Few Black Models at Paris Fashion Week

Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman walk for JPG in Paris (Style.com)

It's been a good month for some black models in magazines but so far that upswing  hasn't carried over onto the runway yet. 

All eyes are on Paris now where designers are presenting their Fall 2008 collections but once again very few of those elegantly tailored pantsuits and cage dresses are resting on the bodies of black models. According to designers Jean-Paul Gaultier and Mario Lefranc, agencies just don’t have any black models at the moment.  "I asked the modeling agency for black girls for our next show but there simply aren't any," said Lefranc.

Is it just me? Or do you wonder where these people are looking when they claim that they can’t find any black models? I subscribe to a thread @ TheFashionSpot devoted to  new black faces and could honestly name a few dozen off the top of my head that have the look but don't seem to get the work.  And honestly, what kind of an agency tells a client they can’t find any and leaves it at that?  An agency can find black models the same way they find white ones, by leafing through comp cards; scouting or at open calls. Seriously, look for the tall slouching girl with the good skin, and high cheekbones and introduce yourself. It’s not rocket science. 

And let me add this,  as much as I really like to see black women on the runway I am hoping that designers don’t go the P. Diddy and D-Squared route and host a one off segregated show featuring only black models. To me responses like this miss the whole point, it’s never been about segregation. 

 Source: Style.com and EUR

Petra Nemcova Hot Picture

Petra Nemcova sexy photo

Petra Nemcova hot picture

Petra Nemcova hot pose

Josie Maran Sexy Women

Josie Maran nice girls

Josie Maran sexy dress

Josie Maran hot picture

Naomi's Hair Woes

I am hair obessed. Always have been. For this reason I stood up and took noticed when a lot of cybertalk appeared about the state of Naomi's hairline. Photographic evidence has confirmed that Miss Thang's edges are in serious need of help. Now, I'm not posting this to make fun of Naomi because I've been there. Broken edges are not to be taken lightly and can cause a girl (or a grown ass woman) to lose herself every now and then. This kind of frustration can take many forms. I for example, have thrown down my hair brush in disgust after looking at shed hairs in the skin. Maybe in Naomi's case, the cell phone was a closer reach. Maybe just maybe, one of those assistants of hers bounced into the room, blonde ponytail a'swingin' and told Naomi that she should just put on a baseball cap if she was having a bad hair day. Maybe this was not what Naomi needed to hear at that moment. I am here to help. Naomi, you are special. You know why? Because seriously, what other black woman could rock four feet of weave on a daily basis and not catch hell for it. We all remember that Michael Jackson video where you rocked that pony like a black Rapunzel at Freaknik. We don't know how you pulled it off but you did and we all gave you a pass. But seriously, girlfriend, that was in 1992. I know that on occasion you have been known to send that hair out to the cleaners and worn either a short bobbed wig or weave but you always seem run back, arms wide open, to re-embrace the pony. For the most part, it has always looked fly. Believe me, I may wear my own hair natural but I do not hate the weave. Bangs or no bangs, you always looked flawless and your weave was tight. Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that the weave was too tight, and the weight of all that hair and wear was taking it's toll. Girl, it is time to step backi from the yaki.

I remember reading an interview with you years and years ago in which you mentioned that you considered styling your hair in a short afro but somebody convinced you that you didn't have the right face for it. I am telling you right now that that person, whoever it was, was a hater. You had the face for it because you are freaking NAOMI CAMPBELL!!! If you created fire, that person would have tried to to stamp it out. Repeat this to yourself. You are not your weave. It's not like you haven't rocked the shorter styles before, it's not too late, you can go back....please, before it's too late and your hawking a line of synthetic wigs like Brandy. Here, I've assembled some photos here to remind you of how good you look without that mane

Option #1: Everyone loves a baldie:

Option #2: Just put a wrap on it

Option #3: In the summer months, braids are a girl's best friend

Option #4: Paging Ms. Fierce, party of one..

Option #5: Remember, keeping some texture does not mean losing the white boy

Option #6: A dollop of gel will get you out the door in 10 minutes

Option #7: Roller sets. Not just for Grandma anymore

Option #8: Get reacquainted with the feeling of a cool breeze on your neck!
 

Option #9: Look ma! No more neck pain!

Option #10: Remember, you are Naomi. You are the shit.

Photo sources: TheDefamer, TFS

Naomi on the Cover of Brazilian Vogue

July (and also Jan/Feb) are notoriously low selling months for magazines. They also seem to be the month that fashion magazines are most likely to put a black face on their covers. This July is no different thanks to the fabled (yet still unseen) issue Vogue Italia which has managed to put a slightly different spin on things. With all the hubbub, it is sure to be one of Italian Vogue's best selling issues of all time. Photographer Steven Meisel has said that he wanted this issue to make editors of the other editions of Vogue magazine to take note and "diversity their pages." So far, US Vogue has responded with an article called "Is Fashion Racist?" and a brief accompanying spread featuring three black models. The article wasn't mentioned on the cover or in the Editor's Letter. Thanks for playing Anna. I bet you anything that Anna Wintour is the type of woman that hands out diet pills and raisins on Halloween. In contrast, Vogue Brazil's July issue will feature the hardest throwing....I mean the hardest working model in the business Naomi Campbell. To the best of my knowledge Naomi has appeared at least one other time on the cover of Brazilian Vogue. The only other black model that I've ever seen cover the magazine was Margareth Lahoussaye-Duvigny.  Naomi's photos were snapped by David Bailey. This slideshow has a few of the interior pictures and Naomi's last cover for the magazine.

Sources: ferry coal, ego.globo, terra

Kerry Washington in Armani Privé S/S 2008

Ordinarily, I admire her fashion sense. Honestly, I think she's one of the most consistently best dressed actresses in Hollywood but I'm not sure how I feel about this ensemble. I think that for once,  I actually prefer it on the model. To get away with all the frothy pleating it helps if one is six foot tall and with not a curve in sight. It may just be the angle but I think that length on Kerry makes her look a little squatty.

Photo source: Jezebel and Style.com

Cosmopolitan Kenya - Who Knew?

I had no idea that there was a Kenyan edition of Cosmopolitan Magazine until I came across this photo of Ajuma Nasenyana on the cover.

Apparently, it launched in 2005 but I couldn't really find much else on the web about it. I'm not even sure if it is still being published. 

It's the second African edition of Cosmo (behind South Africa) and the magazines have many similarities. First of all, they share content, but there are an additional 30 pages of local content added to the Kenyan edition. Kenyan Cosmo also has a unique cover and chooses models for the editorial images which makes the Kenyan section "blacker" than the rest of the magazine. Lastly, the frank sexual discussion which made Cosmo famous in the US and other parts of the world are toned down quite a bit to bring it in line with local social mores.  According to The Guardian, this is the target audience: 

She is proud of being African, though she prefers to wear her hair straight. She is just as interested in having a career as a western woman, though perhaps more coy about sex.

I can't remember the last time I picked up an issue of American Cosmo. When I was younger it was always front and center in the supermarket right next to People Magazine by the cashier. Back then, reading it held a vouyeristic appeal. I may have been stuck in Tacoma with a bus pass that only worked on weekdays before 6 pm but they gave me a glimpse into what life was life for real women - women who traveled a lot, dated all kinds of men, had an unusual amount of sex and  dressed like extras from Dynasty. I imagined that all the ridiculous monthly quizzes were what these worldy women did to pass the time on their flights to exotic locations. I had a really active imagination back then. 

I'm not sure why no one ever imports these magazines for US consumption. I can only really speak for myself but I'd be very interested in reading African lifestyle magazines. I'm also continually peeved that networks like BET or TVOne haven't bought the rights to the Nigerian versions of Big Brother or America's Next Top Model. It would be a hell of an improvement over what they are airing now.