CAN’T FORGET STYLISH MOMENTS OF 2007

Ever wonder why magazines are always “rounding up” the 20 Sexiest Men On The Planet? Or why cable television seems obsessed with those 10 Hottest Celeb Couples type of shows? Well, we seem to love ‘em. In media, lists always sell. They are easy for readers to digest and typically don’t require original artwork or footage. Simply put, they are inexpensive to produce.

So, is that the reason behind this post? Nah. It was just fun to write. Hope it is equally (or more) fun for you to read. HAPPY NEW YEAR! And don’t forget to leave a comment with your can’t forget moments of the year.

Rihanna: Bahamian Bombshell

Ella. Ella. Eh, eh, eh… Pop music at its finest. She’s not a top vocalist, songwriter or even performer by any standards; but this Def Jam protégé made sure that Umbrella wouldn’t be her only hit in ’07. Proving that long and blonde aren’t the only two hair options for an R&B diva, she officially brought the bob back for the masses. With the help of her fierce hairstylist Ursula Stephen, Rihanna kept her ‘do slammin’ whether she was rockin’ it curly, bone straight, with bangs or asymmetrical.







Beyonce: We Fall Down. But We Get Up.

I wasn’t buying The Beyonce Experience hype before watching her perform at the Essence Music Festival earlier this year. I’d observed Destiny’s Child in action live before and was unmoved. Well, now I am convinced she is the quintessential entertainer. All the more reason I was so happy of Ms. B during her YouTube debacle this summer. Yeah she fell but she got right back up and danced even harder. Never missed a beat. What sealed the deal was her interview with Lola Ogunnaike on CNN where she showed a rare moment of introspection. Of the now infamous fall, Ms. Knowles said, “It wasn’t the first time I fell on stage and it won’t be the last.” What an important mantra for life. Who knew Bouncy could be profound?



Angela and Vanessa Simmons: Reality TV Stars We Can Actually Be Proud Of

While most of the young, fabulous “It Girls” were checking in and out of rehab, getting arrested or trying to cover-up some sex tape, the daughters of Rev. Run were designing sneakers (their line Pasty debuted this spring), editing magazines and landing acting gigs on The Guiding Light. Blessed with the Simmons Hustle gene, these lovely ladies have even caught the attention of The Girl Scouts of America since the American institution requested them to be their spokesperson(s). By the way, I interviewed the duo for my full-time gig earlier this year and they were just as charming and down-to-earth in person as they appear on television. Thank goodness.



Kerry Washington: Lemme Upgrade You

She’s always been cute (remember Lift?), smart (she graduated from NYC’s Spence School for Girls) and cultured (Washington lived in India before taking on acting full-time). However, she wasn’t really on my style radar until this year. Now I always check for the Bronx native to see what she’s wearing. Whether she’s taking fashion risks like pairing a canary yellow belt with a sporty mini dress and red heels, giving all-out glam by rockin’ electric blue pumps with a sequined frock or keeping it sleek and sophisticated in a floor sweeping gown – Kerry is always so very… picture perfect!







Africa Rising: The Not-So Dark Continent

In 2007, the motherland seemed to be chic. For better or worse, everyone wanted to be associated to Africa in a philanthropic way. One of the most notable examples of this was the July 2007 issue of Vanity Fair. The Conde Nast pub dedicated an entire issue to Africa and had uber-photographer Annie Leibovitz shoot twenty completely different covers for it. Then they had Bono guest edit the issue. Cover subjects included: Jay-Z, Don Cheadle, Oprah, Iman, Barack, Madonna and George Bush. Yeah, that last one confused the heck outta me too. Bottom line, it was a gangsta (and quite memorable) move regardless of what the intentions of the issue were.