MY GIRLS - MARIMEKKO OVERLOAD!!!!!

Two of my absolute favorite people in the world - Patricia and Yehua. I love these girls dearly. It has been such a blessing for God to put them both in my life. I met each of them in different work experiences where they were my subordinates and we all had the pleasure of working together at the same job.

What is so special about all of our relationships with one another and as a group is the fact that we can work together successfully and maintain friendships. Work and personal relationships are very hard to juggle. But, with these girls, all egos are pushed aside and the love and respect that we have for one another and the project we are working on are put to the forefront. I am older than both of them and I do not allow my age or experience to hinder the blessings I get from them. They are both smart, witty, intuitive, funny and extremely hard working and dedicated. They really inspire me and keep me connected to what the 'it-girls' are up to.

They are both super stylish and creative and are two great natural beauties. Patricia embodies a wonderful tomboyish femininity and has an impeccable eye for style and putting things together. She is also amazingly organized and persistent and keeps me on my toes! Yehua is the young moppet girl about town who is like a sponge for culture and wisdom and can put together a look like no one's business!!! She also has this amazing tall, lanky frame with the natural poise and carriage of a real model from days gone by.

The greatest thing about both of these chicks is that they are gorgeous on the inside and their beauty truly radiates from within. Their parents should be proud. I love these girls!!! They are MY girls.........

ESCADA'S SAKS LIFE

I went to an ESCADA party tonight at Saks Fifth Avenue. The party was to celebrate Damiano Biella, my friend and former boss and his fresh take on the brand. British it-girl-of-the-moment (cuz there always is one...think Sienna, Amy, Joss) Duffy performed to an adoring crowd sipping on champagne and munching on fashion friendly finger foods. There was a great installation of girls in still-life wearing the newest collection and plenty of pretty people milling about trying to be seen. There was also a slew of wannabes and annoying people trying too damn hard to be fierce. But, that is to be expected in these circles, hell, that IS these circles!

I really enjoyed the evening - it is always good to get out and get dressed up - I actually wore a tie. It was my Italian night - Prada, Dolce and Versace, all black with a dash of silver. I should have documented it but forgot. If you can get me out of cargos and sneakers, you are really doing something.

But anywho, these were my favorite shots of the evening:

Duffy singing her little blonde head off...

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Giving sleeves....

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Angel in a blue dress....

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Fierce girl alert - Marianna - wearing draped goddess gown with crochet fringe - this girl takes me back to the days of a good ole' Geoffrey Beene cabine

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One of my new favorites - the one and only Ms. Laura Selfridge - as gorgeous inside as out, intelligent, funny, good style and great sense of humor (and the prettiest, purest face ever)

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STUNNING black girl serving sculptural profile and a fierce back breaker pose.

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Hat Diva Jennifer - cute girl with great conversation. Her hat was in homage to the recession!!! Work it out!

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The grand dame of the evening working a Nigerian ensemble from the Yoruba tribe...and Mother had matching shoes!!! I love it. I spoke to her and she was just lovely and cheerful and glad to be experiencing life. I hope we all can be so fabulous in our elder years. Werk Ma!!!

INGRID MICHAELSON - BE OK

I really love this song. So simple and straightforward. You know I love a big wailing broad sangin', but sometimes we need a bit of subtlety and mellowness to soothe our throbbing brains that are already filled with enough stuff. This girl reminds me a bit of Norah Jones and early Nelly Furtado with a little dash of Jewel thrown in. Don't we all sometimes just connect with the sad white girl angst? I guess we all have a bit of her in us, and there is nothing wrong with that. Hell, we are ALL connected on some level anyway.

I also love that she is so plain and everyday looking, not made up like a circus pony with drags makeup and wardrobe. She is out of Staten Island and still lives at home in her parents basement. She seems genuine and sometimes that feels more right than a bumpin' beat. Don't we all just want to be OK, if only for today?!?

AZZEDINE ALAIA - THE AMAZING, LIVING GENIUS

Many designers speak of loving and honoring women and I think that it has become such a cliche', de facto designer quip. What I love about Azzedine is that he, with NO shame, loves and honors that sexual, strong, aggressive and dangerous part of a woman that even some women disdain. Most women that are haters of 'sexy' women are generally unsure or uncomfortable about that part of themselves. They are also uncomfortable with 'those' kinds of women around their men and in some cases are envious of their bravado and freedom. Let's just put it out there, OKAY?!

Azzedine just gets it - and his fans get it too. Their is a palpable sensuality to his clothes - you feel the heat radiating from them. This heat is not only sexual, it is the passion, the intensity and the brilliant technique of the great craftsmen/women who build these feats of architecture as clothing. The draping, the hand finishing, the stitching, the details, the trims all have the grace and assurance of a master's hand. The fit is like no other - these clothes accentuate your best features and add some where you may be lacking. He is known for body conscious, but what I see is all about shape. Shapes that mold to the body and shapes that are built around the body to further enhance it.

His choice of muses speaks to the level of beauty, sexiness, intelligence and accomplishment that he revels in. Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Tina Turner, Grace Jones, Stephanie Seymour - modern day glamazons who fit a beauty standard unparalleled by the waifs of the 90s or the vacant dolly girls of today. This is a warrior woman whose roots are firmly planted in ancient Greece, the plains of Africa and the curves of the future.

After the passing of the master, YSL, I would argue that Azzedine is our greatest living designer. Maybe not the most popular or the most famous - but greatness is not found in how many InStyle pages you grace. Keep doing it Azzedine.

NOAH'S ARC - JUMPING THE BROOM

NOAH'S ARC - JUMPING THE BROOM continues the story of Noah, Alex, Ricky, Chance and Wade and the joys and dramas they share. Noah's Arc was a ground breaking TV show on LOGO - one of cable TV's gay networks. It had been called the black/gay SEX IN THE CITY or the gay male GIRLFRIENDS, but to me, it was much more than that. This was a truer glimpse into the lives of black gay men than we have ever seen on TV. That man that wrote THE DOWN LOW appearing on OPRAH and Cousin Peaches on GIRLFRIENDS just isn't enough. Even though the show was it's highest rated show, LOGO snatched NA off after 2 very successful seasons. This pissed me off as much as when GIRLFRIENDS and HALF & HALF were taken off TV - I am still not over that, people, but back to Noah.

Noah, the center of the bunch, is the adorable, creative, sometimes naive cutie pie with a loving heart, perfect lips and luscious...no, I won't go there. His friends are Alex, the finger snappin' sissy with a heart of gold partnered with a big ole' fine hunk of a man/baby daddy; Ricky is the hot in the panties former lover/now-best-friend of Noah who is the quintessential queen looking for love in some man's Calvins; Chance is the affluent, highly educated, married, family-man using his stability to cover the fact that he is bordering on a mid-life crisis. Throw in Wade (rhymes with trade), Noah's formerly-straight man who is just now finding his true sexual self and you know that high drama and humor will follow.

The story picks up with Noah and Wade facing their wedding day. Before anyone can unpack a Louis or break out a flute of champagne, the drama ensues. Of course, they have to traverse one another to get to the big day. From relationship drama, to former flings, to botched wedding details - these boys have their hands full. Everyone did a great job but my fave was Alex - I love someone who says FUCK YOU to the haters and firmly grasps his clutch and pushes onward. Alex is all at once hilarious, super compassionate and brave. I also loved Noah's messy fag-hag boss, Brandy. Just check out the series DVD to see how she 'cums' into their lives!

One can look at each character and you are bound to see bits of yourself and/or your friends. I was personally bits of Chance and his husband with a lil' dash of Alex for HA-HAs (watch it Micky!). I have friends who can hang with Ricky and my partner is a little Noah-esque at times. It is very powerful to identify with people in pop culture. Lots of people take this for granted when they have always seen themselves represented. I definitely identify with these folks more than I identify with the spoiled rich kids on GOSSIP GIRL or the trash bags on anything starring Flava Flav and his girl, New York (ughhh).

I commend Patrik-Ian Polk immensely for sharing these characters with his community and the world. I love the fact that NA is unabashedly gay and unabashedly black. THIS very fact is the brilliance of the show and the movie. I pray that this movie is successful - we went to see it at 11am on Saturday morn and the theater was packed with black boys, black men, Latin queens, white boys, black butches, femme lesbians and every iteration of the above. Noah speaks to everyone!!! The following show was already sold out. I hope this success leads to a return of the TV show and a sequel.

Also, GO BUY THE DVDs of NOAH'S ARC the series (seasons 1 & 2). You will be addicted like a crack ho!!! You will hole yourself up at home in your PJs, with the lights out, shades pulled, with a Big Gulp, a family sized bag of Lays, a sleeve of Oreos, phone off the hook......child, I even took my DVDs with me to Athens so that I could watch at night - honey, Noah is fierce international, too!!!

SISTERS - THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

I just saw a wonderful movie called THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. I had read the book in a book club a number of years ago and was in LOVE with the story. I remember thinking that this would make a really great movie. Well, the movie did not dissappoint on any front. The story is already brilliant, and the producers (one of which is Mrs. Will Smith - Jada Pinkett Smith) brought in a great cast that truly captured the essence of the lovely characters in the original story.

Set in the period when blacks finally get the right to vote in the racist South, the story is about a little white girl (Dakota Fanning) who runs away with her trusted friend and nanny (JHud) and ends up on the doorstep of the Boatwright sisters (Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys), independent, accomplished, cultured sisters who are so different from one another, but ferociously need one another to survive.

The story could have gone all mammy on us, but what surfaces is pure love, regardless of age, sex, race or economic status.

Queen Latifah, who plays the family matriarch of the family, has such a presence on the screen - her voice and her figure are so lovingly imposing - like the love and strength of a Grandmother you see only during the summers. Sophie Okonedo embodied the emotionally challenged sister - even though she had her problems, in many ways, she could be considered the glue that held them all together. Alicia Keys was the revelation of the movie to me. Her brassy, stuck up, bougie if you will, delivery was spot on perfect. And Dakota - honey, that child has the makings of being the next successor to Meryl Strepp and Cate Blanchett, two great actresses who can spiritually and physically morph into ANY character. This girl is brilliant.

I am a sucker for emotion and this movie had me crying for the entire last hour like a blubbering fool - tears of heartache, joy and hope. Sometimes we need to purge our emotions like that. It certainly came in handy.

NEW SLICE

Twenty-three year old Kansas City native Janelle Monae was discovered and launched by Outkast. She is currently signed with Bad Boy Records. I hope they do her justice with some good promotion, because this girl is a star. Interesting sound, downright gorgeous, stylish, a good dancer and extremely individual - let's see where this goes......I think she is MAJOR.

IS THIS AMERICA?

It is beyond scary and so deeply saddening that in the year 2008, there are Americans who still feel like these idiots. People just refuse to learn that ignorance and hatred have no place in the human heart. Political leanings aside, can we at least try to be humane to one another? This is embarassing:

WORDS OF WISDOM

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."

- Mark Twain

This is such a gorgeous quote - it brings a beautiful picture to mind and to the heart. As beautiful as it is, it is that hard to embrace during rough times. I am trying to learn and live this everyday.

MORE "ART"

Just another day at model drawing.......ya gotta luv it, right?!!?

Well, these are the fruits of my labor. No pun intended.

POSTCARDS - FASHION IS MOVEMENT

HERE, HAVE A SLICE

Barack can have a slice of my pie any day. My CULTURAL PIE, that is.

IS IT ALL OVER MY FACE?

GALLERY A-GO-GO

Two gallery exhibitions I must see before they make their exit are:

Until the end of October, 2008

124 East 57th Street

New York, NY 10022

September- June

Tuesday - Saturday

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

P: 212-421-5390

F: 212-838-2460

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September 23 -- November 1, 2008

26 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013(Between Grand & Canal)
Hours: 12 Noon - 6pm, Tue - Sat

Closed: Sun & Mon & all major holidays

Phone: 212-431-2609

Fax: 212-431-2666

I absolutely LOVE fashion illustration and some of my favorites are featured here - Joe Eula, the BRILLIANT Antonio Lopez, Steven Stipelman and the ICON himself, Kenneth Paul Block. I have a date with these guys next week!!!

YSL - MARIE HELVIN, YOU PEASANT

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Two of my favorite things ever:

1) One of the fiercest GIRLS ever - Marie Helvin

2) The YSL Peasant (this is peasant redux, but it was a signature of his almost as important as Le Smoking)

I am living for looks #3 and #4 - The mad mix of prints topped off with the babushka and that cinnamon velvet dirndl with the gold stack heel boot are giving me a moment.......THE PROPORTIONS ARE MAJOR, CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!