June 2013Faces of Black Fashion: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Life in Los Angeles: My Visit to the Getty




I've been living in Los Angeles for 8 months!!!! Last fall when I moved here for work, I had never even visited the state of California much less the city of L.A.  Friends and family worried as I prepared to move 3,000 miles across the country to a city where I did not know anyone.  I also felt a little afraid. I am so happy that I did not make fear stop me, and that I am living in and enjoying L.A.  

Part of being new to a city is the excitement you get from visiting new sites and discovering new places/gems. It's like being a local tourist. Last week I visited L.A.'s Getty Center. 
Nestled in the mountains of Santa Monica, this outdoor museum features  architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles. The English language does not have enough words to capture the beauty of the Getty so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. If you are ever in L.A., it's a must visit. Actually it is now the first on my list of places to see in L.A.












View of the city from the Getty. 


Cheers,
Nika

Friday, June 28, 2013

Black Celebrity Style: Weekly Roundup

Melody Thornton rocks leather shorts and cropped blouse. 

Keri Hilson visits BET's 106 & Park


Rihanna in Italy. The Overalls have made a comeback, will you be wearing? 

Garcelle Beauvais at NY Premiere White House Down Party

Chanel Iman spotted in New York's Meatpacking District


Do you have a favorite look from this week's roundup? 


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Summer Style Inspiration: Yendi Phillips

I look forward to Yendi Phillips's (former Miss Jamaica Universe) style updates via her Facebook page. Whether she's on set at Smile Jamaica TV or enjoying life, she embodies an easy breezy chic  style aesthetic. Although I am not a fan of harem pants (I don't think they flatter me at all), Yendi wears them so well, I am tempted to give them another try.






What's your favorite outfit? 

Cheers,
~Nika

Monday, June 24, 2013

Introducing: SHopRagHouse Fashion Collective



I first heard about ShopRagHouse a few months ago from a friend. Brimming with excitement, she told me about a new fashion collective started by two former Corporate Lawyers, Bridgette Hylton and Joanna Florez.  As a fellow fashion enthusiast, I could not wait to check out the website for myself. I was impressed with the sheer genius behind the concept. I also beamed with pride when I read that the founders were two Caribbean women. Thus, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce ShopRagHouse and its founders Bridgette Hylton and Joanna Flores.



Tell us about your company ShopRagHouse? 

ShopRagHouse.com crowd-funds and produces limited edition garments designed and chosen by our members in “Project Runway” style competitions hosted on our site. We are the kickstarter for fashion. We want to make fashion design and fashion in general more fun and interactive for fashion enthusiasts everywhere!


How does it work?

It’s pretty simple:
1.  Users submit design ideas
2. Our members vote on them on our site and social media accounts.
3. We make winning designs into samples
4. Members pledge to buy the samples that they like best.
5. When a sample receives enough pledges to buy it, we make it and ship it
6.   Designers receive a cut of the profits



What inspired you to create ShopRagHouse?

The inspiration for ShopRagHouse was two-fold. Firstly as women working in corporate law, we knew first hand that fashion wasn’t always responsive to our needs. In particular, we noticed that women’s suits rarely if ever had functional pockets – which is a huge pain obviously. We thought, why can’t people, and women in particular, have more say in the clothes that they wear? Secondly, flash-forward a few years and I wanted to launch my own fashion company – I had no formal design experience and breaking into the industry proved difficult. I called Joana frequently to talk about the challenges I was facing and she had a stroke of genius – she said, why shouldn’t it be easier for emerging designers to get their work in front of the people who matter most – prospective buyers? It was the marriage of those two trains of thought that gave birth to the ShopRagHouse concept. We’ve always been very passionate about fashion. We always say, we’d love to find the next Marc Jacobs, but more importantly we want to have fun with fashion, because for us, that’s what fashion is all about.

Joanna Flores of ShopRagHouse

How can readers submit their designs? Are there any requirements they need to meet?

Readers can submit design ideas right on our site, www.shopraghouse.com. We’d love to have more submissions. We genuinely believe that anyone can be a fashion designer – even two former lawyers with a penchant for bold prints and high fashion at cutthroat prices and no past design experience whatsoever. We are constantly trying to make that process easier for non-designers like ourselves. We have a template that they can download and sketch their design on to either by hand or on their computer. They can also submit an entirely original sketch. We are working every day to streamline the design process to make it easier for people like Joana and I who have no formal design experience to get their ideas in front of prospective buyers and fashion enthusiasts everywhere.

Can we purchase pieces on your website?

Right now we are still working on developing the first few dresses that have won competitions that we’ve hosted. We’re hoping to have the first three dresses available for sale really soon on the site and through our upcoming kickstarter! Readers should stay tuned on twitter, facebook, instagram, pinterest, and other social media for the official launch of our first collection.



What’s your vision for ShopRagHouse?

We really believe the sky is the limit. Right now we are focused on women’s dresses, but we already have plans to expand into swimwear, menswear and accessories. 
We always joke that if people want us to make host a ShopRagHouse sandwich competition, we’d be happy to do that (as long as we could be really well dressed while doing so!).

How can readers stay involved with and support ShopRagHouse?

We’d love to have your readers join our site, and stay in touch on social media. We’d love to have readers submit their designs, vote in competitions, and help spread the word about our business.
We’re still pretty new and we are always looking for feedback! Readers should feel free to email us at info@shopraghouse.com any time!

Bridgette Hylton talks about ShopRagHouse

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Personal Style: The Tale of Two Outfits


Peplum Blouse + Pencil Skirt
 I wore this look to church last week for Father's Day. I love the versatility of a black pencil skirt. I can wear it with almost anything. I wore this skirt previously, here





Blouse: Dolan (Anthropologie)
SHoes: Topshop


White Jeans + Collard Shirt
This was yesterday's casual Friday look. White jeans are part of my summer essential list, I usually prefer skinny jeans, but these Zara jeans were the perfect fit. I just couldn't leave them behind. 


Shirt: H&M
Jeans: Zara
Flats: Tahari
Bag: Random Brand

Please Like Faces of Black Fashion on Facebook

Cheers,
Nika

Friday, June 21, 2013

Friday Fashion Inspiration






Photos Source: Tumblr

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Dynamic Womanhood Part I: What Does It Mean to be a Dynamic Woman?


One of the best things about Faces of Black Fashion is having the opportunity to meet and feature a variety of stylish, dynamic and multifaceted women. Along with celebrating black fashion, the blog also commends dynamic womanhood. As women, we wear so many different hats and fulfill a wide variety of roles. We have such a significant impact on the people in our relational and professional networks and on society at large.  Interacting with the awesome ladies who I've featured on the blog gave me the inspiration to do a series on dynamic womanhood.  During the series, many of  the ladies share their own personal definition of what it means to be a dynamic woman. I hope you will be inspired by the wisdom they ladies share. Enjoy!



Name: Marie
Feature: Here
"When I hear the term, I automatically think about roles. What roles and, how many roles women play throughout life. Daughters. Sisters. Wives. Aunts. Mothers. Teachers...there's so many. But, I'd like to think being "dynamic" is more than that. The word "dynamic" sounds powerful. Very powerful. So, I'd probably define a "dynamic woman" as a one who is aware of her strengths, finds comfort & stillness in her being, and is most likely to be utterly unstoppable."







Name: Christie
Feature: Here
Christie of Living Simplistically

"My personal definition of a dynamic woman is one who is confident enough to create her own unique footprint on this earth, who is capable of trusting her intuition over the external voices of the majority, who can speak to a multitude without having to say a word, and a woman who isn't afraid to take risks, even if it includes the potential of getting hurt." 



Name: Samara
Feature: Here
"My definition of a dynamic woman is one who is beautiful on the inside and out. A woman who exudes style, class, and grace, all while handling real life situations always inspires me.  In my opinion, a dynamic woman never folds under pressure.  She is able to stand with every tough situation and while standing handles herself as a lady: tactful, confident, and peaceful.  

A dynamic woman uses her experiences of the past as lessons.  From these lessons negative or positive, they have strengthened and given her wisdom on how to handle her present and future.  A dynamic woman  is compassionate, giving, and non-judging.  

A dynamic woman is well put together outwardly.  Whether it's casually dressed or dressed to the nines, this woman puts effort into how she presents herself to the world.  

This is my definition of a dynamic woman and I hope to be that myself one day."





Name: Whitney
Blog: Whitney James
Feature: Here

A dynamic woman  is fearless, confident, and stylish. Dynamic women can face any challenge, head on, and come out victorious. In order to do so, she must be fearless as well as confident---the two go hand in hand.Women have many layers and on a daily basis, so much is expected of us. But to be able to handle and juggle it all with a smile makes us dynamic. The last ingredient to a dynamic woman is style. With the right pair of shoes and a great sense of style, a woman can rule the world! ;-)"

Stay Tuned for Part II.

Cheers,
~Nika

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Chéri Samba Paris: Louis Vuitton Travel Books 2013






Artist and illustrator Chéri Samba of the Democratic Republic of Congo illustrated the new editions of the Louis Vuitton Travel Books. Chéri Samba is one of the most famous contemporary African artists. His work has been featured in collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Chéri Samba. In the video below, Chéri Samba talks about the process and inspiration in illustrating the travel books. 





Cheers,
Nika

Monday, June 17, 2013

Instagram Beauties: Black Models Edition

Sessilee Lopez - therealsessilee

Sigail Currie - sigailcurrie



 Anais Mali - realanaismali

Chanel Iman & Jourdann Dunn - chaneliman & officialjdunn


Chanel Iman


Joan Smalls - joansmalls

Jourdan Dunn, Sigail Currie & Anais Mali


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Trendy Stylistas: Black and White Stripes


The black and white striped trend is one of my favorite looks for summer. Here are some of our favorite stylistas rocking one of Summer's hottest trends:



Beyonce rocks black & white striped cropped look


Rochelle Humes of singing group, The Saturdays, wears black, white and red.

Thandie Newton in a chic & elegant black and white dress

Lala Anthony mixings prints


Solange Knowles in black and white striped pants


Cheers,
~Nika

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Dressing Appropriately For Your Summer Internship


After seven years of higher education, I am pretty well-versed on summer internship/jobs and their importance in career development.  While doing a great job is paramount, your outward presentation is a key part of your professional image that you should not ignore. Ensure that the image you leave behind is one of a polished professional.

Part of dressing appropriately for your office environment involves research. If you are unable to get "inside information" on your office's dress code, err on the side of caution for the first few days by dressing conservatively. This will give you the opportunity to observe and get a sense of the office's dress code. You can always make small changes where necessary. Now here are my tips for looking like the star intern that I know you will be!

1. Say no to flip flops. Even if you see full-time employees wearing them, don't.  They are unprofessional and have no place in an office environment.


2. Save the minis for the weekend. Mini skirts or dresses are inappropriate in a professional setting. Go for a stylish knee length pencil skirt or dress instead.

3. Layer. Thanks to the advent of technology, some offices are iceboxes in the summer. Be prepared by bringing a cardigan or light jacket with you daily or leaving one at work to wear when needed.

4. Grab a dress. Dresses make an easy outfit, and they are so many affordable options available.

5. Choose a short or cap sleeve blouse. Even if you have great arms, leave the sleeveless tops for after work events. Short or cap sleeves are more business appropriate. 

Here are three outfit ideas to get you started



Tailored pants with silk blouse

Navy Pants Work Look


Pencil dress & pumps
Pencil Dress




Pencil skirt & blazer

Summer Work Wear

Cheers,
~Nika

Monday, June 10, 2013

Blogger Feature: Priscilla of Prissy Savvy


It is my pleasure to introduce another dynamic young professional woman, Priscilla of Prissy Savvy. Priscilla's style embodies class and elegance. If you are looking for a style reminiscent of the modern day lady, her blog will give you tons of inspiration.  It is my pleasure to introduce Priscilla and her blog Prissy Savvy.


Tell us about yourself, who is Priscilla?
I am a recent college graduate; my hobbies include shopping, eating (yes I consider that a hobby), spending time with friends and families, and helping others.



What inspired you to start a blog?
I started my blog after graduating with my masters. While in school, I drowned myself in books and lived and breathed school. After graduating I got a little bored. Being very shy, I started my blog to express myself without words and with my clothes. Which was pretty easy because I love dressing up.



What are three of your favorite items in your closet?
I love everything in my closet! However, if I had to pick a few it will be my Christian Louboutin circonvolu sandals, my colored suits, and my various pencil skirts.




What are you looking forward to wearing this summer?
I plan on wearing tons of bright colors and floral this summer. I am a girly girl; therefore, I love anything bright and colorful.



Anything else?...
Thank you for featuring me on your site and it is my hope that your readers will visit my blog at: http://www.prissysavvy.com. If your readers like my style, they may stay as long as they want and join and subscribe to it.


Be sure to visit Priscilla's blog, Prissy Savvy.