The polls have opened for you to cast your vote for your favorite XXL 2012 class freshman. Amongst the 50 candidates, there is definitely some tough competition with Chip the Ripper, Casey Veggies, A$AP Rocky, Earl Sweatshirt, Kreayshawn, Laws, Smoke DZA and Stalley just to name a few. So follow this link to cast your vote!! You can only vote once! However, I've cheated and voted from multiple computers. Check out last year's class below.
Although Manhattan-born Zac Posen has only been designing for about ten years, nowhere near as long as some of your other well-known designers, his work says otherwise. His pre-fall 2012 collection is comparable to a classic, timeless work of art. Rather than using tons of patterns and excessive colors to add complexity to his pieces, he instead uses minute details, emphatic lines, and exaggerated silhouettes. It is the epitome of sophistication.
Pantone, the official color system of the industry, has announced that "Tangerine Tango" is the color of the year for 2012. That being said, the vivacious hue will be found in clothing and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and more throughout the coming year. Fashion designers such as Elie Tahari, Tommy Hilfiger and Adrienne Vittadini have already incorporated this appropriate shade of orange into their Spring 2012 collections. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute described the color as, "an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the shadings of sunset," as well as "Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive..."
The High Museum of Art Atlanta is currently showcasing an exhibition entitled "Picasso to Warhol" which displays over 100 works from fourteen of the most famous and well-known artists of the 20th century. The art is from New York's Modern Museum of Art and this is the first time a display of this sort has been assembled in the Southeast. The exhibition will be in effect until April 29, 2012 and tickets can be purchased here.
Of course, being on Twitter, you get to view everyone else's opinion about e v e r y t h i n g before you even get a chance to form your own. This was the case for the 'Lotus Flower Bomb' video for me. I didn't see too many people say good things about it, but decided to check it out anyway to form my own opinion.
The Girl -- Many people addressed the young lady in the video (Bre, a former America's Next Top Model contestant) as basic, amongst other negative terms. Yes, I did notice a few pimples, but she also sported her natural hair, light makeup and a subdued wardrobe, however, that is not basic, that is normal. We're so used to seeing music videos with only racially ambiguous, light-eyed, ultra curvy, scantily clad ladies with tons of weave and mountains of makeup. Don't get me wrong, they are generally quite beautiful, but the way Taj (the video's director) & Wale collaborated to emphasize natural, everyday, realistic beauty was like a breath of fresh air.
The Concept -- For Wale to be a new, but not really new, artist, this was a nice video. The storyline was cute and simple. The fact that Wale a)daydreamed & b)didn't get the girl at the end of the video, simply add to the overall realness factor that was so heavily prominent throughout.
Oh, and Miguel's hair was disturbing. Other than that, I liked it. Check it out below if you haven't seen it.
This time, on my regular journey to Pretty Please Nail Salon, I drew inspiration from a different source. Rather than going to Google or just trying to come up with something, I took advantage of a piece of jewelry I admire. I loved this pattern & figured it'd be rather flattering on my nails, especially with their shape.
The inspiration:
I didn't expect, nor did I want, an exact replica of the design, but it still came out surpassing my expectations.
When most people think of gamers, they think nerdy, socially inept individuals who could care less about fashion or anything having to do with aesthetics, really. But thanks to Dior, we can take a different point of view as far as gaming is concerned. Just recently, they released an ad portraying their latest collection of cosmetics as components of timeless video games such as Tetris, Pacman and Pong. Although the cosmetics are not obviously displayed on a face, this ad is much more intriguing than a photograph of an overly emaciated model that's been photoshopped to death. You be the judge:
However, this isn't the first time in high fashion history that technology has had an influence on the portrayal of products. Earlier this year, Chanel released an ad featuring robots as a means to present their most recent cosmetic line as well.
Last Friday, the Auburn University Modeling Board as well as a few other modelesque and stylish students that I chose, had the privilege of participating in Mr. Tuskegee University's "Leave Your Marc" fashion show. The show was put together by Marc McMillan, who holds the Mr. Tuskegee University title. It was a walk-off style show and AU came in 3rd despite a few mishaps. Overall it was a great experience and we had fun.
Scene 1: "Rep Your School" -- we displayed our school spirit by sporting an assortment of orange and blue ensembles.
(above photos courtesy of YNOT iMages)
(above photos courtesy of Infinite Creation Images)
Scene 2: "Leave Your Marc" -- each model expressed their personal style as they pleased.
(above photos courtesy of Infinite Creation Images)
(above photos courtesy of YNOT iMages)
Please be sure to check out more work by the wonderful photographers who are both dear associates of mine. Go like Infinite Creation Images and YNOT iMages on Facebook.
Black, white, floral patterns, leopard print, pastels, studs, stripes and skulls were just a few elements that Betsey Johnson included in her Spring/Summer 2012 collection which she debuted on last Monday of NYFW. It streamed live but unfortunately I wasn't able to catch it, so I absolutely had to research what I missed.
Some things I appreciated: The models sported Stila cosmetics, which I've been a fan of for years. In addition, all of the models wore the "Lightning Bolt" earrings by Melody Ehsani, one of my personal favorite designers.
Pantone, the official color system of the industry, has announced that "Tangerine Tango" is the color of the year for 2012. That being said, the vivacious hue will be found in clothing and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and more throughout the coming year. Fashion designers such as Elie Tahari, Tommy Hilfiger and Adrienne Vittadini have already incorporated this appropriate shade of orange into their Spring 2012 collections. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute described the color as, "an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the shadings of sunset," as well as "Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive..."
