So I flew back from Milan a couple days ago to attend Essence Magazine’s Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon in LA. Lincoln Motor Company was kind enough to have me in the building to report on the festivities!

This year was epic. In addition to meeting Lupita Nyong’o (when I told her I’m the editor of Fashion Bomb Daily, she replied, “Oh yeah! Hot! or Hmm…?”)…

…I also met Oprah Winfrey!

Aaaaaah!!!
Of course everyone loves Oprah, but I truly look up to her as a business woman. She’s a game changing media maven who has thrived in an industry full of adversity. Who wouldn’t want to emulate her career path or bask in her glory?

I have similar goals for Fashion Bomb Daily. TV (why not?), and an expansion of the brand. Being in the room with such powerful people made it all seem possible!

I got my outfit together super last minute because I haven’t really had time to shop! Thankfully I purchased a lot of pieces from Demestiks by Reuben Reuel for New York Fashion Week, including his Kait Bias peplum skirt:

I paired it with an on trend crop top from American Apparel, my Gianvito Rossi Leather and Perspex pumps, and my CC Skye Vaulted clutch.

Though Essence Women in Hollywood and the Oscars fall right during Paris Fashion Week, I’m glad I had the opportunity to come back stateside. The event serves to highlight all the fabulous things African-Americans have done and can do in entertainment. It’s sometimes difficult to be encouraged in a fashion industry that claims racism isn’t an issue, yet unapologetically and systematically excludes black women; and when you take issue, they say you have issues instead of the other way around!

At any rate, my soul was fed, and I’ll happily attend every year, should Lincoln and Essence have me.

I hope you’re encouraged, also. Our potential is limitless, just have faith that all things are possible.
See a few of my personal pictures below:

Tai Beauchamp and Tasha Smith

Shawn Thompson of Lincoln and Bevy Smith

Tichina Arnold in an Alpana Neeraj Dress

With Legendary Damon, Essence’s Emil Wilbekin and Bevy Smith

With Garcelle Beauvais and Karen Civil

Joy Bryant

Tatyana Ali

Blogging Buddies Karen Civil, Talking with Tami, Sekou Writes, and Luxe Tips

Photos: My Iphone (fuzzy ones) and Mark Martin (crystal clear ones).

If you follow us on Instagram, you’re very well aware that we were in the building for Essence Magazine’s 7th Annual Women in Hollywood luncheon!

Aside from the palpable star power and beautiful crowd, the speeches truly made the afternoon exceptional.

Lupita Nyong’o, who has wowed onlookers with her acting prowess and undeniable good looks, revealed to the audience that when she was younger, she struggled with accepting her, ‘dark beauty.’

She opened her speech with a letter from a young girl, who was tempted to use Dencia’s skin bleaching cream; thankfully the girl decided against it after seeing pictures of Lupita in magazines and advertisements, and realizing that a dark skin tone wasn’t anything to be ashamed of.

Nyong’o confessed that she, too, used to yearn for lighter skin when she was younger, and never thought she was truly beautiful. She said, “And then, Alek Wek came onto the scene. She was dark as night, she was on all the runways and in every magazine, and everyone was talking about how beautiful she was. Even Oprah called her beautiful. And that made it a fact.”

“I couldn’t believe that people were embracing a woman who looked so much like me as beautiful. My complexion had always been an obstacle to overcome. And all of a sudden, Oprah was telling me that it wasn’t. It was perplexing. And I wanted to reject it because I had come to enjoy the seduction of inadequacy.”

She continued, ” But a flower couldn’t help but bloom inside me. When I saw Alek, I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny. Now, I had a spring in my step because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the far away gatekeepers of beauty. [Even though] around me, the preference for light skin prevailed.”


She ended her speech underscoring the importance of appreciating inner beauty. Still, her talk touched on salient issues in our community: those of colorism, feelings of inferiority based on skin tone, and the supreme importance of seeing someone who looks like you embraced by the global arbiters of fashion and beauty.

That someone like Lupita could ever think she wasn’t pretty because of her dark skin tone is preposterous, especially when we gaze upon the gorgeous woman that graces our screens every day. That she had Alek Wek, and that we now have her, is a blessing. Young girls need to see women who look like them, so that they can understand that their black is beautiful.

What do you think of Lupita’s revelation?
And have you ever dealt with feelings of inadequacy because of your skin tone?
*Stay tuned for our full red carpet rundown + a Claire’s Life post from Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, sponsored by Lincoln Motor Company

Kara from Atlanta was the Bomb, but we must move on.
Immacula from Memphis, Tennessee sent in her flix for today’s Bombshell feature. Take a look:

She says, “My style is very versatile. I can’t stick to one thing. That’s very boring to me.”


” I would consider my style very daring, out there and not afraid to take risks.”


“… I’m big on vintage. The thrift store is my everyday go to spot to shop.”


” I love anything that flows. Like sun dresses and Kimono’s.”


” I love a lot of color in my wardrobe. Paired with basic colors like black, grey and white. High heels/Chunky heels. The more drama the better.”


“I love to make a statement.”


” I’m a quiet reserved person.”

” So I let my style do the speaking.”

See more below:

Cute!
See more of Immacula’s style on Instagram @Immacula__.
What do you think?

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 6-8 different outfits 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.

You’re going to love today’s Bombshell! Kara from Atlanta was submitted by her friend Xavier:

He wrote, “I am submitting on her behalf because she is much too humble to do so on her own.”


“… I believe that Kara is the epitome of what it means to be a “Fashion Bombshell””


“… anytime she steps out, she OWNS it!”


“… She is a fashion inspiration to tens of thousands on Instagram…”


“…and I see it only being appropriate that she receives the recognition that she so humbly deserves.”


” She is undoubtedly one of the most fashionable women in Atlanta, easily standing in the ranks of Atlanta’s elite (Housewives of Atlanta, Basketball Wives, etc)…”

“… but she is just a fashion blogger, wife and most importantly a mother.”


” I would describe Kara’s style as LUXURIOUS…”


“… SEXY..”


“…COHESIVE…”


“… and CONFIDENT x 10!”

See more here:

Whoa! Boom! She’s definitely a Fashion Bombshell. I am inspired and certainly swooning over Kara’s whole closet. Love it.
Be sure to follow Kara on Instagram @chinchilllly.
What do you think?

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 6-8 different outfits 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.

Today we have a maternity Bombshell! See what Nadia from New Jersey sent in:

The blogger for NacStyles.com wrote, “I would describe my style as a mix of trendy and classic.”

“I like to combine high end and low end…”

“… but I LOVE a good bargain so I enjoy dressing on a budget a lot more. “

“I’m not a huge fan of Maternity clothes so I have been wearing a lot of non-maternity pieces…”

“…and most are pieces that I already own.”

See more here:


Simple and sleek! Love that Biggie tee.
See Nadia’s blog at www.nacstyles.com.
Are you feeling it?

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 6-8 different outfits 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.

Quite an interesting discussion erupted on Instagram when I posted a picture of Stella Jean‘s Fall 2014 collection, which showed today in Milan.

Stella Jean Fall 2014

Instead of focusing on the bright African prints and lustworthy shoes, commenters were more dismayed at the lack of diversity on Stella’s runway.

Stella Jean Fall 2014

Stella Jean, who is half Haitian and half Italian, is known for her vibrant kente and ankara printed separates, mixed with European menswear tailoring. She, however, didn’t use any black models in her Spring 2014 show. Out of 30 looks for Fall 2014, 3 were modeled by women of color.

A look from Stella Jean’s Spring 2014 Show

@SoulfulSwag wrote, “Who’s her audience? I hate when some African based designers only use Caucasian models! Are you afraid your clothing won’t sell if you actually use black models?”

@KidCadaver went on to look at Jean’s Instagram page, noting, “Stella Jeans IG, when viewed in the aggregate, looks odd for its overwhelming presentation of white models in ‘African’ inspired clothing.” @AsamPete added, “I just viewed her IG page and I must say I am disappointed in her lack of model diversity.“

A picture from Stella Jean’s Instagram

Bethann Hardison has been spearheading the movement for Diversity on the Runway since 2008. I agree that it would be nice to see a few more women of color on Stella’s runway, though she did use a handful this season.

Stella Jean Fall 2014

The bottom line is: designers still believe that women of color, particularly black/brown women, can’t sell clothes. The common belief is also that black women are not the target luxury customer; they’re not the ones buying the bulk of merchandise, so why cater to them by including them in advertisements or in runway shows?

We obviously know this line of reasoning is false. Still, this season in Milan, some of our favorite fashion houses, including Etro, Dolce & Gabbana, and rapper’s delight Versace only used one black model on their runways.

Versace Fall 2014

Perhaps Stella is simply following in the footsteps of her colleagues, keeping diversity to a minimum as to not ‘shake the table.’ Perhaps she simply didn’t have any back models available! Jean is based in Italy–perhaps she believes her runway models truly reflect her consumer base. Jean is also half white. Maybe she identifies more with her Caucasian lineage than her Haitian heritage, despite her design aesthetic.

We may never know.

The bottom line is: diversity is the ideal for us at The Fashion Bomb and for people like Bethann Hardison, Naomi Campbell, and Iman. It would be great if diversity were the ideal for all designers–especially those of color; especially since there are so few designers of African descent showing on an international scale.

But it’s clearly not a priority for everyone. And I guess that’s their prerogative.

Stella Jean Fall 2013

What do you think?
*See more of Stella Jean’s work under our Stella Jean tag.

Today’s Bombshell is Telia from Atlanta:

She says, “I love to accessorize and challenge my closet by putting different patterns together.”

” I believe in being edgy instead of trendy.”


” I think my style is inconsistent…”

“… sexy…”


“… and chic.”


” I don’t believe in just high fashion but vintage buying and household names.”


” I love mixing all three to complete my outfits.”


You have some really great pieces. Love that herringbone skirt suit.
See more of Telia on Instagram @BRAREIAM.
What do you think?

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 6-8 different outfits 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.

Chastity from San Francisco has been a Bombshell before, and submitted for her first time in 2014. Take a look at her latest looks:

The owner of GarnerStyle.blogspot.com says, “This upcoming year, I’ve explored my own personal style more…”

“…Taken some chances…”

“… and have tried things that I wouldn’t normally try.”


” I often find myself working on more fashion forward looks that encompass mixing prints…”

“…. using bold colors…”


“… and items traditionally not considered suitable for a plus size woman.”


See how Chastity remixed a few items in her wardrobe here:

Hot!
You look great, as usual! You have great proportions and awesome taste. I want that printed look.
See more on Instagram @GarnerStyle.
Thoughts on Chastity’s latest flix?

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 6-8 different outfits 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.

The fashion is poppin’ in Milan, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time for our Bombers and Bombshells! Today’s male style submission is from Tim from New York:

The celebrity fashion stylist and blogger for Epikstyle.com writes, “My style is forever changing.“

” I really like to switch up my looks almost on a daily basis…”


“… it all depends on how I’m feeling that day.”


” I really like experimenting with every aspect of my look from my hair down to my shoes…”

“… without neglecting masculinity.”


” I like to be fun…”


“… unpredictable”


“… and effortless with my style.”

Very nice! Really feeling everything about this submission. Are you?
See more of Tim’s style on Instagram @epikstyle.

Fashion Bomber of the Day is a feature showcasing the singular style of male Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and 5-8 picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com. Images submitted may be featured on Facebook or Twitter. Comments can be harsh, so bring your A game!