Contributing cultural fashions to New York Fashion Week is always welcomed in a city of cultural diversity. During market week in September, African elegance arrived at New York’s Plaza Hotel. The Kapy Bash Mode collection debuted in a collective showcase of international presenters to an audience of style enthusiast, fashion influencers and media makers. Kapy Bash Mode offers African ethnic gowns that are inspired by cultures from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Kapy Bash Mode uses liputa, ankara, french lace, bazin, satin and linen fabrics. There is a soon to debut resort line of acrylic swimwear fashions and ankara boxer shorts for men. The creator, Kapinga Bashala has been designing for the Kapy Bash Mode brand for twenty-six years. She has designed custom gowns for television personalities, government dignitaries, pageants and bridal parties.
“There are many negative misconceptions about African cultures and lifestyle. Contemporary African fashion are demystifying the negative stereotypes. With each ethnic gown I create, I share an experience of Congolese’s cultural decadence with the world.” explains Kapinga.
With her busy schedule, Kapinga still finds time to be philanthropic by helping to fund educational programs for underprivileged children in the Dem. Rep. of Congo. Kapinga also helps misfortunate Congolese women develop fundamental skills for starting a small business. A percentage of KBM’s online proceeds goes to fund the charity ‘Kapy Bash for Mothers and Children’. Sharing culture through fashions not only helps others experience unique heritage, it helps preserve heritage through collective economics. Now that is a sustainable trend that is always in style.
December 8th can not get here fast enough, so until then we will just keep obsessing over a few of the sexy little details. Many have been sending us emails in regards to some of the gear the models were wearing the day the big show was recorded. Don’t worry ladies we got you and yes you can shop all those cute model looks from the show!
(Above: New! Classic Zip Hoodie)
Limited Edition Fashion Show Perfect V-Neck Tee
Now for this next bit of information, don’t shoot us we are just the messenger. Several gals asked about those insanely cute pink and white robes the Vickie dolls were wearing backstage. Although they are not apart of the official 2015 Fashion Show Gear lineup there are quite a few lingerie looks that resemble the robes flair. If you missed seeing photos of this year’s robe selection here are a few pics to get you up to speed:
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 10: Lais Ribeiro is seen backstage before the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at Lexington Avenue Armory on November 10, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret)
We scoured the Vickie site and the closest robe we could find to the supermodel show look is the Satin Kimono which retails for about $50.
Not bad if we may say so, plus come its Victoria’s Secret so no matter what you are going to look like the sexiest woman in the room!
Thoughts? Join the discussion on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
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.
23 Wall St. of New York City was the biggest style party of night thanks to the arrival of Oliver Rousteing’s Balmain army. Some of the biggest names in the modeling world came out to stomp the runway in the Balmain for H&M collection show highlighting designer fashions that are more “affordable” for the average fashionista. What exactly does affordable mean in relation to the BalmainxHM collection?
Keeping it totally 100, the high-end collaboration contains designs well over the $500 mark, however, do not despair if your dream is to own a Balmain creation even if the wallet isn’t as fat right now. Every last piece of collection will be available for sale beginning on November 5th and will include several pieces under $100! So then, even though this dreamy match up between Balmain and H&M is not the cheapest collab we have seen from H&M there are still plenty of styles available that will not completely break the bank.
Sharim Diniz With Oliver Rousteing
Nevertheless, besides world renown beauties strutting their stuff down the catwalk there were plenty of stunners sitting right in the audience partaking of the show. One being the drop dead, I Wanna Hate On You But I Love Your Style SoFreakin’ Much, Sharim Diniz. Sharim looked too beautiful for words in a yellow Balmain dress as she supported her dear friend Oliver. Diniz took to social media during show stating,
“Supporting my favorite designer from all times Oliver Rousteing…”
“THE BEST SHOW EVER <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 CONGRATS OLI!”
Her sentiments rang true right along with several other celebs who felt the show was very successful as well. The only part of the night that broke our hearts is seeing The Backstreet Boys being inducted into the Balmain squad. Nothing against the boys, it’s just that we are NSYNC fans (LOL), but in the spirit of fashion we are willing to let it go.
Sharim Diniz With Alek Wek
Will you buying a piece or pieces from the Balmain for H&M collection? Leave a comment for us or hit us up on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
As we were doing our usual quick morning meeting we spit out our lattes as the good people over at Victoria’s Secret rolled out a huge announcement for their upcoming fashion show! In a tweet heard and seen around the world (oh, don’t you love dramatics LOL) it was heralded that three performers would take to the stage to help give Victoria’s supermodels a tough beat to step to when going down the catwalk. The three headlining acts would be Rihanna, The Weeknd and Selena Gomez. Vickie tweeted at 7 a.m this morning stating,
“Drumroll please… @rihanna @selenagomez & @theweeknd are this year’s #VSFashionShow musical guests!”
Within no time flat the tweet skyrocketed with over 9,000 favorites and over 10,000 retweets! It would seem that the masses are quite thrilled about this year’s choices of musical guest. Quite frankly, so are we! We always get such a kick out of watching the show every year because it possesses a glamour, sassiness and fairy tale bliss that any girly-girl can appreciate.
The big show will come to a television near you sexy dolls on Tuesday, December 8th at 10 p.m. The sexiest night of the year will air on CBS showcasing models Jasmine Tookes, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Lais Ribeiro, Behati Prinsloo and Alessandra Ambrosio. This will not be Rihanna’s first Victoria’s Secret rodeo, RiRi performed back in 2012 and she’ll be revealing new music once again this time from her upcoming 8th album Anti.
Get pumped for the show this year by checking out a performance by Rihanna from the 2012 show; here is Phresh Out The Runway!
Or maybe you are a Diamonds type of girl? We got you!
Or what with it, if you have the time just watch the whole show, it was bomb!
Thoughts? Join the discussion on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
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.
As the famous saying goes, “If it is not broke, why fix it?” Many times when it comes to fashion choices we may find ourselves wondering the same thing. If something is working and making us look like we belong in a magazine cover story then maybe we should just stick to it.
We have noted many celebrities who seem to apply that very thinking to themselves. Case in point, the uber talented and gorgeous Jonelle Monae who can rock monochromatic (black and white) styles like no one’s business. Of course, Monae falls into that category of women that could take paper bags, sow them together into an ensemble and make it look like the hottest trend ever. Then again, that is probably why she is star, right?
Whether she has been performing on stage, attending a show during fashion week or hitting other red carpet events Monae is straight up every stylist’s dream. She has a physique that can basically pull off anything and has the edge to take risks. See what we mean by checking out just 8 of her chic monochromatic outfits.
Just the other day, the beautiful Jennifer Hudson had us in a fashion fairy tale thanks to her Atelier Prabal Gurung gown. Since then, we have been obsessed with Disney fashions, because what little girl hasn’t imagined herself as a gorgeous princess? Therefore, it seems as though our Disney-esque style fascination will have to continue on its high now that our attention has swifted towards a particular pair of Jimmy Choos inspired by Cindy herself. Ladies and girls, fashionistas and converted tomboys feast your eyes on the Jimmy Choo Crystal Covered Pointy Toe Pump aka Cinderella Slipper!
These pumps are so bomb if we had attended Prince Charming’s ball in these babies we wouldn’t have left one behind… because we would have super glued them to our feet (LOL)! The photos alone simply do not do this shoe justice especially when it comes to the luminous and luxurious shine given off by the crystals. For that reason we invite you to take a moment to watch this short video showcasing these out of this world pair of heels.
Okay, welcome back and honestly aren’t those shoes simply beautiful? Design like that is meticulous and very well executed. Moreover, would we expect anything less from a brand that prides itself on it’s production value? See for yourself, how much love and attention Jimmy Choo puts into every pair of their stunning heels.
Here are a few more photos of the shoes while on display in Saks Fifth Avenue. You may remember that actress Lily James was lucky enough to rock these for the premiere of Disney’s real life adaptation of Cinderella. If you have around $4600 lying around you can also rock these lovelies anytime you desire.
Thoughts? Love Disney as much as we do? Let us know by dropping a comment down-low or hit us up on our Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or tweet us @1966magazine.
Kimma Wreh celebrates her Liberian heratage by waving the country flag during fashion week
Throughout the developed world African nationals are racing to build sustainable marketplaces for independent designers of Afro-centric inspired fashions. Numerous African inspired Fashion Week events have emerged throughout three major continents.
North America, Western Europe and West Africa. Setting the pulse for this movement is the World Fashion Organization’s agenda to develop wealth creation and eventually free African societies from a dependency on world aid.
The ambitions of WFO is to foster fashion as a vocation; and further the development of ‘World Fashion’ by helping developing nations improve intercontinental trade. Overall, WFO aims to create a global market place for emerging fashion brands under the theme “We Fashion All“. According to the WFO apparel is the chosen market for economic development in Africa because of the high degree of influence African aesthetics has had in the western markets.
Rather than receiving financial aid from the international community, African nations need help developing commercially viable creative industries. The fashion industry has multiplying chains of vocation, which can create wealth. For example, the clothing industry creates jobs for Apparel Designers, Accessory Designers, Tailors, Weavers, Textile Designers, Hairstyles Designers, Pattern Makers, Wardrobe Stylists, Models, Fashion Photographers and Writers.
Senior official – Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia – and Ambassador Kimma Wreh at the US Liberia Trade & Investment Forum in New York.
The plan for staging an international trading platform is to span events across three continents. The intention is to establish annual events in Paris, Montreal and Nigeria to form the largest African market place for “Made In Africa“ garments, textiles and lifestyle products.
Each participating country in Canada, Paris and Nigeria events will be given an exhibition pavilion where they can promote not only their apparel and accessories products, but also culture and tourism potentials. Each participating country will be represented by a nominated Apparel Designer to introduce their country’s tourism, trade and apparel manufacturing resources.
The African Fashion Reception event is in association with the World Fashion Organization. Mr. Lexy Mojo-Eyes is a member on the Board of Governors at WFO and he heads the annual Africa Fashion Reception event in collaboration with the African Union Summit; and the Nigerian Embassy in France. We wanted to take advantage of some of WFO’s platforms for producing fashion events.
Africa needs to build its own platform. We Africans have never been able to get into the mainstream of the global fashion networks and events. If Africa’s governing leaders decide to create a level play ground for Africa’s apparel manufacturers through heavy investments in the apparel sector like China did, the garment and textile industry can help Africa to eradicate poverty; if only our leaders realize the potentials in the fashion sector.
Since we all wear clothes, this shows the economic viability of the garment industry.
After the 2nd World War, the apparel sector brought Europe back to wealth creation through industrialization. The apparel market is doing the same for Asian countries. Fashion is the highest creator of jobs around the world.
The Africa Fashion Reception is a Pan African initiative that will bring together fashion designers, dignitaries and media from over thirty African countries in a celebration of the proud theme “Africa is the new inspiration of global fashion.”
There are currently thirty African nations being represented by a Designer.
Unfortunately, logistical obstacles such as language barriers, political conflicts and under developed infrastructure are cause for hindrance to some of the 54 African nations participation. Preparations are being made for designers to present in Paris this November 22nd.
After the 2015 Paris event, the next African Reception event will be hosted in January 2016, at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Africa Fashion Reception event is aimed at attracting global attention to Africa’s garment and textile industries.
With the AFR event positioned during the African Union Summit the coordinators will work to engage the governing leaders to help improve intercontinental trading conditions for better collaboration amongst fashion practitioners throughout the African continent. The ultimate goal is to promote self-reliance as the initiative for economic stability for citizens of Africa.
MacDella Cooper of the MacDella Cooper Foundation with Ambassador Wreh.
Designer Kimma Wreh of TeKay Designs is an award wining couturiere who has recently been recognized by the Vice President of Liberia, the Honorable Joseph Boakai as Liberia’s Fashion Ambassador to represent the nation of Liberia on November 22nd. As Liberia’s official Fashion Ambassador, Kimma will promote the nations design talent and manufacturing capabilities during the African Fashion Reception event in Paris.
Kimma is an African National who resides in the United States, and creates ethnic inspired gowns and jewelry for special occasions. Tekay Designs has a distinguished couture collection that is currently produced in the West-African country of Ghana with a manufacturing expansion to Liberia.
“I am very proud to share my success in fashion with the people of Liberia,” explains Kimma Wreh. I’ve donated clothing to needy women and children of Liberia because I want to help the people. I am honored to be nominated and represent my home country of Liberia during this prestigious event. My dream of being a fashion designer extends beyond myself.”
I wish to expand the production of my product line in Monrovia, Liberia. Apparel production can offer viable opportunities for employment and a better way of life for the people of Liberia, as well as many of the other developing nations that are represented at the African Fashion Reception event.
I fled Liberia during the civil war in the 1980’s. Since then I’ve earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, and a masters in business administration from LeTourneau University in Houston, Texas. My venture in fashion has been long and not without struggles. However, I’ve begun to see my hard work pay off.
The opportunity to introduce Liberia’s industrial capabilities to the western markets is another proud moment of success for me. And I want to collaborate with other fashion designers who wish to expand apparel production in Liberia as well.
Partnering with the Liberia National Tailors, Textiles, Garment and Allied Workers Union (LNTTGAWU). Ambassador Wreh will lead a delegation of over fifteen Liberian professional tailors to participate in the Africa Fashion Reception event. The group will present a portfolio of sample merchandise produced at the Liberian Tailors Union’s production and training facilities.
The presentation will include a live demonstration by a textile weaver producing Liberia’s official country cloth on the premises. Working on behalf of the Liberian government, the garment workers produce official uniforms for Hospitals, Police, Military, Immigration officials, school uniforms for students, as well as request for custom made garments.
The union offers Liberian citizens fundamental training courses in tailoring, weaving, creating Tie and Dye cloths, home fashions for interior decoration, business and finance management courses. The union provides advanced courses for professional tailoring, such as pattern making, advanced garment design and construction. Advanced business management and strategic financial planning is also a part of the curriculum.
As the established western apparel markets continue to look to African culture for style trends and creative inspiration. The tailors union sees opportunity for small enterprises in Liberia who are professionally savvy about the business of fashion.
The future holds potential benefits with preparing Liberian professionals for the attention and buzz about the African fashion industry. According to the tailors union, Liberia’s educated workforce is invaluable for Liberia’s participation in a market place that promotes the African culture; it’s history and traditions.
It was a star studded event where modeling’s “It” girls all went to play! Among them was supermodel Jourdan Dunn who made mouths water with her black leather pants, crop top, boot heels and graphic print jacket. Dunn was attending a London Fashion Week party thrown by Love Magazine.
The Love Magazine event was held at Lulu’s Member’s Club on September 21, 2015. Cara Delevingne, Alexa Chung and One Direction’s Harry Styles were also spotted getting their fashion week party on at the event. The party went on into the wee hours but Jourdan still looked fabulous as she exited. Nevertheless, photographers caught a not so fab moment when a friend of Dunn’s got into it with a member of the paparazzi.
Jourdan being a lady full of grace helped break up the commotion. Now that is the kind of friend that will always have your back! Are you enjoying our London Fashion Week coverage? Keep checking back for our future posts and highlights!
Fashion Highlight: We are dying for Jourdun Dunn’s Enfants Riches Deprimes (E.R.D.) Autumn 15′ jacket.
