It’s the first day of October! Only a few months until the New Year…
While much of the East Coast is preparing for the onslaught of Hurricane Joaquin, stars are in Europe sitting front row at fashion weeks all around the globe, in California soaking up the sunshine, and more.
Let’s see what they wore this week!
We all know that Riccardo Tisci is a huge fan of Nicki Minaj and she a lover of his designs. She performed at Givenchy’s party during Milan Fashion Week in an embellished catsuit and over-the-knee boots. Would you expect anything less from Nicki?
Jada Pinkett Smith has been making the rounds during Paris Fashion Week! She took in the Chloé Spring 2016 show in a yellow trench, white tie-neck blouse, black trousers, and a $1,762 Faye Small Python Clutch from the iconic French fashion house. Hot!
While out and about in Beverly Hills, Karrueche Tran kept it cute and casual in a black crop top, sweater-inspired skirt, and colorful sneakers.
Before Balmain’s Spring 2016 show, Olivier Rousteing, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid stepped out for a night in the City of Lights. What’s not to like?
Even the most simple LBD looks chic on Victoria Beckham. Always flawless.
A black sheer inset turtleneck, $403 Tamara Mellon Fringed Suede Pencil Skirt, black leather pointed-toe strappy pumps, and a colorblock bag were Sophia Bush’s choices in the Big Apple. She’s been killing it in the style department this week!
At the Kanye West Concert, Rita Ora layered it with on her favorite Enfants Riches Deprimes beret, a black leather jacket, oversized white button-front shirt, colorful shoulder bag, plaid waist belt, and peep-toe booties.
Rachel Bilson has been spending most of her time with her daughter these days, but she stepped out for the Chanel Baby2Baby Dinner in a tweed frock from the fashion house. Good to see her out and about again!
A navy lace-up dress cinched at the waist with a wide black belt were on the menu for Priyanka Chopra while making an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Isn’t she gorgeous?
Maggie Q flaunted her toned gams at PETA’s 35th Anniversary Party in a black long-sleeve mini dress.
At Anthony Vaccarello’s Spring 2016 show, Leigh Lezark was clad in suede separates from the brand. I liked this!
Jessica Alba showed a flash of midriff on Watch What Happens Live in an off-the-shoulder crop top and high-waist pencil skirt. She should definitely wear more curve-hugging looks: her body is on point.
Queen Rania was the epitome of elegance at the First Annual Fashion 4 Development Ladies Luncheon in a lace LBD. I love her style!
Another Queen was in the building: Naomi Campbell that is. She was white hot in a zip-accented frock and contrast black strappy sandals. This might be the most demure look I’ve ever seen from her. Impeccable nonetheless.
Chris Collins repped for the fellas in an expertly-tailored grey suit and eggplant-hued tie. He’s kind of dreamy no?
Eva Longoria gave an edgy spin to the LWD at Variety Latino’s 10 Latinos to Watch Event in LA with a black leather bralette peeking through its low-cut keyhole, a black belt, and black ankle-strap sandals.
At the 2015 MOBO Nominations in London, Ella Eyre was unexpectedly pared-down in a calf-length LBD and pointed-toe strappy black leather pumps. Hot!
Closing out the week was Cara Santana who had her dog in tow while in West Hollywood. She accented a simple tee and denim with a red bag and white booties.
There are loads of shapewear brands around, but one of my favorites is Slim Girl Shapewear.
Slim Girl Shapewear aka 1800Cinchers has your traditional waist trainers, cinch leggings, tummy tuckers, and more, created to give you a flat stomach and an hourglass shape.
I spoke to Slim Girl Shapewear creator, Juliana, to discuss her brand, and why Slim Girl Shapewear is ahead of the rest.
She said, “It really did start when I was in college. I was shopping around and I didn’t have the flattest stomach. I liked tight clothes and when shopping around, I could never find something that was tight enough. And if I found something that was tight, it was uncomfortable and a little too bulky. I had already started an e-commerce business, and experimented with different types of shapewear, and decided to sell it.”
What makes Slim Girl Shapewear better than the competitors? “For lot of companies, it seems as though they have settled for products made in China, and quality has been compromised. We make our products in Columbia. We are in direct control of quality. Each item is strictly monitored. Any kinks come out in production. Every new line we come up with, we trouble shoot so we can fix problems.“
Her most popular product? The Tummy Tucker. She says, “They are not as bulky. They have zippers and don’t have latex. It’s really good for those who are allergic to latex. It’s very firm. I made the Tummy Tucker because I wanted something that I could wear underneath tight clothes. We have long torso options for those who are taller, and short torso options for those who are shorter. They will hold you in and they are very discreet because they have a zipper.”
A lot of people are critics of waist training. Is it safe? Juliana says, “We do see a lot of criticism, with people saying they squeeze your insides, it’s unhealthy, too restrictive. We hear all these criticism from people who have good intentions. What a lot of people are referring to are corsets. Waist cinchers are not corsets, they are made to take on a woman’s form. A corset has steel rods, they do no bend whatsoever. Waist cinchers have flexi wires. You can dance, you can jump, do sit ups, and run. Have you seen anyone running in a Victorian Corset? No! Waist cinchers are flexible and made specifically with the material that will make you burn fat faster. Latex helps you burn fat, there’s cotton so it doesn’t interact with your skin. Made in an hourglass form because we want an hourglass shape.”
Juliana, who grew up in Nigeria said, “When growing up, I did see a tradition where new mothers would wrap their belly with a cloth every day for a couple months. The idea was to squeeze the belly back to shape. Wrapping the cloth around did help her belly take its form again.”
In closing she says, Waist Training has been a great phenomenon. “The concept had always been there, and different cultures tried them out in different ways. The company has grown exponentially here in as well as in the UK and Africa. We are really growing.” To whit, they were featured on both The Real and the Wendy Williams Show:
Sex sells and no one knows that better than Olivier Rousteing. When he took the lead of the creative helm at Balmain four years ago, the French fashion house already had a built-in legion of fans—though they had indeed grown tired of the same old military-inspired jackets and rocker chic flair that then designer Creative Director Christophe Decarnin had made his signature. Rousteing’s Balmain was and is much more sultry: body-hugging silhouettes, skin-baring perforated designs, plunging necklines, and come hither hues. Not for the faint of heart by any means, his pieces make the women who dare to wear them feel good. Perhaps that’s why almost every best-dressed celeb has worn the brand since he’s come on board, or the fact that H&M has enlisted him for their latest designer collaboration.
As one might have expected, the female form was on display. The brand’s trademark crocheted frocks served up bohemian-inspired exposure of flesh, wide belts accentuated the models’ already slim waists, and cutout detailing gave added flashes of chiseled bod.
Netted and perforated skirts and long-sleeve tops were designed for a particular kind of Balmain woman: one who feels most comfortable in proximity to nudity. Risqué designs with cutout and crisscross detailing were not for fashion’s delicate set either: they were full-on sexpot with provocative caged sandals, embellished earrings, statement necklaces, and the collection’s sleek high ponytails as accents.
Balmain is not for the wallflower, thus whatever Rousteing serves up will always be quite strong in its approach. That intensity and power was juxtaposed with the ease and smoothness of the textures and color palette. Nude, beige, and camel tones made sheer skirts, dresses, and shirts appear more approachable, while supple suede and silk turned lace-up cropped numbers and transparent trousers from unabashedly carnal to exciting.
Rousteing turned up the glitz with crystal-adornment on netted pencil skirts and dresses, so you’ve been warned: the sheer dress trend will be continuing on until at least Spring 2016. Ruffles also injected a dose of whimsy and playfulness on a strong-shouldered crop top, floor-grazing trousers that won’t be complimentary to every frame and figure but whose movement was a sight to behold, and cascading maxi skirts that were perfect for dramatic red carpet flair.
Some of his most notable clients include that of the Kardashian-Jenner family, thus there was no surprise that so many of the looks at hand seemed as if they’d fit right into Kim’s post-pregnancy wardrobe. There’s no telling if one of the family’s stylish members will again show up in the fashion house’s next ad campaign, but we’re at least certain they’ll be sporting the assortment almost immediately.
Was there anything entirely new here for the fashion house? Not quite. But we’re absolutely positive that the #balmainarmy is already noting down their must-haves from the collection. It’s also fun to see the way Rousteing will push the envelope each season. Here’s to counting down the weeks until someone wears one of these designs to their next movie premiere or high-fashion fête.
Yearn to see yourselves on newsstands? Hannah Magazine is a bi-annual glossy that aims to speak to the diversity of black women.
Visit their website HannahMag.com to get a preview of what you can expect in the hard copy: beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and even home decor.
The team over at Hannah is currently having a Kickstarter to raise funds for their inaugural issue.
The mag’s Editor-in-Chief Qimmah Saafir, who sharpened her skills writing and fact checking for national magazines says, “The goal of Hannah isn’t to try to speak for all black women. The goal of Hannah is to continue to work with others to usher in a plethora of voices that do. Voices that actually belong to us.”
See a few videos about them here:
Sounds like a great idea!
Learn more about them at HannahMag.com and contribute to their Kickstarter here.
What do you think?
In a post on Diversity on CNN Style, Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing wrote, “When the press announced that I was the new creative director for Balmain the thing that was most shocking for a lot of people was not my age (I was 26 at the time) but my color, and that really surprised me. Suddenly there were all these stories about me being the first black designer in a luxury, heritage fashion house.”
Though it’s been a while since a black designer was at the forefront of a fashion house, Olivier isn’t the first. He was preceded by Edward Buchanan at Bottega Veneta and Patrick Robinson at Giorgio Armani and Paco Rabanne.
Ohio Born Edward Buchanan became Bottega Veneta’s design directer after graduating from Parson’s School of Design in 1995, and was charged with building the brand’s ready-to-wear collection from scratch. He stayed at Bottega for six years before launching his own project; subsequent years saw him working with Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez on their clothing lines.
In 2009, he launched Sansovino 6, a contemporary collection with a focus on knitwear. Now officially Milanese, he consults for brands like Max Mara and Stefanel, in addition to fueling his personal projects.
Patrick Robinson also lent his design talent to a heritage fashion house, namely as Designer Director of Giorgio Armani in 1990 and Artistic Director of Paco Rabanne in 2005.
In 2007, Robinson was tapped as executive Vice President of Design for the Gap and in May 2013, Robinson was hired as global creative director of Armani Exchange.
Robinson left Armani Exchange in 2014, and now helms his own line, Paskho, a collection of casual sportswear. On Paskho’s website, Robinson writes, “You don’t grow in life by sticking to the secure path. I believe all of us must have the courage to choose what most nourishes our soul, which comes with risk. For me, that means conquering our fears, which brings new experiences and often tremendous rewards. I created Paskho for that place, that edge of uncertainty, that leap without a parachute when you’re putting it all on the line.”
Alright!
So, though Olivier is the only current black designer at a luxury heritage house, he is not the first. And he certainly won’t be the last!
What do you think? Did we miss anyone?
*Thanks to Chad aka @Fourty8XL for pointing this out.
The one piece is fashioned out of black nylon & features a white trim, pleated waistband, exposed zipper that plunges all the way to the waistline, hip & ankle exposed zipper, and a back pocket.
Pair it with heels for a night on the town, or sneakers for a more comfy look.
Today’s fun and fabulous Bombshell is Yanique from Brooklyn, New York!
She says, “[My Style is] classic with a twist.”
” I’m really into minimal and casual wear with a pop.”‘
You’re Poppin! Love those checked pants.
See more on Instagram @yansstyle.
What do you think of Yanique’s style?
Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature showcasing the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and 6-8 clear, unfiltered, head-to-toe pictures of 5-10 different outfits (no collages) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com. Images submitted will be featured on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any of our social media platforms. Comments can be harsh, so bring your A game! Please be advised: once published, pictures will not be removed or taken down.
Sophia Bush celebrated Restoration Hardware’s RH Chicago Opening in the same $460 Self Portrait Frilled Denim Jumpsuit Zendaya Coleman originally sported in February of this year:
Sophia paired the design with leopard pumps, while Zendaya chose simple ankle-strap sandals.
The denim one-piece has frilled shoulders and an abbreviated hem.
