Aloha Hawaii!

After my mini Asia tour last month, I ended the last part of the trip in Hawaii for my brothers wedding. It was nice to finally rest and sit still after having so many non-stop days of running around in Asia. Check out snippets of my trip…

JULY 14th-19th : HAWAII

My family rented a beautiful beach house in Kailua. I woke up to this every morning…

My sweet escape…Beach Babe For Life!

LOVE spending time and being silly with my nephews. They always make me SMILE.

My nephew Drew. I LOVE this picture…TOO TOO CUTE! Definitely a postcard image!

Awwww…my babies. They’re growing up so fast.

Went kayaking for the first time. It was fun until we tipped over. That was an experience!

When you’re in Hawaii you have to check out Hanauma Bay for the snorkeling.

The 2 divas in my life…Janet & Allison.

Not bad for my first time right? Yeah, I got skillz! Whoop! Whoop!

My lil’ bro’s big day…we couldn’t have asked for better weather!

Wedding day! My dates. Tuyet & Isi. It was great reuniting w/Tuyet in Hawaii. I LOVE her!!! She was one of the first members of YK Family. We missssss you Tuyet! Come back to NYC soon!

Sneak peek…YUMI KIM Bridesmaids dresses coming out Spring 2011! So Pretttty!

Love seeing my family so happy.

My friend Fernando having a good ‘ol time.

And there you have it…My lil bro is no longer a little boy. Sniff…Sniff…Sniff… Nope, I’m not crying because I’m happy for him…I’m crying because he beat me to it! Hahhaha…J/K!

I had such a wonderful time in Hawaii spending it with my family and friends. I’m definitely renting a beach house again in Kailua. Not only was it beautiful, it’s so quiet & peaceful there. Definitely good times. Xx

Ridin’ the SEOUL Train!

After all these years of traveling to Asia, I finally made a pit stop in Seoul, Korea. Wow, why did I wait so long?! I guess sometimes it’s better late than never. Check out my 2 days in Seoul eating and shopping my heart out!

JULY 12th-14th: 1st vist to Seoul, Korea!

Park Hyatt hotel, hands down one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at. Amazing service!

Dongdaemun area in Seoul. Garment buidlings & Shopping Markets!

I spent an afternoon sourcing in the garment district. Love that it’s so organized!

Decision time!

Love looking at new fabric developments. Inspired!

So many options…

Lunch time @ the garment center’s food court.

$6 for all this?! OMG, amaaaazing meal! Bugolgi Bibimbap! So freakin good!

Cute little shops in the local markets.

Gotta check out their public transportation. Super clean!

I love their train system…so easy!

Yeah, you can find men rockin prints outside of Hawaii! How cute right?!

My favorite soda!

I’m all about street food when traveling. I want to try everything!!!

Asia always has the best vending machines. So cute!

Dried squid + Cold Beer = Absolute Delight!

Last night in Seoul we met up with Woori (used to work @ YK Shop). Aww, she’s all grown up now!

Had an amazing time in Seoul! Have to say, it’s now moved up to be one of my favorite cities to eat (food was great everywhere!) and shop (sucks that I was a size LG in everything!) at in the world! So bummed I had only 2 days here. I’m definitely coming back soon! Next time around, I’ll do all the tourist stuff first before shopping. I can’t believe we spent an entire afternoon in Doota (my favorite shopping center in Seoul)! Till next time, Seoul – You Super Rock!!!!

Shanghai Surprise!

3 days in Shanghai…work + play + eat + play tourist = fun times!
Check out random pix from my mini trip back to Shanghai

July 9th-July 12th: SHANGHAI SURPRISE!

Vue Bar @ Hyatt hotel in Shanghai. Amazing view of The Bund!

We had a BLAST @ Bar Rouge!

Luxury brands are taking over Shanghai. As you can see, their motto “Big is Better!”

When in Shanghai, you gotta try Din Tai Fung’s famous soup dumplings!

What a way to kick start his 30’s….in Asia!

View of Pearl Tower at night from The Bund.

Night of Isi’s 30th Bday!

We stayed out so late to watch the World Cup. Viva Espana!!!

Shanghai, thank you for the memories. It’s been lots of fun, I’ll be back in a few years!

Shanghai Day II: Wuzhen & Tongxiang Visit

After visiting the silk factories, next stop was lunch in Wuzhen, ancient town in Tongxiang. One of my favorite stops during my Asia tour. Check out this cool town!

JULY 10th, 2010 : Wuzhen & Tongxiang Factory Visit

You have to take a small boat to get to the town.

The homes all looked like they’re from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!”

Isi taking it all in! He wants to live here!

Walking to our lunch spot. Cool stone pathways.

Cute little shops along the pathways…

Looking down, fishermen fishing in Yangtze river.

We found a cute mom & pop restaurants (in someone’s home!). Talk about fresh fish!

First time having this baby shrimp dish.

So small, but tasty!!!

She cooked the fish she caught for us! Check this dish out…so YUMMY!

Ok, back to the factory to work!

Our tour guides.

The locals chillin.

On my way to Tongxiang, I saw this outside my car window…wow!

Lunch is over. Back to work at the factory with Cathy. Going over samples and finished garments.

Less, my part-time fit model and technical designer. She’s adorable…LOVE her!

Jetlag starting to hit me. 8pm…I’m starting to fall apart!

The Art of Silk Printing

My 2nd day in Shanghai, I woke up early and commuted 2 hours outside of the city to meet with my silk vendors. It’s been a long time since my last visit, so I was pretty excited to check out my vendor’s new factory and see all the new silk developments. This was probably the longest day during my entire Asia trip. By the time I got back to my hotel I was so exhaaaaaausted!

JULY 10th, 2010: THE ART OF SILK PRINTING

It all begins with a silk screen. When the factory receive the art work, they make a screen for each color on a print! 5 colors on a print = 5 screens!

Colors are mixed and placed in buckets according to pantone colors or fabric swatch provided. I’m always amazed by how they match the colors so closely to what I picked.

MACHINE SILK PRINTING

Once the screens are made and colors are picked the first process begins with solid silk fabric placed in the machine.

Machine screening the fabric.

The air dries it along the way through the machine.

View from the end of the machine as the fabric comes out after being silk screened.

HAND SILK PRINTING
Once in a while when I give the factory a print with tons of colors, lots of details, or has a special fading technique which must be done by hand because it is too difficult for the machine to make. This is super cool. Check this out…

The guy was screening so fast! He’s silk screening a print for a scarf.

Quality control! Double checking and fixing all the little details!

It’s so fascinating to see this process!

Different sections of the factory…

Where all the screens are stored.

Finished fabrics.

This by far was my favorite part of the Shanghai portion of my Asia trip! I hope it will change the way you look at prints! Appreciate the hard work and time that goes into making your printed garments!

Shanghai Day 1: World Expo

Back in Shanghai…my first time in 4yrs!
First stop….World Expo!

JULY 9th, 2010- WORLD EXPO in SHANGHAI

The World Expo was HUUUUGE! People looked like ants!

All the buildings were so massive!

Inside Canada’s pavillion…

You never know who you will meet when you’re traveling.

Serbia pavillion.

A lot of funky architecture. Germany was one of them!

After all the walking we had to take a long break.

Inside Egypt…I felt like I was in a spaceship.

Celebs everywhere!

Italy had one of the biggest pavilions. It looked like a museum!

Inside Italy pavillion. Check out how cool this is…placed on the side of a massive wall.

USA’s pavillion…..hmmm. So plain….boring!

And this was USA’s presentation…mini film presentations. You serious?

WOW!

My new British friends!

Up close and personal…

Ooooh, guess who I ran into?

Inside UK’s pavillion.

Each stick made out of lucite.

Are we in a rap video?

France, one of my favorite exhibits.

As you exit France’s exhibit, you see this…

Another massive presentation…Russia!

Best part about the world expo was checking out all the cool architecture. Most of the exhibits were pretty cool, but I wouldn’t wait in long lines in the hot weather just to see a quick presentation.

After 6hrs of walking, we were exhausted. It’s definitely something you can’t do in just one day. Word of advice, walk the expo to look at the architecture. The popular pavilions average waiting time was 2-3hrs. Geeez! Thank goodness we hustled our way through the VIP line.

More info on the World Expo here!

Mission Stinky Tofu!

Last week, my friend Calvin dragged me to Queens to try stinky tofu for the first time. He was watching the Food Network Channel and it mentioned a restaurant in Queens known for stinky tofu. Being a foodie & a team player that I am, I said why not?! Let’s do it! We might as well check this off our list since we both have never tried it. 30 mins drive, and a few rounds of chinese food (of course we had to try other stuff while we were there!) later…check out our food tour of Queens.

Round #1: Shrimp Noodles- super yummy…but I’m sure it’s due to MSG overload.

ROUND #2: Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken- You know I am a fried chicken girl all day everyday!

ROUND #3: Chicken Dumplings-Good, but not great.

After searching up & down the street for 15mins, we finally found Gu-Shine Restaurant!

ROUND #4: Stinky Tofu!!! Yes, it does STINK! I think it tastes just like fried tofu, except it has a horrible stinky smell! I thought it was cool, but nothing to rave about.

I made Calvin eat all of it! He dragged me to Queens, he better eat every single stinky tofu!

Gu-shine Taiwanese Restaurant
135-38 39th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 939-5468

Johnny Nunez’s Bday Dinner!

I LOVE birthdays! Especially when it’s celebrating the life of someone I hold close and dearly in my heart. I’ve been blessed with the most amazing friends since moving to NYC, and one of those people is my photographer friend, Johnny Nunez. I have a hectic schedule, but I always make time for him. If I don’t see him once a week, I go through Johnny withdrawals. He makes me happy, always puts a big smile on my face, and gives the best advice on love, life, & the art of hustling!

JUNE 29th 2010: JOHNNY NUNEZ’S BDAY DINNER @ CO BA RESTAURANT

I hosted Johnny’s Bday dinner party at my friend’s new restaurant, Co Ba in Chelsea. Please go support it! YUMMY Vietnamese food!

The man of the hour…Johnny Nunez!

A lot of people came out to show Johnny LOVE! Thank you!!!

How did our “intimate dinner” turn into a big bday bash?!!!

We’re TEAM JOHNNY!

HAPPY BDAY JOHNNY!!!

J, I wish you everything your beautiful heart desires. You deserve it all! See you at the top!

Atmosphere…

A Team…

Cool bday gift from Noah!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY!
You spice up my life in so many ways!
I’m so thankful for your friendship, love, & all those crazy silly moments we’ve shared!
LOVE YOU!

XoXo,
Kim

Co Ba Restaurant
110 9th Avenue.
New York, NY
www.cobarestaurant.com

Shuck N’ Suck!

Wednesday evening I headed over to Southstreet Seaport for the opening night of the NYC Food Film Festival. The theme of the night was “SHUCK N’ SUCK”…which was a night of All You Can Eat Oysters! I am such a HUGE oyster fan, how could I past up this cool event?!! Check out my fun evening…

JUNE 23rd, 2010 : SHUCK N’ SUCK

Such a beautiful evening for an oyster party!

There were so many different kinds of fresh oysters…I was in HEAVEN!

We had an oyster eating contest amongst the 3 of us!

I can’t believe I ate 31 oysters!

We can’t say no to all you eat oysters and drinks! Major grub time! Isi = 37 oysters, the winner!

Moosh, you’re such a SUCKER…literally! She had 30 = LOSER! You owe us HOT POT dinner!

Yummy sides…

Films inspired by oysters…

Beautiful view at night.

Southstreet Seaport

I felt like a tourist in my own city. Such an amazing view at night.

I had a really nice time! So much better than I anticipated. The food was yummy, the contest was fun, and the movies were so cute! I can’t wait to go again next year!

www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com

I HEART PARIS!

2 weeks ago I woke up missing Paris. I don’t know what it was, or what happened, but I had this weird calling that it was time to head back to the city of lights, one of my favorite cities to visit. Being the spontaneous, live in the moment kind of girl, I said…”Why not?!” Made a couple phone calls and a week later off I went to Paris with my besties. Life is too short, you gotta live in the moment and live life to its fullest!

JUNE 18th-22nd: PARIS

Paris, you called and I came running! I missed you so much!

My diet went right out the door the moment I landed. 4 days of indulgence!

Arc de Triomphe in Champs Elysees.

We stayed @ a flat right next to Plaza Athenee (Carrie stayed here when she visited Paris in SATC)!

I’ve had many steak tartare in my life, but this by far was the best @ Le Petit Marche!!!

LOVE wandering into random alleys in Paris. You never know what you may find.

Living like a Parisian. Wine…Wine…Wine…24/7.

The city is so romantic!

So much personality in all the buildings.

Oh my, so many chocolate shops! I want to try everything!!!

Gotta always visit the Eiffel Tower when visiting Paris!

PARIS BY NIGHT!

My friend hooked it up for us @ VIP Room in Paris. LOVE this spot…so HOT! Thanks, Richard!

Partying like rock stars. So much funnnnn!

We were lucky to have met so many cool people in Paris. Moses, you’re the best! THANK YOU!

Moosh’s first time in Paris. Of course we had to make it memorable!

Oh, so Happpppy!

What a memorable night. VIP ROOM- you super rock! Amaaaaazzzing Time!

MONTMARTRE

I finally made it to Montmarte on my 4th trip to Paris. View of Paris from the steps….WOW!

Life is so much more sweeter when you have amazing friends!

Sacre-Coeur church in Montmartre

Inside there were so many candles lit….beautiful!

ME! & Moosh @ the steps of Sacre-Coeur church.

Cute Cafes…

So charming….love the cute shops!

Neighborhood in Montmartre

Cobblestone streets = death to designer shoes!

PLACES I LOVE TO HANG OUT AT IN PARIS…

LOVE the cool chill vibe of this hotel.

Janet with the Hostess with the Mostess!

The perfect ending to my trip…drinks at Plaza Athenee- best mixed drinks in Paris! Having my last “Carrie” moment. Mr. Big, where are you?

Paris, thank you for another memorable trip. You’ll always have a special place in my heart. Until next time…
XoXo,
Kim