FACEBOOKED

Well, it has truly been a while since I last posted. I have started a project of my own (which I will discuss later) which has kept me VERY busy. So busy that I have neglected my blog. But after joining FACEBOOK at the urging of many friends - it sort of prompted me to get back to it. After all, the blog is about inspiration, creativity and seeing beauty in the world. I truly need to see and feel more of that right now, so what better way to grasp it, than to seek it out and grab hold of it myself?

So in the name of true creativity, inspiration, individualism, ingenuity and being from Detroit - here is the incomparable, singularly sensational, legendary, ICONIC - Miss Donyale Luna:

ÜBER UBAH

Ralph's Spring 2009 campaign

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Italian Vogue's iconic all-black issue
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Bruce Weber - Italian Vogue

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Closing out Ralph
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Backstage

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She could be the next big thing.....Ubah Hassan of Somalia, via Canada. I love that she represents a very different type of African beauty than we are used to seeing - one that is soft, delicate and ultra feminine. Most recent African girls of note (except Liyah) have been very strong, dark skinned, short haired and almost androgynous. Believe me, I love the beauty of all of them and I love to see all the chocolate girls working, but it is great to see some newness. She bucks that trend and I love it.

She also bucks the prevailing trend of rail thin, shapeless blondes. This girl has body and legs for days. I love that she has a very potent sexiness and vivacity about her. She closed Ralph's Spring 09 show and is the newest face in his Spring campaign. Let's hope this is a launching pad to a great, long, illustrious career. You better work those legs, girl........

TV REVIEW - TRUE BEAUTY

Tyra Banks' and Ashton Kutcher's new show, True Beauty, is the perfect synthesis of their 2 styles - model meets prankster. The contestants believe they are in a beauty contest, but they are really being tested on both inner and outer beauty. I found it interesting that in order to be a contestant, you had to be a stereotypical beauty with no consideration of the person's spirit, but it is TV.

The intros of each contestant were painful to watch. It was scary to watch people so horribly self absorbed focus 100% of their attention on their own physical beauty. It is sad that people could be so superficial and shallow and then be so vocal & cocky about it. These people obviously have a lot to learn.

There is one person who seems to be the clear front runner so far. CJ, an African American coffee barista, had a moment where he shared his past battles with weight and how those battles have shaped his self image. He says his new found beauty is just a costume covering the fat kid that he really is. I did not expect to hear this on this show so early on in the season.

I hope the show continues to have these moments of self realization, honesty and depth. The show was actually very entertaining and had some truly hilarious moments. After a while though, watching people cover their insecurities with bravado, ugliness and ignorance will not be enough - we already have enough of that on Charm School, The Bad Girls Club, any show with Paris Hilton, etc. I hope the message of inner beauty resonates with the audience and the participants. It sounds so cliche', but being ugly on the inside can make the most physically beautiful person look like an ogre on the outside. There is not enough MAC or Prada in the world that can beautify an ugly heart.

My hat always goes off to Ms. Banks who is unabashedly doing her thing, changing the world one TV show at a time. GET IT GIRL!!!

FACE VALUE - CROQUIS BOOK

Croquis book sketches of beautiful girls serving face, accessories, hair and attitude.

FRINGE BINGE

Kim Noorda in Balmain

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Ashley Richardson in Carolyn Roehm

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Theresa Stewart in Gaultier

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Shana Zandrick in scary Chanel

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Maggie Rizer in Gaultier

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Jane Birkin in Ossie Clark

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Pierre Cardin (?)

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Amina Warsuma in Zhandra Rhodes

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Cavalli
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Original sketches by me:

Fringe on a base of lace - structured & sexy with movement -

underseams punctuated with velvet ribbon so you get a flash of

lingerie under the fringe when the girl walks, dances or shifts

in the arms of her very handsome date.
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Directional fringe - fringe in every direction to keep

your eyes moving with every shimmy she makes.
(click images to make larger)

SUNDAY MODEL DRAWING

SUNDAY SKETCHIN'

BOY LUSCIOUS - SHAWN SUTTON

Shawn Sutton serving face and body at RedNYC. Check those feline eyes.........