On IMF.blog, my coverage of Sunday night’s 2012 BET Awards will highlight what were the strongest looks from last night, in my fashion. I wanted to highlight the looks that I felt defined that individual’s style and brought a certain light to certain look that illuminated pure individuality. When I think of strong looks, I like to think about what looks were strong enough to burn an unforgettable image in our brains that we simply would not be able to forget once we have seen that look for the first time, and I like to think about what was the effect of the outfit in which a person wore that stated their relevance in reference to the nights festivities and what they do in the industry, whether they sing, model, dance, or work behind the scenes. I like to think not only about how flattering a certain look is, or how the colors make someone’s skin illuminate, I like to think of why someone would wear a certain look and what were they trying to say about themselves to their audience. Was their reasoning intelligent, or is the look flawed because its purpose for being worn is irrational, superficial, and irrelevant in retrospect to the occasion. As late editor-in-chief of US Vogue, Diana Vreeland, had said, “There is no such thing as unconscious dressing,” and I tend to agree.
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Beyoncé, Selita Ebanks, Melanie Fiona
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I was thoroughly pleased to see the variety of ensembles at this year’s award show. Beyoncé was, of course, the cat’s meow as she stood out from a mile in her languid, one-sleeved, neon green sheath complete with that long slit for a bit of sexy leg exposure. This dressed worked well with Beyonce in every sense of R&B diva, but in my fashion, the fact that she was caught smiling and dancing all night (in her green number no less) was the reason her aura was so irresistible to the cameras all night. Ex-Victoria Secret model, Selita Ebanks is always a sight to see, and I was taken aback when the cameras caught a glimpse of her jamming by herself in the audience. Her dress was so intricate looking in those few seconds I saw her, I had to find out what her entire look consisted of. This dress fits perfectly with my thoughts in my (a la mode post) in May. Longer dresses are a hot trend this summer, and these sheer skirted type dresses look beautiful when a women sweeps past you, and I love this choice for Ebanks because the colors go well with her skin, and her hair helps to balance out the structure of the dress for a feel that is glamorously “Ebank’s”. Melanie Fiona also did a sheer frock for her performance, but her floor length under dress counters Ebanks’ lack of fabric down under. What set off this look for Melanie, was Melanie herself for her voice is what had us all enthralled by her once she finished her performance. For someone to sing the way she did, calls for a dress that measures up to the talent, and this dress was certainly a dress I would have wanted to see her performing her heart out in as she did that night.
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| Chaka Khan, Monica |
The Whitney Houston tribute brought out a plethora of stars who wanted to pay their respects to ‘The Voice’, including a slimmed up Chaka Khan! Chaka Khan blew us away when she first revealed her weight loss at an earlier performance on American Idol this year where she showed up in a flattering body suit, but this metallic number, with its large leg slit gave Beyonce a run for her money as was the biggest difference between the two was basically the color of their dresses. The way this silky dress moved as Chaka blew on stage was absolutely mesmerizing. Monica was another shock of the night that floored me! My first time seeing Monica when she revealed herself in her custom fitted Spring 2010 Alexander McQueen dress extended with a train, I was unprepared for the rush of goose bumps I felt. Her ubiquitous stage presence with that dress grappled my eyes attention, especially with that metallic tangerine color of the inside lining. As Creative Director for McQ, Sarah Burton, has said before, “There’ll always be a McQueen woman. She is a strong woman and she is a powerful woman, and when she puts a McQueen jacket on, she feels different. The way she stands is different. The way she moves is different. It’s almost like the clothes are slightly empowering.” This is the quote I thought of when I saw this dress. Her wearing the dress was almost as much homage to the late Alexander McQueen as it was for Whitney. Then, when I saw this photo of her red carpet look in all maroon (one of my personal favorite colors), I was sold right there on the notion that Monica was in the top tiers of the best dressed of the night.
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| Jay-Z, Kanye West, Miguel, Big Sean |
In regards to the men, I was so very happy to see the following men who dared to be different. When we saw Jay-Z come on stage during Kanye West’s acceptance speech, one of the most memorable moments of the night, I know everyone was impressed (or not) by Jay-Z’s ensemble with his white shoes being the cherry on top. Either way, if you didn’t like it, I am sure you won’t forget it. Take notes men, for this was definitely a dashing professional look worthy of duplicating for oneself in the office (especially if you played with different color combos). I always enjoy Kanye’s looks for they are always so simple, chic in its own right, yet futuristically trendy. I loved his boxy shirt that had fine details on top of eggshell white that I found interestingly edgy, and I would love to feel how that shirt feels for the fabric looks to be very soft and comfortable. Miguel had a look that I felt went with his continuum of sartorial ingenuity. Everything on him is always to the “T” fitted, and sharply executed. When I think of his looks I can’t help but to be reminded of a razor. I loved that he wore all red, a hard thing for a male to do well, in my fashion, and his touches of gold, with the black and white Sophie’s, were excellent additions to pull the look together in a sort of antique, modern appeal, which matches his stylistic sound. Big Sean is one that is clearly in another pool of fashion, for his looks are always daringly sexy in a “Cool Joe” way that so coyly begs the question, “I know what I am wearing. What of it?” I applaud Big Sean immensely for I feel he is pioneering a new look for the new age of hip-hop we are going through. Check out his interview I found a while back with GQ magazine on his passion for his trademark piece (or pieces, for that matter)—chains.
