Urban Clothing and Hip Hop Clothing

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania

SoJones — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:52:52 +0000

A beautiful blouse from Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania is a clothing brand that is at the head of the fashion market today. It was started by and named after famous designer, Vivienne Westwood. Vivian Westwood started out her work as a fashion designer in the United Kingdom. Soon, her unique style and outrageous clothes she created, received world recognition. She has won the British Designer of the Year award in 1990 and 1991 and also was honored by the Order of the British Empire. For her contributions to the fashion world, she is currently considered to be the best British designer in the fashion market today.

Born in 1941 in Derbyshire, Vivienne Westwood studied at Harrow School of Art. Vivienne later went to Middlesex University’s Trent Park College and also the University of Westminster. Her style has been strongly associated with English Punk culture including the legendary Sex Pistols; even so, Vivienne Westwood has adapted her edgy and flamboyant tendencies to better merge with the tastes of a new generation.

A stunning black blazer from the collection.

When looking at her styles now, you can easily notice the rock ‘n’ roll inspiration that lies within it. You will see the colors gray, red, and black all dominate her line. The look is hard with a rough and tough feel that is in complete contrast with her use of soft fabrics. She uses satin, cashmere, and wools in order to create a stylish contrast that will make her creations stand out.

Her talent and notoriety has attracted some very well known celebrities. They include: Rihanna, Emily Blunt, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Hilary Duff, Pamela Anderson, Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Marion Cotillard, and Gwen Stefani. Among some of her popular designs is the Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Gathered Asymmetric Top. This top is gathered and draped on its right side and allows an asymmetric effect. It also has a cowled neckline and cross-over detail back. Another item is a Vivienne Westwood Anglomania black jacket with over sized lapels and that fastens at the front with asymmetrical buttons.

MEK

SoJones — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:28:58 +0000

MEK jeans are all about the details.

MEK is a denim jean company that has established a good reputation for providing style, versatility, and having a great fit. MEK was first launched in 2006 and covers a wide market ranging from rock stars and celebrities to career women and business men. Young, fashion savvy suburbanites are MEK’s main customers.

MEK puts extra work into handcrafted waistbands; hand stitched side seam accents; and highly elaborate back pocket designs. Even the smallest of features is given its own special care. With this meticulous effort, the intricate construction does nothing to interfere with the appearance of an effortless style and affordable price.

A theme of travel is woven into the design of the MEK denim brand. This makes these a pair of jeans that you seek to wear when ever you are on the go. It is a brand that sets itself apart from other denim lines by providing a sophisticated take of denim jeans.

Another great pair of jeans from MEK.

MEK offers you quality denim in just about every style that you could ask for. These include: relaxed, boot, flared, straight, trouser wide, cigarette, and capri. There is also a wide assortment of shirts, shorts, and gauchos. Each item features a carefully crafted design incorporating premium leather and metallic mesh with fabric paint, expressive detailing, understated embellishments, color palettes, and seasonal silhouettes.

The high quality of the MEK brand has made dovoted followers out of celebrities such as: Chris Brown, Katherine Heigl, Jamie Lynn Spears, Carrie Underwood, Samuel Jackson Adam Sandler, and Josh Turner.

Homegrown Outfitters: Keepin’ It Real

SoJones Asmara — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:20:50 +0000

Check Homegrown Outfitters’ bold statement t-shirts that jubiliantly celebrate the anticipated legalization of marijuana in the US. Funny in a satirical way, Homegrown Outfitters is a startup streetwear label that focuses on tees with cheeky messages.

The clothing line even got the stamp of approval from some celebs like Nump Trump and Paul Wall who stopped by their booth at annual Las Vegas fashion industry show MAGIC.

Nump Trump shows love for Homegrown Outfitters

Paul Wall reppin' Homegrown Outfitters

You can get Homegrown Outfitters at their official website at www.homegrownoutfitters.org. Prices range from $20–$40. Here are some of SoJones-approved Homegrown Outfitters gear:

New Artist Spotlight: IYAZ

SoJones Asmara — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:13:38 +0000

The traditional ways of the music industry are slowly shedding off and wearing out. You know, the times where producers would talent-scout new artists in order to be thrown into the meat grinder of competitive air play and record sales. These days, thanks largely to the internet and social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, artists are more savvy and have many more options to get directly to the top without selling out.

Established artists are able to start their own label earlier on, and thus help to nourish newer talents by signing and then promoting an understudy or an apprentice of sorts. Take Jamaican reggae-fusion singer and rapper Sean Kingston who took his fellow island boy, Virgin Islands-based IYAZ, to join him in his recording company. Although IYAZ ignored Kingston at first contact (!?!) via MySpace, Sean managed to convince IYAZ that he meant well and ended up signing the upstart.

In the following video, IYAZ talks exclusively to Karmaloop TV about how he started his journey to stardom by using only a simple laptop and a headset. Truly inspiring!

IYAZ’s single “Replay” is now available via iTunes.

Is Black Friday A Scam??

Angela L. Serrette — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:51:11 +0000

Black Friday Sale

Black Friday.

The term is supposed to bring to mind: huge savings, discount codes, take advantage early before they run out.

50%, 60%, 75% off. 2 for 1. Rebates. Gift with purchase. One day in-store shopping passes.

These tempting invites all sound great and exactly what we would expect on Black Friday, which this year falls on November 27, 2009. It’s a tradition. But does Black Friday offer the very best sales? Around Thanksgiving time (November 26) merchants need to move product in order to make room for next season’s merchandise. But are we really getting the best deal on Black Friday? Or is Black Friday a marketing gimmick to get the consumer in the store?

Speaking from personal experience, I’ve always found the very best sales closer to the Christmas Holiday, not just after Thanksgiving. While the promotional ads are enticing, I’ve found prices to better nearer the holiday.

Savvy shoppers know Black Friday is merely the kick-off for the Christmas and Holiday shopping, but not necessarily the best day for bargains. While the promotional codes, sales etc. all look great this is not the best sale of the year. The closer we get to the holiday, the item we love the cheaper it becomes.

This doesn’t mean Black Friday sales shouldn’t be taken seriously. Early shopping means one avoids the crowds who also waited until the last minute. But I’ve always found that the items on sale in November, are marked down again in December. This makes me think that Black Friday is a “shoppers tease” for the benefit of the retailers.

Black Friday Shopping Craze

Retailers need to know what their year-end sales/ profit margins will look like. Black Friday can used to help decide this and also be used as an analytical tool to judge consumer confidence, purchasing power and predict what the season shopping outcome will be.

Don’t get me wrong, Black Friday offers huge savings and the opportunity to buy, wrap and store those gifts early for your loved ones. But I also see Black Friday as a “measuring stick” for year end product/ demand statistics.

Lets just say Black Friday has a double purpose: to excite the consumer into shopping and predict the retail industry potential profit and consumer confidence.

It’s ok, go ahead, have fun shopping on Black Friday. Just keep an eye out for those additional super sales the week before Christmas.

nOir

SoJones — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:14:15 +0000

Bette the Butterfly (ring)

Noir is a very influential jewelry and accessory design house that was first established by Leeora Catalan that creates rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earnings. She started out her career already near the top of her field when she began working for such names as Ralph Lauren and Oscar De La Renta. Her unique approach is credited for steering her toward these big names and making a considerable name for herself after having completed schooling.

After working for Ralph Lauren and Oscar De La Renta and helping to add her knowledge and creativity to their designs, Leeora Catalan subsequently decided that she would capitalize on her own skills after a friend of hers asked for help with his fashion show. They wanted her to find some super-long jet necklaces that had tassels and so she created some designs for them herself. After that show, a fashion director for Bloomingdales expressed their interest and then Vogue Italy wanted to do a shoot of them. She then launch her own campaign by starting Noir in 1996. This soon provided her with great success as a fashion stylist. The Noir brand can now be purchased from a variety of better boutiques, specialty stores, and department stores throughout the entire world.

Disco Ball (necklace)

Part of the reason for Leeora Catalan’s fashion sense is due to the talent that she surrounded herself with. In fact, she has collaborated with some of the best names in the fashion industry. She has worked with well known designers like Diesel, Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs, Cynthia Rowley, and Nanette LePore in order to create jewelry for their runway shows. With Noir, Leeora Catalan adds a cheeky and fresh taste to style by blending an edgy street influence with glamour. The end result of this combination is a unique view point that has worked to inform good taste and leading trends throughout the course of the past decade.

It almost goes without saying that this type of fashion talent and prestige would go far in attraction attention. In fact, it has managed to catch the eye of some names in the Hollywood celebrity world. This would include stars such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Mary J Blige, Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Paris Hilton. All of these iconic celebs have been known to wear and covet their favorite pieces of Noir fashion.

Report Signature

SoJones — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:43:09 +0000

Report Signature Loring

Report Signature is an exclusive line of designer footwear. They specialize in creating women’s footwear fashion with their innovative design, versatility, and style. This brand mixes a playful and ready-to-wear sensibility with the haute couture aspect of design. You will see Report Signature coming in a wide variety of colors and textures. This would include suede, patent leather, and soft leather along with stone details. They use these materials to produce pumps, sandals, flats, and boots.

Report Signature shoes are considered to be a bit less edgy, and more feminine and flirty. They are also described as being alluring and seductive with a sassy design. Report Signature shoes can be worn with anything from a fluid moving dress to a pair of cigarette pants and blousy top. You can wear Report Signature throughout the year at a very reasonable price. Report Signature makes it a point to provide their consumers with affordable fashion.

A hot pair of black pumps from Report Signature Watts.

The brand’s designers focus on the interpretation of global street trends while focusing on functionality and detail. Seattle, Washington’s street culture also helps to influence their creation of cool, retro-casual footwear that possess a clever and modern allure. While continuously emphasizing versatility and style, Report Signature introduces the use of new materials for their pumps, sandals, flats, and boots each season.

Report Signature shoes has raised plenty eyebrows and receive their fare share of attention in the media. The have been featured in such publications as Cosmo Girl, Nylon, Teen Vogue, Seventeen, and Glamour. They are also well known and liked in the celebrity world also. They are associated with and worn by such big names as Kim Kardashian, actress Meagan Good, supermodel Buinevere van Seenus, singer Mya, actress Shanae Grimes, Vanessa Hudgens, Paris Hilton, and Heidi Klum. All these well known celebrities could tell you that Report Signature is one, if not the hottest, pairs of designer shoes out there in the fashion market.

Launch Party for JM Magazine draws Coco, Ice-T, Tyson Beckford

Jacob Breinholt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:42:45 +0000

Ice-T, Coco, and James Mark (Publisher of JM Magazine) at JM Magazine Launch Party, La Pomme, New York City (Photo: Jacob Breinholt)

Last night in New York City Coco, Ice-T, Tyson Beckford and many other fashion and music industry moguls attended the launch party for JM Magazine. JM Magazine is the latest project of Las Vegas based publisher James Mark. Mark started the ball rolling in January of this year. “JM” stands for Just Models. Mr. Mark says that his mission is “for the magazine is to bring a whole new level of sexiness to the public eye.”

Mark’s publicist outlines the magazine as follows:

Publisher James Mark wants readers both male and female to break free from their ordinary life and indulge into a fantasy land filled with extreme glamour. JM Magazine offers an escape through its dynamic world of extraordinary women and insights into their fabulous lives. Its multi-platforms allow readers behind the scenes access to personal interviews, photo galleries, contests, videos, blogs and more. It is all about providing men and women with the facts they crave to know, about the topics and people they desire.

Tyson Beckford, at the NYC JM Magazine launch party (Photo: Jacob Breinholt)

The party was held at La Pomme, a posh and cozy club in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. DJ Goldfinger provided the audio enjoyment from the DJ tower. Guests danced and mingled while still images from the inaugural issue of the magazine were projected onto the club walls.

Fitness celebrity Coco was the guest of honor as she will be featured on the cover of the December 2009 issue. Coco’s hubby Ice-T accompanied her to the party, but was seemly maintaining a low profile as not to steal any of the limelight from Coco.

Ice-T and Coco enjoying the NYC JM Magazine launch party (Photo: Jacob Breinholt)

Mr. Mark already has an impressive line up of models for the covers of future issues lined up. The list includes: Vida Guerra, CC Fontana, Monica Leigh, Suelynn Medeiros, Amber Rose, Jessica Rabbit, Kim Lee and Gizel.

Regarding the selection of models that are featured in JM Magazine, Mr. Mark says:

“We like to feature models who gives glamour it’s meaning and who have total sex appeal and are making major moves in the fashion, music and television/film industries showing that along with their beauty comes more, I want to also allow those who are looking to escape their ordinary lives for just a moment and allow them to visit our world of totally glamour and fantasy mixed with sexual appeal and exciting allure taking them on an unforgettable journey.”

For more photos of the JM Magazine Launch Party, feel free to browse the gallery below (All photos by: Jacob Breinholt)

Luxurious Luxirie: Check the Fall and Winter Collections

SoJones Asmara — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:49:42 +0000

Popular womenswear brand Luxirie is beloved by celebs like Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Rocsi of BET’s 106 and Park and the always fresh Christina Milian. You can see why the Luxirie peeps are so upbeat when talking about their line.

Fergie in Luxirie's Lochness Monster Hoody

106 and Park’s Rocsi in Irie Vandal Hoody

Christina Milian in Luxirie's Valley Girl Track Jacket

Images via Luxirie’s MySpace

Think only the stars got the yummiest threads from Luxirie? SoJones.com visited the brand’s booth in Vegas and took a peek at their Fall/Winter 2009 Collection.

We’re happy to report that Luxirie has a tremendous lineup for the holidays. Peep the video for a preview of the Luxirie jacket with so many compartments; the exact solution when you can’t be bothered with a bag when you’re out partying. Check also the 80’s varsity throwback jacket which fits amazingly well with the current trends. The neon-colored graphics are like, awesome!!

The best thing is that the lineup is already up for grabs at Karmaloop! So get going now, ladies, because we have the feeling they won’t last long. Here are some ideas on what to get:

Luxirie Pierced With Love Jacket in Royal Blue, $94.00

Luxirie Team Lux Varsity Jacket in Pink, $119.00

Luxirie Moto Plaid Hoody, $57.00

Luxirie Cast Skinny Jean in Black with Red Plaid, $65.00

Luxirie Wild Night Chain Dress, $64.00

“Couples Retreat” Movie: A Racist Plot or Marketing Move?

Andre Sanchez — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:42:13 +0000

Anyone know who Faizon Love is? What about Kali Hawk?

Answer: They are both featured actors in the new movie “Couples Retreat”. But if you live in the UK, chances are you did not see either in the promotional poster for the movie which was released last month. Why?

Below, on the left, the UK poster. On the right, the poster used in the US.

Which one of these couples does not look like the others? And which couple was chosen to be removed from the UK poster?

I’ve read the comments/explanations behind this:

“…Don’t we have anything more significant to focus our energy on than a movie poster? Seems like people are sitting around, waiting for something to be offended by, while there are more pressing issues in the world that need our attention.”

“…as a Photoshop retoucher for the largest ad agency in the world (a French company) I will tell you this: every single image you see in an ad is manipulated. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Some are more obvious and rankle people but there are all sorts of subtle manipulations going on. A lot of the models you think you know only exist digitally! If you saw them in person you wouldn’t even recognize them, especially celebrity models. So deal with it, there’s nothing new here. What if they were white, would anyone care then? That happens too.”

“Who the __ is Faizon Love? Did you ever think about that they cut him out because he’s not known to anybody in europe? Do you think that if the couple would have been played by Will Smith and Kerry Washington they would have taken them from the poster?”

All of these points are quite valid, but the issue still stands for me: is this really a racist move on Universal? Part of me says no. Think about it: Will Smith is THE BIGGEST ACTOR IN THE WORLD. Sure you can hate and call him the white man’s puppet or believe all those other rumors that float around about him, but believe those Caucasian execs at any studio in the world would make sure to put him at the forefront of any movie poster.

But then another part of me argues this: Even if Faizon wasn’t known to European audiences, why take him out? This comes from the inner “racism/segregation” alarm inside of me that can’t help but look at this a different way… a lot of people (not just black folks) come equipped with this mechanism by the way.

According to a press release, “The studio said it regretted causing offense and has abandoned plans to use the revised poster in other countries. A Universal spokesman said the revised advert aimed ‘to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognizable in international markets’.”

I’m half and half on this, reader, so what do you think? Is this not a big deal, or should Universal check themselves? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!