icons who ROCK

I'm settling in for the night and preparing to watch Black Girls Rock on BET. Thus, the inspiration for my list of the top 5 females who have rocked my life and still continue to be great inspirations for me as a writer. Each of these icons is either a writer or an artist, each represent an essential piece of my philosophical make up and all are at the top of their chosen fields. With that being said, here's my top 5:

1. Nikki Giovanni: Poet, Activist, Author and English Professor at Virginia Tech.


2. Veronica Webb: Supermodel, Journalist, Actress, Author.

3. Halle Berry: Actress, Model, 1st African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.


4. Vanessa Williams: Actress, Singer, Model, 1st African American crowned Miss America.

5. Toni Morrison: Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning Author, Humanities Professor at Princeton (r. 2006).

My list could go on and on. 

TIE me on one

I think I'll wear ties with my suits from now on. This look is so ME. I know, I'm late...but I can't think of one person who has effectively pulled this look off. It's seductive, confident, self-assured and a definite staple for my wardrobe. Like Spike Lee...she's gotta have it...so tomorrow, I'm off in search of a few good ties. Wish me luck!

off with their HEADS

Lately I've been drawn to historical films and 18th century Europe. I keep thinking it must have been a great era to live in so I didn't blink twice when I came across Sofia Coppola's version of Marie Antoinette. I grabbed it like it was the last tube of Chanel Coral Love Glossimer (my favorite by the way). And I can't say I wasn't disappointed. Not only does Coppola re-tell the story of France's young 'Queen of Debt', she recreates this epic tragedy in her own authentic view, complete with all of the trappings of representation and tradition. I must admit I love it when that happens. Finding a film based on feminine strength is somewhat scarce these days, even if it eventually leads to total destruction.

Set in 18th century France, Marie Antoinette (2006) is full of nothing but expectations. With repetitious symbolism, lavish costumes, breathtaking mise-en-scenes, great camerawork and a vast array of music, Coppola seamlessly pulls it all together. Antoinette is never a victim. Even as she is imprisoned, she remains impressively stoic and royal. It's an admirable trait and I'm convinced that the pressure to produce a work of art with such a strong voice was as urgent to Coppola as it was to Marie Antoinette during her reign.  In my opinion, she did more than deliver and with her background, it's hard to imagine otherwise.

Praise aside, Marie Antoinette did have its flaws. At times, Kirsten Dunst (Antoinette) appeared too whimsical and too beautiful, almost as if she were lost in an Estee Lauder commercial. There's no denying that greed makes everyone ugly and it would have been nice to see Dunst in shreds and sullied; especially as the Palace of Versailles was being overtaken by an unruly mob. Even with all of it's beauty, the film still scored big with me because it examined the painful price that's paid when illusions create the ruins of a kingdom. As the screen fades to black, I can most certainly hear Marie Antoinette scream one of her most famous lines, "let them eat cake!" Now that...would have made an interesting ending.

plain PLAID

Christian Dior Fall 2010

I really want to try this look of mixing plaids with stripes, or other patterns, and for it to come out completely fabulous. Something tells me not to even dare try it. I'm too short. Too boxy. Too stuck in my ways of a cautious yet trendy fashion fiend. Besides, black is my only friend. It's the one color that has never let me down. But just for once, I'd like to throw caution to the wind and follow the latest fashions that have gone wild. It's this look and this feeling that I'm trying to move towards. And, who knows, the little black dress may be too predictable for another year of festivities. Just don't tell that to Herve Leger or his little black dress. It's so polished and put together that it still gives me the chills.



Herve Leger Fall 2010

 



breaking the MOLD

I keep asking myself why I've never noticed how stellar Kate Winslet is. Maybe I've been living in a cave or perhaps bogged down with thesis papers or simply 'living' life myself. Whatever the reasons, lately I've become a great admirer of hers. She is spectacular in every film I've watched her star in and there's no mistaking that she is legendary. I can't say enough about Winslet that hasn't already been said. She proves time and time again that acting is more than just a job. Great acting is an intrinsic natural force, it's an art form and it's who Kate Winslet is.

All of that takes me to Revolutionary Road (2008), directed by Sam Mendes. Set in 1950's America, Winslet plays the role of the less than cheerful April Wheeler, a housewife who is painfully unfulfilled with her 'ordinary' life. Her husband Frank, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is just as unfulfilled but he plays the game well: the corporate job, the 2 story white house in the right neighborhood and the 2.5 kids. They are living the quintessential 'American Dream' to the outside world. Inside, they are dying to break out of their confined roles. By becoming trapped into who they've never wanted to be, each pay an earth shattering price that changes their lives forever.

What I love about Revolutionary Road is it's underlining theme of expectations: EVERYONE'S. It is the timely tale of what happens to a dream deferred and fortunately, for me, the film doesn't end in the traditional 'happily ever after' Hollywood norm. From the outset, Winslet rides an emotional roller coaster, changing gears with each discovery that threatens to tear her future in two. As the world encroaches and reprimands the Wheelers for wanting more than their current existence, despair and desperation take over, trampling over every thing they've ever wanted to be.

Mendes' use of the camera is so powerful, I felt my own heartstrings being tugged in a few different directions. The aftershocks of an unplanned pregnancy, an illegal abortion and the insightful utterings of a psychiatric patient (John Givings) are each framed so well that their believability is unquestionable. Revolutionary Road is a cautious tale. It gave me more than I could have ever imagined: a reminder that Life is meant to be lived by one's own rules rather than by the design of others.

My favorite lines by Winslett:
It's unrealistic for a man with a fine mind to go on working year after year at a job he can't stand. Coming home to a place he can't stand, to a wife who's equally unable to stand the same things. And you know what the worst part of it is? Our whole existence here is based on this great premise that we're special. That we're superior to the whole thing. But we're not. We're just like everyone else! We bought into the same, ridiculous delusion. That we have to resign from life and settle down the moment we have children. And we've been punishing each other for it.

COLOR!...

Here's a quick little memento of what I can't live without...COLOR! I love Chanel, everything about this label is amazing. It's authentic, vintage, charismatic and alluring. After using the last drop of #461, I figure the next best colors are these:


CHANEL 479

CHANEL 501



CHANEL 347

There's more than enough Fall colors from CHANEL to be conquered this season but these 3 are sure to make you the Belle of every ball!

it's all in the MIX

Affectation

What I like most about the work of graphic artist Marumiyan is his mixture of color, nature and illusion. His attention to detail is so precise, it demands more than just a glance; it requires a long intense stare. Like traditional Japanese advertising, Marumiyan is saying more than a million things - all at once - and it works for me. It's the perfect backdrop to any space designed with a minimalist approach in mind. A design by Marumiyan is guaranteed to keep the spotlight and the conversation flowing.

Toki2

 Marumiyan