Preaching To The Choir

Liya, Iman, Bethann and Naomi at the first event in Sept. '07

It can never be said that Bethann Hardison doesn't try. On Wednesday evening, the mother of Kadeem "Dwayne Wayne" Hardison hosted yet another symposium on the lack of Black models on the runway. Held at NYC's swanky Bowery Hotel, Hardison succeeded in getting folks fired up (for the third time) over the industry's lily white fashion shows.

The audience was filled with a unique (Damon Dash was in the house with rapper Jim Jones) mix of fashion's movers and shakers -- designers, model agency owners, casting agents, stylists, journalists and models. The latter even had the opportunity to voice their opinions on the topic. Two gorgeous young women gave their first-hand accounts of what an aspiring model of color is facing in 2008. Get this -- one recounted for the room how she was strongly advised to get a nose job when first entering the game! Andre Leon Talley was there in spirit (his body was in Chicago assisting with Obama's campaign) as Hardison read an uplifting message from the longtime Vogue editor about diversity. Wonder when we'll see more diversity within the pages of Vogue. The evening proved to be quite colorful but led to a predictable round of the blame game. The designers blame the stylists. The stylists blame the casting directors. The casting folks blame... you get the point.

However, optimism filled the air when the president of Elite Models pledged to donate $1,000 towards Hardison's next event. That was a nice gesture. I think that because Hardison (a former model and agent herself) was courageous enough to begin this conversation, some influential people at the very least are starting to think about why there are so few models of color in the forefront of mainstream fashion. But I must confess that I still don't feel "asking" the industry to increase the number of Black models on the runway is the move in 2008. At least a few folks in attendance appeared to agree with me. I'm also not looking to return to this "golden era" when Black models were all the rage. Pet rocks were all the rage at one point in time as well. We are not novelties.

My evening ended on a high note when I asked the stunning Jessica White to pose for a PPT pic and she happily obliged. Unlike the majority of our current models of color she is American born. The Victoria's Secret model was also quite gracious after I congratulated her on the prestigious Maybelline contract she recently scored.



I'll be attending shows for NY Fashion Week very soon and I'll certainly keep an eye out for Jessica and other models of color on the runways. Perhaps some of this preaching has indeed fallen on the ears of someone beyond the choir.

Bloggin' at The Met

Finally! I've been promising this one and here it is. The fashion exhibit at the Met was well worth the visit. The exact name is: blog.mode:addressing fashion. In a nutshell, the exhibit displays about 40 garments and accessories from the 18th century to present. Since everyone has (ahem) an opinion on style these days, the folks at the Met decided to allow visitors to blog on the exhibit while at the exhibit. A "blog bar" with about eight or nine laptops is stationed in the midst of it all for folks to express what they liked, disliked or were indifferent about in a public forum. Some of the posts will actually be compiled and packaged into a book. What a crafty way to make (even more)money, huh?

One of the standout items for me was a pink silk gown by Vivienne Westwood. I was drawn to it because she's known for her punk-inspired, over-the-top sexy numbers but this piece was soft and feminine in a traditional way. She keeps folks guessing and I admire that. I also really liked the red 18th century velvet men's blazer. Peep the pics of both below. Please excuse the darkness. This is the best my camera phone could do with the blah museum lighting. Other designers featured in the exhibit are Donna Karan, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons and Jean Paul Gaultier.





Curator Harold Koda told Women's Wear Daily that each of the pieces was selected because it raises a lot of questions. Hmmmm... I guess that explains these croco-embossed patent leather pumps also by Vivienne Westwood. Pretty hysterical, right? Fun Fact: these are the same shoes Naomi Campbell fell in on the runway a few years back. I decided to blog on them at the exhibit.



So if you're in NYC or plan to be in the near future; check it out. The Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute is scheduled to display blog mode until April 13th, 2008. And again folks, the Met is basically FREE!!! The admission fee is suggested; not required.

Our Sunday Best

I’ve been wanting to post on this topic for a long time. Actually, it’s something that fascinated me long before I even had a blog. That something is Black folks and how we dress for church.

I believe (I’m sure someone has written a thesis on this or something...) that Black folks traditionally dress up for church because during the times of slavery, Sunday was the only day our ancestors were allowed to wear what they wanted to wear. So attending church wasn’t solely to worship. It was a time to fellowship, catch up with folks and show off real personal style since most were very limited in what they could wear Monday through Saturday. Those people did what they had to do in order to make it through the unthinkable. Nothing short of genius in my opinion. And the fact that there are traces of this still present today is simply remarkable.



My maternal grandmother even had special handkerchiefs just for church. I am not implying that Black people did or do go to church for a fashion show. (Perhaps some do.) But, I truly believe that, for better or worse, we have passed this act on from generation to generation for the reasons identified above. During service yesterday, I took particular notice that an increasing number of people wear jeans and even sneakers to worship services at my church. I happen to attend what some people might describe as a "mega" church and many of the members are in their teens and early 20s. Even I wear pants to church now (my mother would have NEVER allowed me to growing up) and my work and church clothes often overlap. But I still make an effort to "dress-up" when I attend a church service on Sunday. Hey, it is what it is and I’m being honest.

There is no "kicker" for this post -- I just needed to get this off my chest. Do you guys still (consciously or not) dress up for church? Talk about it. C.J. - what’s your take on this?

Happy MLK, Jr. Day!

The Trip I Never Took That Changed My Life

Earlier today I paid a visit to the Met to view the fashion exhibit I was supposed to check out last week. The fashion exhibit was well worth it but that review will come later this week. In order to get to the fashion exhibit, I had to walk through the Egyptian one first. Now, the Egyptian section of the Met is truly one of my favorite places in NYC. As I made my way through, I remembered the story about Egypt below I never posted.

While perusing a magazine rack recently, I noticed a compelling coverline on an issue of Travel & Leisure mag: The Trip That Changed My Life. I then began to think about the trips (big and small) that made a significant impression on my own life. There’s a slew of them because I learn something every place I travel to. Some stuff certainly seems more profound than others but it’s knowledge all the same.

But soon after I thought about the trip that I didn’t take that changed me. Changed for the better too. God works in such mysterious ways…

It was 1994 -- my senior year of high school. A group of my friends were in a youth social organization called Jack & Jill. (I’m sure many of you reading this were Jack & Jill members.) Well, said friends were going on a big trip to Egypt to celebrate completing high school. Several chapters were involved and the trip was in the works for some time. About a month before their actual departure, someone apparently dropped out and I was asked if I wanted to take their place. I contemplated going initially, especially after my dear mother scrambled up the funds for my possible trip. But I had mixed feelings about the invitation that led me to reconsider going. I felt as though I was an afterthought, a charity-case even. I wasn’t in the loop from the beginning and didn’t want to seem as though I was "trying to fit in". I was not a Jack & Jill member, wasn’t in on the trip from the get-go and therefore I eventually said, "No".

My 17 year-old self didn’t have the wisdom to kick my pride to the curb. I didn’t know that visiting Egypt was an opportunity to walk on the soil where civilization began, take personal pics of the pyramids that still boggle the minds of anthropologists and view the place that the Sphinx calls home. I didn’t know that a decade or so later, I wouldn’t care in the least what my then peers thought about me. Now, some 14 years later, I haven’t a clue what I did that week during Spring Break when my friends were in Cairo. But I do know that I won’t allow my ego to ever get in the way of such a fabulous opportunity again. Ever. As an adult, I try to take advantage of any and every chance to travel to a new place. And when I do finally make that trip to Egypt (because I will), it will be that much more rewarding.

Bend It Like Posh

Dear Mr. Blackwell,

I recently learned that you included Victoria "Posh" Beckham on your Worst Dressed List.

Tsk, tsk.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why your list has become such a cultural phenomenon anyway. But then again, George Bush was elected into office twice. Well, you’ve certainly got a right to your opinion but I need to also give you mine. I know you’ll never read this letter but something about typing it is kinda liberating.

First off, Mrs. Beckham is a bad ass. Period. Fly as she wanna be. Unapologetically sexy. Take that, take that type of sexy. Forget Justin she brought it back for real. Yeah, she can afford to eat a cupcake or two. Of course she’s had work done. And no her vocal ability doesn’t wow me. But I so look forward to seeing pics of her out and about and I know I’m not alone. See, that boho, "I don’t really want you to think I care look" was getting sorta tired. Very tired in fact. There was something so refreshing about Victoria moving across the pond to L.A. and serving all her fierceness to the Uggs, "It" handbags and designer jeans, messy hair uniform wearers of La La land. Plus she manages to stay so fly while being a wife and mother. So what she has a nanny or two, or four?

Yeah, she might be a label whore, favor clothing that is typically tight, short or both but somehow she still manages to look classy and polished. And that is not easy to pull off. Look, this is coming from someone who thinks a tank top and boy shorts can be the epitome of sexy. Still I admire Victoria’s willingness to step out of the box and go slightly left. PC or not. I don’t know the lady, never met her in fact, but she always looks very comfortable in her (Botoxed) skin. Even in 5 inch heels she looks comfortable! It’s obvious that she enjoys dressing up and being the glamazon that she is. Right or wrong. Isn’t that what real style is about anyway? Being true to yourself? Victoria has discovered the silhouettes, designers and even haircuts that flatter her and she rocks with them. Yet she isn’t afraid to experiment with color, textures or even proportions. Now she is constantly wearing those Hollywood friendly oversized shades but hey on her; they do seem to work.

The most fabulous thing about the lady is that I highly doubt she’ll give a hoot about being on your list. In fact, it will probably only make her go harder. She just seems like she’s that chick. Yeah, style really does go way beyond clothes, Mr. Blackwell. I’m positive this footballer’s wife is gonna continue to flaunt her mini skirts and sky-high stilettos for many years to come.

All the best,
Bsquared

PS - Victoria Beckham is a very unlikely subject for a PPT blog post. But I had to throw my two cents your way.

Miscellany

Happy 2008! A gal is trying to accomplish a lot this year. (Don't we all start every year off with such sentiments?) I attempt to visit at least one new place annually and as I mentioned a few posts back, this year I hope to go to South Africa. Well, I just learned via WWD that Paul Smith recently opened not one but two locations in South Africa. The first was in the Jo'burg suburb of Parkhurst followed by a second in Cape Town on the prestigious Millionaire Mile of the V&A Waterfront. I'm pumped. Y'all know how I feel about Paul Smith. 'Ole Paul is not alone either. Chloe, Marni, Miu Miu, Missoni and Stella McCartney have apparently also set up shop in S.A. within the last few months. Now, before anyone goes getting their panties in a bunch, I am more excited about learning of new, raw talent when I do eventually visit South Africa. I'm so not that chick who goes to another country and shops at The Gap. The multi-colored straw fans I purchased at a market in Guinea, West Africa in '02 are hanging on my kitchen wall as I type. (They really compliment my purple kitchen.) Still, I am quite excited about one of my fave designers having two retail stores in a country I've been wanting to visit for the past couple of years. Let's just hope that South Africa doesn't resemble Disney World in the next decade...


Stayin' cool as a Guinean fan in '08

I would be remiss in mentioning Africa and not commenting on the craziness in Kenya. What the crap?! Sadly, I am not nearly as informed about the siutation as I need to be but one of my goals in 2008 is to become more aware of global news. Staying fly but being clueness about what is going on in the world has never been (and will never be) in style. In the meantime, my prayers go out to those who have been displaced, hurt or lost loved ones in this horrible ordeal.

Well, I'm off to the Met to check out The Costume Institute's new exhibit: blog.mode: addressing fashion. I will report back on it next week!

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.