I’m totally having a fan moment with today’s Bombshell!!
She is none other than Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a celebrated author, speaker, and Fashion Bomb reader! She’s been a reader for years, and I couldn’t be more overjoyed to feature her as Bombshell of the Day:
She writes, “It’s hard to talk about what ‘my style’ is.”
” You know those magazine features that ask you to choose if you’re ‘classic’ or ‘romantic’ or ‘preppy’ or whatever? I often find myself choosing all, and sometimes none. My style is What Makes Me Happy.”
“I have clothes that other people tell me are lovely but I don’t love them.”
” And there are clothes I wear and love, about which my family and friends will say things like, ‘you look like you’re wearing a man’s shirt that isn’t your size.’ Or ‘is that really how that top is supposed to look?’ Or ‘I don’t understand this dress.’”
“And I actually see their point! But what matters in the end is what makes me feel, when I look in the mirror, fully like myself.”
See more here:
Eloquent! Glorious! Flawless!
Excuse my blabberings, I’m just a huge fan (have you read Americanah or listened to Beyoncé’s Flawless?). At any rate, Chimamanda wrote a great article in Elle.com called, “Why Can’t a Smart Woman Love Fashion?” It’s a must read.
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.
When I look through Bombshell submissions, I always keep an eye out for people who do their own thing, and don’t follow the status quo. Tionna from Philly pretty much fits the bill!
” And a lot of times my style depends on my mood!”
” I grew up in a very fashion forward family, so fashion has always played a big part in my life!”
” I work in the healthcare profession and do not get a chance to express my fashion creativity, so on special occasions and on my days off, I enjoy playing dress up!”
” I LOVE BEING A GIRL!! “
Ok! Not my style, but it works for you! And I love that Theory coat! It looks great.
See more on Instagram @Prettyoungt.
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.
Happy Friday!
Mail Bombs have been on the back burner for a couple weeks with Fashion Week and Awards season, but our Bombers are always ready to roll!
Rashad from NYC’s friend Tanisha sent in the following pictures for our perusal:
She kept it short, writing, “His style is fashionable but humble.”
He chimed in, saying, “My style comes from within.“
” I usually stick to myself and keep it clean cut and tailored;”
” Of course living in NYC provides me with loads of inspiration, but I literally come home & brainstorm about what I want to see myself in next.”
” I’ve recently been inspired by Sherlock Holmes so I’m definitely trying to incorporate that specific style into my wardrobe soon…”
See more below:
Work! Very chic and sophisticated.
If you’re inspired, follow Rashad on Instagram @hescockky.
Thoughts?
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!
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:
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
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.
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.
Stella Jean with Anna Dello Russo
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.
