SCENTS YOU'VE BEEN GONE

During the summer time, I was the kind of kid who enjoyed going outside and meeting up with my friends to play kick ball, 4-square, dodge ball, go bike riding, rollerskating, and even hop around on my pogo stick. But I also lived for a good round of game shows and soap operas. One of the best parts of my tv watching was the TV commercials. I loved a good fragrance commercial because they usually had a combo of raw sexuality, glamour, humor, sassiness and a sense of breaking out of a mundane existence. Isn't it hilarious that a 9 year old lil' fat, black, gay child in Detroit got all that?!? Well, they spoke to me!!! Here are some of my favorites:


The chick in this ad had a very Valley Of The Dolls quality - she looked like she might end up at a swinger's party after she finished with the stranger at the front door!
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Fierce - Halston and Pat Cleveland - doesn't get much better......
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70's supermodel Shelley Hack, later of Charlie's Angels fame, really personified the 70's girl - strong, feminine with a masculine edge, saucy, smiley, jaunty and skippy. Loved it!
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My absolute favorite - this is the iconic 70's fragrance ad - the Peggy Lee jingle, the skirt suit, the Mary McFadden-esque gown - Amazing!!! This 70's iconography has greatly influenced my aesthetic view of fashionable women - the fiercely, strong woman who wears her femininity and her sexuality on her sleeve.

FACE VALUE

The blonde brigade - Jerry, Rachel, Patti and Estelle. Statement jewelry, stark black gowns, attitude, face, face and more face.
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Do you want hair? Do you want face? Well Rosie, Patti, Rene and Beverly are serving you face, hair, with a side of shoulders and lame'.

CHAMELEONS UNITE

Iconic Meisel photoshoot starring Linda and Kristen - THE iconic super-chameleons of their day. Minimal set, minimal wardrobe, minimal hair & makeup, maximum effect.

CELESTIAL INSPIRATION

STAR SEARCH was the American Idol of it's day. They used to feature a TV Spokesmodel category that had me running back like a druggie on the 15th. This used to give me my fashion life as a kid. If it wasn't Miss USA, Miss Universe, Style with Elsa Klensch or Charlie's Angels, then it was definitely STAR SEARCH. I particularly LOVED Tracey Ross, winner of the show's first season. That blunt bob was so fierce and timeless and mother gave you Virginia Slims realness every week in the photo shoots.

IF YOU WANT A FIERCE WAISTLINE....

.....then do not buy this hilarious piece of junk. Take yo' butt to the gym!!! This chair is only good for a real laugh!!! Even the people in the infomercial had to struggle to keep a straight face. It looks like if you sit on it long enough, you might achieve 'a special moment', if you catch my drift......

WORDS OF WISDOM

Kudos to photographer extraordinaire Nick Knight for telling it like it is. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?". We should be past this by now.

WATCH OUT FOR THE BIG GIRL

Aaron & DouglasSays - Munich Hauptbahnhof '07
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Designer DouglasSays is launching a new line called Plus-U for full figured ladies. He staged a runway show in NYC a couple of days ago featuring the new collection. I loved it - it was the perfect blend of sexiness, glamour and practicality. The line is primarily jersey so the comfort and care factor is a no-brainer. Douglas' palette included chocolate brown, lime green, fuchsia, black and beautiful shades of royal, iris and baby blue. What was so fresh about the palette was the way he mixed the colors via color blocking and peek-a-boo facings. My favorite standouts were the opening piece, an amazing, sweeping tweed opera coat with harness belt; a puzzle-piece jersey wrap dress in orange, chocolate and lime; an asymmetric crystal dusted royal blue gown; a simple black and red T-shirt dress with trompe l'oeil halter effect; and a feather paisley printed wrap gown with sexy high slit. I personally think this collection is aesthetically and commercially viable and would appeal to many a big girl. Here are some pics:

I loved seeing voluptuous women on the runway embracing their femininity, sensuality and their diva attitude. These girls turned it out. The bride of the show was none other than The Original Runway Diva, Ms. Sharon Quinn. Sharon is THE plus size runway girl and has parlayed her talents into many runway, TV and performance gigs. The crowd always GOES UP for Miss Sharon and she never fails to burn up the runway. My big question is why is it that a Sharon can't be in every runway show? A little diversity is good for the eye and the soul. Here are a couple of videos of Sharon in action - catch the patented twist, twirl, dip and then side step....