18.2.09

everyone has a story. what's yours?

iLike: Pharell+Domeau & Pérès="Perspectives"

These chairs are part of the Perspective series designed by Pharrell in collaboration with Domeau & Pérès. I appreciate Pharrell's persective as an artist because he finds the common thread with fine art, music, fashion and design. He's done it all and truly grown as a bonified artist. According to Pharrell, these chairs represent love between a man and a woman. And that to me is genius. For what other concept in life is more abstract than love? It will also be on show at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris from 21st Oct. through 10th Jan. Only 4 of each chair will be sold. iLike! But I



xoxo,
Jaja

High-end shoes vs. low-class taste

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a raging shoe addiction and I am a size queen when it comes to the heels. Inches? Gimme moarrr. But lately I've been noticing a trend with high-end shoes. They look like the stuff low-class hookers might wear on the stroll. Too high. Too shiny. To literal. Too vulgar... And I kinda like it. But the trend is so impractical, if you're a regular person. If I did not know these ladies were celebrities and saw them on the street...I might mistake them for hookers. I remember last year buying over-the-knee leather stiletto boots--the kind I saw Rihanna and Posh Spice wearing in the glossies. They pulled them off so why couldn't I? Well....for starters when I wore them out at day I looked like a hooker. A puntual hooker. And when I wore them at night to the clubs....I looked like a hooker. A late-night hooker. Actually, cars slowed down and stopped when I wore them at night---not a good sign. But that's the direction high-street shoes are taking--low-taste, slutty excess. I was shopping for my next pair of hot shooz on ebay when I came across these sleazy beauties:

In the description the seller exclaims: IF YOUR FUN AND KINKY YOU'LL LOVE THESE!! And it doesn't stop there. Sexy, kinky, lap/pole dancing are just some of the words the seller uses to sell these patent mary-janes. They look familiar and I am tempted to buy. But how and wear could I wear them... Work? Church? The grocery store? After all, I want to look like I shop at Topshop not the corner Sex-shop.

Check out these sleazy beauties showing us the appropriate way to rock lapdancing hooker heels in daytime and in public. All that is missing is a pole:

OK, I'm convinced Mariah bought her heels from e-bay.

Posh is trying to make up for her lack in height with sleazy 5".

Short dress high heels--Gwyneth shows why she is queen of the MILF brigade.

To buy or not to buy?
xoxo,
jaja

my current style idol iz:

the gorgeous rihanna who has her contemporaries--ciara and beyonce--biting the glam-goth look she has perfected. she's definitely become a trendsetter and fashion visionary in these few years.

Kouture Afrika to shine the light on British-African Designers

Duro Olowu

SIKA

Skyye C.

About a year ago, I was privileged to be a part of the RUNWAYAFRICA team as the editor and writer of its newsletter. Held in Washington, DC, the fashion show aimed to spotlight African-inspired designers, and affect and stimulate African fashion industries by promoting the participating designers in the USA. It was a moving experience for me because I have many designer and artist friends whose works are influenced by their heritage. Even though RUNWAYAFRICA was a smash success, it was still a flash in the pan, as fashion continues to be an overlooked and uncredited industry in African countries. It goes without saying that the continent boasts a wealth of inspiration for designers all over the world. Now, the initiative to spotlight and promote designers in the diaspora has caught fire. Next month, about a dozen African designers will showcase their collections heavily influenced my the motherland at the Kouture Afrika event in London. The official Web site states that Kouture Afrika was formed "to bring together African designers here in the UK and give the UK’s Africans and people of African heritage a place to absorb and celebrate Couture African style." Some of the featured designers include Duro Olowu, Skyye Chirape and SIKA (who participated in RUNWAYAFRICA).

Great! But, I must admit, as a designer, journalist, consumer and observer I am skeptical of the impact of such events. For one, much of the vibrant, print heavy fabrics passed off as "African" are manufactured by Dutch firms and imported to West African countries, thus damming a key stream of potential fashion industry dollars and jobs: manufacturing. Personally, I believe African governments must get involved for African fashion designers to be able to be competitive and ably represent their respective countries in the 21st century. But I won't get into the politics of fashion now. I just would hate for this real cause to become gimmicky--sort of like those busy ankara dresses, ankara shoes, ankara diapers that are popping up everywhere these days. So one has to wonder, after the show is over, what is the true measure of it all? Is the impact of such events felt and if so where? Will you be attending Kouture Afrika?

where? The Barbican, Exhibition Hall 2
Golden Lane, London EC2
time? 1 - 6 p.m.
when? 29 Nov. 2008
damage? £20-£50

xoxo,
Jaja