Ri Ri Gets Glam....

Pop star Rihanna attended a wedding in Venice this weekend in support of her manager Marc Jordon. She rocked a dark glamour look...which I'm not sure if I would rock for a wedding. None the less, the looked stunning as usual. She is certainly one of my favorite fashionistas...although she can push the envelope at times.

What do you think? Is this look appropriate for a (day) wedding?

The Ebony Fashion Fair is Gone, What of Ebony Now?

 

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com, Your Black World 

 

The black journalism students here at Syracuse often come to me to find out how the industry works. They sometimes instinctively wonder if their professors' stories about being in a CBS newsroom in 1982 are going to help them survive in a world run by Twitter, Myspace and Facebook. The answer is a resounding "probably not."

While respecting the journalism professors teaching their classes, I simply use examples like Ebony Magazine to help them realize that black media is changing, and sites like theGrio.com, BlackVoices.com, and TheRoot.com, are examples of how black media has evolved. In fact, a journalist who doesn't understand technology and business models is in danger of starting his/her career as a dinosaur.

When it comes to recent reports about Ebony Magazine being offered for sale, I admit that I was saddened, but not surprised. The Ebony Fashion Fair has become one of the most celebrated events in black America, and the magazine has been nothing less than a tremendous source of national pride since its creation in 1945. But in the age of the web, oversized bureaucracies can be crushed under the weight of their own arrogance. Bloated payrolls, pompous corporate functions and a sense of entitlement make them easy prey for quick, hungry and rapidly evolving competition.

In spite of the tremendous love we have for Ebony/Jet, the truth must be confronted when realizing that it is what radio was to TV or what the train was to the airplane. Like radios and trains, there is still a place for print media, but that role is no longer dominant. The current economic climate only accelerated the inevitable, since advertisers were eventually going to stop spending $50,000 for magazine ads when they can buy the same number of eyeballs for $5,000 or less.

I present the following 5 questions I'd like to ask out loud about both Ebony Magazine and the state of African American media:

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Tyra Banks is more than just a model

Your Black World 

Think Tyra Banks is just a pretty face? Watch this video to find out that there’s more to Tyra than meets the eye. 

Tyler Perry’s All Star Cast for “Colored Girls”

When it was announced last week that Tyler Perry will be writing, directing and producing a film version of Ntozake Shange's award-winning 1975 play 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,' there was plenty of talk as to who would be cast.

Well, while promoting his latest film, 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself,' which opens Sept. 11, Perry talked about who he wanted to appear in the movie. Among the chosen few are Oscar winner Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise, Beyonce Knowles, Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys.

Of the 11 actresses mentioned, six have already committed to be in the film, but Perry wouldn't say who exactly.

Oprah loves to act, so will you ever do a film for her?

Tyler Perry: Yes, she's in my next movie, 'For Colored Girls.' Here's what I will tell you. Here's my dream cast, and it hasn't been officially announced yet. There are 15 characters in the film and my dream cast is Kimberly Elise, Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Thandie Newton, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce. I've talked to 6 of the women and they have said yes. You have to figured out that part.

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Does Solange Have Style?

Who knew that behind all that hair lived such a sweet doll face? Sometimes a drastic haircut doesn't fare out as well as we intend it to, but GT must say that Solange's results are nothing short of stunning. You can see her face, her smile, her light, the shape of her head, her neck line. It's like a coming-out party in a beauty pageant. And her makeup is perfect. People insist on comparing her with her superstah of a sis, but I always believed that Solange had more control over her own style. There's seems to be a trend in chopping, shaving and coloring, but Solange took it all the way there. Are you digging her pad style?

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The 10 Biggest Black Women in Fashion

“Project Runway” Season Five fan favorite Korto Momolu may not have won the big prize, but the designer definitely has a bright future in front of her. Her vibrant designs have already gotten her a wave of positive press and celebrity endorsements, and this weekend, she’s producing the fashion show at the "Tom Joyner Family Reunion" in Orlando, Florida.
But as a black designer, Momolu -- like her Seasons One and Three counterparts, Kara Saun and Mychael Knight -- is still a rarity in fashion. In fact, despite the exposure they’ve gained from “Project Runway,” blacks in fashion remain largely on the sidelines in an industry that is still segregated. But due to pioneering individuals who have managed to break through, openings have been created for Momolu, Saun, Knight and others who want to pursue their dreams in fashion.

 

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