Posted by Tara Decoda on May 24, 2010 in
Designers,
Fun & Funky & Edgy,
New Lines 21-year-old LaQuan Smith has the fashion industry shaking like tambourines (as Lil’ Wayne would say). The latest go-to designer for stars such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Tyra Banks, Amerie and most recently Cassie, is definitely far ahead of his time, but his success didn’t come overnight. The eager Queens native was rejected twice by famed fashion school FIT, but that didn’t make him snuggle up under one of his designs while crying on his futon. He went and snagged an internship with BlackBook magazine, working for fashion editor Elizabeth Sulcer.
While interning for Elizabeth, he would check her e-mail, packed with invites to exclusive fashion shindig’s, and crash them- decked in his own designs of course! Besides the bold detailing and intricacy of his designs, he was also a 6-foot man wearing an extra 6-inches of heel, so he stood out. Among the people that gave head turns and curious stares was Kelly Mills. Fashion publicist and would be fairy Godmother of the soon to be most sought after designer. Through her fashion network, LaQuan’s clothes ended up on pop stars and supermodels alike! It wasn’t long before Tyra Banks tapped him to wear his designs on the cover of her online magazine “Beauty: Inside & Out”:
Tags: Alicia Keys, Amerie, Andre Leon Talley, Cassie, LaQuan Smith, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Sessilee Lopez, Tyra banks
As some of you may know, September is the biggest month in fashion, especially for publications. For i-D’s September issue they featured it models (of color) Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn & Arlenis Sosa:
Shot by Emma Summerton in London Town, i-D is saluting the PYT (Pretty Young Things) of the fashion world. But unlike it’s other glossy contemporaries, i-D is featuring all Black models on it’s September cover. Fashionologie notes that i-D is “the first (and so far only) major fashion magazine to go with women of color for their September issue this season.”
That’s a good look!
Tags: Arlenis Sosa, Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn, Sessilee Lopez
“Can’t leave modeling alone, the game needs me….”
Tyra Banks covers V Magazine and joins forces with Sessilee Lopez to recreate the 70’s Diana Ross classic, Mahogany:
I see Tyra hasn’t hung up her hat yet. I don’t think she will ever fully, officially come out of retirement, but I definitely expect to see her getting in touch with her fashion roots here and there. Fab shoot nonetheless.
Tags: Sessilee Lopez, Tyra banks
So after the recent “black-out” at New York Fashion Week in Fall 2007, the urge to give black models more jobs has become more of an outrage than an issue. So while everybody twiddled their thumbs wondering “Should we give these black models the job?” worrying about how poor they would do in sales, Vogue Italia did something about it! Their much anticipated July issue, which hits news stands in Europe next Thursday and will have a follow up in the U.S., features models Liya Kebede (who got the front cover), Naomi Campbell of course, teen sensation Jourdan Dunn, Veronica Webb, BET’s Toccara, Sessilee Lopez and run way retiree Tyra Banks.
For pics from the issue read below the cut…..
Read more…
Tags: Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede, Naomi Campbell, Sessilee Lopez, Tocarra, Tyra banks
