To all Male Attention Whores :)

I think the Real Housewives of NY's Alex Van Kempen is accepting an award here at this charity event? Who can tell tho when her husband, Simon, is DEFINITELY wearing a patent pleather outfit in size extra smedium! (picture courtesy www.bravotv.com)

Last week I attended a female friend's birthday party. Eager as I was to wish her many more years of health and success I could not easily get through my greeting as I kept getting distracted by some irritating reflections of light dancing across her face. How upset was I when I located the source: the embellishments on her boyfriend's t-shirt! To make matters worse, when I pulled back I noticed he had paired this T-shirt with a blazer made out of a fabric that certainly, had a freak fire broken out at the club, would have given him the ability to stride through the flames to safety, completely unscathed, like some sort of mutant!

Dudes, I realize it has become trendy to be flashier with your clothes, and please do not think I am hating. I understand that you too must want to assert your sartorial individuality and it does not take very long to realize that chartreuse, or iridescent fuchsia catch the attention much faster than gray or army green.

My problem is this: Do you really need to be this flashy on a day which is supposed to be totally about your girl? Ladies, let's face it, no matter how hot you looking, it's really hard to draw attention to yourself when you are standing next to a man who looks like he resurrected his Original Bedazzler, to adorn his jeans! So I can't help but believe that if a man wears an outfit this flashy on an occasion like his girlfriend's birthday, then he really prefers all the attention to be on him, and she, therefore, like that braided leather cuff on his wrist, becomes no more than an accessory to accent what he is wearing.

I imagine that these are the same men who parade around on Carnival Tuesday with airbrushed abs to accentuate what they have (or camouflage what they don't)! For Carnival 2009 one dude went a step further and airbrushed a full bald eagle on his back/chest (can't remember which, hell it may have been both!) I remember thinking....dude, how EARLY did u have to wake up this morning?! Furthermore, it took me some time to realize that he was chipping down the road next to a much less airbrushed, and hence attention grabbing, female companion!!

DUDE! You have every other day of the year to flash and floss! Gisshe (yes, gisshe) a chance today nah. If you keep up with this pattern what will be next? A gold lamé suit on her graduation day? Or perhaps will she stand at the altar in predictable white while the entire congregation's eyes are on you as you blushingly walk up the aisle wearing a waistcoat made of silver sequins?

NO. Let's stop this nonsense at once!

So, next year, when babes' birthday night is upon you, how bout you do just a bit of careful editing. Instead of your outfit involving zippers and buckles and studs, how bout we stick to just one. Maybe that fluorescent t-shirt could be exchanged for something a tad more sedate. And when reaching for that white leather belt with the diamante skull shaped belt buckle....how bout you jus NOT!

On night's like that birthday party I celebrate being single in this day and age. At least ain't nobody stealing my shine! ;)

Beach House...the Aftermath

Madame Socialite has posted her Beach House Review at Welcome To Triniwood! She talks about her fave looks and her...least faves.

I won't spoil the surprises.

Just click the link.

EXCLUSIVE: TT Fashion Week Tidbits!

So one of my friends went to buy tickets for this weekend's events and was not only fortunate enough to meet Madame Fashion Week herself, Radical Design's Diane Hunte, but also to discuss with her as yet unknown juicy tidbits of Fashion Week Gossip.

In their own words:

Sooooo, there I was in DH Gift acquiring some tickets for the Opening Night when I meet one of my friends and I was helping them decide on which night to go to. I was giving them a run down on each and the most popular designers when Ms. D. Hunt (the woman behind FW) walks in and overhears me and then introduces herself to me.

Apparently, she was very impressed on my semi-knowledge of the local designers....lol. We chatted a bit and I asked her for some info "scoop" on FW.

It goes as follows....

General Info.

Opening Night Tickets (Friday) - $250 - cocktails & finger food
Other Nights - $100
Closing Night (Tuesday) - $100
No Photography...flash or camera phone (all photographers must be accredited)

Start Time - 7 (= trini time...which means late...lol)

Opening night promises to be a fab. night as there will be cocktails and finger foods for patrons to have before and after the fashion show. The who's who going to be here dressed to the nines....

Other nights to watch out for are Sunday and Monday where Mr. HD launches his children line called, "Boy Boy"...he may even do a lil' performance too.

Tuesday which is the closing night is going to be just as great as they supposedly take it out on the new waterfront to close off FW.

Expect designers to bring out new and fresh lines and a few "over the edge" designs, as we deal with the style craze that is sweeping Trinidad and Tobago. She also mentioned they may even have an after party on the opening/closing night but it hasn't been 100% confirmed.

Wow Trinis know how to throw an event boy! Waterfront finales? After parties? And of course no event is complete without a performance by the HD himself. I had suspected when I saw the name "Boy Boy" on the presentation schedule that Machel may have something to do with it (otherwise a lawsuit on his hands). Anyway fashion week is shaping up to be quite an event so far! Will you be there?

Also click here to read the official press release for the event.

Extras:

Excuse me? Come Again? What do u mean ASSLESS tights?

Event Planning - Beach House May 24th

Every year fashion's most gifted designers produce a Resort Collection, a group of looks designed for the well-to-do jet-setter who flies away on a whim to the most exotic of destinations. Will it be Morocco this week to have a fabulous spa experience at the hammam? Or perhaps to Monaco to throw down some cash at the tables in Monte Carlo?

However, it seems to us that whenever tourists grace our shores they are always garbed in the same uniform (so wham? Because iz not the French Riviera dey cyah dress up a lil bit?)

• wide brim hat (perhaps covering a fresh blonde beaded cane row that some beach hairdresser in the previous port of call ripped them off for)
• Hawaiian print shirt (seemingly obscuring an impressive bright red t-shirt tan that SPF 50 is not doing much to prevent)
• khaki cargo shorts
• tall socks (WHY??!! WHY??!!)
• the most rubbery, orthopedic looking pair of sandals money can buy

I often wonder if when they arrive, they aren't filled with shock that the locals wear (gasp!) jeans and t-shirts and aren't immediately overcome with embarassment by the inappropriateness of their attire.

Anyway, I digress.

I believe that some day soon holidaymakers are going to reclaim the days of dressing like you were 'going somewhere' and hit the Caribbean looking most fabulous and I think we should be one step ahead of them so that when they reach we shame them. We are blessed to live in a region with vacation conditions all year round. No closing of outdoor locations in September; no sky-high summer gas prices. we should dress to celebrate the fact that we are so fabulous that other ppl feel that they have to dress a certain way just to visit us!

So in preparation for Beach House in Blanchisseuse this Sunday, let us take a page from those designers who use our locales as inspiration. Instead of just reaching for the bright coloured dress and metallic sandal combo that has become the reflex go-to outfit for these events, let us embrace the theme: destination. (Btw I love theme outfits. It's really gratifying when someone picks it up and you can be like that's exactly what I was going for!)

Destination 1: Cruise

Nautical items are so common in fashion that somebody told me its considered more a theme than a trend (take a look at Jourdan Dunn on the runway for Chanel Resort 2010). The look is characterized by red, navy blue and white often with stripes. The trick, however, is to not end up looking like a fancy sailor in an old Gayelle Carnival re-broadcast from 1966!

Take a look at my suggestions below. The theme is very versatile. You can do long wide legged, pants, short dresses, and long or short jumpsuits in fabrics like dark denim or white linen. For Beach House Carnival in February, my friend wore a widelegged, strapless, button-up white linen jumpsuit that was gorgeous. When I asked her where she got it, she told me her tailor had made it. CARIBBEAN WOMEN, do not forget that your tailor (especially if you have found a good one) is one of the most powerful weapons in your fashion aresenal! All you need is a picture and some patience to achieve any look in any magazine and set yourself apart from the three girls who went to three different stores and all end up in the same party in the same top!



Destination 2: Eastern Inspired

So because of the success of Slumdog Millionaire last year Indian influence is going to be a big trend. You can see it in pop culture like the Pussycat Doll's video for Jai Ho and the designers have already begun to incorporate this trend into their runway looks. Even the Trinidadian Carnival bands are picking up on the trend with themes such as "The Silk Road", "The Spice Road" and "Kuchela" slated for February 2010.

We in Trinidad are blessed to live in a country of diverse cultures. Use this to your advantage ladies. Venture into the Indian stores (which sell a wide variety of fabulous things from clothing to home decor) and find something innovative. I am not suggesting that you walk into Beach House in a sari, however create a fresh take on traditional garb by combining pieces with contemporary items. When shopping for dresses use the inspiration from East Indian fabrics, such as metallic embroidery, rich colours and vibrant prints. Also, if you want to stick to something more traditional like a simple solid dress, channel the Eastern influence in jewelry and accessories, multiple bangles or jewelled sandals will dress up any outfit. I particularly like these ring-bracelet combos from Plum Flower Creations by Meiling Bansee.

Btw I kind of went overboard with the lookbook on this one but there were just so many gorgeous items both low and high end. Some of the dresses may be a bit dressy but I loved them anyway! I hope you enjoy!

SUTS True Shopping Story: Denim in Distress

I have never been a fan of spending money on new clothes that look like they have been passed down through a family for generations or like they were the victim of a freak washing machine disaster. I despise shirts in stores like Abercrombie and Hollister with their "fashionable" holes in the collar and fraying hemlines and their obscene prices. I have never worn a pair of ripped jeans...until yesterday.

You must have noticed by now that the hottest denim trend is light denim destroyed in one of a variety of ways, be it rips in the knees, paint splatters, bleaching, or sometimes, oddly enough, tie dyeing. the style has been seen on a range of celebrities (e.g. Lala and bff Kim Kardashian) Unfortunately, some designers seem to get a little too happy with the razor blade and we end up with what I like to call fringe jeans which are about 2/3 less than a full pair of jeans in my consideration. See Taylor Momsen:

Anyway, I digress.

Now this is a very trendy trend. By that I mean the shelf life is very short and as such should be bought at a low low price despite what the good people at Balmain seem to think. So in order to try my hand at this trend I ventured to one of my favourite disposable clothing establishments. I was excited to find denim in a wide range of distress. Like the examples below, the jeans ranged from mildly-stuck-in-an-elevator-for-7-minutes-distressed (read a darker wash denim with minimal small holes in the thigh) to utter-oh-my-god-why-did-these-oxygen-masks-jus-drop-down-in-the-middle-of-my-transatlantic-flight-distress (read light acid wash denim complete with ripping throughout, bleaching and paint splatters). I opted for moderate distress, a very light denim wash with horizontal rips in the thigh and knee.

I should have known things were not going to go well when the first thing I proceeded to do was insert mih big toe straight into one of the holes in the jeans as I tried them on.

After I finished laughing at myself, I surveyed myself in the mirror. Hmm, not bad. Unfortunately my work blouse was kinda killin the funkiness so I headed back to the racks to find a top to try the jeans on with.

Steups. Why could I not find a damn ting?

Red flags started going off in my head. Obviously if out of all the cute trendy tops on the sales floor I could find nothing to pair the jeans with, when faced with the options in my much more limited cloest there would be even less. I am notorious for my impluse buys which end up languishing in the bottom of my 'new clothes bag' for months (sometimes years as was the fate of the moss green glittery crochet halter top) never having any partner to be paired with because it really doesn't fit in with my personal style, no matter how cute it looked on the mannequin. I didn't want this to happen to the skinny distressed jeans.

I liked them. I didn't love them. So I left them.

I may revisit them in future, who knows. However I don't want to discourage you from trying these funky jeans. Look through these options (I tried to arrange them in order of distress and devastation). Which do you prefer?



Tidbits:
1. Review of the MSquared collection!

2. Kanye praises paparazzi photojournalism!

3. Ghetto clip of a hot video.

Love at First Site

I love cheap clothes. No, forget that. I love inexpensive clothes. There will come a time when my wardrobe is full of classy "investment pieces" that are going to last me a lifetime like uh i doh know ... a proper business suit, perhaps. However, that time is not now. Now is the age of quantity over quality (for me at least) and I would rather buy 10 things for $100 and wear each of them once than buy one thing for $100 and it be the ONLY thing I wear.

However much like the dudes who dress rhel fly but whose idea of a romantic dinner involves a Zinger, just because something is cheap doesn't mean it should have to look cheap. That's why when I shop in certain stores, I will trawl the racks for hours searching for the tops made out of the richer, woven materials as opposed to the knit jerseys or spandexes. I look for more sophisticated cuts (for example I refuse to wear any item that has ruching on it). Don't misunderstand me, nothing is wrong with these items but when these high volume stores sell them to every single woman worldwide between the ages of 15 and 30, you want to separate yourself somehow. The way I choose to do it is through fabrication.

Finally Forever 21 gets it.

Their new line, Love 21, introduced online and in select stores on Tuesday, takes cut and fabrication into consideration resulting in a much more sophisticated aesthetic than the many brightly coloured embellished neck tunic topics that have become its hallmark. Lengths may be longer, fits may be "more modest" and necklines may be a tad higher, but face it ladies, we get older every day and the earlier we start accepting it the quicker we can look fly at any age!

Recently my father looked at me as I left the house and commented, "You have plenty of dem lil jersey dresses boy." Shame. We all do. But man shouldn't be noticing them tings. The fabrics used in the Love 21 collection, while succumbing to the occasional cotton jersey usage, are more often silks, satins and chiffons.

The best thing about Love 21 though, has to be the prices. I thought that the items would be priced higher than the regular pieces but still "affordable" by fashion magazine standards (i.e. $25-$50 each), similar to their Twelve by Twelve line. I was happily mistaken. On the exact same pricing level as regular F21 (around $17-$30 each) these prices do not disappoint.

Ladies, just be aware when purchasing online. The fits are indeed more modest, so check out the sizing chart before making your orders. You can view the lookbook here, and also check out the selection of items to which new pieces are being added every day! Take a look at my faves!

UPDATED: Trini Fashion Week

So a buddy let me know that the TT Fashion Week Website is now updated with this year's schedule of events and designers. This year there is a new location (where else?) the Hyatt Regency.

More interesting than that, however, is the SEXY photo teasers that have been posted on the Caribbean Fashion Week Fan Page on Facebook!

Behold the haughtness!



The creativity of our Caribbean people awes and humbles me EVERY time!

And I'm loving the buzz they're trying to build for it in the teaser below:



I can just see the Trini Fashionistas sneaking in like at the Bryant Park tents! I am particularly interested in the exhibitions, workshops and showrooms taking orders. Obviously if you want to be involved in fashion (or *cough, cough* beauty) in Trinidad this is the place to be! And where will I be??? Steuuuuppsss...

LOVING it regardless!

Platformers - more than meets the eye!

I'm so excited to introduce to you guest blogger Socialite who just had to put in her two cents about her favourite shoe trend. Enjoy!

SO!

Let’s talk about these fab platforms that are out and about the place with a vengeance. Yeahhhhh Yeahhhhh we’ve heard the warnings from the back doctors n such, but lets face it they rock our worlds and beyond.

Seriously have you seen a woman’s calves in these things, FIERCE! Think about it (I mean even VS did with their flippy flop work out shoe thingie) these things give you an unbelievable leg workout; it’s like going to the gym without a gym AND in amazing shoes… We all win!

pics courtesy www.theybf.com

Amazing with skirts and the UBER fab skinny jeans (**Cough… white is the new colour of choice** cough), these shoes make me smile

Note from StepUp: I have compiled a lookbook of the hottest, sexiest, insanely expensive platforms for you to peruse. If you have a SERIOUS shoe fetish, this may be NSFW lol.(Notice Beyonce's look above will set you back a cool $928 USD and that's just starting at the feet! Eva Diva not backward herself with her $878.95 Zanottis! I hope she ask for her 5 cents change!) However to my Trini friends who think I am not able to do my 6 times table, fear not! Madame Socialite tells me that if you look very hard, you can find very funky fashionable platforms in Trinidad, specifically in establishment's that have the owner's pic in each store (hint, hint).

And if you hurry, you can make it there before their 50% off sale is over.

That's all I'm sayin! :)

TIDBITS:

1. Yeah, we want an answer to this question TOO, Fashion Industry.

2. Beyonce: "I don't know if I'm fashion obsessed." I get all my shit for free!

For the Dudes...

A male friend requested that I post more male-directed fare so this is ALL you!

Introducing....Kultured Clothing: Trinidad & Tobago's Premier Online Fashion Store for MEN.

The goal of these self-titled 'fashionistos' is twofold: to address the lack of stylish options available for men in Trinidad, and to provide these options to men at a significantly lower cost than the exorbitant prices many Trini men have become accustomed to paying in order to distinguish themselves an look different from their padnahs. Their ideal client is a guy who likes to maintain his individuality but still keep up with trends.

And this is true online shopping. Prices are listed in both TT and US dollars. Shipping policies (like in the mail, read: not placing an online order and waiting for it to be delivered to your house like KFC) are clearly detailed on the website, including shipping charges ($35TT for orders below $500TT and free shipping for anything over that amount) and transit times (an estimated 5-7 business days). Kultured Clothing's return policy ( a necessary piece of the online shopping puzzle) is also clearly outlined and any item may be returned within 14 days for a FULL REFUND. The items all ship from Europe and the service is currently only available in Trinidad (talk bout individuality!). Visa, Mastercard and Paypal are all accepted.

Oh, what about the clothes? Well from a ladies' POV I'm pretty impressed. The site is divided into clear sections, ranging from the conservative to the truly fashion forward for the boldest Trini brothers out there (Silver Sheen Skinny Trousers anyone?) and the choice of sizes is wide. My personal recommendation? Check out the wide variety of skinny ties in the Accessories section. I love a dude in a skinny tie....




Ok and I know I said this would be all about dudes...but really... JEGGINGS???

Celeb Borrow Clothes Posse!

So there's apparently a new celeb crew in town composed of Ciara, Kim Kardashian and LaLa Vasquez. Weird right? I mean what do all three of these ladies have in common? Kim and LaLa lurve them the athletes, Ciara prefers the beefy rappers. Kim and LaLa love the twitter....uhhh...i don't know what technological communication medium Ciara is into. Ciara and LaLa are both in the music business...I guess...

I figured it out.

Pay close attention.






Some of these things are very like the others. Is that Kim K in the offensive caged sandals that Cici rocked some weeks ago? And that fabulous jumpsuit that Ciara wore to lunch with the girls....very familiar, and much sexier on bff Kim in that promotional picture. And hold on, them bleached distressed jeans that Kim is wearing to lunch...DIDN'T LALA HAVE THEM ON JUST THE OTHER DAY???

Now I don't want to imply that these girls are rooting through each other's dirty clothes baskets (ah mean...I highly doubt Ciara and Kim K have the same shoe size, and we know that very few women fittin into a pair of Kim K jeans). The friendship may be based on their similar tastes and styles! And it must be very refreshing in a society filled with fakeness to find a group of girls so similar to you.

But really ladies, what's next? Is Kim goin to be rocking a waist-length cainrow nex week (I really do hope so!)

Kim Kardashian pic courtesy www.kimkardashian.com. All other pics courtesy www.theybf.com


Hmm and apparently these aren't the only celebs wearing the same thing these days...

Recession?

I doh like to fight up to spend my money. I don't like to make anyone feel like they are doing me favours by allowing me to use my hard earned wages in exchange for their overpriced goods. Which is why tomorrow, when Matthew Williamson's summer collection for H&M debuts in stores, I will be where I am supposed to be: at work...trying to make money as opposed to spending it (for once).

For an idea of the frenzy that occurred when Williamsons's spring collection debuted at the store last month (since when spring and summer is a month apart? trying to take ppl money again...) click here (and yes you are reading that article correctly....a woman spent her UNEMPLOYMENT CHECK that day!)

Personally I believe that if I attended one of these much hyped (and rightfully so...the pieces the designer did for the spring collection went up to $350 US (for a silk maxi dress) while the price of a Matthew Williamson Collection dress - a cool $2550 ... and the collection is filled with the bright colours patterns and prints that us Caribbean women love!) discount designer events me an one of the NY fashionistas would have to get away! First of all they all goin for the small sizes I know that from jump, and if any one of those anorexics elbow me in my ribs (which I imagine feels similar to a cutlass chop), we will have a problem.

I don't like to fight up to spend my money. This is why when Topshop opened in NYC I chose to wait until the Monday after the weekend opening to go sample their wares. The result: Everything that was left could wrap round me twice.

It doesn't matter too much...I can't afford any of that stuff anyway.


I apologize for the unnecessary number of parentheses in this post.

Follow Fashion! Backlesness/ Pantslessness

A lot of people are of the mindset that Caribbean street fashion ALWAYS follows the trends of pop culture regardless of appropriateness (remember the great SCARF debate of 08?) However, I beg to differ! I have picked out two trends that the Hollywood Fashionistas have only just gotten into that we in the Caribbean have been doing forever!

1. BACKLESSNESS

Young Caribbean women have been doing backless dresses/tops since 19-how-long. A backless top is like the sexy version of the mullet: all business in front, all unexpected drama an excitement in the back! I had noticed celebrities following the trend here and there like Nicole Kidman and Ciara:








GRRR those shoes!!

Ciara pics courtesy www.theybf.com/ Nicole Kidman courtesy www.skinnyvscurvy.com

But if I wasn't convinced then that Hollywood was jacking our swagger, last Monday's Met Costume Institute Gala convinced me for sure.

Not only did Ciara come with it again (like somebody tell her her back nice or something), but also Kate Hudson, Blake Lively, Kate Bosworth, Kate Moss and even Ashley Olsen!! OUTRAGE!

Okay, okay, I know we in the Caribbean didn't invent backless garments. But it was our territory and I feel like they trying to steal our shine! If the Arawaks and Caribs had felt this territorial things might have been a LOT different today! Anyway, I feel like we need to figure out a way to reclaim what is rightfully ours! How do we do this? Maximize the drama created in your backless top/ dress. I like to make the outfit as simple as possible from the front so that when I'm walking away, the drama of the back is heightened. Also look for backless items with interesting details such as fringe, beading, lace, ruffles, geometric shapes, or interesting combinations of thin straps. Also an entire back out (like Ciara's above) is a lot of skin that people aren't accustomed to seeing. So perhaps pair a dress with some leggings or a top with long pants or jeans so that your look doesn't come across as naked.

2. PANTSLESSNESS

Speaking of looking naked....

This is a trend that I am less willing to claim as originating in the Caribbean but I have to give jack he jacket...allyuh ladies did it first. You know what I'm talking about. When tunics became popular and we were never really too sure if an item was a top or a dress and we would ask a friend and the friend would give the WRONG answer (dress) and we would only really notice when we got out of the car at the party and our "dress" was chillin in the vicinity of our navel?

Or did that only happen to me....

But lately celebrities are also eschewing the pants....and not on the advice of any misguided companions either....it's because they WANT to.

I'm seeing the trend in three basic forms:

1. Thigh High Boots as Pants

For this I have to make an example of my favourite and bring my girl Rihanna to the front of the class.

What is this precisely Rih Rih? (This pigeon-toe action u have goin on here really not helping your case either.)

Thanks PacificCoastNewsOnline.com

And you, Birdie Bell, whoever you are, what do YOU have to say for yourself?

Thanks gofugyourself.celebuzz.com

And please no one point out to me that these young ladies are in fact wearing pants, because what they have there wrapped around their waists are NOT what I consider pants.

2. Leotards as Pants??

YES YOU Lady Gaga. This is all you! I really have no explanation for this. At least thigh high boots are worn on the legs. By this logic I could have left my Caribbean School of Dance classes in my turquoise blue leotard and jus walked the street like normal. In, fact no, because I STILL had on pink stockings. You however, don't (EVER!)

Thanks opestyle.blogspot.com

What kills me is she has the audacity to put a jacket on over this mess!


3. Just plain no pants.

So the day after the launch for the Matthew Williamson summer collection for H&M Chanel Iman updated on Twitter: "Why didn't i wear pants??? Umm i don't know just didn't feel like keeping them on!!"

Thanks nymag.com/daily/fashion

I love her....but she need licks. That is really just a top.

So...Caribbean ladies...about reclaiming this particular style....how about we just don't. Celebs are escorted from the hotel door to the limo door and from the limo door to the door of wherever else they are headed. We do not. I believe this is a style that threatens personal safety, and I believe you all have family members who love you. Nuff said. We have grown to have a love for leggings as a culture (and believe me they aren't going anywhere) so lets just stick to those when we wear a shorter dress. And if we ever have to ask ourselves, "Hmm, is this a top or dress?" let's just err on the side of safety and pick top. EVERY TIME. Also, when comparing, let's take our personal proportions into consideration. Just because on Susie Short Torso it appears to be a perfect dress length, on you, Lesley Long Legs, it is definitely a TOP.

THIS WOMAN IS JUS FLY

I really can't handle all this flyness in the white house. Really. White House POETRY SLAM??!!!

For a shot of Miche's whole look CLICK HERE

Introduction

HHEEYYY!

So I just wanted to post a little bit about the inspiration for and point of this blog. But first you have to know just a little bit about me and as usual I think that is best illustrated with an example....

The other day my boss and I were talking and I mentioned to him that I thought the most fascinating thing on the internet currently was the online catalog of the 2000+ belongings of Michael Jackson's that were about to be auctioned off (the auction has since been canceled). His reponse: "What does that say about us as a society that we consider the exploits of this bad bad guy to be the most fascinating thing on the internet today?"

Sorry, that's just me.

In today's world where everybody wants to be talking about the economy, or the swine flu, or the state of crime in Trinidad or globalization, I really just enjoy talking about pop culture, trends and clothes. Don't get me wrong, I am perfectly capable of talking about these other issues too. I just don't WANT to. Yall talk about them enough, believe me.

That being said, I don't profess to be an expert on fashion. In fact I know very little about fashion at all as a business besides what I can garner from my (other) boss' subscription to WWD. I just know what I like and I have a serious eye for detail and I pick up on trends very very easily. I actually work in the beauty industry. I was brought up with a very artistically inclined brother and always believed that in comparison I was not creative. But in this industry, that some may think shallow, I have been able to tap into my innovation and creativity. Conventional conservative thought will tell us that the pursuit of beauty or fashion as a career is frivolous and unrealistic, but in it I have found, not only my creativity, but my career, some kinda manic inner entrepreneur and many many kindred spirits. Plus ppl who hate on beauty and fashion careers jus jealous that they cant sit at work looking at sephora.com for an hour an palm it off as research :p

I currently live in NJ and thrive in NYC. However, my focus is now and has always been on the Caribbean region and I hope that comes through in my posts. Everything I do in the States has some sort of end goal based in the Caribbean. I dream to help create a real regional beauty industry, starting with my all-encompassing line of cosmetics Immortelle Beauty (a little shameless self promotion never hurt anybody!). And I am also very interested in Caribbean fashion and the promotion and strengthening of that industry.

The primary point of the blog is to illustrate and highlight trends so that Caribbean people are not on the tail end of whats going on in other countries. Obviously I can realize that there are some things that will just not work with our climate and culture. And I am not going to post pictures of $3000USD shoes without showing cheaper options.

Friends always complain about the limited access they have to stylish, wallet-friendly, classy, well-made items in the Caribbean. So the secondary purpose of this blog is to provide my readers with access to these items. Give me suggestions of looks you have seen and that you like and I will try to make them available to you. For more info just email me!


Oh, finally, everything I write on this blog are my own thoughts unless otherwise credited. (btw, lifting blog posts verbatim from other bloggers without crediting them is PLAGIARISM chicas....like allyuh figure yall are the only ones with internet!). The pics however....not so much. If you have an issue, before u call your lawyers jus email me and we go talk!