More POP AFRICANA, please!

If you haven't heard of this magazine or have yet to pick up an issue, you should get on that... Going into their 3rd issue and they're blowing shit off the chain and showing the industry in a different realm. It's being called the "Africana Global Book of Style"! I love the young, fresh perspective it brings into the fashion world. Africa is a continent rich in beauty, creativity, and art as well. 

Editor-in-Chief Oroma Elewa wants to keep the magazine unique and full of life. Add that to amazing styling, all kinds of stories, tips, and editorials with beautiful models and you've got an underground magazine! Here's a look inside the past few issues:

Keep doing what you're doing! It's beautiful! :)

COUTURE FILES: Spring 2011

It's couture time in Paris, and all of my favorite designer shows are surfacing as we speak. I'm not as happy with the collections, as I was with pre fall. Hence my HUGE pre-fall post prior to this. But i'm definitely intrigued by a few looks and of course FREAKING OUT as usual with the Givenchy show. I swear I was Ricardo Tisci in a past life. He understands me completely in fashion guidelines and i'm always so moved by his work..

I was taken back and really surprised by Armani Prive. I loved the 2060 life on Saturn vs 20's chic kind of feel. Well at least that's the feeling that was rubbing off on me..There were some major connections to my 2 favorite shows of the season- ONE MAINLY BEING PHILIP TREACY did headpieces for both Givenchy and Armani Prive and we could safely say he make's the weirdest, fiercest HATS on this planet as we know, if not the whole entire galaxy. Take a gander!

Givenchy Spring 2011 Couture

and here again @ Armani Prive Spring Couture 2011

OPULENT!

I really liked quite a few looks in Armani, but then right in the middle of the collection there was this weird change of color and style for a good 10 looks and I didn't like any of it. But then it slowly went back to the original concept it was going for. Love the inspo (slang for in-spi-ra-tion) taken from light shining off gemstones and love all the metallic suits and definitely love the headwear.

Givenchy is another story.

I loved the whole collection as usual. SO beautiful. He took a lot of reference to Japanese architecture of modern times and origami (see the crane). And to go along with his underlying thoughts, Tisci used all the TOP Oriental supermodels of the moment for his presentation. Ming Xi, Shu Pei Qin, Tao Okamoto, FEI FEI SUN, Du Juan, Jiang Xiao Yi just to name a few. Sorry i'm kind of a model watcher. That was probably overwhelming! 

There were small, slight changes, but mostly it was an evolution of last season's collection..The zipper pulls were bones last time and now they're wings. The same color palette was used with just a small addition of bright green and yellow. Moving forward, I appreciate his attention to every detail on each piece, which is carefully reviewed and inspected before it hits the runway. I read somewhere that one piece took 2000 hours of cutting and 4000 hours of sewing. TALK ABOUT DEDICATION TO YOUR WORK. I can always love a perfectionist. 

I'm still putting my thoughts together about Christian Dior Haute and Jean Paul Gaultier. John Galliano always portrays a reserved, insanely well dressed Parisian prototype every season, but is it a little too drag queen sometimes to be taken literally? Because I swear that one day Divine or Hedda Lettuce is gonna come jumping out of his clothes.

And JPG was..

well with that being said

 I'll end this post with it half open...

DO YOU THINK FASHION HAWKS CAN BE GLAMOROUS?

I'm still unsure about how that sits with me from the JPG couture show.. It's hit or miss. So good or so trashy? You tell me..

Vice Mag Party @ Milk NY

Headed to Milk Studios last weekend for the last minute Vice Magazine party. They were presenting a series of photos called "Winter's Children" with fabulous music and a great crowd of people. I was shocked to find the line AROUND the block already at 8pm. Luckily my trusty camera and a little working with the guest list got me in and I skipped past the madness at the doors! Kudos to me!

The one guarantee you will always get with both Milk Studios/Vice Mag parties is an interesting mix of party goers, hob nobbers, industry insiders, and fashion fanatics. Here is a few of my favorite outfits I snapped throughout the night

xx

Je veux être une fille chic

If the beautiful gowns and pin thin perfect models didn't give it away, i'll clue you in! 

This is the new Lanvin Spring 2011 ad campaign that recently surfaced! I've always been a huge fan of Alber Elbaz for his flawless, one of a kind pieces...And couturier skills that have taken this once small based fashion designer to the top of the game in the industry. Pairing picturesque silhouettes with some of the most sought after girls on the catwalk has worked in his favor once again! 

I love the whole concept of the ad. The art deco furniture. The extravagant furs. The very simple, but opulent architecture (which is an ode to the 70's disco era if you ask me), and girls looking like they're leaving a wild night of debauchery at the famed Studio 54. Lets not forget to mention the wild bitch fest taking place between top models Iselin Steiro and Kinga Rajzak. 

I wonder what's next for Elbaz at the fashion house of Lanvin? Hopefully another amazing collaboration with a mass marketed fashion line..The H&M duo was pretty hard to touch by any standards. The pieces looked like gems in a museum compared to all the piles of generic clothing spilled out all over the rest of the store. But one can definitely dream of such a thing..

Only the future will tell!!!

TUESDAYS @ THE ROYALTON HOTEL

Last week I stopped by one of my favorite little hotspots at the Royalton Hotel for some pre drinks and sushi. Thrown by the one and only Kelle Calco with Lady Starlight on the 1's and 2's. I love the atmosphere, it's such a warm setting with plush seating and a huge pass through glass fireplace in the main lobby of the property! And with plenty of notable people frolicking through the tables, you're sure to have a time! 

(PS: I've been completely obsessed with my new camera I just bought. I got the digital Canon Rebel XTI. It's definitely a beginner's camera in photography standards, but nonetheless great for pristine photos! I made sure to catch some of the party goer's through out the night!)

Becka Diamond (DJ/NYC "it girl" of the moment)

Jonte (International recording artist/DIVA EXTRAORDINAIRE)

Elinei Herrman (Stylelikeu)

Aurelia (PEPPERCOTTON, girl!) Love her accessories! 

A quick photo-op of me and a good friend of mine! 

WEARING:

(Thrifted leather jacket, 70's band nostalgia tee, Daddy Long Leg printed leggings, Pashmina scarf, Marc by Marc Jacobs beanie, Zara boots, Prada eyeglasses)

Edmond with favorite girl in the world, Susie G!! (CLICK/CLASH fashion blogger)

LADY STARLIGHT LOOKING FABULOUS! I love her! <3

and meanwhile, this is what was happening in the streets of NYC..

SNOWING LIKE CRAZY!

Seeing this makes me dream of owning the Chanel A/W "Chubaka" piece to brave these freezing temperatures like a STARRRR!

What a great night!