Ladybrille® Blogazine

FOR PRESS RELEASES

Friday, June 6, 2008

Hot African Artist, 9ice, Goes Global


We introduced you to one of the hottest emerging African artist, 9ice, in our April Africa Music Issue. Click here for article. Well the man is going global! According to a recent press release from his management.

"9ice's new album Gongo Aso is now available internationally. The album which has been a huge hit in his home country promises to be a hit on the internationally scene as well. Not only is the album available for special order in international stores, it is also available for digital download on the popular online music store CD Baby and is coming soon to other digital download places such as Itunes, MSN Music, Napster, Amazon and many more. 9ice, who came into the limelight with hit songs like Gongo Aso, Little Money, Ganga Man and Street Credibility is working hard to further his game because like he said, don't doubt him, "he go bring home Grammy."

Click here for an extensive listing of stores in the UK, USA [Virginia, Illinois, Texas, New York, Maryland] SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, NETHERLANDS, FRANCE, CANADA, GERMANY, SWEDEN AND ITALY where you can go cop his album! Congrats to 9ice. Gongo Aso!
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Ladybrille Web Snob, 6/1/08 to 6/6/08

HAPPY, HAPPY FRIDAY brilliant ones! We hope your week was as fabulous as ours. Here is a listing of top stories across the fashion web from the top online fashion publishers/bloggers. Have a brilliant weekend!
  1. 55 Secret Street remembers the one and only Yves Saint Laurent for his genius and for being the very first major designer to put black models on the runway.
  2. A Few Goody GumDrops is dreaming of glimmering cupcakes. And you will be too once you set your eyes on this Judith Leiber creation!
  3. Stiletto Jungle delivers an ode to the iconic Tory Burch flat.
  4. All About the Pretty loves sunscreen that you can carry in your purse like MD Skincare Sun Packettes.
  5. Louis Vuitton courtroom trademark news on Bag Bliss
  6. Bag Snob discovers the real stars of Sex and the City: The Bags!
  7. Cheap JAP discusses the perils of the Under $100 Outfit.
  8. Coquette picks her best dressed favorites from the 2008 CFDA awards.
  9. Debutante Clothing does a vintage & modern Mondrian mix
  10. All aboard, says Fashiontribes. The Botox Boat is about to set sail!
  11. I'm Not Obsessed shows you how to get Reese Witherspoon's look for less.
  12. KRiSTOPHER is wanting, wearing - and hating - ruffles for spring
  13. My Fashion Life swoons over the eye-catching metallic version of the timeless Chanel bag
  14. Papierblog writes an ode to Michelle Obama's sense of style
  15. Quinta Trends explores theAmada & Cruz proposal.
  16. Dying to know more about the designer duds the stars of SATC wore in the movie?
    Second City Style has the answers.
  17. Shrimpton Couture says Bye Bye Biba (Again)
  18. Get bejeweled with StyleBakery.com's ultimate summer jewelry guide.
  19. Stylehive Inside Fashion: Behind the Scenes of Greenbaum Clothing's Look Book Shoot!
  20. Stumped on what to get dad for Father’s Day? We've got some incredible gift suggestions that dad will surely love at Stylenotes.
  21. SugarShock Beauty has become quite enamored with the strange little pink blob known as the beautyblender makeup sponge.
  22. Sxy Fashion Queen takes you to the dVb Celebrity Team get together!
  23. The Coveted tutorial for craft-dummies DIY Fringe Tank (easier than you think!)
  24. In case you die-hard Carrie fans haven’t gotten enough of SATC yet, The Fashionable Housewife found awesome knock-offs of the Dior Extreme Gladiator!!
  25. The Shoe Goddess gets an exclusive interview with Bridget Assil, owner of the trendy, Beverly Hills shoe boutique, Madison.
  26. nitro:licious gives you the first scoop on the upcoming collection of Old Navy's "The Stunning Summer" Collection debuting in July, ON has really stepped their game up!
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Thursday, June 5, 2008

R.I.P. YSL + 2008 CFDA Winners



By now, you are most likely aware of the passing of Yves Saint Laurent. Our Web Snob partner Nichelle Gainer of 55 Secret captures it so succintly. In addition to his many accomplishments which she recognizes, she adds, " . . . but my favorite fact about this legend is that he was the very first major designer to put black models on the runway ever - and he continued to do so throughout his remarkable career. This fact is mentioned in passing in his obituaries, but it was no small thing to black models and other people of color in the fashion industry." Be sure to click here to see the great write-up 55 Secret wrote on YSL. May his soul R.I.P and his legacy live on.

On a brighter note, just three days ago, the best in America's fashion industry gathered together to celebrate and honor the winners of the 2008 Council of Fashion Designers of America [CFDA]Fashion Awards. The 2008 CFDA Winners are:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein Collection
Menswear Designer of the Year: Tom Ford
Accessories Designer of the Year: Tory Burch
Swarovski Awards for Emerging Talent: Womenswear: Kate and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte; Menswear: Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders
Accessory Design: Philip Crangi

[All photos by Style.com ]
Betsey Johnson and guest

Carolina Herrera and Calvin Klein

Donna Karan
Doo Ri Chung
Fern Mallis
Naomi Campbell and Andre Leon Tally Peter Som and Model
Ashley Olsen
Anna Wintour and Candy Pratts Price

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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

African Vibes Magazine Parties it Up at 2yr Anniversary Bash!

In April, we told you a friend of Ladybrille, African Vibes Magazine [AVM], would be celebrating their two year anniversary with a big birthday bash! Well, with over 400 guests in attendance and DJs Fly from Atlanta, Georgia and DJ Yveco working the turntables, they indeed partied it up at the Blu Lounge and Grill in Bethesda, Maryland. Among the 400 guests in attendance were African celebs such as Senegalese male Supermodel Cherif Ndiaye who was on the cover of AVM’s Jan/Feb ’08 issue; and Nigerian opera singer Abiodun Koya who was on the cover for AVM’s Dec./Jan ’07 issue. All female guests went home with goodie bags filled with treats such as beauty products from Milani Cosmetics, custom executive pens, AVM magazine samples and gift certificates. Congrats to Amabel Niba and her team at AVM. The magazine business, especially print, is tough. Surviving, growing and flourishing way into your second year makes you a super duper brilliant star in our book. We wish you continued success!
Fashion Models at AVM bash,wearing Biribelle clothing, pose with the designer.

Makeup Artist Lily

Liberian Designer Madia Willis
AVM Editorial Director Amabel Niba, in middle, poses with her Editorial Assistant Roselyne Mathieu and guest.
Senegalese Supermodel, Cherif Ndiaye, poses with AVM President Barnes Manga and Blu Lounge & Grill Operations Manager, Serge.
Nigerian Opera celeb, Abiodun Koya, with guest.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Ladybrille Woman of the Month, Abenaa Frempong-Boadu


Since this is the month of celebrating African Modelpreneurs it only made sense we make sure, especially for our Catwalk Queens and YOU of course, that we tell you about the new and best kept secret in town where you can find fabulous, sophisticated, sexy and comfortable shoes for real women. Yes, real women. The sizes go up to 14! Our gorgeous Ladybrille Woman of the Month, singer, songwriter and TED Global Performer Abenaa Frempong-Boadu is our go to woman. Boadu recently launched Gywneth Shoes, which she co-owns with her sister-in-law Gwen. In this interview with LADYBRILLE.com, she chats with us about her music, upcoming album and of course how you can own a pair of sexy Gywneth shoes! Enjoy.



LADYBRILLE.com:[ Heyyy Abenaa! ] Congratulations on your shoe line! Please tell our readers a bit about you?
Abenaa:
Hi Uduak, thanks for including me in Ladybrille. I'm a musician, a singer-songwriter, a music lover. I've written for other artists, but my main focus is my own music, my own stories and that's where it truly starts for me. People often describe my debut CD, Tuesday's Child', as an eclectic record - it's simply a reflection of who I am. As the daugther of a Ghanaian dad and Trinidadian mom, I've experienced life in different cities, on different continents, absorbing what's around me only to spit it back out from my own perspective. I guess I'm a reporter of sorts but my journals are my songs. I'm grateful that people enjoy my music because that allows me the opportunity to continue doing what I love. These days I can be found making music, living in New York, and doing a lot of traveling.

LADYBRILLE.com:You've been an artist st for so long. Why venture into shoe designing?
Abenaa:
Well actually, Gwyneth Shoes was my sister in law's vision. Gwen had been designing shoes for years for major companies like Kenneth Cole and Steve Madden. When she was ready to venture out on her own it truly was a no-brainer to support it. After all, she's sold millions of pairs for other companies and most of us have already been wearing her designs. Working with Gwen has been a crash course in the shoe design industry and coming from a family of independent thinkers and entrepreneurs, Gwyneth Shoes became another business venture.

LADYBRILLE.com: What sets Gywneth shoes apart from other brands?
Abenaa:
With Gwyneth Shoes, women don't have to sacrifice comfort for beauty. Gwyneth shoes are created with patented comfort features, but these are not your typically ugly comfort shoe. They feel good, but still look hot!

LADYBRILLE.com: I am glad you decided to venture into larger sizes. What was the reasoning behind that?
Abenaa:
Beautiful women come in all sizes - so should beautiful shoes. Gwyneth shoes go up to size 14 and you'd be surprised how many orders have been filled in size 14. Future plans include introducing narrow and wider widths to truly accommodate many different sizes with comfortable, sexy shoes.

LADYBRILLE.com: For our readers who are retailers, where do they contact you to purchase your designs for their stores? It's best to make contact through the website http://www.gwynethshoes.com/. Available styles can be viewed on line and questions can be directed to info@gwynethshoes.com.


LADYBRILLE.com:For our readers who want to own a pair, where do they go to purchase Gwyneth shoes?
Abenaa:
You can certainly purchase Gwyneth shoes on line at www.gwynethshoes.com. You can also find a list of current retailers on the site as well.

LADYBRILLE.com: You make very beautiful music and have performed at the TED Global Conference. What next for you with your music career?
Abenaa:
Thank you! What's next? I'm currently in the studio finishing up my new CD. I'm really loving these songs so far and I'm looking forward to sharing them on stage. I'm excited - it's a good time.

LADYBRILLE.com: Thanks Abenaa for the interview.
Abenaa:
Thank you Uduak, it's been a pleasure.

Song 4 U


Simple Life


Rain
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Monday, June 2, 2008

Ladybrille Celebrates 1yr Anniversary!

Two years ago, I set out to demystify the ridiculous myths and marginalization in the West and Africa about African models. I enlisted the help of some strong “African Model Preneurs” and models: Supermodel Oluchi, Miss World 2001 Agbani Darego, Hawa Diawara and Iman among many. My motivation was driven by the need and passion to educate and elevate the consciousness of the West and Africa regarding who the African model really was; and how she handled the many dichotomies of her reality, as she balanced the demands placed on her by both cultures.

The result was a very comprehensive feature, “Demystifying the Exoticness of the African Fashion Model,” which was published in September of 2006 in African Vibes Magazine. It was highly important to me that the feature was published in an African focused publication, first. The feature took over four months to write and involved in-depth and extensive research. In the process of writing the feature, I stumbled on a HUGE void in which fashion could be used as a medium to fill. No one was attempting or even appeared interested to fill this void.

I, also, was not interested in doing the tremendous work I knew would come with trying to fill this void. My plate was already full with a very busy profession as an attorney/litigator and I knew it would require an inordinate amount of time to create quality content that could educate and guide most to re-shift their mental framework and debunk the myths on Africans. So, I hoped that the published feature would allow others to take the idea and run with it. Let's just say that never happened.

Since I am as much a doer as I am a talker, it became clear to me what needed to be done.
I knew I was passionate about the subject matter and the people, plus I had a firm grasp of the industry-having been involved in it for so long and in varied capacities. The key thing was to find and create the time to do the work. For six months, I struggled each day, unofficially, to set a schedule, discipline myself and treat it like a job. At the end of the six months, I had my routine down and by June of 2007 launched what is now the Ladybrille Blogazine.

Since the launch of the Blogazine, it has indeed grown. We have various writers writing for us, added a PR intern who is just amazing, have more writers joining us including our new addition Ms. Toya Thomas and continue to set out eyes on higher heights as we elevate and try to create a viral like movement with Ladybrille!

So, for our anniversary month, which we claim as a month of great harvest for Ladybrille-Amen, we invite you to celebrate with us as we go back to where it all started!
In this issue, we feature powerful “African Model Preneurs” who have singlehandedly served as trailblazers and ambassadors for Africa's fashion and entertainment industries putting these industries on the world map. Enjoy our features on models like Supermodel Oluchi, Teiko Dornor and Noella Coursaris. These goddesses continue to defy boundaries, overhaul stereotypes and show, seamlessly, how brains, beauty and a BIG heart go together. Also, be on the look out for emerging Ladybrille Model faces we think you should know. Finally, be sure to check out our Ladybrille Woman of the Month Abenaa Frempong-Boadu, musician and shoe designer. For the Ladybrille women with larger sizes, Boadu’s shoe brand, Gwyneth Shoes, go all the way to size [14!]


Again, we THANK YOU for believing and walking with us as we execute our vision. Special thanks to Yetunde Taiwo and her team at Icy Works, we have enjoyed working with them to create our monthly covers. Also special thanks to Bobby Taylor of Bobby Taylor PR and Ms. Chichi of It Feels Good to Be Home blog. They have both been amazing fans/supporters. Thank you and YES, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Remain Blessed,

Uduak
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