Sher're P.: 2014

Editorials

Dear Awol Erizku, Thanks.

So, I was on Vogue yesterday and saw this. Let me tell you, I've never had such an urge near emergency to blog that I have it now. A...

So, I was on Vogue yesterday and saw this. Let me tell you, I've never had such an urge near emergency to blog that I have it now. Awol Erizku photographed people at Afro Punk, a music festival held in Brooklyn, New York that originated from a documentary which highlighted the presence of Blacks in the Punk scene. The festival is held annually and has been going on for about ten years and its free. This is not what you'd expect to see on Vogue. And I love that. As an aspiring fashion writer this brings pure optimism to me. Blacks and black culture is definitely not covered in fashion often, and I thank Awol Erizku for covering this event with his talent. From faux locs to real roots, black hair is the focus of the portraits. I picked my favorites and the link below to the collection of photos on Vogue. I'm sure theres many more, wonder will Erizku release them (wishful thinking)?

Also, when I created these pictures I wanted an interesting background to them and I ran across artwork of Odili Donald Odita. He is an African abstract artist whose works have been in The Jack Shainman Gallery in NY and the Michael Stevenson Gallery, in Cape Town, South Africa. His color schemes and exhibition reviews create scenes in my mind that make me eager to see or maybe experience a gallery of his. You can check out his work by clicking on his name at the beginning of the paragraph.
Photos on vogue.com.

Collection Review

Brazil is bringing the Heat: Adriana Degreas S/S 2015

In the past few months I've been discovering Brazilian designers who are truly heating it up in fashion. I found Adriana Degrea'...

In the past few months I've been discovering Brazilian designers who are truly heating it up in fashion. I found Adriana Degrea's S/S Beachwear collection for 2015 by accident but I don't want to recognize it as an accident at all. Her beachwear is phenomenal. I had mistaken the lace pieces as lingerie at first because of the overall theme but when I found the entire collection I was completely corrected and speechless. From the reverse racerback halter tops to the high waist bottoms, the collection is very relevant in current American fashion trends. Also the mesh details and cutouts of the swimwear is going along with other swimwear designers. And although Im comparing this designer to the most known current designers she still stands out. Her pieces vary, and maintain complete sexiness. The collection can be for any woman of any age, and that is usually where many designers loose an audience. Her cover-ups are so beautiful, and the prints she used were perfect for a beach vacation. I posted my favorite looks, and you can go check out her collection with the link below and the interesting video I found. I usually post the runway show but of course I like this one better.

Photos from nowfashion.com.

ADRIANA DEGREAS . SS 2015 . SPFW from Vinícius Cardoso on Vimeo.

Outfit Posts

Always a First time.

Whoa, an outfit post? First, let me say I didn't expect to be posting one until next year. But I looked nice today, so I said why n...

Outfit details: Grey skater dress from Forever 21 "Turkish Delight Earrings" from ASOS, by ASOS "Van Buren" shoes from Nasty Gal, by Luichiny "Wood Base Shopper" bag from ASOS, by ASOS

Photography by: Kayla McDaniel

Collection Review

Post Palette: Ulyana Sergeenko 2014 Spring Couture

Ulyana Sergeenko has done it. From clashing royal colors and Spring pastels, beads water-falling into designs, and to satin fabric lay...

Ulyana Sergeenko has done it. From clashing royal colors and Spring pastels, beads water-falling into designs, and to satin fabric laying, sculpted across curves, this couture collection stands strong. We can expect fro Sergeenko's style the floor sweeping dresses and skirts, but a seductress emerges through this collection. With only being a noted as a designer on Style and Vogue for 2 years, she is definitely making a name for herself. This collection empowers and brings all eyes to the woman in this.
The looks with striped pieces are very strong and stand out from her solid colors pieces. She doesn't have much floral in her pieces, which are expected for spring designs, but this is refreshing. Bold reds are contrasted against teals in two of the looks above. Ulyana Sergeenko said that these striped looks aren't a printed fabric, she said the stripes were narrow bands of silk placed over. The sculpting of the fabric in the 3rd look above is perfect. It looks effortless, and the knot where the fabric meets isn't tight. Very loose, and effortless.

Now when it comes to fabric choice, these solid colored pieces are the focus. The silk keeps the couture eye.The teal is paired with light creams, and pinks. The stitching of the pattern on the bralette on the 3rd look is amazing. Since this fabric is so soft and light, its surprising to get this result.The middle look's over jacket looks perfect as it goes down the runway, its simply beautiful (video at the bottom).

Now when I mentioned bolds and pastels meeting, I was referring to these looks. We have the baby blue on emerald green, red on a light blue, and pink with emerald green stripes highlighting the look. The stitching again, her on the emerald green shorts are immaculate. The detailing and texture is amazing on all three looks. The emerald green stripes on the bodysuit (?) on the third look is so beautiful. Especially on this model. Amazing.
The vintage waved hair and simple make up matched this theme so well also. The scene of the runway show was set up as a train station, and obviously with a early 1990s feeling the hair was perfect.

Black History In Fashion | Zelda Zynn Valdes

Zelda Wynn Valdes, where do we start with her? Should we start with her perfecting the variations of mermaid style gowns she designed or ...

Zelda Wynn Valdes, where do we start with her? Should we start with her perfecting the variations of mermaid style gowns she designed or her being the designer of the sexiest costume/work uniform in history? I guess I'll start with the beginning.

Zelda Wynn recalled her early life experiences with designing in a New York Times article in 1994. She said her grandmother, who was a fashionable lady, inspired her. Wynn designed a dress for her Grandma one day, although her grandmother said "Daughter, you can't sew for me, I'm too tall and too big," Wynn went for it anyways and her Grandmother loved it. She then went on to work for her uncle, at his tailoring shop. She worked her way from a stock girl, all the way to being a tailor and seamstress. Wynn said during her time in the shop, she did experience that doubt because of her color. Clients would come and second guess her skills, but she said, "It wasn't a pleasant time, But the idea was to see what I could do." And she showed exactly what she could do.

In 1948, she opened her own boutique, "Chez Melda" on what is now Broadway and West 158th Street. Zelda Wynn was the first African American designer to have her own shop on that street in New York City and that was the beginning of her prime. From that time she begin designing for the beautiful Josephine Baker, Joyce Bryant and Ella Fitzgerald just to name a few. Wynn also had quite the body size knowledge, may be a superpower. For Ella Fitzgerald, she only measured her once in the twelve years of designing for her. Wynn said "I had to do everything by imagination for her. She liked fancy clothes with beads and appliqués. I'd just look at the papers and say, 'Gee, she's gotten larger.' " That is some knowledge, and bravery. In 1949, she became the president of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers for the New York Chapter. During the next years she'd teach a sewing class to children in Harlem, continue designing dresses for many women, then moving her shop to Midtown.

In 1960, Playboy revealed the official costume for their ladies. This costume was made from rayon-satin, and was a strapless one piece, on a merry widow corset. The Playboy Costume is the only service uniform that was granted a patent from the United States Patent Office. It has been said that Zelda Wynn took part in designing this iconic costume.
*Now, I personally have learned to do my research. And it was a little tedious and annoying to find no place where it was documented that she said out her mouth "I designed this costume." The only source I found that may be citable, is on this page, The Press Release of "Threads of Time Fabric History: Profiles of African American Dressmakers and Designers" by Rosemary E. Reed Miller. I don't have access to the book but this page says that Wynn did have a connection to the Playboy costume. The author is also a history major, and it's stated that she did research the information she wrote about. Unfortunately, everywhere else, and in Kathryn Leigh Scott's "The Bunny Years" it simply says Hugh Hefner and his team had an idea for this outfit, had the base designed (regional costume) and then they hired dress designer Renée Blot to update the original costume. Not trying to make this a controversial topic but I also did want to go off of facts because history depends on real information.
Returning to the life of Zelda Wynn Valdes, in 1970 she was asked to be Costume Designer for a new performance company, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, by Arthur Mitchell. She agreed to be and designed costumes for the company for eighteen years. That was eighty-two ballet productions in over twenty-two countries for Zelda Wynn, between the ages of sixty-five to eighty-three. She retired and closed her business in 1989. She said in that New York Times interview people desired for her to write a book, but she thought it'd be a burden, and she laughed.
Zelda Wynn Valdes was an amazing designer, humble, and a great one to make history for African Americans in fashion and business. She contributed to the careers for African American Women like Dorothy Dandridge and Joyce Bryant, and she's remembered.

Sources Ebony Magazine | New York Times | Huffington Post | Google Books
Photo Sources Magnum Photos | Yale University Library | The Red List | Dan Pliskow Archive | Epoch Movement