SO LONG NEW YORK - I'LL BE BACK

worldwide - how are my wonderful blaynistas doing!!? how was your weekend!? well, as you can tell by the title, i am getting ready to head back out to london. this is my last week in new york. SOOOO just giving you a heads up (if you haven't already noticed) that my blogs will be few and far between this week. i'll get back in the regular groove once i return to london. that said, below are a few pics from my last few weeks in nyc , enjoy. LOVE YOU ALL! zb

me, my girl khalia, kimberly and ashley(?). this was at a wonderful event thrown by my friend janelle grimmond in harlem.

myself and my boy malcolm mensah, who also cohosted the event. please get into our smiles, and my lipgloss!

me, latoya, janelle (co-host of the mixer) and lea.

me at the takashi murakami exhibit which just debuted in brooklyn!

VINTAGE ZANDILE

all that spandex i'm wearing is giving slutty perfection isn't it!? i gotta say though, i'm not living for how my lace weave looks. i promise to do better next time. promise!

new york - it's been a while since i've posted a pic of me, huh? and longer still since you've seen my b.f franklin. here are some photos of ours from an event i cohosted in january called the rolodex party. please get into my spandex pants and jersey turtleneck. it's my peggy bundy-from-the-hood look.

OCEAN PACIFIC REALLY, REALLY WANTS YOU TO CARE

rumer willis, in black and white, is one of the "celebs" who will be in op's new ad campaign. (stilettosecrets.wordpress.com)

usa - so blaynista's, i'm a nice girl. warm, friendly, sincere. and honestly, when i talk about brands on this blog, i try my darndest ( darndest is a word only really nice people use as opposed to damndest used by meanies) to stay positive about them, but ocean pacific is testing me. yes, ocean pacific. have you heard of them? chances are you haven't. and chances are even slimmer that you wear it. but if you do i still love you. in any case, i digress....ocean pacific which is sold at wal-mart is rolling out an ambitious new advertising campaign which they believe will draw in lots of customers. it includes rumer willis, wilmer valderrama (isn't this a down grade?), christina milian, kristin cavallari, josie maran, pete wentz and corbin bleu. wow. this isn't enough to convince me to flip through op's look book, let alone buy the pieces. but you know what would? well made, quality garments that will last me season in and season out. why don't companies try more of that instead?

JOES JEANS GOING TO BUCKTOWN

i quiet like this ad by joes jeans. (kitmeout.com)

chicago - hello chi-town blaynistas! but what the heck is bucktown!? it doesn't sound like a neighborhood i'd want to drive through, let alone spend hundreds of dollars in. but apparently, it's the new retail destination for lots of haute retailers including marc jacobs, intermix and nanette lepore. now joes jeans, the high end denim label, is joining the bucktown bandwagon. they've just signed a lease for a 1890 square foot retail space in the area. this will be their first retail store.

NATIONAL JEWELRY INSTITUTE LAUNCHES JEWELRY SHOWCASE

pieces by stephanie albertson. (katybeh.com)

new york - the forbes gallery will be the stage for this years jewelry showcase. the exhibit will focus on contemporary pieces by everyone from individual designers like stephanie albertson and judith ripka to luxury firms like gucci and bulgari. items will be on view starting today until june 28th, when they'll be moved over to the carnegie museum of natural history.

GUCCI'S NEW JOB

westman. (wwd.com)

world wide - so yall know gucci westman right? she's the legendary makeup artist whose worked with every publication and every celebrity under the sun. i had the pleasure of interviewing her last september backstage at the christopher kane show during london fashion week. at the time she was international artistic director at lancome, a position which she had until last december. well, westman didn't stay unemployed for long. she is now the global artistic director at revlon. in a prepared statement, revlon said westman will provide their brand “with expertise on new products and shade development and work on-set with Revlon’s leading global Brand Ambassadors.”

FASHION FIX: GIVENCHY JELLY GLADIATORS

worldwide -i spotted these bad boys on myfashionlife.com. aren't they amazing? these jelly gladiators by givenchy are available at barney's new york's flagship stores in the states, or online internationally. i don't know that' i'd necessarily wear them myself (i like brand loyalty and right now i fashion myself a chanel girl) but i can definitely appreciate them on others. it will set you back $165 u.sd.

WHO IS THAT GUY?

this man is making my heart skip faster!! (crunktastical.net)

worldwide - so i don't know where and why and i only know half of who: that's super model naomi campbell, but who is the handsome guy she is walking with?!i love his smile and i definitely love his style. readers, if you know, put momma on.

ASHLEY SIMPSON'S T-SHIRT LINE

simpson's t-shirt range. (dlisted.)

usa - we reported this earlier, and now have the pics to prove it. "rocker" ashley simpson is now purveying her particular brand of chic via a very predictable brand extention: a clothing line, specifically t-shirts. they will be sold at none other than wet seal, the national chain targeted at teens and tweens. they seem particularly uninspired to me. what are your thoughts?

BLAYNISTAS, I WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT YOU

worldwide - so a friend of mine asked me this question on facebook and i thought it was fun and insightful, so i am asking you! please post your answers in the comment box. so the question is: if you could only wear ONE designer for each category, which would it be:

SHOES
BAGS
DRESSES
JEANS
ACCESSORIES

i thought long and hard, and here are my answers below, i can't wait to see yours!

shoes-chanel (for every day wear) louboutin (for formal wear)
bags - chanel (day and formal)
dresses - alexander herchovich
jeans - i don't wear jeans (unless everything else is dirty)
accessories - tiffany's, david yurman, rolex, or vintage

THE BRITISH ARE COMING

i don't know if this photo does her justice, but daphne guiness is really beautiful in person. not that you asked, but i interviewed her for paper magazine last monght. (exposay.com)

new york - or specifically, one very sexy, social, and stylish brit: daphne guiness. the wealthy couture clothing collector (she has valentino and lagerfeld on speed dial) just bought a mansion in new york city. her new apartment has over 4,000 square feet and is situated on fifth avenue , overlooking the fabulous museum mile. she is paying about $15 million for it. small fry compared to the $35 million she just made from the sale of her london apartment. congrats daphne! now can i be your house sitter?

JILL SCOTT'S SEXY BUTTERFLY'S

jill scott, giving us a peek of the cleavage that inspired her new line. (photobucket.com)

usa - i thought mariah carey owned the whole "butterfly" branding. that said, jill scott is running with it. the grammy winning songstress has teamed up with plus sized clothing retailer, ashley stewart, to create "the butterfly collection" a limited collection of intimate apparel.according to the press release,the line is "personally inspired and designed by Jill Scott." the line will be sold online and in ashley stewart's 220 stores.

JULIANNE MOORE ON THE COVER OF PARIS VOGUE

you like? (dlisted.com)

paris - as you can see, american actress julianne moore made the cover of paris vogue. the photo is brilliant, edgy and very fashion forward. but i'm sort of over moore on so many magazine covers. i think it's great that she's almost become a muse for editors, but at this point, i'm bored. i would much rather have loved to see the other red head (and my fave one to boot), tilda swinton on this. what do yall think?

CHANEL STRIKES (BEAUTY) GOLD

the new gold collection from chanel. according to peter philips, the label' creative director for makeup, it was inspired by coco chanel's apartment in paris.

model natalia vladinova in the ads for the new line which will debut later on in the year. (wwd.com)

paris - i for one love it! chanel's rich and innovative history with beauty and make up products continues with its new fall collection of beauty products. the line was developed by peter philips, chanel's new creative director of makeup. it will debut in july and price points are pretty decent. here's the break down according to womens wear daily: "The collection includes Gold Fiction, a softly shimmering nail polish, $30; Facettes D’Or, a finely milled gold loose powder that reads on the skin as a subtle glow, $56; Gold Light Glossimer lip gloss, $26; Rouge Hydrabase lipstick shades in copper, plum and coral, each $27, and a quad eye shadow palette with gold, coffee, ivory and dark green eye colors, $56."

INTRODUCING THE BLAY ARCHIVES....

new york - so blaynistas, i have been knee deep in research for my masters program. the past few weeks have seen me immersed in (and sleeping on) various books about four designers who have always intrigued me: yves saint laurent, coco chanel, cristobal balenciaga and christian dior. in honor of the first two, i have purchased a yves saint laurent rive gauche spring blazer (pics to come) and ofcourse my new chanel bag (one of many more to come, and you already saw the pics!!). i don't know that i want to invest my money in anything by dior or balenciaga at this point, but i've surely invested my time and it's been well worth it. these designers are fascinating and have inspired me to create a new section on this site where i give a quick snap shot of the designers we know - or don't know - and love - or maybe loath. i hope you like this new column, and as always, your thoughts are appreciated. x, zb

THE BLAY ARCHIVES: JACQUES FATH

t.b.r - does the name jacques fath ring a bell? probably not. that's because outside of the inner circles of the fashion industry and the couture world, very few people know who jacques fath was and his significance to fashion. but the fact is if you know dior, balmain, and balenciaga - then you ought to know fath. in his time, fath was an equal to all three and in fact trained some of the world's greatest designers: garavani valentino, guy laroche and hubert de givenchy. all worked as his design assistant before striking out on their own. he debuted his first collection in 1937 after teaching himself to create couture through books and studying museum exhibits. he put his own stamp on clothing by using ingenius materials like hemp sacks, and sequins made from walnut shells. ava gardner, greta garbo and rita hayworth are just a few of the screen sirens who flocked to him. he died in 1954 from leukemia and his company shut down in 1957. it was sold several times, and revived again in the 1990s, only to be sold once more in 2006 by the alliance designer group.

above are vintage looks from the hous of fath. (various websites)

THE HOUSE OF BALMAIN IS THRIVING

above are looks from balmain's fall 2008 show. i love the sleek, languid, sexiness of it. it has a definite rocker chic to it, yet manages to still drip feminine sensuality. i live! (style.com)

creative director for the brand, christophe decarnin. sexy. no? (style.com)

paris - are you familiar with balmain? the legendary french luxury label is right up there with the house of dior, givenchy, balenciaga and chanel. in recent years, they've seen their profits and prestige plunge, but it is now experiencing a turn around. this summer, balmain will relaunch its menswear line, designed by balmain's creative director, christophe decarnin. the house has also debuted a womens fragrance: ambre gris. if that's not enough, they are testing a new childrenswear range and are in talks with luxottica to create a line of sunglasses. balmain is feeling bold after rapid growth last year which culminated in a three million euro profit. according it its c hariman, alain hivelin, they are looking to more than triple that amount to ten million euros this year.

LOOK WHAT HANES GOT ITS HANDS INTO NOW!? THIS SHIZZ IS BEYOND JUICY! LETS TALK ABOUT IT BLAYNISTAS!

wow. wow. wow. where did hanes get the heart to do this!? and what is the ad agency behind this? (jaywilonbelieves.blogspot.com)

worldwide - blaynistas, i am buzzing right now over these new ads. it's not anger at all, but just excitement that something this fresh, raw, on point, political, controversial exists - and are you ready for the head crack? - it is from hanes! (hanes of the mellow, laid back, feel good commercials.) furthermore, i am wondering if an ad like this would actually make it in the united states? sadly, i don't think so. i am been researching online and it looks like it is already getting heat from countries like the u.k and india where it is featured. but i digress...i am talking about hanes' new "faggot, paki, nigger" ads for it's "tagless underwear." the tagline being...."because the world gives you enoug labels." as you can see from the illustration, it features a person from each respective "race," dragging around images that correspond to the slurs. this shizz is so raw and real! ofcourse they could have done the lame cheerleader, ditzy blond, dumb joke stereotypes that people are more comfortable with. but outside of a sitcom, what are the labels that are truly hurled!? the ones they mention in the ads. as for me? i love it! i think its advertising at its best. what do you guys think!? tell me! tell me now! i can't be the only one tingling over these ads!!!

CONGRATS TO JAIDEN JAMES, YOUR FELLOW BLAYNISTA

jaiden is working this photo. (jaidenjames.blogspot.com)

london - blaynistas, can we get into how goodlooking, and chic, and poised yall are ? case in point, one of my readers (and a fellow blogger!) jaiden james. the london based model/fashionista/social butterfly was selected to be part of uniqlo's spring/summer 08 campaign. check out his shot. i live for it. congrats jaiden!

FASHIONISTA.COM, IT'S NOT JUST YOU...

(fashionista.com)

new york - fashionista.com posted this photo on their website yesterday. to the everyday ("normal") person, it's a collection of super heroes. but to fashion fiends, it is clearly a prelude to the costume institute's upcoming ball/exhibit on super hero style in fashion. clearly....

GOING TO LONDON? THEN GO TO HARRODS!

iconic indeed. (wikipedia.com)

london - what makes a design icon? london luxury destination store, harrods, is delving into this question with its latest collaboration with the design museum. the event, titled design icons, is an on going series of exhibitions, events, and lectures. everything from chanel no. 5 (personally i love no. 19) to heinz ketchup will be disected, discussed and displayed. it ends may 24. check it out online at designicons.harrods.com.

JUST HAD TO SHARE: LANVIN'S NEW AD

worldwide - spotted these on makefetchhappen.blogspot.com. love it. love it. and really, really love it.

RING THE ALARM: KENNETH COLE STEPPING DOWN FROM KENNETH COLE

kenneth cole, posing with his new ceo, jill granoff for womens wear daily. (wwd.com)

new york - starting may 5th, kenneth cole will no longer be the chief executive of kenneth cole productions, the company he founded. jill granoff , executive of liz claiborne, will step in. as it stands, cole will continue on as chairman and chief creative officer of the company. here's what cole had to say to the press regarding the change: "it is a new era for me and the company. i am confident that havng an executive of jill's stature and abilities to partner with me and o ur strong management team, will allow the company to achieve even greater successes in its next chapter."

JUST HAD TO SHARE: LIYA KEBEDE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

new york - i spotted this wonderful shoot on makefetchhappen.blogspot.com. i gotta say, i love the styling and photography, done by fabien baron. i didn't realize exactly how versatile kebede is as a model.

(all images: makefetchhappen.blogspot.com)

FASHIONISTAS SPEAK: SEAN COMBS

london - it looks like sean combs is getting ready to transform himself yet again. after being a producer/sidekick, rapper, fashionista, fashion designer, fragrance designer, baby daddy, etc. he is now fully committing himself to being an actor. check out what he said to a london paper below (and for the record, i think puffy is the ultimate fashionista. i wonder if my boy kareem anglin of male style review agrees with me...)

i know very few people find puffy attractive. and its not his looks that get me, i just love that confidence, and swagger, and success, and fearlessness and of course, how he wears a 3 piece suit. congrats to him and his stylist. (ceosmack.com)

"I see myself as an entertainer. I try to model myself on the actors of old who did multiple things - they sung, they danced and they acted. I've set up the infrastructure of my various companies so I don't have to deal with the business side of things any more. I want to be considered and respected as an actor. That's my commitment."

FASHIONABLE OR FUGLY? MARY KATE OLSEN

front view...

side view...

back view....but eitiher way you look at it, is this outfit dead wrong? (hugs to olsen-files.com for photo)

new york - so mk wore this outfit yesterday evening at the new yorkers for children charity ball. i am still in the process of deciding what i think. on one hand, i really respect her choice to always make a statement and not simply try to look "cute," or "sexy." yet on the other hand, i wonder exactly what statement she is attempting, is it " baggy" and "sacklike?" this dress and look actually isn't horrible. but as a fitnista ( i am becoming fanatical about properly fitting clothes) i believe it's not for her body frame. but what do you think?

BUT WOULD YOU BUY IT? DIESEL DIVES INTO LINENS

so can we expect ads for diesels furniture and bed sheets to ooze the same level of sex appeal that their clothing ads do? just asking....(thanks to adsoftheworld.com for this)

worldwide - first of all, let's pause and reflect on the fabulosity that is the milan furniture fair. (in future, i promise to travel to and cover this. but i digress...) diesel - the company we know and love for its denim - is now launching an "interiors collection," which will debut at the furniture fair. the line is to be called "successful living" and will include linens for bedroom, bathroom and living room. this is just the beginning. according to media reports, diesel will follow up with a furniture collection next year. in the meantime, look out for the linen product range in stores this september. to answer the question i asked in the title, i think it's fabulous. i am not necessarily a diesel aficionado, but i do love and respect how thorough and consistent they are in their image. looking forward to seeing this stuff on the market.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS? IT'S POSH SPICE' BIRTHDAY

she's come a long way hasn't she? now i ask you my dear reader, what do you think accounts for the changes in her face? age, weight loss, or plastic surgery? i say it's the first two. her features are more or less the same.

worldwide - now, if i know my readers like i think i do, i am assuming you don't necessarily care that it's victoria beckham's birthday. but just for kicks' i thought i would remind you this this aspiring internatinal fashionista (i sooo love the effort she puts forth, even if her style looks forced) has turned 34 today!

THE ULTIMATE NYC STORE OPENING: IKEA

to be honest with you, the furniture is cute. but it's really the food that gets me going when it comes to ikea. (austinchronicle.com)

new york - nyc blaynistas please, please, PLEASE get into this bit of news: ikea, the swedish furniture store known for modern and CHEAP pieces, is opening a store in new york city. did you catch that? ikea is opening a store in new york city. this is major because for some odd reason (at least in the u.s and u.k) ikea loves to place its stores on the outskirts of the metropolis. but thats about to change, at least in the big apple. on june 18th, they will debut a 346,000 square foot store in the red hook area of brooklyn. it will have over 50 different room displays and a 450 seat restaurant overlooking the statue of liberty.

STORE OPENINGS: MARNI & MARC JACOBS

all shoes above between $500 and $800 and available at marni.com.

europe - fashionistas in europe, rejoice! marc jacobs is opening its first wholly owned, freestanding store in europe this year. it will open at the place du marche saint-honore in paris by the end of this year. a second store in londn will debut in early 2009....marni, (i am loving their shoes this season) is also opening a free standing store in turkey.

SO KITSON IS KEEPING DVB

posh, presumably in her own label, dvb poses at the launch. (denimiscool.wordpress.com)

los angeles - rumors have been rampant, that popular los angeles boutique kitson was dropping dvb , the clothing label created and designed by victoria beckham. but apparently not. owner, fraser ross, recently said: "...kitson is extremely proud to be selling dvb by victoria beckham. we are fully committed to the dvb collection and our customers and victoria's fans ask for it daily. i've seen next season's collection and i can't wait to get it in store, especially the new dvb men's collection launching this september." so what do you think? something about this comment sounds a touch too effusive. and as with ms. posh herself, i don't know whether to laugh or applaud....