The Blackening of the Fashion Industry

So I hear American Vogue has had three Black women on their cover this year. One was Michelle Obama, one was Beyonce and the other was an actual model, Liya Kebede. Well....big whoop. Liya shared the cover with a bunch of white models (Jourdan Dunn is in the foldout), one's the biggest singer in the business and the other is our FLOTUS. So I'm not exactly breaking out the Dom now that Anna Wintour decided to jump on the bandwagon after Vogue Italia had their infamous all-Black issue which made her look bad. The added irony showed that while the editorial spreads may have featured Black models the ad space sold to financially support the issue was 99.9% devoid of one.Black.model. 

I still remember Wintour's rather apologetic Letter From the Editor way back in 1997 which seemed like the last time they featured a Black model on the cover with Kiara Kabukuru. It was the July issue, the leanest of all months to boot. Ms. Wintour was asking people to "forgive" her for daring to put a Black model of the cover - AS IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THAT DECISION. I remember I felt compelled to write her a response with some variation of kiss my *ss because I didn't need her to validate me. 

I used to subscribe faithfully but I had to rethink my support of magazines that weren't catering to me specifically. On the other hand Essence was way too old fogey for me and I really wanted something young and hip. By the way if I haven't made it clear I do actually like fashion. I was so happy when MODE and HONEY magazines were being published and equally crushed when they folded. 

By the way these fashion magazines had a continual snowflake fest of all white models for years after the decline of the Supermodel phase. I think it started with the grunge look and it stuck. Of course if you've heard about certain American designers whining about how Shelly O won't wear their clothes then you may also have heard their blatant discrimination with their use of to Jim Crow-era "No Blacks Need Apply" stance. So just like so many newspapers that are in financial ruins I have zero sympathy. They've been guilty of hiring discrimination for years and karma is a *itch isn't it?! Is it also too much to ask that they show some models of various sizes and not all skull and crossbones?

Now all the Black people that fell for the okey doke of chasing after hip-hop era bling had better take a second look at their designer purchases from companies that don't want to be associated with them, let alone employ them and stop throwing away good money after bad practices. It's just hilarious to me that Michelle doesn't have to make any statements or say one word. We know what's up. they know what's up. Bethann Hardison has been fighting the industry for years for inclusion. I appreciate her efforts but inclusion is not equality. I also can't help but notice how the Black Upper Crust has not done one thing to address this and they are the ones with the money and clout to pus against it, right? 

Having a Black First Lady has leveled the playing field. I've noticed the trickle down of hiring more Black models in catalogs like Spiegel but there's quite a ways to go. In the meantime I'm cracking up. Some of these designers just don't know what to do. It's really quite simple but they'd rather play dumb. I hope they grab some cheese with their whine, get a clue and remedy the situation.

Here's Oscar de la Renta eating crow and backpedaling from his criticism of Michelle Obama. In case he hasn't figured it out she'd be criticized for wearing one of his 300K outfits in this economy. Nor is she required to please the fashionista crowd. So she was going to get flack no matter what she did. 

Real-Life Dress-Up!

Be your own stylist. Oooh oooh me me! Have you ever wanted to be picked first for something really fun? Well the Star-Telegram has this cool interactive guide that let's you pick gowns for Michelle Obama. It's a little Photoshop on speed but what female hasn't tried on clothes or played with dolls and enjoyed it! Now if you're really creative with HTML you can insert yourself into the mix instead! Out of all the choices I'd pick the Reem Acra strapless gown in nude crepe with the jeweled strap. It's so reminiscent of the pins and brooches that Michelle favors. The Carmen Mark Valvo is gorgeous as well but green is Oprah's preferred color. These are from each designer's Spring 2009 collections.

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Photo: Imaxtree

Mrs. O Blog is a Sham: Black Culture Theft for White Profit 2009 Style

Ok, I am pissed off but should I be? Nichelle Gainer first posted a link on Twitter a few days ago to alert her followers about the New York Times article featuring the Mrs. O blog.  It's a creation by ad agency Bartel Bogle & Hagerty not a personal blog created by Michelle Obama supporters. Since it's a business venture it should be listed as a .com NOT a .org! I read Clutch, Pop Sugar, Glam, Daily Candy and other blogs providing Michelle Obama coverage that are part of a media or publishing group. They weren't trying to pretend to be a small individual blog though. 

Mrs. O was able to quickly saturate itself across the blogosphere when it was published following DNC week and the interest for all things Obama ran 24/7. It immediately stood out as there are few outlets of simple reporting on Michelle Obama and her style choices in a respectful manner (no talk of her body or her hair or her trails and tribulations). It seemed like a nice addition to Michelle Obama Watch and Black Snob as well as 55 Secret Street and others, but it did come long after these other blogs had started and after Barack Obama won the nomination. 

Those blogs are the creative endeavors of Black female professionals and their coverage of Michelle specifically was to ensure a counterbalance to the initial media attacks by the white-controlled media at the beginning of the primary. The 'official' Black press had also been slow to respond and many of us felt personally protective of Michelle due to the historical attacks on the image of all Black women. Even Iceberg Slim's political blog, This Week With Barack Obama took up the cause. We had to when the "liberal" media and so-called progressives with their never-ending satires (that only reused the same racist imagery they claimed to be opposed to) compelled us to respond.  If not for the efforts of these bloggers, the Mrs. O blog would not be as successful as it's been.

Zag got into the fashion blogging business in September, after Mary Tomer, a 27-year-old account planner at Bartle Bogle in New York, hatched the idea for the blog. She noticed Mrs. Obama’s style during the Democratic convention, yet could not find information on what she wore.

She decided to create a Web site, which she described as “a central resource for tracking her style and providing as much designer information and commentary as possible.”

It's not about the blog per se. It's about the support and traffic they've received from us while not clarifying themselves. Surely Ms. Tomer read Danielle Belton's site, Black Snob which had been doing this for months. Way before the President-Elect had won the nomination. Must it ALWAYS be about MONETIZING and MONOPOLIZING REVENUE? It's a slap in the face of all the bloggers who've been doing similar work at cost (if that) in addition to their other career endeavors.

A few advertising dollars does not equal a full-blown career with benefits. They have a deal with Sugar Inc., will be selling merchandise and have a book deal as well! They have the Black female blogs listed on their blog roll - and vice versa! Surely no one is going to dispute it was Black women championing Michelle Obama long before it became 'safe' and 'popular' for everybody else to do so!  B B & H doesn't want to be part of the pack it wants to lead the pack. 

The site’s creators will have to tread lightly as they try to make money on the site, because audiences want blogs and social networks to be conversation tools, not marketing vessels. “Particularly with the Obama mystique, anything that smacks of commercialism will blow up,” 

There was a definite intention by the agency to make it appear like a small individual effort and not part of a larger media entity. Had they just been clear about that in the first place I wouldn't be writing about this. I think this is a larger issue that deserves discussion here. A company that capitalizes on the uniqueness of having our first Black First Family for their profit should be examined. Especially when independent bloggers made it amenable for them to do so.

This has historical connotations. If anyone has read the Cadillac Records film script it mentions but glosses over how the owners of the real-life Chess Records owners bilked money from their artists. How the Beach Boys stole Chuck Berry's music and had to be sued to give proper credit and funds. It's the continuation of cultural misappropriation by outsiders for their own profit. Like with music and everything else we do that's great but either stolen, maligned or ignored. 

Is this just business as usual, where the person with the most contacts wins? Are we supposed to be okay with the obvious advantages a large ad agency has and the subterfuge involved? The historic head start those that continue to benefit from systematic racism have? 

Are people just slow on the uptake and failed to build adequate relationships and strategies? I am certain any number of the bloggers I listed above would take the time to write a Michelle Obama fashion book with a deal in place. Was it the responsibility of individuals to go after one and some people are just a day late and a dollar short? That's assuming they even wanted to. It's not as if there can't be numerous books, but I also can't help but wonder how many submissions would've been dismissed. It feels as if the rug's been pulled out from underneath.

Perhaps I'm taking this personally, but as a Black woman how can I not? Many of us use the blogosphere to reach out to each other and build networks and relationships. It was a way to bypass gatekeepers who aren't interested in equality and diversity. Look at your nightly news shows, your Sunday morning political shows and who do you see in front of the camera? A quick search who are in the towers, holding the keys will reveal people who don't always have our best interests in mind. 

Barack got my support early on due to his stance against the Iraq war but my vote was largely based on his choice of wife. We were there defending Michelle in public at times when he lapsed big time! Although we still have to see what Michelle does to benefit the lives of Black women and children in tangible ways, symbolically she has done wonders to elevate the status of many of us. Now the continuation of that is up to us, but it was a huge and welcome boost all the same. 

This website was a johnny come lately to the efforts of many of us who created or contributed to blogs and in the media throughout the entire campaign on our own. The content is not that impressive - in fact I've noticed a decrease in quality and the tone is somewhat detached and clinical in its precision. That's where the purpose reveals itself and its limitations are exposed. It's the difference between writing a story you love and writing a story based on an agency pitch for market share. It's not a labor of love or excellent but a cheap approximation. 

There are some of us more than ready to create avenues for ourselves and build partnerships given access to the right situations. The good thing is now that this has been revealed those of us who have ideas had better bust a move, get an agent, submit that 1st draft and toot our horns because that ship has pulled anchor. 

80s Teen Movie FanFest

Have you noticed the upswing in interest in the teen movies from the mid-late 80's? Just the other day I was flipping past USA or TBS (I forget which one) and caught the tail end of Adventures in Babysitting. This movie starring Elisabeth Shue is about a girl who was stood up by her boyfriend, agrees to watch a bunch of kids and ends up on an....adventure! Lame plot for sure but harmless fun compared to a lot of things that gets passed off as entertainment nowadays.

Here's the opening sequence:

Apparently there's a remake in the works with Miley Cyrus and Raven Simone. Now why can't Hollywood just figure out how to greenlight an original story and leave it alone! A little bit of trivia for the musical theatre buffs out there is that Anthony Rapp played the brother's best friend long before he went on to star as Mark in Rent.

Now as a kid I didn't feel there was much being offered my way as far as entertainment went so it was much easier getting my attention than it would be for kids today. The tween and young adult market is completely oversaturated - with a lot of crap too I might add. 

One movie always makes me smile though and I can still watch it and find relevance. Quick - what was the most popular teen movie before Twilight....before Titanic? Why the Breakfast Club of course!

Here's the trailer. 

Now I have to note a few things. There was a segment in the movie where Anthony Michael Hall's character did some sort of pre-Ebonics minstrel speak that I find highly offensive that would've been nixed if that movie was released today. 

There are other movies that display the casualties of racial road kill as well. Mickey Rooney putting tape on his eyelids and wearing fake teeth to play Asian in Breakfast at Tiffany's is a big black eye (pun intended) on an otherwise classic film. 

On a lighter note Molly Ringwald's outfit is totally back in style y'all. The boots and the belt especially. 

The All Black Stud Boot @ Barefoottess.com

Oh yeah and about AMH - he really turned out to be a hottie and has aged into a handsome ruggedness that I find very appealing! 

Have a great weekend!!!!

photo: Zap2It

What Will Our First Lady Wear to the Ball?

The design world is all aflutter over the coronation of its King & Queen & Princesses also known as Swearing In Ceremony. Then it's on to the real showstopper - the Inaugural Ball. The 'official' one that most of us will be reading about the next day but lots of other people will be throwing 'lesser' parties as well. If there was ever a time to be in the know this would've been the moment to cash in your chips. When has there ever been so much interest?

By the way Lady O is going to be in D.C. for an entire week taping episodes of her show. Ticket info will be released next week. This is the time to not just to get your party on but I'd be networking like crazy and trying to secure employment because everyone who's anyone will be there. 

Mr. O can easily get by in a tux (but I hope he mixes it up) and the dimple darlings will be certain to look cute. It's Mrs. O who will be heavily scrutinized and skewered if she strays too far off the safe path like she did for Election Night. No worries though. She'll look ravishing dahlings. 

Women's Wear Daily discusses the designers who've submitted sketches for the Obama's (and ours) consideration. Famous names like Rodarte, de la Renta and Reese are hoping to be the chosen one this go-around. Not to worry though - they've got at least 4 years and lots and lots of events to design for. I'm going to post a few below and you can go back to the site for the complete list. Now because Mrs. O likes to throw a few curve balls she might go with a newer designer like she did for the Barbara Walters' Special when she chose Jason Wu.

Mirroring that sentiment:

"This isn't a fashion decision to take lightly", says Bridget Foley, executive editor of W magazine and Women's Wear Daily, recommending Obama try on many looks before making her final choice.

"The dress will live in perpetuity and it will go into the Smithsonian," Foley says.

"I'd like to see Michelle Obama take the elegant route — and push it," she adds. "There are so many wonderful clothes out there but so often people in the public arena think they have to play it safe. I think she should really look around and try something long and curvy — with color. That would work."

I've kinda fallen out of the high fashion loop in the past couple of years. I think living in San Francisco has been horrible for my sense of fashion because it's either hippie or hoochie depending on which crowd you go for. The weather here has three steps: pre/during/post fog so I wear jeans and sensible shoes a lot. It's more functional than frivolous. Trust me you don't want to be in 'car' shoes trying to walk up a hill with a 60 degree incline or some cute frilly top when the temperature goes from 70 to 50 in a matter of hours. I still love accessories and bags though. 

When I was younger - and lived in New York City I don't even think I owned a pair of jeans. I was like a living Jackson Pollack painting, mixing vintage with thrift shop, crazy shoes, different textures, hats and wackiness. I had to be completely original and with just the right amount of attitude it got me access to clubs and meeting all sorts of interesting people. It's time for me to reclaim that and watching Michelle Obama get the white glove treatment is fun!

Designers by Order of Appearance:

Lhuiller

Herrera

DVF

de la Renta (just wanted to show something with Michelle and the weeMichelles)

Tuleh

DVF (this suit is fab-u-lous but not for the Ball I just had to add it though)

la Croix 

We Could All Use A Little "Culture" Now & Again

So with the election season winding down, the holidays approaching and what feels like an uncertain future, many of us could use a brief respite from the stress, no? I know money is tight for a lot of us but sometimes we need a renewal of our spirit and of our mind. What better way than seeing art?

The de Young Museum is part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Memberships are fully tax deductible so it's a nice way to reduce your liability (wink). Student memberships are $45; Family $90; and Teachers $55 for example. I'm going to the YSL exhibition which is exclusive to San Francisco. How'd that happen?

Yves St. Laurent was always one of my favorite designers. He seemed to embody French cool, kinda like bebop jazz to me. He also consistently hired gorgeous Black amazons to grace his catwalks and use in print ads. This was the time I really loved fashion magazines. The models truly embodied the word fierce. The clothes were gorgeous. We didn't know so much about their personal lives or the brutality of the business. No Project Runway, no other reality tv to cheapen it for the masses - nothing again PR. It was just something special. I used to dream about escaping my small city with inhabitants that held views to narrow to hold me. I wanted to live in New York City and be a Fashion Editor by day and a Broadway star performing Sophocles at night.  

San Francisco has great museums by the way. I hadn't mentioned the gloriousness it was to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit at SF MOMA. I'm also a huge fan of Picasso and Dali. I took a psychology class where we dissected his work. Dali is one of the reasons why I want to live in Barcelona (yeah, yeah I like Gaudi, Paul Williams and a host of other architects, too).  Dali lived in Cadaques, a beautiful seaside town about 2 hours north of Barcelona in the Costa Brava region. Once I saw photos I knew I had to go - but I haven't yet! It's on my list, trust me. 

 

I once flew back to New York City for Thelma Golden's exhibit presented at the Whitney before she left for the Studio Museum of Harlem. At the time I had no idea the curator was a Black woman I was just so intrigued by the subject matter. It was 1994's "Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary Art" and it was spectacular. Trust me I budgeted for this. I flew coach and stayed in a budget hotel/hostel combo, owned by an artist with original Warhol in the lobby. I am a huge fan of Kara Walker's work as well as Romare Beardon. I mispronounced his name for years. There's just too many influences to list here. I see how fashion, art, as well as fine wine and gourmet food can be a thing of great beauty. 

I'm at Starbucks because the internet is out in my building for the twelve-thousandth time the past two months and I need a no obstruction area to use my cell as a modem so it won't disconnect on me! They have the freakin' air conditioning on at 8pm at night. I'm trying to keep a strict budget so I only bought a tea (cheapo I know). But they're playing Sarah, Ella and now Nina and I'm thinking how appropro that I'm writing about great fashion and art and travel and food (yum) and now I have beautiful music to listen to as well. I almost feel like crying because Nina always haunts me and I have to take her in small doses. Was she always so melancholy? "Mississippi Goddamn" is definitely not a dance pop number. 

Now I'm thinking about how crappy music is today for the most part. Then irony kicks me in the butt though because I really like Rhianna - for her spunk and tenaciousness which had she not possessed in huge amounts her career would have long been over. Her brand of cute pop-i-ness is ok once in a while but never for her (non) singing - yikes! Sometimes a quick meal is all you can get but we have to live on nourishment. You couldn't tell me Phoebe Snow wasn't Black! 

And I don't want to leave out the sinewy strength of dancers. Alvin Ailey is must every year. I will never get tired of seeing Revelations. Never. It is a classic piece for a reason. "Raise the Red Lantern" is one of my favorite movies of all time even though I can't understand a word of it. I've watched it so many times I sometimes prefer to do so without the sound just to see the expressions on Gong Li's face. 

I haven't mentioned books yet. I was shocked, shocked I tell you when Angela Nissel's book, "The Broke Diaries" was released. I'd lived it so I didn't know I could've pitched the idea for publication. Sigh. I don't want this post to be impossibly long, so I'm gonna end it here. I do have an idea for a series of things to discuss beyond politics though. OMG - Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long" is on. Swoon! 

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