Fashion ShitList of 2008 #1: Lack of Diversity

Finally, sittin' pretty at the top is my number 1 pick out of all the most godawful "trends" of 2008: lack of diversity in the fashion industry. What gives? It is yet another reinforcement of the white aesthetic as the "only" standard of beauty. When Italian Vogue released the first-ever "all-black issue" this year, it only served as a reminder that even up to now, there is still a void of nonwhite representation in fashion magazines. As amazing as the issue was, it is still rather disappointing that after its incredible success, American Vogue did not follow suit, nor did any other Eurocentric fashion magazines. More disappointing is that the magazines still continue to cater mainly to white women. Vogue India launched last year, and gracing the cover of the very first issue was Australian supermodel Gemma Ward at the center, while two famous Bollywood actresses, Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra, were out of focus and positioned to Gemma's left and right. This is Vogue India we're talking about here. It's quite obvious that there is something very wrong when the model in the center of the Indian Vogue is not even close to Indian, while the actual Indian ladies are pushed to either side.


During New York fashion week, we saw virtually all white models, as per usual. There would be one or two token Asian or black models in the mix, but not much more. I find it very confusing because it's not like it's slim-pickens when it comes to finding models of color with gorgeous, edgy looks for fashion-forward designs. What about the Alek Weks, Chanel Imans, Daul Kims, and Naomi Campbells of the runway? Jezebel gives a detailed breakdown how many black, Asian, and Latina models were seen on the catwalk for each designer during fashion week. I was pleased to read that Tracey Reese, a very notable and successful African-American designer, used 8 models of color. It was out of 23, but I suppose it is a lot compared to other designers. However, I was still surprised that the majority of her models chosen were white. On another note, I was also happy to see that one of my all-time favorite designers, Diane von Furstenberg, used many models of color as well. However, designers such as Jovovich-Hawk, Jill Stuart, and Calvin Klein had a grand total of zero.



Clearly, the steps that fashion designers, editors, and photographers have taken to incorporate more diversity are way too small or just insincere. One magazine sold a gimmicky all-black issue, yet the runways and magazines remain lactified. I hate to get all political and racially sensitive and shit, but white women are not the only ones who buy or wear those clothes, dammit. It would just be nice to know that while perusing the pages of Bazaar or Vogue, I don't have to use so much of my imagination to see if that bright red peacoat would look as good on my brown skin as it does on the model's fair, pinkish complexion. Hopefully this is a "trend" that we can leave behind in 2008, and move towards a more progressive industry in which the rest of us can be a part of.

And so, in saying goodbye to the wonderful year that was 2008, I also hope to say goodbye to the awful trends that came with it ;] Here's to a better, brighter, and more stylish new year. Happy 2009!

Fashion ShitList of 2008 #2: The Skinny Bitch

Coming in at a close 2nd is what is known as "The Skinny Bitch" -- a term for those women who represent one of the fashion industry's most impossible standards of beauty. Since the demise of the 90s-era "Supermodels" (Tyra Banks, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford would be considered full-figured compared to models now), the waif look has dominated runways. Despite too-skinny model bans in Spain and endless criticism, runways still prefer the emaciated look. The same goes for Hollywood celebrities. Additionally, obssessions with fad diets, mythical superfoods, and detox methods have all contributed to the frightening skinny bitch trend. Health and fitness are essential, but food can be your friend, ladies. Eat some ribs once in a while, please don't show me yours...

Fashion ShitList of 2008 #3: Shutter shades

In the 80s, people embraced tackiness. These shades are almost 30 years too late.

Fashion ShitList of 2008 #4: Keffiyeh Scarves

You call it streetwear. I call it cringeworthy. You call it a political statement. I call it obnoxious. Potato, po-tah-toe.

Fashion ShitList of 2008 #5: Celebrity Fashion Lines

Trends come and go, but my wish is that 5 popular trends of 2008 will do the latter. Kicking off this countdown is the number 5 annoying trend of 2008: celebrity fashion lines.

It was already kind of annoying when Jennifer Lopez and Diddy started doing their own "lines" some 10(?) years ago. But 2008 seemed to be the optimal year for endless celebrities to capitalize on their fame by putting their names on mediocre, uninspired, and overpriced clothes.


Lauren Conrad's line consists of girly tops and dresses in basic solid colors and simple shapes. The clothes are overall inoffensive -- safe, more than anything. Ms. Conrad should have designed for Forever 21 instead of pricing every item over $100.











Over the summer, Lindsay Lohan's leggings line, 6126, was sold out within a week of being placed in L.A. boutique Intuition. Apparently, Lindsay's target market is of the S&M persuasion...









Chloe Sevigny is known for being ever-so-hipster and annoying. With her line for Opening Ceremony, she made sure it reflected that.











Rachel Bilson designed a line for DKNY: Edie Rose. Ok, I'm almost willing to concede this one. The designs are wearable and very cute. Rachel Bilson is also very stylish, so I am not surprised. However, this was the deal-breaker for me: girlfriend didn't take part in the actual creative process. She stated, "I can't draw at all, so I won't be doing any sketches, but I am learning to sew. I think it's important to know more about the whole process of making clothes." Sewing is an important skill to know, indeed. But the real creativity that makes someone a designer should be the ability to sketch their original designs, or at least use some other type of medium to visualize those ideas. From this I can only conclude that she did not take part in the actual designing. Therefore, she, along with the rest of the wannabe celeb designers out there, lacks the credibility to add designer to her resume.

Honorable mention goes to: Beyonce (House of Dereon), Heidi Montag (Heidiwood), Aubrey O'day (Heart on my Sleeve), Avril Lavigne (Abbey Dawn), Victoria Beckham (dVb), Jessica Simpson's self-titled line, and LL Cool J...?

I love Vanessa Hudgens

Say what you want about naughty little Vanessa Hudgens, but when girlfriend actually has clothes on, she looks terrific, and -- contrary to the pictures everyone else has seen of her -- age appropriate! Someone should give her stylist a raise.

Brandy is delusional.

So sometime this past month, Brandy had some diplomatic words to say about her fellow R&B songstresses:

"I love Rihanna's style and I've always loved Beyonce's style, but my style is classy and simple and fashion forward."



Wait. What?

Ok, so perhaps Ms. Norwood is a bit disgruntled because she hasn't had a hit since the 90s. But dear god, Brandy, if you're gonna take a jab at your "competition," why not say how you feel about their awful music? "Single Ladies" makes me wanna shoot myself. It's okay if you feel the same way too! Passive-aggressively insulting their taste in clothes does not work in your favor, especially since you can barely keep an entire pair of pants on your legs.

Hit-or-Miss Trend of 2008

There is always that one article of clothing or accessory that the very few can pull off.
One excellent example are those damn hipster headscarves and headbands.

Nicole Richie is probably one of the first celebrities I've seen sporting this look, but she's so darn cute she could pull off just about anything.


But then there's the rest of the general population that decides that they would rather look ridiculous and basically ask to be punched in the face.
Here are some prime celebrity examples.

Exhibit A:
Mischa Barton - Ew. just ew.


Exhibit B:
Aubrey O'day - O'dear god.


Exhibit C:
Whitney Port - If flowers could vomit...

The art of consumption

I never thought I'd start writing a blog again, but I find that in my free time I don't spend much time doing anything all that interesting when I'm on the computer. As a college student, my studies have consisted of a rich context of business corporations, mass media, politics, sociology, and popular culture. However, I am terribly lazy and would not prefer to share my deepest personal thoughts on world issues, politics, the economy, and all that heavy stuff (it requires so much of the eloquence that I reserve for my actual assignments in school). And as a business major, I could write about my own internal conflict which consists of my desire to become a six-figure-making CEO versus my wish to distance myself from the moral bankruptcy of "the Corporation." What remains constant, however, is my fascination with consumer behavior and the media that drives it. So instead, I have decided to share my personal thoughts on my favorite form of consumerism: fashion. This blog is simply a collection of my musings on style, beauty, and shopping... a (sometimes) daily account of my personal reactions to the trends of the past/present/Hollywood/popular media/everyday, as well as a record of my superior bargain-hunting skills (I don't buy anything full price 99% of the time ;). Shallow? Yes. But entertaining? (at least to me) Absolutely. Rather than offend someone of opposing political and/or religious beliefs, making fun of what someone is wearing elicits much less debate. While I do not claim infallibility in fashion choices, I sure as hell know when someone looks stupid wearing furry boots in mid-July.