Mattel Gets Ethnic...

...And it's about time! Mattel announced today an all new, permanent Black Barbie doll line. The new dolls have features that more closely resemble those of Black people. That means fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinct cheekbones and "curlier" hair. The So In Style line, or S.I.S, features Kara, Trichelle and Grace who are three best friends in tune with fashion, fun and music. You can click here to learn more about each doll. Each doll features its own unique personality and style and reflects one of three various skin tones - dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel. The line also features a mentoring theme and each doll comes with her own little sister. The little dolls are called Kianna, Courtney and Janessa. The big and little dolls hope to inspire mentoring in the black community (and all communities for that matter). Tell me if you like the dolls or not. My only gripe is the hair. I wish one of them could have had a more "natural" look but hey, this is progress! I wish these dolls were around when I was growing up. I LOVED to dress them up!

The dolls from left to right: Kara, Trichelle and Grace.

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.

First Black Miss England Crowned

The First Black Miss England was crowned in London on Monday night. Twenty year old Rachel Christie took the crown at London’s Metropole Hilton Hotel beating out 14 other finalists. During the pageant Christie won the Helen E Cosmetic Award which guaranteed her a spot in the top 15.

Her crowning does not come without controversy however. Viewers were given a chance to call in their votes for the winner. One of the finalists, Zoey Samale received 2,013 votes. Rachel Christie only received 9. The viewer vote was not the deciding factor however and the judges ultimately picked her as the winner leaving some voters outraged.

The new Miss England is an athlete that competes in heptatathlons and specializes in the 400 meters. She is also the niece of the “most decorated” Olympic British athlete, Linford Christie and models in her part-time. Christie will compete in the Miss World Competition in South Africa later this year.

It’s nice to see that the Black beauty is being recognized worldwide. [Source]

Now it's Obama's Turn... What shall he wear to his Inauguration?

Richard James Savile Row look for evening

Sean John look for evening

Salvatore Ferragamo look for day

Nautica look for evening

A Tommy Hilfiger look for day

A Countess Mara tie

With all the focus on what Michelle wore or should wear, both during the campaign and her anticipated outfit for the inauguration, we can be forgiven for forgetting what the President-elect should wear. Luckily some of the world's most adored menswear designer are on the ball. WWD.com has exclusive sketches from designers ranging from Salvatore Ferragamo to Sean John. See the slideshoe below for all the sketches of day and evening looks plus some snazzy ties. My picks are above.

Michelle's Inauguration Ball Dress Options

Oscar de la Renta sketch for Michelle Obama and daughters

Christian Lacroix sketch for Michelle Obama

Diane Von Furstenberg sketch for Michelle Obama

Badgley Mischka sketch for Michelle Obama

Elie Tahari sketch for Michelle Obama

Tuleh sketch for Michelle Obama

What should I wear? - The question uttered by women across the world countless times. If you think you have it bad, try being Michlle Obama deciding what to wear for the most historical evening in American history and the proudest moment of your life. As daunting as it sounds, at least she has a handful of accomplished designers clamouring to design her something to wear. WWD.com has 42 sketches posted online from some of the world's most renonwed designers. View the article and sketches at WWD.com or watch the slide show below. Above are my top picks. What are yours?

Shop Smart. Shop Safe.

I can only imagine the courage it takes to trek across the South Pole or set sail through turbulent waters. I’m just not an outdoor person. For me, ordering clothes online is as adventurous as it gets. Before I click that “complete order” button, a million questions race through my mind. What if the sizing chart isn’t accurate? Do I really want to pay an additional $6 to send an item back? Why do the clothes always look better quality in the photos online? Take the risk out of online shopping by using “coupon” and/or “promotional” codes. This technique has been my life savior more than once. It’s pretty simple. Say for example you’re buying an item from Victoria’s Secret. At some point during the online checkout process V.S. will ask you if you have a promotion/coupon code to enter. This is when you do a search for the keywords “victoria’s secret promotion code”. A list of sites will pop up where shop-a-holics like you and I have shared their various codes online. I recently used a 25% off promotion code in conjunction with a free shipping code that took my order down from $159 to $109.25. Now I no longer worry about clothes fitting, shipping & handling costs or quality. Try Retail Me Not and The Budget Fashionista to get you started!

Vogue Lands in India

Conde Nast is continuing its quest for world domination by launching Vogue India this month making it the 17th edition of the Vogue franchise. The inaugural issue features Bollywood stars Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra and Preity Zinta, local supermodels MoniKangana Dutta and Laxmi Menon, and Australian supermodel Gemma Ward, shot by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier (click here to see the full fold-out cover). Now some of you may be wondering why on earth Gemma Ward is on the cover but apparently they wanted to include the “most adored faces in India and internationally.” Vogue India will be edited by Priya Tanna and according to FabSugar:

“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.”

Now I’m just patiently waiting for Vogue Africa. One day…

Five Go Dating…

Charreah of Essence Magazine just sent me details on the hilarious new reality dating show that Essence.com are filming. Five fabulous, funny and criminally single ladies go on thirty dates over the next month with some of New York’s most eligible black men. Click here to see footage of the latest date between Nicole, a producer from the WendyWilliams Show, and real estate banker James. The best part is that viewers get to pick the next date, location and look (Chic & Sexy or Casual & Cool) for each woman – I’ll pick Chic & Sexy every time baby! If you love one of the ladies looks you can even find out wear to buy it. Let the dating begin…

Oh No They Didn’t!

Yes they did, unfortunately. American Apparel has come under fire for a recent editorial piece in i-D magazine featuring a black model in blackface. Now for those of you unfamiliar with the term “blackface” it originated back in the day when Vaudeville shows were all the rage (1880 – 1930). White entertainers (and later black entertainers) would often paint their faces with black makeup and proceed to caricature black people using hurtful stereotypes. i-D magazine’s latest photo is reminiscent of these images (see here) and have caused many to ask the question “what were they thinking?” You can read the comments left on American Apparel's site here. I for one think this photo was in poor taste. They can claim it's “Art” but what good is art if it hurts a large cross section of the population? And what about the caption? Is she for sale or something? :( What are your thoughts?

YSL Doesn’t Care About Black People!

Past Models of Yves Saint Laurent: Mimi Roche (Spring 2007 rtw), Sasha Gaye-Hunt (Fall 2007 rtw) and Marie Fuema (Spring 2006 rtw).

Tianna of ConcreteLoop.com sent me an article by The Washington Post titled “Back in Fashion.” It’s a profile on YSL’s creative director Stefano Pilati. So I’m reading it with marginal interest until I came across the following few passages:

Pilati reflected the spirit of the house in his choice of models for the fall show. Saint Laurent was known for celebrating black models and in a season when they were especially absent on the runways, Pilati, at least, had one.

"In the '70s, to have black models in Paris and Europe was sort of a message of having an open mind," Pilati says. "We were definitely less used to races crossing lines. It was definitely something coming from America."

Saint Laurent "was very sensitive to that. It was helping to add exoticism to the collection and to embrace the multicultural aspect of the work."

Why aren't there more black models working today? "To me, it is a matter of proportions and the bodies I choose. My fit model was a black model," he says. "When I wanted to translate what I put on her, it was a disaster. It would need 13 times more work in the atelier to modify it to put on a more Caucasian anatomy.

"Sometimes, it's not your choice. You can't find [black models] that are beautiful and with the right proportions. I prefer them with lean proportions with no big hips."

Big hips? A dearth of beautiful black models? This from the designer who characterizes himself as the best salesman for his clothes.

Okay let’s hold-up, wait-a-minute, and rewind. “You can't find [black models] that are beautiful and with the right proportions.” If by beautiful you mean wafer thin, with their ribs sticking out and their knees knobbling from lack of food consumption, then I’m not surprised you couldn’t find “beautiful black models.” Who does he think he is? And in any case, the many black models I see walking the runways are smaller than the average sista I know. How much altering did the fit model's clothes really need? And I’m guessing Mr. Pilati isn’t in the least bit interested in appealing to the ever-increasing market of highly paid, powerful and professional black women around the world. He really needs to open his eyes and take note of the fact that women come in all shapes and sizes. I can’t imagine why he would think no hips are better than hips… THAT IS WHAT MAKES US FEMALE!!!! What are your thoughts?

South African Fashion Week Expands...

Following on from our discussion on South African fashion I thought you’d all be interested in reading the article below and watching this video footage. It was recently announced in SA that two fashion weeks would be added to their fashion scene. Keep an ear to the ground for Johannesburg and Cape Town Fashion Week this March (Autumn/Winter) and July (Spring/Summer).

SA Fashion to Receive a Major Boost

The fashion landscape of South Africa is set to receive a major re-shuffle with the announcement of two new world-class fashion weeks.

The events fill a long standing gap in the fashion calendar for an Autumn/Winter fashion week to bring South Africa in line with the international fashion calendar.

The Autumn/Winter Fashion Weeks will take place in March 2007 under the titles: Cape Town Fashion Week and Jo’burg Fashion Week. The events will run within days of each other to allow greater access by foreign media and trade.

The move was prompted by pressure from designers and fashion media to have a platform for Autumn/Winter collections and represents a coming of age for South African fashion; finally giving local designers a platform to compete on a global level year round.

The two new dates on the fashion calendar compliment the three major Spring/Summer fashion weeks that take place annually between June and July and the organisers will be looking at further synergies between all of these events.

“This is the most significant move in African fashion in the last decade; and represents a major leap forward for our designers. The launch of these events allows our designers to now compete internationally in both fashion seasons. Our goal is to make the world-class talent of South African designers more accessible to international audiences. We are looking forward to meeting with government and SACTWU in the hope that we can make sure the benefits of these Fashion Weeks are spread across the entire industry,” said Paul Jackson, Managing Director of Leisureworx.

This is the first major step towards a Pan-African fashion series involving partner events from across the continent.

As part of the initiative, driven by the need to make South African fashion more accessible to foreign trade audiences, Cape Town Fashion Week and Durban Fashion Week will be co-operating to hold Spring/Summer events back-to-back in 2007. [Source]

Dates for Spring/Summer 2006:
• Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week
11th -15th July

Dates for Autumn/Winter 2007:
• Jo’burg Fashion Week
28th February - 3rd March

• Cape Town Fashion Week
7th March – 10th March

Note: Jo’burg Fashion Week Autumn/Winter is a new, separate and distinct fashion week from South Africa Fashion Week (SAFW) Spring/Summer.

Real Life Divas: Tracy Reese

Ladies be sure to check out the latest episode of BET J’s “Real Life Divas.” The show spotlights various African-American women who have made a significant impact in America be it artistically, socially or politically. Tracy Reese’s segment was particularly interesting, well maybe I’m just bias being a fashionista, but I definitely encourage all to watch. The show walks us through Tracy's career thus far, touches on her artistic inspirations and delves into her reasons for continuing to pursue her dream even after her first label failed. Check your local listings for air times :)

Note: “Real Life Divas” is co-produced by Crystal McCrary Anthony. Check out the ‘I Like Her Style!’ feature on her here!

Sign Here: _________.

Rihanna's Cover Girl campaign will begin in Summer, 2007.

Queen Latifah is the face of her own new makeup range, "Queen."

Kerry Washington, Oluchi and Beyonce join forces to head the H.I.P (High Intensity Pigment) campaign for Loreal... Are you worth it?

Earlier this month Cover Girl cosmetics announced Rihanna as their newest spokesperson. This got me thinking about how far the beauty industry has come in regards to recruiting African-Americans to promote their products. Veronica Webb was the first black model to sign a major cosmetic contract with Revlon in 1992 and Liya Kebede followed in 2003 when she won a highly coveted contract with Estee Lauder and became their first black spokes model. In between that time Brandy has worked with Cover Girl and Halle Berry signed a major deal with Revlon. I once wrote a paper that talked briefly about corporations and their efforts to reach the African-American community. I found that while it’s beneficial public relations-wise for them to feature black women in their campaigns, it’s hard to convert that exposure into actual dollars. What do you guys think? Are you swayed by seeing images similar to yourself on the pages of magazines or on the TV screen? For me it’s simple. I go by brand and products. Revlon will always have a hard time getting me to use their foundations no matter how many black women they employ to ‘speak’ on their behalf (I don’t think they even make my skin color?!)

I do believe that hiring African-Americans is a necessity for giant cosmetic companies however, their products need to be developed further. Why only have four dark shades in their line when we come in at least 30 different shades? I am impressed by the range of products Cover Girl and Loreal have produced in their “Queen Collection” and “H.I.P.” lines respectively, but I’m sticking with M.A.C and Nars for the foreseeable future.

In any case, congratulations to Rihanna (Cover Girl), Gabrielle Union (Neutrogena), Queen Latifah and Joy Bryant (Cover Girl), Angela Bassett (Olay), Selena Breed (Lancome), fellow Ugandan Kiara Kabukuru (Cover Girl), Kelly Rowland (Dark & Lovely) and of course Beyonce, Kerry Washington and Oluchi (Loreal), for all scoring contracts. Let us not forget all the ANTM winners like Danielle, Eva the Diva for Cover Girl and Yaya who is currently in an ad campaign for Garnier.

Note: BAP’s: Reality or Myth? Find out here.

Round Three of “The Leap”

Mary J. Blige should be commended for not having any problem with stepping out in public without makeup.
Rihanna looks fresher without the makeup, but with it her best features are highlighted.
If Golden Brooks chooses to wear makeup, she must find a better artist or take lessons herself.

I don’t write these posts just to put my sistas on blast; I do it because I think it’s essential to put the truth out there. You must have a heart of steel if you’ve never experienced the feelings of inadequacy the media images of women can sometimes stir. Above is another batch of photos demonstrating what we have come to know as “The Leap.”

I don’t actually believe Mary J. Blige really looks like this, it's a really bad pic, but in any case she looks like a different person with the aid of makeup. I’m glad she’s not afraid to step out in public as herself. There is no doubt that Rihanna is a beautiful girl, but clearly makeup helps accentuate her best features especially her eyes. And while both photos of Golden Brooks show her wearing makeup, there’s a big discrepancy between Mya Wilkes’ (L) and Golden Brooks' (R) – she should take her “Girlfriends” makeup artist everywhere or just go 'au natural.'

Now most of you may be aware of Doves’ “Campaign For Real Beauty.” In an effort to counter the media portrayals of women, Dove uses women like you and me in their ads and commercials. Watch the amazing video below that perfectly demonstrates “The Leap” in action and emphasizes how the media distorts the truth. Visit www.campaignforrealbeauty.com to find out more about Doves’ campaign and to read personal stories from various women.

Note: See the first and second part of “The Leap.”

Goapele’s New Look!

Goapele attending the Heineken Red Star Soul event in Philadelphia last month.
Goapele Mohlabane and Lubob Azria at Max Azria's Spring 2007 Dinner And Cocktail party at Ten June Restaurant and Bar last month in New York City.

Goapele has decided to shake things up a little and do away with her infamous locs… She looks fantastic! I guess she’s lucky enough to be one of those women who could wear ANY hairstyle and still look fabulous. Work it!

I’m a Size 8 Damn It!

I know you’ve all been through this; you rush into a shop during your lunch hour. You have no time to try on anything but you desperately need an outfit for that night. You grab the items that catch your eye and are supposedly “your size,” only to get home and realize you’ve picked a dress that won’t even pass your left thigh! What’s that all about? And why is it that in H&M I’m a size 8, but in the Gap I'm a size 14?! That’s because there hasn’t been a comprehensive analysis of women's body shapes in the U.S. in decades! Couple that with the new phenomenon retailers call “Vanity Sizing” – which basically means they add a couple of inches to their clothing to create the illusion that their customers are smaller than they are! Well thanks but no thanks… There needs to be a universal sizing guide so that I can in theory buy something without trying it on. Thankfully The National Sizing Survey is working on it. Jim Lovejoy, Director of the SizeUSA project, says:

“I have shown several manufacturers the bust, waist and hip measurements of women who say they wear size 8-10, and they are surprised to see how much larger all three of the measurements are than their fit specifications.”

Great news (read the sarcasm), so does that mean I’m actually larger than I think? :( Well either way, I’m glad they’re doing something about it, even if I am relegated to a new dress size, I can take comfort in the fact that everyone else is moving up with me!

'The Leap' Part Deux!

JLo looking so-so... Leap On!
Halle's leap barley exists!
Ciara definitely has a big leap, but she doesn't seem to care!

the leap (thę lēp) v. intr. 1 to spring or jump exuberantly from one state to another. 2 to make a transition so great, it brings about serious suspicion!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about a little thing I call 'The Leap.' We females all have it, it just varies in size from one woman to the next. Celebrities have us all thinking they illuded it, but i'm here to remind us that they ain't that lucky! Now don't misunderstand me, I think beauty evolves, takes different forms, develops and grows as we each grow, but let's be real.... We all need a little help from time to time and if you have money, you get lots of it! See the first part of 'The Leap'

It's all an Illusion!

Eva Longoria - WOW, is all I gotta say! This is a hop, skip, jump and flying leap!
Kelly Rowland - she has great skin, but the leap is still quite big for me!
Beyonce - I actually think they caught her on a not-so-bad day!
Sanaa Lathan - She looks okay, her skin obviously isn't as even without the make-up, but who's is?

Applying make-up is a skill people!! I mean truly, these make-up artists really know their sh*t, because the transformation for some of these stars is astounding! I call it 'The Leap'. Now don't get me wrong, first thing in the morning I can look hella scary too, but if I had access to these 'artists' I can only imagine the mangled traffic i'd leave in my wake! Take my girl Eva Longoria, recently voted Maxim's most beautiful woman, she beat out 99+ women to get the title and then we see her here looking distinctly average! It really makes me wonder what Pat McGrath could do with me (she's an amazing black, make-up artist by the way!) Speak on it!