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Naomi Sims Was No Supermodel
In the remembrances of model Naomi Sims, 61, who died over the weekend, there have been a host of references to her as the “first black supermodel.” The Oxford, Miss., native was given that title because of her appearance on the cover of Ladies’ Home Journal in 1968, at a time when the “black is…
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Who Wears Short Shorts?
The first lady stepped off Air Force One during the Obama family’s recent mini-vacation out West wearing a pair of moss-colored shorts. They were not the kind of knee-grazing Bermudas or pedal pushers that the fashion industry has long advocated as work-appropriate sportswear during the summer months. They were not tailored, nor were they masquerading…
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She Had Me at 'Monster's Ball'
ABOUT ROBIN GIVHAN I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, a city that is much maligned but will always be close to my heart. (Have a local give you a tour. There’s much to love.) I was always fascinated by the East Coast – probably from watching too many “I Love Lucy” re-runs as a child.…
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Whitney's Extra, Extra, Super-Fresh Face
The cover of Whitney Houston’s new album has the returning singer looking so fresh-faced and unlined that one might think that one of the perks to surviving Bobby, “crack-is-wack” and an assortment of other tribulations is unfettered access to Botox. Every CD cover photo gets its share of flattering lighting, theatrical makeup and retouching but…
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French Vogue, White Models and Black Faces
I’m not sure what to make of the French Vogue fashion shoot that features model Lara Stone—she of the pale complexion—covered in black makeup. But one thing is certain: I’m not angry. It may be that I’m just exhausted from trying to dissect the fashion industry’s tortured and puzzling relationship with race. (I’m reminded of…
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Africa Redux
Every few years, people in the fashion industry rediscover Africa. Like mini-skirts and ripped jeans, African textiles reappear on the runways of New York and Europe and their revival is duly noted. Fashion is cyclical like that and I have no problems with the media taking note. That’s what I do for a living after…
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When a Supermodel's Career Fades to Black
There are few things as short-lived as the career of a fashion model. These exquisite creatures are elevated to fashion fame before they are old enough to vote and declared obsolete by the time they can take their first legal drink of alcohol. For models of color, their time in the spotlight—when their name is…
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The Black Fashion Museum's New Closet
The velvet opera coat was stretched out on a bed of archival paper and tucked into a person-size box that resembled a humble coffin. A clutch of Smithsonian curators and restoration experts gently lifted it — like scholarly pallbearers with white gloved hands and keen eyes for precision — onto an examination table for loving…
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Givhan: Amy Winehouse's Broken Beauty
Robin Givhan, correspondent for the Daily Beast, writes a moving portrait of Amy Winehouse and the fashion industry. There was always something disconcerting about the fashion industry’s fascination with singer Amy Winehouse. The troubled, drug-addicted singer, who was found dead in her London apartment over the weekend, had a soulful voice and distinctive style that…
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The Casual-Friday Campaign for President
Robin Givhan, in the Daily Beast, reviews early fashion nuances of the 2012 presidential race, noting that the requisite suit-and-tie have all but been vanquished to the closet. In the pursuit of the presidency, as candidates make use of every form of communication — including style and its nuanced inflections — the earnest rolling of…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
