LoveBrownSugar Feature: VOGUE Black

I am completely overwhelmed and overjoyed with this news. I found out over the weekend that yours truly has been featured in VOGUE!

Words can't even express how excited I am to be among the company of style greats like top model Ajak, stylists June Ambrose and Crystal Streets, and bloggers Tamu McPherson of All The Pretty Birds and Karen Blanchard of WhereDidUGetThat to name a few!

Photo courtesy Swagger360 for VOGUE Black.

I have to send a HUGE shoutout and internet hug to my good friend Guerre of Swagger 360 for snapping this amazing photo of me. Although my feet were killing me, he made me look like a glamazon. That's what great photographers do right? I saw Guerre everyday on my way to the tents at NY Fashion Week, snapping away and capturing beauties on the NYC pavement. I'm just glad to call myself one of his featured subjects. Anyway, check out the feature over at VOGUE Black.

Oh yeah, here are my outfit credits. (A few of you asked about my pink floral top from [THIS] post).

Fur coat: Vintage, Top: American Apparel, Pants: H&M, Shoes: Forever21, Fringe Bag: H&M, Ring: Forever21

Soundoff below - tell me what you think!

Sick Sites Spotlight: Vogue Black & Vogue Curvy

By now you guys have probably heard about how Vogue Italia is mixing it up with new sites Vogue Black and Vogue Curvy. I have a habit of raving about the italians like I'm a native. They're such innovators and I love how they've been promoting diversity so fervently in recent years - first with the release of the first all-black issue of Italian Vogue, then last summer with the release of the Black Barbie Isssue (yes, my copy is still shrink-wrapped). Well now, they're pushing it to the limit with new sites Vogue Black & Curvy. Take a second to click through the site - they have some amazing features and of course I'm in love with the images. 

 With this and the my lovely Italian friends over at Lost In Fashion giving me some shine on TV, I fall deeper in love with them everyday...

More Reasons I LOVE Italian Vogue

Shout to my girl ShaSha over at That's Random for keeping me updated with these amazing fashion magazine covers. Most recent obsession, Rihanna for Italian Vogue:

There are so many creative elements to this cover. Rihanna has this robotic quality, like she's not human here. I love covers that make me think. If I don't feel compelled to stare for longer than 30 seconds, its not a good cover...

Fierce or Foolish?

Fashion Obsession: International Magazines

This past Friday, I went on a fervent quest to find the Black Barbie issue of Italian Vogue and luckily I was able to grab a few copies. I have a trusted source for my Italian Vogue issues right near Bryant Park in NYC and they ALWAYS have what I need.

Vogue Italia, Black Barbie Issue

Anyway, along my quest for the coveted Vogue Italia issue, I happened to stumble upon some AMAZING international fashion magazines. It's so crazy how much of a bubble you're in when you stay in the US. Countries all over the globe LOVE fashion and actually some of the absolute best fashion magazines I've seen are not from the US. For me, European mags are so much more aesthetically pleasing. I think, of late, US fashion mags have been pretty drab and dreary (and not to mention extrememly thin), but I'm assuming that's a result of the recession's effects on the fashion industry.

Snapped a spread of Chanel Iman in some Italian fashion mag

Just a few of the many international fashion mags to choose from

One thing I picked up on is that Italians are great with promoting diversity. The magazines I noticed that had the greatest number of black models and/or celebrities were the Italian ones.

Like I always say, I lovee some Italians! I stumbled across 2 L'uomo Vogue Italia covers featuring both Jay-Z and P.Diddy. I thought that was pretty cool:


Fashion mags from the asian countries were particularly amazing as well. Full of color, edgy and quirky.

For those of you who are fashion magazine-obessed like myself, check out this place in NYC called the Magazine Cafe. They have a huge array of magazines with a particular focus on fashion. You can sit, have a cup of coffee and just indulge...

Magazine Cafe, located on 15 W. 37th St (bet. 5th and 6th)

Vogue Italia: Black Barbie Issue

We're still making moves y'all! Just last Thursday I was raving about this year's 1st Annual Arise Africa Fashion Week. And NOW, Italian Vogue has released the first ever issue dedicated to Black Barbie. Gotta love those Italians. I've been to Italy, it's an amazing country and consistent with popular belief they LOVE black women.

Anyway, for those of you who were under a bush last year (just kidding), Italian Vogue was the very first mainstream fashion magazine to launch an all-black issue:

All black models throughout the entire publication..I absolutely loved it! And the trail-blazing issue was released on newsstands with 4 different covers: one each of 4 amazing & trailblazing models - Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez & Jordan Dunn. I have 3 of the 4 issues (complete in shrink-wrap!). I was fortunate enough to have a best friend studying abroad in Italy last summer who could snag me a copy when it first came out. And once they hit the US, I got 2 more.

Well, just one year and one black US president after, we have July 2009's issue of Italian Vogue complete with black barbies of all shades, complexions and characteristics. The Barbies are said to be designed with "more authentic-looking black features, including . . . fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinctive cheekbones and curlier hair," explains Franca Sozzani, Italian Vogue's Editor-in-Chief.

I can't wait to get my hands on this issue!