Breaking into Fashion Forum!

Hey Bellas!
Happy Monday!
So yesterday I was delighted to attend my buddy Malcolm's Forum on Breaking into Fashion.
Around 5pm, I made my way over to Runway at 4 East 28th street, and took a seat amongst the crowd...
...the room was filled with aspiring and established models, designers, bloggers, and writers of color.
After Malcolm introduced the panel (and everyone introduced themselves), we got down to advice hour. Want to know how to break in?
The following tips:

For Models/Actors: Be prepared to specifically talk about who you are and what you want to do. Be able to sell yourself in 30,60, 90, or 120 seconds. Practice! For models, have your portfolio ready--your portfolio should have 5 good pictures and 10 wonderful pictures. Also always have it on you: you'll never know who you could run into! Ms. Jay and Malcolm stressed that portfolio pictures must be professional--no back shots from the club or pictures from your sister's wedding! Also, models, Ms. Jay stressed to show up to castings with clean hair, clean makeup, a nice wax, and nails and toes done. Got it?

For writers: Intern, intern, intern at magazines you love. If you can't work for free, find ones that pay (I know of a few, e-mail me if you want details). Also network your booty off (this goes for everyone), because most times it's not what you know, but who you know.

For Designers: To get your line going, don't wait for a golden egg: get your products out there! Malcolm started his line with $500! Make what you can, then go online and sell them on myspace; make your friends cart them around; create a buzz and get blogs to write about it. E-mail me!

Great advice, no?
After the forum, I went around to meet and greet:
These two Fashion Bombers readers, Ashley and Alanna...
...are currently in school for Journalism and Fashion Marketing respectively. They came to network, network, network.
Lakisha and Fatiya...
...are aspiring models, and came for advice on portfolios and presentation.
Julia...
...is also a model and muse to Malcolm. Check her out in Malcolm's Spring/Summer Collection video on his blog www.cutsewandblog.com.
Diana..
...is an aspiring stylist (and Fashion Bomb Reader)!
Jewrel (left) and Marco Hall...
...are just fabulous, no? Love the colors and decolletage! Anyway Marco (www.myspace.com/marcofh) designs all of Andre J's clothes, and Jewrel is a Makeup Artist.
This aspiring designer, Nia, calls herself Suppamodel....
...She works for Blackplanet.com (and is apparently featured on the homepage). She's also in the works to create a line called Suppamodel for women sizes 14-34. Check her out on blackplanet.com...I'll keep an eye out!
Last but not least, I ran into Yannize and Lauren...
....bloggers from the hot blog Style Ammo! Always great to meet fellow bloggers in person.
I, of course, had to take pictures with a few of the Fashion glitterati:
I caught Andre J in all his fabulousness...
....I loved his coat, turban, and infectious energy! One thing he said that stuck with me, "Live your life. It's yours, noone elses."
Also, had to take a picture with Ms. Jay....
....who had so much to say about the industry. I learned that he lived in Paris for 20 years, and Japan for 3. He also speaks four languages outside of English. He's a fashion veteran...I'd love to pick his brain one day. He's a super smart dude, and I was honestly in awe.
Ran into Memsor Kamarake, Fashion Director at Vibe...
...who promised to read the blog today! Turns out he started off as a fashion assistant at Vibe and just worked his way up! That's the way to do it.
And of course couldn't leave without saying goodbye to buddy Malcolm...
...who put it all together!
It was a great event, and won't be the last. To sign up for updates, visit the forum's myspace page: www.myspace.com/breakingintofashion. Post ideas, ask for advice, and stay apprised of upcoming panels. Also, of course, continue to read the Fashion Bomb...I'll keep you posted.

A group shop of the illustrious panel members. From left: Malcolm Harris, Memsor Kamarake, Tia Williams, Tyson, model Jaizen. In back: Andre J. Image care of Tia's Blog Shake your Beauty
Smootches!
*The event's proceeds went to the organization Save Darfur. If you don't know what's going on over there, google Darfur and give/do all you can to alleviate the situation over there. Also, I read a great book that delivers the story in a gripping, searing way....
....What is the What by Dave Eggers. It's a must read...and now it's in paperback, so there's no excuse! Get it for $11 at www.amazon.com. It tells the story of refugee Valentino Achak Deng; how he lost his family, joined thousands of other orphaned children in refugee camps, and moved to America. Great reading!
*RIP Donda West

Story and image via Style Ammo

Tenjune + Kanye West

Hey hey!
So last night, my buddy Malcolm and I...
...went to In Touch's 5th Year Anniversary at cool NY night spot Tenjune. That's me (of course) on the right wearing a Mimi Turner top from Pieces Boutique in Brooklyn. Malcolm is sporting a hot navy blue military style jacket by indie designer Matt Levine.
The crowd was packed beyond capacity....
...and a good number of celebs were hangin' in VIP.
Janet Jackson was in the house with her boo Jermaine Dupri...
Both looked fall ready, Jermaine in a multicolored sweatshirt, and Janet in a velvet belted trench and scarf (worn over a wife beater and jeans).
Mr. Lova Lova Shaggy also made an appearnance...
...loungin hard in a leather jacket, t-shirt, and dark jeans.
America's Next Top Model reps Nigel Barker...
and Caridee...
...lit up the red carpet. I'm kinda feeling the color in Caridee's dress. And peep her shoes! They seemed to be patent leather white spectator shoes. Work it!
The highlight of the night, of course, was a performance by Kanye West. I got a few personal pics...
He was so close, it was like he was rapping directly to me!
...I fell in love with his Louis Vuitton baseball jacket, sweater, and dress pants. And the glasses were a nice touch.
Swizz Beatz also came on towards the end to bless the mic...
...he was sporting a Gucci baseball jacket. I smell a trend...
It was fun, but you're probably asking: What does this have to do with fashion, Claire?
Nothing! It's just my way of explaining why I don't have a post today! But I'll bring it back tenfold tomorrow with tons of mail bombs:)
In the meantime, check the following hot blogs for your fashion fix:
*Sylvia over at I Like her Style finds a catwalk copy of Kerry Washington's shoes.
*Naki at Style Chile gives the blow by blow of an event at one of my FAVE shoe boutiques, Te Casan.
*The B-Life discusses African American hairstyles for the workplace (I cosign)!
*Strictly Fabulous discusses political T's. Hmm, what a novel idea...
*Hip Candy contemplates sporty Manolo's.
*The hot girls over at Style Ammo take a look at Fashion Diva June Ambrose.
*And Robin Givhan, from Paris, considers: Where's the Woman?
Smootches!
PS Venus Williams blogs from Tokyo...and she's pretty funny! An excerpt:

Tonight I went to the player party, which was fun. I may have let myself down a little bit, because I immediately rushed to the french fries. I just went right to them. I don't really eat much, so fries count as a carbohydrate! Boiled or fried, the only thing that matters is that I'm eating. I eat to live, not live to eat. And they were so nice and salty. Okay I did have other things like fish and whatever else I had on my plate - but those fries would have gotten cold if I didn't take them - and even as they got us to do this thing where we hit a barrel with saki in it, all I could think of was the fries getting cold. I know I made the right decision.

Read more here.

A Little Bit Different: Telfar

Hey Guys!
Day one of fashion week was exhausting (Shameek insisted on after parties), so I decided to take a momentary hiatus from the chaos of the Tents and pop into a smaller show by indie designer, Telfar:
Cute.
You might be wondering: What's the difference between a tent show and a smaller show? Well for starters, this one was held in a super cool loft space...
...and instead of everyone jockying for seats, most people stood to the side or sat wherever they could find an open nook. Bonus: the attitude-y/ 'what are you doing here' vibe was totally nonexistant.
So if you don't know about Telfar, he was raised in Liberia, and describes his clothing as "simplexity" i.e. he uses simple materials to make complex clothing with unexpected silhouettes and details.
A few looks from last night's collection:

Telfar goes for a sporty vibe with a twist. He sticks to a neutral color palette of gray, white, black, and brown, and works with fabrics like cotton, jersey, and voile. While his clothes may look like standard gym issue at first glance, details like pockets, draping, hoods, and bunching at the legs, arms, even the back....
...set this line apart. Telfar wasn't your average show, which is why it was amazing.
As fun as it was, I'm plunging back into the melee today with shows by Tracy Reese, Max Azria, and ooooh...Baby Phat. For once, I just might have to give you a weekend update!
And, guys, if you're in NYC, last call...

...come to my party on Saturday!
It's just gonna be fun. No stress, no drama, just good ol fashioned fun! RSVP to fullthrottleparty@gmail.com
Smootches!
PS After the show, I ran into designer Malcolm Harris and we kicked it for a while (even did a little party shoe shopping). Don't know who he is?? Really!?! Well, he's the Creative Director for the made-to-order fashion brand Mal Sirrah. I wrote about him here. You should also check out his blog (yes!) Cut, Sew, and Blog (www.cutsewandblog.com). He's the bomb y'all!
PSS Duh, Real Style. So I'm going for 'different looks' in these pictures, and the guests at Telfar didn't dissapoint. I ran into Regina...
...a model booker who struck me with her quirky steeze. I appreciate how her chunky gold chain stood in contrast to her demure haircut and bookish glasses. Slap on some tights with boots...chick is stylish in her own way.
As a booker, of course I had to ask her about the ethnic models issue. She revealed that she had booked two models for the Telfar show, and said that it all, "Depends on the girl and the desire of the designer. It's a combination of things." So perhaps in order to see ethnic models we need more ethnic designers showing at Fashion Week?? Hmm...a whole 'nother issue. Maybe Malcolm can weigh in...

DesignersforDarfur + Jennifer Hudson

Hey Guys,
As promised, today, a review of the DesignersforDarfur Benefit.
I'm a little late, but the weekend and Grammy's...you understand.
So the event was last Friday at 9pm in the Roseland Ballroom, the same venue of the Baby Phat fashion a full week before.
What immediately struck me about the event was the limited security, limited paparazzi, and empty halls. While Baby Phat was literally a *circus*...


... this event was relatively tame.


Given the importance of the event, I thought it was a sad showing, I mean...when celebrities are involved, everyone sits up straight and pays attention. When anyone starts talking about real issues...genocide in Darfur, war in Iraq, it seems as if eyes glaze over. Yet and still, this event was the perfect marriage of fierce fashion and philanthropy, and I was glad to show my support!
When the show finally started...a good hour late...it was well worth the wait.
A few pictures:

Beautiful dresses, great designs from everyone from Zac Posen to Chado Ralph Rucci... it was really inspiring. Danielle from ANTM walked, as did Carol Alt.

All the pieces will be auctioned on www.ebay.com

Visit the e-bay store here. Lend your support in any way.
Smootches!
PS Danica Lo and Raakhee Mirchandani of the New York Post had an....interesting take on the show. Read it here. Malcolm Harris was *incensed* at the article to say the least, and posted on Myspace that he wants both authors removed from the Post. Read the article and decide for yourself. Send your e-mails to letters@nypost.com


PSS Say What? JHud on the cover of March Vogue?!?!

Here are a few scans from inside:


Will *definitely* frame my issue! My friend said he thinks she's the 3rd black woman to ever grace the cover. Is that accurate?
A reader answered my question. Check out Clay Cane's entry here for the answer.
PSS Barney's Sale in NY and LA!

Barneys Warehouse, LA
Barker Hangar, Santa Monica Air Center
3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
Thursday, February 8th - Monday, February 19th
Barneys Warehouse, NY
255 W. 17th Street
Thursday, February 15th - Sunday, March 4th
My shopping friend Val told me the sale is just as good on the last day...will definitely hit it up!

Did you Know? Malcolm Harris

"This event is not about one designer or a group of designers...This is truly a chance to show that we are not this self-consumed, superficial and/or elitist industry."--Malcolm Harris in a Women's Wear Daily article dated January 5th, 2007

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day!

A week or so ago, Women's Wear Daily featured a short article on Malcolm Harris, designer of the line Mal Sirrah...

...and his DesignersforDarfur Benefit during fashion week next month.
To be honest, I hadn't heard of Malcolm Harris before, but I was very impressed by his desire to contribute to such a worthy cause.
WWD reported:

"Chado Ralph Rucci, Zac Posen, Naeem Khan, Jeremy Scott, Sue Wong and Mary Ping are among the designers who have agreed to create an outfit that will be sent down the runway. Participants will make clothes in red, black, green or yellow, or any combination of those colors that are symbolic of Africa. Their creations will be auctioned online immediately after the event, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the nonprofit Save Darfur Coalition."

Pretty amazing. Fashion is at its core quite superficial and materialistic. It's refreshing to see designers putting their creativity towards helping others every once in a while.
Didn't know about Malcolm Harris or his line? Take a look at his website here or watch this video...

Featuring his Spring 2007 collection.
If you want to learn more about how you can help with the conflict in Darfur, visit www.savedarfur.org.
Smootches!