The Paper of Record’s Take on Bogota

We’re not the only one’s singing the praises of Bogota. Check out this extensive article from May 2010’s NEW YORK TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE for their impression of South America’s most happening city.

Experience the Ciclovia

Bogota is a world leader when it comes to innovative transportation policies. One of the most popular programs to reduce traffic is the Ciclovia. Check out the video above for more on this unique event.

Taking a Bite Out of Bogota

by Briana Campbell (@MsMatchGirl)

The best thing about traveling to a new place is getting to try all the fantastic food that you don’t get to eat on a daily basis.

You may know where to get the best Steak Frites in your city, but I guarantee you it’s nothing like the one you will have sitting outside a little Parisian cafe on Boulevard St. Germain. And, while I may love the Colombian place down the block from my Brooklyn apartment, and while it may be (and I’ve heard it is from many a Colombian ex-pat) very authentic – it’s still not in Colombia.

As someone who loves to try all kinds of new things, one of the things I was most excited about in the days leading to my trip to visit the Zemoga offices in Bogota was the chance to try food with the locals.

And they did not disappoint.

The one thing you probably know about Colombian food is the arepa – there are all sorts of places to get good ones in NYC. In Bogota, they are all good, and all different – be they warm and served as a side to your dish or in a basket with butter or salsa (like you may find rolls in the States) or arriving hot on a griddle, slathered in cheese, you have never had an arepa in the US like the ones you will find in a restaurant in Colombia.

While we were in Bogota, we were lucky enough to have an amazing tour guide in our fellow Zemogan, Beto. He loves the city and he loves good food.  All in all, not a bad guy to spend the afternoon walking around the city with. He made sure to take us to one of his favorite restaurants in Bogota, Casa Vieja – a beautiful old Colonial house, serving generous helpings of classic food.  He says it has the best Ropa Vieja (literally “old clothes”) – shredded beef with a tomato based Creole sauce – in town. Another favorite at Casa Vieja is ajiaco, a potato based soup served with capers and avocado on the side, to be swirled in as you desire.

Some of my favorite things from my tour around Bogota?

Kim and Fernando eating burgers the size of their heads at Galapago in Chia.

Ropa Vieja at Casa Vieja

Coca Cola made with cane sugar (also one of my favorite things about trips to Mexico).

Delicate calamari at La Esquina in the T-Zone.

A pint of Cajica Miel at the Bogota Beer Company

Ceviche at El Salto del Angel

Posta Negra at Gaira Cafe

Tiny salted potatoes at Andres Carne de Res

Food stands at Monseratte

Born in Bogota: Esteban Cortazar is Fashion’s Boy Wonder

Model Hanne Gaby and Esteban Cortazar for the Exito lookbook
Photographed by Jaime Rubiano, courtesy of Interview Magazine

By Kimberly Reyes (@CommDuCoeur)

What were you doing when you were 13?

While some of us were learning how to skateboard, getting braces, or hanging up posters of our favorite boy band, Esteban Cortazar was on a mission that took him to New York Fashion Week and put him right in front of American designer Todd Oldham and Bloomingdale’s (now deceased) Director of Fashion Kal Ruttenstein.  What unfolded in the years that followed was the promising career of one of the industry’s youngest and most talented creatives.

This fashion fairytale begins in Bogota, Colombia, where the first and only child of jazz signer Dominique Vaughan and artist Valentino Cortazar was born on May 17, 1984.  In 1995, the Cortazar family moved stateside, immersing young Esteban in the eclectic glam of Florida’s South Beach.

“Coming to Miami was a culture shock because I was able to see drag queens, I saw designers, I saw fashionistas, I saw so many things,” Cortazar told NPR in a 2004 interview, “I was just a little boy, but that’s all I could see!”

Inspired by his new surroundings, Cortazar quickly emerged as a young fashion force.  By the time he was a pre-teen Cortezar had established himself as a local style maven and landed his first professional gig as a window dresser for a vintage boutique.

In 1997, after receiving word that Todd Oldham would be in town launching a new store, the ambitious 13-year-old visited the location and presented his sketches to Oldham.  The iconic American designer was both impressed and intrigued by Cortazar, and invited the boy to attend his New York Fashion Week show as a special guest.  Cortezar was invigorated by the experience, and even staged a Little Red Riding Hood-themed runway show for his elementary school.  Cortezar’s 30-piece debut caught the attention of Beth Sobol, coordinator of Moda Miami/Miami International Fashion Week, and she included half the collection in a group presentation.

At age 19, Cortezar finally hit it big, launching his eponymous line for the Fall/Winter 2002 season under Kal Ruttenstein’s tutelage.  A direct result of his mentor’s tremendous faith in the hard-working rookie, Cortezar’s first ready-to-wear collection was displayed in the windows of Bloomingdale’s flagship store in New York.  Cortezar had plunged head-first into the fierce world of high fashion – and hasn’t looked back since.

As Cortezar’s skills matured, so did his attitude towards being a fresh face in a sea of established designers.  Right away, Cortezar’s sensible approach to competing with the big boys shone through, as he worked to obtain the perfect balance between creative innovation and commercial appeal.  Cortezar’s vibrant color palette and affinity for drapey, flowing fabrics quickly acquired a large celebrity following; Cortezar caters to an impressive roster of A-list clientele that includes Eva Longoria, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Amber Valletta, Kim Cattrall, Beyoncé, Ashanti, and Paris Hilton.

By 2005, Miami Beach awarded Cortezar with keys to the city, and he was featured in the pages of W, Vogue, and the New York Times.

In 2007, Esteban Cortazar made headlines all over the world when House of Ungaro tapped him to be their new Creative Director.  Just a month after accepting the position, Cortezar announced that he would be parting ways with the struggling haute couture label due to a professional conflict.  The conflict’s name was Lindsay Lohan, whom Ungaro appointed as Artistic Director.  Refusing to be part of a PR stunt meant to revive the Ungaro brand, Cortazar quickly exited Ungaro’s revolving door of designers.

On July 26th of this year, Esteban Cortazar opened Colombiamoda, Colombia’s premiere fashion event.  His collaboration with local retailer Exito attempts to combine trends from the Paris and New York runways with the unique culture of his home country.  Cortazar’s comeback employed a rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic comprised of body-hugging leather and dangerously edgy cutouts.  Pops of color and busy prints that echo Cortazar’s Latin roots punctuate the outfits, while heavy layering suggests influences from Bogota’s mountain climate.

(Photos courtesy of Papayazi.)

When asked to discuss why Cortezar chose to mark his return with a collection for Colombian women, he replied:

“Women here are the epitome of what a Latin woman represents: flamboyant, sexy, feminine, curvaceous.”

Having achieved more by the age of 26 than most designers have achieved over decades, only time will tell what the future holds for the industry’s most talked-about young prodigy.

A City Rich in History

By Kimberly Reyes (@CommDuCoeur)

Back before Bogota became known as “The Athens of South America,” it was…well, The Athens of South America.

Bogota was a rich cultural and commercial center long before the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada even arrived.  The Muisca Confederation, one of the biggest and best organized confederations of tribes in South America, inhabited what was then known as Bacatá, meaning “planted fields.”

The Muisca Confederation was comprised of two sub-divisions: the northern Zaque whose capital was Hunza, and the southern Zipa, whose capital was the great city we now know as Bogota.  The Muisca economy was primarily based on agriculture and ceramics, and sports were an important part of their culture.  The Muisca people enjoyed two main sports: an early form of Tejo, which involves throwing a discus at a stationary target, and wrestling.

Gold was abundant in the region, and was a common part of everyday Muisca life.  The Muisca would craft single-piece items, from jewelry to containers to religious offerings, using a lost-wax casting technique with a clay mold.  A religious ceremony would take place at the sacred Guatavita Lagoon, where a young man sprayed in gold would be carried out by a raft to the center of the lake, marking his graduation to a new status within Muisca society.  Little known fact: the myth of El Dorado, or land of gold, spawned from this ritual – it is said that the natives would provide misleading directions to the fictional city to throw off the settlers.

On August 6, 1538 (that’s exactly 472 years ago today!), the first mass was held in a straw hut in a village of Santa Fe.  Although the mass was preceded by a series of Spanish invasions, and the establishment of an urban center was already well underway, this occasion marked the official birth of Bogota.

In the years since Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada’s conquest, Bogota has flourished into a mecca for arts and education in Colombia.  The city of Bogota is one of contrast, with an architectural landscape that both celebrates the city’s colorful history, while thrusting it into a bright future.  Its geographic location makes it the perfect hub for international markets to converge, and the city boasts a wealth of diverse, well-educated, and highly-trained talent.

From Bogota with Literature: The Life of a Famous Colombian Writer

By Kimberly Reyes (@CommDuCoeur)

On Friday, Briana announced that she and I would flying down to Bogota in a few weeks.  Even though we’ll be there on business, I couldn’t help but write up a dream itinerary of historical sites, restaurants, and other landmarks I want to hit up on my first–but surely not last–trip to Latin America.  Naturally, this self-proclaimed bookworm has the Poetry House on Calle 13 at the top of her list, the infamous site where writer José Asunción Silva ended his young life.

José Asunción Silva is arguably one of Colombia’s most important poets, often credited as one of the founders of Latin modernist poetry.  Drawing inspiration from Edgar Allen Poe, Silva exchanged traditional poetic structure for a more chaotic approach, an approach that echoed his tormented life.Silva was born in 1865 in Bogota to doña Vicenta Gómez and don Ricardo, a prosperous importer.  Although he enjoyed a wealthy and privileged childhood, Silva’s academic excellence and aristocratic nature made him a target for schoolyard bullying, and earned him the nickname ‘José Presunción’ (José Presumption).

In addition to being tormented at school, Silva’s family life was filled with tragedy: an uncle committed suicide, his grandfather was murdered, and by ten years old, Silva had witnessed the deaths of three of his five siblings.

As a young man, Silva travelled to Paris with his great uncle, where he was exposed to the poetry of Charles Baudelaire and the philosophical writings of Auguste Comte and Arthur Schopenhauer.  Silva even met symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé and symbolist painter Gustave Moreau while in Paris. However, his immersion in European literature came to a halt when Silva’s father passed away, leaving him in charge of a failing business devastated by the Colombian Civil War.

Not more than four years after his father’s death, Silva lost his beloved sister Elvira and spiraled into a deep depression.  The emotional burden of facing a war torn country and his inheritance of severe debt and numerous lawsuits forced Silva to abandon his responsibilities in Bogota and accept a position as secretary of the Colombian embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.

While in Caracas, Silva was able to devote much of his time to writing, and produced his major work of prose, semi-autobiographical novel De Sobremesa, or After-Dinner Conversation.  However, Silva’s fortunes again took a turn for the worse when most of his major works, including the original manuscript of De Sobremesa, were lost in a shipwreck of the French steamer that was transporting Silva back to Bogota.

Back in Bogota, Silva attempted to recover from the devastation.  When he was not feverishly rewriting De Sobremesa from memory, Silva focused much of his energy on a new business venture: managing a tile factory that applied his patented hemical formula.

However, Silva failed to see the fruits of his labor, and after a mysterious consultation with his private doctor to determine the anatomical location of his heart, Silva shot himself in the chest on the evening of May 23, 1896 at the young age of 30.

Casual readers of Silva’s published works will immediately notice how the author’s adversities influence the language and themes of his writing.  Haunting night imagery, shadow, death, silence, and solitude emerge as dominant motifs throughout his poetry, demonstrated by the following passage loosely translated from his poem, One Night:

And my shadow
Projected by the rays of the moon
Walked alone
Walked alone
Walked alone along the lonely steppe!
And your shadow, lean and agile
Thin and languid
As in that warm night of the dead spring
As in that night full of perfumes,
Murmurs and music of wings
Came and went with her
Came and went with her
Came and went with her
Oh the shadows entwined!
Oh the shadows that look and join in the nights of blackness and tears!

The passage also contains references to wings, flight, chanting, and whispering; found throughout Silva’s work, these images give his pieces a solemn religious tone.  Combined with fantastic, magical scenery, the author is almost in prayer, begging for divine release from his earthly troubles.

A Poe-inspired theme can be found not only in Silva’s poetry, but in his novel De Sobremesa: that of the beautiful, young, and deceased woman, which is perhaps drawn from Silva’s fixation on his sister Elvira.

After discovering this iconic Colombian poet, I will no doubt spend the next few weeks leading up to my trip to Bogota researching more about José Asunción Silva’s tormented life and reading and analyzing his body of work.  I gladly welcome comments and suggestions from anyone familiar with Silva’s writings, or anyone who wants to contribute to my Bogota trip itinerary!

For additional information, check out the following links:

Jose Asuncion Silva’s Facebook Page
Preview of DeSobremesa on Google Books
José Asunción Silva on Poetry International Web

The Downtown Location – Andres DC

By Sven Larsen (@zemoga)

Our favorite place in Colombia, Andres Carne Des Res, has finally expanded it’s operations with a new branch in downtown Bogota. While nothing can match the experience of dining at the Chia based original, the baby version of Andres is still something special. And a great place to get a taste of this unique Colombian cultural icon if you’ve only got a few hours in Bogota (I’m looking at you Chris Brogan!). Check out the pictures below for a sampling of the Andres DC experience!

A beacon in the Bogota night.

The Entrance to the new Andres.

What awaits within?

The amazingly decorated interior of the restaurant.

Another shot of the interior.

The amazing bar.

Every table has it’s own signage!

Even the wine bottles are branded at Andres!

The End Result – Customers who feel like KIngs!

More on Andres Carne De Res

Andres Carne De Res is a de rigeur stop for anyone visiting Bogota for the first time. And it’s easy to become overwhelmed when you are presented with an entrance like this:

Or food like this:

But with repeated visits, the initial spectacle makes less impact. What continues to impress though is the attention to detail. Andres makes sure that something as simple as an informational sign becomes a piece of art:

And that every part of the restaurant/bar/experience is filled with beautiful art, exciting imagery and engaging content:

While there’s now a downtown location, nothing beats the experience of the original Chia based restaurant.

Andrés Carne Des Res- The Basilica of Beef

I have been fortunate enough to travel plenty in my life. I take a lot of pleasure in discovering the little gems that cities tend to hold close to their chest, so as not to be spoiled. But no single venue has had as enormous an effect on me than a location in a small town North of Bogotá called Andrés Carne de Res. Alejandro first introduced me to ACR on my first visit to Colombia in 2004.It is one part traditional Colombian fare, 3 parts art gallery, and a pinch of nightclub all finished with a garnish of theatrical whimsy. The decor alone is worth the trip.

I have on many occasions tried to explain to my fellow gringo’s, the special hysteria associated with this popular destination but words do not do the experience (or the food) justice. This magnetic power that “Andrés” has over me and millions of others has made it our location of choice for Zemoga celebrations. Well…OK…my choice.

It can get overwhelming. But that is understandable since this carnival of salted meat and candied mayhem started as a simple street side outpost in 1982 in the heart of a town called Chia. (No relation to the pet).

Andrés Jaramillo is the proprietor of a destination that has evolved into a cacophony of visuals for the diner, or what I like to call the “rumberos”… depending on your arrival time and particular fancy. Andrés Carne De Res has become THE destination for all “Rollo’s” (The Colombian nickname for a person from Bogotá)…regardless of age. They dine on specialties like Ajiaco con Pollo, a traditional stew and Lomo de cerdo, one of my favorite beef dishes.

The most attractive component of Andrés is the art that hangs not just on the walls  but in every corner and on every beam that holds this open-air barn  together. Each piece is a reinvention of some utilitarian item that had already existed, and has since been discarded. Nothing is off limits including tires, typewriters and bottle caps. These are repurposed and coupled with  steel, wire, paint and wood. The craftsmanship is uncanny and the items beg the viewer to look more closely to discover their original form before Andrés and his crew of 50 odd artisans got their hands, and their torches on them.

An overwhelming visual theme that works it’s way into a majority of the art is the seamless inclusion of religious iconography, mostly renaissance imagery of angels, the Virgin, and the Christ Child. You would think that this might cause some consternation in a Catholic country like Colombia. But the tasteful way Andrés weaves the imagery into his creations makes perfect sense, as if the old discarded items have been blessed by his hand with a new life and purpose.

On a recent visit in 2007, I had the pleasure of sharing several Aguardientes at the Andrés altar…I mean table. Our financial team member Carlos Pardo accompanied me (it seems that Carlos caught the eye one of Andrés female friends). The ensuing conversation revealed to me a quiet man who at first had little to say. It must have seemed like his worst nightmare, the intrusion of another foreigner into his temple. But after a few words he opened up, and agreed to sign a few books on the restaurant for Zemoga. I was surprised when he paused and said he did not know what to write. I commented that his creative talent must have some application in the written word. His response is in my book. “Andrés, poet on the walls”

-DJ Edgerton

For more information on the restaurant and to get a feel for the aesthetic and food, visit the website at www.andrescarnederes.com

Call it the “FT” Zone

How do you know your headquarters are based in a city on the rise? When a London based newspaper devotes significant space to the revival of your colonial core. Check out the FT’s coverage of the revival of Bogota’s La Candelaria district!

FT.com / Weekend / House & Home – A flame rekindled.