EDITOR'S LETTER: February 2013

In light of certain unforeseen circumstances that had happened to me at the beginning of this month, I have to apologize for not posting my February Editor's Letter on the first of the month as I usually always do. While I am horribly dissapointed for not providing content for the past 7 days of this month, today DOES mark the first official day of New York Fashion Week, and the beginning of the Fall 2013 collections. This season I will be tracking the collections with my twitter account (@inmyfashion), so be sure to check it out periodically and follow me so you can be informed as to what is most sartorially interesting this coming season. I've already posted some new and strong looks of which we can aspire to achieve this coming season. 

After a year of growing our hair naturally, this is how our hair has come along so far. An afro has always been a strong symbol of pride among people of color, and we are proud to represent our culture through our hair. 

Having watched In Vogue: The Editor's Eye this past December, I was able to understand the mindset of a Vogue Fashion Editor, and fashion is certainly for me! Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, who was Vogue's Fashion Director and Editor-at-Large from 1985-1995 said, "I work because I love." Polly Mellen, Ex-Vogue Editor from 1966 to 1991, said she loved working as hard as she did for Vogue for the many years as she was there. Current Contributing Editor, Camilla Nickerson and Executive Fashion Editor, Phyllis Posnik are consummate perfectionists. Nickerson said she is always under a high state of anxiety, hoping that she will create that image that transcends time and poses a question, which, in my fashion, is absolutely poetic, because, as current Fashion Director, Tonne Goodman says, "Time is a special part of our lives, and to be able to freeze a moment whether conjured or not is really a gift." I realized quickly that a great fashion editor of Vogue must have a strong will for getting that magical image. Current Creative Director, Grace Coddington, has been the editor most famed for her ability to produce a great photograph in the R.J. Cutler film, The September Issue. My drive to style my hair this past year has helped me to realize how much drive one must have if they are going for a particular image. I have a particular vision for my hair, and I am relentless in the pursuit of the image I want to achieve for myself. Through my training in photography, I have learned how to communicate fashion through an image, and all I care to do is to become an asset to this world by creating magical imagery that inspires people to dream. As I postulated in my Style Maven post for Haider Ackermann, Coco Chanel said, "The life we lead is nothing, the life we dream of is the existence that matters, because it will continue after death." A perfect example of this is, Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the shortest month of the year, there is a lot going on. It is Black History Month, Fashion Week is well on its way in New York, and soon will be in the other major fashion capitols of the world. Valentine's Day is around the corner, and so is my Birthday! Personally, I've started a new position at my job, and I will certainly bring my "Just Do It"-drive to my new position. This past year I have grown much as a man, and have learned a lot about establishing healthy habits that keep me moving upward in my life. As St. Jerome says, "Begin to be now what you will be hereafter." In my fashion, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination, and that journey requires discipline. The growth that comes with discipline is a gift that continues to pay dividends long after the effort has been made. This month will be a busy month here on #IMFblog, and, in my fashion, this spirit of "Just doing it" will be the key to bringing some worthwhile fashion coverage.

This month being Black History Month, in lieu of the pioneering African-American we now have as President for a second term, it got me to thinking of the pioneers in African-American history that have made a difference in fashion. Martin Luther King, Jr., has always been a huge influence for me, and many others on the front of equality and prosperity. He is the reason why I have always felt that the most important part of life is to feel like an asset to the world at least in some small way. Considering Obama's inauguration speech in which he stated, "America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; and endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention," in my fashion, all of us have the capacity for upward momentum, just as Martin Luther King quoted in his sermon at the Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on February 4, 1968, quoted in the above Bit-O-Inspiro. Obama's new bold style will certainly be on watch these next four years as this youth generation takes charge of America's future. First Lady, Michelle Obama has made her statement by cutting herself some bold new bangs, which really speak for the changing of the times in her husband's new term as President. As Vogue said in the February 2013 issue, "clothes aren't just clothes, they are the outward expression of spirit indomitable."

Barack and Michelle Obama at the 2013 Inaugural Ball. Michelle Obama in  her red chiffon and velvet ball gown, by Jason Wu.

On that note, I am going to celebrate Black History Month by taking a look at Vogue's Black Cover Models. Bethanne Hardison, Pat  Cleveland, and Beverly Johnson, were three prolific models during the rise of the fashion industry, and they shared their experiences as models in the HBO documentary, About Face: Supermodels Here and Now. Their accounts of discrimination in the fashion industry inspired me to want take a look at other black models that have paved a way for the proliferation of black beauty, helping models such as Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Tyra Banks, Chanel Iman to become successful themselves (I am especially excited to see Naomi Campbell's show to air on Oxygen, "The Face" which premiers this February 12th). For one to appear on the cover of Vogue is a monumental event in anyone's life, but for an African American to appear on the cover has often been controversial and thought provoking to the pubic considering the discrimination African-Americans have endured throughout history. The black models that have appeared on Vogue's covers have helped to expand the view of beauty in America at times when the majority of people saw black people as unattractive. This month, while taking a look at these models, I also want to share what I have learned about black hair care, and the ways in which people of color prefer to take care of themselves. Last year, the natural hair trend made its way into the spotlight in Italian Vogue, and this month #IMFblog will be dedicated to exploring this trend deeper. 

Model, Naomi Campbell wearing Issac Mizrahi in Vogue, February 1991, "Fashion Individualists: Bright Thinking"

I also have a few specials planned for the rest of the month as well. I opened an Instagram account (inmyfashionblog) earlier this month, and I have already posted some photos of items I found that would be great buys for  anyone to consider for their home. Please take a gander at what I found, for they came from a place of which I plan to reveal later on this month in a special post in celebration of Black History Month. I also have a few suggestions on how to display one's love being that next week is Valentine's Day, so be on the look out for my thoughts for the special day of love.

Model, Veronica Webb in Vogue, September 1992, "Great Buys: A Model Wardrobe" shot by Dewey Nicks

Style Maven: Kanye West

In lieu of this month's Presidential debates, while it is taboo to mix racial judgments with politics, considering President Obama is the first African-American President of the United States, the issue is continually brought to light in the media. After the first round of debates where Governor Mitt Romney appeared to have conquered Obama, in response to Obama's reserve during the debate, Michael Eric Dyson , a professor of sociology at Georgetown, made a controversial observation on MSNBC, “Lest we forget this, lest we pretend this doesn’t make a difference, the specter hanging over him is: ‘I can’t come off as too vigorous because then it looks like I’m being an angry black man.’ ” Mr. Dyson postulated that because of the "Angry Black Man Phenomena" Romney was able to play to that strength. Regardless of whether this was, in fact, the intent of Romney's strategy that night, Obama showed no reserve in the final two debates, where Obama showed outright disapproval of Romney's flip-flop policy proposals, without coming off as a brute.

Samsung Galaxy Note II New York Launch Event, October 2012

I recently read an essay by Professor of Sociology at Ferris State University, Dr. David Pilgrim on “The Brute Caricature” which summarizes a brief history of the “Angry Black Man” stereotype, its origins coming from the Reconstruction Era of the United States (1867-1877). "The brute caricature portrays black men as innately savage, animalistic, destructive, and criminal -- deserving punishment, maybe death. This brute is a fiend, a sociopath, an anti-social menace. Black brutes are depicted as hideous, terrifying predators who target helpless victims, especially white women. Charles H. Smith (1893), writing in the 1890s, claimed, "A bad negro is the most horrible creature upon the earth, the most brutal and merciless"(p. 181). Clifton R. Breckinridge (1900), a contemporary of Smith's, said of the black race, "when it produces a brute, he is the worst and most insatiate brute that exists in human form" (p. 174)." This stereotype since then has traveled through time, mainly promulgated by the media. From of white supremacist novels of the early 1900s that incited fear and loathing of the African-American male, to the false criminal accusations of black men in the 1980’s and 90’s that fed off the black brute caricature, it has been determined by historians that, in fact, “The brute caricature was a red herring, a myth used to justify lynching, which in turn was used as a social control mechanism to instill fear in black communities.”

I'm Just Me

Halloween is tomorrow, and I thought it funny that Kanye West new collaborative studio album, “Cruel Summer” has come out around this time for he is portrayed in the media himself as somewhat of an “Angry Black Man” of our current generation (especially considering his father, Ray West, was a former member of the Black Panthers). Dr. Pilgrim explained above that the “Angry Black Man” is the most feared person on Earth. Based on his laudable political statements and public rants, not to mention the stunt he pulled against Taylor Swift at the 2009 Video Music Awards, West is perceived as irrational, politically incorrect, and unpredictable in the public eye. While wildly controversial, the quality of his work in entertainment continue's to quench audience's thirst for innovative, original, and progressive art, music, and fashion, especially in the urban market. It leaves us to beg the question, "Is there method to his madness?" Last month, Kanye West released the collaborative studio album, "Cruel Summer" which featured tracks from current and new members of his G.O.O.D (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music label. Below are the lyrics to one of his emotionally charged tracks, "Cold", a track which, in my fashion, addresses those who don't nay say against him and his mission in entertainment:

Samsung Galaxy Note II New York Launch Event, October 2012

                                                      Can't a young nigga get money any more?

Tell PETA my mink is dragging on the floor

Can I have a bad bitch without no flaws

Come to meet me without no drawers?

Dinner with Anna Wintour, racing with Anja Rubik

I told you mahfuckas it was more than the music

In the projects one day, to Project Runway

We done heard all that loud-ass talking, we're used to it

I'm from where shorties fucked up, double-cupped up

Might even kill somebody and YouTube it

To whoever think their words affect me is too stupid

And if you can do it better than me, then you do it!

We flyer than a parakeet, floatin' with no parachute

Six thousand dollar pair of shoes, we made it to the Paris news!

Don't talk about style cause I embarrass you

Shut the fuck up when you talk to me 'fore I embarrass you

Coachella Valley Music Arts Festival

And the whole industry want to fuck your old chick

Only nigga I got respect for is Wiz

And I'll admit, I had fell in love with Kim

Around the same time she had fell in love with him

Well that's cool, baby girl, do ya thang

Lucky I ain't had Jay drop him from the team

La Familia, Roc Nation

We in the building, we still keep it basement

We flyer than a parakeet, floatin' with no parachute

Six thousand dollar pair of shoes, I made it to the Paris news

Don't talk about style cause I'll embarrass you

Shut the fuck up when you talk to me 'fore I embarrass you

GOOD Music, we fresh, we fresh

Anything else, we detest, detest

Bitch-ass niggas got ass and breasts

All that said, let me ask this quest'

Don't talk to me 'bout style, nigga, I'll mothafuckin' embarrass you

Talking 'bout clothes, I'll mothafuckin' embarrass you

Hollering 'bout some hoes, I'll mothafuckin' embarrass you

Way too cold, I promise you'll need some Theraflu

Get the Theraflu

EDITOR'S LETTER: July 2012

 

Mingling with the beautiful people at
New York Gay Pride 2012

If you will, let me invite you on a quick stroll down memory lane: When I was an intern the last summer before my graduation from undergrad, I met a fantastically kind-spirited and inviting Merchandising Buyer for the corporation I was working for. She was a refreshingly energetic woman who always had an interesting statement necklace for me to observe and admire. I first noticed her in my HR orientation classes, always sitting across from me but never in a position to interact, and yet, towards the end of my internship, lo and behold, the women with the interesting statement necklace was the Women’s Clothing Head Buyer as I came to find out on a run-in encounter. We exchanged information and during my last semester we kept in touch, and she even was very helpful on a project I had for my Salesmanship course. When I finally graduated and was looking for work, I contacted my new fashion insider to inquire about possible openings where I could gain buying experience, desperate to hear the slightest chance of gaining some sort of fashion industry experience (or for that matter any job considering the state of our economy in 2010). Even though I was disheartened to hear that there were no current or pending openings, one of the best recommendations I had gotten in a while came from our chilly morning meeting at Starbucks. She advised that I read a copy of the book, “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham. That day, I headed to the library to get me a copy to find out what keys to getting a job this book could offer me. Instead of explaining, specifically, what moves I should make to get myself hired; it offered a thorough study of implications as to what makes each one of us strong and capable of success in our lives based on our past experiences and how we developed as children. It was a book geared towards helping one to identify what innate talents each of us have developed in our lives, talents that will point us in the right direction towards where we need to be using our strengths to become capable of achieving our own levels of success, happiness, and balance in our personal and professional lives. I could see why she would extend this book to me for it really helped me to understand what exactly I am good at, and helped me to understand how I can best use my personal combination of talents to excel in life.

The reason I bring this book up on IMF.blog, is because this month I am focusing on “Acceptance”. This book helped me to realize, most importantly, that I am innately great at certain aspects of life, and that I am innately bad at other aspects—and that is OK, because we all are. My favorite quote from the book is a twist on a popularly conceived notion said by the wit W.C. Fields: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Then quit. There is no point in making a fool of yourself.”  Buckingham does a great job of explaining why we people are the way we are and how we can accept the way that we were raised, and what skills we developed as children so we can focus on making our strengths as strong as they can be instead of focusing on masking our weaknesses. This is why I postulate in Sartorial Philosophies that, in my fashion, having strong style isn’t so much about knowing how to hide your flaws, but it’s more about making your strengths shine as bright as they can.

In my fashion, a real understanding of acceptance and tolerance makes for a calm and cool individual and can contribute largely to your style. Once you accept who you have grown to be, it’s that much faster that you can get on to making life an enjoyable adventure.  I say, get real with who you are, and once you learn how to utilize your talents most effectively, you can then use them to help you grow so you will be able to do whatever your heart desires in your trajectory of life. Decide, now, what are the things, actions, and behaviors you are willing to accept, and won’t accept in your life, and be smart about your judgments. Accept the ramifications of your decisions and what the future may hold when you make a certain decision. In my fashion, acceptance is what keeps us grounded, rational, and most intuitive about where one should go in life.