Hey!
So my interns have been keeping busy this summer, helping solve Mail Bombs and also catching Real Style in their respective hometowns.
Checking in today is Charle, who brings us a bit of style from her neck of the woods.
Enjoy!
*********************************************************
So while traipsing around Wicker Park, Chicago’s most fashion conscious neighborhood, I stumbled upon this handsome writer named Chad:

What amazing color mastery! Pairing that lavender American Apparel shirt with a vintage blue polka dart scarf is genius! He studied Fiction Writing at Chicago’s Columbia College, but I couldn’t believe he’d never taken a fashion class. Great job accomplishing a very quirky ensemble with masculine basics, sir.
Would you let your boyfriend wear this?
***********************************************************
Hmmm, I think I’d be ok with it!
Would you?
Smootches!

…I don’t mind the shorts!
*American Apparel comes out with chunky jewelry…
…Ranging in price from $25-$48, they’re perfect for the b-girl or b-boy on a budget. Check out the collection here. [American Apparel]
*Nitrolicious asks who wore it better?
They’re working those Louis Vuitton Camo Bags! [Nitrolicious]
*It’s been a while since we’ve had a contest, so whoever can tell me where one can find this Obama ‘Run DC’ shirt (style after Run DMC)….
…will win a Fashion Bomb T! E-mail me at thefashionbomb@gmail.com with a link!
*A European Vogue Cover Model committed suicide recently in New York City…
…the AP says, “Ruslana Korshunova, 20, died around 2:30 p.m. in a fall from a building on Water Street, in Manhattan’s Financial District…Originally from the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, the almond-eyed, flowing-haired Korshunova appeared in advertisements and on runways for such designers as Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci and DKNY. British Vogue hailed her as “a face to be excited about” in 2005.” Sad. [AP]
*Ebay was fined for selling fake Louis Vuitton Items online…
…According to the AFP, “The court found that eBay had committed “serious errors” by allowing the sales of fake LVMH goods and violating the perfume sales distribution network set up by Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture. eBay was ordered to pay nearly 40 million euros (63 million dollars) to the six plaintiffs including 19.28 million euros to LVMH Malettier, which makes handbags, luggage and other leather goods.” [AFP]

Hey!
So today I wanted to shine a spotlight on up and coming Dominican model Arlenis Pena…

After her sparkling ‘debut’ as it were in Vogue’s July issue, I thought it fitting to relay her tale for those who don’t know:
A designer caught sight of 18 year old Arlenis in her native Dominican Republic, and knew he was looking at something special. He took a snapshot of the beauty, and sent it to Marilyn Agency in New York. Impressed with her pic, they arranged for her to fly to JFK–she was subsequently booked on the spot. She debuted on the runway for the holiday Banana Republic Show in NYC…
…then went on to stomp in Christian Dior’s Resort 2008 show this past March…
…aside from her editorial in Vogue’s “Is Fashion Racist” article, also keep an eye peeled for her in the Italian Vogue issue (on newsstands soon, I’ll let y’all know!)
It’s exciting to see new blood. Looks like Bethann’s dream of diversifying the runways is coming to fruition!
Smootches!

*Speaking of changes on the runway, Fashionista reports that the DSquared Men’s Fashion Show in Milan was dominated by men of color…

“In reverse of how shows usually go, the majority of the models were black, with just a couple majorities. Now, there’s a delightful rumor on COACD, that next week’s Lanvin show will have an “all ethnic” line up.” Read more here [Fashionista]
*Mon Dieu! Go to Style.com!! On the homepage, you’ll see Look of the Day, asking visitors to vote on the best looks from the BET Awards:
WHAT??? This is crazy. Sexy? Cool? Click here vote.
*According to WWD, Janet Jackson is set to launch her own lingerie line…
…she was very mum on the details, however. I imagine her rolling out lots of corsets, garter belts, and bras with detachable cups!
*Check out dope website Abazias (www.abazias.com) to satisfy your diamond lust. Sparkly studs like these 1/4 carat lovelies:
…are only $200! Check out www.abazias.com for more luxury for less.

So the BET Awards were on last night…

…you know I was out, so I didn’t get a chance to watch!
Still, I had to check out the red carpet highlights for Fashion Bomb Hits and Misses.
First the hits:

You can say many things about Cassie, but you can never say the girl is poorly dressed. She stepped out in typical fly fashion in a Pepto Bismol pink mini cocktail and peep toe stilettos. Love it!
Alicia Keys also went for pink in this perfectly fitted strapless dress…
Jordin Sparks shined in a flattering and well tailored crimson number…
And Solange Knowles looked surprisingly chic in this patterned frock…
..I see you Solange!
Another shock (sort’ve) was Miss Lil Kim…
I actually liked this deep plum halter cocktail. Given her track record, this was an unequivocal ‘hit.’ It fits, it’s flattering, the color is dope.
A snap goes to usual suspect, Rihanna…
…who looked a bit out the box yet beautiful in this floor sweeping neon gown. Initially the color hurt my eyes, but it works for her, and the makeup is simply chic.
Lastly, Gabrielle Union looked gorgeous tapping into the maxi dress trend…
…wearing an all white flowing number with silver accents.
Not everyone showed and proved:
Jennifer Hudson tried, but unfortunately this was a miss for me. As a curvy girl, I know it’s hard to find the perfect bust fit, but this dress is too small:
…Fit is everything! A bit more wiggle room would’ve made all the difference!
Toccara seems to have also missed the ‘fit’ lesson…
…the top of her dress is gorgeous and sophisticated, but the bottom gets scary with pulling and pleating. Satin is a dangerous fabric: unless it fits perfectly, it can signal fashion suicide!
Keyshia Cole actually suffered from the opposite ‘fit’ effect…
…her yellow dress is eye catchingly pretty, yet the shoulder section seems to be too big on her. And isn’t she hot?
And lastly, the biggest miss had to be…
…Lil Mama. There are no words. But I think we know that Lil Mama doesn’t purport to be fashionable, just unique.
My two cents! What were your hits and misses?
Smootches!

Fashion, News, and What Nots

*For past Fashion Bomb awards reviews, click here.

*Check out more BET Awards coverage at Bossip.com.
*A lot of you mentioned Nia Long’s dress…
She wasn’t on the carpet, but her plum gathered dress was definitely a hit!

Hey!
So this weekend I was hangin’ tough as per usual in BK, and happened across an event sponsored by Fashion Bomb friend Harriet’s Alter Ego…

Every month they have a ‘Block Party’ featuring independent designers, and anyone interested is invited to come eat, shop, mingle, and listen to music.
I had to take a picture of this lovely young attendee…
…who was wearing a cute shirtdress along with a fedora, straw bag and bejeweled flat sandals.
When asked about her outfit, she admitted that she had stayed the night with her boo, and decided to pop on one of his shirts, belt it, and go.
Quite creative, no?
What do you think of this edition of BK Real Style?
Smootches!

Fashion, News, and What Nots

*Jezebel picked up on my Vogue July issue review:

Read the story here.
*Want to read how people really felt about the Vogue Lebron cover? The comments on Jezebel are interesting and a lot more well rounded than the two letters published in Vogue. [Jezebel]

*A cool new blog, No Fear, Just DIVA, interviewed the Fashion Bomb on its ‘Breaking into Fashion Series‘! Check it out here. [No Fear, Just Diva].
*Industry veteran/Cell Phone Chucker Naomi Campbell stomps for the Dolce & Gabbana Menswear Show in Milan….

*Michelle Obama’s a trendsetter!

The store White House/Black Market quickly sold out of the $148 Donna Ricco dress….

…she wore at her ‘The View’ Appearance.

So I was pleased to receive the July issue of Vogue Magazine in my mailbox.

Why?
I knew that this was the issue where they would publish letters regarding the whole Lebron/Giselle/King Kong snafu.
I knew there had to be at least a handful of reader letters, and I was ready to delve in…and I was reading to see if perhaps the magazine would issue an apology.
I looked at the Editor’s Note…no sign.
Then I looked in the letters section:
And saw two letters.
One was from Christine Fox, who says plaintitively, “I‘m an African-American woman who sees nothing wrong with the cover…I know there has been a lot of buzz about it, and folks are outraged, but it’s ridiculous! It is just fashion…dahling…don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” A voice, true, but one that was a minority, right? When I blogged about it briefly here, only a couple of you said “What’s the big deal?” And mind you, this was a cover written about in the Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily, and ABC News.
The second letter published in Vogue was from Stephanie Jackson. She says, “The April cover bothers me…More devastating than the perpetuation of stereotypes in mainstream culture is the dismissal of the counterargument as if it doesn’t make sense. If controversial imagery rubs a minority group the wrong way, shouldn’t the appropriate response be an apology?“
She brings up a good point: shouldn’t there have been an apology??
Then I kept flipping, and found it. Sort’ve. There’s an article in there called “Is Fashion Racist?“
Basically it profiles Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn, and rising star Arlenis.
It talks about their fortuitious careers, then basically recaps the past three “Blacks in Fashion” talks that The Fashion Bomb has been covering since last September.
It also has a beautiful spread profiling all the instances in Vogue history with black models (maybe taking a cue from Italian Vogue).
Was that the apology? To be like…here, we see you, we know the issues, we get it??
I guess so.
But something just seemed very lame about it all.
I applaud their effort to quell the fire, and do see that PR powerhouse Bonnie Morrison is pictured in the Index Section…
…Jourdan Dunn makes another appearance in Andre Leon Talley’s ‘Life with Andre‘ section…
And our favorite African-American socialite Genevieve Jones is sprinkled into the Society pictures…
Good job?
Keep it up, I guess.
An apology would’ve been admitting guilt, right?
What do you think?