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Thursday, March 22, 2007

Ladybrille African Fashion News # 9


Let's just call it what it is that here at Ladybrille we accurately predict future trends.[Smile] I blogged in my last fashion music review that Massai clothing might just be a trend, after all, the peasant styles have been a huge trend in the West for a while now.Well, what do I see this week? A whole bunch of advertisement by American Express in various publications including French Vogue featuring Brazilian Supermodel Gisele Bundchen with a Massai man. Well!



The juxtaposition of the above picture is too cool! European/American vs African. Needless to say, like others, American Express jumps on the bandwagon of the "I love Africa" trend. The Massai man has no intentions of moving to the USA. He is staying put where he is. The only difference is he has more cattles now and is technically a rich man by Massai standards. On to more fashion news for the week. Actually, it spans two weeks since I missed last week's.

  1. “Vogue Eyewear” partners with Elissa as the
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  2. Setting an example for Africa
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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Good, the Bad and the Oshi!

Nigeria is notorious for loving fashion and being one of the African countries at the forefront of fashionable clothing. One of the yearly events is that of a publication called City People. I think the magazine is probably synonymous to OK, US Weekly, Touch Magazine and maybe a bit of an events publication. What is a remarkable difference is that personalities in this publication are not celebrities. It appears generally that Nigerian citizens believe they are the stars themselves. They do not need to be "famous" to get photographed. Nice! They elevate themselves, obviously I refer more to a higher social class, and Nigerian based publications such as City People, Ovation International and the likes acknowledge these fashionable personalities. Below is Ladybrille's take on the Good, Bad and just plain Oshi at the recently completed event. All Photos provided courtesy of http://www.purefoto.com/.

THE GOOD: Nigeria's socialite Sade Okoya looks appealing in this black gown that reveals her arms and evokes elegance. We like the accesories although we would have done away with the watch. There is a BIG Oshi but it has nothing to do with her. What's up with the "RED" carpet? Is this a joke? I'd be a bit concerned steppin' on such nonsense. Producers, loose the "Red" carpet if you can't do it right. Red carpet, nevertheless, it does not detract from her look.



THE NOT SO GOOD : These ladies show a fun, flirty and young way to wear colorful Ankaras shaped into sweet silhouettes. BUT their dresses lack the luster fitting for a red carpet event. For the lady with the green print floral designs , her necklace paired with peep toe shoes works well. But, the neck line and bust area needs some reworking. Wish they did more with hair, makeup and accesories to spice things up and give life to the dull choice of materials.



GOOD:Simple yet classic, this off the shoulder body conscious blouse with matching skirt is age appropriate and looks great on Owner and Editor in Chief of Nigeria's Woman Magazine, "Genevieve." We would sass it up a bit with a head gear to bring out the gold colors of her blouse and accentuate the cleanliness of her neck lines and strong shoulder with long lean silhouette earrings. A substitution on the bag for an oversized or medium sized clutch would also make it even more glam. Overall, beautiful!

This is by far our favorite and best for the evening. The lady in traditional richly textured cotton and silk blend aso oke complimented with her gele[head gear] and shawl looks fabulous, elegant and like she is at the right place. Her buba[blouse] and iro [wrapper] flatters her shape. Her accesories also work very well with her whole ensemble. Gorgeous! We also like the contrast with the lady walking by her with a body conscious tastefully embellished dress. Brilliant!


THE OSHIS: The Ladybrille Fashion Police [LFP] is on duty to arrest, charge and whisk these violators to the fashion jail awaiting their arraignment and trial in Ladybrille's Style Court.

LFPC 602, Tresspasing: How did she get in here? We need her 'particulars' [identifying information] to be convinced she did not sneak in here with the way she looks. LFPC 420, Refusing to Let go: Dressing like your sister/friend/twins has its place. It is not on the "Red" carpet. These ladies surely have outgrown these girlish stuff, especially on the red carpet. Read TD Jakes and let it go! By the way, why pair those materials together. They take a richly textured and regal Aso oke fabric and pair with Rayon? We won't even touch the accesories. The BAD
LFPC 100, "Confusing an award show for a lingerie show":
The bottom is divine, flows, is fluid and hugs her curves nicely. But, we came to a screeching halt with the flow when we glimpsed her undergarments converted into a blouse. Why didn't anyone tell her this was a real award show?
OSHI

LFPC section 20, Blocking the view of others. Yes. It is a fashion crime to block the views of others, intentionally. To wear a head gear this high to an award show, did she know her designated seating before hand? The gele probably gets a guiness book of records for the tallest gele ever but must she block other people's joy at this event?

LFPC section 400, "An Elite feigning destitution;" LFPC 415 "Disturbing the Peace." This is plain nonsense and ingredients and a clear disturbance of our fashion peace! I actually get his style sense but even Vivienne Westwood who started the Punk movement in the 70s has moved on. Also, American R &B turned punk rock musician, PINK, now knows you got to dress for the occassion. Honestly, in all seriousness, it appears he broke free from an asylum. With how crazy the West can be, he would have been stopped on the streets by a police officer thinking he is either homeless or a druggie. So not kidding! I understand wanting to be yourself, although I don't know how "you" you can be with a poor attempt at a manufactured punk look? But, anyway, what is with the color single braids? Dude actually had some nice set of black cornrows going. Stick with what works. And the shoes? Common! Besides the fact that they are so ugly, in a hot, hot weather like Nigeria, I can' t imagine the sweat and funk in those shoes. It is so not cool, especially when you are in Africa, to act like a destitute when you are not. Bring the funky style three notches high, especially on the red carpet. Otherwise, you get an oshi from Ladybrille and an arrest by LFP!

LFPC section 1, "Oshi:" She is charged with wearing Oshi material. What more can we say?

What is this? ?? There are no codes to quote. LFP arrest her for being on the red carpet. What nonsense and ingredients! Plus, she had the nerve to take the nice red carpet spot!

LFPC section 300, "Wearing her status on her sleeves." A big pet peeve for Ladybrille, is person[s] who wear their status on their sleeves. Thankfully,here, it is also a fashion crime. Okay, we know with her hair style that she must be a hairdresser but does she have to dress that way? Next time she throws her hair dressing status on us, and on a red carpet, we will take her off the red carpet and make her do hair, all night. Sisi [young lady] we too know people who do hair for famous people, we just don't dress it.

I can't take this anymore. It's too much. What is this? Where is this woman going???Nylon dress with spandex pants underneath. Who dressed her and who told her she could leave the house? LFP please help. This is not okay. Plus they keep taking the nicer red carpet spots!


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Monday, March 19, 2007

Dolce and Gabbana Ad Banned in Spain

When it comes to sex and fashion, nobody does it better than Dolce & Gabbana [D &G]. The duo team of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana burst on Sicily's fashion scene in 1985 with sex, seduction and more sex. Since then, D &G have continued to push the envelope especially when it comes to marketing and promoting their product line of high end clothing. This time, it has backfired. The Spain government recently banned their advertisement below. According to the authorities, they believe D& G's advertisement promotes the gang rape of women.





When I first saw the advertisement, I didn't pay much attention to it. I mean it is well documented that approximately 5000 advertisements or more hit the average American on a daily basis. See for example, New York Times Article. Upon examining it, I realize it does suggest gang rape. I did a little more review of the pattern and practice of D &G advertisements and found numerous D &G advertisements that seemed to have consistent sexual and violent overtones including suggestions of gang rapes of men and women.
From a consumer perspective, I believe fashion companies have a HUGE responsiblity as any other non-fashion corporation with how they package and sell their products. As an industry insider, I still hold the same view. "Artistic" or controversial advertisements packaged as "art" do not trump corporate responsibility.

Specific to Africa, Western brands and their numerous advertisements, particularly North America are saturated all over the continent. For all, do the values of the brand you are wearing matter? The West has made tremendous strides towards gender equality. Africa still has a long way to go. Specific to Africans in the West and those in the continent, in an era of an epidemic of increased prostitution in certain places in Africa, smuggling of young African girls to Europe, especially Italy, from Africa, as sex workers and seemingly low self esteem among young African girls in Africa, do you believe the D& G advertisement above, when viewed by the African male, especially in Africa, sends the wrong message. Interested in your thoughts.
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