Naruto Manga 437

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Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele is a neo-soul/jazz singer

Chrisette Michele was born on the 8th of December in 1982 as Chrisette Michele Payne. Chrisette Michele's father was a church deacon and her mother lead the church choir.

Chrissette Michele started her career singing hooks a number of rap songs. The Game's "Let Us Live", Jay-Z "Lost ones" Nas's songs "Can't forget about you", "still Dreaming" and "hope" as well as appearing on Wu Tang Clan member Ghostface killa's song "slow down"



in 2007 Chrisette Michele I AM. which released the Grammy winning single "be OK"

the following year Chrisette Michele released her second album Epiphany. in 08 she also did a song for Tyler Perry's House of Payne titled "I Gotta A Love Jones" this song has yet to be release for sell and so far only appeared as a music video that aired during the show.


Chrisette Michele has also done some acting in 2008 she had a guest role on the show Girlfriends.

Moises de la Renta to Launch Fashion Line

Viewimages, The Cut

Moises de la Renta, the son of famed fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, will be launching his own line, called MDLR, this year in spite of the sharp economic downturn. In addition to working as an assistant for his father, he spent a short time working for Phat Farm. He describes his new collection of clothing and accessories (with prices retailing for just shy of $1K) as "simple,elegant and practical."

The Dominican Republic born designer was adopted by Mr. de la Renta in 1984 after being discovered abandoned in a dumpster by his birth parents. He has described his childhood as typical and boring. On the subject of race The Observer remarked :

He grew up in quaint Kent the only black kid at the local public school. His best friend was the only Jewish kid. He thinks racism is more the province of previous generations.

Unlike many up and coming designers who seem to have a real passion for the industry, Moises' interest in fashion has only blossomed in the last few years. Up until then, he seemed to be more interested in the party scene and women. He has been romantically linked to a number of models and socialites, including Vogue favorite Genevieve Jones (they broke up late last year, according to reports.)

Personally, I'm not very excited by the look in the photo above but I am curious to see the rest of his lookbook. I guess only time will tell if he really has talent for design.

Source: The Cut, The Observer

On Other Blogs....

Ariel Meredith struts in the Barbie show during NY Fashion Week

Jezebel lists the figures on how many models of color were represented on the runway during New York Fashion Week:

There were 116 labels that held shows at the recently ended New York fashion week; that's 3,697 spots in runway and presentation lineups. Of those, 668 were given to models of color — which, at just over 18%, is 6% better than one year ago. (And certainly better than in the fall of 2007, when WWD reported that one-third of the New York shows used no models of color at all.)

...

There were 7 shows that had no models of color at all. Those designers were: Altuzarra, Davidelfin, Jenni Kayne, Julian Louie, Koi Suwannagate, Temperley London, Vera Wang Lavender Label.

And there were 19 shows that had some models of color, but no black models. They were: Alexandre Herchcovitz, Behnaz Sarafpour, Costello Tagliapietra, Erin Fetherston, Halston, Marchesa, Max Azria, Milly, Miss Sixty, Monique Lhuillier, Nicole Miller, Philosophy, Reem Acra, Tibi, TSE, United Bamboo, Vena Cava, VPL, Vivienne Tam.

Legend: Yellow = Black models/ Red = Asian models/ Blue = Latina models / Green= Other ethnicities

The biggest winners (in terms of numbers of shows booked) contain the expected names: Sessilee Lopez and Jourdan Dunn*. Each appeared in 20+ shows while Arlenis Sosa's number was in the teens. Also spotted on multiple runways were Chanel Iman, Wakeema Hollis, Sessilee Lopez, Gracie Carvalho, Kinee Diouf, Georgie Baddiel, Mia Aminata Niaria, Ubah Hassan, Shelby Coleman, and Ataui Deng. One notable, 17 year old Lyndsey Scott (represented by Click) made a splash when she became the first woman of color to score an exclusive for Calvin Klein.

The rest of the article is here

*Edited to correct bad numbers on my part. It was Sessilee Lopez (and not Chanel Iman as I originally printed) who scored 20+ shows. Thanks to a careful reader for pointing out my mistake.

Michelle Obama Covers People Wearing Tracy Reese - Spring 2009 (modified)

I couldn't find a photo of Mrs. Obama's modified version of the dress (Guipure Lace Kimono Dress in Dried Azalea) the runway but it retails for $395.

S: nitrolicious

Too hot

Sorta African ELLE

Africa is everywhere in the collections of many designers this season. It seems like every other page in this month's Elle magazine is layered with influence of the motherland. Model Christy Turlington wears a Ndebele style ring necklace* in current Escada ads while other designers like Max Osterweis and Junya Watanabe, reference African inspired textiles on the runway.

Elle also lauds Frenchwoman Lydia Courteille's turn to to a more "primitive style for spring" in the jewelry news section. The artists "African" collection features mask rings that mimic African busts and sculpture, combining them with precious jewels like turquoise, diamonds and pearls. Says Courteille, "It's incredible that now the trend in fashion is Africa, because I've been working on this idea for two or three years."

In spite of the efforts by publications like Arise to publicize African artists and designers, in the fashion world, their contributions are rarely acknowledged in the mainstream fashion world. It kind of reminds me of all the press actress Bo Derek received for wearing cornrows in the movie "10" even though black women had been wearing the style for ages.



The fashion world doesn't seem to take notice of uniquely African styles and trends unless the persons delivering them are non-Africans.

Hopefully magazines like Arise will make homegrown African talent household names. I'm hoping to get a copy soon. Which reminds me, does anyone know if Uzuri, Haute, and Clam are still being published?

* This style of ring necklace is also worn by the Kayan tribe in Thailand.

Gemma Atkinson

Atkinson will star in the British independent film Boogie Woogie alongside Heather Graham. According to press reports, Atkinson is also planning to launch a music career.Gemma made her debut video game appearance in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 as Lt. Eva McKenna. She also took part in EA's Be The One event in Trafalgar Square on 29 October 2008, which forms part of the London Games festival.She also makes her comeback in Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising as Lt. Eva McKenna, once again.

Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis @ The Academy Awards

Lipstick Alley

Halle Wears Reem Acra - Spring 2009

I'm undecided. I think both Halle and the model look flawless in this dress though they have dramatically different body types. What do you think?

S: Lipstick Alley and Style.com

Naruto Manga 436

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Really?

source: Marie Claire

Is it possible for fashion to borrow elements from a non-Western culture without obscuring that culture's identity? There is a difference in my mind between a designer incorporating a traditionally "ethnic" concepts (like beading for example) in his or her clothing and just copying something outright, stripping it of any cultural significance and say, placing it on the heel of a thousand dollar pair of pumps for some fashionista to hobble around on while not smiling.

Where that line is drawn is a trickier matter. Does it depend on how much the item costs or its function? I don't know for sure. I'm sure that I've bought ethnic "looking" things here and there without really stopping to think of who made it but there's just something about $1,400 pair of Dior shoes with graven images of mini-Africans that just seems to cross the line. Maybe I'm supposed to see something stylish and multi-culti when I look at these shoes, but in reality it just left me shaking my head in disbelief.

Lucia Dvorska

Lucia Dvorská is a Slovak model who appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Her beautiful pictures of SI are shown above. She was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. She was a contestant on the 2007 reality television show, A Model Life, hosted by Petra Němcová on TLC .

Lina Shekhovtsova

Chanel Iman & Arlenis Sosa Covers

S: The Fashion Spot

The Arise/This Day: African Fashion Collective 2009

The show took place last night and featured the designes of Xuly Bet from Mali, South African Stoned Cherrie (designed by Nkhensani Nkosi,) Fati Asibelua of Momo, and Nigeria's Tiffany Amber.

Said the NYT:

... the show still gave the crowd plenty to get excited about. There was a surreal turn on the Xuly Bet runway by Grace Jones, whose exoticism has always been of the extraterrestrial kind. There was the vision of the Bryant Park catwalks filled with an array of black beauties and not, as the Memphis-born model Wa’Keema Hollis said, the “same old two or three token girls.”

Watch a video of the show here

S: MBFashionweek

Beautiful Lingerie Models

Beautiful Lingerie Models

Rachel Roy - RTW - Fall 2009

Rachel Roy's first few collections left me wanting more but lately, I haven't connected with her vision. Her new lined debuted recently at New York Fashion week and the first thing that popped into many observer's minds was that the presentation borrowed heavily from Stefano Piliati's YSL show last fall, right down to the bowl cuts and black lips.

There's not much in this lineup worth coveting in my opinion and I wonder if the recent buy-ins by TSM Capital and Jones Group (which left Roy with a minority stake in the company) have influence the overall direction of the line. Sales are definitely up, since former Givenchy CEO Marianne Tesler took over two years ago, but much of the spark seems to have left the building.

The inspiration?

Pics: Fashionista