Trends come and go, but great style will always last forever. One area of fashion that should never be neglected is the use of accessories. Accessories are like the icing to a cake, the cherry on top of a perfect sundae. If you want your ensemble to be chic then indulge yourself in the little details.
This season, rocking geometric accessories is a must-do. From triangle necklaces to circular rings and cuffs, adding standout shapes to your jewelry routine will elevate any outfit.
We recently had the opportunity as well as pleasure of interviewing an emerging designer who hails from ATL, Georgia. Due to such popular shows such as the Real Housewives of Atlanta, the style influence from the ATL has never been hotter! Emmanuel Lartey is breathing new life into the fashion scene by designing clothing that reflects his own work ethic, values as well as personality. Lartey’s determination for success is inspiring and definitely of note to be imitated. Read on to learn more about Emmanuel Lartey as well as his up and coming brand, Eldesign.
Who or what inspired you to develop your own clothing line?
Life inspired me to start my own clothing line. It wasn’t till I graduated from college that I learned how life hits you in the face and its either sink or swim. So after some hard days, I would listen to my music and create whatever design that god placed in my head. It became an outlet and a way for me to express myself.
Have you always had an interest in fashion?
No it wasn’t till I graduated from college and gave up football that I wanted to learn more about the fashion world and put my flavor in it.
How did the name of your brand, Eldesign, come about?
Eldesign is the name of my brand. I used my initials+design to create eldesign.
What type of girl or woman would you say that your clothing line would appeal to?
My clothing line would appeal to females and kids. The kids clothing will consist of different versions of Creg, who is my brand’s mascot.
Please break it down for us, what type of items are available for purchase including hats, shirts, etc. and where can ladies go to get your designs?
Eldesign makes hats, shirts, pants, and different accessories. Follow us on IG @eldesignthecollection, like us on Facebook eldesignthecollection, and check out our website www.eldesignthecollection.com for new releases.
What challenges have you experienced as a designer and how are you overcoming them?
Some challenges I experienced at the beginning, was deciding who my brand will target. I was caught up in showing off my talent that I didn’t realize that most of my loyal customers were mostly females. So I made some changes and created more female apparel. This was my way of thanking my loyal customers.
Where would you like to see your brand take off to in the future? Meaning in 5 or 10 years when people say or hear Eldesign what do you hope that they will be thinking?
In 5 Years my brand will be recognized internationally and when people say Eldesign the first thing they will think of is Creg. I am confident in this prediction because of my vision, grind, and god’s will.
Thoughts? Talk fashion with us by dropping a comment down low or hit us up on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
She won’t stop, can’t stop and we absolutely love it all! Serena Williams has conquered the court, the catwalk (as a model and designer) and has even blown away the masses as a major magazine cover girl. Williams has been on numerous covers this year including Vogue back in April as well as when she dropped the proverbial model mic by doing the splits for New Yorker magazine (August 2015). Serena Williams has solidified herself as being a true queen inside and out!
We feel the need to quote Drake here for just a moment… clears throat… “You know it’s beauty when her smile is her best curve.” Serena truly does have one of the most beautiful smiles in the game, but we love her for ALL of her curves too! Besides, her stunning physique it is Serena’s personality and drive that also inspires and influences women the world over.
For their November issue Harper’s Bazaar is celebrating women who are not afraid to be daring. In a very honest interview Serena discusses how she feels confident in her profession because she has been at since the tender age of 3. Moreover, she goes on to say that she believes some people were born to do a certain thing and she has not missed her calling because she was born to be a tennis player. With 21 Grand Slam titles under her belt it is very hard to disagree with those statements. Nevertheless, Williams did admit to one fear in particular stating,
“Every time I go down a red carpet, I get a little nervous. I’ve done it 20,000 times, but you’d be surprised. I always have to take a deep breath before I go out there. Put on a brave, bold pose.”
We would have never even guessed that by the way Williams looks like so relaxed on the red carpet. However, goes to show that all of us are humans and deal with some sort of anxiety, but it is impossible to be strong enough to overcome them. Along those lines Serena mentioned what being daring means to her by saying,
“Daring to me is taking a chance but not doing it blindly. A very calculated chance. Think of amazing women like Sheryl Sandberg and Oprah Winfrey—they’re daring, but they’re not jumping off a building without a parachute, you know? You have to be smart about it. You can’t be afraid to be a pioneer and take a chance and speak up and just be bold.”
Amen to that Serena Williams and may we are continue to trek through life being daring and taking chances for the better. Want to see a Behind the Scenes look at Serena Williams Harper’s Bazaar photoshoot lensed by Douglas Friedman? Keep scrolling…
Fashion Notes: Yes, white after Labor Day is okay ladies. We just love Williams’ white Ralph Lauren jumpsuit paired with sandals by Christian Louboutin.
Thoughts? Join the discussion on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
Zendaya Coleman is one starlet who is never afraid to give a bold hairstyle a try. Moreover, even when there have been those that have attacked her sense of style she put them in place… with grace of course! Therefore, speaking of “grace” if anyone would ever have the guts to channel an iconic look worn by one of fashion’s elite it would have to be by someone confident as well as fearless right?
Well, we definitely have to give it up to Coleman for being such a doll (btw she really is one thanks to Barbie) and paying homage to the legendary Grace Jones with her strands. Zendaya posed for a Mane Addicts photo shoot rocking a High Top Fade that also gave us Kid N’ Play vibes (google kiddies, you’ll get a kick out of those pics when you find them LOL). Nevertheless, all the hair fun did not just stop with Grace Jones, hair stylist Larry Sims showed off his amazing skills using Brooke Shields and Diana Ross as inspiration as well!
Grace Jones High Top Fade From Back In the Day
Larry Sims is one of our favorite hair stylists of all time because he NEVER disappoints. We first became fans seeing his work for Janet Jackson’s All For You tour. Who can forget watching the HBO special and seeing her wavy extensions literally get caught in her sunglasses and she just tugged till they slipped out like it was her own hair. Moreover, she ran her fingers THROUGH like it was her own and nothing was getting hung up anywhere. When it comes to hair that is some serious skills and technique to make tresses look and feel so natural.
Moreover, we love all the various styles that Larry always creates for Lupita Nyong’o. Natural hair can be way healthier than chemically treated hair, but as any woman can attest to, sometimes you just don’t know how to style natural locks. Sims demonstrates time and time again that there is a wide range of styles that can be achieved on natural hair. So then, enjoy the quick look at Zendaya’s stunning hair transformations!
Rose Palhares the genius behind the Angolan fashion brand bearing her name has but together a stunning lookbook that showcases the immense beauty found in African designs. Back in her homeland Rose is revered as “The Fashion Princess” and she has the fashion chops and accolades to back up such a honorary nickname. Palhares won Designer of the Year in 2013 and has been bestowed with the privilege of representing Angolan style at Milan’s Expo 2015.
In regards to the lookbook aptly entitled “New African Aesthetic” that is definitely the vibe we instantly received from it upon first sight. Of course, you will notice west African flavor that is famous for its powerful use of boisterous colors and animal prints including leopard and zebra. Nevertheless, Rose Palhares manages to take iconic styles and morph them into modern, newly envisioned masterpieces!
The overall styling is just as eye-catching as the designs themselves. Models Elsa Baldaia and Silvia Costa both wear bold gold jewelry with hair fashioned into Bantu Knots. Moreover, do not even get us started with the makeup honey! Strong brows, colorful smoked out eyes and some bangin’ dark lip color gave Elsa and Silvia a sultry allure. All hail the fabulous Rose Palhares, The Fashion Princess!
When you are the face behind Robert Cavalli fall adverts then you must be able to pose like rent is due, correct? Ciara is a one woman powerhouse who can sing, dance and model her butt off. Ciara appears in the most recent edition of Vogue Italia showcasing creations by major designer brands.
What exactly does Ciara wear in her shoot lensed by Markus & Koala? CiCi brings the heat in a bold, printed bodysuit by Dquared2 as well as Tom Ford skirt and top by Cushnie et Ochs. In still another display of great fashion Ciara models a stunning corset by Givenchy along with skirt and boots.
Ciara looked completely drop dead gorgeous with the help of an amazing team comprising of hair, makeup and styling. Yolanda Frederick handled makeup duties, while Cesar Ramirez was on locks control and the wonderful Agnieszka Scibior made sure Ciara’s style was kept on point.
Thoughts? Join the discussion on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
Model Cora Emmanuel’s newest editorial is a black and white masterpiece. Emmanuel wears fall fashions by Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Christian Louboutin. The high fashion editorial is apart of Wonderland mag’s September/October 2015 issue.
The stylish shoot was lensed by photographer Christian Oita. Oita’s LONG list credits include shooting hottie supermodel Rob Evans as well as celebrities Emma Watson and Cillian Murphy just to name a few.
Check out the stunning editorial and don’t forget to save your fashionable thoughts with us. Drop a comment like it’s hot or hit us up on our Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram or tweet us @1966magazine.
Photographer DeAnna S. Reid has once again captured a cool fashion vibe. Reid lensed a shoot in Phoenix, Arizona featuring couture from Clothes Minded Boutique (yeah, we absolutely adore the pun too). Reid called upon the talents of model, Samantha Daniels to bring her voguish vision to life!
The overall look showcases how to make the over-sized, baggy style streamlined and chic. If you are afraid of losing your curves then accentuate or create some with the help of some well placed accessories. For this look in particular Daniels’ waist was highlighted with the help of a belt. Moreover, a few buttons were left undone near the top of her shirt to show off a little skin. Lastly, a gorgeous designed necklace brings the whole outfit together seamlessly.
Plaid always works well during the fall and winter seasons. It is a very relaxed style but still adds some pizazz due thanks to its print design as well as colors. Pair a plaid top with shorts, tights, pants or skirts and you have a simplistic yet modernistic ensemble.
Photographer DeAnna S. Reid has captured yet another set of edgy fashion portraits showcasing modern urban streetstyle. Reid photographed model, Nafeesah Jones in the heart of Tempe, Arizona. Fashions worn by Jones included two tops that we want in our closets ASAP.
Black is beautiful in all of it’s stunning shades ranging from light to deeper tones. Being proud of who we are and being comfortable in our own skin is the new movement and focus of young black women the world over. The Melanin tee by The Artist Cierra Lynn encompasses the essence of being an ebony goddess. It is a fun piece that holds and makes a powerful statement.
Skin does not need to be out of the question just because fall is here. As demonstrated by this lookbook lensed by DeAnna S. Reid – a little reveal can have a sassy effect. We love this black crop top by Love Lavish Clothing with the deep V cut and twist detailing. If you want all eyes on you, this is the top that will make it happen! Nevertheless, due to its sexy design, keep accessories simple so that the crop top remains the real star of your fashion show.
I guess we have been sleeping on the Beauty department at H&M but that is know longer the case. The makeup choice for Arlenis in the H&M Beauty editorial looks amazing. That dark berry lipstick has our names written all over it. The pigment looks great with just the right amount of gloss to it. Can’t wait to try some of H&M’s makeup collection.
