So it was an unseasonably warm day yesterday, and I decided…what better way to spend it than at Habana Outpost?
…My buddies and I agreed that beautiful, sunny days would be in short supply, and we had to make the most out of it. Besides, it might’ve been the last Sunday we could sit outside with a frozen Mojito in hand.
I was looking around for fashionista’s, and as usual Habana didn’t disappoint. This young lady caught my eye…
…because of her pairing of a dressy element (skirt) with a very casual one (gray t-shirt). I asked her what inspired her outfit, and she said she loved to mix prints with solids. She also revealed that she had recently cut her hair (yay naturals!), and had taken to wearing scarves and hats in the interim. Cute!
What do you think of my last Real Style from Habana?
Smootches!
PS Just for fun…this song is changing my life right now:
It’s finally, finally Friday. Let me just say it’s a miracle I’m up right now. But enough about me… Time for mail bombs! Let’s get started. Reader Afro Diva says, “Hi! I was wondering if you could help me find an affordable version of a pair of earrings I’ve been eyeing. I first saw these earrings in Kelis’ “Bossy” video and I knew I had to have them. Lately, I’ve noticed that celebs like India.Arie…” “…and Aisha Tyler…” “…are rocking them at different events. They are so gorgeous and I’d love to find a pair. Thanks!” Hey! I love those earrings! You can find a great pair for only $22… …at none other than anniversary sponsor Out of Hand Boutique! If those are too small, you can contact the owner of the site www.beadparadise.com… Who seems to be selling a larger pair for $38. Good luck! Next up, reader Renee says, “Tracee Ellis looked great during fashion week…” “…Where can I find her dress?” Hey Renee! It looks like Tracee is wearing a longer version of this Michael Kors Gold Tweed Sheath Dress…. …available for $1,695 at www.eluxury.com. Too much? Try this Short Cowl Neck Dress by Karen Zambos… …which is a relatively reasonable $341 at shopbop.com Next up reader GoldenHoney says, “I love this dress…” “Can you please tell me where I can find it or something incredibly close?” Hey Golden. You can get a Kelis look with this BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Chiffon Party Dress… …It’s $260 at www.nordstrom.com Next up, we have a boy reader!!!! Drew says, “Fall is officially here, but I wanted to know the designer of these shades (or where can I get the look).” I’m so happy you’re reading the Fashion Bomb, Drew! I couldn’t find an exact match, but felt these $265 Metal Aviator Specs by Gucci… …came close. Get ’em at Bergdorf Goodman. Seems like a lot of people are looking to invest in sunglasses. Reader Stephanie says, “I have been trying to find these cute aviators that Kimora is wearing in this picture…” “… I’ve seen her wear them on her show Life in the Fab Lane, but I can’t see what brand they are. Please help!” Intern Elita’s still on board, and helped out with this one! She says, “It’s hard to tell from this tiny photo, but it might be the Ming Aviators…” “…which Kimora wore in the last Baby Phat ad campaign.” Get yours for $62 at BabyPhat.com Thanks Elita! Next up reader Courtney says, “I’m looking for the shoes Ashanti wore to 106 & Park recently…” “…I’m thinking about getting them (depending on the price), but want a better look at them. Help a girl out! : )” Hey hey. I couldn’t find an exact match, but thought that these Dubois Striped Pumps by Michael Kors…. ..came close. And for only $98, you can’t go wrong! Lastly, you wouldn’t believe how many e-mails I received asking the make of Megan Good’s overalls in this picture. Cute, huh? It seems that Black Style Central provided a break down of the whole outfit here. Happy Shopping! Smootches! PS If you’re having trouble viewing the site in Internet Explorer, I don’t know what to tell you! Blogger Help is actually unhelpful…all I can suggest is to hit refresh until it pops up! The site’s best in Safari or Firefox. PSS In NYC? Check out Seasoned to Perfection’s Sale… Click to enlarge Lots of cute, vintage stuff at affordable prices. I’ll try to roll out! Also, this should be fun… Check it out!
So,
I received many e-mails yesterday urging everyone familiar with the Jena Six case to wear all black today in protest. Not familiar with Jena Six? Basically 6 black teenagers from Louisiana have been jailed and could face life in prison due to a series of racially charged events that culminated in a fight with a white student. While the boys did participate in some pummeling, many protesters contend that their charge, attempted murder, is too harsh for the crime.
The urge to wear all black is a political as well as a fashion statement, and I decided to show my support (I have plenty of little black dresses in my repertoire, so didn’t find it hard…) but wondered if others supported as well. I went out during a brief lunch break…
…to see what I could see.
Surprise: the all black was in full effect!
Kelly, an executive assistant… …looked smart in glasses, a black dress, and silver flats.
Shakema and Elizabeth… accented their all black with bright orange shawls.
Attorney Gigi…
…looked amazing in a black turtleneck sweater, pencil skirt, and hot suede mustard peep toes.
And Elsa and Lisa… …accent their black with cool retro specs and necklaces.
Cute!
A few people didn’t get the memo.
Accountant Andre… …said he didn’t know that people were wearing black. Besides, he said, he’s from Jamaica, and was unaware of the national news.
And lastly, Cherise, right, was in all black… But her friend, Natalie, said she just didn’t know!
A bit of a mixed bag, but it seems that people (in midtown at least) dusted off their old black pieces to show their disdain for a sad case in racial politics.
How’s it look where you are?
Smootches!
PS Not familiar with the case? Read about it here and here.
PSS Send me pictures!
Hey!
Almost the weekend…
So I received an e-mail yesterday advertising a ‘Plus Size Fashion’ Week taking place at a store in Brooklyn called Lee Lee’s Valise…
Since I’ve been accused in the past of not showing love to big girls, I decided my attendance at the event was mandatory.
I made my way down on the F train, and entered the boutique, only to find that Fashion Week was more of a mix and mingle event with champagne, designers, and lots of clothes. No worries! Lee Lee’s itself provided enough fashion entertainment, and seemed like the perfect place for a plus size diva with a keen sense of style.
The store carries sizes 12 to 28 and features clothes by designers such as Roni Rabl, Anna Scholz, Trentecosta, Tadashi, Elana Miro, and Kiyonna. I took a look around and found a lot of cool finds with prices that spanned the gamut.
This gold coat by Anna Scholz was a whopping $1,102… While this cool cropped jacket by Maestro was a more reasonable $39. This gold and pink dress by Kiyonna is a mid-tier $116… And this coat, again by Anna Scholz, was $994.. Bring your credit cards!
Of course the ladies who came out were trying things on.
This Lace Boudoir Dress by Kiyonna was very flattering and a reasonable $168… This ready for work dress by Trentecosta was also $168… And this showstopper by Roni Rabl was a conservative $200… Fierce! The young lady wearing it said, “I usually have lots of fit problems. Plus sized clothing usually goes straight down. I never find anything that fits me.â€
Thankfully that dress fit the bill…I think she walked out with it on!
Lee Lee’s Valise has lots of other must sees.
A wide assortment of Spanx… Lingerie by companies like Volage with bra sizes that go up to a 46H…
Jeans and t’s… Accessories… And bags…. You must stop by!
Plus Size Fashion Week continues tonight and features designers Anna Scholz and Jessica Svoboda. Drop in tonight from 6-9…you won’t be disappointed!
Lee Lee’s Valise is at 368 Court Street (at President). Call 718-246-5337 or visit www.leeleesvalise.com for more information and directions.
Smootches!
PS I’m wearing black today to support the Jena 6. Are you?
PSS Can’t make NY Plus Size Fashion Week? Check out Pieces Fall Preview… Click to Enlarge
It’s going down tonight at 7:30 at 671 Vanderbilt Avenue at Park Place. See you there!
Since ANTM’s new season premiere’s tonight, I thought it only fitting to profile former model, Victoria’s Secret showstopper, talk show host, and creator of my weekly addiction…
Ms Tyra Banks!
As a former model and fashion aficionado, she looks smashing on most occasions. Let’s take a look:
For casual outings, Tyra wears anything from a cool cap with skinny jeans and boots… …to thigh skimming dresses in neutral colors like khaki…
or black.
When she goes glam, she amps it all the way up in frocks of varying lengths that accentuate her bustline… And wears dark, slimming colors to conceal her post model pounds… Fierce.
Channel your inner ‘top model’ with the following Tyra like items: Top Row: Diane Von Furstenberg Eyelet Wrap Dress, $233, www.bergdorfgoodman.com, Curvy Jersey Wrap Dress, $69, www.victoriassecret.com.
Bottom Row: Guess Darali Peep Toes, $114, Zappos.com Taryn Alpaca Knit Hat in Ivory, $60, CoutureCandy And, just for fun, a few things I’m looking forward to this season:
1. Tyra’s Tantrums…
This weekend the weather suddenly turned from pleasantly warm to uncomfortably chilly… …and I realized with disdain that it might be about time to get my fall wardrobe started.
While your old faithfuls from last year still work, you should make sure you renew with the following 5 fall essentials:
1. Fitted Blazer: Nothing pulls a look together like a sharp, tailored jacket.
Whether it’s in an eye catching color…
After she closed her agency in 1996, people told her the modeling business was slipping without her. “I didn’t want that responsibility,”she says. “The New York Times interviewed me and they wanted to know what was going to happen to all the people I’d helped. And that, at the time, was people of color. And I was like, they’re fine, they’re gonna be fine. And honey, little by little, it has died.”–About Bethann Hardison, New York Magazine
Hey,
So I received so many great, reflective comments from my last post, that I really didn’t think I could go back to my standard fair immediately. Yep, the Emmy’s were last night, but I decided that I’d give you a bit of something that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
So Bethann Hardison organized and acted as moderator for the panel discussion I attended last Friday. To be honest, even I didn’t know who she was when I sat down….
But this is a woman that you must know if you have any interst in fashion or fashion history. Bethann was a huge model in the 60’s and 70’s, and did a lot to diversify the industry, later, as a model agent. According to this article, Hardison grew up in Brooklyn in a family of devout Muslims. She was always known for rocking the boat: she was her high school’s first African American cheerleader, and was the first African American salesperson to work a New York City garment district showroom. Designer Willi Smith met her in an elevator, and asked her to model for him. That opportunity led to more, and she eventually became one of a small group of black models in the early 1970’s who worked for huge European designers and had spreads in Vogue (yes, Vogue), and Harper’s Bazaar. After modeling, she became an agent, first at an agency called Click and afterwards for her own company, Bethann Management. She focused on models of color, and apparently made the careers of Veronica Webb, Talisa Soto, and Tyson Beckford, and was “like a coach” to Naomi Campbell. It seems Bethann is no stranger to holding conferences. She held something similar to the forum last Friday in the early 90’s, and skewered the top players in fashion for subtle racism. Apparently, a few months later Naomi Campbell became the first woman of African descent to grace the cover of Allure… Seeing that Bethann is ‘results oriented,’ I’m hoping that this conference effects a similar positive change on the industry. It’s about time!
Stay tuned for further developments…
Smootches
PS Another little fun fact: Bethann is Kadeem Hardison’s mother. Remember ‘Dwayne Wayne’ from ‘A Different World.’????
So funny!
PSS Read more about Bethann here.
Happy Friday!
Sorry for the late post, I’ve had a very busy morning. Why did you have a busy morning, Claire? Well, I’ll tell you.
Last night, I was delighted to get a text from my designer friend Malcolm Harris, alerting me to a forum discussion taking place today, subject: Blacks in Fashion. I quickly said “Sign me up!” and made my way over.
Upon walking in, I caught sight of many fashion notables. I’ll be honest, I almost lost my mind, I was in the company of such greatness.
Sitting right behind me were the following journalistic juggernauts:
Andre Leon Talley (far left), Teri Agins of the Wall Street Journal, Robin Givhan of the Washington Post (obscured), and Harriette Cole, creative director of Ebony Magazine. Oh yeah, and that’s Malcolm with the Peace Sign.
After I sat down, more and more people filtered in.
Tyson made an appearance: Naomi Campbell (who actually ended up sitting right behind me!) offered her support: Liya Kebede (gorgeous and so super nice) was in the house: As was Iman… Designer Tracy Reese…
Rachel Roy… And Ebay Fashion Director Constance White! It was truly an amazing showing, and I was excited to be there.
Industry veteran Bethann Hardison… …took the floor as the moderator. She’s a former model, so her pet peeves centered around the “black model issue.” She hated that designers felt that having one black supermodel was sufficient; that people believe black women on covers won’t sell; that agents won’t represent black models; that designers are not conscious of diversity; and that blacks and others in positions of power don’t recognize a problem.
The talk revealed that the Fashion industry is extremely discriminatory and is also the only industry that is allowed to reject people outright based on color. Think about it: If a model sues Calvin Klein for not casting her, she’ll never work again. If a journalist sues a huge publishing house for not hiring her, she’ll have trouble getting published. In an industry based on networking, it’s best not to burn bridges…better to stay quiet and complicit (though that really doesn’t help the problem).
Doesn’t bode well at all for an aspiring fashion editor of color…
The forum was a bit mind boggling because the problem is complex: agents don’t search for black models because they don’t think they can sell; designers don’t book black models because they feel no need to; magazine editors don’t pick black models because, once again, they don’t think they’ll sell magazines. This is all a farce because we know black women like fashion (hello!) and spend freely. The problem is alerting the powers that be to our presence, beauty, and spending power. I mean, even Naomi Campbell revealed that she hasn’t been able to score a cover of British Vogue…and that the only reason she scored French Vogue was because her buddy Yves Saint Laurent threatened to pull all advertising if she didn’t get it. Yep, even Naomi Campbell has problems.
The conclusion of the talk was such: The group of highly influential people assembled (including Andre Leon Talley, Naomi Campbell, Tracy Reese, Constance White) would attend the next Council of Fashion Designers of America meeting to address this issue. Apparently Diane von Furstenberg (president of the CFDA) is game.
Stay tuned for developments…
Fashion figureheads are really trying to rock the boat (hopefully)!
Will anything change?
Smootches!
PS Of course I made my way over the Andre Leon Talley, and told him of my sincere desire to work at Vogue. He promised that we’d chat afterwards, but after the talk, he disappeared! Like…Casper. Is this part of the problem?
PSS Malcolm seems to think that the power to change things lies in the new generation, us. What do you think? Is there a problem in your opinion? Do you want to see more blacks in mainstream magazines? Or do we just want Suede back?
Hey! So for the last day of Fashion Week, I decided to hit up a smaller show to mix things up. I was delighted when my girl Lauren from Stereohyped told me that former Project Runway contestant… Zulema was showing. I was juiced to tag along. The space was set up to be reminiscent of an art exhibit, so all the models were milling around or lounging… … in Zulema’s creations. Of course I had to stop every model to get a closer look… The clothes were literally to die for. Out of all the collections I’ve seen during fashion week, Zulema’s was by far the only one I could see wearing to a special event…from the colors, draping, to the fabrics, everything was divine. Her collection was inspired, she said, by the story of Nigerian musician Fela’s 27 wives. She outfitted her models in clothing that was African and European inspired, and the results were gorgeous. This collection is the first that will be available in stores. Visit www.zulemagriffin.com for news on where and when you can buy. Glad to see Project Runway has treated her well! Smootches! PS Next week I’ll return to my regularly scheduled postings about celebs, trends, and Mail Bombs. Stay tuned:)
Hey hey, So yesterday Shameek and I made our way to the Heatherette show. The scene was hectic outside! The line wrapped around the corner and it didn’t help that it was raining! After waiting for about half an hour, we finally got in standing room, and literally had to climb the bleachers to get a good seat! I injured myself climbing up, no lie–but anything for fashion! There were a few celebs sitting front row. Tyson’s fine self was in the house… as was Evan Ross… Brittany Gastineau (remember that show the Gastineau Girls?)… And Mya came (second from right)… Doesn’t she look bored??? Anyway the show opened with a cute performance by Lil Mama. I got a bit of video, and this time around remembered to keep my camera right side up! Check it out:
It was pretty cute. The show itself really made me question my whole ‘lack of ethnic models theory. Chanel Iman opened the show, and the first 10 models that walked were black…
Heatherette’s theme was “Born in the USA” and they seemed to have an air of inclusivity. The white models had their hair coiled to look a bit like dreads… men carried purses… It was as if they were saying America encompasses everyone–including people of varied backgrounds… and sexual orientations… I cosign! Check out the Final Walk:
Heatherette was a fun show (even though I’d hesitate to wear any of those repurposed 80’s prom dresses! Today is the last day of Fashion Week…I’m definitely going to need a vacation! Smootches! PS Special thanks to Charmaigne!
Next up reader GoldenHoney says, 
Thanks Elita!
Taryn Alpaca Knit Hat in Ivory, $60, 
And, just for fun, a few things I’m looking forward to this season:
