new york FASHION week

By now I hope that it is apparent to all of my loyal friends and supporters that I will not be doing a fashion show during New York Celebrity Week. Oooops – I meant to say New York Fashion Week...

Of course that Freudian slip wasn’t a slip at all, but a realization of what New York Fashion Week has truly become.

Fortunately, I am old enough to remember when this was not the case at all. Now, as many of you know, I am not one for nostalgia, but there are certain fundamentals within the fashion industry that I believe we should never forget – namely “the fashion”. And unfortunately, during New York Fashion Week, this is exactly what has happened – the fashion has been completely forgotten.

(Very rarely did anyone know or care what celebrity was sitting front row at Helmut Lang)

There used to be a time when editors and fashionistas alike would wait for weeks with bated breath wondering what a Marc Jacobs, Oscar De La Renta, or Helmut Lang would be sending down the catwalk. Or better yet, there would always be an anticipation to see who would be the new “enfant terrible” or “wunderkind” entering the fashion fray. That anticipation has completely disappeared and been replaced by a fevered frenzy of nothingness and wasted flashbulbs.

Funny enough, I don’t blame the celebrities at all. For them Fashion Week is just another outlet for the expansion of their brand which includes running psuedo design houses. As professional designers, we have all been betrayed by our own industry. There are even certain editors and/or buyers (with few exceptions i.e. Cathy Horyn, Robin Gihvan and Suzy Menkes) that are more excited about what hot celebrity they will be seated next to during a high-profile show than anything interesting or amazing coming down the runway. There was a time when editors would be up in arms by celebrity attendance if not only for fear up being bumped back to the second or third row. Now they gladly accept that this is a risk they take whilst secretly sneering at the back of the head of some pubescent pop-tart perched in their assigned front row seat. The front row seat and/or vantage point which has always been reserved for editors and buyers in order for them to effectively do their JOB!!!

It is rumored that this front row appearance by Britney Spears cost Baby Phat approximately US$50,000. Perhaps if they can break Brit out of the psych ward in time they can get her this season for a Starbucks Grande Mocha Frappucino and two Xanax. I know that was mean, but I just couldn't resist...

As a fashion designer that is just getting his label/brand off of the ground, I have in the past been forced to resort to all sorts of tricks and stunts to secure at least a portion of the ink resulting from Fashion Week's coverage. Thank God for the independent press and bloggers whom have single-handedly breathed life into, created interest and gained traction for the Mal Sirrah collection and brand.

Google "Mal Sirrah" - you'll see - the bloggers love me and I love them more!!!

Fortunately, as the founder of Designers for Darfur as well as other humanitarian/charitable efforts, I can no longer run the risk of depreciating my name and/or brand via childish antics, feuds or headline grabbing stunts. I will leave that to the guys and gals that still want to have the likes of Britney, Paris and Lindsay as their front row decoration and/or muses.

Therefore, Mal Sirrah, Inc. will use this fashion week to take a small personal step back in order to make a strategic leap forward next season. As a track star and athlete in my youth this approach is not foreign to me at all. However, as an artist and creative, I will admit that this loss of artistic expression is bitter sweet. I will truly miss one of the oldest traditional forums allotted to American designers to showcase their talents to the world. Therefore, as this forum no longer rings true to me and in order to further my commitment to live in my own truth, at this point in time, I just can’t pretend that the façade of New York Fashion Week is something that truly interests me. However, in true Malcolm Harris / Mal Sirrah style – I will find a more modern and truthful way to bring the world my vision and message of “Changing the World – One Dress at a Time”…

SNEAK PEAK OF UPCOMING PROJECT:

Honorary Fashion Police

Last night I had the best time ever watching the SAG Award’s Red Carpet special with my dear friend and former E! Entertainment Fashion Police, Jay Alexander.

Unfortunately for E!, Jay is extremely busy with a million different projects and found himself unable to attend the SAG Awards. As most of you may know, Jay has been spending quite a bit of his time here in New York City working with both Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model and Kimora Lee Simmons on Life in the Fab Lane. What many of you might not know is that Jay actually lives in Paris but for the past few years has lived between hotels, airplanes and production sets.

Fortunately for me, however, I get to spend a great deal of time hanging out and catching up with my oldest and dearest friend. Jay and I spend hours walking, talking and laughing. We literally walk perhaps 40 to 45 New York City blocks every single time we get together. For a while after his initial ANTM fame it was a bit distracting with random people screaming, “Hey Miss Jay!” or “Isn’t that Miss Jay?” But at this point it has actually become the soundtrack and/or backdrop for our long walks and chats. For the most part, Jay is always very gracious and never turns down a photo with an enthusiastic fan… Unless said fan has a camera-phone…

A few years ago I gave Jay a bit of advice that was shared with me during a similar walk and chat fest with friend and client, Reese Witherspoon. Reese and I were exiting her hotel after having a quiet lunch and this middle-aged woman came running up to her waving a camera phone and pleading with Reese for a photo. Reese turned and said, in the most elegant Southern voice that I have ever heard, “Ma’am, I would love to take a photo with you but I don’t take photos with camera phones. Those things simply don’t do anyone justice.” Luckily the woman’s poor daughter that had obviously been chasing her slightly out of control mother was equipped with a proper camera. I therefore obliged the woman’s request by taking a pseudo family portrait of the women with Reese buried firmly in the middle of this love fest. As Reese and I walked calmly away from her doting fans, Reese said to me, “Those camera phones always make me look like a lollipop head and eventually end up all over the internet.” (side bar: I have actually known Reese for many years – pre super fame. I was an assistant in the wardrobe department on the movie “Freeway” and we simply stayed in touch over the years. We share a certain “southern sensibility”. If you have never seen the movie Freeway, I would suggest you rent it and treat yourself. A young Reese Witherspoon is absolutely hysterical and amazing in this film…)

Now, at this point you might be asking yourself what this has to do with watching the SAG Award’s Red Carpet. That’s just it – the SAG Awards Red Carpet was simply a big rambling of nothingness. There were no real hits or any major misses. The red carpet was simply the same old boring parade of predictable evening frocks and boring cocktail dresses. Where are those memorable moments of yesteryear when messes like Darryl Hannah, Bjork and Laura Flynn Boyle lit up the red carpet with their overzealous fashion attempts. But if I had to take a stab at it my "Honorary Fashion Police" moment would go a bit like this:

Best Dressed Woman - Marion Cotillard - Marion wearing Nina Ricci was absolutely heavenly. Just knowing first hand all of the painstaking details and craftsmanship that it took Mr. Theyskens to design and perfect this dress gives me the chills. My hat truly goes off to him.

Best Dressed Man – Brad Pitt – It’s Brad Pitt - isn't that enough!!! I just love the fact that he simply shows up 100% himself.

Worst Dressed Woman – Angelina Jolie – I love Angelina, I really do… But what the hell was that frumpy Hermes tent dress about. She was dressed like she was eight or nine months pregnant - not the rumored two or three months.

Worst Dressed Man – Viggo Mortensen – What an amazing actor but I absolutely hate his fashion sense. I am almost positive that he and Johnny Depp have the same stylist and/or wardrobe rental service.

Honorable Mention Woman - Ellen Page - Elln in simply thought looked young and fresh. She dressed in a designer that matched both her personality and her generation.

Honorable Mention Couple - Forest and Keisha Whitaker – I loved the fact that Forest wore a tuxedo by young designer Nana Boateng (young cousin of Oswald Boateng) and that it wasn’t just the same old boring tuxedo.

Jay Alexander’s Picks

Best Dressed Woman and Man – Julie Chrystie – Ms. proved that a woman of certain age can still show the young girls how to dress to accept an award.

Worst dressed Woman - Chandra Wilson – stripes made her look like a lost Christmas present. Chandra was simply wrong, wrong, wrong!

Worst Dressed Man – Viggo Mortensen – The combination was just not right . Oh no Viggo.

Now it's your turn to share your best and worst dressed with us...

"Opening Bell"

Many of you in your requests for me to continue blogging relayed how much you wanted to know what goes on in my daily life (most from beginning to end). At first, I started to think to myself, “But isn’t that already what I talk about???" However, after going through a few of my previous post and reading over your requests, I believe I now know exactly what you meant.

Today, I will simply focus on what I have begun to refer to as my morning's “opening bell.”

During off-peak days (no shows, no events, and no interviews) I usually wake up between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. On peak days I wake up between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. knowing that the day is going to be extremely hectic… Now 7:30 a.m. might sound a bit late to some, but please keep in mind that I very rarely fall asleep before 2:00 a.m. and that my office is only one flight down.

Well no matter what time I wake up, by the time I do, I always find myself waking up to the vibration of my cell phone riddled with text messages and alerts. Both of which I find equally as annoying but 100% necessary in “my line of work “

I know, I know – the more I write this post, the more I sound like either a Wall Street trader or a lady of the evening… And to be quite honest, the life of a fashion designer is a little of both…

Most of the time my first message of the morning is from a colleague and/or friend living in Europe, Asia or The Middle East. Most of the messages are either requests for assistance on my end or filled with useful information previously requested from their side of the world. Every now and then I receive an early morning message from one of my knucklehead friends that decided it would be funny to call me at 3:00 a.m. from some wild party to inform me exactly what it is they believe I had been missing… Usually I am missing absolutely nothing.

Well, soon after I go through these messages deciding whether to hit reply or delete, I stumble my way into the kitchen for my morning's cup of tea. I must admit that I am a caffeine junkie. I start out with a cup of black-tea then I work my way up to a large cup of hazelnut coffee. Now I know this doesn’t sound important in the scheme of things, but you must know that I purposely overdose myself on caffeine in the morning in order to reach an almost intoxicated state. I swear, by the time I walk my dog (Harlem) at 9:00 a.m. I am completely punch-drunk. Luckily the effects of the caffeine usually wear off after my 30 minute speed walk through the local park and across the campus of New York’s City College.

Upon returning to the brownstone, I quickly feed Harlem, change into my “work fatigues” then I spend at least ten minutes rough housing and teasing my boyfriend Tyson (side bar: one of the great things about being in a gay relationship is that if you are lucky, you and your partner eventually become like two adult men that never grow up… Not at all like the heterosexual Peter Pan syndrome, but more like a Lord of the Flies Disorder). At last, I run down stairs to give my morning greetings to our mini-staff /interns and then I go immediately to my computer – my sanctuary – my connection to the world – my Harlem Stock Exchange.

Upon opening my email account, I can judge my own personal stock based on how many emails are in my inbox. Not the stock from my non-existing financial portfolio, but my own personal stock also known as Mal Sirrah.

Keep in mind this has nothing to do with my personal ego - but everything to do with the Mal Sirrah brand. All of these little things matter - press clippings, orders, invites, Google analytics, scandals, words of encouragement, endorsements, etc. In today’s climate these little things eventually begin to mature, to attract investors, often fluctuate and if played just right - finally become valuable assets. But for now, I keep my eyes focused on the market ticker and my feet planted firmly on the trading floor.

I will admit there are mornings when the opening bell goes off and I think to myself, “Today is going to be a good day. People to see and places to go… Yes, today will be my day.” But then there are those days that before I can make my first trade, I get a telephone call from one of the many fashion power brokers. The telephone call that goes a bit like this…

Caller: Hello, may I speak to Mal please.

MS: This is he (in a slightly affected yet cheerful voice)

Caller: Hi, it’s Amanda Freda from Mr. Weintraub’s office.

MS: Hi Amanda. I am so looking forward to my meeting with Marvin today at 2:00.

Caller: Silence…

MS: Hello… Amanda???

Caller: Well Mal that’s why actually why I ‘m calling. Mr. Weintraub would like to reschedule your meeting.

MS: Reschedule???

Caller: Yes. Maybe next week or the week after… I’ll call you in a day or two with the details. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a nice day. Goodbye.

MS: Okay. Good (Bye never makes it out of my mouth before I here the deafening click of the trading ticker.)

Now for those of you that don’t know what the dreaded last minute rescheduling of appointment equates to - especially in the world of a slightly self-absorbed and perpetually childlike fashion designer - it means the market is down - a plummeting of one’s own personal stock. Thank God the grown-up me (Malcolm), the one that lives in the real world calmly realizes that Mr. Weintraub’s has merely made a trade – one appointment for another - business as usual.

Shortly thereafter, I pick up the telephone and make a trade of my own...

MS: Hey, what’s up? It’s Malcolm.

Seth: Yo Mal - - - Wassup!!! Yo, you missed it last night… Bungalow was crazy!!!

MS: Really!!! I missed it!!! Hey, what are you doing for lunch?

Seth: No plans… Chilling…

MS: Cool. Meet me at Pastis around 2:00…

I Am The DREAM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING

Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for allowing me to live my dream.

Andrew Young and Dr. Martin Luther King - 1967

Andrew Young and Malcolm Harris - 2007

The full version of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech.

I am so UNVOGUE!!!

On last Friday evening, I had the pleasure of co-hosting the launch of the new online magazine “UNVOGUE”.

What an incredible event and an amazing crowd of people. The spirit of change was truly in the air. I must say that we are all truly living in an incredible time when a group of like-minded people can gather and completely change the landscape of the fashion industry as we have come to know it… Instead of me explaining what exactly what “Unvogue” means and represents, I have also included their press release for your reading pleasure.

p.s. By the way, does the dress on the cover look familiar…

UNVOGUE'S FIRST ISSUE

Mal Sirrah Spring 2008

Malcolm Harris as Mal Sirrah

UNVOGUE Editor-In-Chief – Tyson P.

I can never really understand what questions are being asked of me during these interviews, especially in the middle of a loud and crowded event.

Unvogue Supporters

Rock Chic - Meghan McCauley (Perez Hilton's favorite)

Stylist Alexander Allen, guest, UNVOGUE'S Tyson P, and model Edgar Lopez

Tyson P. and Meghan McCauley (believe it or not, I actually made the dress she is wearing - by special request only)

Song bird Kelly Sweet

Editors from Radar and Style.Com

**UNVOGUE PRESS RELEASE **

NEW YORK, – A brand new style of fashion magazine is launching, and neither print/online magazines nor the fashion industry will ever be the same. UNVOGUE magazine will officially launch on January 16, 2008 at www.UNVOGUE.com.

UNVOGUE magazine is an online fashion publication with a sense of humor and style while fulfilling our reader’s appetite for what’s hot and exciting in fashion, cultural issues, music and entertainment. Unlike other fashion magazines whether on-line or paperback, our magazine is not that of a dictatorship. UNVOGUE magazine offers and encourages reader interaction, article feedback and future content suggestions. We will also follow our reader’s advice and leads when researching upcoming full-length stories, feature columns and pictorials.

The UNVOGUE reader is the ultimate fashionista distributed evenly between males and females. Our market research also shows that our reader is of various races, sizes and economic backgrounds. Our readers truly understand and live a lifestyle of mixing luxury brands with mass marketed brands on a daily basis. Our readers are consumers whose wardrobe budgets range anywhere from $200 to $2000 whilst presenting a total “look” that may appear to be in the range of $5000-$10000. Our fashion directors, editors and stylists at UNVOGUE encourage our readers to use what they may already have in their closets, while purchasing a few new luxury items and/or mass produced garments to create an “in” fashion style. We never dictate only suggest, what our readers should buy in order to stay current with fashion trends.

The secret behind UNVOGUE magazine is stylist Tyson P. After just 6 years of working as a fashion stylist for celebrity clients, fashion magazines and runway shows, Tyson Perez has decided to further his career by anointing himself as founder and editor-in-chief of UNVOGUE magazine.

UNVOGUE will be a living, breathing bi-monthly on-line publication, which can be flipped through on our website www.UNVOGUE.com at our viewer’s leisure. Our readers will have the benefit of viewing our on-line magazine from the comfort’s of their home, office or school without the worry of carrying it to the recycle bin or the coffee table pile-up. UNVOGUE magazine will launch on Wednesday, January 16, 2008.

Afternoon Inspiration

I thought I would share with you my afternoon inspiration - Mr. Serge Gainsbourg.

A great deal of my free-will and self-promoting talent and spirit I learned directly from reading about this profound artist Serge Gainsbourg during my very first trip to Paris as a young fashionista. Initially I was more drawn to the beauty ofthe English actress Jane Birkin, and therefore my research began with anything and everything “Jane” - - - hence my introduction to Serge Gainsbourg. Serge was both this English icon's greatest lover as well as the father of her daughter, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. Remind me to revisit my personal Charlotte Gainsbourg story at a later date. But for now back to Serge...

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin circa 1969 (the namesake of the much sought after Hermes Birkin Bag)

I remember when I first began reading and learning about Serge I often found myself very angry that as Americans we weren’t aware of his talent or his genius. I was always fascinated by the fact that he didn’t allow any genre of music and/or industry to fully claim him. He was simply a creative being. By the time my career got rolling during its first incarnation in the mid to late 90’s I longed to be as bold and free as Mr. Gainsbourg. Unfortunately, by this time the fashion industry had already firmly locked their claws and hooks into me and claimed me as their very own. It has taken me a very long time to reach this level of self-assuredness, if not Gansbourg-ness, to be able to break free and live my life on my own terms. The property of no one - the master of my own destiny - and the promoter of my own vision. For this I am forever grateful to both Jane Birkin and most importantly to Serge Gainsbourg – the king of self-promotion.

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg

For those of you that are not familiar with Serge Gainsbourg, please allow me to introduce him to you via this brief synopsis and video below:

Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's varied style and individuality made him difficult to categorize. Although famous in France for many years, he did not achieve his first No. 1 album until 1979, when he released Aux Armes et caetera more than twenty years after his music career had begun. Since the 1980s, his legacy has been firmly established.

Personal life

He was born Lucien Ginzburg in Paris, France, the son of Russian Jewish parents who fled to France after the 1917 Bolshevik uprising. His childhood was profoundly affected by the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, during which he and his family, as Jews, were forced to wear the yellow star and eventually flee from Paris.

Before he was 30 years old, Lucien Ginzburg was a disillusioned painter but earned his living as a piano player in bars.

He had a daughter, actress Charlotte, with English singer and actress Jane Birkin; and a son, Lucien (best known as Lulu), with his last partner, Bambou (Caroline von Paulus, who is related to Friedrich Paulus).

For more info go to Wilkepedia-Serge Gainsbourg

Video Below featuring Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus

New Year's Resolution

Instead of me explaining to all of you my New Year's Resolution in long drawn-out detail, I will simply share the following with you:



Long Live Queen Mary!!!

Afternoon Quickie - UNVOGUE Magazine Launch