You need to make your intentions clear to the world because the world is listening and when the opportunity arises you need to be ready. This is my second time in New York and I think I won’t be as overwhelmed as I was the last time and I am focused this time – I know why I am here this time. My time here is much more deliberate and we have help as well, from the people we met the last time we were here, they also saw the vision. I took SAA for the first time and the fares were more favorable compared to other airlines and they have a direct flight to New York. Besides having old movies and series as on board entertainment, I was satisfied with the flight and it was just 15 hours, so that was cool.
As soon as you land at JFK you just want to connect to Wifi and catch up on anything that’s happening in your world. I bumped into a number of South Africans at customs and I had a good catch up with Anthony Bila about being global and how the world is ready for us. As soon as I landed, I already had an 8:30am at the Entreprenuers Roundtable in Times Square which I unfortunately missed because of customs – I only left the airport at 9am and it takes about an hour to get to NY. So I decided to dedicate the morning to finding my hotel, we made a rookie mistake by booking in New Jersey instead of New York, but again it gave me a chance to explore NJ, perhaps do Hoboken. After getting settled in, I needed to figure out the public transport and find out schedules. Nothing helps you discover a new place like getting lost because you have no choice but to figure things out.
I got right into the swing of things and I attended a few meetings and I had the Harper’s Bazaar installation to attend as well. Honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve survived without my phone in NY because 80% of the time I didn’t know where I was and where I was going. The iPhone maps and Google maps makes more sense in the USA than it does here because maps helps you move around with public transport. It’s easier and cheaper to move around with public transport (Subway & Bus or walking) than it is to Uber. I arrived at the Harper’s Bazaar installation and they had booked out an entire apartment that was about 4-5 stories tall. They checked for my name on the list and I get ticked off and the guy instructs that I start from the top floor and move down and there is a store there. I am not one who understands all kinds of fashion, I just know and understand when something is good looking, interesting or bad looking, there are some clothes I found interesting and there was a lady on the 3rd floor who just makes women’s sleepwear, I found that to be quite interesting. There was the Little Words project there as well which was cool. Ended up chilling by the balcony at the back and I just took it all in, that I am here, I am finally doing New York Fashion Week. I was wearing a House of Ole leather jacket and a We Are Coming For Everything t-shirt which was monumental for me.
As I left the installation, I got the Harper’s Bazaar Kanye West issue which was a part of the goodie bag and I had to find my way to Times Square to meet up with a lady who represents Marvin in New York for a catch up meeting. My power bank was out and my phone was dying as well, I needed to find Starbucks to get internet and to charge the devices, but i didn’t have the plug for that side so I had to buy one around the corner for $5. We went to a place across the road and they actually check for your ID in NY hey, it was weird because it means you have to have your ID with you at all times even if you look like an adult just to get something as simple as flu medicine.
Writer: George Gladwin Matsheke