Cassie in Mark Fast at the BET Awards

s:fashiongirl_22/TFS

Cassie's talent is debatable but she is a knock out beauty and surprisingly her new hairstyle seems to be catching on among C-listers like MTV's Lala and Carmen Elecktra. She wore this shredded little black dress by Mark Fast to last night's BET Awards.What do you think of her new deconstructed style?

(Yawn!) Ebony's Summer Issue Features IT FACTOR ladies

Ebony Magazine has put together a special multi-cover summer issue celebrating women with the "It" factor. Not surprisingly, the nearly 70 year old publication's list holds no new names or surprises. 

Of the 25 women listed, 21 are entertainers, 1 is an athlete, 2 are from the world of politics, and 1 is an academic. Only a small handful are under 30. 

When I think of the "it factor" my mind usually goes to up and coming artists, writers, educators, designers, trendsetters, filmmakers, or unsung actors. Ebony's pool of  nominees only extends to those women already represented in their stock images library.

The list includes :

Naomi Campbell
Jennifer Hudson
Michelle Obama
Tina Turner
Aretha Franklin
Halle Berry
Serena Williams
Condoleezza Rice
Oprah Winfrey
Tyra Banks
Angela Davis
Erykah Badu
Jill Scott
Lil’ Kim
Whoopi Goldberg
Diahann Carroll
Pam Grier
Patti LaBelle
Alicia Keys
Mo’ Nique
Diana Ross
Rihanna
Grace Jones
Mary J. Blige
Beyoncé

Model Turned Writer Jessica White

Like Veronica Webb and Naomi Campbell before her, Sports Illustrated favorite Jessica White has written a book. She spoke candidly about it this week while celebrating her birthday this Monday at The Gates. White confirmed that the yet untitled work is a coming of age story about a girl who has been sexually abused and that the story is semi-autobiographical.  No word on if White has found a publisher or if she plans to self-publish but the model has plans to turn the work into a screenplay. 

S: The NY Daily News

Designer Spotlight: Carlie Cushnie

Cushnie (L) photographed with partner Michelle Ochs

Recent Parsons grads Carlie Cushnie and her designing partner Michelle Ochs' minimalist designs made a great impression at Fashion Week with their S/S and Fall '09 RTW collection. Thanks to publications like W, which featured the duo in a recent story on aspiring fashion designers, their cred keeps growing. Cushnie (who is British by way of Jamaica) and Ochs (who is German/Filipino) had the bad luck of starting their company just as the recession was hitting but are determined not to fail by growing slowly and consciously. The pair's designs (which were inspired by the severe refinement of the Patrick Bateman character in "American Psycho" -- but for women) can be found online at Browns and in stores ar Bergdorf Goodman.

Cushnie et Ochs
Style.com (Fall '09 Collection)

Jourdan Dunn for Calvin Klein

s: á la Balenciaga/TFS

On the surface, this ad reminds me of a slightly less violent version of the DSquared2 ads that Naomi Campbell did with Linda Evangelista earlier this year. Instead of actively fighting, the girls kinds of look like zombies trying to waltz. That said, this is a really big step for Jourdan's career and I applaud it. I think her particular look fits CK's aesthetic perfectly. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the ads.

MC Italia July 2009 - "Chic Tribale" - Yasmin Warsame

Photographed by Thierry Le Goues for Marie Claire Italia.

s:diciassette (17)  

Also, gossip from The Cut suggests that something mysterious and "major" will hit the newsstands with fat September issues. Sessilee Lopez and Chanel Iman twittered about an editorial for a major magazine (Vogue?) involving them Arlenis and Jourdan Dunn that will have fans rushing out to buy their own copy. I'll keep my eyes peeled but covers get me more excited than editorials, but it would be nice to see Sessilee in American Vogue.

The Row Creative Director Finds "Strong Black Woman" for Lookbook

From COACD

The Row's new Creative Director Alex Hawgood asked COACD to be involved in their latest look book. They wanted a strong black women....naturally Ataui Deng at Trump was given. Photos by Daniel King.

Not to detract from Ataui Deng's obvious beauty but I find myself bristling at terms like "strong black woman" being thrown around by creative directors. For one, what does that even mean? In my view it certainly isn't a particular look. This quote really makes me wonder who the other models up for consideration for this gig were. 

s: kahlilg/tfs

Ajuma Nasenyana Appears in Marc Jacobs F/W Ad

Trace #85 Black Girls Rule! - Arlenis Sosa Peña

The annual BGR! issue is here and will be available at select newsstand and online (begining in July) at Trace Online. I can never find this locally anymore and I gave up subscribing because too many of the issue never made to it to my mailbox. I am glad to see that they're still putting it out however. It seems that there are always rumors that Trace is on the verge of folding.

ANTM Winner Teyona Given the Flip Off by Seventeen Magazine

s: Jezebel

I stopped watching America's Next Top Model several years back. These days I get my modeling reality show fix from TVLand's "'She's Got the Look." Here is the current cycle's winner Teyona and her career making turn for Seventeen Magazine... too bad the editors there don't think she has what it takes to warrant a solo cover. Like previous winner Saleisha Cooper,  Teyona only rates the back cover of the magazine with the face out going to KatyPerry. Ah well, it's not exactly Italian Vogue but at least Teyona didn't have to share her half cover with Tyra and will have something nice to show the grandkids one day.

Speaking of "She's Got the Look." did anyone else catch the premiere last night?

Jourdan Dunn in Yves Saint Laurent Fragrance Ad

s: models.com

With actor Vincent Cassel.
La Nuit de L'Homme Fragrance S/S 09

Ariel Meredith - Marie Claire - July 2009 Editorial

The current issue of Marie Claire (Cameron Diaz on the cover) is more bland than a bag of grass clippings but I this is the second 2009 issue that has had a multi-page spread featuring a solo black model.

Black Woman in Space: Set Your Tivo to Watch "Virtuality" on FOX!

I know, I know...it's completely off-topic but rarely do we see a sci-fi show on TV that acknowledges that black women exist in the future so I'm excited. The premise sounds odd (see below) but I'm tired of watching old episodes of Firefly so I hope this can fill the void and Joy Bryant has a decent role. Unfortunately, the show is on FOX, which means that it will probably be canceled quickly.

The two-hour premiere airs on FOX on June 26th at 8 p.m.

From io9:

The crew of the Phaeton is approaching the go/no-go point of their epic 10-year journey through outer space. With the fate of Earth in their hands, the pressure is intense. The best bet for helping the crew members maintain their sanity is the cutting-edge virtual reality technology installed on the ship. It's the perfect stress-reliever until they realize a glitch in the system has unleashed a virus on to the ship. Tensions mount as the crew decides how to contain the virus and complete their mission. Meanwhile, their lives are being taped for a reality show back on Earth.

****On a side note, I haven't been posting much lately. My family and I are expecting another baby in August so the blog will probably be slow to update for awhile. There is plenty of good stuff to read on my blogroll, so please check out those links! Thanks!*******