Guilty Pleasure – MTV/The Hills

If you are like me …then you have a weak spot for the undeniably addictive show: The Hills.

Just so you know the season premiere was last Monday night…

My post, however, isn’t about the show, It’s about one of the characters who actually will be leaving Teen Vogue magazine this season…

With all the cattiness and drama during the show I mainly watch it for Whitney Port, she is an editor at Teen Vogue and is refreshingly down to earth, and can I say…oh so stylish…

Read below about her style!

Who are your favorite designers?
When I’m going out I like to wear Phillip Lim, Robert Rodriguez, Chloe, and vintage. During the day I like J Brand jeans, but it always varies. It seems like everything I wear is either a different designer or no designer at all! Some of the names I have in my closet: London Sole flats, JL Marks dresses, Bellabumbum bras, and Hanky Panky underwear.

Where are your favorite places to shop?
Vionnet, Diavolina, Planet Blue, Bleu on La Brea, JL Marks, Shareen Vintage (for vintage dresses), American Rag, Calypso, Scoop, Intermix, Holiday, Only Hearts (for gifts, accessories, and lingerie), and Shopbop.

Who is your style icon?
Catherine Deneuve.

What are your favorite new trends?
I love bell bottom/wide legged jeans and high-waisted trousers.

What are some trends you’re over?
Vests, labels, fedoras, big beaded necklaces, skulls, and headbands.

What are you coveting right now?
I love wearing mini-dresses with vintage heels and my grandmother’s vintage beaded clutches. Also, bell bottom jeans from J Brand.

What are some of your style secrets?
I like wearing delicate gold chain necklaces and gold bracelets high up on my arm.

Whose closet would you most like to raid?
Ashley Olsen, Victoria Beckham, and Jennifer Lopez.

Do you have any beauty tips for our readers?
I always use a gentler cleanser on my face (like Cetaphil) because I have sensitive skin. I love Stila Sun in Sun 1 and layer Nars blush over the bronzer. Depending on my mood, I’ll either use Deep Throat for a peachy shimmer or their Angelika blush for a bright pink shimmer. My mascara is by Fresh, for a nude lip I like Nars Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girls, and I always get my eyebrows done at Anastasia.

Whitney’s Little Black Book:

Vionnet: 310.289.9202
Diavolina: 310.550.1341
Planet Blue: 310.317.8566
Bleu: 323.939.2228, bleuclothing.com
JL Marks: 323.655.4111, jlmarks.com
Shareen Vintage: 323.276.6226 shareenvintage.com
American Rag: 323.935.3154 amrag.com
Calypso: 310.652.4454, calypso-celle.com
Scoop: 877.SCOOP.77, scoopnyc.com
Intermix: 212.966.5303, intermixonline.com
Holiday: 310.434.9274holidayboutique.net
Only Hearts: 310.393.3088 onlyhearts.com
Shopbop shopbop.com

Posh Meets Ugly

    

A host of photos have emerged showing Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham cutting loose on the set of “Ugly Betty.”

Beckham filmed scenes for an episode titled “A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding,” which hits the small screen on Nov. 8.

Beckham plays herself, starring alongside another self-portraying special guest, legendary wedding-dress designer Vera Wang.

Both women are said to be involved in the wedding of Vanessa Williams’ character, Mode magazine editrix, Wilhelmina Slater.

Though it’s Willie’s wedding, Beckham apparently gets all the attention.

It’s About Time: Vogue India

The inaugural issue of Vogue India hit stands today, featuring Bollywood stars Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra and Preity Zinta, local supermodels MoniKangana Dutta and Laxmi Menon, and Australian supermodel Gemma Ward all on the cover, shot by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier.

This new edition of Vogue is expected to be more colorful and more vibrant than the western models, according to Alex Kuruvilla, managing director of Conde Nast India. He also expects it to draw attention to Indian designers, Indian photographers, and even Indian models.

The Vogue India woman has the best of both the eastern and western worlds: she wears Jimmy Choo shoes along with her traditional Indian garb.

I was pretty upset when Conde Nast International Chairman Jonathan Newhouse angrily rejected a proposal to print a Middle East edition of Vogue pointing to the region’s “violent elements.”  

Hopefully, this is just one more step to creating more diversity in the western magazines. I will definitley be getting a copy of this!

African Fashion

Runway Africa: Celebrating African Fashion

Be sure to buy your tickets to Runway Africa’s annual event this weekend. Celebrating African Fashion, this event is sure to be the talk of the D.C. come Monday. You can’t buy tickets at the door so get them ASAP. Ticket options include: $85.00 VIP Tickets (includes invitation to the red carpet reception, reserved upfront seats, VIP access to the After Party and invitation Harriet’s Alter Ego Trunk Show – Sunday, September 16 receive 20% off on fall collection and a free gift if you spend $150.00 or more – ticket holders must present RA VIP ticket in order to receive savings, VIP gift bag, and mini magazine). $60.00 Guaranteed Seating Tickets (complimentary access to the after party (not within the VIP area), guest gift bag, and mini magazine). $40.00 General Admission Tickets (includes admission to the event. Standing room only! ). For more info visit Runway Africa

When: Saturday September 15th, 2007
Time: 6pm for VIP ticket holders; 8pm for Fashion Show
Where: The Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, N.W. Washington D.C. 20007
Contact: info@runwayafrica.com

Racism or Art?

American Apparel trumpets blackface fashion spread in i-D magazine

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

American Apparel is really proud of this editorial credit in the latest issue of i-D magazine. So proud that they’ve featured it on their web site. Blackface is so chic nowadays!

More on the term “blackface” below:

Blackface is a style of theatrical makeup that originated in the United States, used to affect the countenance of an iconic, racist American archetype—that of the darky or coon. Blackface also refers to a genre of musical and comedic theatrical presentation in which blackface makeup is worn. White blackface performers in the past used burnt cork and later greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their lips, often wearing woolly wigs, gloves, tailcoats, or ragged clothes to complete the transformation. Later, black artists also performed in blackface.

Blackface was an important performance tradition in the American theater for over 100 years and was also popular overseas. Stereotypes embodied in the stock characters of blackface minstrelsy played a significant role in cementing and proliferating racist images, attitudes and perceptions worldwide. In some quarters, the caricatures that were the legacy of blackface persist to the present day and are a cause of ongoing controversy.

By the mid-20th century, changing attitudes about race and racism effectively ended the prominence of blackface performance in the U.S. and elsewhere. However, it remains in relatively limited use as a theatrical device, mostly outside the U.S.^[1], and is more commonly used today as edgy social commentary or satire. Perhaps the most enduring effect of blackface is the precedent it established in the introduction of African American culture to an international audience, albeit through a distorted lens. Blackface minstrelsy’s groundbreaking appropriation, exploitation, and assimilation of African-American culture—as well as the inter-ethnic artistic collaborations that stemmed from it—were but a prologue to the lucrative packaging, marketing, and dissemination of African-American cultural expression and its myriad derivative forms in today’s world popular culture.

What are your thoughts on this?

Featured Designer: Amsale Aberra (Ethiopian Wedding Gown Designer)

Amsale’s elegant designs have made her the number one couture wedding gown designer in the United States, and won her the reputation as the creator of the modern wedding dress. Though most recognized for her exquisite bridal wear, Amsale has also gained a strong celebrity following for her eveningwear, as seen at the Academy Awards and other high profile events on stars such as Kim Basinger, Salma Hayek, Julianna Marguiles, and Vanessa Williams.

Frustrated by her search for a simple, yet sophisticated gown for her 1985 nuptials to film executive Neil Brown, Amsale designed her own wedding dress. Realizing that many women shared her difficulty finding the “right dress”, Amsale launched her business in 1986 as a designer of fine bridal wear for a select clientele. Her designs gained in popularity as more brides began seeking classic dresses with a modern point-of-view. Today she is known for creating timeless and fashionable gowns that combine luxurious fabrics with fine hand-crafted beading, laces, silk flowers and tailored bows to create a strong, yet feminine look. AMSALE brides radiate style and confidence.
 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Aberra’s New York-based wedding- and evening-dress house, claims annual sales of about $30 million. The Amsale label is in the same league as Vera Wang, another high-end wedding-gown brand.

Click here to check out her Fall 2007 collection.

Her designs are favorites of Kim Basinger, Salma Hayek, Julianna Marguiles, and Vanessa Williams. For those within the tri-state area, the AMSALE Flagship Salon is located on the east side of Madison Avenue between 58th and 59th streets on the 2nd floor at 625 Madison Avenue.

Amsale also maintains a daily blog called:

 “Simply Chic by Amsale”

Amsale recently launched a line of couture eveningwear. The AMSALE Evening Collection is a natural progression from the classic, yet modern styles of her bridal line and has been featured on the fashion and party pages of Instyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Hello!, Vogue, WWD and W. Amsale’s bridal and evening collections are available at the finest boutiques and specialty retailers nationwide, in Canada and the U.K., and at her Madison Avenue boutique.

Black is Back Ebony Issue

The September issue of Ebony is dedicating 50-plus pages to everything beautiful in fashion by celebrating the influence of African Americans in fashion. Tyra Banks, Iman, Kimora Lee Simmons & Alek Wek are seen on the cover and share their success stories and challenges of being women of color in the fashion industry. The issue which was released yesterday forgot one important detail if you ask me:

Naomi.

Runway Africa

I was browsing the web as always and came across this website:

Runway Africa…

Runway Africa believes strongly that by exposing African designers to the global market, Africa (as a whole) will begin to see a change in each country’s economic and social agendas. By stimulating growth in the textile and garment industries, Africa can begin to see some economic stability in those areas. In essence, this kind of mass exposure puts the continent’s talent and creativity in global markets and increases the ability to manufacture apparel deriving from Africa. Inspired by the urbanity of African textiles, fashions and designs; Runway Africa was created to infuse, educate, and introduce to the world, the vibrancy of African inspired couture designs while giving back to Africa through a carefully chosen non-profit beneficiary. This year’s beneficiary is Keep a Child Alive; an organization that provides life saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and their families in Africa and the developing world struggling with HIV/AIDS.

Runway Africa is a stylish and elegant couture exhibit that provides an intimate look at Africa’s creative fashion industry while spotlighting African influence in today’s mainstream style and fashion. It features creations inspired by the rich traditions of the African continent, known as Africhic, Runway Africa promises a bold fusion of African textiles combined with glamorous couture.

Runway Africa is the first couture fashion show to debut in the United States with an entire couture show dedicated to “Africhic“.

Please visit: http://runwayafrica.com/home.php

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale- July 20,21,and 22!

 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is just one day away! Yay! They have anything and everything on sale. You better believe I’ll be there.

START SHOPPING!

High Top Fades Are Back! What?

The 80’s were one long decade. To think that the styles and fashion from then are coming back brings a smile to my face. Not a delighted smile, but an anxious one.

Like my mother says with a perplexed look on her face:

“I thought we wrapped it up?”

First, it was tights…which I must admit I went out and bought my very own stack!

 

Then it was neon plastic jewelry…

Now the High-Top fade is back. Don’t believe me? Just wait and see…