Fashion: District

I know it's been a minute since my last post but I wanted to quickly shout out this great event taking place in the next two weeks. Apparently, ReadysetDC has hosted two successful fashion shows already. This is their third installment. The evening will include a full-length runway show and pop-up shopsand musical performances. This season’s designers include; ARTAYA, Clockwise Clothing, Derringer Friday, DURKL, Ginger Root Design, Hugh & Crye and SAINTCHiC. Check out the video below with footage of previous events.

When: Thursday, April 14th
Time: 7pm (Fashion show begins at 9pm)
Where: Longview Gallery, Washington, DC
Cost: $25

fashion:district II - Fall/Winter 2010 from ReadysetDC on Vimeo.

Corinne Bailey Rae covers Billboard

Corinne Bailey Rae has been MIA, understandably, since the death of her husband in 2008. But now the soulful songstress is making a comeback with the release of her sophomore album, "The Sea." The album will be in stores on January 26th, but you can get a sneak peak at Corinne's official website here. Also check out her new video "I'd Do It Again." I'm loving Corinne's longer hair by the way. The new hairstyle suits her to no end and her music sounds inspiring, though somewhat dark. Below is an Observer Music Monthly Podcast where she explains her musical inspiration behind this album. I hope she has as much success with this album as her first!

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Miss Tina is Ready to Take Over the World!

Beyonce and her mom are poised to take over the world one industry at a time. Now that Beyonce has conquered the worlds of music, Hollywood and high-street fashion via House of Dereon, now Miss Tina has set her sights on monopolizing the over 40's fashion market. Available exclusively through HSN, here is what the shopping work has to say about the "designer"...

"Innovative design and cutting-edge styling have established Tina Knowles as one of America’s premier fashion designers.

Worn by Destiny’s Child and daughters Beyoncé, Solange and Kelly Rowland, her designs have figure-flattering flair and amazing attention to detail.

The new, exclusive Miss Tina collection is a blend of great fashion, contemporary styling, and the perfect accessories – all with a touch of couture."

Visit www.misstina.com to browse through some of her clothes online. Also, the video below shows Tina Knowles giving one of her target customers a makeover. What do you think?

Michelle Obama is Honored by Glamour

December's issue of Glamour will honor 12 women as "Woman of the Year." Popular icons that have overcome serious challenges or given back to society are recognized by the fashion magazine. Among the winners are Maya Angelou, Rihanna, Serena Williams, Susan Rice and, of course, Michelle Obama.

The First Lady is interviewed by guest writer Katie Couric, and she gives this great advice to women still looking for love...

"Cute's good. But cute only lasts for so long. Then it's 'Who are you as a person?' Don't look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. When you're dating a man, you should always feel good."

You can see her full answer in the video snippet below, taken from the full interview.


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Rachel by Rachel Roy

You may of first been "introduced" to Rachel Roy through her husband, Roc-a-Fella co-founder Damon Dash, but these days her name has become synonymous with emerging fashion. The young, high profile New York designer has come a long way. Over the last couple of years her label has expanded and now offers a more affordable line appropriately titled, "Rachel, Rachel Roy." The likes of Joy Bryant, Padmi Lakshmi and even Michelle Obama wear her designs (probably from her original line Rachel Roy New York). But despite her star being on the rise, she's still a dedicated mother of two who hasn't lost sight of what's important. Posted below is "Behind the Lens" - the three part video series filmed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Douglas Keeve. In it Rachel Roy reflects on her past, present and future and there are plenty of cute scenes with her adorable daughters, Ava (9) and Tallulah Ruth (1). After you've checked out the videos visit www.rachelroy.com to view photos of her new and more economically friendly fashion line.

Designer Rachel Roy launches her new more affordable line, "Rachel".

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

We're Ready For Our Close-Up...

The September cover of i-D magazine will feature the fashion world's best and brightest stars... four up-and-coming black models. In fact, let's give them their credit, they are no longer "up-and-coming." These ladies have ARRIVED! Chanel Iman, Sesilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Arlenis Sosa look nothing short of fabulous in this photo shoot. And if you don't believe me, take a sneak peak at the video below which features behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot. Naomi Campbell may still be forging ahead but these girls are bringing in the rear. On my cue everybody sing... "I want to love you, P.Y.T. Pretty Young Thing. You need some lovin'. T.L.C...."

P.S. Jourdan is supposedly pregnant, hence the strategic placement of Seslie's arm. Also peep the 1:03 minute mark in the video. Congrats Jourdan. You're repping for the U.K.!

Good Hair... The issue becomes public.

Trailer for Chris Rock's new docu-movie "Good Hair."
Yaya De Costa, Terri Seymour and Beyonce display some of the varying hair textures and styles in the black community.

Behind the scenes of the "Good Hair" movie poster photo shoot.

I cannot express how excited I am to see Chris Rock's new docu-movie "Good Hair" (out this October). This is long overdue... like 200 years! When I first saw the trailer I was unsure about how this was going to pan out. Will the movie really explore the hair issues in our community or will it be nothing more than a superficial mockery that just scratches the surface? I watched the trailer several times and concluded that Chris Rock is just trying to add some humor to a somewhat sensitive subject. I am confident the movie will be equally entertaining and informative.

That said, are we as black women ready to face the questions that will undoubtedly come from those outside our race. Movie critics at the Sundance Film Festival, where the movie won an award, lamented on how they had "no idea" that black women went through so much to "look good." I personally do not want nosy commuters asking me if my hair is a weave on the rush hour train to work! Either way, this will undoubtedly be a milestone in our history. The movie has a lot of money behind it and will me watched by millions. I just hope it lives up to the hype. I equally hope Chris Rock interviews some natural sistas in an effort to dispel the myth that natural hair is hard to maintain. Visit http://www.goodhairmovie.net/ for more information.

Off The Runway: Iman & Ubah

Just a quick post today. I wanted to share this video of Iman talking with emerging model Ubah Hassan about their home country and the role race plays in fashion. Share your thoughts after watching.

Video from Beyonce on the Vogue Shoot...

The Perfect Smokey Eye...

I don't know about you guys but I find it so hard to recreate the smokey-eyed look that so many models and celebrities wear in magazines and the red carpet. I always thought that because I have darker skin I had to use more eye shadow but I have been using the wrong technique! The video above shows make-up artist Johnny Lavoy applying the perfect smokey eye to Ethopian-born model Gelila Bekele. I find it particularly useful since Gelila has a similar skin tone to myself. I think dark charcoal and burgundy are much more flattering colors for this look - say "no" to standard black.

Chanel Iman Covers Page Six

In this week’s Page Six Magazine – Named after legendary designer Coco Chanel, this hot young model is now blazing her own trail in the fashion world. Meet Chanel Iman, protégée of Tyra Banks and favorite of Galliano and McQueen, who is determined to shake things up with her vibrant personality, cheeky tattoos and modern attitude toward race. Here's some excerpts from her interview and below is some behind-the-scenes footage of her cover photo shoot...

On rumors she has been involved with Kanye West, rapper Tyga, and singer-producer Ryan Leslie: “I’m young and I’m dating. But I’m not gonna say any names. There are special people in my life but nothing serious. Just having a man in general is a job! I have one job; I can’t have a second. I’m the type of girl that if I have a man, I want to be a good girl-friend and be there for them and take care of them.”

On her close relationship with Tyra Banks: “She keeps it real. She tells it like it is. She’s really been a great mentor for me.”

On the rigors of working New York Fashion Week: “Honestly, I try to forget Fashion Week once it’s over. I just want to go home and rest and just forget I even did it. It could drive you crazy! It’s just show after show after show, and you’re missing your family and they feel really far away. You don’t go to sleep. You work for a month. You spend all this time trying on clothes… what drives me the most crazy is people touching me all the time. That does get weird.”

On how she ended up naming her Maltese “Louis Dior”: “I really loved working with [Dior designer] John Galliano—he’s so amazing. He actually let me name my dog Dior. I asked him! Right after I bought my puppy, I flew to Paris and John was the first designer that I saw. So I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t have a name for my puppy, so is it OK, John, if I name him Dior?’ He said, ‘It would be my honor.’ So I took a picture of me and my dog and sent it to him. He loved it.”

On her frustrations at the difficulties that models of color face in the industry: “It’s not just black girls. It’s ethnic girls in general: Brazilian girls, Hispanic. You really don’t see a lot of Asians either. A lot of designers think that if every girl on the runway looks exactly alike, then people will come to the shows and buy the clothes because they won’t be focusing on the models….It’s not even just runway either... us ethnic girls should be getting a lot of the covers too! I would love to be on half of the campaigns these [white] girls are booking, all looking exactly alike. It’s not right. It’s not fair.”

Dereon Fall 2008

Beyonce's second line Dereon has released a video with a preview to the Fall 2008 Collection. Though I'm not a big fan of either of her lines (House of Dereon and Dereon), I thought the video was worth sharing. Let me know your thoughts and if any of you have bought items from her collections what are they like? I must admit that they are some cute dresses on the House of Dereon site but none of them are less than $300 :(

I Like His Style!: Gavin Douglas

Gavin Douglas and a model at his Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear collection during London Fashion Week.

How many young designers can debut a collection in 2006 and by 2007 say that they’ve won a prestigious fashion award, secured a deal to sell their collection in U.K.’s most exclusive department store Harrods and have Tom Ford (savior of Gucci) take them out for a drink? Meet Gavin Davis, the U.K. designer who can claim all of the above. He’s clearly on the come up! With professional qualifications and training in the fashion and textile industry, Douglas is a dynamic, young designer who carefully researches, designs and crafts each individual piece of clothing, ensuring its uniqueness and quality.

In September 2006 Gavin Douglas won first place in the prestigious Fashion Fringe 2006 designer awards in London, England. As part of the award, Gavin won business, legal and technical support and development grants from the Centre for Fashion Enterprise and ultimately showcased his 2007 Spring/Summer collection at London’s Fashion Week.

Among his many achievements to date, his most notable are winning the Young Avant-Garde Designer of the Year award in 2004, showing in Caribbean Fashion Week 2005, Barbados Fashion Week 2006, Paris Fashion Week in October 2006, Brooklyn Fashion Week New York, taking part in the Black British Style Exhibition event and of course, getting Tom Ford to buy him a drink after Mr. Ford helped seal his fate as a judge for the Fashion Fringe award in 2006. I’m particularly proud of this designer because a.) he’s from Birmingham, U.K. where I spent most of my childhood and b.) his clothes are the epitome of eclectic chic.

Douglas doesn’t have a site up at the moment but you can view his latest collection here and see below for an interview with the designer. His line is currently available at Harrods and www.yoox.com.

Another Day, Another Empire to Build…

…that’s the mantra Iman lives by. As if running a worldwide cosmetics line and penning books that sell millions wasn’t enough, the 52-year-old wife and mother recently launched her own fashion line called “IMAN Global Chic.” Inspired by her glamorous adventures around the world and her personal collection of unique pieces, the line aims to provide everyday women with eye-catching accessories. According to Iman a woman is “never fully dressed without an accessory.” And with nothing in her line costing more than $130, no woman has an excuse for not rocking a little bling! The line is available exclusively on HSN.com so click here to start shopping. See Iman talk about her new creations in the video below.

Left to right: Amber-Inspired Bold Bangle Duo, $59.95; Ribbed Vintage-Inspired Cuff, $59.95; Florentine Proposal Ring, $54.95; Venetian-Style 7-1/4” Faceted Bracelet, $49.95 all available on www.hsn.com

Left to right: City Tote Signature Handbag in Black Patent, $124.95; Vintage-inspired Evening Bag in Zebra, $69.95; Hollywood Envelope Clutch in Black, $59.95; City Tote Signature Handbag in Caramel all available on www.hsn.com

Leona Lewis covers Harper's Bazaar UK...

British singer Leona Lewis is on the February cover of the UK Harper's Bazaar. With a voice to rival Mariah Carey and the looks of a supermodel, get ready for Leona fever. She's had great success over in the UK and is starting to make waves here in the States. As a fellow Brit I'm rooting for her all the way. See more from this photo shoot here.

I Like His Style!: Edwing D’Angelo

Designer Edwing D’Angelo hard at work!

Looks from D’Angelo’s much talked about Spring 2008 runway show.

I only feature designers on this site that I really believe have an amazing future in fashion, so it’s been a while since my last “I Like Her Style!” (or in this case “His Style”) feature. Thank goodness for Edwing D’Angelo, the Columbian born designer making waves in the fashion industry.

The oldest of five children, D’Angelo first came onto the scene in 2002. In less than six years in the industry he has dressed celebrities such as Vivica A. Fox, Lil Kim, Paula Garces, Nelly, Sean Paul and the legendary Patti Labelle. If that doesn’t convince you then maybe the fact that his classic garments influenced with South American flavor were featured in the hit movie “The Devil Wears Prada” (look out for the yellow, floral dress that Daniel Sunjata’s character shows to the notorious editor of ‘Runway.’)

D’Angelo, who comes from a long line of tailors and seamstresses, always had a love and longing for fashion. In an effort to express his creative talent, D’Angelo, who worked fulltime at an immigration law firm, moonlighted as a stylist on various photo shoots and assisted with wardrobe on numerous video shoots and produced countless pageants. It wasn’t until he designed a prom dress for his younger sister that D’Angelo began to realize his destiny. The gown was such a big hit amongst his sister’s friends that he ended up making 32 in total. In 2002 he opened up his first boutique.

Edwing D’Angelo’s gallery-like showroom embodies an air of classic minimalism infused with a refined Latin flair located in the heart of SoHo. He currently has three collections under his belt. “Karaz By Edwing D’Angelo”’ is his vibrant ready to wear day and office wear. “Edwing D’Angelo Couture,” which contains details to perfection, is his one of a kind evening wear and “Edwing D’Angelo Bridal” is his sensual wedding gown collection. All three lines are masterfully crafted and tailored made. See the video footage below of Edwing D'Angelo on BET J.

Catwalk Copy

Lucy Liu on the set of her new show “Cashmere Mafia” & Beyonce at the opening of the Samantha Thavasa store in Japan earlier this year.

Left: Two-Toned Platform Slingback Pumps, $42.90, www.flyjane.net
Right: Christian Louboutin’s Fox Trot Platform Slingbacks, $283.90 (reduced from $710), www.saksfifthavenue.com

Christian Louboutin’s Fox Trot Platform Slingbacks are sold out at both Saks and Net-A-Porter.com. Never fear, FlyJane.net has exact copies for a fraction of the price. Make like Lucy Liu and Beyonce and rock them this winter with tights. The great thing about these shoes is that you can rock them with gold, silver and/or black accessories. There’s nothing like versatility.

On another note, what do you all think about the new ABC show by "Sex in the City" producer Darren Star? The show's wardrobe will be selected by stylist Patricia Field, another Sex in the City alum. The show was scheduled to air this Fall but due to the Writers Guild of America strike, ABC has delayed the premiere of the series. Check out the trailor below...

Sweet Like Pastry…

Fashion must run deep in the Simmon’s family blood. Russell and Rev Run own Run Athletics, Kimora resides on her throne at Baby Phat, it’s time for the next generation to step up. Angela and Vanessa Simmons launched their sneaker line "Pastry" earlier this year which caters specifically to women. The duo wanted to make fun footwear for “stylish young ladies” by “stylish young ladies” and they succeeded. Stores have not been able to keep their sneakers on the shelves. As I’m sure you know the debut “cake” collection is inspired by various types of cakes such as the Lemon Meringue or Strawberry Shortcake. The line focused on runners for athletic use. The newer “fab cookie” collection features lifestyle sneakers for everyday use. In the winter I need a good pair of sneakers to prevent me from breaking my neck on the unforgiving ice. Check out the video footage below of the girls on the set of a Pastry photo shoot. Apparently, they are working on a clothing line to accompany their sneakers. No doubt Russy and Diggy are in talks to launch a clothing company of their own. Let’s keep it in the family!
Left to right: Peanut Butter Fab Cookie, $60; Sugar Cream Cake Runner, $65; White Chocolate Chip Fab Cookie, $60; Strawberry Shortcake Runner, $65 all available at www.drjays.com

Left to right: Lemon Meringue Cake Runner $65; Double Chocolate Chip Fab Cookie $60; Sprinkles Cake Runner $65; Blueberry Cake Runner $65 all available at www.drjays.com

I Like Her Style!: Chanel Iman

You’d have to be buried under a rock somewhere to not of heard of emerging model and icon-in-the-making, Chanel Iman. Born Chanel Iman Robinson, this young Californian native was discovered after winning runner up in the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest. Since then it’s been full steam ahead. Iman, who is of African-American/Korean heritage, has walked the runway for prestigious designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Kenzo, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Dsquared, Hermès, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior Resort and Jean Paul Gaultier. Not a bad resume for an eighteen year old. And if things weren’t good enough, she recently scored the cover of American Vogue (May 2007) with nine other top models. Iman says:

"I want to go all the way. My goal is to be a household name, and when I do that, I want to help other girls become models, and maybe even launch a fashion line with my mom, like Beyoncé did with her mother. My mom has such a good eye, and it's always been a dream of hers. I'd love to be able to do that for her." [Source]

Watch the clip above of Iman talking about her career highlights.

Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane...

I just finished watching Kimora’s new reality series called "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane." It premieres this Sunday on the Style Network at 8pm EST. The show seems really interesting and her life is indeed fabulous. Though I think Baby Phat clothes are hideous, her team are doing something right since they’ve built an empire worth millions. Watch the full episode here and tell me what you think. Will you be tuning in weekly? Thanks to Juicy News for the heads up ;)