance the quality of life and the health of their neighbours.

A concept shop and creative space curated by Blackness, POC and a few good allies. Founded by LA-native creative director Jazzi McGilbert, who also identifies as queer, she founded the shop as a labour of love, inspired by Jazzi’s best friend/mom, Joyce “Neicie” McGilbert, who passed away in June 2018 at age 57, and her own experience as a young Black creative in Los Angeles.

Founded by Marquise Miller, an LA native, Millersroom shows to be one of the most coveted vintage suppliers in the city. This idea was birthed to fulfill his desire to share his keen eye for fashion, film, art, elevated staples, and everything in between. All garments and objects are sourced from all over the world by himself.

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