*For affordable shoe options… … check this post on summer sandals under $100.
*Visit Fashion Bomb friend Brand Habit and enter your info to win this Denise Cox necklace! Click here for details.
*Check out this sale if you’re in NYC:
Hey!
So in commemoration of Mother’s Day yesterday, reader Quaneshia from Memphis, Tennesee wrote in with a bit of ‘Mother Real Style’
She says, “I’m a teacher who definitely believes in beauty on a budget and achieving “the look” for less. I wanted to send you some pics to see what you thought about my style…I call it classic elegance with hints of trendy and color… “
“…My school style may consist of basic pieces with modern trenches to updated suiting to cute dresses paired with cardigans. Also, because teachers nowadays have a life, I can be casual for a day out (notice the coordinating grey on the Chucks :)) or classy on a night out with the girls… “ Since it was Mother’s Day Weekend, she says, ” I thought it fitting for me to send a couple pics of my little man…” “… Kamrin is 5 years old and has a style ranging from preppy to male urban chic. “
Y’all…how cute is this?????
In sum, Quaneshia says, “Although we’re not not as eclectic as I’ve seen on The Fashion Bomb, do we have style???“
I think they do!
What do you think?
Smootches!
Let’s solve some Mail Bombs!
Lisa fell in love with Nicole Richie’s dress here… She says, “Where can I get it?“
We searched and found that she’s wearing a variation upon this $425 Diane Von Furstenberg Novesa Dress… …from shopbop.com Next, Jonilee from Brooklyn NY says, “I was wondering if you can tell me where can I purchase this shirt that Ashanti is sporting….” “…I love the character and I’m late for everything; might as well warn people first!“
Y’all are hilarious! Lucky for you, stellar intern Adriana searched and found the yellow version of the shirt… …for $26 at www.80stees.com.
Next Lola asks, “I love the dress Rihanna is wearing on the cover of Elle Magazine and I HAVE HAVE HAVE to have it!!!” “…I know its Donna Karan and out of my price range. Where can I find a similar dress??“
Try these low priced lovelies for a similar look: 1. Red Summer Dress by Paradyz, $215, www.edressme.com. 2. Tart Jersey Sharon V-Neck Dress, $73, www.bluefly.com3. Aqua Women’s Sleeveless Racerback Dress, $78, www.bloomingdales.com.
In a men’s Mail Bomb, Cake from Savannah says, “I wanna know what kind of sunglasses Usher was wearing in the Love in this Club video....” Try these for an Usher steeze: 1. Italia Independent Sunglasses, $395, www.barneys.com. 2. John Varvatos Navigator Sunglasses, $325, www.neimanmarcus.com. 3. Plastic Aviator Frames, $70, www.kennethcole.com.
Now for a few wardrobe solutions.
Shanae says, “Ok so I’ve been looking all over for a pair of the high waisted jeans but I havent found a cute pair yet, PLEASE HELP!” “…Also what could I wear with it, like as far as shirts?!“
With high waisted jeans, I think it’s best to wear them with a plain shirt–whether it’s a white t-shirt, button down or tie-neck blouse… …for more examples of how to wear high waisted pants, check out my post about it here. If you want to add a few pairs to your wardrobe, try these: 1. Whiskered High Waist Jeans, $29.80, www.forever21.com. 2. Seven for all Mankind High Waisted Bootcut Jeans, $172, www.shopbop.com. 3. Jenny Jen Gold Stitch Jeans, $129, www.blaec.com. 4. Seven for all Mankind Sophie High Waisted Skinny Jeans, $119, www.eluxury.com.
Lastly, Aija asks, “Quick question for you – once in a while someone pulls together a sort of shopping how-to guide that tells you the best time to purchase designer bags, coats, jewelry, etc. Have you seen anything like this, or do you have any pointers on the best time to make some of these major purchases?“ I actually wrote an article about this a long time ago for an online magazine called Beauty Addict. Yes, I wrote for other sites before starting The Fashion Bomb!
According to me, “Summer apparel, like flirty dresses, swimsuits, and colorful skirts, start lining the shelves in March when it’s still a bit chilly. Though it’s tempting to buy everything you see the moment it arrives in stores, June and July are the sales months for summer clothes, with July being the clearance month…So if you can make it through May showing off your newly svelte bod in last year’s digs, you can stock up on almost all the polo shirts, flip-flops, and Capris your heart desires later on.” What great advice!
Read the rest here. It’s fun to reminisce!
Now for a little Fashion Trivia, just for fun.
If anyone can tell me the significance of this cover…. …along with the name of the model, month and year, you’ll win a Fashion Bomb T-Shirt! E-mail me at thefashionbomb@gmail.com with your response. *Update: You guys are super duper fast! Denise from Illinois responded within a half an hour saying, “The cover is from March 1966. It featured Donyale Luna, the first cover model of ethnic origin for Vogue.” You are correct! Look out for your T!
For the rest of you, enter the code ‘friendsandfamily’ for $10 off your Fashion Bomb Shop Purchase. Offer expires 5/16!
Smootches!
Fashion, News, and What Nots
*These guys were on the front page of yesterday’s NY Times Style Section: Click here to find out why. [NYTimes]
*Donyale Luna actually had a very, very sad story. Reader Janay sent me this website (which also has great pictures of Donyale). According to the site, “Her unprofessional behavior signaled the end of Luna’s career. Beverly Johnson recalled that Luna “[didn’t] wear shoes winter or summer. Ask her where she’s from ‘Mars?’ She went up and down the runways on her hands and knees. She didn’t show up for bookings. She didn’t have a hard time, she made it hard for herself.” In 1979, Luna died of a drug overdose in Rome.” Read the rest here.
*If you want to read Time Magazine’s piece on her, titled, “Luna Year,” you can do so here.
*If you don’t read the New Yorker…start! It is simply the best magazine ever. Check this article in this week’s issue on Pascal Dangin, the premier retoucher of photographs for basically every fashion magazine under the sun. Just to give you an idea of how dope he is, “In the March issue of Vogue Dangin tweaked a hundred and forty-four images: a hundred and seven advertisements (Estée Lauder, Gucci, Dior, etc.), thirty-six fashion pictures, and the cover, featuring Drew Barrymore.” It’s pretty cool.
Hey!
So as you know, I fell in love with Kimora Lee’s choice for the Costume Institute Gala a few days ago…
…I thought it was fresh, pretty, and different. You can tell Kimora understands style: she knows how to take risks without falling on her face!
Of course I wondered to myself who designed her multicolored frock, and thankfully several of you e-mailed me to let me know that the designer is in fact Kevan Hall… …yes! Silly me, I thought I had featured most designers of color on the Fashion Bomb, but there are always others hiding in the folds!
So Kevan Hall was born in Detroit and studied fashion design at Cass Technical High School before attending Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design… …he struck out on his own throughout the 80’s and 90’s before becoming Design and Creative Director for the legendary Halston in 1998. In 2002, he started his own signature line, the Kevan Hall Collection. Now you can see his sophisticated, tailored frocks on the likes of Vanessa Williams, Felicity Huffman, Vivica A. Fox, Virginia Madsen, Garcelle Beauvais, Debra Messing and Renee Zellweger. Looks from his Spring 2008 Collection
When asked what he is up to now, he reveals, “One of our recent projects was the wedding gown and reception dress for Tia Mowry. She was adorable and so in love!“ Spring 2008
“…I enjoy the process of design from concept to execution…But the most gratifying part is seeing a design come to life on a beautiful woman.” Fierce!
Find out more at www.kevanhalldesigns.com, or if you’re in LA, pay him a visit at 8313 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (323-658-7979).
Smootches!
Fashion, News, and What Nots
*New York Magazine actually hated on Kimora’s dress saying, “Thank goodness no children with sticks were around because they might have mistaken her for an African piñata and started whacking her. ” Oh my, what clever snark! I, for one, applaud Kimora for wearing an African inspired gown to a very stuffy, traditional event. Represent!
*If you want to understand the motives behind similar hateful comments, be sure to attend Glamour’s panel tomorrow! Click to Enlarge
I like my sleep, so no promises that I’ll attend.
Here’s a “Claire’s Life” quickie:
Last night I went to Spotlight Live for the Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z concert afterparty. Truth be told, I went to take a picture with Mary, but this is the best I could do:
…So close!!! Cute haircut. (I’m just noticing this now, but is that Kevin Liles in the background???)
Anyway…No matter, I was able to catch up with a few of the other celebs in the house.
The baddest, Trina, was very gracious and sophisticated: Stephen Baldwin was cool and down to earth (and offered my friend the rest of his Red Bull!): And highlight of the night had to be meeting some of the boys from Day 26…. …they were super sweet and kept the Ciroc flowing all night:)
Believe it or not, it’s 3am. Sleep time!
*Just for fun, a quick Day 26 viddy:
Cute! Buy their album here.
*This is so funny! I just looked online for pix of MJB from last night. Check out this picture: Notice anyone in the background?? I guess I did manage to get a pic with her…sort of! *Thanks to Carine of PDG PR and Dante Simpson of DSA Media Group!
If you’re like me, you’ve developed a bad habit of waiting til the last minute to run to Hallmark to get whatever ‘Mahogany’ card is leftover.
After numerous guilt laced phone calls on the day in question, I decided: No More!
There are plenty of cool items you can give to mom without spending a ton. And hey, it’s Wednesday, so if you order today, it should still reach Mom Dukes in time for the holiday.
I decided to help everyone out a bit, and give you 25 ideas for fashionable Mother’s Day Gifts all under $100:
1. Jewelry: Moms wants to feel like sassy vixens, and nothing does that more than modern, funky jewels. Gift her the following affordable picks for a cool look:
*Shout out to one of the greatest TV Moms: …who happens to have one of the best names ever! Ha!
*Um, have y’all seen the pictures of Rihanna in Elle’s June issue? Homegirl is so frickin fierce! Check out the rest here.
*Log on to enter my girl Meghan’s Sex & the City Shoe Contest. [Miss Meghan]
Didn’t get a chance to post these Met Ball pix yesterday (my bad!): Everyone looks sophisticated and svelte. I personally prefer Joy Bryant’s Pucci Gown out of this batch. Like Kimora…out the box and beautiful!
“Fashion encompasses an array of artistic expression, but I am exposed only to the final product of the displayed image- style. Although I like styling, my interests are also held captive in the beauty arenas. Can you feature some make-up artists in the future?“
I’m not typically a beauty girl, so I decided to get in touch with my buddy Desiree… A Fashion Bomb fanatic and two time Real Style subject, Desiree is also an aspiring makeup artist and beauty writer. She says, “I’ve been devouring beauty knowledge since I started wearing lipstick! Every time I bump into celebrity makeup artists I think, “I wish I had a blog to share this knowledge with other women.“
Well, there’s always the Fashion Bomb!
A few weeks ago, Desiree went to the International Beauty Show, and caught up with celebrity makeup artist Sam Fine… An industry veteran, Sam has worked with everyone from Mary J. Blige, Brandy and Vanessa Williams to models Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, and Iman. Basically, he’s the bomb!
He was gracious enough to answer a few questions for you aspiring beauty buffs out there.
Enjoy!
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When Chicago native Sam Fine moved to New York City, he certainly didn’t have makeup artistry in mind. “I moved to New York to become a Fashion Illustrator, ” he admits, “I took a job behind the cosmetics counter because I thought it would be easy…It looked really fun and no one there looked like they were doing any real work (laughs)…“ “…My best friend, who was a professional Makeup Artist, helped me tremendously and really taught me makeup. He helped me to translate my one-dimensional understanding of art into the three-dimensional world of beauty. I just practiced, and got into it, and really decided that I was going to take it seriously…Eighteen years later, you see where I am. “ An industry go-to, Fine has worked with everyone from Oprah to Gabrielle Union, Beyonce, and Tyra Banks, and has painted faces for Covergirl Campaigns, music videos, tours, and innumerable magazines. Fine, who made up Patti Labelle’s face for $150 when he first started out because he was just, “young and dumb and happy to be there,” attributes his success to his inexorable passion for his work. “Looking back, I think there’s a beauty to being naive and just going out on your own and doing something that you have a real passion for.“ For you aspiring makeup artists, Sam stands by ‘real world’ experience instead of traditional beauty school. “I refer to the cosmetics counter as the real “School of Beauty”- the real hands-on training, ” he says, “There, you’re dealing with women of all different ages, features, and textures. And, you learn to understand personalities, which I think is a very big part of this industry. Education helps tremendously and school will make you more prepared to do a celebrity client; but, at the counter, you’ve dealt with so many women and so many different concerns that you can jump right in there and feel a lot more secure about doing a celebrity client…” “…Being behind the counter, being on sets, and assisting– those are the kinds of things that add invaluable experience and really help to mold a career in a way that education doesn’t,” he says, “That’s where you really excel and learn what the business is truly about. Assisting and interning is so important because you get the experience that you need to be a lot more secure in your own artistic ability. It sharpens your own point of view on what beauty means to you…“ Looking for his secret? He simply states, “When you put yourself in a position to do something great you’ll just meet similar people along the way.” In terms of ‘Breaking In’ it seems as if the answer is: get to work! “This is one of the few businesses that doesn’t have a real training ground. There’s no direct route into the industry. At the end of the day, it’s really about what you do with your education and your passion…the passion is what helps you to excel…” Fabulous!
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Learn more about Sam’s work at his website, www.samfine.com and keep your eyes peeled for an instructional makeup DVD this fall on his blog, www.samfine.com/fineblog.
Also pick up a copy of his book, Fine Beauty… Purchase by clicking here.
Smootches!
Fashion, News, and What Nots
*Snaps to Fashion Bomb flygirl Desiree for coordinating this amazing interview!
*If you, too, want to contribute to the Fashion Bomb, e-mail me with interest! I’m accepting applications for Fashion Bomb summer interns. There’s no bling involved, but I can promise it’ll be lots of fun. Shoot me an e-mail at thefashionbomb@gmail.com along with a few ideas you think could work.
*Fun Fact: Sam is responsible for this May Ebony Magazine cover… …featuring the beautiful Ugly Betty star Vanessa Williams. Fine more clips from inside over at Concrete Loop. [Concrete Loop]
*Check out the Breaking into Fashion archive for profiles of stylists, publicists, editors, and more! If you have something in mind you’d like to see, e-mail me.
Fashionistas and Celebutantes of every stripe converged last night for the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A few pictures of Fashion Bomb esque celebs: …snaps to Thandie Newton for going with a mid thigh lingerie inspired dress along with sexy gladiator sandals! She really pushed the envelope (as you can see, most people wore floor length Princess gowns). And I’ve got to give it to Kimora for also thinking outside the box in her colorful creation. Beyonce looks like she’s pageant ready in her champagne gown, and J. Lo quite demure in her ice blue frock. Zoe Kravitz stepped it up significantly, and Iman looked radiant, as usual. If I had to pick a winner, I’d go with Kimora for picking something appropriate yet interesting (I wonder who designed her dress..?). But what about y’all? Whose outfit fits your fancy?
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
So on Friday I was hanging on 5th avenue with my buddy from London…we were walking and talking, catching up, when I saw this seriously dapper young man…
Click to Enlarge
…I mean, are you serious? He was soooo well turned out with his embroidered jacket, pinstriped vest, cravat, and matching pocket square…not to mention his gold rimmed sunglasses, bold jewelry, and pointed shoes. He kept it a little edgy with an Afro and a lollipop… literally EVERYTHING was on point. I had to ask what he did to achieve such Fabulosity….turns out he works at Bergdorf Goodman.
Figures.
So, what do you think? Doesn’t he have great style?
Smootches!
Fashion, News, and What Nots
*Just for some Monday fun, a hip hop fashion throwback:
1. Nicole Miller Printed Shift Dress, $365, www.nordstrom.com. Hale Bob Floral Silk Jersey Dress, $220, www.bloomingdales.com. 3. Tory Burch Voile Dress, $295, www.saks.com.
1. Maggie London Printed Jersey Knit Dress, $128, www.nordstrom.com. 2. Printed Linen Antonia Dress, $165, www.jcrew.com. 3. What Comes around Goes Around Goa Tunic, $187, shopbop.com
Smootches!
… check this post on summer sandals under $100.
