BECK'S AND POSH'S SIGNATURE NEW FRAGRANCE

The Beckham's have a new fragrance called "Signature," due out this September. What do you think of the TV ad?



Victoria Beckham's pseudo-fierceness sort of kills the whole effect, no?

THIS VIDEO IS INSPIRING ME ON EVERY LEVEL...HAVE YALL SEEN IT?

IN CASE YOU CARE: WHAT "STARS" ARE WEARING

los angeles - to the far left, elise neal, lisaraye missick, and "new york." i only live for elise's outfit.

FINALLY! MIGUEL ANDROVER RETURNS TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

new york - nope! he's not a household name per se, but in new york, many a fashionista knows and loves miguel androvar for his debut collection in 2003. in the seasons' since, he has faded to the background (presumably working on other projects?) now he returns as creative director of hess natur, a german organic clothing line. i for one can't wait to see how he has grown and what he comes up with.

CLAUDIA SCHIFFER CONTINUES TO STYLE ON THESE FOOLS

venice - honestly, i still find her to be incredibly boring. BUT ms. claudia is doing it up with her red carpet ensembles these days. her streak continues with this stunning alberta ferretti gown ( i live for alberta!!). and notice the piece on her wrist? that's another alberta ferretti creation. the designer teamed up with chopard for the watch and it looks brilliant. kudos to claudia's stylist.

FYI - IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, JAPAN FASHION WEEK STARTS THIS COMING MONDAY!

photo: bbc.co.uk

GEN ART FASHION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON YOOX.COM

worldwideweb - so you know how halston manuevered to have its stuff sold ASAP on net-a-porter, roughly 24 hours after it debuted on the runway? well, the lower-end version of that collaboration is about to launch. gen art, the new york city organization which launches fresh faces in fashion each season, has joined with online retailer, yoox.com, to do the same. now, hours after twelve emerging designers show their looks on the runway, pieces from their collection will be available online. sure, its nobody's halston - but i'm sort of excited that i can actually afford it. oh! and fyi - zac posen, sari gueron and philip lim are previous gen art designers.


picture: previous gen art designers; blogs.laweekly.com

Roberts and Armani join forces to fight AIDS

by: Courtesy Photo

2008 seems to be, among other things, the year of "making a difference." So it is in both Hollywood and the fashion world, where celebrities and designers are working together to raise money and awareness for a myriad of good causes. Pretty woman Julia Roberts and Giorgio Armani are doing just that, having collaborated on men's and women's T-Shirts with a "tree-of-life" design Roberts created especially for the RED (Revolution-Evolution-Devotion) campaign. The $125 shirts are made in Africa, and 40%of the proceeds of all sold on the Emporio Armani online-store will go towards the fight against AIDS.

"HER OUTFIT IS UGLY AS HELL. BUT SHE IS BEAUTIFUL..."

worldwide - so sayeth a reader on mediatakeout.com about sanaa lathan's outfit. i agree....and what say you?

FASHIONABLE OR FUGLY? PHARRELL WILLIAMS

worlwide - me? i say uber fashionable. what say you?

OHMYGAH! KARL LAGERFELD WANTS TO LICK THE RAPPER...I'M SORRY, WANTS TO BE THE RAPPER

worldwide - first off, kudos to harpar's bazaar for a truly dope story! i'm prolly the last blogger in the blogosphere to pick up on this, but they did a brilliant story where they had legendary designers pick a character or person they would love to be. michael kors picked l.b jeffries from hitchcock's film, "rear window;" tyra banks famously picked michelle obama and .....girls and boys....karl lagerfeld picked "lil wayne!!!" I LIVE! I LIVE! I LIVE! haute couture and hip hop unite in the photo to the left. see lagerfeld mean mugging in hood wear for the cameras? honestly, i want him to be my daddy!

images: karl as lil wayne left, michael kors as l.b jeffries, right. all images not my own

ON I OFF WILL PRESENT LIMITED EDITION BOOK DURING FASHION WEEK

london - lord , may i please (purty please) be one of the lucky few fashionistas who get their hands on this awesome book. of course, i am referring to the limited edition book which lee lapthorne of on/off - the organization which presents edgier designers like sinha stanic and aminaka wilmont - has commissioned. it's being launched to celebrate 10 outstanding seasons of on/off fashion shows and features exclusive images and illustrations from john charles de castelbajac and jasper conran. in case we both end up in the unlucky fashionista category, log on to: www.thedoll.org/onoff for more deets on how to get your own. btw, the images to the left are an example of what will be featured in the book.

images: courtesy of on/off

CHECK OUT THE NEW "JANELLE" SANDAL FROM ROCAWEAR

new york - there's a super cute story behind this shoe. my good friend, janelle grimmond of vibe magazine, attended a market appointment (i.e. when editors go check clothes and accessories out) at rocawear. she spotted these super cute lace up sandals and wanted to learn more about them. unfortunately, they were on the chop block: rocawear did not think that the shoes would sell well so planned on discontinuing it. however, after seeing janelle's interest in the shoe, the decided to reconsider and have now placed it back in the product line and named it after her. kudos! okay, so cute story aside - do you think this is fashionable or fugly!? please keep it real.

KARL LAGERFELD LATEST PROJECT: A TEDDY BEAR INSPIRED BY HIM

worldwide - Karl Lagerfield and German teddy bear makers Steiff have joined heads to create what could probably be described as the dream toy of every little fashionista - a Karl Lagerfield teddy bear. the stuffed animal is almost identical to the white haired designer, complete with the high collar and tie, dark shades, uncomfortably (for us) tight pants, and KL logo belt. the 2,500 limited edition teddies will be sold in Neiman Marcus stores this fall at $1,500 each.

Comme des Garçons for H&M

worldwide - as you may know by now, h&m has announced that they will be collaborating with COMME des GARÇONS’ founder and head designer Rei Kawakubo for their next designer collection this fall. it will consist of both men's, women's, and children's pieces. to top that off, accessories and a unisex fragrance will be added to the mix. the collection will launch in tokyo, japan this november. here is a sneak peak of what we have to look forward to!

DANNITY KANE FOR DOLLHOUSE DENIM? BELIEVE IT!

new york - i just had to ask...i've had the chance to meet and interview aubrey and d.woods, thanks to stylist charles wade, and they are great girls. at times though, their style can be questionable - not because it is too over the top (thats whats expected of performers) but because at times it seems to lack taste, class, restraint or refinement. but hey, they are a pop act not royalty so perhaps it doesn't apply. but i digress....the girls have inked a deal with dollhouse to design a special line of jeans for the brand. it will be retailed online at the newly launched shopdollhouse.com.

photosource:nymag.com

ARE YOU READY FOR THE GRAND RE-OPENING OF H&M'S NEW YORK CITY STORE?

new york - if you live in this city, you've been to this store: h&m on 34th street. it's proximity to many of the major train stations in New York means hundreds of folks in any given day run through for a quick outfit change to work, play or vacation. now, this super useful store has been totally revamped and will now feature an expanded mens section. if you are in the city and in the area tomorrow, stop by for free giveaways in celebration of the event.

photosource: getty images

THESE SUBWAY ADS STOPPED ME DEAD IN MY TRACKS: NAOMI CAMPBELL FOR YSL

new york - so when news spread earlier this year that stefano pilati had tapped naomi campbell to model for yves saint laurent's fall/winter ads i was excited. clearly with good reason. the ads they have come up with are very minimal, yet glossy, sexy and full of tension. they manage to capture the history and spirit of the yves saint laurent label while simultaneously giving us a fresh, futuristic interpretation of the brand. i really love the ads, as does my girl janelle grimmond who blogged about it for vibe.com. kudos to the team that brought them about and the hair stylist who hooked ms. campbell's weave up. where can i buy that hair!?

TARGET WILL BE POPPING UP ALL OVER NEW YORK DURING FASHION WEEK: ARE YOU READY?

new york - lord knows i'm not! the thought alone is wiping me out! but i'll be sure to revive myself by september 11th when target blasts new york city with not one, not two, but FOUR stores. they wll be sprinkled all over the city in midtown, union square soho and the east village. the stores will exclusively stock target's fabulous diffusion lines including target collaborations with jonathon saunders, anya hindmarch and sigerson morrison. 

photo: designer jonathon saunders superimposed on the target logo. www.glamboulevard.com

OHMYGAH!!! SOLANGE ACTUALLY LOOKS GOOD

usa - i have tried hard, but i swear: there is NOTHING to critique about solange in this photo. from hair, to skin, to body to dress - she is flawless! i see that she is working over time to get her glam and celeb game on point and i respect it. ten (monopoly) dollars to anyone who can find something to hate in her look. 

photosource: bossip.com

INTRODUCING RANDAL JACOBS + DAVID MELTON.....A CREATIVE DIRECTOR & STYLIST DUO WHO CREATE AMAZING IMAGES

new york - not because i have immense respect for their work + work ethic. not because i absolutely adore them and not because they consistently produce (in every day life and in photoshoots) the most stirring images you will ever find....am i blogging about randal jacobs and david melton. i am blogging about them because i want to be the first to write about a duo who will undoubtedly move and shake fashion to its core in years to come. these two young men hailing from alabama (jacobs) and washington d.c (melton) ha, to have a portfolio and wealth of experience that stretches from the southern region of the u.s, to new york city, to milan to london and back again. i am fortunate to meet them this early in their careers and share their work with you. the above images are from a recent shoot they did which features my boyfriend franklin baez (he's on the left in the photo above.) i have even more for you blaynistas, but they are a touch risque. if you think you are ready though, let me know and i'll post more.

BARACK OBAMA IS SURE TO GET THE FASHIONISTA VOTE WITH THIS SUPER STYLISH CAMPAIGN MOVE

usa - ohmygah! ohmygah! ohmygah! barak obama has a well dressed genius in his campaign team. that's the only way to describe the einstein who came up with this idea: enlisting twenty designers to create limited edition obama gear to be sold on the presidential candidate's website next month. blaynista's, we aren't talking any old regular designers, we are talking: diane von furstenberg, isaac mizrahi, derek lam, tracy reese, vera wang...do you need me to go on? its gonna be absolutely mayjah! even folks who may not have been thinking about voting might be swayed after seeing the amazing goods which will debut on the site. rumor has it that even beyonce will contribute some designs.

POOR GWYNETH PALTROW! PETA AND HER VEGAN FRIENDS ARE UPSET OVER HER NEW AD CAMPAIGN

usa - am i the ONLY ONE that thinks PETA needs to get a life!? i get their point, but i don't get how forceful, extra and excessive they are in making it. in order to stop animals from becoming victims, it seems like the make victim's of the people they are trying to convince. well, actress gwyneth paltrow is their latest one. paltrow was minding her business trying to make money to make money from some ad campaigns when peta got their panties in a bunch. (by the way, peta is people for the ethical treatment of animals). paltrow is draped in fur in the latest campaign which has the organization in an uproar. they've sent her several letters and videos documenting inhumane treatment of animals - but they've had no response. paltrow's close friend, stella mccartney, is reportedly up in arms over the ad too.

photo: www.tods.com

FORGET THE GOLD, WHAT WOULD REALLY MAKE THIS OLYMPIAN HAPPY IS WINNING AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL

china - during the airing of the womens volley ball games on nbc this morning, the commentators made a very odd statement: kim glass , an outside hitter on the u.s volley ball team, actually wants to be a model. despite excelling in sports for years, it seems to be modeling that she's passionate about. and it looks like she's going about it in a very public way: through america's next top model. she's tried out five - yes, FIVE - times for the show, but never been picked up. here's to hoping to she has better luck in the olympics!

THE V&A DEBUTS A NEW BOOK ON BILL GIBB

london - are you familiar with bill gibb? in the 1970s just about everyone was. from biana jagger to twiggy to elizabeth taylor, a laundry list of celebs in america and europe were devoted to him. his legendary knitwear pieces were of such high standerd that they bordered on couture and his work has been honored with exhibits at the louvre in paris and london's victoria & albert museum. now a book, published by the v&a is set to debut titled bill gibb's moment in time and fashion. it is written by central saint martins professor ian r webb and includes a forward by twiggy. the debut of the book will coincide with a brand new exhibit of gibb's work which will debut at the v&a in october. i love that museum!

photos: above left, a picture of bill gibb dressed from the national galleries. above right, a dress by bill gibb from liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

BASKETBALL PLAYER RAY ALLEN AND HIS FIANCEE TIE THE KNOT: BUT ARE YOU LOVING THEIR GET UP

boston, usa - ummmm i'll put it like this: the bride is beautiful (truly!), but the gown is not. for me, it's a matter of fit and circumstance. it's not that she's a curvy girl - it's that her wedding dress doesn't really seem to fit or flatter. also, if they were going to opt to go barefoot (very quaint idea) then she should really have opted for a gown with a more relaxed and loose finish. as it stands, the fishtail bottom she has is sexy - but waaay too formal for barefoot. i don't exactly live for ray allen's suit either. the boton celtic player has a great body which could have benefited from a suit that was more tailored and less roomy. even if their style is not on point, glad to know their relationship is. love and marriage is a beautiful thing.

photosource: bossip.com

I LOVE THIS COVER BUT....: HOOPZ ON THE COVER OF KING

usa - my american readers will be familiar with hoopz (and king magazine for that matter). but those of you abroad may not. hoopz is one of many beauties who participated in a reality show in america titled "flavor of love." she actually one, but like every other winner before and after her, never ended up in a long-term relatinship with rapper flavor flav. (and that's for the better, as some may argue). either way, she's crafted a nice lil career for herself as a cover girl for mens magazines. behold here, her latest cover. she has an amazing body and still manages to look good despite the tacky eye make up and godawful two piece. what do you think of it?

photosource: bossip.com

OKAY, THIS IS WHY I BLOG ABOUT FASHION: CHRISTIAN SIRIANO OF PROJECT RUNWAY DEBUTS A MATERNITY COLLECTION CALLED "FIERCE"

worldwide - yep. fierce. that's what its called. let's just pause for a second and really give thought to this eclectic name choice................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................... are you done? i'm still pondering, but the blog must go on! so according to news sources, siriano, who won the last season of project runway has teamed up with maternity wear label, moody mamas for a special capsule collection. it is all set to go on sale on moodymamas.com in spring of 2009. as much as i want to laugh at the name and the concept, you can't deny that these clothes (see the sketches) are actually....fierce. maybe the name choice isn't such an odd one.

WAIT, THERE'S A FEUD BETWEEN NINA GARCIA OF PROJECT RUNWAY AND ANN SLOWEY OF STYLISTA?

new york - many of my adored blaynistas are amazing magazine industry professionals and fashion writers, so I KNOW you will appreciate reading new york magazine's article on the inner workings of elle magazine. the writer did an absolutely brilliant job charting the feud between nina garcia, who is pretty much a bona fide celebrity at this point and ann slowey, current editor of elle and star of the upcoming reality show stylista. it is a very juicy read and chances are it will remeind you of your own office. check it out here.






photos: above ann slowey in promo pics for stylista. below nina garcia in promo pics for project runway.

IF 50 LOOKS THIS GOOD PLEASE BRING IT ON: CHRISTIE BRINKLEY ON THE COVER OF NEW YORK MAGAZINE

new york - i was walking down sixth avenue, minding my own business when this cover stopped me dead in my tracks. the smiling face of american model, christie brinkley, is striking not just because she's beautiful, but because she's no spring chicken. brinkley is 50 plus, yet is giving girls half her age a run for their money. i love this cover and whoever styled the photo shoot within. kudos!

photosource: nymag.com

I FEEL LIKE AN ABUSIVE BOYFRIEND.....

...always doing something bad, apologizing and then doing it again. MY BAD BLAYNISTAS! i didn't mean to be absent for darn near a week, but you know my deal. i'm just as busy as you are and some times juggling multiple deadlines and engagements gets the best of me and this lovely lil blog. but thanks so much for sticking it out with me. that's why i love you so very much! i have sooo many good posts - especially personal ones - coming to you so read away! your favorite fashionista, zandile blay!

THE START OF A TREND: WHY DO I FEEL LIKE THIS BIKINI IS GOING TO SPAWN THOUSANDS OF COPYCATS

barbados - so why do i feel like next summer (if not, during the few remaining days of this one) teenaged beauties will be wearing mismatched binkini's on the beach? such is the power of rihanna. i've no doubt her stylist pulled this look for a super casual day, but in so doing she's changed the way a generation of women will be wearing bikini's. or am i being overly dramatic?


photo: dlisted.com

STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL: RONSON FAMILY PHOTO SHOOT

worldwide - so check out these pics of mark, samantha and charlotte ronson in the september issue of american harper's bazaar. as you can see, it is based on the characters in the royal tennenbaum's. it's novel to see samantha ronson (lindsay lohan's main squeeze) in a sort of feminine outfit. kudos to the stylist. what do you think of it?


photosource: dlisted.com