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.
Rick Owens literally set Paris Fashion Week ablaze with his rousing, soul stirring Spring 2014 show, performed by a step team of 40 mostly African-American women from four different step teams: Step Momentum, Washington Divas, Soul Steppers, and the Zetas. While most who witnessed the production were copious with their praise–Shiona Turini of Cosmopolitan wrote, “Step teams at #RickOwens locked up, mean muggin’ and REPRESENTING a culture so often overlooked in this industry. This meant SO much to me It’s UNREAL. Thank you Rick.“–there were still those, including many of you, who took issue with the energetic display.
Callie Busman of Jezebel.com wrote, “Are these designers serious about promoting diversity, or are they co-opting fashion’s egregious race problem to garner attention and seem edgy? Are they trying to make diverse runways the norm or merely trying to make them into a spectacle?” More of you were concerned with the apparent co-opting of Greek’s step culture. @Shakeira1908 wrote on Instagram, “This is foolery and an utter fail. How is the fashion spectator supposed to appreciate the cornerstone art this is the clothing when you’re too busy trying to shock value them into loving your line by ‘watering down’ the art of one of our (divine 9) fraternity and sorority’s most honored and respected crafts that denotes the history, purpose, and pride of our organizations? #sitdown.”
I wanted an insider perspective, so tapped Fashion Bomb Reader and designer Shantell Richardson aka Stepper #12, who performed in the show. She gave us the scoop on everything that went into the performance, and offered her feelings on the experience.
She said, “Everyone who saw it and everyone who was there, [felt] some kind of strong emotional attachment to it. People were crying at the end. It was beyond. People in the audience were crying. Rick Owens was crying. It was amazing. It was a genuine performance. It was genuine, it was honest, and Rick wanted to honor the art of step.”
She continues, “Jezebel questioned if it was a gimmick. Most people who know Rick Owens knows that it’s not a gimmick. It wasn’t a gimmick when he had [a performance] with his menswear collection.” (Rick Owens had members of Estonian band Winny Puhh suspended from the ceiling while playing musical instruments for his Spring 2014 menswear show. See the video recap below):
She added, “It’s not a gimmick when he’s done it many times before, but because he’s doing it with a group of black women, they’re really questioning [his intentions]. And because…there’s so much talk about diversity right now with Bethann, Iman, and Cynthia Bailey calling designer’s out (which is appreciated). But at the same time they have to realize that this wasn’t a performance we just threw together. We’ve been working on this for 5 months. We’ve had to keep it a secret for 5 months. We knew about it 5 months ago and started rehearsing 4 months ago.”
In response to the uproar from fraternities and sororities, Richardson, who has been stepping for 7 years said, “Step is a Greek thing, but there are tons of people who step outside of the Greek. I started stepping in high school, at Boarding School no less. I remember doing chants in the schoolyard before I even knew about step. Yes, we looked to the fraternities. Some of us were Greek, some us were non Greek. And some people were affiliated with sororities who didn’t step under their affiliation. [But in the end], the Greek community should be happy that we at least brought it to the forefront, so people are curious about it and [interested in] learning more about it.”
She added, “People were saying our steps were whack. But then, they don’t realize that we were also showcasing clothing. There was a lot of choreography that got changed the day before. And the fact that we were all able to still come together and do it flawlessly, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I was really excited.”
But what about the mean mugging and yelling? She answered, “The grit face was part of the fierceness. He said, ‘I want you guys to be strong and fierce.’ He did his research, and he said, ‘I really like that, it’s got a real intense energy to it.’ It was about this intense energy, not about us being angry black women. And I had that concern, too, and I brought it up to them, and I said, ‘I really don’t want to be perceived as an angry black women.’ And they explained their position on it, and I understand the inspiration.”
So in the end, I had to ask: why do you think Rick Owens chose to display his clothes in this way? She said, “He’s always trying to bring American sensibility to European fashion. He saw us as an American phenomenon. I think he likes to play around with mixing combinations that shouldn’t go together, but do work. Step teams aren’t really done anywhere else. He wanted to see movement in his clothing. “
She also offered, “It was rendered accessible. We all had different body types. It [wasn’t] just about us being black–we had 3 non black performers, and we went from skinny to larger sized women. Noone ever made us feel anything but beautiful.He could’ve gotten slim Broadway dancers to do the show, but we’re professional steppers. We’ve done performances before, we’ve done performances on Broadway.”
“… But he said it was a great example of American teamwork. He didn’t say it was a great example of African American teamwork–because we’re American. I appreciate people recognizing that he did something so impactful for the black community and for blacks and diversity in fashion, but I also appreciate the fact that we’re American. We just want to feel accepted. Your home is your home, your country is your country. When people say post racial, I think that’s what we’re getting closer to.”
Well, there you have it.
What do you think?
See the full video of the performance here:
” I wake up thinking about it , I eat sleep and breathe fashion!”
” I would describe my style as simple, classy, chic, sporty (at times ).”
” I like to dress myself in different prints and a massive variety of colors ! I try to give a lot of things chances as far as shoes and clothes!”
” Something people might think is terrible I’ll give it a chance because hey that’s what fashion is about ! Be different & daring don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone!”
Cute girl, cute looks! Some ensembles could’ve benefitted from a simpler shoe, but overall, I say Bombshell!
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.
She types, “I would describe my style as colorful…”
“…and fun!”
” I love fashion…”
“… and I like to play around with different styles and colors.”
” I don’t believe in doing the same thing over and over…”
“… I like to be versatile.”
See a couple more flicks here:
What a lovely selection! From eclectic to elegant, you’ve got it all!
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.
Hey Bombshells!
So I just landed in Paris! I have a full day of shows, and am on the run, but first: take a look at today’s Bombshell, Mbu from South Africa:
She was submitted by blogger and admirer Zona, who wrote, “Please find attached pics of Mbu of Hombakazi Vintage Cabin, a Port Elizabeth, South African pop up store.”
“She describes her style as a nostalgic fashion movement which aims at reviving the spirit of past fashion trends…”
“… whilst adding a modern flavour.”
“She posts OOTD photos daily on IG and FB making looking fabulous 7 days a week look easy.”
” I’m also inspired by the fact that she quit her 9-5 to start something she’s passionate about and is actually making it work.”
Zona actually doesn’t know Mbu personally, but we got Mbu’s consent to publish her pix!
Mbu added, “I’m too frekken excited wow thank you soo soo much. Screams soooooooo louddddd…”
Lol…keep it cute, boo! At any rate, 10’s all around! Your looks are polished and somewhat conservative, yet sassy and undeniably fly. Work!
Be sure to follow Mbu’s store Hombakazi’s Vintage Cabin on Facebook here. Also, Mbu or Zona, please write in with Mbu’s Instagram page. I want to follow!
At any rate, what do you think?
Also, if you want to nominate someone for Fashion Bombshell of the Day, feel free! Just make sure you get their written consent for having their pictures published. 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.
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.
We’re ending this week with yet another New York Bombshell! Take a look at Shelly Monet’s submission:
She says, “The style diary of a future doctor meets the inspirations of NY fashion.”
“Born and raised in NY and moved to NYC for Medical School when I graduated high school and enjoyed every minute of it!”
“I’d like to think of my style as simple and conservative…”
“… yet chic, never anything overly complicated.”
“I’m a shoe junkie!! (but I’m getting help).”
“I love taking fashion risks especially with color.”
” I love color blocking, it can bring depth to almost any ensemble.”
“My style is feminine and smooth. A hint of sex appeal mixed with modesty.”
You gave us a lot to choose from, and I pretty much liked it all!
See more of Shelly’s style on Instagram @ShellyMonet.
Thoughts?
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 Fashion Bomber. Check out Torian from Detroit, Michigan:
The student at Kentucky State University describes his style as, “young, yet fashionably savvy.”
“I realized my style is like a blank canvas or drawing on a fresh sheet of paper.”
” There are restrictions, as there are with any art medium, but for the most part I have the freedom to dress the way I desire.”
“I am currently involved with many organizations on my college campus; most notably, “The ProFashionals” which “promotes professionalism in a fashionable way”. “
“Through my knowledge of Fashion I have become notorious as one of Kentucky State’s most stylish up and comers.”
“I draw my fashion inspirations from, Pharrell Williams! He is so versatile when it comes to fashion!”
Alright! Work it out, young man.
See more of Torian’s ensembles on Instagram @_CocaineHarlen.
What do you think?
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!
I wish we could’ve seen more…but what you sent in was cute.
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.
