Tuesday, September 30, 2008

WELCOME BACK! NOW LETS CHANGE THE WORLD!

As we all know, the world is changing before our very eyes and so is “The World of Mal Sirrah”.

We are extremely excited to announce our updated website (http://www.malsirrah.com/) and invite you to take a trip to the “World of Mal Sirrah”. Our newly created website is a safe haven where dreams come true and a better world realized.

Upon your arrival we invite you to check out our re-launched blog, “The Changing Room” (formerly Cut, Sew and Blog), a blog filled with politics, art, music, charity, interesting characters, and of course, fashion.

Explore our exciting and hopefully inspiring YouTube video presentations and online slideshows as Mal Sirrah attempts to present fashion in an engaging, inspiring and modern context. It is our goal to prove to the world that sometimes a beautiful dress can do more than simply adorn. Instead a beautiful dress can also assist in building solar powered schools and hospitals, play a role in saving women from a life of abuse as well as help in feeding our fellow human beings. But you won’t know this unless you visit http://www.malsirrah.com/ for more information and exploration.

During your journey to our special place, we also encourage you to join our MySpace and FaceBook networks so we can keep you posted on upcoming fashion shows, capsule collections, humanitarian causes and exciting events. When you join Mal Sirrah’s social networks not only do you join our community, you also expand your individual horizons with links to people, causes and movements that connect us all as citizens of the world.

So what are you waiting for? You are merely a double click away from entering the “World of Mal Sirrah” - a world filled with endless possibilities for “changing the world – one dress at a time.”

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Until we return, check out - Free Arts NYC



Every child deserves food, clothing, and shelter. At Free Arts NYC, we believe they also deserve paint, glitter, clay and the opportunity to express themselves creatively with the help of a supportive mentor.

Free Arts NYC is a volunteer-based nonprofit established to bring the healing power of the arts to children and families who face poverty, homelessness, and other risk factors. At no cost to the children, families, volunteers, or our collaborating agencies, we provide programs that are mobile, making it possible for our volunteers to bring creativity and hope directly into the communities where there is the greatest need.

Our core programs – Free Arts Days, Weekly Mentor Program, Parents and Children Together with Art (PACT) and Cultural Enrichment Opportunities – use painting, dance, drama, writing, music, sculpture, photography and other creative outlets to help children express themselves and gain confidence and self-esteem. Working with trained volunteers and professional facilitators, Free Arts programs allow young people to gain self-confidence and strengthen their relationships with their peers, parents, guardians and mentors.

Since 1998, founding Director Liz Hopfan has taken the nonprofit from a budget of $100,000 to over $1,400,000. Free Arts NYC volunteers have now served over 22,000 children and families.

Free Arts NYC volunteers and facilitators give all of the children and families we work with a high level of personal attention. Our volunteer to child ratio is often 1:1 and, at most, 1:3. We are able to reach these ratios without exorbitant expense because of our unique volunteer model.

The key to Free Arts’ success lies in the creativity of our programs, designed by an extremely capable and passionate staff, as well as the organization’s unparalleled ability to meet the needs of many different communities around the city.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Until we return, check out - Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

    Vision & Mission

    The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund strives to change the way society treats its children and youth.

    In the pursuit of its vision, and in order to ensure that the legacy of its founder, Nelson Mandela, is secured in perpetuity, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund will:
    • develop partnerships and initiate programmes which empower and improve the well-being of children and youth;
    • promote the rights of children and youth through the influence of public policy and social awareness; and
    • sustain these initiatives through the development of a sound financial and knowledge support base.

    Wednesday, September 24, 2008

    Proud American

    This video truly makes me proud to be an American. A 94 year old African American woman will be voting for the first time - you must watch this video.






    Until we return, check out - Diane a Shaded View on Fashion



    Diane Pernet, fashion icon, journalist and blogger, world traveler, mentor to many and staunch supporter of talent and creativity.

    Tuesday, September 23, 2008

    Until we return, check out - The Business of Fashion

    Imran Amed - The Business of Fashion


    Based in London, Imran Amed is Editor of The Business of Fashion, a blog which has gained a cult following amongst fashion business professionals and entrepreneurs in over 150 countries.
    Imran is a professional advisor, commentator and investor operating at the intersection of business and fashion, working with major international luxury and fashion brands and high potential fashion start-ups. His particular expertise is in acting as the bridge between the industry's most gifted creative and business talent. He also advises private equity firms, hedge funds and private investors who are interested in the fashion and luxury market.

    Imran regularly contributes to fashion and business publications around the world including Style.com, The Financial Times, Vogue India, and JC Report, amongst others.

    His ideas and expertise have garnered coverage on Fashion Television, Dow Jones, Women's Wear Daily, and Vogue Korea. He is regularly invited to speak at fashion schools, business schools and luxury and fashion conferences around the world.

    Previously, Imran was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a B.Com from McGill University, and a Diploma in Speech Arts and Public Speaking from the Mount Royal Conservatory.

    Monday, September 22, 2008

    Until we return check out - Photographer Nick Knight's - ShowStudio


    About SHOWstudio

    “SHOWstudio is based on the belief that showing the entire creative process—from conception to completion—is beneficial for the artist, the audience and the art itself.”Nick Knight SHOWstudio is an online fashion broadcasting company committed to pioneering, live fashion media. Led by photographer Nick Knight, SHOWstudio has consistently broken new ground with its experimental interactive projects, films and live performances. Its unique collaborations with the world’s most sought-after and influential photographers, artists, writers, designers and cultural figures are broadcast live, in real time on the award-winning SHOWstudio website.

    Committed to unveiling the entire process of creativity to a highly fashion literate audience, SHOWstudio involves its global community of dedicated viewers, encouraging them to respond and contribute to its projects. The progress of each of SHOWstudio's 250+ collaborations –from pre-production meetings and stylists’ selections to the live shoots- is documented as it occurs, communicated immediately via the BLOG and discussed and evaluated with viewers on the FORUM.

    No other fashion media offers this direct connection between the closed, ‘insider’ world of high-end fashion and its international audience. Constantly changing, SHOWstudio delivers live fashion, as it happens, 24 hours per day.

    Sunday, September 21, 2008

    VOTE FOR CHANGE



    YOU ARE ONE CLICK AWAY FROM CHANGING THE WORLD

    WWW.VOTEFORCHANGE.COM

    Friday, September 19, 2008

    Wednesday, September 17, 2008

    Until we return check out - "Shake Your Beauty by Tia Williams"



    Tia Williams, 32, lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with her husband, Adam Cabezas. In 1997, she graduated from University of Virginia with a BA in English and moved to New York City after landing a plum editorial assistant position at Doubleday Books. After grouchily reading other people’s manuscripts for a year, she realized that she was a frustrated writer and joined the staff of YM as Beauty Assistant. She went on to work her way up the mastheads of Elle, Glamour and Lucky, and finally, landed the Beauty Director position at Teen People.


    Tia, a Fairfax, Virginia native, has covered beauty and fashion trends on shows like MTV’s Total Request Live, CNN, and the WB Morning Show—where, in 2002, she enjoyed a year-long stint reviewing award show looks, Joan Rivers-style (but far sweeter!). In 2001, Tia briefly left the magazines to teach English in Seville, Spain--and ended up writing a manuscript. The novel, THE ACCIDENTAL DIVA (Putnam), hit bookstores in May 2004. An excerpt ran in Cosmopolitan, and the book received glowing coverage in Marie Claire, Essence, Lucky, Elle, Shape, Allure, Today’s Black Woman, Publisher’s Weekly, The New York Times, and The New York Daily News. Tia was also nominated for the African-American Literary Award Show’s Breakout Author of the Year!

    In April ’05, Tia left the magazine world to become a full-time author. She co-wrote Iman’s makeup book, THE BEAUTY OF COLOR (Putnam, Oct. ’05) and penned the first novel in her young adult series, THE IT CHICKS (Hyperion/Disney, Spring ’07)—the second installment, SIXTEEN CANDLES, hits stores in May ’08. Tia was an original co-host on Cosmo Radio’s morning show, “Wake Up With Cosmo” (Sirius Satellite Radio), and in ’07, she was In Touch Weekly’s On-Air Personality, covering celebrity news on various television programs. Currently, she’s covering style as the Senior Writer at The Daily/Fashionweekdaily.com. Her three-year-old beauty/style blog, “SHAKE YOUR BEAUTY” has become enormously popular, garnering profiles in Allure, New York Times and WWD, and winning a 2007 Glam.com Network Award for Best Voice/Creative Writing.

    Monday, September 15, 2008

    Until we return, check out - "Fashion Indie"




    Dedicated to the discovery of emerging fashion talent, Fashion Indie Media is the premiere source for emerging fashion, style and the independent lifestyle.


    Over 400,000 Indies connect to us each month looking for our unique perspective on the down and dirty world of fashion. A champion for the young designer, Fashion Indie Media has developed a network that connects to over 5,000 fashion designers from around the world.


    FashionIndie.com : Updated 30 times daily, FashionIndie.com provides a daily dose of emerging fashion, beauty and style. Street culture, emerging trends, and behind the scene looks at fashion abound on our home page. Features focussed around becoming a designer cater to our trendsetting 18-26 year old reader, which are influencers in the fashion world. Features like Sinners & Saynt, The Bashed, and Interviews of Fashion enthrall our readers and give them a true view of the lifestyle.