KATE LAUNCHES KATE

moss poses with her latest moneymaker. (source)

the $weet $mell of $uccess. should we all be so lucky! multi-multi-multi-millionaire, model, and girlfriend of pete doherty, kate moss, launched her new fragrance, kate, yesterday. she describes the fragrance as having a "vintage english feel." ads for the new fragrance were shot by craig mcdean feature a very naked kate moss posing with a rose that still has it's thorns. according to a feature in vogue.uk.com, this is meant to highlight the dark and light sides of her personality.

JUICY BITS: DOLE & GABBANA, RAG & BONE, + T.B.R & JAMILLA

dara & shalom model rag & bone. (source)

according to vogue.com, dolce + gabbana's latest ads for their fall '07/winter '08, shot by steven klein will be sure to stir up controversy - again. (vogue.co.uk)

stay tuned for an exclusive review of magic, a huge, star-studded retail convention held in vegas, from our friend & fellow fashionista: jamilla galloway. (theblayreport)

chic parisian store, colette, will be selling an exclusive line of carbon free t-shirts (i have no idea what that is!) designed by rag&bone "in conjunction with lancome." (fashionweekdaily.com)

chloe sevigny will design a the new, namesake collection for hip new york store, opening ceremony. the clothes will debut during nyc fashion week. (vogue.co.uk)

THE RUNDOWN: JANET & JERMAINE

not impressed!

is it just me or does it look like they are trying to hard? or to be more specific, jermaine dupree is trying to hard and janet is trying too little. the white on white tux, and inappropriate shades, suggest that this is a fancy gala. but janet's top and bottom ensemble, kitchen-weave- ponytail, and less than formal jewelry suggests a night out at a fancy nightclub in detroit (love you detroit & michigan readers!!). i think a discussion about how to coordinate more than just colors would have solved this fashion dilemma. do better j& j!

THE GRAMMY'S LAUNCH A CLOTHING LINE

if you ever thought that everyone and their momma is launching a clothing line these days - you are right. from pop stars to sport stars, everyone is spinning their fame into fashion. now add awards shows to that list! the grammy's - yes, the music awards show - has announced the grammy brand, " a high-end fashion and merchandising collection for men and women." according to it's website. the clothes will be sold at luxury boutiques across the country starting this october. and in case you are seriously interested in purchasing this stuff, the price points range from "$50 for a unique fashion tee, to $1,200 for a signature leather jacket, and up to $7,000 for diamond-encrusted eye wear." blaynista's you've got to give me your thoughts on this one! i beg you. personally, i say enough already. fashion is fabulous - but there are other ways to extend your brand and even turn a profit. and if you ever wondered what clothes inspired by the award show would look like, see below....

WHO.A.U, IS COMING TO AMERICAN MALLS

looking for authentic california-surfer style? go to south korea! that's where who.a.u, one of the largest retailers in the region, sells laid back beach inspired pieces to the teen market. they are doing so well (e-land, the company that owns the chain of stores is worth $4 billion) that they've decided to set their sights on new territory: america. according to women's wear daily, who.a.u, is launching it's first store at the stamford town center in stamford, connecticut. and get this: it's over 4000 square feet and will house a soda bar and cappucino shop in addition to the requisite shorts, shirts, and belts. so what do you think about this? cause i'm thinking if what uniqlo did to gap's swagger is any indicator - then stores like abercrombie & fitch, as well as hollister should be a bit nervous. daniel pang, an exec for the company agrees. in an interview with wwd, he said: "Who.A.U. could eventually be as big as Hollister." gangsta! check out some items from their store below.

FASHION FIX: NESS BAG

so if you know me, you know i love fashion forward and functionality in any piece i buy. that's exactly what today's fashion fix provides. feast your eyes on the ness bag....i spotted it on thefixlists.com and fell in instant love!

what: the ness bag by click

where: couture candy

why: ohmygah! do you need an explanation? patent is so potent this season. and this easy, breezy, wrist clutch allows you to store essentials like lip gloss and mascara for a night on the town or your debit cards (hate credit cards) and a slim notebook for a day of errands.

co$t: $165

NEW SEASON FOR PHARRELL'S CLOTHING LINE

so maybe skater chic is not your thing. but i bet pretty boys/girls are! well, there are plenty of them in the new look book for bbc or billionaire boys club, the clothing line launched by music producer pharrell. t.b.r correspondent, omar ibn, forwarded this to me. see more online at freshness mag.

THE RUNDOWN: BRITNEY SPEARS

i am so confused by this....(source)

first, thanks to the fab blog i just discovered, idontlikeyouinthatway.com, for these pictures. second, what is this? there's so much i can start with: the butt cheeks, the bad weave, the butt cheeks. but this is a fashion blog, so let's talk about: the clothes. honestly, the v-neck, blousy tunic is cute and i don't care much for the pleather looking green tote, but it's passable. both items are very stylish and on trend - but they don't stand a chance at catching anyone's attention for obvious reasons. let's pray for britney's health and fashion sense.

NEW PROMO SHOT FOR ANTM

tyra and i had lunch yesterday. sort of!

blaynista's! the new season is coming!! and i can't wait. here is a promo shot which i got from my other favorite blog, ybf. and guess what else i have? an exclusive interview with antm model - nik. look for it this week! p.s does it mean anything to you that as my friend david and i were having lunch yesterday at dallas bbq's on 23rd and 8th ave in new york city - tyra banks was right there! yes blaynistas! she sat a few seats down from us and was lunching with a beautiful young woman and a smallish man who might have been her stylist or hairdresser - he gave that vibe. but the real star was her security guard. he was absolutely gorgeous and had a very stylish suit which he paired with a cucumber green tie. loved it!

BURBERRY FILES SUIT AGAINST ICONIX

the check which has burberry keeping copycats in check. (source)

in other iconix brand news....the fashion giant is being sued by burberry for what else? infringement! according to the legendary british label, the newly designed london fog trench coats - london fog is owned by iconix - bear a check pattern which is suspiciously close to that of burberry's traditional check. wwd.com reported the story today, and i'll have more for you as it develops.

WAL-MART GETS HIPPER

a screen grab of op's website. sexy, huh? (source)

it's not a game! for this back to school season, wal-mart is stepping it's game all the way up with two new brands already popular with mainstream teens: ocean pacific and op brands. this development is a result of the deal they just struck with iconix brand group. according to wwd.com, these two "labels (are) often credited with spawning the surf and beach culture that's been mined by retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Hollister Co. Ocean Pacific's legacy includes distribution in such high-end specialty stores as Fred Segal and Barneys New York. Later, the brand was sold in department stores such as Kohl's and J.C. Penney."

VENUS WILLIAMS' NEW CLOTHING LINE

venus has lot$ to smile about. (source)

i saw this posted on one of my favorite blogs, crunk&disorderly, yesterday. venus williams - the better dressed williams sister - did an in-store appearance to celebrate the launch of her new clothing line "eleven," at steve & barry's manhattan mall store. so would you wear it?

THE RUNDOWN: SIMMONS SISTERS

the simmons girls giving absolutely no fabulosity at puffy's launch party for his new underwear collection. (source)

the clothes - or the little bit you can see in this picture - just look awful! there's nothing special about what either girl is wearing - even with the accessories they've piled on to the look. and furthermore, these poses look wack. not into it.

MARC'S LUXE VISION

the book comes encased in this limited edition, gold louis vuitton mirroir book case. (source)

(new york) you've heard of luxury clothes, cars, planes, and even perfumes. but a luxury book? that's exactly what marc jacobs whipped up for visionaire magazine. for the latest installment of the quarterly pub, jacobs came on board as guest art director. according to fashion week daily, he helped pull together some iconic images of celebs we love like drew barrymore, lil kim, stella mccartney and selma blaire. it's a 192 page "collectors' book," and will be available october 1st. like all luxury goods, it comes with a heft price tag: $375.

JUICY BITS: KARL'S NEW SHOW, STELLA'S NEW BABY + MATTHEW'S NEW MONEY

oscar de larenta with paula s. wallace, honorary chair of the fashion cares gala.

karl lagerfeld will stage his "superluxe" pre-show for chanel in london, england. (wwd.com)

omg! my favorite designer, stella mccartney, is pregnant again and will give birth to her baby in december. (i know it's tmi, but i loves her!) (new york post)

oscar de la renta was the guest of honor at the annual fashion cares gala in atlanta last night. (fashionweekdaily.com)

mathew williamson just got a new investor: tsm capital. they announced monday that they are buying/own a 22% equity stake in his company. (fashionweekdaily.com)

SEAN JOHN WOMEN'S DEBUTING THIS FALL

cassie and ... i have no idea who these other two are. but all are beautiful! (source)

is sean john's women's line finally going to be a reality!? at least that's what this picture and a post from missbehave magazine's website suggest. i love this pic and i (surprisingly) love the clothes. it's fresh, fun, and very feminine. can't wait to see more!

THE RUNDOWN: THE JOLIE-PITTS + EVE

angelina is cute, but it's her kids who standout. (source)

so it's not that angelina looks uber stylish in this shot - it's more that she looks like an oasis of calm while walking with a three rowdy children that's remarkable. what is stylish in this shot though is pax's swagger in his crew neck cotton tee, and zahara's pose in her light, summer tunic. can we also get into the fact that her hair is actually done! thank the lord for small - but ever important - miracles.

why, eve? why? (source)

honestly blaynista's, i loved this look until i looked at her ankle. did you just notice it too? it's the same chunky, "d-u-i" anklet lindsay lohan made infamous a few weeks ago. i guess you can't help if you have to wear it, but must you show it off? this skin-tight, cleavage baring dress, was sultry, sexy and just this side of slutty and combined with eve's flawless hair (finally) it is an amazing look - but i just can't get past the chunky, ankle jewelry. it's not cute, classy or even sassy. i don't know what's worse, the fact that her drunk driving forced eve to wear this or the fact that her poor fashion judgement forced her to show it off. me no like.

JUICY BITS: HAUTE PARTIES, HAUTE NEWS + A HAUTE EDITOR

jay alexander strutted his stuff at a haute party this weekend. (source)

everyone is reporting on this: nicole miller is going fur-free for her september fashion show, and plans to fully exclude fur from her fashion line as early as next year. (wwd.com)

lookout for an exclusive interview with india-jewel jackson, glam.com's beauty editor, this week on the blay report. (theblayreport.com)

myspace.com is launching a crazy major fashion initiative called - what else - myspace fashion which will provide exclusive look into the closets of celebrities. it officially launches on tuesday. (wwd.com)

we hear the party for haute nigeria magazine held at the manhattan place in new york city, was indeed haute. fash celebs like jay alexander and model oluche made an appearance. fabulous job girls! (theblayreport.com)

ralph lauren will hold his september 8th new york city fashion week runway show at central park's conservatory garden. (wwd.com)

KIMORA'S PHAT NEW POST

kimora has something even better to smile about now. (source)

the fab lane just got....well...fabber for kimora lee simmons. according to wwd.com, she's just been promoted to "creative director" of phat fashions. in addition to even more money, the runway designer/diva, will now enjoy "creative oversight" over all men's, women's and children's apparel and accessories under the phat fashions label. this means, she will be responsible for managing product development, marketing, and advertising for all the labels under phat fashions. interestingly enough, she got this promotion after her hubby, russell, quit the company.

MORE BLOOMIES FOR YOUR BUCK!?

here is what the home floor at bloomie's new store will look like. (source)

today's womens wear daily is leading with an in-depth story by writer david moin, about bloomindales' new store opening in chevy chase, md. unlike many of it's larger store, this one will be a little over 180,000 square feet (still pretty generous if you ask me) and will feature 3 levels. the official opening will be this upcoming september 27th, and according to wwd.com, there might be a few more on the horizon, including new bloomingdales stores in arizona, texas, seattle and - where else!? - asia!

ROITFELD DESIGNS SOM'S INVITES

roitfeld in a fab runway look. (source)

the invite she designed. (source)

fashion week is coming!!!! and do you have your invites? more specifically, do you have your invitations to the peter som show? according to fashion week daily, these are a must-have, since this season's invites were designed by julia restoin roitfeld, daughter of french vogue editor, carine roitfeld, and new york city fashion darling. the invites were apparently based on the work of pablo palazuelo, a spanish painter and sculptor.

FERGIE LAUNCHES A LINE OF BAGS

i likey! what do you think!? (source)

i won't even lie: i am beyond impressed. as fashion week daily reported last week, the duchess herself, fergie has collaborated with rugged luggage company, kipling on a new line of bags. they are called the "naughty scout " and the "nice scout," which it looks like fergie is rocking above. the bags will be available next month and will retail between $38 and $198. she's not just a pop singer, she's a crack businesswoman too! let's learn from her blaynista's!

THE ROCK IS HERE!

every crew has a name, and in college my friends and i called ourselves "the rock." i know, not creative! but still super cute. three years after school, we all got together to celebrate the birth mikaila, the daughter of my friend krystal. the celebration took place in patterson, nj.

leigh ann, in her signature vintage style with her boyfriend.

the rock! plus krystal's sister, nico (wearing glasses), in the back. from left to right: leigh ann, neka, zandile, keonda, and krystal (the mommy!).


striking a very, very silly pose. but still so pretty, right!?

krystal and i.

me, leigh ann, and keonda.

keonda and her boyfriend, marcus.

GUESS WHO'S BACK!?

the living room and reading nook in the back. i took this pic from the top floor, which overlooks the living room.

the smaller bedroom in the house. one of my favorite aunties, priscilla and i, in front of the house.
me & the b.f in front of my aunties house.

franklin and i at nyc port authority, waiting for our bus to delaware.
franklin. :-)
me enjoying vanilla ice cream and a brownie i baked from scratch!
the front of the house!
the backyard.

it's me blaynista's! and i am feeling super well rested (sort of), and ready to dish about all things fashion. but first let's talk about all things franklin, and my fabulous vacay with him at my auntie akwele's, home in delaware (more details about how YOU can vacay there below.) we spent all of last week in middletown just enjoying life before my move to london next week. expect more family + friend pics as i continue my good byes this week. so without further ado.....and by the way, my auntie's vacation home is very rentable and very affordable for those of you who are interested in a country vacation. it is fully (and beautifully furnished) and centrally located between new york city (1 hour away), baltimore ( 1 hour away) and washington d.c (about 3 hours away). there are also lots of beaches and parks within driving distance. and grocery stores, starbucks, etc are all within walking distance. there are four bedrooms, a basement which is big enough to be an apartment, 2 1/2 baths, a spacious backyard, brand new kitchen. formal and casual dining room. a living room and a nook. email me at zandileblay@aol.com if interested. okay! enough! enjoy the pics!

VACATION PART DEAUX

blaynista's! can you believe i am moving to london in less than a month!!??? i can't either. that's why my b.f franklin and i are getting some quality time together before i leave. our destination of choice was my auntie's vacation home in middletown, delaware. we are cooking, cleaning and watching football (not my choice) so excuse me if i don't blog excessively this week - but i will blog. so check back today and the rest of the week for fab fashion fassip! xo,zb

PROJECT BOOK DEAL

nina garcia reveals style secrets in this new book. (source)

my a little bit of celebrity certainly brings big benefit$. this is something that elle fashion editor, and project runway judge, nina garcia, knows all too well. the sharp tongued beauty, has now packed her fashion insight into a cute and tidy new book called "the little black book of style," with illustrations by reuben toledo. the book is scheduled to hit barnes & noble's bookstores nationwide right around fashion week.

FASHIONABLE OR FUGLY? THE "NEW" SKINNY JEANS

blayreport correspondent, zeba, forwarded me these pics from an online
community she is part of, so i have no idea where these pics are from, who makes these jeans or where you can buy them. but seriously, would you want to know? allegedly, these denims are supposed to be a variation of super popular, super skinny jeans. so, as you see, it still has a skinny silhouette, but it's slightly baggier, creating a new - but not so refreshing look. so what's your take? fashionable or fugly?