No end of the year round up would be complete without mentioning the huge increase in Magazine Diversity in 2008.
The year saw traditional glossies questioning their industry (gently prodded by Bethann Hardison), and turning inward to ask, “Where’s the color?” Perhaps in the Obama era, magazines are seeing that it’s time to get real and reflect the demographics of their country.
After a controversial Lebron James cover caused a critical wildfire in cyberspace, Fashion Bible Vogue took their July issue to ask if Fashion was Racist:

After fashionistas answered, “Yes!” Vogue decided to walk the walk with several spreads, even including Arlenis Pena, Oluchi Orlandi and Lakshmi Menon in a story on the industry’s rising stars:

Harper’s Bazaar also jumped on the multicultural bandwagon, with Tyra Banks gracing their September cover and posing as Michelle Obama in a fun multi pager:

And with the Williams sisters rocking couture on the court for Bazaar’s November issue:

American mags did their part, but no one showed more love than the Italians, who plucked style aficionado Diddy as their cover boy for the October Issue of L’Uomo Vogue:
…and who knocked everyone out the park with Vogue Italia’s All Black July Issue, featuring Naomi Campbell, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede, Tyra Banks, Toccara Jones and more:

The issue launched Facebook Groups, started discussions, and caused fashionistas worldwide to scramble for collector’s copies. A Time article by Jeff Israely said, “After the original run of the July issue sold out in the U.S. and U.K. in 72 hours, Vogue Italia has just rushed to reprint 30,000 extra copies for American newsstands, another 10,000 for Britain and 20,000 more in Italy.” Cha Ching!
2008 was THE YEAR for magazine diversity, and we can only hope the Fashion Powers are finally understanding that multiculturalism is not only beautiful, powerful, and profitable, but it’s also the future. As ad pages dwindle, it’s best to be as inclusive as possible-we notice!
Didn’t you?
Bisous!
*Shout to Jezebel for Italian Vogue scans.
*If you’re a mag hag, I highly recommend reading the blog Make Fetch Happen. Brigitte sifts through your favorite glossies with a fine toothed comb, and offers well informed, witty opinions.

This week brought out a slew of chic outfits:

I think it’s a tie between Ciara and Rachel Roy for this week’s chic award. What do you think?
PS I love the Fresh Prince Reunion at the Seven Pounds premiere!

In Paris life is a lot slower, and I suddenly find I have time to do little things, like paint my nails something other than clear or cream. I’ve fallen into the red zone like Beyonce:

I *never* would have worn a red nail in NYC–no time to repaint! But now that I’ve tried it, I’m a quick convert–nothing screams sexy more than a bright red nail. Now I’m looking for even more shades to indulge in. I’ve got my eye on these:
1. Nars Nailpolish in Chinatown, $16. 2. Essie Nailpolish in Macks, $8. 3. Chanel Vamp Nail Polish, $20.
I’m clearly new to the colored nail thing: What are you fave red polishes?

We at The Fashion Bomb like to think we’re up on almost every fashionista in the game but, of course, there are a few gems we miss. So we’ve intro’d a new category to the annual Best Of roundup, and our first ever Undercover Fashionista Award goes to…

Taraji P. Henson!
Boy, what a difference a few years makes:

Yes, that is indeed the lovely Miss Henson back in 2002 chanelling way more Urban Pocahontas than one should be allowed at the “Undercover Brother” premier. Fast-forward to 2008…

It’s clear (even from the above ’02 mishap) that Ms. P. Henson has always preferred a sassy, sexy steeze. She’s now found a way to work her natural effervescence into a style that’s both fashionable and personal , which, in this age of celebs and stylists slapping on whatever’s hot (*cough* Herve Leger *cough*), is soooo refreshing.

Given her svelte hourglass figure, it’s no wonder Taraji gravitates towards satin for evening. It’s an unforgiving fabric but with her curves, the effect is elegant and feminine where it might look dowdy or unflattering on others.

Even when wearing basic black, Taraji finds a way to jazz it up using contrasting textures, eye-catching accessories, and pops of color. And speaking of color:

That is one thing this diva is not afraid of! She uses color expertly to add flair to an outfit rather than overwhelm it (those blue shoes are fierceness unto themselves).

Whether keeping it casual (check out the hot pink pedi with the white jumpsuit–loves)…

…or sashaying down the red carpet, Taraji consistently achieves a signature look I’ll call Confident Siren. This undercover fashionista has been found!

Check her out in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with Brad Pitt and the upcoming “Not Easily Broken.” Taraji P. is one we won’t be sleeping on in ’09!

~Adri

Ok, I’ll admit, I own a pair of liquid leggings and I love them! They’re supremely comfortable and add a soupcon of edge to long sweaters or tunics. Hollywood hottie Meagan Good also loves her leggings, and seems to wear them to most events:

…but instead of wearing them under a long shirt or skirt, Ms. Good hoists her leggings up, adds a belt, and wears them as pants. I personally think the look is too saucy for the daytime and is even a bit much if dressed up.
But what do you think? Would you wear leggings as pants?

Why??
The rules clearly stated that Rihanna was ineligible. But you made your opinions known, and the power of the people prevailed. Who am I to argue?
It looks like Rihanna is yet again Fashionista of the Year, coming in first place with 44.3% of the Fashion Bomb vote:

How did this Chic Queen manage to prevail for both 2007 AND 2008?? You guys said, “It seems that she stepped her game up even MORE in 2008, so I have to give it to her. I will give honorable mention to Cassie though. But RiRi Reigns.” “Rihanna hands down, she was better than last year and better than all these girls put together, they need to learn a thing or two from her…“

“…I’m not a fan of Rihanna, but props need to be given where props are due…she definitely held it down fashionably in 2008. She is a trendsetter and I can see her holding down the title of fashionista for a while.” “Hands down Rihanna wins. She has so many more hits than misses and everyone is finding themselves “inspired” by her style choices...”

I feel you! This year I wanted to usher in some new fashion royalty, but it was not meant to be. We may not bump her songs, but in the style realm, Rihanna still holds the #1 spot. Whether lunching at Da Silvanos or hitting up a red carpet event, this young popstar exudes style in everything from strapless dresses with accents of animal print to corsets worn with jodhpur pants. It’s obvious–this Caribbean Queen wears fashion down to her fingernails.
And we love it!
For the men, there wasn’t as much of an upset, and rapper Common took the title home in a landslide with 39.9% of the vote:

Neither of the Fashion Bomb’s two male readers gave any insight as to why, but I’m sure it has everything to do with Common’s cool aesthetic and mean suit game.
So that does it for the Most Fashionable in ’08. Stay tuned for even more end of the year fabulousness!
Bisous!

Hey!
So as the days wind down for 2008, it’s time to take a look back at this Year in Style. For the Best of 2007 series last year, I took the liberty of declaring Rihanna the winner of the Fashionista Extraordinaire award, saying, “This Caribbean Queen has been working everything from glamazon frocks to more casual sweater dresses with undeniable style since the beginning of the year….“

“…She truly mixes it up and manages to do it all, from rocker chic to classic while looking absolutely flawless.” It was true: Rihanna’s fashionable aura was a breathe of fresh air amidst a slew of suffocating style subjects. But change is constant, and it’s time to anoint a New Chic Queen!

Candidates for 2008 Fashionista of the Year were chosen based on 1. Number of appearances on the Fashion Bomb, and the 2. Amount of Mail Bombs questions centered around them. And yeah, since Rihanna won last year, she’s ineligible. Sorry!
Let’s get to it!
The First Candidate for 2008 Fashionista of the Year is R&B crooner Keyshia Cole:

While Ms. Cole’s calm demeanor was the highlight of her BET show The Way It Is, her new bold attitude towards fashion became a subtle focal point of 2008. This year, Keyshia came into her own both personally and fashionably, wearing a mixture of designer dresses, patterned tops, and 70’s inspired separates. What can I say, this Bay Area Babe unwittingly won over my fashion evaluator. Did she win over yours?
Next in contention is Solange Knowles:

In July you guys labeled her a ‘Work In Progress,’ but what a difference 5 months can make! While Solange still has a funky style that favors feathers, unexpected pops of color, and wild patterns, she’s streamlined her kookiness for a consistently sophisticated look. No longer playing second fiddle to her older sis’, Solange seems to be poising herself for a peaceful takeover of the Knowles chic empire.
Next up is Alicia Keys:

Ms. Keys has been on the scene forever, but lately her fashion meter has been off the chain! Every time you look, she’s wearing a pair of must have designer shoes or a flattering, tailored fit, managing to look absolutely stunning in everything from dressy floor length gowns to casual jeans. Snaps!
Our last Queen of Chic candidate is Cassie:

Say what you want about her vocals, Cassie always throws down with severe fashion ferocity. Many have said she should stick to modeling, and perhaps they’re right. She can rock the stuff out of any dress, and her shoe game is simply bananas.
So that does it!

The Polls are open!

As an equal opportunity fashionista, I think it’s only fair to give the men a shot at their very own title as well. For The Fashion Bomb’s First Fashionable Male Award, how about we choose from the following debonair gentlemen?
First up, without question, is Kanye West:

He once said he didn’t need a stylist because he shops so much he can speak Italian. Well his propensity for shopping certainly showed in 2008! Though we gave Kanye the side eye for his internship hijinks, his singular style could not be denied. In 2008 Kanye stored his signature prepster gear away, replacing his pastel v necks with trendsetting suits, edgy eyeglasses, and adventurous color combos. This college dropout gets an A+ for fashion originality. Do you agree?
Next up in the style queue is Common:

On top of his forays into t-shirt design, this year Common has capitalized off of a new prime-of-life steeze, heavy on cardigans, suits, and intellectual glasses offset occasionally by his traditional neo-soul vibe. Talk about great in ’08!
Next, we have Pharrell:

This Billionaire Boy kept his look fun and lighthearted this year, favoring sweatshirts emblazoned with his line’s logo over stuffy button ups. If he had to wear a suit jacket for a red carpet event, he paired it with a pair of jeans in a dark wash. He had a swagger that made everything seems unerringly cool and ahead of the curve. Doesn’t hurt that he looks absolutely divine. (Between me and you…I’m so not a groupie, but would probably run and jump on him if I saw him!).
Lastly, a Fashionable Male contest wouldn’t be complete without Diddy:

As a CFDA award winner and owner of the Sean John label, Diddy obviously embodied sleek sophistication, so much so that L’Uomo Vogue had to give him shine on their October cover. This year he tempered his typical suits with tributes to Obama in t-shirts worn with or without jackets. Diddy got his grown man on in the fullest sense, leading as an example by way of his mature style and by offering political support via his fashion and celeb status.
Time to vote!

Did I miss anyone?
Check back later to see results!

I’m sure you’ve all heard the buzz about Kanye West wanting to intern at a fashion house, and now it seems Mr. West has found a professional home…

According to UK’s Mirror, Yeezie is moving to London in early spring to train at Louis Vuitton’s luxury goods HQ store on Bond Street. In the article Kanye says, “I’m going to go and take an internship and just do something that’s like completely normal, and just rap on the weekends or something.“
So let’s see. First celebrities bogart magazine covers away from supermodels, then sidle into all the acting roles formally earmarked for trained actors…now they’re taking fashion internships away from the the most poorly compensated population, style and fashion enthusiasts. What more can I say than, “Boooooo!“
Snaps to Kanye for expanding his horizons, but I can’t help but think: You’ve already got your career. Why not leave the entry level internships to people who I dunno…need a job or experience? And are actually ‘normal’? Am I wrong?