LAFW :: EM & Co x Angela Dean

LAFW :: EM & Co x Angela Dean

I absolutely loved the intimate, invite only event that I attended last week! EM & Co Presents 'UP NEXT: L.A. DESIGNERS: BRAVE NEW WORLD' was great! The event was a fashion installation featuring collections from designer Angela Dean and EM Reconstruct (upcycled army gear reconstructed by Krys & Jack and EM). DJ Gabriel Diggs set the mood for the evening. Event Sponsors & Partners included Agenda Magazine, HONEST Beverages, Cinema Makeup School, Habibi Bath & Body.

About Angela Dean/Deanzign:
With critically-acclaimed designs, celebrity designer, Angela Dean, has a loyal following of Hollywood's top celebrities, and her fashion design powerhouse has evolved into one of the hottest 'best-kept fashion secrets' in the music and entertainment industry. Founded in the 80s, Deanzign's statement-making creations made the wearer look and feel like a star. Angela Dean's gowns have been worn by Paris Hilton, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, and Queen Latifah, to name just a few. Angela was asked to design for Hollywood's eight leading ladies, Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Michelle, Elise Neal, Lorretta Devine, and Regina King, featured on the Collector's Edition of the 30th Anniversary Essence cover, the highest-selling issue in the history of Essence magazine. Angela's beautiful, red silk taffeta ball gown in the 2007 fall collection, was featured in Paris Hilton's perfume ad campaign "Can Can." For more information, please visit: Deanzign.

About EM Reconstruct:
EM Reconstruct represents the latest trend in eco-conscious fashion: Up-cycling of garments. Combining edgy trend-setting style with eco-friendly practices, existing garments are re-fashioned and modified, sometimes beyond recognition, into new garments. Each garment is individually created and is generally unique; no two are alike. The EM Reconstruct line, first introduced in 2005, releases a number of mini-collections per year, sometimes grouped around a theme, exclusively available at EM & Co. The March 2010 mini-collection is a collaboration from designers Krys-N-Jack and Eveline Morel. More information on EM Reconstruct is available at: emandco@sbcglobal.net.

Pre-LAFW :: Lynn Dee

Pre-LAFW :: Lynn Dee

Getting a headstart before all the rest, friend and designer Rhonda Persons (above) gave us an amazing LA Fashion Week kickoff with her collection Lynn Dee, showing at Falcon in Hollywood last Monday! I've seen Rhonda's collection before, but what made this occasion so special is that she debuted her menswear line alongside her chic line of women's clothing! She made me pinky swear that I'd come cause she wanted to get my honest opinion on her work. My thoughts? She did a great job! Lynn Dee's menswear extension is definitely new and refreshing. Check out the photos below!

Click here to follow the designer and get updates on Lynn Dee!

Malibu's Most Wanted

Malibu's Most Wanted

If you asked me to describe my perfect Sunday afternoon it'd go a little something like this...

I slept in for the first time in weeks! I woke up, made a light breakfast of grilled cheese & sliced fruit and caught up on Grey's Anatomy via Hulu. Sometime around noon I got a text from designer Kianna Shann asking me to come to the photoshoot for her swimwear line Candy Coated. I know what you're thinking. What a delicious invite, right? I got dressed and headed down the 10-W towards Malibu. The ultimate moment of Zen for me was driving down a 5 mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, with the wind in my face, taking in the California sun and amazing view of the ocean. When I arrived at the location I was happy that I had neglected to put on socks and wore my light wax-cotton parka. The tides were high which guaranteed wet feet and its still Winter so it was a bit chilly despite the sun.

The gorgeous models that Shann decided to use were as diverse in ethnicity as they were in body type. Incorporating the same quality and style in her pieces as any other couture label, the designer wants her ad campaign to convey that she creates for every woman - color, shape and height. The one thing they all had in common, however, was their beauty and sense of humility & professionalism. They were great to work with.

Candy Coated Swimwear will be available for purchase this Spring. Click here to follow the designer on Twitter for updates.

"All Black Everything" Event

"All Black Everything" Event

Last night I attended friend and recording artist/producer Malcolm Harvest's "All Black Everything" event. I had an awesome time! What an intensely refreshing experience! It's very rare that I come across an event where people appreciate looking good, being professional and having a great time. Everyone looked amazing in their mostly all black attire. There were live performances by local artists and even a short set by Malcolm himself!

Amongst the Angeleno elite, the party was also attended by Chris Brown, producer Polo da Don (who refused to take a photo with me), and actor Tristan Wilds. It was crazy to be up in VIP standing right next to these guys...and the groupies who were throwing themselves at them. Haha!

I also had an opportunity to do some networking and met my newest partner-in-crime, Earl Grae. Definitely a pleasure talking to him about our outlooks on men's fashion and what we're both trying to do. We have big things in store!

Shout out to my TN fam and other friends Kianna, Keisa, Symphony, Tiffany, Asia, Bryan, Kitti and Trend! Many Kudos to Harvest! Awesome, awesome party! I look forward to many more!

Wardrobe breakdown --- $5 grey dress shirt (Goodwill), $5 black wool blazer (thrift), $10 black bow tie (Men's Warehouse), $0 sequenced pocket square (from Kianna's dress), $10 Kenneth Cole black flat front slacks (Marshall's), $4 black wingtips (thrift).

Thrifting with Sis

Thrifting with Sis

I took my sis, Kianna, to the "secret hideaway" on Valentine's Day. Who better to spend it with than both our first love, fashion! I get so much joy when I take people to my favorite thrift stores and see the excitement on their faces! Ki was overwhelmed with all of her finds. She couldn't help but smile from ear-to-ear at all the seconhand jewels she piled in our basket (as seen above). One of which will be revealed very soon! Yeah, it's that good... We spent the rest of the day working on our blogs, collections, and business ideas. It was such a productive day!

Inspired by the trip, I got to thinking about myself and my business. My evolution into a men's fashion journalist has afforded me a lot of awesome opportunities over these past 2 years; and they're only getting bigger and better.

Taking a note from industry giants like Bevy Smith, I'm currently developing my consulting business. Stay tuned for details on "the experience"...

"To Haiti With Love" Event

"To Haiti With Love" Event

Last Monday, some of the selfless members of TN (Kianna, D, and Keisa) hooked up to put on a benefit event for the earthquake victims of Haiti at Falcon on Sunset Blvd. Instead of going the traditional route and blindly collecting and giving money to some random foundation, they decided to team up with the Sow A Seed Foundation. The 3 fly kids collected clothing and canned goods for earthquake survivors - something more tangible and of immediate use to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

It turned out to be a really nice event with a great DJ and School Daze playing on the projection screen in the background as young professionals mingled the night away.

Hopefully the efforts of my friends are paying off and their collections are able to feed and clothe a lot of people.


Our hearts, minds and prayers are with you Haiti!