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 your picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.
Happy Monday!
It seems our international Bombshell contingent is growing, witnessed by the lovely Risikat from Dublin:
She says, “I would say my style is me.”
” I don’t follow trends, if I feel good about something I buy it.”
” My friends say I don’t have style, but I hope I’ll prove them wrong.”
“… I feel fly in every outfit….”
“…and that is the main thing for me.”
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 your picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.
Today I decided to switch things up with male Fashion Bomber Mark from Brooklyn:
The personal shopping assistant says, “My style encompasses my mood for the day.”
” I usually think about the day’s agenda and how I want the world to see me.”
” One day I can be found in Soho dressed in a Nautica turtle neck and Polo Ralph Lauren rangers boots and the next, dancing the night away at a castle in New Jersey alongside fellow students from the Fashion Institute of Technology in an ivory Kenneth Cole New York suit and matching turban.”
” However, one thing always comes across loud and clear: I mean business.”
Very dapper. And you’re super courageous–not many men could pull off a turban. Mark has a blog, check it out at www.hot4cheap.blogspot.com.
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 your picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.
Reader Nyeema recently wrote, “I have a question, a question that still remains unanswered. Black high- fashion designers….where are they?? Besides Tracy Reese, who else is there that’s high up on the fashion food chain? I feel that whenever black designers are featured anywhere it’s usually this “dip your big toe in the pool to test the temperature then quickly snatch it back out” approach (if that makes sense). We’re never quite a trend. And while I do love some of the talents of the Euro designers, we as blacks (especially celebrities) tend to gravitate to them a little more. “
“I read your article on urban labels and I have to say urban label designers left the urban community long before we left the label. While I never fully embraced the urban labels (never really was my style) observing the consumer base who wore them made me feel like they just gave us a bunch of gaudy, poor quality, “street wear” for us to wallow around in while they sought more higher end Eurpoean brands. So back to my original question….where are we? Why aren’t we featured more? Who has our back? Where is our voice?”
Great question, Nyeema. Though we do have Tracy Reese showing at New York Fashion Week, Olivier Rousteing as the head designer at Balmain, Duro Olowu, Edward Wilkerson of Lafayette 148, and Patrick Robinson (formerly of the Gap), fashion is still quite a bleak place for black designers in the upper echelons.
The issue is not lack of talent, but lack of money. Though young designers like LaQuan Smith, Mataano, Sammy B, and more can compete, many struggle due to lack of capital. I asked veteran designer Stephen Burrows about the dearth of black designers during a talk with Harlem’s Fashion Row and he said the biggest issue is, “Funding. It comes down to having the resources to let your brand succeed.” In this vintage article, I said, “Vogue established the CFDA/Fashion Fund to help younger designers find their footing; France has the ANDAM award (Association National pour la Développement des Arts de la Mode) award. What do we have in place to help young African-American designers thrive?“
Unfortunately there’s nothing established, but here’s one solution: How about all the musicians who have abandoned their urban brands divert some of their copious capital to fronting seasoned designers? Instead of nursing vanity projects then losing interest, they could place their interest in a fashion talent. But then again, why should they invest their hard earned dollars into something they can’t pimp out and sell in a few years?
The other solution is for organizations like The Fashion Bomb and Harlem’s Fashion Row (and anyone else interested) to create a fund of their own. Throw a party/fundraiser, decide on a winner, and finance the dreams of someone with lots of promise. We’ve covered lots of black designers on this blog (see our category here). Perhaps it’s about time to speak with our wallets, not just with words.
What do you think?
Yesterday night I had dinner plans down by Washington Square Park. It was hot as Hades (NYC temps reportedly reached a high of 93 degrees!) so I slipped on a flirty little blue halter dress by Lu Pone & Vanderbilt from a store called Yamak down on Bleecker.
I had a little time to kill before dinner, so I caught some Real Style (coming soon), then sat in the shade and rocked out with another fave summer accessory: a hand fan.
If you live somewhere sweltering, I’d highly recommend this low cost accent. It keeps you cool and can look super cute. I purchased mine down by Canal street for $4.
In between twirls for my Style Diary, I ran across Faith, a pretty young thing whose look demanded a quick capture:
Her outfit was memorable: a simple yet colorful vintage tee, jean shorts, and well plucked accessories.
Extra points for the Coke can and lovely caramel tinged Afro.
What do you think?
We featured Faith before in Swagger Mondays. See her first post here.
Y’all are some traveling people! Miss B says, “My boo and I are going on vacation for the first time. It will also be my first time in Cancun. What essential items should I carry for our trip? Thanks in advance.”
For the nighttime, I’d personally take a cue from my most recent Style Diary. A simple, flirty dress should do the trick. Turn it up a notch with haute heels and a pop of lipstick:
For daytime, all you really need are beach essentials: a cute swimsuit, equally cute cover up, tote to carry your books, tunes, and what nots, and sunglasses. Pack affordable flats to walk on the beach–slip on a pair of heels for a casual dinner poolside:
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 your picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.
Today’s Bombshell is A’rielle from Indianapolis, Indiana:
In an e-mail titled, “Awesome Fashion Bombshell submission,” she says, “I am a Senior at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).”
“My style really depends on my mood because I go with what I feel for the most part.”
” I love to have fun by mixing together vintage finds with more modern and trendy pieces!”
” I guess my style can also be described as conservative, with a sexy and fearless edge.”
” I am a women, I am proud and feminine and I love to show that off! “
“Being from Gary, Indiana or just the “middle” in general, many people overlook us for our “lack” of stand-out fashion sense, well I’m here to prove that there is NOTHING lacking fashion and style wise in the Midwest! :)”
Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature that showcases the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and your picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.
We’re starting the week off with a bang with Stefanie, a bombshell from Rotterdam, The Netherlands:
She says, “My style is based most of the time on the mood I am in.”
“… I like to embrace my sexy and feminine side.”
” I love bold accessories….”
“…and basically anything that is vintage 80’s.”
Cute pictures and great taste. Doesn’t she look a little like Arlenis Sosa?
At any rate, you can see more of Stefanie’s style on her blog www.fashioncronicles.blogspot.com.
Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature that showcases the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and your picture(s) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.
