Julia Sarr-Jamois is making waves for Spring 2012. First, she starred in Tibi’s campaign for the season and now she is one of the faces of Barneys New York’s “Tree Time” campaign. Shot by famed photographer Mario Sorrenti and styled by Melanie Ward, Julia wears a slew of high-fashion looks from The Row, Marni, Giambattista Valli and Balenciaga.
She also dishes on her style in a video for the campaign.
Other stars of the campaign include blogger Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes, model/rock singer Sybil Buck, graphic designer/fashion art director Sofia Sanchez Barrenechea and model/musician Sarah Ruba, among others.
• Franca Sozzani, the lone Vogue editor who actually cares about black folks, told Stylite she is working on a L’Uomo Vogue issue dedicated to Africa. The editrix has already helmed the iconic all-black issue of Vogue Italia, and a previous African-themed issue of L’Uomo. She says this upcoming issue will be quite different from the last: “It will be about the presidents, it will be about the people. But in a very positive way. I don’t want to say in a glamourous way, but I wanted to show the best side, but only the good side. There are a lot of talents, a lot of talented people in art, in music, in cinema and everywhere. So I really wanted to push that side.” Since most of the world thinks Africa is one big war-torn safari, I can get on board with Franca’s attempts to help dispel this stereotype. (Styleite)
• It seems full-figured divas are having a moment this month. Adele is the cover girl for American Vogue, and now ELLE France has unveiled its March issue, featuring full figured model Tara Lynn. This isn’t Lynn’s first time covering a major print publication. She joined two other models for Vogue Italia’s June 2011 editorial Belle Verve, that sumptuous spread featuring curvaceous models lounging in opulently decorated boudoirs. While a little diversity in these glossies is always welcome, this plus-sized thing seems to be a bit of a novelty to these publications. (Daily Mail)
• Lifestyle Mirror is a new luxury shopping site started by Emanuele Della Valle (son of Tod’s president and CEO Diego Della Valle) and photographer Francesco Carrozzini. The site has an editorial section focusing on the frivolities enjoyed by the fashion set: food (for those who dare to eat), music, culture, art, and travel. Each month, the site will feature a noted fashion figure, and to kick off their new venture, Della Valle and Carrozzini have chosen none other than beer heiress and fashion muse Daphne Guinness. Watch her talk about her love for ’60s tunes, what she’s reading, and of course, and how she “glides ’round the edges of the fashion industry.” (Stylefile)
• Dara Adeeyo, a writer for Cosmopolitan, pens an open letter of sorts discussing the lack of black faces in the fashion industry, and how she feels particularly excluded as a plus-sized woman of color. While she doesn’t seem to see the near-absence of racial diversity as much of a problem, “The lack of representation of blacks in the fashion industry is an issue that I’m not sure is of dire concern,” she does take issue with the industry’s refusal to be more accommodating to larger women. She recalls a fashion show she recently attended: “The show…had sophisticated, cool dresses I could personally see myself wearing…if I were a size 2. Needless to say, not seeing a full-figured woman walk down the runway in a designer’s creation does make me wonder if I could ever wear their clothes and if they are even thinking of me, the average-sized consumer. And if they’re not thinking of me or anyone else I know, exactly WHO are they thinking of?” (StyleCaster)
In a a recent article, Elle France writer Nathalie Dolivo attempts to delve into the world of black fashion, writing that black women use fashion as a ‘political weapon,‘ and have ‘returned to style as a source of dignity.’
Citing the Obamas as the inspiration for this “ black fashion renaissance,” Dolivo says, “Michelle Obama sets the tone, focusing on cutting-edge brands….revisiting the wardrobe of Jackie O in a jazzy way.” She continues to write that while black women in the 30′s wore flapper dresses, and women in the 60′s were inspired by Angela Davis, black women of 2012 constitute a ‘black-geosie‘, integrating all the ‘white codes‘ of dress while adding twists like african print turbans and shell neckaces (!!!). Her ethnographic research admittedly caused an uproar amongst Elle France readers, who wrote, “[This is] GROTESQUE, SHAMEFUL, and USELESS. White dress codes? Did I really read white dress codes..?” Another fervent reader said, “You really think we waited until the Obama’s to know style and let go of our ‘streetwear’ proclivities?” while another wrote, “How, in 2012, in a France where there are at least three million blacks and mixed people, can you write such nonsense? You are too kind when you write that in 2012 we have incorporated the white codes…what do you think, in 2011, we dressed in hay and burlap bags?” And the comments went on and on and on. Dear Magazines: This is what happens when there are no black people on staff. It’s really crazy to think this woman believed black people, particularly African Americans, didn’t start ‘dressing up’ until Michelle Obama. This poor journalist clearly didn’t do any research at all; didn’t see the impact of the Supremes and Diana Ross in the 50′s, 60′s, and 70′s, the wardrobes of TV starlets like Clair Huxtable in the 80′s, the sartorial impact of everyone from Salt N Pepa to TLC to Aaliyah in the 90′s and naughts. The truly flustering passage was when she attributed black modern dress to white dress codes, then ventured to say we ‘afro-centrize’ our looks with shells and ‘boubous’. Some of us do, some of us don’t. We are not one monolithic group to be written about like zoo animals.
• A documentary on the first black models to walk the high fashion runways is currently in production. Versailles ’73: An American Revolution will focus on the stories of black models like China Machado, Bethann Hardison, Pat Clevland, and more, and their experiences of breaking into a fashion industry that was even more whitewashed than it is today.
Pat Cleveland
The documentary will be finished in March. We’ll let you know when it comes out! (Coco + Creme)
left, J.W. Anderson, right, Mark Fast
• ALDO Rise teamed up with four up and coming British designers, Mark Fast, J.W. Anderson, and Justin Thornton and Thea Bragazzi of Preen on a limited edition shoe collection, now available at Selfridges in London. If you’re not in the UK, don’t worry, ASOS.com will have them come February 22nd, and the whole collection will be in ALDO stores worldwide starting March 8th. (UK Telegraph)
• Yesterday, we took part in the protest against the SOPA and PIPA legislation, which if put into law would allow copyright holders and the U.S. government to seek legal action against websites they feel are guilty of copyright infringement. The Obama administration sent out an email to his supporters reassuring everyone that the upcoming legislation on online piracy will indeed not suppress the open internet. “Over the weekend, President Obama’s administration said that legislation addressing online piracy is needed this year — but it will not support any bill that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the global internet. Answering thousands of Americans who signed petitions asking the President to protect the open and innovative internet, the administration laid out what they will — and will not — accept when it comes to addressing online piracy. Folks spoke out on this issue — and President Obama listened. Stand with the President in support of a free and open internet” At least he’s on our side!
• PETA is railing against Completely Bare spas, owned by Housewife alum Cindy Barshop. The spas offer “the foxy bikini,” a special treatment that replaces your natural coarse and curlies with a landing strip of glorious fox fur. While I usually don’t side with PETA, I can absolutely see why they are outraged about this frivolous use of animal fur. However, I’m more upset that people are spending $235 for a swatch of fur that not only has 0 function, but stays on for only three days. This is why we hate the 1%. (Today)
• Forever 21 is being sued again, this time by their own employees. Five former workers are filing a class action lawsuit against the fast fashion retailer, claiming they were forced to continue working off the clock and denied lunch breaks. (HuffPost)
• Our favorite it-girl Solange Knowles shares photos of the European vacation she forgot to invite us on. Next time, Solo, next time. (My Damn Blog)
Wonderland magazine editor Julia Sarr-Jamois is having a fabulous 2012 so far. After ending last year nabbing a spot on Vogue‘s best dressed list, she made a splash this month at Men’s Fashion Week in Milan walking in the Alberta Ferretti demi-couture show alongside fellow it-girls Solange Knowles and Oroma Elewa. It seems the street style guru has no intention of slowing down in 2012 with her latest project as the face for Tibi’s Spring 2012 campaign.
Past ambassadors for the Tibi brand include socialite Olivia Palermo. It’s wonderful to see a woman of color representing the brand–someone who is beautiful, and a true tastemaker in the fashion industry.
• I might be more excited about this than I should, but Beyoncé may be giving birth this very moment to a baby girl. Media Takeout is reporting that St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in NYC is preparing for a “Celebrity VIP” to come and deliver her baby in the hospital’s “deluxe labor suite,” the same suite where Alicia Keys had her baby. While we question the credibility of this ‘reporting’ (it is Media Takeout), we hope the birth (whenever it happens) goes smoothly, and that she and her baby are happy and healthy at the end of it all! (Media Takeout)
• Kanye West‘s fur laden Spring 2012 collection for his DW label will not be the last of Yeezy’s high fashion offerings. Grazia reports that the rapper is planning on moving to London in order to focus on his fashion career, and work on his next show for Paris Fashion Week in March. We’ll see how that one turns out. (Grazia)
• Lil’ Kim tweeted this promo photo for her upcoming album, coming in 2012. Though she is hardly menacing in this furry pom pom boob turtleneck, it’s interesting that she’s choosing to release an album the same year as Nicki Minaj. We’ll see how this develops over 2012! (Lil’ Kim Twitter)
• The Louboutin v. YSL court case just won’t die. After losing the case itself in August, Louboutin’s people appealed in October, saying that the presiding judge had committed “errors of law” in his judgement. In a brand new slew of barely understandable legal jargon, YSL has fired back, saying that Louboutin’s appeal is an “abuse of discretion” and the original ruling “falls within a range of permissible decisions.” (WWD)
• Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are engaged as of this weekend! The R&B singer proposed to Teigen over Christmas vacation in the Maldives. Congratulations to the gorgeous couple! (Global Grind)
While we’ve been debating on whether or not Rihanna is Fashionista of the Year, Dutch Magazine Jackie has its own title to bestow on the pop diva: the Ultimate ” Niggabitch.”
The magazine references Ms. Fenty’s “street cred,” and “ghetto ass” as top qualifications for this award, saying she “displays that gladly, and for her that means: what’s on can come off. If that means she’ll be on stage half naked, then so be it.” They also refer to Rihanna as “Jamaican,” because in their world, Jamaica and Barbados are the same place, as they are Caribbean islands where black people with funny accents live. We don’t need to break down this language to know it is rife with ignorant racist imagery. It’s offensive (albeit unsuprising), and filled with misguided ideas about what it means to exist as a black person in the world.
Rihanna showing what a true "niggabitch" is made of
The magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Eva Hoeke issued an apology saying: “I can be brief about this: this should have never happened. Period. While the author meant no harm — the title of the article was intended as a joke — it was a bad joke, to say the least. And that slipped through my, the editor-in-chief’s, fingers. Stupid, painful and sucks for all concerned. The author has been addressed on it, and now I can only ensure that these terms will no longer end up in the magazine. Furthermore I hope that you all believe there was absolutely no racist motive behind the choice of words. It was stupid, it was naive to think that this was an acceptable form of slang — you hear it all the time on TV and radio, then your idea of what is normal apparently shifts — but it was especially misguided: there was no malice behind it.We make our magazine with love, energy and enthusiasm, and it can sometimes happen that someone is out of line. And then you can only do one thing: apologize. And hope that others wish to accept it. From the bottom of my heart I say it again: we never intended to offend anyone. And I mean that.”
You can try to make the argument for a bad translation or a misunderstanding of American culture and the use of and history behind that word, but it is a feeble one as western (and other) societies are well aware of the hurt those words carry for black people, especially in this country. To use the age-old trope “but black people use it,” is, to say the least, a cop out, as I am positive many of these people wouldn’t dare use the homosexual slur “faggot” although some homosexuals use the word within their community.
Furthermore, there are a number of people involved in the publishing of a magazine. This copy is something that was undoubtedly seen by several editors, layout people, etc. The ‘ol “oops it slipped through my fingers” non-excuse is a little insulting because, if we’re going to believe that the Editor in Chief was unaware of the situation, that means all the other people who saw this didn’t care, or worse, just see us as a bunch of “niggabitches” anyway.
But at the end of the day, there is no way to use a loaded and offensive word and not mean to be offensive. Period. While I wish I could describe this as a teaching moment, these blatantly racist things happen so often, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before something equally racist and offensive happens again.
What say you? Do you think the writers and editors really didn’t see how this would offend anyone?
New York Times writer Simone S. Oliver recently penned an article titled, “Designers Take a Fresh Look at Africa,” where she discusses Arise magazine editor Helen Jennings’s new book New African Fashion.
The book takes a look at the diverse interpretations and manifestations of ‘African’ design, and also counters the stereotype that African fashion is solely comprised of traditional prints, cowrie shells, and beads. Oliver writes, “While there is no single way to describe African style, the fashion industry tends to favor characterizations that too many people say smack of condescension.” She goes on to interview Jennings, who says, “Fashion is full of meaningless terms like ‘tribal’ and ‘urban,’ Like the word ‘exotic’ — it makes me cringe.” The piece underscores the myriad of ways ‘Africa’ can be represented in fashion–outside of the box many mainstream designers seem comfortable inhabiting.
A look from Burberry Prorsum Spring 2012
Oliver mentions two recent collections–Burberry and Michael Kors Spring 2012–that were seemingly inspired by African culture. While Michael Kors took us on an ‘Afro-luxe’ safari with leopard prints, tie dye, and rustic colors, Burberry amped up the volume with beads, bright colors, and a flurry of patterns.
Michael Kors Spring 2012
Burberry Prorsum Spring 2012
In some ways it seems harmless. Designers always pull inspiration from various countries and cultures, and parade their interpretations down the runway. Karl Lagerfeld’spre-fall collection for Chanel was clearly inspired by India, even though he’s never been there before. He told Women’s Wear Daily, “It’s the Paris version of the idea of India…It’s not a trip for documentation. I’m against reality. My life is already a reality show.”
Chanel Pre-Fall 2012
Even so, I can’t deny it feels a little strange when brands like L.A.M.B offer African inspired wares with exorbitant price tags to match.
L.A.M.B Spring 2011
Perhaps its the history of European and African colonization that makes every African inspired runway collection (from a luxury brand) feel like theft. And it makes me wonder why more African designers in general don’t get to offer their personal interpretation of their own culture on international runways. Lastly, are collections like Michael Kors respectful homages to African culture?
What do you think?
Read the full article here.
Photos via Vogue.com and Style.com.
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