Hats Off To Jacqueline Lamont!

This past weekend, I was in DC and had a chance to check out some of my favorite retail stores (i.e. Cusp and Barney's COOP). I came across a great hat that would help enhance my fall/winter wardrobe. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera at the time but this hat was made out of wool with a cool cotton lining in the inside. The hat reminded me of a fedora with a modern twist. I was so intrigued with the craftsmanship of this head accessory that I had the sales person write down the designers name for research purposes. I later discovered that Jacqueline Lamont has been designing fashionable hats since 1994. Born in Manchester, England, and raised in New York, Lamont studied architecture at Pratt Institute and majored in fashion design at the famed Fashion Institute of Technology. She was the first African-American hat designer ever featured on the WWD. Lamont's collections have been featured on the cover of Vogue, Essence, Honey, Elle and the New York Times. She has a diverse celebrity following: Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Cindy Crawford, Venus Williams and many others. Jacqueline Lamont's hats are sold nationally in upscale stores and boutiques such as Barneys, Bendels and Fred Segal. Click photo to check out more info about this phenomenal designer.

Durant By Robert Durant: Emerging Designer

Robert Durant the innovator, fashion designer, and lover of fashion launched a premium high fashion knit called Durant on March 2007. This New York native is not a newbie to the fashion industry, he has worked for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Armani and most recently Marc Jacobs. The main focus of the brand is to bring urban couture knits to the forefront of every man's closet. These luxury knits are made out of premium 100% pima cotton. One of many things that makes this product so fabulous is that it is a versatile t-shirt knit that can be dressed up or down. So, If you are a male who is not afraid to exceed fashion barriers and step out of your comfort zone, Durant by Robert Durant is definitely for you! In the near future, look out for men's woven products and a small line of women couture t-shirts. For more info about the designer and brand check out...RobertDurant.com.

Where To Buy: Premium Laces, Pieces, N Harlem
About Time Boutique

Fashion In Local Motion

There were a lot of great designs featured in Thursday night's Local Motion Fashion Show sponsored by the the City Paper and All About Youth; proceeds benefited Family Services of Western PA's Educational Assistance Initiative. There were plenty of fresh faces debuting their collections to the public for the first time such as Kitchie, designer Ciara Simon makes stylish aprons for women who want to look cute in and out of the kitchen. I loved these kitchen accessories, I could easily see individuals adding a stylish apron to their everyday wardrobe. Another new face was designer Colleen Brimmeier of Kata Banko Couture. Colleen has a great eye for detail and an experienced hand for draping. She featured very detailed colorful dresses with just the right draping. And of course, for our more seasoned veterans, they definitely stepped it up for the 4th Annual LM fashion event. Designer Nicole Scarpone of Nicole provided fabulous jersey floor length dresses in great colors for spring 09. One of my favorite pieces from her collection was this leopard print mini dress with a ruffle collar! In additon, Ali and Annette Pace definitely made a statement with their 80's rocker chic style bubble dresses. You can check out this sister team at 415 Beaver Avenue in Sewickley....You can also check out their online store mybombshellboutique.com.

Photo Credit: Jovon Higgins
Photo1: Down With Fashion By BombShell; Photo2: Nicole by Nicole Scarpone

Back In Business!

I am back in business due to technical difficulty last week! So, stay tuned for highlights of local fashion shows, emerging designers and tastemakers. It is amazing how much I have become dependent on my laptop! Until next time...Cheers!

Pink: Do We Love This Look?

Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/Wire Image

Diane Von Furstenberg and Obama

Who said you can't be chic, fly and political? Well, Andre Leon Talley was spotted at Bryant Park carrying an oh so chic tote bag bearing Obama's name. DVF made a bold statement of who she supports for the upcoming election. When I saw this bag on WWD.com I had to have one, especially since the current editor-at-large was seen rocking it. The DVF Obama tote bag retails for $75.00 and is union made in the USA. For more info click on...BarackObama.com
photo Credit: WWD

Power Outage...Yikes!

Hello Beautiful People,

My neighborhood is dealing with a slight power loss due to hurricane Ike. We had very strong winds that knocked down power lines and a few trees. I haven't had power since Sunday evening which is why I haven't made a recent post. At any point, please bear with me as I work through the minor technical difficulty. Although, I haven't been able to enjoy the comforts of my home, things could have been a lot worse. So, my hopes and prayers go out to the families in Texas and any where else for tha matter who may have suffered more loss than myself.

Zoe Saldana: Do We Love This Look?

Photo Credit: InStyle

Fashion Week Recap: Who gets your vote?

Well, Fashion week ended on Friday and I would have to say that it was great to have had experienced such a premier event for fashion enthusiasts around the world.(even if it was just for a weekend). The theme of fashion week was in very clever taste due to the current landmark presidential race. So, with that in mind who gets your vote? In an ideal election you can only vote for one person however, this is not the case so I would have to say I vote for everyone! It is really hard to single out a few designers amongst a sea of 50 plus...I found that I like pieces from everyones collection. If I had to pinpoint a few designers, I would have to name Marc Jacobs, Hanii-Y and Tibi! Leave a comment and let us know who's your favorite designers.
Photo Credit: Jovon Higgins

Becki Newton: Do We Love This Look?

Photo Credit: Wire Image

Nanette Lepore: Floral Frocks

Nanette Lepore's show was featured last night at Bryant Park and from the looks of it expect a lot of floral dresses for the upcoming spring/summer months. She paired nude skirts and pants with different variations of green, pink, purple and brown. Nanette Lepore is know for her 50's feminie style suits and dresses. There was not a lot of suiting in this collection but if you love her dresses, you have your choice of many!
Photo Credit: Talaya Centeno

NY Fashion Week Part 2

I am no longer a novice when it comes to the fashion week festivities. It was definitely an awesome experience. However, I will be a little more prepared the next go around. I attended the Tibi show which took place on Sunday 2 hours after DVF (ugh) and Twinkle by Wenlan on Monday. Being a newbie to the Bryant Park experience, I was unsure as to the camera policies, so I left my camera on Sunday but recovered with some photos from Monday's show. So, I hope you enjoy some of my personal photos and accounts of a fabulous weekend! Also, please feel free to share some of your personal accounts of Fashion Week...Until next time....MBFASHIONWEEK
Photo Credit: Jovon Higgins; Getty Images

Marc Jacobs: Rhaspody in Blue

I am very impressed with the Marc Jacobs Spring 09 collection...For the past 2 seasons, I believe he has fallen flat with his Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs collections...However, last night, I think he proved the cynics wrong...His choice of music was a definite match for the women trailing down the catwalk in 40's inspired tweed skirts, colorful straw hats and kimono style belts and dresses. The collection appeared to have familiar touches such as a layering element and a touch of elegant grunge but it seemed to have an updated or refreshed feel. Unfortunately, I was not as lucky as some of my fabulous counterparts to attend such a star studded affair but I thought that I would share some accounts of the collection and some of my favorite pieces....Remember stay tuned for more actual coverage of this past weekend Tibi and Twinkle show! For more coverage of last nights show check out...WWD
Photo Credit: George Chinsee

NY Fashion Week Part 1

Crazy, Crazy, Weekend....Just landed from a fun filled weekend of fashion and friends...I plan to give you updates throughout the week on the inside scoop of my experience this past weekend and the remainder of the shows scheduled for this week...So, stay tuned for updates...I'll leave you with a few flicks to wet your palate...Oh, P.S...I would like to thank a dear friend for the opportunity to attend and experience a weekend of fashion...Stay tuned....





Photo Credit: Jovon Higgins

Zulema Griffin: Emerging Designer

Many designers are starting to move away from the mainstream approach of debuting their clothing line. The internet is becoming a useful, inexpensive and convenient tool for emerging designers to reveal their clothing line to the world. Zulema Griffin got her start in the fashion world as a costume designer for independent films and as a model for Ford Modeling agency, gracing the pages of Harper's Bazaar and Essence. Most recently, she is known for being a participant on Project Runway. Zulema debuted her Spring 09 collection via YouTube yesterday. Check it out and other videos of her on Youtube. Click photo to see where to buy.

New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 09

It is that time of the year where everyone for a week gets really excited about fashion! I am extra excited this season because I will not have to vicariously experience fashion week through other people, but I will actually have an opportunity to attend a show on Sunday at the Bryant Park Tent! This has been one of my dreams for a long long time and it finally is coming true...Although many people gear up for the fashion shows at Bryant Park, there are a lot of other fashion shows and events throughout the city during the week of Sept. 3rd-13th:

Fashion Indie Week jump starts tonight at 6pm on the Brooklyn Bridge. Tonight models will hit the Brooklyn Bridge for Fashion Indie's No Sleep Till Brooklyn fashion Showcase featuring New York Couture, Love Brigade, Brooklyn Royalty, Zulema Griffin, Mandate of Heaven and other New York Based emerging designers. Fashion Indie is a fashion network dedicated at highlighting emerging designers and a premier media source for emerging fashion, style and fashion enthusiasts.

Another fashion event to check out during fashion week is The 14th Annual Gen Art "Fresh Faces in Fashion" show, presented by BlackBerry and T-Mobile, is Thursday September 4, 2008 at the Grand Ballroom( Manhattan Center, 7th Floor). Gen Art is the leading arts and entertainment organization dedicated to showcasing emerging fashion designers, filmakers, musicians and visual artists. The likes of Rebecca Taylor, Zac Posen, Chaiken and Twinkle by Wenlan debuted at Gen Art's Fresh Faces Fashion show.

For those who can't make it to NYC this weekend or next week...Some designers are using the web to debut their spring 09 collection...Zulema Griffin plans to feature her spring collection Thursday on YouTube (KeyWords Zulema Spring 09).

So, If you plan to view NY Fashion week at the comforts of your home or live make sure you do it in Style!!! I will keep you updated on my fashion week experience!!!

The Future In Retail

I had the pleasure to visit EdgenyNoho store January 07. I really enjoyed my shopping experience and the set-up of the boutique. EDGE is a unique venture developed to promote designs and concepts by fresh, cutting edge talent. A design mecca with the most innovative ideas to come out of New York, it is "THE" destination for individuals seeking creativity, individuality and exclusivity. EDGE*nyNOHO showcases more than 65 fashion, product and accessory designers, all under one roof. Customers can purchase items and interact directly with each designer which is the most essential part of the EDGEnyNOHO experience. EDGE*nyNOHO is located on the ground level of the landmark Louis Sullivan building at 65 Bleecker Street. I strongly suggest if you visit NYC make sure you check out the edge.