Sunday, January 31, 2010

Here She Is...Miss America 2010!

(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty)

Congratulations to our new Miss America 2010, Caressa Cameron, who represented the state of Virginia!

The 22 yr-old Ms. Cameron hails from Frederick, VA, and is a communications major at Virginia Commonwealth University. As Miss America, Ms. Cameron's platform is Real Talk: Aids in America.

When asked about the childhood obesity epidemic, Ms. Cameron said, "Take away the TV, take away the video games, set some standards for our children! We need to get our kids back outside, playing with sticks in the street like I did when I was little".

As winner of the pageant, Ms. Cameron will receive a $50,000 scholarship.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Vintage Photo Of The Week

Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer

We all know about Shari Belafonte, but little is known about her sister, Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer. So, I decided to get my Google on and this is what I found:

Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer is the daughter of famed actor and humanitarian, Harry Belafonte. Adrienne holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art from West Virginia State College and a Master of Arts Degree in Community Counseling from the West Virginia Graduate College. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice focusing on children and their families. She manages a program titled: FIREWALL: STOP AIDS whose goal is to 1. get in front of the AIDS epidemic with a preventive education program targeted at a new generation of sexually active youth, with the primary purpose being to prevent the further spread of AIDS. 2. To reach teens and young adults in South Africa and the United States who's generation is at the threshold of sexual activity and who have not yet contracted HIV or AIDS, and to make this population aware of how to protect themselves from AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. She is laying the groundwork for development of a new Life Style Curriculum for South Africa and the USA. (SOURCE: Peace Journey Bios)

Ms. Belafonte Biesemeyer is also co-founder, along with her daughter Rachel Blue, of the Anir Foundation and the Anir Experience.
Enjoy!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

FLOTUS STYLE: Style of the Union


(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)


(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

First Lady Michelle Obama looked radiant in a long-sleeved plum dress designed by Isaac Mizrahi as she listened to her hubby, President Barack Obama, deliver his State of the Union address last night. Mrs. Obama topped off the ensemble with a single strand of pearls. Gorgeous!

Check out the back of the dress:



Work it, FLOTUS!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

OUT & ABOUT: The SAG Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards (better known as The SAG Awards) took place on Saturday, and our divas were out in their evening finest...



Actress Niecy Nash looked absolutely elegant in a white and black off-the-shoulder floor length gown, accented with a bold, statement necklace in lemon citrine from The Lookbook Collection by Charles Albert Jewelry. I love it!




Congrats to Mo'Nique who took home the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Her 1940s vintage inspired soft blush colored was sleek and elegant. Some were disappointed with Mo'Nique's look, saying it was too simple and boring. I disagree. I think she struck the right tone for this event, which is usually toned down, fashion wise. I think Miss Mo is saving the best for last -- The Oscars!



Paula Patton

Paula Patton

Paula Patton was all a glow in J. Mendel and Cartier jewels.





Gabourey Sidibe worked the runway in an electric blue gown by Pamella Roland. I loved the ruching and kimono sleeves!



Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Mariah was on fiyah in a red one shoulder, grecian goddess dress by Valentino, and jewels by Kwiat. Lovely, Mimi! Just lovely!



(Photos: Getty Images)

Friday, January 22, 2010

Vintage Photo Of The Week


Shari Belafonte
Actress/Model/Writer/Singer

I love this photo of Shari Belafonte. It shows how fashion forward she has always been. Ms. Belafonte used to work the androgynous look like nobody's business!

Enjoy!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Mo'Nique Is Golden!


(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty)


Life is certainly golden for comediane/actress/talk show host and now Golden Globe winner, Mo'Nique. The diva won the Golden Globe for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" for her role in the movie "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' By Sapphire." Miss Mo'Nique glistened in a gold, strapless Reem Acra gown and diamond drop earrings and a diamond link bracelet designed by Everlon, as she gave one of the most moving acceptance speeches of the evening:



Congratulations, sista! I am so, so proud of you!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Vintage Photo Of The Week


Paula Kelly
Dancer and Actress

Paula Kelly (b. October 21, 1943, Jacksonville, Florida) is an dancer and actress in motion pictures and television.

Daughter of a jazz musician, Kelly was raised in New York City's Harlem where she attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, majoring in music. She continued her studies at the Juilliard School of Music majoring in dance under Martha Graham. Graduating with an M.S. degree, she performed as a soloist with major modern dance companies such as Martha Graham, Donald MacKayle, and Alvin Ailey. She also performed as guest artist and sometimes assistant choreographer for numerous television musical specials, including "Sammy and Friends" (starring Sammy Davis, Jr.); co-choreographer of the BBC production of Peter Pan, in which she also performed the role of "Tiger-Lily"; Quincy Jones' TV tribute to Duke Ellington, We Love You Madly; The Richard Pryor Show; and Gene Kelly's New York, New York, in which the two Kellys performed a duet.

Kelly made her Broadway debut as Mrs. Veloz in the 1964 musical Something More!, sharing the stage with Barbara Cook. Her other Broadway credits include The Dozens (1969), Paul Sills' Story Theatre (1971), Ovid's Metamorphoses (1971), and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies (1981) with Gregory Hines and Phyllis Hyman.

Kelly performed a dance solo at the Academy Awards for the nominated song "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". She appeared on the London stage in Sweet Charity opposite dancer and actress Juliet Prowse as "Helene", for which Kelly won the London Variety Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred in the record-breaking west coast premiere of "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" at the Mark Taper Forum, for which she was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Variety, and the first of three NAACP Image Awards.

Kelly's film credits include the Bob Fosse-directed film Sweet Charity; Soylent Green; The Spook Who Sat By The Door; The Andromeda Strain; Uptown Saturday Night; Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling; Drop Squad; and Once Upon A Time. . . When We Were Colored.

Kelly had a recurring role as Liz Williams on the first season of the sitcom Night Court, for which she received an Emmy nomination. Kelly has also guest-starred in a variety of television movies and sitcoms, including Sanford and Son, Golden Girls, Good Times, Any Day Now, and in the groundbreaking Oprah Winfrey-produced The Women of Brewster Place (based on the novel by Gloria Naylor), in which she portrayed one half of a lesbian couple (opposite Lonette McKee) struggling against homophobia in an inner city ghetto. She was nominated for a second Emmy for her role in The Women of Brewster Place.

Kelly posed for the August 1969 issue of Playboy magazine in a full-frontal (though shadowed) dance posture and in a stop-motion nude dance sequence. Kelly was the first woman ever to be pictured in a full-frontal nude pose in the magazine, with Marilyn Cole being the first Playmate so pictured. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
To learn more about Ms. Kelly, check out her website: http://www.paulakelly.net/


Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Rihanna Goes Hard on The February Cover of W Magazine








(Photos: Craig McDean/W Magazine)

For the February 2010 cover of W Magazine, Rihanna goes hard in a Gucci cotton dress from their Spring '10 RTW collection, gold and diamond earrings by Ivanka Trump,  Dior gold and diamond ring, and a beautiful white gold, black ceramic and diamond cuff by Chanel. For more info on the Rihanna's other ensembles, see WMagazine.com.

I think Rihanna is a perfect fit for W, which tends to be Vogue's edgier sister. I like the editorial, especially the photos of Rihanna wearing the cloche-esque leopard print hat and Michael Kors dress. However, I would have liked to have seen them go with color photos instead of black & white. Rihanna has a gorgeous complexion that would have been perfect to show off the cool palette from the upcoming Spring '10 season.

(Hat Tip: The Fashion Spot)

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Honors Eunice W. Johnson

It was an afternoon of love, memories and celebration as family and friends gathered yesterday at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur for a tribute luncheon to honor the late Eunice W. Walker, who passed away last week at the age of 93.


(Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Carol Sutton Lewis, daughter of the late Percy Sutton, Gayle King, Ruben and Isabel Toledo, and Andre Leon Talley served as hosts for the luncheon. In attendance was a Who's Who of fashionistas and entertainers including White Social Secretary, Desirée Rogers, Wall Street Journal reporter, Teri Agins, designers Geoffrey Banks, Francisco Costa and B. Michael, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Lynn Whitfield, Whoopi Goldberg, models Veronica Webb and Pat Cleveland, restauranteur B. Smith, socialite Susan Fales-Hill, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum of Harlem Thelma Golden, and Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson.


Desirée Rogers
(Photo: Kyle Ericksen/WWD.com)

Former president Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance as keynote speaker for the event, noting Mrs. Johnson's "ageless vitality". Ms. Rogers, who is a close and personal friend of the Johnson Family, read a letter penned by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, which lauded Mrs. Johnson's philanthropy and entreprenurship.



Susan Fales-Hill
(Photo: Kyle Ericksen/WWD.com)

Next to the luncheon was an exhibit of garments that were featured on the Ebony Fashion Fair runways. Linda Johnson Rice said of her mother, "I know my mother is looking down on us and all her wonderful clothes, thinking, ‘Wow, I did a pretty darn good job'".



Fashion Designers Geoffrey Banks (l.) and Francisco Costa (r.)
(Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)


Pat Cleveland
(Photo: Kyle Ericksen/WWD.com)


Desiree Rogers and Teri Agins
chat with Francisco Costa and Geoffrey Banks
(Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)


Thelma Golden
(Photo: Kyle Ericksen/WWD.com)


Veronica Webb and Whoopi Goldberg
(Photo: Veronica Webb/GlobalGrind.com)



Alexa Johnson, granddaughter of Mrs. Johnson
(Photo: Veronica Webb/GlobalGrind.com)



Ebony Fashion Fair Exhibit
(Photos: Veronica Webb/GlobalGrind.com)

(SOURCES: WWD: Desirée Rogers and Bill Clinton Attend Eunice W. Johnson Tribute and
Global Grind: FASHION MOMENT - Tribute to Eunice W. Johnson)

Friday, January 8, 2010

Vintage Photo Of The Week


Eunice W. Johnson (1916 -2010)
(Photo: EbonyJet.com)

Check out Mrs. Eunice W. Johnson working the chinchilla! Alexis Carrington ain't got nuttin' on this Diva!  

Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

LEGENDARY: Eunice Johnson, Our Fashion Fair Lady (1916-2010)


(Photo: EbonyJet.com)

Grace and class are two words family and friends use to describe Eunice Walker Johnson, the founder of Johnson Publishing, Ebony Fashion Fair and Fashion Fair Cosmetics, who passed away Sunday at the age of 93.



Eunice Johnson looking over sketches with Yves St. Laurent
(Photo: EbonyJet.com)

Mrs. Johnson was a visionary who understood that image is everything to the Black community. Armed with luxurious haute couture gowns, statuesque brown beauties and a runway, Mrs. Johnson sought to redefine the image of the Black woman. She forced fashion designers to take notice of the beauty of Black women and how our darker hues could accentuate or enhance their designs. At the same time, Mrs. Johnson introduced us to a world of luxury and art, and helped to elevate our self-esteem. “She was an astute fashion person who had more than just fashion in her background. She was an interior designer. She was a lover of art", says Audrey Smaltz, founder of The Ground Crew, a fashion show production company, and former Ebony Fashion Fair commentor from 1970-1977. "She introduced me to luxury, art and culture way beyond what I went to school for. I graduated with an art degree. She took me to a Ph.D.”

The Ebony Fashion Fair began in 1956 as an idea by the late Jessie Covington Dent, who was looking to put on a fashion show that would benefit the Women's Auxillary of Flint-Goodroch Hospital in New Orleans. Enter the late John H. Johnson, founder of Johnson Publishing Company and the husband of Mrs. Johnson. The show was a success and Mr. Johnson, along with his wife, decided to expand it into a multi-city traveling fashion show to help raise money for other charities. Over the years, Ebony Fashion Fair raised more than $55 million for various charity organizations.

In the beginning it was rough. Many designers refused to sell their clothing to Mrs. Johnson because, according to Mr. Johnson, they were concerned that "white women wouldn’t value their designs if they were worn by Black women". However, through perserverance and her Southern charm, Mrs. Johnson won them over, becoming the largest buyer of European haute couture, according to Kenneth Owen, assistant producer of Ebony Fashion Fair.

Via the Ebony Fashion Fair, Mrs. Johnson was also instrumental in launching the careers of some of today's fashion legends like Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Roberto Cavalli, and Pierre Cardin when they were the new kids on the runway. The work of Black designers, like B. Michael, Willi Smith, Patrick Kelly and Stephen Burrows were also regularly featured throughout the years. Pat Cleveland, one of the first Black supermodels, cut her teeth on the Ebony Fashion Fair circuit, as did actor, Richard Roundtree and TV personality, Janet Langhart Cohen.

Mrs. Johnson is survived by her daughter, Linda Johnson Rice and granddaughter, Alexa Christina Rice. In honor of Mrs. Johnson's philanthropy and contribution to the fashion industry, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will hold a special tribute on January 11th. According to EbonyJet.com, this event was planned months in advance prior to Mrs. Johnson's passing.

(SOURCE: EbonyJet.com)

Friday, January 1, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!



May you have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!