NO MATTER HOW HARD SHE TRIES, DEREON IS STILL DEREON....

www - blaynistas, look at this advertisement for the upcoming season of dereon clothing. what's wrong with it? on the surface, nothing. it's fun, dynamic, and does a good job of presenting the different ways in which their juniors category pieces can be interpreted. in fact, over all, for a label targeted at the teen/young adult set - i think dereon actually provides decent products at decent price points. but am i the only one who feels that maybe if this brand wasn't connected to beyonce it would have a fighting chance (at least with public - or elitist new york city editor - perception?) p.s - did she really do that split? fab!

MY DOG WILL BE WEARING CHANEL, BUT IF YOU ARE A MULBERRY KINDA GAL.....

new york - ....you have options too. mulberry has launched a new clothing line for dogs appropriately called mutts. the line which features cute shearling lined, plaid jackets for your precious pups is scheduled to debut in stores in two to three weeks. i won't be rushing to stores for this though. my future dog, like my future daughter, will only wear chanel or kamali - or go naked.

THE RETURN OF CHARLES JOURDAN

www- lately, the name charles jourdan has been more well-known in vintage fashion circles, but not for long. the iconic shoe company is to unveil a new line at the premiere classe exhibition during paris fashion week. recently acquired by groupe royer, designs for the new collection will be headed by alexandra neel (formerly of celine and balenciaga) and are being kept tightly under wraps till their release next spring. lottie ntim

WE LUST THIS: COUTURE LOLLIPOPS

 

 

New York- Sugar Factorys couture pops has been seen on the lips

from everyone to Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, to Katy Perry and Britney.

these sugar pops are so sexy and seductive, i love that they come with

a plastic cap so when your done you can preserve it. Reportedly they

are sold for a four packing cost you about $70

 

www.sugarfactory.com

 

Terrence Phearse

IS LILY ALLEN THE NEW IT GIRL?

www - My favorite London bad girl has landed herself as the face for Chanel's newest sportswear inspired handbag collection "Coco Cocoon". I love. I want. And, they are almost, sort of, kind of, recession friendly. The collection will be available for purchase in October. The adorable ad campaign was shot by Karl Lagerfeld himself with a Holly Golightly clad Lilly Allen looking healthy and happy. I'm anxious to see how Allen will interpret her own rock chic style into her new fashion endeavors, did you all check out her jewelry line which launched Monday? -Lola Méndez

 

FORGOT YOUR BIKINI AT HOME?

Miami – Not a problem if you're staying at the Standard hotel! Quicksilver and Standard have collaborated to create a vending machine for silly tourist like yourself that can't remember that vacation ensemble must – some swimming suits! The men lucked out this time being able to choose from a variety of patterns and colors on the trunks while women can choose from black, black or... black! (I wouldn't be surprised to see someone interchanging the two in an attempt to make them uni-sex). Now if you're the really unprepared traveler and didn't research the city you are staying in then we strongly suggest getting your man into the trunks dedicated to your travel destination. Each of the cities, Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Hollywood have a pair dedicated to it. Each pair is inscribed with hotspots of the city. Just keep in mind; these will NOT pass as shorts! Not traveling to any cities where the Standard hotels are located? Don't fret you can purchase yours online at shopthestandard.com. Lola Méndez

TWO LEGENDS, ONE DVD: YVES SAINT LAURENT ON COCO CHANEL

www - perhaps i am in a soft and pink mood, but reading about this on vogue.co.uk made me tear up just a little. a dvd on mademoiselle coco chanel's life will debut this coming november. the narrator will be none other than the late, great yves saint laurent himself. despite me feeling verklempt, there is nothing particularly soft and pink about the comments served in this documentary. case in point: "First of all, I'm very flattered that Mademoiselle Chanel deigned to take an interest in what I'm doing and that she designated me her successor, but I am not at all in agreement when she says I copy her." "I think the big difference between me and Mademoiselle Chanel is that I try to bring women a style that allows them to adapt their style to my dresses and allows them to develop their personalities. While a woman who wears Chanel resembles Mademoiselle Chanel." oh how i adore a touch of cattiness with my couture!

QUICK QUESTION: BARNEY'S BLOODY MANNEQUIN'S , WAS IT REALLY IN POOR TASTE?

new york - you've heard the broohaha (?) over the bloodied dummies in the barney's window, yeah? well non-fashion types were going mad over the grisly blood splattered, couture scene in the windows of the high end store. simon doonan, barney's creative director, had them removed once folks started calling in to complain. did you find it in poor tasate? i for one, LOVED it.

OH, SO THEY ARE BACK AGAIN? AQUASCUTUM NOW IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

london - so after removing themselves from teh schedule, legendary british label, aquascutum is back. instead of doing a full on show though, they have revamped for a quiet presentation attheir regent's street store. smart move!

MY GOD....I'M IN LUST: COMME COIN PURSE FOR MEN

do

i

need

to

say

more?

didn't think so....

WAIT - DIDN'T THIS HAPPEN AGES AGO? ESTEBAN CORTAZAR OFFICIALLY LEAVES UNGARO

paris - gosh, i think i'm almost at the point where i don't even care about this story anymore. (but the key word here is almost.) fashion's open secret has finally been confirmed: esteban cortazar, the 23 year old fashion wiz, is officially leaving the house of ungaro. (still confused as to how he found his way there in the first place, but more on this later.) c.e.o of ungaro, mounir moufarrige, confirmed the rift to womens wear daily today. no word was given as to why, only that it was a very mutual decision. okay. the 23 year-old designer, and the decades old designer label need the same thing: guidance, direction, and a long hiatus before making the next move. good luck to them both.

THIS SHOULDN'T BE TRUE, BUT IT IS: APPLE BOTTOMS LAUNCHES A FRAGRANCE

www - yep. you read right. APPLE BOTTOMS IS LAUNCHING A FRAGRANCE. now if you are anything like me, that statement confounds and astounds you. your spirit cannot rest because something must be wrong with the verbiage. is it the full caps? is it the term apple bottoms? is it the reality that there is actually a product on the market called apple bottoms? or is it the news that the entity titled apple bottoms was actually able to secure funding to launch anything, let alone a fragrance? my dear blaynista, it is all - and i mean ALL - of the above. why? can you explain? but i digress....the news of the day is: nelly, via his successful clothing line, apple bottom is debuting a fragrance which will be in stores this fall. here's what stylecaster had to say about it: "With fragrance notes thought to represent the confident, sexy, and trendy Apple Bottoms woman – the same woman his clothing line is designed to flatter – the fragrance has top notes of fresh citrus, tropical fruit, and pink peony, sensual and feminine middle notes of apple blossom, rose, and coconut flakes, and creamy base notes of sandalwood, cedarwood, golden amber, and velvet musks." so my question is this: are any of these top and bottom notes strong enough to mask the musk of....apple bottom launching a fragrance?

RIHANNA AS A STYLE ICON: I DON'T SEE IT

london - behold rihanna walking the red carpet of the "inglorious basterds" premier in london (brilliant title by the way.) so not sure what labels she's wearing on the red carpet, but i'm pretty sure that i don't believe the party line of the pop artist being one of this generations most stylish talents. i think she is the best styled and is a great mannequin who wears clothes well. but i simply don't believe the hype. as i've said a few times before when i see her, all i can think of is an episode of made where a teen is transformed from their true selves into their aspirational one. which versio is authentic is debatable. but rihanna's style prowess isn't. i give praise to her stylist and not her style sense for her amazing transformation. just had to share....

MAC PULLS A FAST ONE ON IMG FASHION WEEK

new york - blaynistas! i must say , i am very late in serving you this hot tea: mac cosmetics has pulled the rug from under i.m.g with a new agreement to host fashion shows in downtown new york city at milk studios. ofcourse, this arrangement is in direct competiton with the uber established img fashion week which takes place each season in bryant park. here's the thing: offsite fashion shows, even those with sponsors have never been an issue. so why is it now? the caliber of the shows! mac & milk (actually sounds tasty, if a little too dairy rich) have snagged of the moment designers like alexander wang ('nuff said really), threeasfour and band of outsiders to show at their venue. furthermore, it's free. honestly, this is bound to shake the very foundation of how new york fashion week operates. on one hand i empathize with i.m.g, they have been dealt a massive and unexpected blow. but on the other hand - they left the playing field wide open for an ingenious competitor. the industry, and world at large, is a rapidly changing one. those of us who don't move with it and deliver the innovation necessary to lead the pack - or at least keep up with it - will lose. can i get an amen?

THE BLAY REPORT INTERVIEWS AMBER ROSE

www - ah. amber rose. anyone who knows me, knows i have the sickest girl crush on this girl. so imagine my joy when i, along with t.b.r editor, terrence phearse, ran into her. exactly. pure heaven. we ran after her, and with the help of lycee webb, my good friend who is now over at ford, scored an interview. this awesome one minute video, taken by phearse, focuses on amber's guess ensemble.

Retail Therapy: Summer Vacay Edition

usa - yeah girls, i know it's a recession. but certain things are non negotiable even when your feast has turned to famine: one is a fresh weave (don't laugh, i know you think the same way!) and the next is a vacation. be it a friends house or a cheap inn, there's always a way to finagle an inexpensive vacay. and with more and more irresistible travel deals surfacing on the web, you really don't have to work hard to find an easy - and affordable - get away. while you pick where to stay, i focused on picking what you should wear. from gap to j.crew, national retailers are ramping up the quotient in stylish summer clothes. herewith my favorite picks. get into them! literally.

When it comes to picking swimsuits, my motto is simple: safety first. And by safety, I mean a cut that safely fits and flatters. You don't want to sacrifice both for the sake of sexiness. This v-neck, double strapped one piece is perfect for just about any body type and the color flatters warm skin tones! Find it online at jcrew.com for $89.

I"m such a fan of day to night. When on vacay, I love looks that easily translate from day time lounging to nightime festivities - espadrilles are perfect for that. These Nine West versions are both comfy and chic. Find them online for $69 at zappos.com

i know. it's summer. the last thing you think you need is a scarf. and then you take an evening stroll and see how the temperature can dip. for times like these, a light weight scarf is absolutely a must. gap has several styles, but my favorite is this floral print one. find it at gap.comfor $24.

VOGUE ITALIA GOES BACK TO BLACK....ARE YOU SURPRISED?

italy - i mean, after what i am guessing was an enourmous amount of buzz, publicity and most importantly - advertising dollars - the italian edition of vogue is relaunching it's iconic "all black issue." if you remember (but then again, how could you forget!) the issue featured black models, from front to back in addition to features that highlighted trends and personalities in the black community. a year later, a highly anticipated follow up is in the works. weeks before it launches, they've leaked the news of a special insert which will be included: barbie - and ofcourse, not just any barbie - black barbie! the insert looks back on the history of the dolls which first launched in 1967. the issue is currently out on newsstands, so run - don't walk - to pick it up.

Michelle Watch: What MOBO Wore Round Up

I mean, honestly, I would have loved a touch of Kente cloth on Michelle, but the multi-stripped A-Line dress she wore to the Sophie Theallet hospital in Accra is a nice turn.

Let's call a spade a spade: here in Rome, Michelle gets a run for her money from the Pope who is serving us in his signature Prada pumps - sorry - shoes. Michelle volley's right back in her Moschino dress complimented by a Michael Kors coat.

I mean...perfection. As Michelle hopped off the plane last week from her European travels, she looked just as I love her: perfectly poised, perfectly coiffed and perfectly dressed in a classic, Moschino cinched waist number.

worldwide - ...and she continues to show them how to do this son. does michelle obama - or her stylist - ever have an off day? i'm not just talking about the sexy silhouette: always knee length, always cinched waist, always a peep of collarbone, the sickening labels (moschino anyone?), or the fresh, seasonal colors, but the complete poise with which my auntie (in my head ofcourse) wears clothes. she gets an a+ in this week's post for adding a designer i haven't noticed her in before: moschino. i was also loving the looks she wore while in my native ghana. check out my three favorite looks from last week. they were all hits to me, but do you spot any misses?

JUST HAD TO SHARE: VIDEO FOR ADIDAS SLVR LABEL COLLECTION

www - so this video highlights the fall 2009/ winter 2010 collection for adidas slvr. its definitely on the artsy/abstract side. if you can rock with that - then you'll love this. personally, i like the concept of higlighting clothes this way. but the old school in me is still going to need a look book, catalog or old fashioned market appointment to get into these clothes.

WANT CHEAP CLOTHES? HEAD TO LONDON TOWN

united kingdom - if not for the fact that it also operates in ireland, germany and the netherlands i'd blame primark for this. a study carried out by eurostat showed britain to be the ultimate destination for shopping deals that won't break the bank among the 27 other eu countries. word of caution though - these are based on last years' recession-prone stats. aside from the cheapest clothing though, britain also had the cheapest consumer electronics too! is it wrong that i hope this lasts? lottie ntim

BLAYREPORT VLOG: HOW TO BE AN ASSISTANT STYLIST, AN INTERVIEW WITH TERRENCE PHEARSE

new york - terrence phearse is not only my beloved # 2 at the blay report, but a seasoned assistant stylist who has worked on many runway show in his native texas. now in new york, he is branching out into all categories of the fashion industry, including working with me on my latest photo shoot as an assistant. as the shoot was winding down, i pulled him aside for a quick q&a on what he does, how he does it and ofcourse had to ask: does he love it!? it is a two part series ( i love grandiose terms, for minute realities!). check it out.

NOT FASHION: DARK END OF THE STREET BY RY COODER

www - just because i'm going youtube mad this morning, i thought i'd share one of my absolute favorite songs with you: "the dark end of the street." i first heard it sung by percy sledge when i was very young, about eight years old. it reminds me of so many things from my childhood....well one thing in particular really, but we'll have to discuss that one over drinks and perhaps an twelve ounce rib eye. but i digress...i listen to this song almost daily and recently stumbled upon an absolutely sublime version. the three person, all male ensemble did absolute justice to this tune. their teeth though? not so much. so please, don't focus on it. just close your eyes, listen to the song and every once in a while take a peek at their fly seventies era gear.

BLAYREPORT VLOG: INTERVIEWING BLOGGER & DESIGNER SAMANTHA SMIKLE

brooklyn, new york - i swear i'm such a journalist nerd. honestly, i'm a geek. you know why? because things like this make me happy: being one of the first to discover an amazing talent and interview them. i experienced that the other day with samantha smikle, the blogger behind one of my favorite ones - omowrites.blogspot.com - and an accessories designer. during a stroll through brooklyn the other weekend, i bumped into her and spotted an amazing pair of glasses she wore. smikle was kind enough - and smart enough - to give them to me. since then, i've worn them every single day and there isn't an hour that goes by when someone doesn't ask me where i got the glasses or where they can purchase them. well check out how to do both in my one on one interview with samantha below. and honestly, do you like the glasses? let me know!

BLAYREPORT VLOG: INTERVIEW WITH MAKE UP ARTIST, MARGINA DENNIS

new york - one of the joys of being in this industry is coming across truly dynamic people who are just as amazing personally as they are professionally. case in point: makeup artist margina dennis, of new york city. a look at her online portfolio, www.marginadennis.com, reveals a body of work that extends from advertising campaigns to editorial shoots. in fact, we met at one: a photo shoot for paper magazine. after a few times working together and observing her awesome talent, friendly personality and amazing smile, i approached her about a quick interview for the blay report. and here it is blaynistas! we chat about everything from her career to advice for folks who might be interested.

JUST HAD TO SHARE: PHOTOS FROM HOUSING WORKS

new york - most of us have worked retail at one point or another and if
you are anything like me, you always wanted to style windows! I got to
live out that fantasy a lil bit when I styled the windows at nyc's
legendary charity/thrift store: housing works. check me out as I put the
finishing touches on the first look I styled and took a photo in the
window with the second one. The other pic is of me and my lovely
assistant for the day! zandile blay