John McCain can't be serious with this new advertisement "CELEB" - He just can't be serious... Comparing Barack Obama to Paris and Britney - come on dude. At least raise the bar. Let's hope the next time he decides to hate he will simply pick up his toys and go home...
Barack isn't some common celebrity - He's an International Political Rock Star!!!
Our video response to John McCain's fuckery!!! Hi Hater, Hi Hater, Hi Hater!!!
Recently my dear friend and mentor, photographer Stan Shaffer asked me to contribute a passage to his new book entitled “You Should Have Been With Me”. This book is a photographic journey through this illustrious photographer’s personal life and career (shot for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, YSL, Armani, and the list goes on and on).
Stan's daughter, the gorgeous Ms. Allie Shaffer
Words can not begin to express my affection for Stan Shaffer and his entire family. His daughter Allie and I share a “soul family”, if you know what I mean, and his son Justin (resembling a young JFK, Jr.) is perhaps the most refined young man I have ever met. The Shaffer offspring possess the legacy of the quintessential privileged Bohemia, however, lead their modern lives with both feet humbly anchored to the ground.
Stan Shaffer took these iconic photos of Angelica Houston
Long before Janice was proclaiming herself "the world's first supermodel" she was simply Stan's muse and friend (p.s. a gentlemen never tells)
I can’t even remember how long ago I met Stan Shaffer and perhaps that isn’t important as it was surely love at first sight. The kind of love that artists share when they know they have met a kindred spirit. There is perhaps a 30 year age difference between Stan and I but that matters not, Stan-the-Man, as I affectionately call him, has hipped me to music and artists of today that normally would have escaped my radar.
Producer and Rapper "Omen" photographed by Stan Shaffer
The first shoot Stan and I ever worked on together features Eva Pigford as Josephine Baker
Another great project I worked on with Eva Marcille and Stan Shaffer
From the day I met Stan he has always had his finger on the pulse of what is coming next, often with very little attention ever being paid to the present or the past. Therefore to see Stan finally taking a look at his glorious past via this magnificent book is truly a time of reverence and humility for a mere mortal such as me… Stan Shaffer is truly a creative God.
Stan was a regular fixture at Andy Warhol's "The Factory" - The photo of Stan in the center was actually snapped by Andy Warhol.
This is a must see - Stan shoots Andy Warhol in the Great Gatsby - The first time Andy Warhol ever agreed to be placed in a costume (of sorts) for another photographer. LEGENDARY!!!
Recently, Stan married former model and YSL muse, Louis Robey formally known in the Royal Court as The Countess of Burford, and moved to the South of France. One of my greatest joys in life was watching this courtship mature into a beautiful union of creative spirits. I have plans to visit them in their new home before the year is over where I am sure we will work on some interesting new project as well as go over the final touches for the book... Just the thought of seeing Stan-the-Man again sends me to a place of creativity and possibility.... Wow, I just can't even begin to explain it... You guys really "Should have been with me..."
One of Designers for Darfur's most important partners, Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net) and the Sudan Divestment Task Force, is up for a teen choice award. Those between 13 and 19 can vote for Adam Sterling and GI-Net to receive the award of $90,000, money which GI-Net desperately needs since they operate on a shoestring.
GI-Net started the student Darfur advocacy group STAND, they have led the divestment movement and they were the first to do systematic lobbying for Darfur in the US Congress. Support their work by voting for them in the next few days (the voting goes until August 1). Here is the link, you can vote once per day and should be between 13 and 19.
This is the last week to vote for Adam. The voting is very close, so he needs your help.Vote for Adam Sterling and GI-NET at:www.teenchoiceawards.com/dosomething. You can vote once a day per emailaddress until August 1st (and please forward this message to yourfriends and family). Because you are officially required to be 13-19 to vote, if a yearbefore 1989 or after 1995 is selected for date of birth you will not beable to vote. Therefore, we ask that you pass this link along to all of your young family members, friends and citizens of the world.
Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.
I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.
I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father – my grandfather – was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning – his dream – required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.
That is why I’m here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life.
Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.
On that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France took stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be remade.
This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June, 1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin.
The size of our forces was no match for the much larger Soviet Army. And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily begun. All that stood in the way was Berlin. And that’s when the airlift began – when the largest and most unlikely rescue in history brought food and hope to the people of this city.
The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.
But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city’s mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. “There is only one possibility,” he said. “For us to stand together united until this battle is won…The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world: now do your duty…People of the world, look at Berlin!”
People of the world – look at Berlin!
Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle. Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.
Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity.
People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.
Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall – a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope – walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history.
The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers – dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.
The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil.
As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya.
Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.
In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we’re honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.
In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth – that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.
Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more – not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.
That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.
We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid.
So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.
That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations – and all nations – must summon that spirit anew.
This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.
This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.
This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.
This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century – in this city of all cities – we must reject the Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent.
This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.
This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.
This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations – including my own – will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.
And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust – not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.
Now the world will watch and remember what we do here – what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?
Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words “never again” in Darfur?
Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don’t look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?
People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.
I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.
But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom – indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us – what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America’s shores – is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please. These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people – everywhere – became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation – our generation – must make our mark on the world.
People of Berlin – and people of the world – the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.
Have you ever dreamed of meeting one of your heroes? If so, let me confirm that all dreams can come true. And yesterday I made one of my dreams come true by meeting my intellectual hero - Monsieur Bernard Henri Levy.
Bernard Henri Levy
The first documentary I ever saw with Bernard Henri Levy (above) was in a philosophy course at NYU wherein they referred to BHL as the Mick Jagger of Philosophy
For those of you who are not familiar with Mr. Bernard Henri Levy (BHL as the French call him) possesses one of the greatest and forward thinking minds of our times. This man has single-handedly inspired and motivated people across the globe for many decades and yesterday, yours truly had the special pleasure of meeting with him one-on-one to discuss the crisis in Darfur.
But first let’s back track. A few months ago, I attended a forum hosted by the Pen American Center and moderated by Dinaw Mengestu, with guest speakers BHL and Mia Farrow. While I absolutely adore Mia Farrow for all the hard work and passion she brings with spotlighting the atrocities taking place in Darfur, on this evening it was clear our collective hearts had finally been seamlessly joined and enriched by the brain and wisdom of Bernard Henri Levy.
On this particular evening I was also very fortunate that one of my closest friends, Jacques (my favorite Frenchman on the planet) and his wife (Camille) had also been invited to attend the forum and were quite friendly with Bernard Henri Levy. Therefore they were more than willing to introduce me to Bernard despite the throng of admirers vying for BHL’s attention. I will not even begin to discuss BHL’s sophistication, charisma nor chic as this will be revisited during a much lighter and fluffier post (just know he is married to the French seductress/actress Arielle Dombasle and has recently been romantically linked by slanderous gossip mongers to his friend fashion icon, Daphne Guinness). So of course this brief and congenial introduction to BHL was not enough to fill the appetite of yours truly… Therefore, from that night forward I have been hell bent on attempting to schedule a one-on-one meeting/Darfur brainstorming session with the incredible Bernard Henri Levy.
Daphne Guinness, BHL and Arielle Dombasle
This is where it get’s good… Instead of pestering my dear friends about making a formal “social introduction” I decided to take the bull by the horns and go my own special Web 2.0 route.
(Side bar: Often the introduction process of the French as well as the wealthy 2% can be a bit too formal and lengthy for a fashion brute like yours truly. I desperately wanted to meet and learn from Mr. Levy, but it had to be on my own terms and in my own uniform. This is a lesson learned from Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman – just think Julia all dolled up at the polo match and the pervy little guy played by J. Alexander from Seinfeld insulting her anyway...) But I digress...
So without any further adieu, I set out on my 2.0 quest. To make a long story short, after about forty Google searches, approximately twenty Hail Mary international emails, nearly thirteen Skype cold calls and three call backs from high powered publicists and one gossip columnist (longer story), yesterday’s meeting at the Carlyle Hotel with the elusive Monsieur BHL was finally realized.
There we sat at this magnificently reserved table at the Carlyle (during the height of ladies that lunch), he in his infamous uniform (usually a dark jacket with an undone white shirt – but for this occasion there was an absence of any sort of shirt, just a buttoned jacket with a turned up lapel – too rebelious and too chic for words) and I dressed in my fatigues white t-shirt and cap (a true fashion warrior). As we sat and discussed Darfur, world politics, the fashion industry, our different backgrounds and most importantly, our common humanity – I almost found myself fighting back the tears.
It was in that moment, in the beautiful Carlyle hotel that I became flooded with long ago memories of wrangling invitations to see Eartha Kitt and/or Bobby Short performances under the guise that this special place symbolized or housed everything I thought fortune and fame could bring. As I sat there now completely evolved and transcended, yet thoroughly enamored by the intelligence and thoughtful planning of BHL, I realized how gleefully divorced I had become from celebrity, money or status worship and proudly remarried to purpose, passion and journey.
In conclusion, for anyone out there that still believes we are not connected in a real way (made intangible and tangible by the internet) – let the above be a lesson. In this new modern world, you can meet almost anyone you want as long as your intentions are pure, passionate and purposeful. No one of any importance wants to meet a mindless pseudo-stalker or adoring fan – but who most people do want to meet are people that are "genuinely" motivated and engaged in helping and inspiring others. After yesterday’s meeting with BHL, I am more than convinced that collectively, creatively and intellectually – we can all help to change the world. But first you must dream it…
BHL on the Charlie Rose Show discussing his book “American Vertigo”
Have you ever needed that special something to give you a chuckle or to get your blood pumping... Well I have the comedic cure-all... Her name is is Miracle Jackson and she has been entertaining YouTubers of all ages for the past two years. If you are or are not familiar with the "Miracle Jackson Dance" trust me, once you learn these few difficult dance steps, you will always be able to return them in your darkest moments and find a way to simply dance and enjoy life.
Ladies and gentleman, without further adieu, I give to you my weekend pick me up - Ms. Miracle "Fucken" Jackson...
Sorry for such a late post, but it took me quite a while to recover from last night’s Paper Magazine and Converse party hosted by Pharrell Williams (N.E.R.D.S.) and dubbed “Sounds Like Paper”.
I was a little reluctant about going to this party as we all know how crazy the “velvet rope” can be for these high profile events. Usually there is some snotty door person or even worse, some poor intern plopped in front of these random venues armed with their attitude, a clipboard and a big group of goons posing as security. So needless to say, yours truly, was not in the mood.
The dreaded "Velvet Rope"
However after my boyfriend (Tyson) and I finished our delicious salmon, broccoli and mashed potato dinner (a dinner I make at least twice a week), we looked at one another and at the same time and asked, “Why not?” So off we went to check out the world of Paper Magazine and the N.E.R.D.S.
The chaos in front of the venue (Santo's Partyhouse)
Of course, my worst fears were realized. Tyson and I could see the crowd from two blocks away, but as we had already walked the 10 blocks from our apartment, we figured that two more blocks wouldn’t kill us. I just had to hope and pray that someone at the door would recognize either of us and drag us beyond the velvet rope. As you all know, I have no delusions when it comes to my ranking on the fashion food chain.
As you can see they still can't even spell my name correctly - Mel Sirrah... At least I have graduated from the title of "guest" or "and friend"
Therefore, very rarely do I get the partying of the Red Sea effect you see when wildly popular and/or famous people approach the door to an event or club. I am usually left at the mercy of truly savvy publicists and/or fashionistas that are interested in young and/or emerging designers and recognize me from there dedicated research of what or who is next in fashion. Thank God there was such an angel in the form of the beautiful Lysee who is now working in the public relations department of Paper Mag after leaving the now defunct downtown design duo, Heatherette. You have no idea how much I hated to see these young guys go under – the death of a young design company is like the death of an entire colony of inspiration. But I digress…
Once we finally made it inside I will admit the party was absolutely brilliant. This combination of fashion factions from Paper Magazine, Converse and the N.E.R.D.S., each very distinctive and original, was like a creative smorgasbord. With the free Sky vodka flowing and all of my wonderful friends in place (Chanel Iman, Andre J, Bevy Smith, and a host of others – click here to see the photos on Paper Magazine’s website) the evening was quite magical and well worth the few minutes of hassle to get past the “velvet rope”.
Check out the video that Pharrell Produced for the new Converse ad campaign:
Crystal Stewart (Miss USA 2008) and Rachel Smith (Miss USA 2007)
Say it ain’t so… For two years straight our splendid representatives of the Miss USA organization seem to have landed on their respective derriere.
Therefore, I have three simple words for the next Miss USA to represent our country in the Ms. Universe pageant – Miss Jay Alexander.
Starting today, I am starting a petition that will effectively force all future Miss USA contestants to attend "The Miss Jay Alexander School for Wayward Beauty Queens". The first class starts today with this vintage video of Miss Jay Alexander taking on the mean streets of New York City. This video is definitely a must see... Please enjoy!!!
The other day I had a lovely chat with the beautiful Dominican model Arlenis Sosa Pena. She is perhaps one of the sweetest girls on the planet. She is only 20 years old but you can tell that this young woman is one of the most authentic beings you will ever meet in the world of modeling. Arlenis confirmed to me that only after a few months in the business she has been selected as the new face of Lancome. I could instantly tell that she didn't really grasp the full magnitude of what she has been able to accomplish in such a short period. I also couldn't help but asking her what she was planned to do with all of her new found money and fame. Her reply was so honest and sincere - - - "I'm going to take English classeses..."
In on our going efforts to keep you all up to date with the crisis in Darfur, we have just been advised by our sources at the United Nations that the International Criminal Court will be seeking an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
Designers for Darfur have been very fortunate to have found an ally in NBC’s Today show correspondent, Ann Curry. Ann Curry has personally and relentlessly covered the situation in Darfur over the past several years and therefore we provide you with the following NBC video update – Crisis in Darfur:
NBC’s Today Show – Ann Curry
Video Flashback: Designers for Darfur debuts on the Today Show
I had to share this brilliant video with all of you wherein Grace Jones shows that she is still on the cutting edge of creative genius (thanks to my friend and fellow fashion designer Shannon Stokes for putting me on to this amazing video). Grace at her simplistic best!!!
Every since the couture shows ended in Paris something, or in this case, someone has had my “panties in a bunch”… That someone is none other than designer Karl Lagerfeld – or shall we from this day forth address him as “Heil Lagerfeld”.
Of course this has nothing to do with the irrefutable creative genius of Karl Lagerfeld, and everything to do with the flagrant racism of Karl Lagerfeld and the Chanel brand, particularly when it comes to the use (or lack of use) of black models. Fuhrer Lagerfeld’s creativity shouldn’t automatically give him a free pass when it comes to his personally perpetuating an industry practice that is not acceptable.
For a while I simply got used to not seeing black models in Chanel shows and would simply suppress these thoughts to get through a video or slideshow of one of Mr. Lagerfeld’s couture shows. Not to mention, as a black designer building an emerging brand in a white dominated industry, I often have to attempt (poorly I might add) to suppress the urge of calling a great number of people out for their violations. We all know the media are quick to label African Americans that vocally stand up for what we believe in as “angry black men or women”. Well this time they have my permission – because I am mad and angry as hell…
Also as a ready-to-wear designer I am rarely interested in seeing other designers' prêt-a-porter shows, but for me couture is where all designers can go to show gratitude and appreciation for the possibilities of our craft. Yesterday after revisiting Mr. Lagerfeld’s recent masterpiece for Chanel on Style.com I found myself not being able to suppress my feelings any longer over Chanel’s blatant racism when it comes to black models. Of course there are Asian models sprinkled in the show as Chanel has systematically courted the expanding Asian market for years. Therefore, I decided to peruse Chanel’s runway presentations over the past three to four years in search of any black representation and what I discovered not only saddened me but it really got my panties in a bunch.
Be careful of men that worship symbols and logos (looks familiar huh???)
According to the photos on Style.com, since Chanel’s Spring 2006 show, the Chanel brand has presented over 17 collections. In the photos of the 17 collections featured, Karl Lagerfeld has only used one black female model (Jourdan Dunn – Resort 2009) and one black male model (shoe designer Courtney Crawford). This is absolutely outrageous, unacceptable and obviously racist. Something even tells me that Mr. Lagerfeld was almost forced to use the lovely Ms. Dunn in light of the recent “black model” controversy. After logging off of Style.com, I couldn’t help but wonder if Mein Fuhrer Lagerfeld had been sending the message for years that he believes “black women” don’t look beautiful in Chanel.
Jourdan Dunn - Resort 2009
Shoe Designer - Courtney Crawford
Well Mr. Lagerfeld – “the times they are a changing”. Therefore, I will personally be sending a message to Michelle Obama’s camp informing her of Chanel’s documented stance on women of color. I will encourge Mrs. Obama should she ever have the occasion to don a Chanel suit or handbag that our future First Lady steer free and clear of Mr. Karl Lagerfeld and his Chanel brand. I also encourage women of all races to take a long hard look at the behind-the-scenes practices of some of their favorite brands and not simply be blinded by the logos.
Give it a rest already... I am dying here with all this shit I am reading and listening to about Madonna, A-Rod, Lenny Kravitz and Cynthia Rodriguez. Take it from me, the fact that Madonna had to make a public statement refuting these allegations leads me to believe all of this crap is weighing heavily on her and her family. This is a woman with a precocious little girl that doesn't miss a beat. I can tell you first hand that Ms. Lola is truly a handful and then some and I can only imagine the sorts of questions she's asking Madonna. No one deserves this - Leave Madonna Alone...
Come on people, do you really think that Madonna would be as careless as to carry on a public affair with a man like Alex Rodriguez especially at a time when she is fighting to defend rumors about her own precarious marriage? What the fuck! Leave Madonna Alone! Where is Chris "Leave Britney Alone" Crocker when you need him...
"Leave Britney Alone" is still one of the funniest videos ever aired on YouTube
As I reported in a previous post, there is one major break out star from the entire Vogue Italia - "Black Girls Rule" issue and her name is Sessilee Lopez... I truly do believe this young woman will finally get to prove to the fashion industry how important her look is to the conversation of diverse black beauty.
Chanel Iman of course is already on her way to becoming a household name and Steven Miesel has captured her beauty in a totally fresh and provocative way. My own personal love and admiration for Chanel Iman as person is unwavering. I have always loved when photographers capture the way Mark & Radek captured her in the photo below.
I feel as if I have personally watched this young girl turn in to a woman before my very eyes (well I guess we all have)
Finally, Naomi, Naomi, Naomi... Despite how many of us may personally feel about La Naomi's poor behavior - as a mannequin Naomi is still one of the best ever... I can't event talk about it...
You must see it for yourself... (Spoiler alert) Check out the video below which features the entire Italian Vogue photo spread.
From this point forward - The Changing Room - will only feature a weekly blog post giving you a wrap-up of my life as a fashion designer, creative-activist and general pain-in-the-collective-ass of the fashion industry and world-at-large. What this simply means is that you can find me daily on FaceBook where I will be micro-blogging my passions, dreams and hopes for the world and fashion on a 24 hour basis.
Let the Micro-blogging begin!!!
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