Category: Fashion

Fashion

Accessories /

Hadiya Williams Handcrafted Graphics, Designs, & Jewelry Rooted In Bold African Diaspora

Hadiya Williams – emerging artist and owner of Black Pepper Paperie Co., – a Washington, DC-based mix-media art + design studio and lifestyle brand that focuses on creating globally inspired, one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces to include wearable ceramic art, home decor, paper goods, and apparel. These ancestral modern pieces are rooted in memory and cultural influences from across the African diaspora, and I am sure they’d be of interest to your readers!

Additionally, Hadiya Williams’s graphic design work received national attention as she recently partnered with Best Buy for their Black History Month campaign “Write the Next Chapter.” It ran for the month of February.

In addition to her mixed media and graphic design work, Hadiya has done work with non-profit organizations in the Greater Washington, DC area serving families in marginalized communities throughout the city for the past 15 years. In her free time, she has also functioned as an art director & designer for special events, weddings, and small gatherings. Her ultimate goal is to create work that transforms spaces and helps people celebrate life’s most important moments. Her style is bold and all her own.

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Tina Knowles Seen In Bespoke Power Suit: Ghanaian Fashion Brand Christie Brown

Beyonce’s Mom, Miss Tina Knowles Lawson, took Instagram by storm in this bespoke power suit by Ghanaian fashion brand Christie Brown.

Christie Brown (CB)  takes great pride in how it develops traditional African fabrics into contemporary garments without downplaying their African roots.

With a diverse range of clientele including the backup singers of Award-winning pop-singer Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Stylist; TY Hunter, Beauty Queen, Menaye Donkor, OAP, Nikki Sammonas, Berla Mundi, Makeup Artist, Sandra Don-Arthur and some of Ghana’s most iconic women, CB is and has always been show-stopping.  The brand won the Emerging Designer of the Year Award in 2009 at the Arise Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg; to being the only Ghanaian label showcased at the Arise L’Afrique-A-Porter in Paris Fashion Week in March 2010. It has also received several features and media mentions in Teen Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Canoe 53 and Glamour Magazine.

 

Fashion /

Pantone Introduces 315 New Colors + New Digital Solutions for Fashion, Home + Interiors

Pantone LLC, the global authority on color and provider of professional color tools for designers, today introduced 315 new colors and new supporting digital solutions to the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors Color System.

Refreshed and restyled for greater utility, Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors combines the industry’s most relevant color palette with new digital solutions that streamline your digital and physical color workflow. Newly arranged by color family, it’s now easier and more intuitive to find the perfect shade and includes additions in every color, including over 70 new hues of blue and 50 new shades of pink.

With color being a more important aspect of lifestyle today, our new palette was strategically selected to reflect current and future color influences across fashion, home furnishings, and product design, along with the Pantone Color Institute’s trend forecasting, color intelligence, and consumer and client color research. These tools across Pantone guided the expansion and enhancement of the new color offering.

The Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors product suite has helped designers around the globe creating a product for fashion and home furnishings and the related product markets (i.e. footwear, activewear, cosmetics, accessories, hard home) use the color language to select, communicate and control color throughout the design process. Additional updates to the system include:

  • An all-new layout that is refreshed, restyled and absolutely required for today’s designer. The new Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors formats have been redesigned to best meet the color needs of designers while streamlining digital and physical color workflow. Each of the new Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors cotton and paper formats have been refreshed, restyled and redesigned to make the color selection process more intuitive. Featuring a palette of 2,625 colors arranged by color family, designers can now find that right color, shade, and tone faster than ever. Increasing the utility of the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors products enables designers to more quickly turn inspiration into product reality.
  • Brand new colors that empower a greater range of expression. The release includes the addition of a brand-new collection of 315 new colors to the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors cotton and paper formats. With color being more important to every aspect of lifestyle today, these new colors have been strategically selected to reflect current and future color influences across fashion, home furnishings, interior, and product design worldwide.
  • New design technologies that enable new color innovations. Having digital access to each of Pantone’s 2,625 colors enables designers to seamlessly streamline digital and physical workflows. Spectral data support ensures fast turnaround and accurate, on-schedule production.

“The colors that are influencing design today have evolved to reflect shifting societal views, new technological innovations, and a truly global outlook,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “With the ability to interpret the influence of color on overall consumer psychology, we have enhanced the utility of our Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors Color System with this new collection of engaging hues, enabling the design community to stay on the cutting edge of color selection.”

When paired with the new physical color offering, software and mobile apps from Pantone enable seamless integration between digital and physical workflows, increasing efficiency (or saving time and money) by streamlining the color development process and ensuring color accuracy through quality control and on-schedule production. Pantone Connect, a color library, and palette management ecosystem, can be integrated directly within design tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to provide final delivery of color into design files. Each of the colors in the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors Library is supported by spectral data in both QTX and CXF format, further accelerating product speed to market and providing quick access to other color values including RGB and L*a*b*.

“As a global color authority for almost 60 years, designers look to Pantone to meet their color needs; from having the exact right color palette that will engage and entice their audience to providing efficient solutions that will help them reliably reproduce these colors in their designs,” said Laurie Pressman, Vice President, Pantone Color Institute.

“Expanding and enhancing our color palette and introducing new digital solutions ensures our design clients that they can continue to count on Pantone today and into the future, helping them to transform their creative vision into reality.”

For more information visit Pantone online at pantone.com.

About Pantone

Pantone provides a universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. More than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control color from inspiration to realization – leveraging advanced X-Rite technology to achieve color consistency across various materials and finishes for graphics, fashion, and product design. Pantone Standards feature digital and physical color specification and workflow tools. The Pantone Color Institute™ provides customized color standards, brand identity and product color consulting as well as trend forecasting inclusive of Pantone Color of the Year, Fashion Runway Color Trend Reports, color psychology and more. Pantone B2B Licensing incorporates the Pantone Color System into different products and services, enabling licensees to communicate and reproduce approved Pantone values and improve efficiencies for their users. Pantone Lifestyle brings color and design together across apparel, home, and accessories. Connect with Pantone on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.

About X-Rite

Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance. With Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. For the latest news, information, connect with X-Rite on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

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Style 101: Dress According To Your Profession #OOTD or #WIW

As a creative professional, I am often called into meetings that require a stylish flair.  Long gone are the days of wearing the boring, basic black suit.  In this day and age, women are seen wearing pink pencil skirts and vinyl pointy heels.

Back to the post!  I was scheduled for a consultation and needed an upbeat look.  One way to achieve a fashionable but yet professional outfit is to pair traditional clothing pieces with an on-trend pattern or accessory.  For example, wear a striped blazer with a lace camisole.

In the look below, I’m wearing a leopard button-down blouse, high-waisted dress pants, and denim jacket.  To elevate this outfit, I wore my favorite tassel earrings.

Style 101:  Dress according to your individualized profession!

A few additional stylish business dress tips include:

  1.  Wear a wrap dress.
  2.  Select blazers in bold colors or neutral tones such as camel or red.
  3. Purchase a crisp white shirt but select various styles such as puff sleeves.
  4. Great professional accessories include wearing a logo belt or a vintage scarf.
  5. Keep up with the time by wearing a statement watch.

Denim Jacket:  America’s Consignment and Thrift | Leopard Shirt & Tassel Earrings:  Express | Crossbody Handbag:  Louis Vuitton similar

If you like this post click here:  TENTH STREET TRIPOLI FISHERMAN HAT: CASUAL SHOPPING OUTFIT

 

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February Fab Finds Checklist: Pastel Suits, Asymmetrical Shawl, Plaid Dress, and Leather Pants

Real fashion starts on the streets.  To better explain, there’s something about a woman that can mix pieces in her closet and create a magazine-worthy look.

Having a great sense of style doesn’t require an endless bank account.  It’s merely training the eye to select quality clothing and accessories.

Die-hard fashionista’s share endless wardrobe inspiration on both Instagram and Pinterest.

Entertainment /

ESSENCE CONTINUES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING MEGASTAR AND FIRST-TIME FESTIVAL PERFORMER BRUNO MARS

ESSENCE, the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women globally, is continuing the year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary with the announcement of GRAMMY-award winning artists Bruno Mars and Janet Jackson as mainstage headliners for the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola. This will be the first-ever ESSENCE Festival appearance and the only 2020 U.S. festival performance for Mars, a celebrated singer, songwriter, producer and musician who has sold over 200 million singles worldwide. Jackson’s performance will mark her third appearance at the Festival, which will take place during her newly-announced Black Diamond World Tour.

“This is a milestone year for ESSENCE and our community as we celebrate 50 years of creating opportunities for our culture to shine and the role of Black women in making it possible for us to do what no other brand has done,” said Michelle Ebanks, CEO of ESSENCE Communications, Inc. “To be able to say that at 50 years, we are Black-owned, diversified across media, technology, commerce and live events, and impacting our culture in new and even deeper ways than ever before is a blessing – and one that comes with a tremendous responsibility to our community to continue to evolve, innovate and transform. That remains our focus and commitment as we work to ensure that we are here serving Black women deeply and advancing Black culture, economic ownership and inclusion globally for the next 50 years.”

Ebanks continued, “In this celebration year, ESSENCE could not be more excited to welcome Bruno Mars for the first time and to have Janet Jackson return to headline the mainstage during the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture. These two powerhouses, along with our robust slate of programming, performances and tributes, will continue our legacy of cultural excellence and dynamic, only-at-ESSENCE experiences that excite, elevate and inspire. To Bruno, Janet and all our ESSENCE Festival artists we say, ‘Welcome home.’”

As the world’s largest cultural, music, entertainment and empowerment experience and the global epicenter of Black culture, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture has created a home for Black artists and communities around the world for 26 years and routinely attracts more than half a million international attendees over July 4th weekend. In honor of the brand’s 50th anniversary and marking one day for each decade, the Festival will be extended for the first time from three

days to five days and will take place July 1-5 in New Orleans, LA.  This year’s theme, “Own Our Power,” will be at the center of performances, conversations and activations that span arts, entertainment, music, beauty, fashion, technology, film, food, wellness, advocacy, civic engagement, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.

The Festival’s three-night concert series at the Louisiana Superdome—featuring an eclectic global mix of R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggaeton, Afrobeats and more—includes:

Mainstage:

Bruno Mars, Janet Jackson (headliners); Ari Lennox; Janelle Monae; Patti LaBelle; Raphael Saadiq (Performing songs across his entire career from Tony! Toni! Tone! through his solo albums, including Jimmy Lee); Estelle Presents Reggae & Afrobeats Link Up featuring Afro B, Chronnix, Elephant Man, Kranium, Max Glazer, Maxi Priest, Shenseea and more; Summer Walker; Swizz Beatz Presents In the Zone featuring guest artists; and more. Hosted by Loni Love. Music by D-Nice. In addition, the Mainstage will feature rousing tributes to music icons each night, including a special anniversary celebration on July 4th. 

 

Superlounges:

Casmé, D Smoke; Demi Grace; Doug E. Fresh Presents The Real Hip-Hop and R&B Party; Elah Hale; Goldlink; Jac Ross; Jamesdavis; Jidenna; June’s Diary; Kiana Lede; Kitty Cash; Leikeli47; Masego; Mr Eazi; Oswin Benjamin; Rapsody; Saweetie; SiR; Smino; Stokley; Tamia; Tank and the Bangas; Teamarrr; The New Respects; Umi.

Weekend ticket packages are on sale now with prices starting at $180. For information about ticket sales, accommodations recently launched exhibitor applications and VIP travel packages,  and the latest news about the ESSENCE Festival of Culture,  visit Essence.com/festival. Join the festival community: Follow us on Twitter @essencefest #EssenceFest and become a fan of Festival on Facebook.

Sponsors for the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ include Coca-Cola and State Farm. The ESSENCE Festival is produced by ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

 

Additional details for ESSENCE 50th Anniversary celebration activities throughout the year will be announced soon.

 

Fashion /

Bridal Style: Wedding Dress Shopping Do’s and Don’ts

A wedding is one of the most important events for any woman across the world. It’s the culmination of an important relationship after potentially many years of anticipation. You’ve probably pictured yourself walking down the aisle since you were young, and now that the day is near, you want to look your best.

Featured Photo from Martha Stewart Weddings

While you can theme the wedding however you and your partner would like, what matters more is choosing a dress that not only looks beautiful but also has quality put into it. For those who feel confused or overwhelmed by browsing through the multitude of styles and assortment of wedding dress, here are some do’s and don’ts you should follow when you’re shopping:

Do’s:

Go to Wedding Dress Specialty Shops

While you might have a small group of local dress shops in mind, this is the time to expand your horizons. Don’t try to pass off a dress that’s not specifically intended for weddings on your big day. Some local stores probably won’t have huge selection of wedding dress styles available, so it’s best to find shops that specialize in gowns made how you envision them. These specialty stores are usually found in larger cities or malls. If you want, you can also search for wedding dress stores online so you won’t have to be limited looking for the perfect wedding dress based on where you live.

Check Over Different Sizes

You’ll never know how well a dress will fit on you unless you’re trying out ones with slightly different sizes. While your clothes may fit you just fine with the size you usually use, a wedding dress may require a different size as its fitting requirements could work differently from that of regular clothing. Be sure that your wedding dress options are just as comfortable as they are attractive. Some wedding dresses could look gorgeous yet may be so uncomfortable that it’s not worth it.

Buy a Quality Dress

Everyone loves the adventure of finding a good bargain these days. Does this mean you should do the same with a wedding dress? While there are many great dresses on sale, they usually come with a drawback, whether it’s out of season, an awkward color, or the wrong fit. As hard as it could be to stomach paying a higher price for a dress, it’s best to use your full budget. You’ll generally get better quality, fresher styles, and nicer fabrics. To combat paying a higher price tag, you can use membership points or gift cards to get a better deal, though you shouldn’t always wait for a special sale to pop up when your wedding’s close.

Don’ts:

Shop at the Last Minute

Procrastination is never a good thing, especially when deadlines are near. This doesn’t always happen to brides and grooms, but searching for a wedding dress should be a high priority when the event’s date comes closer. Sure, it can be unpleasant when you have to go through different dresses to put on, especially if your progress seems to go nowhere. Still, it’s easier to devote time to searching for a dress without having to be buried under multiple errands. However long you want to spend searching for a wedding dress, don’t wait until the wedding’s super close, and don’t even think of rushing your way through the shops when there are only a few days left.

Changing Up Your Wedding Dress

They say that less is more, which can also apply to wedding dresses in some ways. It’s perfectly fine to change up the looks of a simple dress with extra decorations. Still, there are instances where the twists can go a little farther than they need to be — for example, wearing symbols that either clash with the aesthetics of a marriage or look inappropriate would be best to avoid. Additionally, make sure that your dress doesn’t have too much added onto it, especially if you want to avoid getting comparisons with the more ridiculous outfits of many celebrities. The beauty of a wedding dress is probably best left alone, so it’s best not to change it up too much when there’s nothing that looks wrong.

Rely on Hand-me-downs, Renting, or Borrowing from a Friend

Let’s get the first part of this “don’t” out of the way. A hand-me-down could only be recommended if it’s part of family heritage or as a gift that your mother would give you to continue growing your family’s legacy. Otherwise, avoid asking your mother or relatives if you can use their old, possibly unpreserved wedding dress. Renting a wedding dress may seem like a good idea, though you might have to pay more if it gets stained or suffers any rips. It’s best to buy a wedding dress to avoid worrying about any damage. You’ve already got so much on your mind. Finally, borrowing a wedding dress is another idea that sounds convincing on paper but not in its execution. Your friend’s wedding dress may not be your size, or its look may not be what you’re going for. Plus, everyone wants their own big day to have a unique style.

Collaborative Post

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RCGD x TENCEL™Luxe Partner Kaitlyn Dever Arrives at Oscars Wearing Custom-Made Ethical Louis Vuitton Gown

Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Kaitlyn Dever (Unbelievable, Booksmart) took a stand for sustainable fashion when she arrived at the Oscars® wearing a breathtaking custom-made ethical gown by Louis Vuitton as an ambassador for Suzy Amis Cameron’s Red Carpet Green Dress™ (RCGD) in collaboration with TENCEL™ Luxe. The Louis Vuitton custom-made gown is made of ethical and eco-responsible certified silk satin, embroidered with Swarovski crystals and glass beads.  This is the second consecutive year Louis Vuitton has partnered with the global change-making organization.

It is with partners like Vuitton and TENCEL™ Luxe, RCGD is able to create red carpet “moments” and make them “movements” bringing sustainable designs to the forefront of conversation and action within the fashion industry.  RCGD is a women-led global change-making organization creating red carpet “moments” to “movements” bringing sustainable designs to the forefront of conversation and action within the fashion industry. It was conceived in 2009 by Suzy Amis Cameron during the press tour for her husband, James Cameron’s film “Avatar”. In partnership with The Academy Awards®, RCGD challenges designers from around the world to deliver eco-friendly garments through a no-waste, circular economy approach, social impact consideration, fair and humane treatment of manufacturers, a clear supply chain and, importantly, materials which use a high proportion of eco-friendly and recycled materials.

Turning red carpet moments into sustainable design movements in 2020 and beyond, the organization will continue its sustainable collaborations with impact brands, educational initiatives for emerging talent, in addition to the creation of groundbreaking digital content.  Leading fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Armani, Elie Saab, Swarovski, Christian Siriano, Bulgari, Dunhill, and Reformation have joined the campaign to create sustainable gowns for the biggest award show in the world, The Academy Awards®. Established campaign representatives have included Naomie Harris, Olga Kurylenko, Kellan Lutz, Gina Rodriguez, Sophie Turner, Emma Roberts, Priyanka Bose, Lakeith Stanfield, Zoey Deutch, Camila Alves, Danielle Macdonald and Laura Harrier.

To qualify as a RCGD eco-conscious garment, each piece must either be made from sustainable materials, including organic, recycled or repurposed fibers. Other features include using hand-made detailing or incorporating natural dye processing, with a dedicated focus on minimal negative impact on the environment, and environmentally and socially responsible design.
 
The sustainable criteria is overseen by Good On You, a partner of RCGD. Good On You is the world’s leading rating system on ethical and sustainable fashion to assist people in making positive shopping choices–all delivered through an accessible app.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Kaitlyn Dever arrives at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Kaitlyn Dever attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Kaitlyn Dever attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Accessories /

Creating A Signature Style: Moto Jacket, Plaid Ankle Pants, and Quilted Clutch #OOTD or #WIW

The best way to determine if you made a good purchase is when you wear something multiple times.  That’s how I feel about the burgundy moto jacket seen in feature the photo.

I originally bought this jacket as part of my fall capsule wardrobe and has served as a great staple piece!

Creating A Signature Style:

My week normally ends by attending a church service with my family.  Therefore, I need a closet filled with blouses, blazers, dresses, and skirts.

After taking a test, I discovered that my signature style is considered to be chic; meaning I prefer a powerful look and sharp lines.

Understanding your personal style is one of the first steps towards looking your best.  It enables you to shop according to items that catch your eye and not necessarily what’s seen on a store mannequin.

The plaid ankle pants and v-cut mules I’m wearing are from Express.  If you follow my Instagram account, you are right, I shop there very often because they carry Petite sizes.

Remember, clothing and dress communicates your personality, mood, and attitude!

Moto Leather:  New York & Company | Handbag:  YSL Clutch Comparison | Pants:  High Waisted Plaid Ankle Pant

Do you need help in discovering your personal style?  Contact Kimberly West Styling & PR and schedule an appointment.

If you like this post, click here:  Everyday Style and Lookbook Inspiration