Stacy's Faith and Stars

Fashion Friday: VMA's Best and Worst Dressed

Celebrities made some very interesting style choices at the VMAs this year. Here are my Stylist's Picks for Best and Worst Dress!

MTV Video Music Awards Best Dressed

Much like the Grammy Awards, the VMAs are supposed to be fun and a time for celebrities to show their true style. I'm all for marching to the beat of your own drum, but this worst list is, well, the worst! To be fair everyone on my worst list had elements to their look that I actually liked. Each one just had an extremely difficult time pulling their looks together. They were voted worst from reasons varying from tailoring, to dressed for the wrong occasion, or too little clothing to be considered an actual outfit.

MTV Video Music Awards Worst Dressed

Fashion Friday: Black Beauties Recognized, Notarized and Accepted

Erykah Badu for Givenchy

Joan Smalls for Fendi

The hands of designers were forced by the public exclamation that using only white models not only displayed a lack of diversification, but it also showed a lack of consideration and empathy. Despite globalization in this modern world it is still necessary to hold people accountable for the continued perpetuation of white-washing an industry. However, the responsiveness of designers, casting agents, scouts, fashion houses and other insiders has been astounding. This post highlights some of the Black models and musicians that grace the covers of fashion publications and ad campaigns this fall/winter-recognizing, notarizing and accepting the magnificence of the Black beauty.

Nigerian-British model Betty Adewole for Tom Ford

Joan Smalls for Hugo Boss

Tchad-Polish born model Anais Mali for David Yurman

Sometimes being called out publicly is all it takes to bring about awareness and change. Bethann Hardison and the Diversity Coalition did just that to designers and fashion houses that usually use just one or no models of color in their fashion shows and ad campaigns. Turn the page of any fashion publication just one year later and there is notable change in diversification.

Ethiopian Model Liya Kebede for Tiffany & Co.

Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o for Miu Miu

Kenyan-British model Malaika Firth for Prada

Bethann Hardison, former model, turned modeling agent, turned diversification activist was recently honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s with the Founders Award in June. This year and hopefully for the foreseeable future we will remember to say a thank you to Ms. Hardison for making sure that diversity is a major focus when hiring models for ad campaigns and runway shows. It is vastly important to characterize all skin colors as beautiful. I know personally I will thank her for making sure that little girls will grow up turning pages of fashion publications with representations of themselves.

Joan Smalls for Prabal Garung


British model Jourdan Dunn, and rapper ASAP Rockie for DKNY

Malaika Firth for Valentino

Rihanna for Balmain

Malaika Firth for Burberry Prorsum

Anais Mali for Juicy Couture

Onlookers and fashion lovers will wait with bated breath to see if the diversity change translates from the pages to the runways. Designers and fashion houses are vigorously preparing for New York Fashion Week which is just days away. I am certain that Bethann Hardison and other Diversity Coalition members will be present with a watchful eye.

I do not claim ownership of the above images.

Fashion Friday: Black Girls on White Pages

Joan Smalls for Gucci

Malaika Firth for Burberry

Binx Walton for Chanel

Interestingly, years ago I unsubscribed to several magazines as a teenager because I grew weary of the constant page turning and rarely seeing myself represented. Cover to cover I would search for a glimpse of shaded pigmentation in the pages of Elle, Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and the lists goes on. Now that I can more easily get my fashion-fix online, my heart leaped when I came across Essence's, "Black Models in Fall 2014 Ad Campaigns". Writer Dominique Hobdy-Olibrice highlighted, 'A round-up of models of the moment in September fashion magazines'. Personally I couldn't look at the photos fast enough or intensely enough, nostalgically remembering my teenage years when I thought that I might one day have a chance to grace the runways of well, anywhere. Roundups like these highlighting the presence of Black models in ad campaigns make me so proud that we take the time as women, particularly as Black women to honor and recognize each others' achievements and beauty.