Veronica Webb was the first black model to land a major cosmetics contract.

A Detroit native, Veronica was spotted on the streets of New York City by a makeup artist. Her modeling career took off from there, as she soon became a spokes model for Revlon, walked for Chanel, Alaia, and Todd Oldham, and appeared on the covers of Vogue, Elle, and Essence.

Source
A gifted writer and television personality, Webb was editor-at-large of Interview Magazine, a columnist for Paper magazine, and a co-host on Bravo’s Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style.
Keep up with her current projects on her website www.veronicawebbisode.com.
~Vuitton

New York Magazine reports that industry veteran Teri Agins was recently fired from her post as fashion editor for the Wall Street Journal...
It seems the Journal was forced to significantly downsize its fashion department due to sluggish ad sales.
Teri’s exit is a true loss for the industry. A brilliant writer, she covered the fashion business for over ten years, authored a great book called The End of Fashion, and represented one of only a handful of women of color who reported on fashion for major newspapers.
It’s disheartening to think that someone so talented could become a casualty; but it seems no one is safe in this recession. I’m sure Ms. Teri will bounce back better than before! Until then we young journalists still have Robin Givhan and Andre Leon Talley to follow and aspire to.

According to Fashionista.com rap-artist 50 Cent is finishing up the final touches on his own skin care and grooming line for men…
The story was first reported by the Daily Mirror, so it may be a hoax, but honestly I hope it isn’t! I’m a little excited to see what he can pull off. What do you think the line will be called?
~Vuitton

Last night the Black Eyes Peas hosted a Foundation Benefit Concert in LA…

…lots of celebs came through, offering a good amount of fodder for Hot or Hmm. Take a look:
Our fave style subject Rihanna went for rocker chic in a Betsey Johnson Skull Zipper Sweater dress and Louboutin booties…
The skulls add a bit of edge and the boots are sassy. Hot!

Saucy Solange sparkled in gold accessories, a yellow houndstooth skirt and matching houndstooth shoes…
…she stayed true to her funky style, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Hot!

Simone Battle also made an appearance on the pea green carpet…
…Don’t know who she is, but I know that a shirt without pants gets a Hmm…(but her glasses and boots are hot!)

One of our favorites, Fantasia went for a Beyonce-esque black cat suit with a matching shrug…
…Hmmm…not everyone can pull off a skin tight look…

Will.i.am and Apl.de.ap represented for the men…
…I love how they modernize menswear with piping, leather, and retro specs. Hot!

And lastly, a few blasts from the past made cameos, including Boyz II Men…
…and Warren G…
I’m glad to see those guys are still kickin’. They get a hot for showing up! Ha!
What do you think?

Hey!
It’s gorgeous and sunny out in Paris, et il faut en profiter! So Mail Bombs will be quick…

…let’s go!
First, Nia was interested in Rihanna’s Casual Look…
…she says, “Her whole outfit is hot!“
We found the skirt for you; mimic the rest with the following affordable items:

1. Luxury Tailored Herringbone Dress Shirt, $67.50. 2. Twenty8Twelve Wilma Linen Swing Skirt, $255. 3. Sterling Silver Beaded Cultured Fresh Water Pearl Double-Row Necklace – 17″, $80. 4. Nine West Jennica Sandals, $79. 5. Bebe Jillian Snake Platform Sandal, $149.

Next, Alyssa says, “I recently found this pic of Keri Hilson and my eye caught her boots…“
“…I’ve been looking for some flat riding boots forever and these fit the bill. They are simple yet edgy. Where can I find these?”
Adri says, “Keri’s wearing boots that are very, very similar to these Fiorentini + Baker Buckle Boots…“

“…Cop them at Barneys for $525.”

Kalifa says, “I saw this look on Taraji Henson and was wondering if you could find the pieces for me...”
Work Taraji’s office ready steeze with the following high and low priced selections:

1. Billow 2-in-1 Top, $160. 3. Aldo Sermide Belt, $30. 4. Charlotte Russe Button Front Pencil Skirt, $23. 5. French Connection Jackie Boots, $150.
(Pssst, the billow top is maternity, but you can balance out the extra room with the corset belt!)

And Bethany says, “I absolutely love this dress and I need it in my closet as of yesterday!“
“…Where can I find this exact dress??”
An anonymous commenter revealed that Ms. Jones loves dresses by the line Stop Staring. Get her Heather Plaid dress for only $146…
…at www.stopstaringclothing.com. [Take a look at the dress selection—Toccara literally gets all her dresses from this store].

Finally a wardrobe query!
Brittney says, “I need help finding a nice black dress for an upcoming party. Could you possibly help me find some options under $100?“
Adriana found these bangers:

I’ll take #2!

That does it for today.
I’m going to enjoy the weekend before flying to NYC for Fashion Week! Oh, I didn’t tell you? Yup, Adri & I will be in the house, giving you the scoop on shows, attendees, and celebs.
Also stay tuned next week for a massive Fashion Bomb upgrade! Hint: It has something to do with a recent poll you took…you’ll see!
Bisous!

Dorothea Towles Church was the first professional African-American model to walk the fashion runways of French couture designers…

…She strutted for Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Pierre Balmain in the ’50’s, and in 1954 brought her savoir faire to American shores, staging fashion shows and fundraisers for the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
In Barbara Summers’ 1998 book Black and Beautiful, Towles said, “I feel that my going all over America with my show had a great influence on American black women dressing differently and feeling good about themselves…I saw them dressing more creatively, more internationally. They could say, “If she can do it, I can do it, too.” ”
Read more about her here.