Trending: Alejandra G. Shoes

Latino shoe designer Alejandra G. is gaining quite the following.  Her designs have been featured in Elle and spotted on a number of notable celebrities including Janelle Monae, Rocsi Diaz, Tyra Banks, Draya Michelle, and Karrueche Tran.  Her spring line includes vertiginous pumps and strappy sandals in fun prints and colors, as well as flats, and ranges from $99-$500.

Lorde for MAC

Lorde, the 17 year old Grammy award winning singer from New Zeland is set to release a collection for MAC on June 5th.  Thus far the collection includes a lipstick in a deep plum color called "Pure Heroine" (the title of her debut album) and a Penultimate eye liner in Rapidblack.  Synergy between the artist and the cosmetics retailer is apparent given that Lorde is known for her vampy looks and makeup colors, and MAC enthusiasts rely on them for fashion forward products.

Here's Tea Though: Months ago MAC put out a very similar limited edition lip color called "Heroine."  A similar color with a very similar name that has been paired with one other product does not a collection make.  Why not skip the limited edition release of "Heroine" and just give us this new one in June?  I am a fan of MAC, especially their lip colors, but it really burns my chops for them to offer us these identical products tagging on a celebrity endorser and calling it a collection.  I'm not sure who should feel more tried: MAC customers or Lorde.

Fashion Lifehacking

People often tell me that they don't know how to dress.  I find that odd, because it doesn't seem that hard to me, but that's me speaking from my ivory tower.  Here's a really easy way to figure it out.

1. Take a real evaluation of what your body type is.
2. Look for a celebrity or fashion icon whose style you like and that has the same build as you.
3. Study their style.  Take note of what is flattering and unflattering on them.
4. Act accordingly.

I find that this is the easiest way to evaluate whether or not you can pull off a certain look.  Although the key is being honest with yourself about your body type.  I find it so confusing when I see women with "muffin tops" and "is she pregnant or nah?" bodies shoved into these super tight body con dresses.  I wonder to myself how are they comfortable highlighting such an unflattering part of their body?  Especially when it can be easily hidden with a good pair of Spanx.  I say this as a curvy woman that has struggled and continues to struggle to lose weight.  There is no shame in wearing proper undergarments to hide unflattering features.  I am a firm believer that every look is not for every body.

Even if you're opposed to wearing Spanx or some type of girdle that puts everything in its proper place, just stay away from looks that do you no favors.  For example, I love flowy maxi dresses, but if I wear one without cinching my waist in the form of a belt I will look pregnant.  This is just something that I have chosen to accept.

My go to fashion muse has been Kim Kardashian (go ahead and judge me).  While I will not pretend that my body is as sickeningly dope as hers, we have a similar height and build.  Therefore, if I see her do a look that makes her look short and pudgy I know it's one that I too should stay away from.  Christina Hendricks and I have similar builds, but she is substantially taller than me; hence, I cannot take fashion cues from her.  This saves me time, money, and disappointment.

This not only works for choosing looks that are appropriate for your body type, but also color pairing, and makeup tricks.  I'm brown skinned, so why would I look to a fairer skinned person for ideas on what colors I can pull off?  I look to Tika Sumpter for makeup inspiration, because she and I have similar skin tones.  If I for some reason am getting my makeup done professionally I save a picture of her on my phone with a beat that I like, which gives my artist a blueprint for what I want.  I do the same when I go into Sephora or Elf to shop for makeup.  I pull out my picture and I say this is what I'm going for.  It makes their job easier for you to come in with a realistic perception of yourself.

So in conclusion, if you are completely clueless about what to wear, how to do your makeup, and what trends you should try out find someone with similar features (body type, skin tone, etc.) and follow their lead. You are not Rihanna and no one expects for you to be a fashion innovator so it's perfectly fine to take cues from someone who has the time, money, and resources to experiment.  Learn from their mistakes and benefit from their victories.

Humble or the Help?

On Monday my intern partner and I were propositioned by our boss to run an errand that would earn us an extra undisclosed amount of money.  We agreed to it before she even completed the question.  Our task: to go to a gala event that the company was participating in after it was over and gather up the materials used since they were actually samples from the spring collection.  In addition to our extra cash they also sprung for a car service to take us to and from the location and get us home safely.  For a couple of girls that take the subway everyday and suffer through the smells and sights of public transportation, a free cab and car service home is a sweet deal in and of itself.

We show up to the famed Cipriani 42nd Street (you may remember this is the venue whrer LaLa and Carmelo Anthony tied the knot) around 11:15 pm as we were instructed to and use the back entrance of the restaurant (this was my first clue that I am in fact the help).  As we passed through the side corridor we could hear the unexpectedly current hip hop music blaring and even caught a few glances of the black tie clad guests.  As we waited alongside the other people that were sent there to clean up after the festivities I thought about my grandmother, and how she has spent her whole life doing exactly what I am about to do.  My grandmother has cleaned office buildings, and the houses of wealthy white people for decades.  At one point she worked at a very prominent country club in South Carolina where she orchestrated banquets and the like, but all in all she's spent her career cleaning up after people that have substantially more than she does.  I thought to myself, how could someone in my family still have to do this kind of work after so many years?  My grandparents were blue collar workers so that the subsequent generations of my family wouldn't have to be, but I'm here following in their footsteps in a way that I'm not so sure would make them proud.

The 11:30 mark hit, and we went in through the front door to find our table and packing supplies.  We looked around the room at the extravagant floral arrangements wondering who had attended and what they wore, and what they got to eat.  In my mind I wondered how did she do this for all these years without feeling some sense of inferiority?  How do you make a career out of servitude and maintain this strong sense of self?  I felt a little bit sad and embarrassed as I cleaned food residue off plates that cost more than what some people make in a week.  We packed everything up with the help of a very nice Trinidadian man who works at Cirpirani, and took it to its final destination for the night.

On the free cab ride home I remembered my mom telling me how my grandmother and great-great aunt would leave their houses in the morning in dresses, pearls, gloves, stockings, and heels, and they would change into their work clothes at the offices they were there to clean.  At the end of their shift, they would freshen up and change back into their nice clothing and head home.  They never allowed the outside world to see them as servants.  They were very proud women, who knew that because of what they did their families could eat and live well.  Because of the work my grandmother did and continues to do, I have had opportunities and things that I may not have otherwise had if she hadn't.

These past couple of months have been the most humbling of my life.  I do my best to keep in mind that regardless of what I have to do right now, this isn't what I will be doing forever.  I try to remain optimistic that life doesn't end here for me and that all things will lead to a great career where I can take pride in what I do, and be the woman I want to be.  Last night though, I wondered am I being humble or am I just the help?

Hip Hop and Fashion: Has the Relationship Gone Too Far?

 

Over the past few weeks there have been discussions and even Twitter beefs over black men wearing skirts or kilts.  Rapper Lord Jamar had some choice words for Omar Epps for wearing a skirt when he made an appearance on The View to promote his new show Resurrection, even going so far as to compare him to a complicit Nazi, claiming that men like Epps should be put on trial for crimes against humanity.  Apparently, Lord Jamar has been very vocal over the past few years about what he deems to be "the feminization of the black man."  Epps responded by saying that his ensemble was an ode to Zulu warrior roots, and that Lord Jamar is actually just uninformed about his own history.  

Following Lord Jamar's rant came 50 Cent who in his usual manner attacked rappers like Kanye West and Puffy for wearing skinny jeans and kilts, respectively.  He's quoted as saying “I ain’t with it. I asked it on a mix tape. N***as wear skinny jeans. I can’t fit in,” he said. “If you Google, ‘rapper in a dress’, do you know how many will pop? Young Thug is the one that actually said, ‘This is a dress’. The other ones will call it a kilt. What about that culture is making you choose to wear it for the evening?”

It is clear that hip hop culture has evolved over the years.  Hip hop is not a monolithic culture, and I don't think that it ever was.  Even when it became a notable genre of music in the 80's you had your gangster rappers juxtaposed with the culturally conscious rappers.  There were the Adidas track suits and shell toe's contra to the African garb donned by others, and everyone got along.  Now that we have moved away from the baggy jeans, jerseys, and Timberland boots of the 90's and early 2000's, rappers have started to dress more clean cut, more fitted and more fashion forward.  I think that this is attributed to the fact that a successful rapper is no longer one with thought provoking lyrics and five mics to prove it.  In addition to talent, today's successful rapper also has to be a brand.  For many of the performers on the forefront of the industry today, fashion is an integral part of their brand.  Kanye West is almost synonymous with leather sweatpants.  A$AP Rocky has collaborated with designer Jeremy Scott, and both can be spotted sitting front row during Fashion Week.  Jay Z who is so highly respected in the rap community did a capsule collection for high end retailer Barney's New York.  

Rappers have always had a casual relationship with fashion.  One of the greatest fashion moments of the 90's was when Snoop performed on Saturday Night Live in a Tommy Hilfiger logo shirt, and then the designer enlisted Aaliyah to do a full fashion spread as one of his models.  I remember seeing those Tommy boxers peeking over her sagging jeans and saying that's how I want to dress.  That look became her signature.  Run DMC is almost synonymous with Shell toe Adidas.  "I'm clockin' ya, Versace shade watching ya," Biggie told us in his name dropping bars on One More Chance.  The concept of rap x fashion is nothing new.  However, as rappers have matured so have their tastes.  As the business has grown, so have the opportunities for branding.  As technology gives us more access to other fashion forms outside of what's in our neighborhoods, our desires have changed.  Television is no longer the only medium from which to draw inspiration, so it is natural that the relationship between fashion and hip hop culture would grow.  When you achieve a certain level of success in any industry, your taste level changes, and this is the natural course of things.  As a performer gaining noteriety you are being presented with more money than you've ever had, and you are exposed to different people and different cultures that you can now afford to emulate.

As we see the rap veterans like Lord Jamar get older, you also see the nostalgia permeate their opinions.    One cannot hold hip hop culture to one standard.  To call in to question a man's sexuality or his masculinity because he takes fashion chances in accordance with his brand is a bit far-fetched in my opinion.  I cannot help but feel that this is the source of good old fashioned hating.  I would be more inclined to listen to a rapper that has put out successful music within the past few years than one that is trying to remain relevant and put out a new album.  Yes things are different in the industry from what they were when you mattered, but it is not going to put any money in your pocket or any fans in your base to attack the people that matter these days.  What they fail to realize is that the attack on relevant artists of the times will overshadow their legacy and talent.  Does it really benefit black culture for one black man to attack another for taking a fashion risk or two?

Really Awkward New York Moments

Don't get me wrong.  I love this overpopulated, smelly, concrete jungle, but there are some days where I'm just like ok I've made a horrible decision coming here, get me back to Georgia ASAP!  Here are some awkward situations one might find themselves in that will make them rethink their entire move.

1. You are lucky enough to find a seat on a crowded train, but a man comes and stands in front of you to hold on to the rail above your head, which puts his pelvis right at your eye level.  Aside from the discomfort of being shoved into a tin can with dozens of strangers, and a multitude of smells, his crotch is the only thing in eye shot for you to look at, so you put your head down….which makes the scene look even more odd.
2. Again, you're on a crowded train, only this time there's no seat, so you're standing there holding on to a germ infested pole in the middle of the cart.  Someone's bag is molesting your butt, and the person standing in front of you yawns directly in your face.  You have now been accosted by an unholy combination of coffee, cigarettes, and whatever that person had on their bagel on the way to the train.
3. It's a Friday night.  The weather lends itself to a cute ensemble that doesn't require three additional layers for warmth.  A pre game drinking session has taken place at your friend's apartment, so you head out for a nice night on the town.  Hair is laid, eyebrows are snatched, and you are slaying the scene.  You get to the party which is swarming with eligible young black professionals, and not a single one will even maintain eye contact with you long enough for you to engage them in a conversation.  I mean not a single one.
4. You have somehow become a circus act known as the Juggling Bag Lady.  You have your giant purse (which is really more of an inconveniently carried book bag) your lunch bag, and the bag of groceries you picked up from Whole Foods.  You get home, but have to somehow dig your keys out of the labyrinth that is the bottom of your purse, meanwhile your earbuds have gotten inevitably tangled, and God-forbid you put your bag on New York concrete.  You are now contorting your body and your bags so as to not drop anything, and to spectators you look completely insane.
5. It's late, it's dark, and you live in Brooklyn.  You are walking as if there is a serial killer behind you, because you just binge watched The Following. There is a person ahead of you walking just as fast as you are, only because you actually are behind that person they fear that you are in fact the serial killer that you're afraid of.  Your mind is blown I know.

Spring Trend 2014: Cropped Top and Skirt Combo

                                                              Get in touch with your girly side!