Random Thoughts: Beyoncé & Rihanna Swap Styles, Grace Jones, Robin Givhan on Sarah Palin, Next Throwback?

Remember when people accused Rihanna’s style of being too much like Beyoncé’s?

Now some people are saying Bee is looking quite similar to Ri:

Does this mean we’ve come full-circle?
Off-topic, I would love to see them do a song together on some “The Boy is Mine 2009.” Not just for the song—can you imagine the video wardrobe??

Ever since Fashion Bomber Erica sent in that Grace Jones album cover, I've been obsessively watching GJ videos on the 'Tube. Especially "My Jamaican Guy":

So avant-garde and fashion-forward--GJ is underappreciated as a style icon, I think. BTW, recognize this song as the sample for another icon's sexy hip-hop classic?
I’m thinking about my next Throwback post and can’t decide what to do: Guess Jeans, Triple Fat Goose coats, or Re-Run Style?

Kidding! (on the last). But wait...hmm...Fred Berry's red, white, and green are giving me a crazy idea. Hmm! OK, I'm hyped. Off to start work on it now...
P.S. If you haven't already read it, I highly, highly recommend Robin Givhan's piece on Sarah Palin's style. As usual, Ms. Givhan is right on point (and funny) with her analysis.
~A

The Revolution will be Blogged: Blacks in Fashion

Happy Friday!
Sorry for the late post, I’ve had a very busy morning. Why did you have a busy morning, Claire? Well, I’ll tell you.
Last night, I was delighted to get a text from my designer friend Malcolm Harris, alerting me to a forum discussion taking place today, subject: Blacks in Fashion. I quickly said “Sign me up!” and made my way over.
Upon walking in, I caught sight of many fashion notables. I’ll be honest, I almost lost my mind, I was in the company of such greatness.
Sitting right behind me were the following journalistic juggernauts:
Andre Leon Talley (far left), Teri Agins of the Wall Street Journal, Robin Givhan of the Washington Post (obscured), and Harriette Cole, creative director of Ebony Magazine. Oh yeah, and that’s Malcolm with the Peace Sign.
After I sat down, more and more people filtered in.
Tyson made an appearance:
Naomi Campbell (who actually ended up sitting right behind me!) offered her support:
Liya Kebede (gorgeous and so super nice) was in the house:
As was Iman…
Designer Tracy Reese…

Rachel Roy…
And Ebay Fashion Director Constance White…
It was truly an amazing showing, and I was excited to be there.
Industry veteran Bethann Hardison …
…took the floor as the moderator. She’s a former model, so her pet peeves centered around the ‘black model issue.’ She hated that designers felt that having one black supermodel was sufficient; that people believe black women on covers won’t sell; that agents won't represent black models; that designers are not conscious of diversity; and that blacks and others in positions of power don’t recognize a problem.

The talk revealed that the Fashion industry is extremely discriminatory and is also the only industry that is allowed to reject people outright based on color. Think about it: If a model sues Calvin Klein for not casting her, she'll never work again. If a journalist sues a huge publishing house for not hiring her, she'll have trouble getting published. In an industry based on networking, it's best not to burn bridges...better to stay quiet and complicit (though that really doesn't help the problem).

Doesn’t bode well at all for an aspiring fashion editor of color…

The forum was a bit mind boggling because the problem is complex: agents don’t search for black models because they don’t think they can sell; designers don’t book black models because they feel no need to; magazine editors don’t pick black models because, once again, they don’t think they’ll sell magazines. This is all a farce because we know black women like fashion (hello!) and spend freely. The problem is alerting the powers that be to our presence, beauty, and spending power. I mean, even Naomi Campbell revealed that she hasn't been able to score a cover of British Vogue...and that the only reason she scored French Vogue was because her buddy Yves Saint Laurent threatened to pull all advertising if she didn't get it. Yep, even Naomi Campbell has problems.

The conclusion of the talk was such: The group of highly influential people assembled (including Andre Leon Talley, Naomi Campbell, Tracy Reese, Constance White) would attend the next Council of Fashion Designers of America meeting to address this issue. Apparently Diane von Furstenberg (president of the CFDA) is game.
Stay tuned for developments...
Fashion figureheads are really trying to rock the boat (hopefully)!
Will anything change?
Smootches!
PS Of course I made my way over the Andre Leon Talley, and told him of my sincere desire to work at Vogue. He promised that we’d chat afterwards, but after the talk, he disappeared! Like...Casper. Is this part of the problem?
PSS Malcolm seems to think that the power to change things lies in the new generation, us. What do you think? Is there a problem in your opinion? Do you want to see more blacks in mainstream magazines? Or do we just want Suede back?

Cool Online Find: Portero

Hey guys!
So I'll admit it...I'm a sucker for a sweet bag whether it be Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Prada! But while I love the designer satchels, I'm also a baller on a budget...and sometimes I find that E-Bay is my best and most affordable option.
Unfortunately, I've been burned by E-bay before. Years ago, I logged on, looking to find an authentic Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag...

...to add to my wardrobe. I thought I was lucky when I scored what was described as an 'authentic' Louis off E-bay for a steal. The pictures seemed fine online, but when I received the bag...

...and took a quick look at the details....

...it was obvious that the bag was totally fake! I was incensed, and tried to go back to the seller. When I logged back on, I found that the person had deleted their profile! Can we say pissed!?!
Well, I was relieved when Robin Givhan reported a few weeks ago about a site called www.portero.com.

It calls itself, "the only online auction marketplace truly devoted to the luxury brand legacy." It strictly auctions off authentic bags, jewelry, and shoes, and has a 30 day return policy. Their prices might be higher, but at least you can be sure of what you're buying.
I looked and found several decent bags starting off at reasonable offering prices (considering these bags can cost thousands of dollars retail):
This Marc Jacobs Collection Venetia Light Pink Satchel Bag retails for $700...

...but you can bid on it starting at $151.
This Louis Vuitton Bedford Fuchsia Vernis Monogram Purse Handbag retails for $1180...

...but you can place your bids starting at $255.
And this $455 Gucci GG Monogram Club Ready Pochette Handbag....

...starts bidding at a very affordable $100.
Portero.com also has gently used shoes, wallets, and jewelry! Prices are a bit steep, but you can rest assured that you won't waste your money on fake items!
Beats eBay!
Smootches!
PS Read Robin Givhan's full article on Portero here
PSS Not all my e-bay purchases have been duds. Now when buying on ebay, I follow these 2 rules:
1. For designer bags, always go for vintage. You can't find the newfangled bags at a discount unless you hit up Saks or a sample sale.
2. Don't buy from China! I hate to say it, but I've been to China, and I know they've got some great fakes...so if you're buying from someone over there, chances are increased that they're trying to pass off a fake as real!
My two cents...
PSS Don't forget the Barney's Sale my NY and LA ladies...

I'll be there!

Did you Know? Stephen Burrows

"In his heyday, which was the 1970s, Burrows set a historic precedent. He was the first African American to gain stature as an international designer. He built a profitable company capturing nonchalance, effervescence and sweaty indulgence in matte jersey dresses that looked best on lithe young women slouched in the corner of a disco in the wee hours of the morning."--Robin Givhan

Hey Guys,
So I was flipping through Essence Magazine's January 07 issue and came upon a pic of Vanesssa Williams in a smashing dress:

I took at look at the credits, and it turns out this $790 fuchsia gown is a piece by Stephen Burrows, a very prolific, yet little known African-American designer (among peeps my age anyway):

In this picture he's receiving a special CFDA Award (Council of Fashion Designers of America) presented by Alva Chinn (left), Pat Cleveland and Bethann Hardison.

Burrow's has been around since the 70's and has dressed celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Oprah, Iman, and Kate Moss. As in the quote, Burrows was the first African-American designer to reach worldwide acclaim and has won several Coty awards (high fashion honors). He's on the level design wise of Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, and Oscar de la Renta. No Joke. Honestly when I think of African-American designers, the only name that springs to mind is Tracy Reese. But there are many more (whom I plan to talk about in later posts), and Burrows is one of the most influential.

So why haven't we heard of him? Fashion is as much a creative field as it is a business, and not all designers have the business savvy to keep their clothes in the forefront. Most labels need a flashy spokesperson (like Tom Ford) or lots of media buzz (Viktor & Rolf) to help move products off the shelves. Burrows is a quiet force, but...I'm feeling his clothes.

I took a look at his website (www.stephenburrows.com) and found a lot of great looks:

Impeccably stylish, hip, and edgy. I'll inquire about prices (and maybe a lower line) and get back to you.

Want to know more? Robin Givhan wrote a *great* article about him here.
Smootches!

Viktor & Rolf Who? Exclusive Interview with Robin Givhan

Hi Readers,

So I'm finally psychologically and physically recovered from the onslaught of yore. Still, I realized that some of you might be wondering why in the world the Viktor & Rolf collection caused such a fury.

To get an answer, I tapped Fashion Editor Robin Givhan for a bit of insight.

That's her with Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger, after he presented her with a 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Yup, a Pulitzer. If you haven't heard of Robin Givhan (no, she's not Mike Tyson's ex-wife), then you might just need to ask somebody. Robin Givhan is hands down one of the most clever, witty, and well-versed fashion journalists in the industry. Her style and cultural criticisms in the Washington Post (on subjects ranging from American Idol to Dick Cheney to Karl Lagerfeld) have garnered her worldwide acclaim. I once read over 100 or so of her clips (ya know, just for fun one Sunday)...and I honestly felt like I took a semester long course in fashion history and design.

I got in touch, and she was happy to bless me with her wisdom (and now y'all get to join the fun--how exciting!)
Below, an unedited interview. Enjoy!

*When did Viktor & Rolf emerge on the fashion scene?
They started to get noticed in the 1990s. They began by showing couture
rather than ready-to-wear and caused quite a stir with their "mushroom
cloud" silhouettte.

* What design elements are they known for? Materials? Details?
They are known for strong silhouettes and for their use of details such as ruffles and bows.

* What did you think of their show this season? Any surprising elements?
Their show this season was based on ballroom dancing. To evoke an appropriate mood, they created a ballroom setting complete with cocktail tables, bottles of champagne and crystal chandeliers. The show opened with a couple dancing. One of the most striking features were shoes with crytal heels. The clothes are actually rather conservative. The show ended with
pairs of men ballroom dancing in celebration of their new menswear fragrance.

*What celebrities are known to sport their frocks?
The most famous celebrity is Tilda Swinton who was the inspiration for one of their shows. All the models were styled to look like her.

* How much do their clothes retail for?
How high is the sky? (Just kidding.) A dress is probably around $1,500 or so.

* Are their designs relevant for a younger demographic?
I think their sensibility is relevant to younger customers. They can be real pranksters. But the clothes are quite grown-up and require a strong personality. These are not starlet clothes but rather diva clothes.

Good thing I snagged one of their diva dresses (perfect for yours truly).
Smootches!

Want more Robin? Check out her articles here.