something secret

So here's my issue: I think I quite like this song, but I'm not sure if I should. I hadn't heard of Chester French before I found this video, so I don't know if this is within the expected range of where her music and imagery usually falls, but it feels a little uncomfortable to me. Chester French's Black Girls  video is beautifully shot (and NSFW so watch out!) but the premise makes me bit uneasy. The song is about loving (and sleeping with) black women, because they're so uniquely beautiful. Awesome right? Maybe not. My problem with the video is that it seems to exoticize and fetishize black women, even though the lyrics say that's exactly what it's trying not to do. In the video, French is seen flirting with and kissing (among other NSFW things) a gorgeous black woman. There's nothing wrong with this in and of itself. People have sex. However, I'm not sure how the nakedness of black woman adds to the narrative of her beauty. The portrayal of t...

I'm giving in.  Since Girls premiered on HBO back in April, I've heard everything from praise to condemnation for the show. Some say the show's creator Lena Dunham is the "voice of a generation", others say that the show is whiter than white bread, and that it's a problem. Since I was still in college when the show premiered, (and really, I was already watching too much TV) I decided that I was going to let this show pass me by. I wasn't going to watch. And since so many other sources had endlessly catalouged all   the ways in which this show was ignoring me , a young, college-educated,  twenty-something female (who wanted to be) living in New York, and was BLACK , I figured, why support a show that doesn't support me? But then I caught an episode. Episode 2: Vagina Panic to be specific. And it was hilarious. From "all the stuff on the side of condoms" to "throwing the best abortion ever", I was reminded so much of all the non-P...

I found this video on the Marie Claire website a little while ago, and I just had to drop everything and post about it. To celebrate the 40 years since title XI was passed, ( a law that calls for gender equality in sports) Nike created a short film showcasing Olympians  Joan Benoit Samuelson, Lisa Leslie, Marlen Esparza, and Diana Taurasi. It's so sweet and poignant that I was on the verge of tears. Although, to be fair, it doesn't take a whole lot these days. But it's beautiful to see women taking charge and forcing paths in places that were once not accepting of their presence. It was beautiful to see these women, trailblazers, interlaced with images of young women, gearing up to continue the tradition of women in sports.  But what really touched me was a quote around 0:36:  "I didn't set out to dominate. I just did."   I love that attitude, and I hope that more women align themselves with this kind of thinking, no matter what their field of choice ...

via fashion gone rogue Zenia Sevastyanova Smolders by Kacper Kasprzyk One last cover to round out Tuesday's lineup.  Everything about this cover is perfect to me. From the bow-tie to the boots to the shag cut to the burn holes, it just scream fa-shun to me. Lame I know.  I've always thought that the less commercial mags tend to have more interesting visual covers. I love D&C and Numéro covers because they're always so much less about appealing to passers-by, and more about pulling in dedicated fashion readers and lovers. They create covers that someone who appreciates fashion can be drawn into and love. I love me some Marie Claire and Elle, but Numéro, Candy, D&C, Paper? Covers are way better. They're collectibles I tell you. :) What do you think? Which magazines produce your favourite covers? Do you prefer commercial covers, or more artistic ones like this?

Joan Smalls by Steven Meisel via fashiongonerogue Karlie Kloss by Steven Meisel via fashiongonerogue Fashion face-off! Two of my favourite models are covering W this month and I couldn't be happier. Also, I really miss my W subscription... Joan and Karlie look stunning (and oddly similar) on their respective covers and I think we can all agree that they're gorgeous women. My love for Karlie is not a secret, but I find myself gravitating towards Joan's cover more. There's something about the depth in her eyes and the cut of her cheeks that pulls me in. I think it's a win for Joan on this one. What about you? Which cover do you prefer and why? Are you a big Joan or Karlie fan? Let me know in the comments below.

via fashion gone rogue Emma Stone by Mario Testino Favourite funny girl Emma Stone is this month's issue of Vogue. I've been a fan of Emma ever since Easy A (which was on Starz the other day actually) and I'm so glad that she's hitting the big time. She looks gorgeous  on the cover and she really draws you in with her big gorgeous eyes.  It's also refreshing to see a comedienne on the cover of Vogue. I think the last time that happened was Tina Fey's March issue a few years back. What do you think of Emma's cover? Are you a fan of her movies? Who would you like to see on Vogue's cover next?

This was my final project for my multimedia class. I had the most fun working on this, and I was able to explore a culture that I've been fascinate by forever. Mizery was an amazing performer and an engaging person, and I'm so glad that I got to meet her and talk to her about her experiences.

This was the second project I did for my multimedia class. I found it to be a TON more difficult that the last one, mostly because the idea was more abstract. It turned out okay, and I got an A, but I'm not over-excitedly proud of it! Considering it was my second time using Final Cut, I think I did pretty well.

This is the first project that I did for my Multimedia class last semester. We had to split off into pairs, interview and shoot each other and put together a 3 minute profile of their ambitions as photographers. I had a ton of fun doing it, and I learned how to use Final Cut Pro, which means I have a useful and marketable new skill. It was fun, and I'm glad I took this class. Enjoy!

It's my birthday!  I'm 22! I'm an adult and I can drink! I'm an adult and I have to pay taxes... I'm an adult and I have to find a job so I can pay taxes... via somecards.com Never mind. This isn't fun anymore. But  anyway ... sob stories aside, it is my birthday today and I'm grateful that I've made it through another year. I'm not so grateful that I have class on my birthday and that instead of going out drinking and/or stuffing my face with cake surrounded by my nearest and dearest I will spend tonight studying for a quiz. Yay? via quickmeme.com ugh, omg THIS. But as it turns out, my aunt and I have the same birthday, and I never even knew! (Not a biological aunt. Long story...) Oddly enough it does make things a little more fun. :) Although I'm not quite here yet: via shesonehotmama.blogspot.com I AM feeling a little bitter that I'm not at home (in Trinidad) for my birthday. This is the first time that's happened since my family moved...

Well it's been quite some time since I've  participated  in FBFF, but I figured now was as good a time to jump back in as any. This week we're talking about community and interaction in blogging, and how it affects bloggers. 1. What blogging communities do you belong to? Currently I'm a member of Independent Fashion Bloggers , Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday (when I remember!) and I recently joined Blog Trends , which has been amazing for interacting with new bloggers and getting different perspectives.  2. What role do you think community plays in blogging? I think that's up to the individual blogger. Stats and comments are not a good measure of the quality of content, just the popularity of the blogger, so it's really up to the blogger to decide how they want to engage with the larger community or whether to remove themselves from it entirely. I think that it's entirely possible for a blog to be of high quality and to be successful without being a huge...

For everything horrible thing that you can (justifiably) say about Kanye West, you have to admit that he knows how to put together a visual. One of the things that I love about his music is that he never leaves you hanging. He uses every means he can get his hands on to demonstrate for you what he's trying to say. From his videos for Runaway and Power to Love Lockdown and Paranoid , you can always tell that a lot of thought goes into the visuals for his music. As repulsive as he behaves sometimes, you have to respect his artistry. This video really shows you how in tune to his themes he really is. This video doesn't even feature him (or Jay-Z or Frank Ocean) but he still manages to get his point across. Presumably drawing from the London riots and the Occupy Wall Street protests, Kanye managed to bring to life the growing state of civil unrest, and political turmoil. It's very poignant. I don't really have much more to say, because I honestly think the v...

If you haven't been watching this show, you need to start. It's AMAZING. It's funny and intelligent and relatable and everything that you'd look for in a great show. And yes, the protagonist is black. Catch up on season one here .

via fashion gone rogue Nadja Giramata by Andoni & Arantxa I wish there were more visible black faces in fashion. Race will always been an issue until seeing models of colour is no longer something different/new/exciting. It should become as ubiquitous as seeing Caucasian models on the cover of a magazine. We need to stop this separate but equal mentality. Continue Reading My Brilliance! >>>