LIFE CALLS: ZANDILE ANSWERS

new york, ny--blaynista's i am getting ready to head back to london after a brief trip back to nyc. so i am busy packing and getting last minute items. that plus a story deadline mean iam vey unavail to blog this a.m. but i will blog in the p.m. cool? who loves you more than an "i love new york" marathon on vh1? zandile!

YOU WANT THIS: JLO'S NEW FRAGRANCE

an ad for j.lo's new fragrance. (photo from justjared.com)

worldwide--can we even call her a singer/actress anymore? because while she suffers in those fields, jennifer lopez is doing it big as an entrepreneur. she is launching her fifth fragrance, according to perez hilton.com, this coming february. the name is called desire. if her previous fragrance launches are any indication this too will be a success. i am not mad at her hustle. she went from fly girl to rich *itch in no time flat.

JUST HAD TO SHARE: JUST FINE VIDEO BY MARY

youtube.com--blaynista's, this song is an aquired taste. but it's one i've taken to fully. i'm loving the "i love me" theme in it. but want to know what i'm loving more? the awesome, multiple costume changes. my favorite is the all black ensemble at the start and the creme hooded dress in the middle.

A LEGEND REMEMBERED: BOOK COMMEMORATES VERSACE'S DEATH

breathtaking images from the upcoming book, gianni & donatella. (photos from vogue.co.uk)

milan, italy - if you are my age, you were just about 14 at the time of gianni versace's death, but you still remember the details: the beautiful miami mansion, the sick killer, and the dramatic takeover by his younger sister donatella. today the mansion is a tourist site, the killer is dead, and donatella is running the house of versace as well as if she founded it. to go back in time to that emotional season, check out a new book by santo d'orazio titled gianni and donatella. it chronicles the backstage happenings during the versace fall/autumn '98-'99 collection which gianni started and donatella had to finish.

THE RUNDOW: HALLE & NICOLE MURPHY

london, england--she makes a baby bump look like the hautest accessory in town. this is my second time including pregnant halle berry in the rundown and she totally deserves this t.b.r honor. she looks beautiful. why? the cut of the dress totally flatters what she's trying to hide (her belly) and what she's trying to show off (her boobies). plus the color does amazing things for her complexion. beautiful.
new york--according to theybf.com, this picture marks nicole murphy and her new boo michael strahan being affectionate in public. along with showing her new love off, she's also showing a very fit and toned body. did you know this woman has five (i think maybe even 6 kids!) kids? i don't even have one and my stomach isn't half as tight as this. i think she looks fabulous, although she could have done without that belt. but what i want to know is, where are the kids? we see eddy with tracy and nicole with everyone else all the time. but where are they hiding those kids? that's an awful lot of children to keep under wraps.

AMAZING OR ANNOYING? BEYONCE'S NEW B'PHONE

packaging materials for the new b'phone. so....i'm thinking it's just a touch annoying. (photo from endgadget.com)

u.s.a--i'm sorry. am i the only one that caught this? i was watching a show last night and was literally blown away when a commercial for sprint's new b'phone came on. the "b" naturally standing for the one and only beyonce knowles. according to endgadget.com, the b'phone is "a dolled up version of (sprint's) two-sided handset." buyers get extras like "beyonce-themed content" and "a rather fancy set of packaging materials." it's available november 4th at wal-mart's nation wide and online. i'm flabbergasted. i love beyonce's hustle, but how much exposure does one woman need? from hearing her album (in spanish & english) to tasting her sponsored fragrances (whenever the fragrance folks at macy's attack me) to smelling her sponsored fragrances (whenever the fragrance folks at macy's attack me) to seeing her everywhere (especially the crinkled lace front wig) to touching her house of dereon clothing, she's seriously attacking all five of my senses.

...AND ANOTHER ONE: DUBAI FASHION WEEK STARTS

a shot from the runway of dubai fashion week. somehow i thought the models and clothing would be different. are you with me? (photo from xpressme.com)

dubaicity, united arab emirates-- yes. yet another fashion week. and this one is - apparently - a success. dubai held it's first fashion week last year and just kicked off its "second dubai international fashion week." wow. the four day event will feature designers from the region and across the world including walid atallah, mille rostock and andrew majtenyi. the line up of sponsors is pretty interesting too and includes l'oreal, ok middle east (word!!?) and fashion tv arabia (double word!!!!). should be super hot and haute...

CASH TO BURN: ESPRIT BUDGETS 1 BILLION ON NEW ACQUISITION

interior of an esprit store.

hong kong, china--esprit is so boring to me that i can't wrap my mind around the fact that people shop there and they actually make a profit. (my sincere apologies if you actually buy clothing there.) with that said, i need to try harder because apparently esprit holdings is doing well enough to have about 1 billion u.s dollars to purchase a "fashion acquisition." according to wgsn.com, the company is planning on investing that sum in the acquisition of a u.s or european fashion company. this is hot on the heels of a recent announcement to open 400 new esprit stores world wide over the next three years. i guess if you build it, they will come.

VERY HAUTE: MARC JACOBS ON THE COVER OF HOMME

if he would date me (and he wasn't gay) i'd date him (if i was single) asap-asap. (photo from jezebel

london, england--so what kind of workout plan is marc jacobs on? and when exactly did he get hot? he looks absolutely....dare i say, sexy, on the cover of the latest issue of arena homme magazine. loves it.

CELEBRITY RUNDOWN: CASSIE & LAUREN LONDON

cassie and london at mtv. (pic from theyfb.com)

new york, ny--the outfits are actually blah. i mean, what is cassie wearing? i see it, but i don't understand it and i'm confused as to why such a beautiful girl wants to distract folks from her looks with such a cluttered outfit. lauren london's is much simpler - but also simly ug. the top and bottom do not flatter her shapely body. with that said, can we talk about the weaves!? or rather, lauren's weave. ma, where did you get that hair!? is it a lace front wig!? i love it!

MAJOR MOVES AT NIKE: UMBRO PURCHASE IN SITE

british football stars in an umbro ad. looking good fellas. (pic: meesports.com)

united kingdom--have you ever heard of umbro? you may not be familiar with the apparel line, but nike sure is - umbro is one of europe's largest sportswear line. that's exactly why u.s based nike is interested in aquiring them. according to press stories, they have made an all cash offer of about 404 million u.s. dollars for the company, a move which is supported unanimously by the umbro board. wow. i'm still tripping off the $404 million all cash part. i wonder what that looks like.....

SAY IT AINT SO: dvb JEANS SAYS BYE TO CANADA

posh turn$ her back on candada. (pic from dailydenim.com)

winnipeg, canada--so i'm not the only one being turned off by super high exchange rates (london is a little too expensive for my liking!) it looks like so is posh spice, aka victoria beckham. her denim line which is currently being produced in canada is scheduled to close shop and move elsewhere because of "a strong canadian dollar." apparently it makes it a little too pricey to manufacture products there, as several companies, including beckham's, are looking overseas for lower costs in production. according to reuters, the move will result in the loss of 100 jobs at the western glove works' manufacturing facility. sux!

SAY IT AINT SO: REAL CELEBS SKIP OUT ON L.A FASHION WEEK

she may be c list -but kimberly stewart was as good as it got for star gazers during l.a. fashion week. what is she famous for again? (www.wwd.com)

los angeles, california--wow. in the land where stars live, l.a fashion week couldn't pull it together enough to attract mega watt a-listers to its show. style icon (or simply iconic) celebs like uma thurman, julia roberts, and nicole ritchie who are based in l.a did not make it - or even attempt- to make it for the show. neither did super stars in the retail industry such as pete nordstrom of nordstroms, ron rasch of saks fifth avenue and john eshaya of ron herman. i don't think it's any disrecpted to the talent or city that l.a fashion week is held in. but at the end of the day, after nw york, london, milan and paris - i am sure editors and buyers are worn down. it's not styles that need to be changed - but timing.

WILL THIS BE YOU? EXPERTS PREDICT OVERSIZE CLUTCHES NEXT SPRING

examples of the clutch on two models at celine.

examples above from fendi.
a more tame example of the trend at jil stuart. (all photos from style.com)

london, england--global trend experts, wgsn, revealed that "colossal clutches" will be the rage next spring. though girls usually tote cute, tiny clutches for evening looks, wgsn says that their over sized counterparts will be used for every occasion and time of day. you will see them in soft leathers and textured fabrics as modeled at fendy, giles and celine. from such high end collections, this trend is expected to trickle down to mass retailers like forever 21, old navy and h&m. wgsn says, "this trend is expected to become a popular choice for all markets, in all shapes of both day and evening bags for spring/summer 2008 and continuing through autumn/winter 2008/09." if you find yourself picking up one at kohl's for $21.99, remember: you heard it on the blay report first!

WHAT WOULD KATE MOSS WEAR?

i'm not the biggest kate moss fan in the world. but i have to give her props for this ad. she makes me understand why every luxury label in the land has sought her out.

i love how top shop makes it easy to jack kate moss' swagger! the dress she wore for fashion rocks is already on sale. the pieces on the left are cute, especially the black, sequined, sheath dress. but at the current exchange rate between the pound and the dollar, i will hold off.

london, england--if this question has ever plagued you during the holiday season, then fret no more! top shop has sent a sneak peak of moss' holiday collection to fanatics like myself. as a whole, the collection doesn't look that different from her debut line in that the silhouettes and accessories are pretty much the same (think skinny jeans, and small bags on skinny chains), however there were some really fresh pieces and gorgeous campaign photos. behold these beauties below.

GOOD NEWS: BRAND NEW LOGO & ADS ON T.B.R

tara michelle ortiz of borderchild.com created this for me! i heart you tara!

wordwide--the blayreport is officially part of the glam.com network!!! check out the fabulous new ads on the right of the screen and our equally fabulous new logo above!

JUST HAD TO SHARE: FRANKLIN BAEZ AT BK FASHION WEEKEND

beautiful. and so are the clothes. (pic source: getty images)

brooklyn, ny--kathy lee gifford had her husband frank, and i have my boyfriend franklin. and we both like to talk about them in exorbitant amounts. so here's another opportunity to talk about my baby! he made his runway debut yesterday at brooklyn fashion week(end), which took place at the tobacco warehouse by the brooklyn bridge. overall, the show was spectacular (look for more details and pics once i get them from my photographer) but the highlight was the nana boateng show which featured amazing menswear. the highlight of this highlight was my boyfriend, franklin baez, who managed to make a fuschia pink top and bottom ensemble look amazingly haute and sexy. i could be biased in this opinion - but the pros agree. getty images, which is highly selective when it comes to the images chose franklin's photo to post on their official website: www.gettyimages.com. fortunately for you, you don't have to do much to feast your eyes on this fabulous photo. congrats to franklin on his debut!

IT'S A CELEBRATION: STYLE AFICIONADOS PREVIEW PARTY

me and mashonda, r&b singer and lovely wife of swizz beatz. check out my exclusive interview with her below.

me, stylist alexander allen and man of the hour, dhalimu robinson.
terrell in the gray suit shares a laugh with dhalimu who is wearing a hat by salvatore ferregamo, crushed paisley pants by etro, and vintage gazelle glasses.. celebrity stylist, alexander and my beautiful akwele! the luscious strawberry-red-velvet-shortcake which is sold at make my cake, and was created by dhalimu.
the crowd checking out the preview on a flatscreen t.v. see legendery paparrazo, johny nunez in the white t, and gold chain on the bottom right hand of the screen?

new york, ny--have you heard of the style aficionados? if not, then brace yourself! the styling duo of dhalimu and terrell is poised to saturate the mainstream shortly. and their means of doing so? two highly entertaining and totally fashionable reality shows the first of which is style aficionados the second which is almost famous- miami. the duo held a well attended launch party for both shows yesterday at bo concept design studio in midtown manhattan. everyone from antm's nole marin to editors from us weekly to mashonda (singer and wife of swizz beatz, who is a childhood friend of terrell was there. they were treated to glasses of nuvo, a new sparkling vodka on the market, slices of strawberry-red-velvet-shortcake from make my cake bakery (owned by stylish entrepreneur alyyah baylor) and goodies from the island of antigua. the well dressed audience which included everyone from celebrity stylist, alexander allen, to r&b singer and wife of swizz beatz, mashona enjoyed themselves. after the event, we sat down with mashona to get her thoughts on the event, the show and her friends, terrell & dhalimu. this is what she had to say: "the only word that can describe the two of them is fabulous. they make you look and feel fabulous." and anyone who catches their shows once they debut on t.v will agree. stay tuned to the blay report for details on when the show launches.

SWAROVSKY DOES IT BIG: FASHION ROCKS EVENT

doesn't he look sharp!? samuel l jackson was host of the event. and changed a record 6 times throughout the night!
wait! these two know eachother? nicole of the pussy cat dolls was hand selected by valentino to perform during the showing of his pieces during the night. she looks amazing in that dress.
this dress is very underwhelming considering the hype, cost and effort behind it. suppossedly it's a replica of a dress that moss wore over 10 years ago on her first date with johnny depp in '94. it's studded with over 20,000 swarovski crystals and cost over 80,000 USD to make. it will be auctioned on ebay with proceeds going to the princes trust. if you want this dress i suggest you hit up forever 21. they have awesome pieces in this category.
THIS is my favorite dress of the evening. it's simple, sizzling, stunning and sexy. work it uma.
me no like alicia's outfit. i understand you can dress jeans/pants up. but that's no excuse to do so. especially on a classy night like this. from neck up, her and armani make a beautiful pair. but from the neck down, i am wondering what bus stop he picked this chick from?
naomi - do it! unlike alicia, she complements and completes her red carpet partners dolce & gabanna.
ironically, donatella and iggy pop make a very handsome couple.

london, england--with the exception of zandile blay, everybody who was anybody in the world of fashion was in london yesterday to celebrate swarovski's fashion rocks event. we are talking whitney houston, alicia keyes, kate moss, naomi campbell, valentino, armani and the list goes on and on and on...above are some pics and more juicy details from the event. all photos from british vogue online.

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE YOUR FIVE MINUTES OF FAME...

ever wanted to be paris or lindsay? here's your chance!

new york, ny--another one of my fab p.r friends, kathleen of d2 publicity, sent me info on ricky's amazing new line of halloween costumes. from pirates to nurses they have a huge range of very well made -and totally affordable - costumes you can tap into for this halloween. but my favorite? their new line of celebrity costumes. think lindsay and paris in "rehab reject" and jail bird costumes. ricky's has over 36 stores on the east coast and if there isn't one in your area, you can log on to http://www.rickyshalloween.com/, to buy yours.

JUST HAD TO SHARE: MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV

beautiful. (pic source: ohnotheydidnt.com)

new york, ny--this picture is beautiful. the body. the pose. the posture. the short alls. i'm in love with legendary ballet dancer (yep! ballet) mikhail baryshnikov allover again. and now, those of you who share my passion for him can see him live in the flesh this december. he is the star in a series of one act plays called beckett shorts which was written by samuel beckett. the play opens december 16th.

WOULD YOU WEAR THIS? LEATHER FINGERTIP GLOVES

cute. but is it for you? (pic source: patriciafield.com)

new york, ny--so t.b.r reader micheal put me on to these leather finger tip gloves. patricia field who sells these on her site and also styles the new Sex In The City movie is set to feature these in the film. apparently fashionista's and celebs like paris hilton are really into these. here's my stance: yes! they are really cute and fashionable. but i like function in my fashion. and the idea of covering just my fingers (and not even touching the thumb) is not exactly functional on a chilly fall day, cold winters day, gloomy rainy day.....you get the point. but would you wear this?

CURIOUS QUOTES: LILY ALLEN

ugly? (photo from myspace.com)

london,england-- "All those Amazonian beauties around me highlighting exactly how ugly I am - yeah, it was brilliant." LILY ALLEN on performing at Swarovski Fashion Rocks (WGSN) ummmmmmmmm who says that!? i understand thinking that (although, i don't encourage such self-rejective thoughts) but who actually says that!?

FASHION FIX: ONLYNY SWEATSHIRT

i'm not usually a sweatshirt girl, but...this turns me on!

worldwide--how much do i love this sweatshirt!? it is made by underground label, onlyny, which manufacturs similarly haute and hip pieces. i had to highlight this t-shirt, which t.b.r correspondent, omar ibn abdullah, put me on to. i have no idea what the price points are as the label does not post prices online. however you can log on to www.onlynylives.com to browse their pieces, including this one and inquire about buying it.

THE RUNDOWN: FANTASIA

get 'em girl! (source:letmepourthetea.wordpress.com)

somewhere down south, usa--usually i do one of these a day, but understandably, after seeing this photo, i couldn't resist....now it's easy. too easy to dismiss fantasia as looking sloppy and ghetto. but i will refrain and instead thank her for her courage. many a girl, myself included, in perfectly fine shape would cringe at even a one piece to the beach or pool. that's why you see so many of us with shorts and a shirt, a big tee over a one piece, or a towel wrapped around us right before and after we get in the water. insecurity over our bodies - beautiful, or in need of some toning - plagues us severely. so it's refreshing to see a chic, who doesn't have the bad-est body in the land, bravely baring all. kudos 'asia. she makes me feel like as long as i have two legs, two arms, ten toes, and ten fingers i'm allright. string bikini's here i come!!!

JUICY BITS: IT'S A CELEBRATION!

naomi and kate bumping and grinding at the topshop celebration. (source:dlisted.com)
why is grace jones STILL fierce! i loves it! she's doing, doing, doing it on the left and at the right as she talks with kate. (source:dlisted.com)

omg! the blay report is officially part of the fabulous glam network! look out for haute ads from glam which will be posted all over this fabulous fashion news blog!

matthew williamson celebrated his 10 year retrospective last night in london. thandie newton as among the gliteratti who attended.

l.a fashion week is on and popping! grey ant, petro zilla and heatherette are some of the designers who have returned to make it hauter than ever.

naomi campbell, elle macpherson, and sophie dahl were among the folks who helped kate moss launch her topshop christmas collection at anabel's in london yesterday.

russian and asian fashionista's might very well be able to purchase clothes from italian label antonio fusco. the label is currently discussing licensing deals with local shops.

SO....WATCHA THINK!?

honestly, i sorta like it.(source:perezhilton.com)

las vegas, nevada--behold the bride! ok magazine has leaked photos of pamela anderson lee salomon (?) in her wedding dress during her shotgun wedding to porn entrepreneur rick salomon.