Iman (1985)

Iman is photographed here by Peter Beard, the photographer credited with "discovering" her while she was a student at the university in Nairobi.

Source: Omifan/TFS

Erykah Badu in a Bottle

According to Vogue.com.uk, Erykah Badu will be the face of Tom Ford's next fragrance. Let me tell you that those are two names that I never thought I'd be typing in the same sentence.

I haven't really been a fan of Ford since he left Gucci and as lovely as his first fragrance is, I though the ad campaign was unappealing. In spite of that, I am looking forward to seeing what these two come up with. Erykah is as unique and intoxication as the black orchid for which Ford's last fragrance was named and self-promotion is Ford's middle name -- I'm sure the end product will be provocative. I just hope it's in a good way.

Stay tuned...

Edit: Here is a link to a video of Erykah discussing the campaign from Youtube. (Thanks Camille!)

Photo credit: Dallas News

Slow Blogging Day

Has it really been three years since Essence put Suede Magazine on permanent "hiatus" after only four issues? If you are like me, you still have those issues tucked away somewhere and occasionally take them out and flip through the pages, dreaming about what might have been. I mean, the magazine was in no way perfect but I definitely appreciated what they were trying to do.

Suede's former editor, Suzanne Boyd has a new job. She's in charge of revamping a Canadian baby boomer magazine called CARP. The new title will be Zoomer and is being billed as a fashion and lifestyle magazine for near-retirement demographic. Sigh. I wish her the best but the news puts another nail in the coffin that was my desire for Suede to rise from the ashes.

I got the March issue of Harper's Bazaar in the mail today. For some reason Lindsay Lohan is on the cover. I honestly can't remember why I subscribed to this magazine in the first place.

There's not much of interest in the magazine, save the regular "Diet News" feature. I'm always fascinated by what other people eat and what they do for exercise. Not that I plan on doing any of the routines myself, I just like to live vicariously through other people's personal trainers. This month spotlights Keisha Nash-Whitaker. She must have a great publicist.

If you're interested the super slim model/actress/entrepreneur eats a half bagle w/ salmon and cream cheese for breakfast, a tuna melt or turkey burger for lunch and a sensible dinner with her family. I read previously that she was vegan but here she says that husband Forrest Whitaker and her oldest daughter are vegetarian but she still gets her meat on.

I also got Nylon in the mail recently. This one I don't feel as bad about because I got the subscription for free. I've always liked the layout of it but I find it kind of dull. I think I'm older than their target audience. There is one editorial featuring a black model which was unexpected but it's not exactly worth buying.

Slow week, I'm crossing my fingers that Entertainment Weekly shows up tomorrow.

Ports 1961 S/S 2008

I'm posting these images from the Ports 1961 by Tia Cibani campaign for two reasons, first because I'm lusting over many of the extremely elegant and wearable pieces in this collection and second to illustrate that it is indeed possible to photograph a beautiful black model like Joan Smalls in an African locale (Tanzania in these photos) without the use of colonial imagery, spears, masks or headdresses. I mean, she doesn't even have shiny skin! Who would have thought that was even possible?

Source(s): ports1961.com, gmb.ca, TFS

US Vogue - March 2008 - Liya Kebede

Photographer: Norman Jean Roy
Image Source: TFS/Luxx

Magazine Jones

My husband and I are not particularly religious people but we do
observe the Lent...sorta. I mean, we don't do it in the tradition sense, with the fasting and prayer, but we do try to give up one or more of our vices for a month and focus on more "enriching" activities. In the past the we've given up (or tried really hard to give up) drinking wine, eating red meat and eating out. Not exactly worthy of a twelve step program but you get the drift.

Anyway, I was thinking about this when I came across a phenomenal post by Afrobella this morning called Black Woman, Know That You Are Beautiful. This quote in particular really got me thinking:

I say, don’t waste your time buying Vogue or any of the so-called fashion bibles that hardly ever use models of color in their spreads. Support the publications that do...

Now, I've mentioned in the past that I am a magazine junkie. In addition to my subscriptions, I buy at least three more magazines each week. I can't even add up the ones that I thumb through at the checkout stand. It's become a serious habit. After running after my toddler all day there is nothing I enjoy more than brewing a cup of tea and sitting back with the colorful mental bubblegum of a fashion magazine. This of course, is not complication free. Finding a magazine that at least throws a token to the non-White consumers is a rare feat, especially now that Black History Month is over.

I've thought about giving up the glossy crack before and have even let a few subscriptions lapse but I often wonder if I'm disciplined enough to go cold turkey. What would I do with my hands? Would my wrist and flipping finger get flabby? Would by skin wrinkle without articles about the new "it" cream? Would I start wearing sweat pants to the market? Most importantly, what would I complain about?

As we move into Spring, I find myself thinking more about the choices I make with money and the things I support inadvertently by saying one thing and buying another. Does all this mean that I'll give up buying fashion magazines? Probably not but I know that looking at them with an even more critical eye and saving my dollars for issues that speak to my own interests and looking to new media sources to fill the void let by these old guard publications.

This all brings me to the March issue of US Vogue. There's nothing spectacular about the image of Drew Barrymore on the cover but there is something to be said for the contents. In addition to a spread of Liya Kebede shot by Norman Jean Roy (images to be posted soon,) there is also a brief article on the marriage of Studio Museum of Harlem curator Thelma Golden and designer Duro Olowu, a piece by Andre Leon Talley comparing Michelle Obama to Camelot era Jackie O., a profile on my new favorite Keisha Whitaker and Zoe Kravitz, and a lengthy article on CNN newswoman Gwen Ifills. For whatever reason, none of these features was deemed worthy enough to be mentioned on the cover but the issue itself is worth look at for those near a newsstand with idle hands.

New Girlcrush: Keisha Whitaker

In my opinion Keisha Whitaker was by far the best dressed woman at this year's Oscars. She looked flawless in the J'Aton Couture gown. I wasn't a huge fan of the canary yellow dress she wore last year to the event but this more than makes up for it. The off white gown makes her skin radiate. Nearly every photo I've seen of her over that past year has been picture perfect and she is slowly eclipsing Thandie Newton as my favorite red carpet star.