FOS fave Keneea Linton, who’s been featured on FOS many times, made international acclaim over the past weekend when she showed her new line at Brooklyn’s Fashion Weekend. Unfortunately, we weren’t there for this proud achievement but we supported her on this venture and anxiously await the pictures of what I’m sure will be a fabulous line.
Here’s a teaser and do stay tuned….
I met Megan last year as we worked together on a major fashion production. She out-shined fellow interns as a meticulous and talented young woman that got the job done. She wore very interesting jewellery and I was very drawn to some of her bold, vibrant pieces. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she made them herself and was currently in school honing her craft. We went our different ways soon after, but then I saw her featured on the cover of the local Gleaner’s Flair Magazine and made contact immediately. She definitely deserves the shine.
“I’ve always loved art. I believe it was my father who first recognized my artistic ability, because he is a painter. We would take trips with my two sisters to the country and to the Edna Manley School of Art where he took a Saturday class in landscape painting. Sometimes it would be a family trip, other times it was just he and I; he’d take out his acrylics, and I…my crayons.”
Megan’s line is available at the National Gallery of Jamaica Gift Shop and also Casa de Xaymaca in the Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston Jamaica. She’s almost done with school, preparing the new line for the big end of year exhibition, and hopes to be able to continue on in her craft once she graduates. She has one fashion show semi-lined up *fingers crossed* and is on the up and up that more stylist roles will come her way. She admits that most graduates end up in more corporate roles, leaving the arts behind because of financial obligations, but is optimistic that she will be able to make a name for herself and a living from her line. If you’re in the area of the Edna Manley School for the Visual Arts in June, be sure to check out the exhibition and make a few purchases.
Contact Megan at 876-425-6842 or meganallisonjamaica@yahoo.com
Inspired by her mother’s taste for glamour and colourful makeup being a former airline stewardess, Sheroma began dabbling in makeup at a young age. Originally from the British Virgin Islands, Sheroma currently lives in Jamaica, pursuing a Multimedia degree at the University of the West Indies Mona. “When I lived on campus, my friends would flock to my room to get their makeup done whenever there was an event. I loved it!” After playing with makeup for nearly 10 years, the 23 year-old launched Brass.Angel.Makeup in 2007, offering makeup services. Sheroma is also a hairstylist, image consultant, photographer, graphics designer, model, writer, media personality and much more. A true Jane of all trades.
As I flip through party pics on our local entertainment websites, I realise that alot of us like to dabble in makeup and it doesn’t always come out right. The very basics such as selecting a foundation that wont make us look like a “duppy” when the flash goes off is often missed and our pictures come out scary. These pics are etched in time and forwarded all over the internet for comic relief by all and sundry. This is why I often take pics of myself at home whenever I’m going out full-masked…cus I can’t afford to be your laughing stock! Blind cannot however lead blind, so I have called upon my new friend and self-proclaimed make-up exert Sheroma Hodge of Brass.Angel.Makeup to give us some make-up tips over the next few weeks. From here on out make-up 101 posts shall feature Sheroma’s work. First up, she schools us on foundation. (click images to view larger)
Use the area between the side of the nose and the jaw (dominantly the cheek area) as the basis to test for the right shade. Select a range of 3 shades: the one that you think you are (the middle shade), a lighter shade, and a darker shade.
To test the shades against the skin, create a stripe of the middle shade from the upper cheek to the lower cheek. Then create a stripe of the darker shade to the left of the middle shade, followed by a stripe of the lighter shade to the right of the middle shade. This should all be done in natural light (sunlight) or bright light (white light, not yellow light) in order to see the true colour. Give each shade a couple seconds to dry.
It’s this drying process that really helps to identify which shade is right for you. Avoid the shade that appears with yellowish/orange tone against your skin, and/or the shade that stands out too brightly. Select the shade that blends best with your complexion.This method works for all skin types and skin tones.
Sheroma Hodge
(876) 489-9592
According to MSN’s shopping guide, white pants are the new IT pants, and with much reason. We do need a neutral to balance out the bright hues and busy prints that are all the rage and to pair them with black pants instead would take away from the spring-summer feeling and may come out looking a bit silly. According to the guide:
White pants should be an easy way to add a little sporty style to our day, but we often find it almost absurdly difficult to land a decent pair. The fabric isn’t substantial enough, so undergarments peek through. One day’s wear means a trip to the dry cleaners. Bad tailoring seems to be more of a liability in such a bright color, and anyway, aren’t darker colors more slimming? Retailers to the rescue. White trousers and jeans are now being offered in such an array of cuts, lengths, fabric weights and sizes, that there’s hope for us all. If you’re concerned about show-through, try a more substantial linen blend and skip the flimsy polyester. White denim also provides a fantastic slimming fit plus the benefit of a heavier gauge material. Easy-care casual crop pants and shorts can be tossed in the washer, and finely constructed ottoman, twill, or silk slacks streamline and elongate your figure. The best reason to invest? White pants are the perfect match for spring’s bold blouses.
If you’ve ever watched Project Runway and wished there was something like that in Jamaica for you to get your shine on, well here’s your chance. The fresh and innovative team at Cashmall Media Productions, producers of the young Yardie Guide series, have chosen to target the booming Jamaican fashion industry by giving away fantabulous prizes to new designers bursting with talent but in need of that little boost. They’ve chosen the name “Fashion Terror” for the series and here’s some tidbits taken from a recent release:
“Fashion Terror: A Passion for Fashion” is a reality TV Program that will feature amateur Fashion Designers selected from a group of applicants. Each week a designer will have three days to receive task, design and complete task and at the end of that week a designer will be eliminated from the group. Fashion Terror’s primary aim is to promote fashion designing as a serious profession and a career with great potential. We also hope to encourage and reward new designers as well as giving these aspiring designers a leg up in the highly competitive and progressive fashion industry.
So who can enter?
Applicants should be students or young adults between the ages of 18 -30 years that have a strong interest in Fashion Design but limited or no experience in a professional capacity. They must be born Jamaican or have migrated internationally no more than five (5) years ago. The application process includes completing entry forms, writing a short essay and a compilation of work with at least six (6) pieces. Interested individuals can request additional details and applications at fashionterror@gmail.com or visit our facebook group “Fashion Terror: A Passion for Fashion”…….Deadline for applications is May 15, 2008.
Is it worth your while?
The Grand Prize Winner will receive a scholarship to a major
This program is still in development but I have chosen to put it out there as early as now to pique the interest of the young Jamaican designers, and maybe pull the ear of a sponsor or two. Designers, you’ll need the extra time to create those fabulous couture pieces if you wanna win that internship! It’s a really good idea, here’s to hoping it will materialize into fabulous, grandiose fruition. Get your creative juices flowing, start that sketching and that research. The producers are hoping for a June ‘08 production start and are in talks with sponsors and stations to get the big go ahead so… get ready, get set…GO!
P.S.
Feedback and suggestions to make this show REALLY worth your while are welcome below, as I said, its all still in development.
According to My FOS partner Adrain, it is Christian Audigier and his flamboyant pieces. Christian is the designer of the famed Ed Hardy line and and his more premium self-titled line is…apparently…all the craze. So I did a little googling to familiarize myself with the line, since my co-workers are of the same view as Adrain. The Christian Audigier line is very much Ed Hardy like, bright, bold and very patterned. He himself says “his designs appeal to people who want to inject a little fun into their wardrobes or those who just want to get noticed” Clearly this is why this line speaks so well to our dancehall stars that rock Ed Hardy to every Hot Monday, Early Tuesday, Weddy Wednesay, Bembe Thursday, Dutty Friday alike! Here’s an article on the designer himself, its a very good read especially if you want to be a designer yourself as he shares a few of his marketing tips. The male line is VERY flashy and I had a hard time picking out a shirt I’d buy for my hunny, so I asked Rain to pick out his favorites:
OMG that blue one is just hideous! Guys, are you really feeling this line? The female line, I ADORE! The dresses are to die for and it was hard for me to pick favourites. Bubble hemlines, bloussant dresses and peasant tops, all flattering to the curvier woman like myself and gorgeous minis and cinched waisted dresses for the modelesque. So while I’m not a fan of his male tees, his female line “a happen, a occur, it sell and a mek a profit!” which is Jamaican slang for its great! He brings his flavour to the leggings trend as well and while the gold and silver might be a little too trendy for me…those black ones are the business. At $300 a pop for a dress though, I’m only admiring right now. Check him out ChristianAudigier.com
It’s Hawaiian y’all. July 18th Kingston, Jamaica. Stay tuned for details.
How cute is that? We ladies squeeze ourselves into pants/shorts/skirts that are 2 sizes too small everyday, creating the unsightly “muffin top” effect of our love handles spilling over the sides. Its not cute. We need smooth lines ladies, remember the ultimate sexy hourglass image is what we want to keep. Gladly, the age of the low-rise jeans has passed and been parked! High-waists help us to stop the foolishness of the exposed crack and the muffin top. Some of us however cannot help it, whenever we wear pants, we always have a little extra hanging over disturbing the hourglass silhouette. Well, there are always tops that will help you to cover it up! A top with a high seam is your friend. Whether it has a seam under the bust area creating a baby-doll effect or a seam above to create an A-line, the both flow away from the mid-section to give you comfort and movement and of course still keeps the fabulosity factor high if you accessorize and keep on trend. Just be wary of the baby-doll top that makes you look preggers! The band should fit smugly below your bust area so it will fall and not “pouf” out. Here’s some options from Forever 21, Wetseal that will help you cover up that muffin top while keeping the “hauteness” high. And when in doubt, go with a dress!
Imani is an acclaimed fashion designer and interior decorator who has been in the fashion industry for over 25 years, racking up a long list of awards and accolades along the way. She’s from Portland, Jamaica but has been living away for over 30 years. Her affinity for fashion design came at an early age and when she was inspired by Bob Marley and the I Three’s dressing, especially their head wraps and she begun to create and wear them as well. She went to school to develop her talents and interest and as her studies grew deeper, she discovered the works of European designers. She was particularly drawn to the designs of Coco Chanel who used natural fabrics with luxurious textures, designed to follow the body’s movements with organic grace. She began to include European silks and chiffon in her collection of head wraps, creating elegant, flowing designs. Some of her earlier designs from the 1980s: (click for larger view)
Imani’s designs have been featured on the runways of New York, Bermuda, Lima and of course Jamaica where she has designed for the Bob Marley museum and recently for Queen Ifrica. Her line was shown at the recent Rebel Salute. Imani still focuses on head wraps only, saying that this was her entry niche into the fierce fashion industry. She does custom design upon request and plans to launch her signature wrap dress line, one of which Queen Ifrica wore in the “Daddy” video, later this year.
Imani works in association with the American Cancer Society, speaking at forums and Universities teaching the history of the head wrap and helping to lift the self esteem of cancer victims who have had their hair removed for treatment. She describes her head wraps as a “fun and elegant alternative to the prefabricated caps and uncomfortable wigs, they are created with natural silks and cottons which feel luxuriously soft on the skin, and are designed to drape and wrap gracefully around the head for a snug fit. The House of Tafari Collection have modernized this ancient art, by introducing the concept of creating Tucking Pockets™ for stability and elegance. Our head wraps are designed to eliminate the usage of pins and clips. We specialize in creating safe and comfortable head wraps for both men and women. ”
Here model Charonda Raye shows off one of Imani’s gorgeous head wraps.
You can contact Imani here for creating custom pieces or here to shop her head wraps. Queen Ifrica’s “Daddy” video can be viewed here and the pictures are of her performing at Rebel Salute in a custom Imani design, taken by Organiza of Flames Productions.
Hey!
Brand new look, same fabulous Fashion Over Style! Do you like it? I’m still playing around with the colour scheme so you may see a few changes over the next couple of days…but I am so in love with the new layout! Are you as excited as I am? I’m open to your suggestions and feedback so lets hear! After all, FOS is for us all to enjoy. Its best viewed in the newest IE 7 and Mozilla FireFox so make sure your up-to-date on your browser software for optimal viewing pleasure.
And guys, please help me to spread the word. Forward the stories, add me on myspace, join the facebook group, add all your friends to the group and lets stay fab together!
BTW, Imani of the House of Tafari Collection has been making quite a buzz on the site with her fabulous dress that Queen Ifrica wore to the Recent RAAs. Stay tuned to FOS for more with this fabulous designer and her collection!
One Love,
Irie Diva
