Happy Korto Momolu Day guys & dolls!

With Korto Momolu, backstage at the New York Fashion Week

Little Rock, Arkansas is celebrating African Designer, Korto Momolu in a big, big, BIG way! A day in her honor!

She is so deserving because Korto puts her heart into her work! I know you have seen her on Bravo’s hit reality show, Project Runway 5 where is she was first runner-up [shoulda won I say!] and a fan favorite!

I heart Korto! She is an amazing fashion designer! Her clothing line is bananas! What I love about Korto’s line is that it is a chic clothing line for women of all sizes and shapes but has the richness of African textiles & colors. She also has a line of handbags, get a peek at some of them on the picture gallery below. You can get Korto’s line of handbags at Dillard’s nationwide.

Last Sunday, I was invited to the Cinderella Foundation ‘Fashion with a Purpose‘ Fashion Show featuring Project Runway Designers; Korto Momolu, Ra’mon-Lawrence, Zulema Griffin & Jerell Scott and Ghanaian designer Kwab Asamoah of Kustom Looks! It was an amazing fashion show…Korto got mad love & a standing ovation!

Founder of the Cinderella Foundation, Diane Stevens

Some of the V.I.P guests…

With the 2009 Miss Liberia, Mattie James

Katie Smith, 3-time Olympic gold medalist & WNBA player for Detroit Shock

Nicole White, 2009 Miss District of Columbia

Former Ghanaian Ambassador Dr. Koby Koomson & Mrs. Koomson, and Kwab Asamoah

Korto Momolu’s 2010 Spring/Summer showing at the Cinderella “Fashion with a Purpose” Fashion Show in D.C.

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You like? You can purchase at Korto Momolu

Cheers! 

So I got an invite to attend this event but dang it, work on weekend bites! Could not go coz I got “a thousand & one things on my to-do list”…

Naomi Campbell was honored last night at the 4th Annual Thurgood Marshall College FrontRow Fashion Show held at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Front Row is one of the largest annual fashion shows in New York City dedicated to breakthrough fashion designers. This year’s fashion show was sponsored by Mercedes Benz, Moёt & Chandon, and Miller Coors.

All I want to know from Naomi is what is her facial regiment & what make-up because she looks FLAWLESS! OMG!

Naomi Campbell with her yummy boyfriend, Russian billionaire, Vladislav Doronin

Other 2009 honorees were celebrity make-up artist Sam Fine [he is amazing!]; Emmy award winning hairstylist Andre Walker; and Fashion Institute of Technology President, Dr. Joyce F. Brown. The 2009 Avante Garde Award was presented posthumously to the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson.

Jackson bro, Marlon attended the fashion show [heartin' that pinstripe suit!]

Co-host of The View and star of her own sitcom on Lifetime Television titled, ‘Sherri’, Sherri Shepherd was this year’s host of the event.

Funny-girl Sherri! Nice color on her too!

Featured designers included Byron Lars, Russell Simmons Argyle Culture, Kai Milla Designs, Angela Dean for DeanZign, a special new ethnic line from Walmart, Nico & Adrian, Annie S Intimates, Amsale, Montgomery and innovative emerging designers, Magnami Style & Company and Ellie Owen.

Um, looks like Real Housewife of Atlanta’s Sheree Whitfield is really taking the fashion design seriously!

Also on the red carpet were former PR Director for Kimora Lee Simmons, B.J. Coleman

I know that he knows that he is such a hottie! He’s got to [smile]

And of course…

John W. Marshall, left, son of Thurgood Marshall, and Dwayne Ashley, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Naomi & Dwayne

Toodles!

Photo: Zimbio

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So Chicago is trying to bring the Olympics to the Windy City in 2016 & carrying Chicago’s torch are the O factors as in President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and of course Chi-town chic herself Oprah.

First Lady Michelle and Oprah are in Copenhagen, Denmark where the 121st International Olympic Committee Session and XIII Olympic Congress are being held.

Oprah seen out and about in Denmark

So in a few hours, the International Olympic Committee, in their Friday meeting  will decide who gets the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid or Tokyo…

President Barack Obama is flying into Copenhagen Friday morning. Spain will bring King Juan Carlos I. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will rep Japan. And finally Brazil has President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to represent Rio de Janeiro’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics….let the games begin!

Europe seems to be the place to be! The 2009 MOBO awards were just recently held in Glasgow, Scotland and now over to Milan, Italy for their version of Fashion Week…

Fab chic, Alek Wek attends the inaugural Milan Fashion Week at La Permanente in Milan, Italy.

Kelly Rowland and Simona Ventura [Italian TV host] attend the DSquared2 fashion show at the Milano Fashion Center as part of Milan Womenswear Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010.

So Zimbabwe is doing it BIG! First, vocalist and bassist Shingai Shoniwa of the British group Noisettes rocks out during their 2009 tour concert stop at the Postbahnhof in Berlin, Germany. Loving their indie rock music! Shingai has an amazing life story of courage & triumph and it is beautiful to see a Zimbabwean rep on the world stage…lovely stuff this!

Then yesterday Oprah feartured Zimbabwean author, Tererai Trent on her show! Tererai went from rural Zimbabwe to receiving her pHD in 2009…”Tererai’s mother encouraged her to write her dreams on a piece of paper. The 20-year-old placed them in a scrap of tin and buried them under a rock…” [sniff, sniff - excuse me!]

Singapore finally welcomed Bey! So this is day 3 and Beyonce performing at the F1 Rocks Singapore concert at Fort Canning Park in Singapore.

Oprah’s “good hair” testing by Chris Rock! Love how she “checks” him!

Toodles!

Photo: Getty/Essence

Africa comes to back to the 2010 Spring/Summer Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week! And in a big way! Bringing it, is David Tlale, Designer of the Year at the 2009 Arise Africa Fashion Week.

And David is calling it “Cultural Intimacy”, his 12 piece collection that he will premiere under the Promenade tents at Bryant Park.

We caught up with David in Johannesburg, South Africa as he was literally on his way to the airport to catch his flight to New York City! In between last minute purchases, David talked about his passion and what the audience should expect to see of his collection on the runways of New York City fashion week this coming Friday…

faraitoday.com: Hey David! Gosh, congratulations are in order for you! Designer of the Year and now you will be debuting at the 2010 Spring/Summer Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week!

David Tlale: Thank you! We are very excited that the David Tlale brand has expanded across South Africa and across Africa and now coming to the U.S. It is great to see that people are so receptive to the brand because fashion is a difficult thing, in that people tend to be brand loyal. They love what they see and feel so it is good to see that people gravitate so well to the brand and it is resonating extremely well with them!

faraitoday.com: Your work has certainly ignited and excited a lot of people! We mentioned you recently on Facebook and one of our fave Facebook friends, Tselane Tambo was extremely complimentary of your work…

David Tlale: Oh wow! That’s exciting and good to know that the brand is really growing and expanding beyond even our imagination!

faraitoday.com: Your designs are dramatic and you are bold with textiles and colors. What inspires your work?

David Tlale: I am inspired by how I would like to see women dress! I always think that if I were a girl, a woman how would I dress, what would I wear. I do not like to see a badly dressed woman. So my inspiration comes from a place that wants to see girls, women look beautiful, sexy and appealing. Number one for me is that if a woman who is a wearing blouse enters a room, people should be asking, “Where did you get that blouse? I have to have one of those!” That David Tlale design is going to stand out for you but hard to find! So this inspires my work and with that we embrace femininity in all its total forms.

faraitoday.com: David here you are, on your way to the Big Apple. Love New York City! You are debuting at THE Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City! How are you feeling, what’s going through your mind?

David Tlale: [laughs] Oh, for sure butterflies in my stomach! Super, super scared! I mean I have showcased in Paris, Washington DC & New York City, off site though so I have done the global thing. But this is major because I will be working with people I have never worked with before, supermodels will be walking for my showing. So it is a little nerve wrecking. I mean I am showing in the same tents with some of my fashion idols, Ralph Lauren, Caroline Herrera! So it’s daunting somewhat and very humbling to realize that buyers, fashion editors will be reviewing the collection to see if the brand is worth what we believe it is.

faraitoday.com:  So we tried to get some pictures of the pieces you will be showing in New York City to give our readers a taste of all the excitement that is surrounding your fashion line…dude nothing!

David Tlale: [laughs] Yeah, no way! We want to keep the element of surprise and excitement high enough so that show time is a unique experience that you can say that “this was truly a David Tlale moment” – that’s eternal!

faraitoday.com:  Fair enough, but we still think that anytime we see your designs, it is as you put it “a truly David Tlale moment!” Ok, so what should buyers, fashion editors, VIP’s, the  Anna Wintours of this world, the African glitterati that will be at the showing, expect to see?

David Tlale: We have to make a statement with 12 pieces and we those 12 pieces we have to tell a story, a compelling one that will enable all those people that you named embrace David Tlale. So the theme of the collection is called “Cultural Intimacy”  which symbolizes my East Rand heritage and it is a strong and bold collection. So you will see understated natural, earth-toned colors that richly reflect Africa, like beige, gold, black, burnt orange, cream, bronze. You will also see traditional Ndebele geometric patterns in terms of motif and not the vibrant colors. Also we use ostrich eggshell beads from the Kalahari which date back 27,000 to 30,000 years. For fabrics you will see chiftons, satin, silk and alot of natural fibers like brocades, printed & mesh silks…a rich fusion to reflect different African cultural influences.

faraitoday.com:  How exciting! Cannot wait to see your collection! U.S First Lady, Michelle Obama is a undoubtedly a fashion icon! She also likes to use up and coming designers like yourself. So if she asked, which one of your 12 pieces would you put her in?

David Tlale: Wow, I would definitely put her in one of our chic and timeless David Tlale pieces! So hard to pick one from the 12 we are showing in New York because each one is unique and would do very well on First Lady Michelle Obama. She has the grace and the look that it would not be difficult to dress her. The show stopper piece would be great and fun for her, it has a coiffured bust line with embellishments!

faraitoday.com: Nice! David, what does it mean to you to have the support & backing of Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe, Executive Chairperson of African Fashion International and Arise Magazine founder & CEO, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena?

David Tlale: Oh it is so amazing and humbling! I mean Dr. Precious took designers that showed so much potential under her wings to groom & prepare us for the global stage. Does not get better than that! For Dr. Precious and Mr. Nduka to invest in the brand is very humbling but it also puts enormous pressure to deliver. I am aware that designers are made or broken in New York fashion week. And as an African designer there is the added pressure to break down stereotypes about Africa and educate the world about the Africa that we know. So it’s not about the typical leopard prints. We looked at global spring and summer trends and infused different cultural elements such as ostrich eggshell beads, Ndebele geometry for example in the collection without comprising the global fashion trends. I find that there is more responsibility on us younger designers than the established designers…

faraitoday.com: Earlier you mentioned that you would be working with supermodels, can you tell us which supermodels will be walking for you?

David Tlale: Well Jan Malan is the show producer and he has been there since Monday and is largely responsible for this. Tomorrow when I arrive, we start casting models and I am excited about seeing who will be selected!

faraitoday.com: So what are the next steps after the showing?

David Tlale: I am coming to New York City with an open mind but we are ready for business. I am staying longer in New York City so we are ready to meet with potential buyers because I think the brand is ready for the global stage. We produce quality products and we work with an amazing manufacturing company in South Africa.

faraitoday.com: There is so much excitement surrounding African designers, where do you think the African industry is heading?

David Tlale: Well, I think that African designers are now looking at fashion in a global sense. Designers are not only looking at their craft as a career or hobby but as a business. For most of us, it is the business of fashion. And South Africa is fast becoming a serious place for fashion, particularly African fashion.  Unfortunately, historically fashion has not been the number one priority for Africans so the need to support African designers is now greater than ever before!

faraitoday.com:  Last two! Which designers are you hoping to see during your stay in New York City?

David Tlale: If they are showing, I would love to see Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior. So I am not too sure if those collections will be showing, but it would be a treat to see those!

faraitoday.com:  New York City is such a fun and energetic city! What are you planning on doing for fun? David has to play too, right? [smile]

David Tlale: [laughs] Parties, dining out. I love visiting the Meatpacking district and Soho whenever I come to New York City, so I am looking forward to discovering new restaurants. Of course I am looking forward to making new friends!

faraitoday.com: Well you are officially a friend to the faraitoday.com site!  David you rock! Thank you for being generous with your time and sharing with our readers your insights! Best, best, best with your showing on Friday in New York City!

David Tlale: Of course! You are most welcome! Ciao!

faraitoday.com: Safe travels David! Cheers!

2009 Arise Africa Fashion Week – David Tlale showcase

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Photo: Simon Deiner for SDR Photography