While I was doing some fashion research I came across this awesome video that takes a look inside the private apartment of the innovator for modern day women’s wear, Coco Chanel. Hope you enjoy the video!
Coco Chanel’s Private Apartment
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Monthly Archives: September 2012
Guy Louis Bourdin: Sand Grains of Glitter
I’ve been a huge fan of Riccardo Tisci and the work he has been producing for Givenchy within the last few years, so when I discovered that one of Tisci’s influences was Guy Bourdin I said to myself “Who the hell is that?” To find my answer I set out to do some research on Guy to get a better understanding of his work and was greatly surprised at what I found.
A native of Paris, France, Guy gave us some of the best fashion photography of the 2nd half of the 20th Century. His photos were racy, controversial, surreal, abstract, and beautiful. What I personally love about his work is their storybook quality. Looking at Guy’s photos puts you into a scene where you are not exactly sure what is occurring. It is up to the viewer to project his or her own interpretation of Guy’s images. This nature of Guy’s work forces viewers to participate in his art, getting the brain to think about the endless amount of possible outcomes for the image at hand.
I titled this post the way I did because Guy’s work was so detailed in a world void of photoshop, and yet his photos shined effortlessly. This is why I am greatly influenced by his work. My wish is for this genre of photography to be used in Urban Fashion photo shoots in an effort to revitalize and revolutionize advertising for urban fashion brands. It’s already taking place, but I know we can take it steps further as the honorable Guy Louis Bourdin did.
Check out the short video’s on Guy’s work below!
Have a great weekend! Peace Yall!
MIXTAPE OF THE WEEK +: Hit Boy- “HITstory”
This week I’m bringing you a mixtape that was released at the beginning of August from one a G.O.O.D. Music’s newest producers, Hit Boy. Hit Boy hails from the Inland Empire region of Southern California, and since his work on Jay-Z and Kanye’s “Niggas In Paris” he has been blowing up, but his career didn’t start there. I’ll be doing a future post chronicling Hit Boy’s history in the rap game, for now let’s focus on the mixtape. This mixtape showcases his producing and rapping skills to their fullest. While Hit Boy’s rapping isn’t the greatest, it’s not bad either and I’m looking forward to seeing how he improves on his rap skills. The more important reason for listening to this mixtape would be for the production value. When you listen, you start to realize why Kanye signed this musician to his label…his soundscapes are flawless. I hope you enjoy this mixtape as much as I did.
You can download the mixtape here: https://freshcliniclife.com/music/mixtape-of-the-week/ Enjoy the video!
A Professional’s Thoughts on Runway
I was watching a runway video on youtube and I came across this comment that was very honest:
“im a designer and a model coach – the secret behind all of this bullshit is:
CONFIDENCE!!
you have to bring from the inside before you can bring it from the outside.”
As I was reading this I was thinking about all the models that pay top-dollar and invest loads of time to learn how to walk for the runway, when really the secret to runway success is one’s own confidence. Such a simple answer that can be found within yourself, and no where else. It’s true a model may have to understand how to walk properly, but this still does not make up for any lack of confidence or uniqueness in one’s walk.
When you think about some of the best runway models from the 70’s and prior, many of them didn’t have models to look up to or didn’t bother taking modeling classes. In fact, some have said their classes were watching actresses in classic films and mimicking these actresses movements. Maybe that’s why those women had such a charismatic aura about themselves when they hit the catwalk, a charisma I feel has disappeared today. Why? This isn’t easy to answer, but it may be partly due to the systemization of the modeling industry. You take classes that you pay for, you think they will provide you with everything you need to know about modeling or runway, and when you finish you go on your merry way to get the best jobs in the industry. But of course this isn’t the case in the real world, not with any profession. This A-B-C way of thinking is very linear, and we forget about the space below and above the line. It is here in this space where you will find that extra something to not only make you a great model, but one of the best in the business. So don’t be afraid to step into that unknown space.
If you’re an aspiring model or model in the making I suggest that you take the time to work on improving any characteristics you feel are making you emotionally weak or unsure about yourself. Only when you have become comfortable with your body image and emotions can you be fully confident on the runway or in any modeling gig. Finally, and I am saying this with all seriousness, watch and study classic films. Take note of how the actors express themselves through exaggerated body language. On the one hand, exaggerated acting makes a film seem less realistic and almost corny, but it’s acting…it’s not meant to be realistic. Remember that any form of entertainment is escapism that helps people relax from the stress of the real world.
If you can incorporate this strong, expressive emotion in your body while walking, it almost takes your viewers to a whole new world where they imagine that they are “you” wearing that gorgeous piece of clothing. Confident, unique expression is what turns a Model into a “Best Super Model.”
-MANÉ
New Hair-Do Thought
I might start hanging curls off the front of my face like a young Michael Jackson, only when I go out of course…just a thought
MIXTAPE OF THE WEEK +: Droop-E “BLVCK DIAMOND LIFE”
For our new mixtape of the week, I’ve decided to go with a throwback from a couple years ago. “BLVCK DIAMOND LIFE” makes E-40’s son, Droop-E, stand on his own as a music producer and Bay Area rapper. Every song on this album features an inspiring sample from a Sade song. The production is so clean that you sometimes forget that these songs are samples, as the synths and rappers are perfectly paired with Sade’s voice and her early sounds. You can check it out in our MIXTAPE OF THE WEEK + section here: https://freshcliniclife.com/music/mixtape-of-the-week/. Enjoy and be sure to check out the cool video below. Peace Yall’
BAD 25 release only two days away!
As 25th Anniversary of Michael Jackson’s BAD album approaches, I am super excited that this album will see a re-release this September 18th…yes only 2 days away. The updated album will include the original album and a second cd with all new material and unreleased material. The Deluxe Edition will include the 2 music CDs, plus a CD and DVD release of Michael Jackson’s epic performance at Wembley Stadium during the BAD Tour. Several other editions will be released as well. This is going to be hot. I’ve already listened to some of the unreleased material and it sounds amazing. Some of the songs on the second cd have been released before, such as: Streetwalker, Fly Away, and Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu. While I would have liked to have seen more unreleased songs on the album instead of these already released tracks on the second CD, it’s still nice that these beautiful songs were included. You can’t go wrong with any Michael Jackson song in my opinion. Check out this hot song…
Peace Yall’
WING SAUCE RECIPE #1: Gingered Teriyaki
One of the dopest recipes for wings ever. No Wing Stop, no chain Restaurant recipes, just Professional Culinary goodness.
WING SAUCE RECIPE #1: Gingered Teriyaki
Ingredients:
- Ginger
- Soy Sauce, measured by Weight
- Sugar, measured by Weight
- Red Wine
- Garlic
- Green Onion
- Pinch of Chinese Five Spice
- Pinch of Ground Star Anise
- Sriracha to taste
I will update this recipe with instructions later. I usually do not give amounts for ingredients because I myself rarely use exact measurements for cooking. One rule you learn as a cook is to adjust flavors as you go along. If the sauce isn’t sweet enough, add more sugar. If you want a stronger onion flavor, add more onion, and so on and so forth. For now, study the ingredients and become familiar with the flavors. You won’t learn how to cook without recipes, and therefore become a better cook yourself, if you don’t study the flavors of your ingredients. Any well-experienced Chef can look at the above ingredients and immediately figure out how to make this sauce with no instructions or measurements. I will keep this wing recipe and others here: https://freshcliniclife.com/food/recipes/wings/ as I update them.
Stay Tuned for a future post on an Update for this Recipe!
Pat Cleveland: Greatest Model To Ever Do It
I was watching this video and thought “Wow!” Pat Cleveland was in my opinion the greatest runway model. Her presence was ferocious and she wasn’t afraid to express herself. She did everything out of the norm, and that was what made her so fantastic. I’d like to see more models do this today.
BOTC’s FASHION’S NIGHT OUT A SUCCESS!
BOTC’s “Fashion’s Night Out” in Downtown Riverside, California was fun and cool, but I have something to say before I continue. First I’d like to apologize to the lovely ladies of BOTC. You’re never suppose to show up late to fashion events your invited to, but I did LOLZ. However, it wasn’t without good reason. Earlier that same evening I was at another historic event, the Welcome Reception for Dr. Tomás Morales, Cal State University San Bernardino’s newest and I believe first Latino President. I was looking extra Chicano that evening, as I had ran out of hair gel and was forced to use vaseline to hold my hair in place. I hadn’t used any greasy hair products for ten years up to that point. Now it will take a week for me to get this greasiness out my head. I can still feel the grease right now…
Anyway, as I was saying earlier, BOTC’s “Fashion’s Night Out” was an awesome event. Taking place at the Crescent Jewell Restaurant in Riverside, CA, with plenty of fashionistas, designers, stylists, and all of those who have made fashion an important part of their lives. When I walked in I could feel a mist of love and compassion, everyone was here because they truly love and can appreciate the artistic qualities of clothing. The music was right, there were smiles everywhere, and the models were looking lovely. Shout out to everyone that made this event the hottest in Riverside: Sherifah Jefferson, Brittney Daniels, Jessie J, Mr. Bradshaw, K’Sandra, DJ RUDE BOY, all the models, and all the other hotness and cool people there.
I can’t speak on the other collections because I didn’t see them, but I do have to highlight Jessie J Collections. He had one sparkly, black dress in his collection, may have been sequined, with shiny bronze lines that seemed to outline the model’s body as she moved across the runway. Another model had a red jacket and pants that were both lined with a black trim. The piece immediately reminded me of a meshing between a formal tuxedo style suit, and Michael Jackson’s infamous Thriller outfit. Just amazing. To top it off it was shiny and silky. I am one of the biggest fans of silk because it can make anyone standout effortlessly. Those were some of the most gorgeous pieces I had seen in a long time, and I wish Jessie J nothing but success with his collection. Visit his website here: http://www.jessejcollections.com/index.html
Another highlight was a pair of glistening heels by Shoe Girls Love. My sister fell in love with them when she saw them: Bright Pink, if I remember correctly, with little rhinestones that looked as if they were intricately placed by hand one at a time. These are so different then any type of glitter heels you find at the mall and definitely worth the money. You may visit their website here: http://www.shoesgirlslove.com/default.asp.
Pop Star K’Sandra also hit the stage and performed her single “Finger On The Trigger.” This performance was interesting, as K’Sandra and her performers started their performance in the middle of the crowd. I was surprised at first because I thought they were just a group of people trying to get through the crowd, then they started dancing in front of me as soon as the music dropped. In the words of my sister at that moment “I’m f@#$ing confused.” The performance was none the less well choreographed and energetic.
I had my sister on standby taking photos during the last runway shows. You can see some of the photos she took below. You may also visit our tumblr page here: http://freshclinic.tumblr.com/, and share the photos there if you’d like. I’m not gonna lie though…we need a better camera.
I missed out on a lot, but next time I’ll make sure to get my behind there on time. I am looking forward to BOTC’s next event and I know it will be da shiznit.
Peace Yall’
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