from baltimore to billboard, it’s been a long time coming for ms. ryeisha berrain, affectionately known as rye rye. i’ve watched her shake that shit to the ground & twerk her way to the top- from being hailed as billboards ’21 under 21′ to her entrance into film as an actress. before nicki minaj or lady gaga, rye rye was taking meetings with industry heavy hitters & developing her style, both musically & fashionably. when it comes to over the top style, hood appeal & a rapid-release flow- rye rye is that bitch. very few artists showcase a true, individualized style & with rye rye she has developed a thorough sense of delivery. categorically considered electrohop, rye rye was an artist developed on the baltimore club scene. a native of baltimore, maryland, she started performing at 16 & quickly garnered attention from the industry after meeting DJ blaqstarr. it was through blaqstarr that rye rye was able to connect with musical & style impresario, M.I.A. it appears as though rye’s meeting with M.I.A. has allowed her the creative freedom, to be the artist she is, innately. between 2006 and 2007, rye connected with M.I.A. & power producer diplo, through blaqstarr & was asked to go on tour that year. still only a junior in high school, M.I.A. began to feature rye rye on remixes and other tracks. i remember the first feature i heard of rye rye’s, it was the verse she dropped on the remix to ‘paper planes’. that song was massive that summer & i heard the track on someone’s myspace profile, immediately following my discovery of the track, i was asking “oh, my god! who is that girl?”

after being signed to M.I.A.’s N.E.E.T. label through interscope, rye rye began recording her debut album. with noted performances, like her appearance at SXSW in 2010, rye rye has made a significant mark & continues to do so through her representation of individuality. what i love so much about rye rye is the amount of style put into the things she does. she has a clear image that is very distinct & unmatched in music. it’s not just the clothes she wears, but the energy she puts out & verses that she spits. as the second artist i have selected to feature for my on-going style vs. sound series, rye rye fits into the framework of this segment perfectly. when you see her & hear her, it’s consistent. it’s what i refer to as a visual sound; a sound so powerful that when you hear it, you also see it. i have a very clear vision for how i perceive women, whether in fashion or music & i love when women can successfully merge the two. rye rye, from her style to her lyrics- impacts you. a clear indication of a new wave in music, rye has been a standout in my mind both sonically & stylistically, for years. over time, i have seen her evolve more greatly in the spotlight. rye rye adds a new dimension for women in music, her approach in all forms is fearless. it’s that undeniable, irresistible attraction to her that truly makes her an even brighter star. with the release of her mixtape, “RYEot PowRR (2011) we were able to experience yet another expansion of the artist known as rye rye. outside her successful features on assorted soundtracks, EP’s or indie albums- rye rye has always added who she is as an artist to what she is involved with.

today marks the release date of rye rye’s debut album, “GO! POP! BANG!“. originally slated for a 2009 release, recording for the album began in early 2008, with rye rye’s mentor M.I.A. at her side every step of the way. the sound & overall image of the album from artwork to production is one that embodies the energy of the project’s title. with beats that go bang & a few flecks of pop for the mainstream; producers bangladesh, redone, play ‘n skillz, r3hab, so japan, mayru, christian rich, egyptian lover, blaqstarr & the neptunes have all made remarkable contributions. the album is refreshing in that, it creates a sound for an artist. that artist being rye rye, who oozes individuality so vividly that anything she touches is just an accent to who she is, creatively. standout tracks, in the order that they have been sequenced on the album are “holla holla”, “drop”, “rock off shake off” & “crazy bitch”. with the influence of her baltimore club music roots ever present, i love that the producers on the project act as amplification. it’s so sonically on-point to what we’ve come to know rye rye as; through lyrics, stuttering beats & psycho-sonic instrumentation. simply put, i like hood bitches & rye rye gives you that in your face energy that is so necessary for today’s musical scene. it’s not shy or held back, it’s high energy & definitive dance music. rye rye’s third single for the album, “boom boom”, which samples a 90′s club hit by the venga boys is currently climbing the dance billboard charts & it’s clear that there is not only a space for rye rye in the game; but a thirst for an artist of her caliber.

a perfect fit for this style collision with sound, ryeisha berrain is a muthafuckn star. the album boasts songs that have long been associated with rye’s musical catalog, including her infamous “shake to the ground” & the hard-edged “bang”. with features with other avant-garde artists like M.I.A. & swedish electro-queen robyn, as well as rappers tyga & akon- the album is a well rounded vision of dance music for the future. i support new forms of music that challenge the boundaries that have been put on the industry. the album successfully merges an indie edge while transcending with true pop potential; allowing gangstas & glittering girls to share the same dance floor. simply put, rye rye is the shit & her album is an emphasis of that logic.

click here to purchase the album

in 1928, vidal was born in west england’s hammersmith borough. with the odds stacked against them in the ghettos of london, vidal’s single-mother placed him & his younger brother in an orphanage. being kept in the orphanage for 11 years, vidal was allowed visitation with his mother, which allowed him to maintain a close relationship with her. at the age of 14, vidal began an apprenticeship after his mother had a premonition that he would be a hairdresser. vidal & his mother were still struggling financially around the time when he began this apprenticeship. not being able to afford the proposed apprenticeship, raymond bessone took a chance on vidal allowing him to work under him for two years free of charge. vidal himself has credited bessone for teaching him what he knew of hairdressing & how to cut hair. soon after completing his apprenticeship, vidal ventured off to london’s historic bond street & began his journey as a hairdresser in 1954. “as in haute couture, the cut is the most important element in deciding line. haircutting simply means design & this feeling of design must come from within”, spoke vidal on the art of hairdressing. after mastering hairdressing technique of the 50′s, vidal decided he wanted to change how things were being done. this decision changed the industry of beauty, completely.

in the 50′s, everything was flawless. aesthetically speaking, hair in that time was immaculate. it was all up-dos that didn’t move for a week. vidal seen a need for change, a thirst for modernization. something that was self-manageable, easy & chic. back in the day, vidal started his salon with a modest staff of 8. these 8 set & teased their way into a new era, which was led by vidal. in 1954, searching for direction, sassoon began to observe the changing world around him. heavily impacted by architecture, vidal began to recreate these linear shapes into hair. developed greatly over a 9 year period from 1954-1963, vidal changed the game one hairstyle at a time, refining his vision with each snip of his scissors. described as his peak in creative development, vidal’s creation of the five-point cut was among the most visibly innovative in his career. that style still resonates today, seen on the runways of paris, milan & tokyo. lending a great deal to iconic images of the 1960′s, vidal takes credit for creating the legendary haircuts of the beatles, for cutting mia farrows’ hair in the psychological thriller, rosemary’s baby. his work was also seen on the covers of past & present publications queen & vogue. working with film stars like, nancy kwan & grace coodington in her modeling days has afforded vidal an undeniable influence. working alongside legendary designer, mary quant, vidal was a front runner in the world of new fashion during his life. quant is credited for creating the mini-skirt, a design staple that needs no introduction whatsoever. vidal collaborated with quant to create an accent to the iconic mini-skirt & really gave way to the mod era in fashion out of london. quant has often spoke that it was vidal that added to her design and “gave it a top.”

though his client list is impressive, vidal is also to credit for more far spanning developments in the beauty industry that are much more greatly visible, even outside of the celebrity world. before sassoon, beauty shops did not expose their shops with large pained windows or glittering staircases; it was vidal sassoon that created that aesthetic in the business. on bond street, vidal changed his approach with his salon & created large floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed pedestrians to view the innovative work taking place in his salon. this revolutionized the industry & gave it a new face. all black decor became brows laquer & set the stage for vidal’s second greatest business venture within hair, which was products. vidal set the beauty market on fire when he began creating shampoos & conditioners for his clients and far beyond. he set the blueprint & career path for beauticians today, whom look to expanding their brand by creating lines of products. it was vidal who explored this marketing approach first, creating a completely new format for hairdressers around the world.

today, the impact vidal has made with his beauty enterprise is still very relevant. that once 8 person staff has grown significantly to an estimated 20,000 employees. vidal sassoon as a business entity garners approximately $400 million in sales worldwide, every year. additionally, vidal sassoon products are distributed in over 50 countries around the world, not to mention the 30 salons stationed around the globe & 8 vidal sassoon beauty schools. as not just a business man, but a hairstylist & beyond that, as an artist- vidal sassoon will forever remain untouched as well as remembered for what he did for beauty. beyond the industry, vidal has liberated the ways in which we perceive hair forever. he completely broke the boundaries of beauty.

†

in the past few months that i’ve creatively rediscovered another dimension of myself, oprah winfrey has struck a nerve in me. her network & their way of producing television has not only changed the way we view the world, but it has changed the way we view ourselves. while i ramp up with new content, i assure you my dashboard, iphone & macbook are loaded with drafts, notated ideas, brainstorms & varied sources of inspiration. i wanted to share with you, in an effort to open your mind even wider, the effect of fashion as it relates to human curiosity. this piece, filmed by oprah winfrey for OWN, had that type of effect on me that cannot accurately be put into words. it was this still, calm- almost a reassuring sense of artistry that i felt. the docu-series visionaries takes you on a journey with some of the most brilliant, creative minds living today. when i heard tom ford was being filmed, i gasped & counted down the days until this episode aired. i find it very important for anyone interested in fashion & anyone appreciative of history to understand the power of tom ford. not power in the political fashion sense, not powerful from the PR tip- powerful as a designer, as an artist. tom ford, for me, was the first real designer i became interested in. my first big label obsession was with gucci- how sleek, modern & decadent the label was under the guidance of tom ford. tom taught me about aesthetic, he taught me about high-end appeal & how to sell sex. i invite you to share in this moment of creative clarity with tom ford in this intimate look at him, behind the scenes. watch, learn & love.

in my life, amidst this on-going battle of contrast, i’ve searched for balance. in learning to identify balance, i have found that i exist at the intersection of so many things. an intersection that i have not been able to properly articulate or delve into, as greatly as i would have liked. with the few pieces of writing i have created in this space, i feel as though i have been strained in many ways- that i’ve lacked a certain air of breakthrough. approaching content cautiously, i have often asked myself, “is this high fashion enough?”, “how will my readers receive this?” – all these questions pounding my brain while none were being asked to reveal “how does this define jeremydante?”. my site was born after my own realization of drastic changes happening in the music industry. while i have struggled to adjust to these changes in my understanding of how music is produced & provided to the masses- i have looked to other art forms for inspiration. it’s in this transitory state that i have discovered even more creative depth within myself. perhaps this phase of my life is my moment of clarity, it’s me hitting my creative stride both as an individual & artist. over the course of the years that will follow, my writing & choice of content will evolve more greatly than you may be anticipating, more rapidly than you have expected. i have thought about this for quite some time, in an effort to not disrupt my current readership & audience. you, as the readers, have given my voice more power & greater visibility. you are a valued contributor to my success. i find it important to touch base with you to avoid any sense of disconnection. it’s incredibly important for me to use this platform i have created in ways that are enhancing value to elements that may have been overlooked or judged unfairly. that value has been realized more greatly, in the past few months. with changes happening all around me, evolution will be mirrored on screen through creative writing, assorted analysis & varied case studies. in addition to these new forms i will introduce, interviews with other creative forces, historical profiling as well as other features will be seen. it’s all intended to break even further the barrier for what blogging is & has been defined as. these ideas, as i will execute them, have not been done by any other in the form i will be executing them. believe me.

as a writer, my aim has always been to contrast the real & the fake. i’ve always aimed to find soul in places that others have written off as soul-less. i aim to humanize our fascination with celebrity culture, to uncover the high-end artistic value of fashion & it’s materialization. i aim to document & discuss, with you, the intersection of style & sound. i hope to hit a nerve with my audience, whom i value as a legion of creative forces inspired by varied aspects of art- both mainstream & independent. i find great value in my place here, on the internet, because i feel as though my voice represents that of the creative community. my natural gravitation to beauty, fame & style are not to be condemned or thought of as lesser. i  have concealed much of my mindset in fear that the game was not ready, but soon i realized- i can’t wait for anyone to be ready. i, myself, have always been ready & it’s up to me to lead the way in that direction; in these untouched territories. we’re all searching for this greater purpose, we all want to have a greater effect. in this phase of my life, as a writer, i hope to accomplish this in ways that have not been done within the confining definition of what a “blogger” is. while i still feel a responsibility to represent aspects of fashion, the responsibility i have to represent myself is far greater. i cannot imagine allowing you to see what i see while holding myself to a one-dimensional approach to content. this is not a fashion blog, i am not a blogger. this is art & i am a writer.

NEW YORK – as the front line of fashion, on the fashion calendar, new york captivates through the buzz & anticipation of show season. every year, im always anxious to see what collections will be presented, which trends will be revealed & how designers have either evolved or digressed, aesthetically. considering the number of collections presented in new york, little to no creativity is even flexed during show season. as a clear representation of america, the purity of design & brillance of construction is rarely seen in new york. without completely forgetting the greats of american design in this new millenium; i say without hesitation that new york is the single most uninspired of all the fashion capitals. that said, i still take time to look at every collection in an attempt to represent & dissect the root of the problem- less is more & in new york that thought is either forgotten or intentionally ignored. what happened to the days when american design meant something & actually stood out? while much of new york is spending their style days up against a fence, easily, i chose my two favorite collections from new york fashion week.

1. PROENZA SCHOULER as the ultimate downtown chick outfitters, jack & lazaro always deliver during show season. amidst the watered down designs of new york’s fashion collective, established & getting there- proenza schouler is a label that remains consistent in their delivery of strong concepts, accessories & thoughtful inspiration. presented in new york with completely inspiring execution, this season seen the label projected bouts of volume, structured deconstructed silhouettes & intricate weaving. protection & escape served as the theme of the collection, as the designers sourced everything from martial arts to fencing this season. these inspired aspects of strengths were well developed & thoughtfully introduced on the runway this season. intended to be much more free flowing, while never lacking strength or power, the collection was heavily based in movement. while new age kimono’s were seen, imperially inspired brocades added a little more luster & glamour to the otherwise dominating design force we seen from the label this fall. wide legged pants, beautiful use of fur & impressive weaving of leather which was intended to mirror baskets from bhutan, in the south of asia. i loved the sense of global inspiration that never seemed to isolate the american market, i felt a sense of fearlessness in the need to push boundaries this season from proenza. overall, this was a complete stand out in new york this season & ranks as my number one choice for the american design sector for all of fall. no one was fucking with this label this season.

2. ALEXANDER WANG supermodels, glossed finishes & a little bit of hard edged style drove the alexander wang show over the edge for me this season. with models gisele, karmen kass, shalom harlow & karolina kurkova all walking the catwalk, the level of prestige & feel of “i’ve arrived” was felt with an incredible amount of cool. it seems as though wang, as a label, is one of the more rapidly developed. developed in terms of season to season aesthetic & developed as a business. but with all success comes scandal. as of recent, scandal has ravaged the digital fashion press & gossip reel, when it was revealed that alexander wang, as reported by the new york post, had employed a team of 30 seamstresses & sewers, demanding they work 80hr work weeks with no paid overtime, in a windowless work room on broadway. the crew of 30, who have been instrumental in the creation of wang’s super successful collections; claim that conditions were so bad that some of them got sick & even got injured. filed for $50 million is damages, the crew was reportedly forced to work in a 200sq ft space to produce wang’s collections. one man on the crew, wenyu lu, age 56; said that he was hospitalized after being forced to work 25hrs without a break. after complaining of these working conditions, lu was fired. admittedly, as much as i loved the collection & admired the direction, as well as the model casting; the recent headlines of wang’s collection have put a bad taste in my mouth. as one of the most talented young designers in the american design market, evidence of wang’s ability to pull the cool from the dark & grimy streets of new york was undeniable. but it seems as though a bit of that grime has managed to be more than just a cool aesthetic. oddly, wang’s inspiration for his FW12 collection was ‘distorted perceptions’, where things appear to be one thing but are actually something else. in strange ways, art imitates life & here was no better example of that. in no attempts to discredit his design skills, this collection was one of wang’s best but hopefully his legal woes won’t distract from his design.

LONDON – often getting the short end of the stick on the fashion calendar, london is one fashion capital that is stylized from concentrate. complex & over the top, beyond any form of fashion expectation, london continued to stay true to their direction of chaotic designs & heart pounding concepts. while collections remained balanced, some collections went the classic route while both seemed to balance one another, equally. with bigger labels like burberry prorsum clouding the area & hogging the spotlight, i’ve found myself looking to other smaller labels for creative shelter. in london, throngs of designers are birthed & go on to conquer the other fashion capitals working for other labels based in new york, paris & milan. while i did have a tough time picking a favorite from london, considering my intense need to represent from an artists perspective; the two i did select represent london’s future through design theatricality & it’s refined heritage.

1. BELSTAFF with the reign of burberry seeing no end in the near future, i was completely taken aback by the belstaff collection this season. beautifully photographed look book images were revealed, as the british label clearly proves that they are coming for the british design thrown. founded in 1924, belstafff originally produced all-weather, waterproof jackets & outterwear; while being the first company to every use waxed cotton. now headquartered in italy, it seems as though the british label has been able to tap into a much more refined arena, far beyond just creating all-weather garments. under the creative direction of martin cooper, an american, the label has debuted a strong effort for the FW12 season. with an impressive design resume, cooper comes to belstaff with a wealth of skill, having 16years experience at burberry, where he served as design director of outerwear. heavily based on iconic designs that were inspired by the brand’s archives, cooper thoughtfully designed pieces for men & women, almost identically. with great weight & an almost heavily emotional sense of design resonating in the collection, i was completely floored by this label & had to include it as one of this season’s 10 best. im very about execution & here it was done expertly well. i’ve seen collections that i’ve absolutely loved, but the way in which they were shot did them no justice at all. well rounded, artistically; from design to presentation & all done so beautifully- i am obsessed with belstaff & this new direction. completely enthused, i am, for cooper leading this new era for the label. while some of the collection pieces weigh closely to those of burberry, the inspiration for the collection is backed by a long standing & rich brand history that can only serve as greater inspiration in season’s to come. it’s dark, it’s glamourous & most of all, it’s stylish. from the smaller, tighter cropped coats- to the dramatic, black shearling fur coat with the belted waist- i love. with cooper being an artist & photographer, these additional talents will no doubt prove to be beneficial for the label, in their pursuit of the crown. i am very excited to see how they take the opportunity to become far more individualized in the high fashion spotlight.

2. McQ in the last few years leading to alexander mcqueen’s death, it seemed as though the McQ diffusion line was a complete departure or disconnection. this season, that disconnection was null & void. the runway, a first for the McQ label to be presented on, was covered with leaves; as a reminder that it was fall. i love that the same dramatized designs we expect from mcqueen were interlaced into this collection. creative director & resident boss bitch over at mcqueen, sarah burton, seemed to ignore the limitations of price point as it relates to style this go-round. cylindrical up-do’s, earth toned leathers & surprisingly stunning use of velvet, which i usually hate, was all beautifully used for this season’s mcqueen diffusion line. while the price tag of the collection has always intended to be a little more forgiving on your pocket books, this fall, that lacking element will not be visible in design. what i love & have loved about mcqueen, aesthetically, is their fearlessness to go there- to show out a bit. sarah burton has done a truly amazing job in her role as creative director at the label & the fruits of her labor are vividly visible on the runway & through advertising. for the first time ever, i seen the direct connection between big sister mcqueen & little sis. im sure that consumers will eat this shit up at retail. with the few pieces of menswear also being presented on the runway, i loved the concepts & how well executed the collection was. as a full show, through design & overall vision- undoubtedly, this collection was a standout in london. strong silhouettes & powerful presence ruled this collection. no one can deny the incredible sense of inspiration this collection has lent to fashion; the mcqueen archives, nor the enthusiasm that will be met by consumers.

MILAN – associated, in my mind, with over the top, show stopping glamour; milan is always a sight to see. considering that fashion is their number one industry, the amount of style & pressure to produce it was felt this season. it seemed as though more collections in milan were staggered rather than stunning. milan was a tough call for me this season, as i tried to look at the shows more objectively. it was difficult to pick a favorite based on all the judged criteria, given the fact that the palette presented this season was dull, as was the quality of design seen. though better known for labels of gaudier design DNA, i have found myself being drawn much more to the minimal designs in milan. (surprise, surprise) in my mind, im very anti when it comes to the hyped. im not afraid to say when something is lackluster, for lack of better articulation, ugly or just plain un-beautiful. i’d like to think that my eye has become much more refined & in some ways desensitized when it comes to political posts regarding how great a collection can be. i have found that many of the ‘great’ labels only have the platform or an established consumer audience, while true design talent boils below that hype. below that hype is where i have found some of the better collections, while some bigger labels have also put in valiant efforts. this season, milan was littered with tacky designs, overly conceptualized direction & failed attempts to wow us. with that said, i’ve selected two collections that made me sit up both with high impact design & thoughtful minimalism.

1. GIANFRANCO FERRÉ prior to them taking the helm at the label, stefano citron & fererico piaggi assisted gianfranco ferré up to his death in 2007. following ferré’s death due to a massive brain hemorrhage; the label suffered many changes & suffered loss of interest in the public eye. considering the design history of ferré; as a designer, his role as creative director at christian dior from 1989-1997 laid the ground work for a label worthy of design credibility. new directors, citron & piaggi, have fused that direction with modernization, beautifully. now in their second season at the label, i loved the use & intentional deconstruction of silhouettes we seen this season. though still minimal, in essence, the styling of the collection & it’s use of design lines was stunning- the belted waists, the dripping fur accents & milky toned palette which was fused with deep rooted fall tones of navy & maroon-brown was sensational. as much as i detest it’s presence, i again found that the use of metallic in this collection, was a bit forced & did not fit into the impressively clean, straight forward palette in which i loved most about the collection. metallic registers as cheap to me, though it can be done right, in this collection it wasn’t. i understand the need to push to maintain trend relevancy, but beyond trend, true style never dies. the tailoring of coats & the slight use of sheer was well produced, well developed. overall, the collection packed a powerful punch, look after look & im hoping that stronger elements on the advertising & public relations tip will help push the collection through ad campaigns & high fashion editorials at vogue & beyond. a design voice that relied on minimalism & modernism instead of showstopping antics, like other labels; i believe in the greatness that the ferré label can be. with help from other meaningful areas, bossing up on the business side, the commendable design is good & is well on it’s way.

2. GABRIEL COLANGELO beginning with a staged capsule collection at the front end of 2008, gabriele colangelo has cited a life of traditional atelier with his family, and has grown up surrounded by what he describes as a ‘tradition of excellence’ & has learned the ‘expression of grace & craftsmanship’. an inspired designer who is still rather fresh in the game, colangelo used artist, jason martin, as his inspiration for his fall collection. using techniques that can only be described as high art, i was immediately taken by the collections use of print, palette & intensely attracted to the use of clean design lines- which im partial to. what’s impressive of milan is the amount of young talent that is pumping from the region. with respectful nods to some of the more established, high glamour labels- there’s a beauty & certain freshness that i find with young italian designers. not as biased as some french designers, not as boisterous as the brits, nor as jaded as some in new york- it’s new & vibrant. as a forming pattern we will likely see more of in the next few years; designers who’ve grown up in a wealth of fashion, specifically in milan, seem to be coming more & more into the spotlight. this kind of upbringing almost resurrects the ways of old as these new designers are merging what they know of traditional technique & combing that with the modern; to help high fashion progress. if you’re a loyal follower of mine, you may have me caught me saying, “inspiration is fluid” – as it is for true artists. to elaborate on colangelo’s inspiration for this collection, contemporary british designer, jason martin is listed as a member of the contemporary art society & has held varied exhibitions to further promote his work. visible in the collections use of color, as well as the use of print- much of colangelo’s work has been praised for it’s reinvention & this collection proves that point to an even greater extent. fall is built around statement coats & the one of the greatest bids in milan this fall, was gabriele colangelo. beautiful use of fur, the technique of dipped/ombre’d pieces; it was all very chic. sleek lines guided the collection’s design direction quite well, while action packed details added another dimension of interest & artistic appeal. one of the most interesting perspectives i’ve seen this season, especially in milan- hence my inclusion as a favorite. reportedly influenced by christian dior’s new look & the modern designs of phoebe philo; one should not question my attraction to this collection & retail should have no problems serving this set to the fashion famished.

PARIS – of the fashion capitals, paris reigns supreme. unending sophistication, refined poise & flawless production- clearly, the fashion calendar saves the best for last. while new york begins to pitter patter on their never ending runways that stretch over the course of nine days, i sit, waiting & dreaming of what paris will show. in my mind, i sometimes wish that show season was like DVR (digital video recording, otherwise known as TiVo), where i could record the whole thing & fast foward to paris- skipping the commercials & dull moments, only leaving my thirst for high fashion quenched with the shows by dior, gaultier & vuitton. surprisingly, even some of those bigger labels left me wanting more. in comparison to others on the fashion calendar, paris presents the most options for ‘best of’, which is quite clear this season in my review. the french have led the way for style & international poise for many years, this season was no different. with it’s combination & contrasts of modern, classical & otherwise progressive design- paris was it’s usual, inspiring-self this fall. posing much more difficulty for me, in my process of elimination, there were many good collections but i vowed to only discuss those which impacted me most. how were these collections changing our view of fashion? how is this challenging what we’ve seen before? how is this maintaining or breaking down the ideals of parisienne chic? is this changing the view of women & how they dress? these questions often cross my mind when labeling collections as ‘powerful’, ‘important’ or ‘of value’. with only four more collections leading to our top collections of the fall, paris presented the greatest effort in refining design in the highest form of fashion. these four have severely impacted our style culture, undoubtedly.

1. DRIES VAN NOTEN celebrated as one of fashion’s ‘most cerebral designers’, i’ve been familiar with the work of dries van noten but there is something about this season that has made me sit up in my seat. empowered through incredible design details, the FW12 van noten collection is one that made me look at fashion design a little bit differently. lending a bit of minimalism through use of sleek lines, i’ve become quite obsessed this season with being much more engulfed in the root of inspiration for designers- researching runway soundtracks, runway video, detailed imagery & past interviews with the designers. i find myself favoring belgian fashion designers now & have uncovered a deep rooted love in the radical modernization of classical style that is often contrasted through their collections. in my long standing attraction to the mystifying presence of the historical antwerp six, my attraction, ultimately my obsession, with the dries van noten label has swelled insurmountably. the way minimalism was contrasted with the perfect amount of detail, not to mention the way inspiration was threaded ever so thoughtfully throughout- inspiring. the way some looks were undeniably militant while other played on oriental regalia was picture perfect. in terms of wear-ability, this season’s collection was made to have an impact at retail. but even beyond a steady aim at retail, the collection did not falter on presenting garments or serving design on the highest of high end tiers. this, to me- is fashion of the future. without pushing the progressive envelope too far & making you feel disconnected; the collection seemed to appeal to the eye through forms of futurism, introduced in such a way that they attract you in a sly manner, not a jolting one. the details signal that the future is upon us, but the classical appeal was remixed in new & innovative ways. innovation that was able to introduce the future while not abandoning the present. it’s these collections that change fashion- they may not possess the annoying commercial presence, but something beautiful is being said. something larger than life, more like art is being translated in the way that threads piece together sleeves & seams create dresses. an absolute best this fall. an imaginative progression of both style & vision that was so well interpreted, it becomes expanded beyond the world of fashion & transcends into art. a true success in the context of high fashion & it’s influence.

2. BALMAIN interestingly inspired & beautifully executed, olivier rousteing has done a spectacular job at taking the baton over at balmain. a fashion house heavily based in design intricacy & haute couture heritage, this season rousteing allowed that heritage to be resurrected. reportedly inspired by elizabeth taylor’s fabergé egg, the collections inspiration was translated perfectly. what i loved about this collection & what i love about olivier’s approach is that it’s a progression. from last season to this season, the silhouettes presented by decarnin are seen while greater forms of individualism or personalization are added in greater amounts, over time. by making these alterations gradually, the existing balmain clientele base is not disturbed; rather they are attracted slowly into a new direction. this collection made me question why balmain has not yet re-entered haute couture. these clothes were excessive & over the top; they surpassed wearability in some forms. show stoppers in every sense of the word, the collection pushed the limitations & really stood in a league all their own through design details. the balmain label is one that has become iconic & almost played out for repetitive silhouettes & overuse of metallic- but this season the label was more fresh, glamorously sophisticated & intimately intricate. it was new, but still familiar. that’s what fashion collections should be- gradual, inspiring & beautifully executed. i applaud rousteing for all that he has done & all that he plans to do during his tenure at the label. with the brand’s diffusion line gaining more advertising steam in the last season; the house of balmain looks like it’s in a prime position with a fitting leader at the forefront. i just wish some of this beauty was forecasted & produced more for the menswear division of the brand. i cannot wait to see how well this is received on the editorial front & how this beautiful inspiration will be re-produced in advertising format. this collection is one that makes your eyes wide with wonder- i see cover shot written over so many pieces. and these clothes were more than just beautiful, far more than memorable- in fact, they are absolutely unforgettable.

FALL 2012 - of the collections we’ve seen this season, judged through specific criteria, i have been able to clearly sort through high fashion to find & identify only what i absolutely love. allowing each fashion capital to represent qualities found in those regions, i thought it would be helpful to distinguish & represent each capital in selecting the greatest two. as some collections are better than others, in construction, production or execution- i allowed the number of rankings at each capital to balance out; leaving a top two for my absolute best. runway is the most valuable to me & i have found that i’ve been reacting in such a way that has caused me to distance myself. this reaction to how rapidly globalized fashion has become & is becoming everyday, each week, season, month & year; seemed to be out of my control. this new format & method of greater objectivity is to remedy that reaction. with the direction i intended to go in for the future of this site, to better encapsulate my literary voice, in an effort to make greater preservation of my mission in this space, i am now looking at angles with more journalistic worth & artistic sensitivity. these collections have had the greatest effect, not only on me; but, i feel, on fashion & the culture in which we live in.

1. BALENCIAGA as the one collection that spurred me out of my runway writer’s block this season, the work of nicolas ghesquière during his tenure at balenciaga is that in which i marvel over. season after season, through constant reinvention; the balenciaga label leads the rest of high fashion into the future. leading the way, but remaining in a lane all their own- this season’s collection was one of the best, for sure. it had me thinking about the big labels who’ve stayed true to their heritage, labels who’ve remained consistent & labels that have defended, at all costs, their branding identity. what is so impressive of balenciaga is the fact that they have seemingly abandoned their classical direction; which helped them rise, following the opening of the first balenciaga boutique in 1918. in 1937, cristobal balenciaga made an entrance into haute couture; with the opening of his first haute couture house. historically inspired by the spanish renaissance; clientele of the balenciaga label have gone down in history for risking their lives during world war II; just to get their hands on some of these designs. designs ranging from the square coat, the tunic, the spherical balloon jacket, the high-waisted baby doll dress, the balloon skirt & the sack dress all revolutionized the world of fashion design & have contributed largely to what fashion is today. as one of the greatest fashion designers in history, the house of balenciaga has afforded many designers the opportunity to move on through successful ventures in fashion, as cristobal balenciaga himself worked with designers oscar de la renta, emanuel ungaro & hubert de givenchy- all in which conquered fashion in their own right. through legendary associations with the kennedy’s, the house of balenciaga has remained at the forefront of high fashion & in the public eye, as well as in the heart of the global fashion audience, since it began nearly 100 years ago. to this day, the house remains in the vein of modernization as ghesquière so flawlessly includes iconic elements of the houses silhouettes, while morphing them to new & refreshing ways to the high end retail market. the sense of futurism in the collection, this season, was attached to the idea of corporate entities & even spies. the label combines elements of their heritage with those that are unseen in todays market. this has proved, time & time again, to be a winning combination. powerful women are what is represented at balenciaga- the space like, teenage elements in the collection were unexpected. incredibly strong silhouettes were seen as the outwear seemed to resemble space suits at one point. the use of sheer, the use of color & the attention to detail in the ability to properly define the modern woman- balenciaga continues to lead the way for the future of fashion & this collection was evidence of that.

2. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN one of the illest design chicks in the game has to be sarah burton. her ability to produce under pressure while at mcqueen, quite possibly the most focused upon fashion brand in the last three years; is highly commendable. what was once heavily emotional & inspired by the dark side with gothic interpretations is now a vivid, almost fashion relic of angelic proportions. from burton’s involvement & association with the royal family, who could forget the wedding dress she made for kate? it seems as though burton’s own femininity is now fearlessly being projected onto the runway. as described by as burton as evidence that she was “pushing herself”, she continued, “it has to move forward” – almost admitting that a greater sense of change was on the rise. the collection was almost surreal- the clothes floated on the runway as silhouettes were almost like holograms; heeless, well, heels glided on the wood flooring of the salle wagram, where the show was held. there was a sense of vintage grandeur but never was there lacking any form of futurism- it was perfectly balanced & served ‘vision’ in true mcqueen fashion. as the only label to have two collections on this season’s top 10, no better designer than burton deserves the recognition she has & will recieve. the way that she has contrasted & respected the DNA of the mcqueen label is truly remarkable. i know that these collection pieces, from those metallic belts to those incredible visor/sunglass pieces- will all make for beautiful photographs in every magazine. each piece, really, deserves it’s own cover. burton has allowed the house of mcqueen to carry on uninterrupted through beautiful execution & vivid concepts. i loved how exaggerated the designs were, but even in that, the concepts were still very delicate yet powerful. this collection is hands down, one of burton’s best & an unreal delivery of dope.

lastly, i want to make one thing very clear. though only 10 labels have been selected, in this list, every collection shares the same wealth of greatness. in fashion it’s important to remain focused & un-phased. un-phased in the sense that some things that have the opportunities of commercial push, might not always be the greatest effectors of evolution. remain un-phased, as to not allow oneself to become so caught up in the glamour, that you ultimately lose focus. in fashion, it’s imporant to remain focused in your ability to look at collections with fresh eyes, each season; utilizing objectivity to distinguish what is good from what is great. fashion has been described as many things but one thing for sure, fashion is a marking of time. fashion represents who we are as a people, how we want to look & how we want to feel. a perception, fashion works hand in hand with style & that is one thing that is self defined. beyond simple definitions or even standard opinion, fashion is what you believe it to be & i believe that it is something great. it’s the most liberating form of expression; tying together music, advertising, anatomy & photography. there is no one better cumulative creative industry like fashion. though it promotes division in some forms, true artists can see that it also builds bridges. whether it was the improvement we seen from kanye west or the fact that he basically jacked tisci’s swag at givenchy- it’s fashion & we can discuss it. i was impressed by the unbreakably classic designs of dior, even despite their lack of leadership & was also gravely disappointed by the house of versace. from the innovation of mugler to the extrememly dope outerwear at gareth pugh- this season was much like many others before & to follow, a conversational piece. in my work here, what i have done is establish a zone, where true creativity & artistic integrity can be protected & celebrated.

what began as rumors & speculation, murmured throughout the fashion world, has now escalated to shouts. shouting from reputable sources like women’s wear daily & the new york times’ cathy horyn; it appears that the removal of john galliano as creative director at christian dior has been the first motion in what i refer to as, the great fashion shift. after allegations & a trial set fashion headlines on fire; galliano’s fall from grace, though tragic, has set the groundwork for a much needed creative rotation in the world of high fashion. as coveted a position at dior has everyone buzzing- who would step in as galliano’s replacement? what about couture? what about womenswear? what about galliano’s own namesake label? names were being spit from every direction; hedi slimane, haider ackermann, ricardo tisci, alber elbaz, lagerfeld- every creative director was being mentioned. as enticing as some of these names & label associations sounded- the only ones who remained tight lipped were the most important players of all, fashion house reps. after consistent speculation from a number of sources around the fashion forum & internet blogosphere; much of that speculation is being confirmed as this fashion shift is now in full swing.

discussed here previously, WWD speculated news regarding raf simons leaving his post at jil sander to hop over to the house of dior. while reps for both labels remained on hush, announcement of simons’ exit from sander was headline news early last week. with raf’s exit from sander, that left many questioning who would fill the space as director at that label. in a completely unexpected move, just a day following the news of raf simons’ departure, it was announced that jil sander herself would return to her namesake label after 12 years. this news, was a shock considering sander’s reasons for departure were feuds with executives at the prada group, who then owned a 75% stake in the sander label. after missing from the game & a successful collaboration with japanese fast fashion retailer, uniqlo, under her belt; sander appears to be excited about her design homecoming. “i am confident that this is the time for modern sophistication, for attractive, wearable fashion which is true to the new century” says sanders, who has already returned to begin her work at the label. as the last collection creatively directed by raf simons strolled the runway, simons did his final walk after his stunning collection & said goodbye with a tearful wave. while reps at the house of christian dior have not yet responded to speculated reports regarding simons taking the helm at their label, i expect that announcement will come very soon, likely before show season comes to a close. the timing of these announcements & the release of such statements has definitely been keeping fashion on high alert.

at present, christian dior has put an interim director in place in light of galliano’s removal following his racism controversy. bill gaytten, whom served as galliano’s assistant for a number of years, is the interim artistic director & presented a stellar haute couture collection. under the guidance of gaytten, everything seemed to be under control at the historic french fashion house. while no announcement has been released, the house of dior shows their fall/winter 2012-13 collection on march the 2nd & i would not be shocked if this prompted them to also announce simons as new creative director. in terms of publicity, this would create a media frenzy & would overshadow other fashion news of the moment, which is a smart tactic for gaining even more media focus. amidst all of the christian dior movement & gossip, another label’s creative director was also being put into question. stefano pilati, whom has been in place as creative director at yves saint laurent since 2004, having been involved with the label since 2000. since pilati began as director, the internet & media outlets have been abuzz about his removal, low sales figures & these rumors never died down. while these claims were shot down a number of times by yves saint laurent press reps, it was confirmed by both women’s wear daily (WWD) & the new york times that pilati will present his last collection for the house march the 5th, in paris. what i find so tragic of this removal is that pilati had seemingly hit his design stride. after murmurs of low sales figures, those figures went up after pilati flexed his muscle in areas of accessories with leather goods. this move turned profitability around at the label in 2008 & from that point onward, pilati has re-established some of the heritage of the french label; by making it a point to tap into parisienne concepts, shapes & silhouettes. no news or speculation of pilati’s next move are known at the present time.

with pilati vacating the directing position at yves saint laurent, some have speculated the return of hedi slimane. speculating that slimane would return to YSL, a label who’s menswear division he used to direct. with an impressive resume under his belt & years of experience in the fashion game, slimane has played an influential role in menswear fashion history. as the once creative director of menswear at YSL, slimane was put in position as their creative director of menswear by pierre bergé, co-founder to the yves saint laurent label, in ’96. in this role, slimane introduced the iconic ‘skinny jean’ & later left the label to move on to a directing position at christian dior in ’01. as director of menswear, slimane’s involvement was instrumental in the launch of the dior homme sub-label. with dior homme, slimane dressed rock stars, mick jagger & david bowie among many others in music, prompting an incredibly influential presence of dior’s menswear division, while being the first menswear designer to be awarded, by the council of fashion designer’s of america (CFDA), the international award. during this period, slimane has been credited for redefining the male silhouette.  in 2007, though discussion of having a namesake label funded, slimane walked away from dior & did not renew his contract. since then slimane has not been active in the world of fashion design & has focused his creative energy in photography. this move has allowed slimane to remain a force in fashion, while separating him from the pressures of design. as a photographer, slimane has had a number of exhibitions & has worked with a wide range of prestigious clients in, both publication & advertising.

so with all of this speculation, which will render true? will raf simons head over to christian dior? will hedi slimane return to yves saint laurent? considering that slimane has an incredibly influential track record with the house of christian dior, i wouldn’t be surprised if he was put into place at that label; while simons could be a fit for yves saint laurent. in the game of fashion, there are often shake-ups, but there haven’t been this many big budget shifts, all at once. while i sit back, watching headlines & speculation circle the perimeter, i feel that this shift is needed more so now than ever. the house of christian dior has suffered a great loss with the removal of john galliano, but things will definitely get interesting from this point onward. these creative directors have a direct impact on the way we view clothing, the way we precieve style & the way our society is shaped- through advertising, cut & something that appears as minimal as silhouette. whether you’ve known it or not, these artists are the great motivators of our future, leading influence onto the runway, each season. for there is no greater piece of history than that of which we wear on our backs. [source]

sandwiched between suzy menkes, michael robber’s of vanity fair, vogue’s virgnia smith & anna wintour, alongside hamish bowles- sat one very lucky blogger; front row at the FW09/10 dolce & gabbana runway show. this singular event signaled the entrance to a new era. for me, i thought it to be confusing, surprising, but most of all unsettling. while im all for digital journalism & the emergence of fashion in a cyber setting, i do- above all, value creativity, skill & knowledge. admittedly, bryanboy was the first fashion blog that i read or began to pay attention to. as one of the more well known blogs on the scene; i didn’t understand how this site, through composition or even selection of content was changing the way we seen fashion, or even how it embodied the creative essence that i now associate with high fashion. from mention of models to noted obsessions with certain labels or fashion headlines- bryanboy did little to nothing in terms of breaking new ground. that said, isn’t that the purpose for new developments in media or even new media platforms? to break new ground? i became aware of blogging in 2003, writing & collecting images posting, then, to a site called xanga. no one blogged with a greater sense of direction at that time, we all used it as a personal journal. but once this new spree of better directed blog spaces began to surface- i tried my hand at it.

after the first tier of fashion bloggers began to win by default, a new wave of bloggers with actual talent began to emerge. of course, bloggers who have been able to tap into greater opportunity with their talents have earned my respect- photographers like tommy ton, garance dore & scott schulman have gone beyond the confines of the title ‘blogger’. using a digital platform to present their portfolios which have turned street style into something of a headlining element, these moves for these individuals are easily respected. bloggers now appear to be puppets; manipulated by major labels & brands, while the disconnect between actual journalism, adept knowledge of fashion history & even demonstrated skill grows wider & wider apart from posting fashion images & talking shit. i can recognize a star when i see one & whole heartedly support talent in a number of industries; but over the course of the last three years, the light that attracted me to the front row has been growing more & more dim. the front row, essentially, is to house editors & fashion heavyweights who make a difference; people who have instrumental value in the placement of certain fashion pieces. in the last twenty years, celebrities have also filled these seats; which has allowed fashion houses to use these individuals as walking billboards. as celebrity culture has become more wide-spread than ever & with the rise of the socialite as a star, a movement we’ve seen more frequently over the last five years; this has allowed persons of lesser talent to undeservingly take space on the front line, where fashion should have the most value.

no shade to stefano tonchi, anna wintour, lorraine candy, franca sozzani, emmanuelle alt or the varied editors & stylists who can actually effect movement in our style culture, but how in the fuck are some of these individuals garnering these seats? has fashion become so heavily drenched in politically driven seating arrangements that, somehow, value has been lost? it’s been made quite clear that a sense of value or even intelligence is not being considered when PR account reps are creating these seating arrangements. i had debated even drawing up this post or opening this discussion but i feel that it’s necessary. this show season, following the end of couture collections, i had even doubted how necessary it is to cover new york fashion week. prior to the death of whitney houston, not knowing if that was a signal of some sort, i felt disconnected- like something was off. something wasn’t being translated clearly or perhaps, upon gaining more knowledge of fashion & it’s inner workings that supersede creativity, i’ve simply become uninterested. back when i was tapped by burberry’s PR offices to live stream their FW10 collection, i thought it was some sort of mistake. in an effort to not alter perceptions too severely, i wasn’t sure how large an influence they thought i possessed. to be in the first batch of news outlets to even be considered, especially for such a large & established label, i still cannot believe that even happened. once i had the live stream under my belt & had added it to my growing resume of digital journalism, i began to recieve regular PR alerts & updates from burberry, most of which i felt didn’t fit into the direction of content in which i was going. of course, in an effort to preserve the connection; which, by the way, was not created by any of my own attempts, i would just leave the messages in my inbox. to be frank, you as my readers care more about actual fashion & true creativity. creativity which lies beyond headlines of ryan seacrest wearing burberry on american idol, im sure.

the next season following, i got an email from miles, the americas public relations director of menswear at burberry. miles had communicated with me leading to the request of my involvement in the live stream, so his emails had become regular, almost expected. his email listed information needed for the label’s upcoming menswear show, to be held at the palazzo serbelloni. the email read, “i am looking into capacity at present and would like to accommodate you if possible.” – my mind was jolted. how would i even scramble up funds, mid-month, in the midst of my monthly financial plan & be able to budget an expense for milan, a week prior? in an effort to remain professional & of course, gracious in response, i communicated that i had a prior engagement. that engagement being non-existent at that time. i politely explained my previous plans, lightly. extremely disappointed that i would have to shoot down this invitation to milan, i kept questioning- “why me?”. years later, completely oblivious at the time, i later learned the value of the word ‘accommodate’. but was it a missed opportunity for milan that will never come again? how was i to know the depth of this accommodation? i don’t speak italian, where would i have been seated? which row? would this accommodation include a driver? what about hotel stay? all these questions with no real individuals who had the knowledge around me. to be real, im learning this shit as im going & we’re all gaining more knowledge, together, as these things happen. i detest these bloggers, these websites who create a false sense of knowledge in separating themselves from real people. which is what many fashion bloggers do, shit bloggers in general. i have not seen any fashion blogs that do what my site does- explain what the fuck this fashion shit means. it’s as though everyone is keeping & containing knowledge in an attempt to use it against people when it’s beneficial for them or to make others feel lesser. this, im afraid, is the absolute corruption of fashion- this sense of separation is not one that i am used to. but, as a double edged sword- fashion is built on exclusivity. you can’t include everyone. then the industry becomes too open & loses it’s luster. which has happened. im all for structure, organizing people into levels is not the issue. but it’s how & who is being selected to be at certain tiers within the structure that has become the issue.

one of the biggest things to happen last show season, was nicki minaj’s presence, front row, at a number of shows. “i’m not impressed to be in that world. i’m in my own world. i think sometimes the fashion world isn’t even about clothes anymore; it’s about this “in” crowd, & i’m not into that” said minaj, mirroring my own sentiments about what fashion is in these modern times. i’ve been writing & discovering, uncovering what fashion is for almost four years in this space with you. in that time, i’ve seen a slew of worthless people sitting front row. but how can we even change that? how can we shed light on the fact that these mere seats, actually have value. how do you effectively communicate that this fashion thing is more than just clothes? sitting front row at a show doesn’t give you knowledge, it doesn’t afford you some type of skill. the reality of it, is that, to some of you- it is just a seat. to others, it’s a thrown. let’s not get soo caught up in this world of blogging, digital writing & PR knee jerking that we forget what some of us artists were supposed to be doing. in this day in age, everyone is a stylist, everyone is a photographer, everyone is a blogger, everyone has a magazine. this over saturation of false stars, terrible talent & unfounded glamour actually creates a sub-culture within the culture of fashion, otherwise known as the separation from the real & the fake. fashion is what you perceive it as & for me, it’s losing it’s glory. more collections on the runway, more ads, more design- it’s all too much. at times, i just want to tell everyone to sit the fuck down & shut up- just don’t sit in the front row.

there are very few icons that i give unending praise to; considering how the entertainment industries have transformed over the last two decades. we’ve seen the definition of ‘superstar’ transgress, dramatically. true stars, real icons & actual superstars affect the culture in which they are a product of- there’s no room for gimmicks, no need for bullshit to make up for what is lacking in talent. i highly doubt the world will ever get to experience another talent the size equivalent or even close to that of whitney houston. along with michael jackson, the only other individual who has been able to change the perception of blacks in the mainstream or popular musical sector was whitney houston. there is no arguing; individuals who know & follow popular culture or musical reception, as closely as i do, can do nothing but agree with me. when whitney took the stage, when those songs cut through the speakers- pure & sophisticated; you weren’t thinking about color- just talent. what the industry has done to artists of value is truly tragic. the pressure & media speculation drive true talent to dark corners; where they become isolated for their greatness. a rapid release type of industry that creates ‘stars’, only to spit them out in the next instance, only victimizing & strangulating real talent from stepping into spotlight. with whitney, she was the last of her breed, perhaps the only. as, quite possibly, the greatest voice of all time, she needed no other talents other than her voice. no need for songwriting credits or even composition skills- the voice was astounding enough all it’s own. whitney became the poster-child for what diva’s were, she became the prototype for what every other female singer was to aspire to. her entrance into film broke, further, the barriers for women of color being cast for leading roles.

i won’t take this opportunity to speak on reports, cause of death or the turmoil that whitney often became engulfed in, in more recent years. as big a star as she was, this world could not handle the talent of whitney houston properly. with a tarnished legacy, riddled with negative press reports, the whitney houston that should be remembered is the whitney who allowed our musical culture to progress. her image, her presence was one that generations learned from- she coached legions on how real stars do it, with poised & graceful stamina, with earth shattering conviction & confidence. as my phone burst with multiple message alerts from cousins, friends & an email from my grandmother- i sat, crying with pulsated breath. i remembered begging my grandmother to buy me a magazine, which featured a story on whitney, at the grocery store during the mid-90′s. after purchasing it for me, when we got back to the house, i began to tear the pages open with excitement; staring at her image thinking of how beautiful she was. i began to read the article; the words ‘addiction’, ‘tantrum’ & ‘suspicious’ splattered on the pages. the magazine i had begged for was, in fact a tabloid. disgusted by this realization & with my dreams of one day becoming a singer & superstar like whitney; it was in that moment that i learned how talent is portrayed by the media. from that point on, i didn’t pay attention to the press regarding whitney, rather, i’d sit & listen to the records- that’s where whitney had her glory. performing on stage- that was where she was & is untouchable.

sitting in my grandmother’s living room as a child, i would go to a corner where her vinyl records were kept, next to her record player & stereo. there was whitney’s second album, whitney, on vinyl. i wasn’t allowed to touch the record player, but would sit there looking at whitney, clad in a long-length satin gown, curls flowing upward from her head, her autograph in the lower right hand corner. this was glamour, this was beauty, this is what stars are made of, i learned. not aware that the album i held in my hands had landed in at #1 in 11 countries & won whitney a grammy for best female pop vocal performance; nor that more hits & more records would be broken in the years that followed- i went off of what whitney put out, musically, her power- vocally, is what solidified her as a star in my mind. the most frequently played song of my life, without a doubt, is whitney’s “greatest love of all”. the sound of whitney’s voice had become so regular to me during the beginning stages of my life & onward through my adolescence that she became an extension of me. she was this place of perfection that no one could understand, that no one could touch. it’s that grace, sophistication & striking ability to entertain that will forever be associated with whitney; i will remember what made her a star. as a female of american musical history, whitney houston raised the bar so high that she, herself, could not surpass it. what whitney houston has contributed for individuals of color in mainstream entertainment will remain unmatched. there will never be a greater icon than whitney houston.

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debuting his first campaign- ever; jason wu reiterates the same sophistication felt in his womenswear designs into this spring advertisments. a stunning first in every sense of the meaning, the campaign was shot by willy vanderperre with styling by joe mckenna. starring julia frauche of next models ny, the campaign is a vivid depiction of the collection & boasts a few key looks from the ultra-feminine collection. inspired by street artist, KAWS, wu actually collaborated with the graffiti artist to develop the floral print seen in the first image. though rather similar to other work by vanderperre, the collection is beautifully shot as the right amount of ease & minimalism is represented significantly, in each image.

the overall image that wu has communicated to the masses through his highly publicized design nuances has been extremely sophisticated in my mind. now a bonafide fashion all-star, to think; wu was relatively unknown when suddenly his name was splashed across every major newspaper for his dress design worn by first lady, michelle obama. after that dress appeared, his collection strolled the runway & i was unimpressed. over the course of the several last seasons, wu has managed to create a branding presence & design signature that is both modern & mature while not isolating the middle aged or the girlies in their  lower to mid-twenties. i like that wu is just now beginning to enter the campaign arena, he has taken a significant amount of time to really focus on who he is as a designer, which is greatly respect. serving the sense of glamour that i look for in high fashion, wu proves that he is now entering the next level. with the success of his target line collaboration being visible on the barren racks at the thousands of retail locations nationwide, im very excited to see what wu will cook up for the fall show season in new york. amidst the hundreds of dulled american fashion designers, wu preserves his freshness quite well. [source]

under the guidance of karl lagerfeld, male model baptiste giabiconi has easily been considered one of the most visible male models of the last five years. noticeable for his presence in all things lagerfeld associated, giabiconi’s presence is one that has become quite an annoyance to me in high fashion. while im not ignoring the fact that baptiste is incredibly handsome, my irritation with most of his bookings is that they were all afforded by his affiliation with karl. a master & living legend, karl lagerfeld is the creative director of chanel as well as his own namesake line, karl lagerfeld. he is also creatively involved with fendi & is a pronounced photographer & author. through all of karl’s brand affiliations, baptiste appears, each season. this not only creates a landslide of missed opportunities for other male models who actually put in the work with brands, casting agents & photographers; but the shit that baptiste puts our in terms of product or quality of modeling skill ain’t shit compared to others in the industry. the same bland, side profile, arched eyebrow, zoolander look is seen in every shot- which explains why i felt it necessary to only include one image from this campaign. all the other images appear no different than this one. karl lagerfeld has shot campaigns for chanel, dior homme & for his other sister collections within the karl lagerfeld brand umbrella. in baptiste’s portfolio, he boasts 11 chanel campaigns, 5 fendi campaigns & 6 karl lagerfeld campaigns. even more annoying is the fact that baptiste was cast for chanel campaigns- while chanel is more widely regarded as a womenswear brand that shows occasional menswear looks that are not produced for retail.

im down to support & acknowledge male model that showcase actual range & skill through bookings, editorial cameos & dope covers but the presence of baptiste in modeling has made a joke of fashion in many ways. with the less than thrilling collections that have been presented under the chanel label, under the direction of karl lagerfeld, over the past several seasons- not to mention the spurts of disrespectful remarks that karl spews to the press about other models, labels & such; it’s clear that karl is becoming more & more careless with what ‘fashion’ is as a creative industry. while i respect his contributions to fashion, through consistent design work with majorly iconic houses; i do find it necessary to voice an opinion when it hinders opportunities for other models in the industry. even beyond that, it’s just become this ridiculous circus; you start to approach other brands with a lack of enthusiasm, considering that you can bet that baptiste will reappear with the same fucking look on his face the next season following. the same minimal campaign theme is seen in karl’s less than stellar photography skills appear as baptiste adds yet another campaign to his resume. with rumors of a relationship & rumors of an engagement between lagerfeld & baptiste circling the internet over the past few years, one has to wonder what it really takes for models with actual skill to enter fashion. i assure you, fucking for campaigns isn’t as respectable as the work that is done by other male models who represent varied skill through diversification of men through advertising imagery. beyond his poorly executed pop singing career, another venture in which baptiste has been able to take on due to his involvement with karl, and the work that karl has scored for him- what is baptiste actually contributing to fashion? my sentiments exactly. before karl was connected to baptiste, he was sitting on a men’s board collecting dust- after he meets karl? he rises through the ranks as the #1 male model in fashion. one has to question; who is more foolish? the individuals who think that it’s okay to unfairly afford individuals coveted opportunities without having to work for them? or are the individuals who falsely praise these shoe-ins & give them these rankings the real idiots? it’s these elements that push me to question fashion & how it should be perceived or communicated to the masses. whether people see it or not, the images that portray labels, the models that are cast- the designs we see each season, those have an effect on our world & the culture we live in. i would hope that individuals who’ve been in the game as long as grandpa karl, would understand that & acknowledge that with some form of responsibility. fashion does have an affect. [source]