Why, Naomi, WHY?!

Okay people. This is something we've all been thinking, but no one has had the balls to say.  So here it is: Dear Naomi Campbell: Retire. Get your ass out of the new issues of  Vogue and Elle and Bazaar, and yes, EVEN Essence. You're stalking me, and I'm sick of it.

Honestly, I'm all for a strong, independent, rich, gorgeous, black model. But really...really?!  I think it's someone else's time to shine.  Now now, don't think I don't realize the beauty and importance of timeless models.  We all know who they are.  Women like Iman Abdulmajid, Elle MacPherson, Alek Wek, Kate moss (the list goes on)--they are supermodels.  People have basically worshipped them since their careers started and will continue to do so until they die. Many have placed Naomi on that same list.  But let's face it.  When fact comes to fact...Naomi is just a hot woman with a photogenic face, almost ten lawsuits, and a habit for slapping bitches and wearing shirts to prove it.

Okay, I'm being harsh.  She has had an amazing career, and I have to confess that her picture has often graced my bedroom walls.  But I can't continue to let this nonsense slide.  It is 2009, and she landed a six page spread in the September issue of Vogue. People, people. this is absurd. Maybe it was Elle. Who cares! The point here is that she should really relinquish some of these jobs to other people--other capable, gorgeous, black, young, models.  Her prime has passed.  Born in '70. I was sick of seeing her face in...uhh '95. And this is saying a lot considering the fact that I'm a 90's baby!

Sure, pass her the occasional Dennis Basso add.  Whatever.  The new Dolce & Gabbana perfume..sure let her in on that because the naked men in the picture make up for it.  But seriously it is time for us all to band together and get this bitch out. Same 

goes for Tyrannasaurus Banks, but we'll save that topic for another day.

Really though, my aim here isn't to send hate mail her way. She's a talented woman. Great accent, perfect skin, flawless weave (What is that by the way?? Horse hair?)... 

Naomi, you're great...really.  You're also filthy rich.  Most people release one or two fragrances. You've released seven. Most people assault..ehh..one person? No people? You've assaulted five. For God's sake woman. You worked with BIG DADDY KANE. You're old. Go have a baby.

And one last thing, give UP the racist thing. 

 JUUUUST because British Vogue won't let you snag a cover does NOT mean that the world hates black people.  Maybe they just don't want your old ass on the cover of their new magazine featuring new stuff for the new year. You're anything but new.  The racism saga is so old. Be satisfied that you've hit up every other magazine in the world and get on with it.

You've been stalking us all, now leave us alone. 

Anonymously, 

Statement

Something to Think About contd.

The dress is a simple tunic-like smock, that can be worn backwards or forwards, with a simple button-up back and short sleeves. Each day, Sheena completely reinvents the dress with accessories and other clothing articles and she posts a photo of every outfit on her blog. The majority of the accessories are donated or bought secondhand, so she's spending next to nothing on her wardrobe. So far, she's raised $13,585 for the Foundation and she still has about nine months to go. The majority of the accessories are donated or bought secondhand, so she's spending next to nothing on her wardrobe. Yet look at the incredible concoctions she's come up with.

The message here ladies, is that fashion and style is all about timelessness and sustainability. Don't waste your money on things that will be hot for the next day or two and then never be worn again. Don't waste your money on things that you can't mix and match and add to and do all sorts of funky things with it. BE VERSATILE, BE CREATIVE. Don't be afraid to try new things, or to push beyond average, normal, expected.

Also check out Sheena's whole story and other creations at http://www.theuniformproject.com. It's inspiring.

Something to Think About

I'm going to bet that you've found yourself staring at your closet, staring at all your different skirts, and dresses, and jeans, and blouses, and yet somehow still felt like you had absolutely NOTHING to wear. I think we've all been there. Especially as poor, financially-dependent college students. And now with the recession, supporting a shopping habit is even harder. So what to do?

Sheena Matheiken may have the answer! She is a budding fashion designer living in NYC, struggling to make it. Originally from India, she grew up in public schools where everyone wore uniforms every day. According to Sheena, the kids in those schools worked hard each day to show their personal style and creativity by the small tweaks and additions they made to their uniform. It was artistic self-expression, even though the canvas was limited. In May of this year, she started a blog and fundraiser called The Uniform Project. Everyday, for one whole year, Sheena will wear the same black dress to raise money for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. And you thought your wardrobe lacked variety.

(Continued in next post.)

Letter From an Editor

Oh my Mount Holyoke women, 

It's really not my fault how it all

 started. I woke up one day, approximately age thirteen, realized pastels just really weren't my thing, and then BAM my life changed.  Some say my eye for fashion grew a little stronger, and others think I became a bitchy teen, desperate to have an opinion about something. My opinion on the subject? I

 learned what I consider to be the most important rule in fashion. Know your colors. Work your shape.

Let's be honest, it's easier said than done.  Not everyone looks good in the same things, which is exactly why I'm so excited to be doing this blog.  People think of fashion and they

 cringe at the bulimic model/curtain hanger who looks "good" in that metallic skirt coupled with what looks like a previously living mammal slouched across what they are saying are her breasts.   

Well guess what? I'm here to tell you forget the flipping curtain hanger and her mammal top, and focus on you.  Make clothes about you.  We have.  Poser, Hard-Stuff, and I are three very different women, who all happen to have a knack for fashion, and, even more importantly, individual senses of style.  And yes people! There is a difference. The fabulous, four-

eyed, Frenchman, Yves Saint Laurent once said, "Fashions fade. Style is eternal." 

I couldn't agree more.  Style is something that is perfected over time. It's all about knowing your colors and working your shape.  It's about both making timeless pieces seem more "right now" and taking those outlandish thrift store bangles to the next level by pairing them with a classic cardigan. It's about incorporating the vibrancy of the music you love into your clothes and not being afraid to be the only one wearing a hat. Hard-Stuff said it best with the "fuck trends" statement.  Clothes are more than ins and outs.  Clothes

 communicate who we are.  I love that.  

That being said, I'm looking forward to campus fashion this year and really bringing all elements together so we can perfect style in some places, create it in others, give you the low down on what's in right now, and fill you in on what never goes away.  For now, don't trip about fashion, stumble into some style and for god's sake, give getting dressed a chance this year.  Sweats are comfortable, but damn, Poser, Hard-Stuff, and I can't be the only ones around MoHo getting dressed every morning.  So take this journey with us, and be open.  We just might know what we're talking about here.  Plus, every woman deserves the opportunity to look just that much more fabulous.

Anonymously, 

Statement

Letter From an Editor

Hello Fellow Mohos,

Let me start off by saying that I am NOT a poser. Actually I’m far from it. You could say I’ve been a trendsetter since I was four years old, when I refused to go to preschool unless I wore my Cinderella dress up slippers. Unlike other kids my age, I dressed myself. My Mom wouldn’t object when I went to school in a tutu and rain boots.

Okay so I’ve peaked since than. I fell in love with fashion when I saw Breakfast at Tiffanys for the first time; I was eight years old. Audrey Hepburn has always been my fashion idol. I loved how she could wear her classic black dress and Raybands in Breakfast at Tiffanys, but also had the ability to look good in leggings and a grandpa sweater in Funny Face. I admire that she is so eclectic.

After being exposed to brilliant fashion icons like Twiggy, Edie Sedgwick, Princess Diana, and Grace Kelly, I found that I loved to write and observe what they wore. From than on fashion journalism became my passion. Now, I know that some of you have been critical of our idea. The blog has already been called shallow, snobby, (Hardstuff has pretty much covered the other adjectives). But I thought I was entering a college full of smart young women who were open to new things, not girls who think that math and science are the only important subjects in the world. HELLO PEOPLE, there’s more to life out there (And not everyone is good at math, including myself). All I’m asking is that you give us a chance.

My message for the day: Fashion isn’t about whom you wear; it’s about how you present yourself. You don’t need to own Tory Burch flats or a Chanel purse to be considered fashionable. The brand name of your clothing isn’t what’s important. Don’t follow the crowd. Be unique. If you want to wear a tutu and rain boots to class, go for it!

Anonymously,

Poser

Letter from an Editor

Dear MoHos.

            To be completely honest, I’m expecting some ridicule for starting a blog about fashion on this campus. I’m bracing myself for some sort of comment about how the creators of this blog are superficial, vapid, materialistic, snobby… something along those lines. And that’s all right, criticism comes with new creations. All I ask is that you read our letters before deciding what we may or may not be.

            Yes, Dernier Cri is a blog devoted to fashion. I’ll say it: I LOVE CLOTHES. God, they’re great. Especially at MoHo. You step onto our campus and you’re immediately surrounded by 2000 young women who are dressed in some way that’s entirely their own, often completely unintentionally. There are girls who somehow manage to appear at an 8:30am class perfectly put together, hair done, make-up on, dressed impeccably. Which is always impressive, but for most of us, just not an option (personally, I’m more of a slave to sleep than to fashion). Then there are the girls who just seem to throw on whatever - a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, maybe a jacket, and oh hey, why not a pair of sneakers, too? It may lack sophistication, but it’s still awesome, because it says something about her, about her mood, her day, her interests. There are also the girls who after a week of slouching around in sweats, appear on Friday night decked out in the sexiest thing they own, and they’re suddenly a different person. And that’s what I love about clothes. They change you; they change your mood, change your outlook, change the way other people see you. It’s been said “change your shoes, change your life”, and although I wouldn’t go quite that far, there’s a nugget of truth in that statement.

            There are three of us working on this blog currently. As I said, fashion is our main focus. Campus fashion – clothing, style, and trends that pertain primarily to all of you. However, as much as I appreciate les habillements, I’m going to try to give you a little something extra in my posts as well. A side dish of all sorts of things from today’s pop culture. So, although I’ll be posting about fashion and style on campus, I’ll also be sprinkling some art, music, film, travel, and what-have-you throughout. Basically, anything I believe to be of interest. 

For my first fashion item, I’d like to say one thing. This Fall, FUCK TRENDS. I picked up In Style the other day, followed by Vogue, and both immensely frustrated me. These magazines are works of art, but they’re completely unrealistic! Okay, it’s really awesome that huge, neon fur coats are in this season (only if they’re faux), but let’s be real: I am not going to walk to class in a gigantic, fluffy, fuchsia jacket. So like I said, FUCK TRENDS. Break it down for yourself; take something that's in, but then make it your own. Personally, I found a fur stole in a thrift shop a while back, and it works perfectly over a classic, dark fall jacket. And I plan on wearing it, even though it’s not Day-Glo orange. 

Anonymously,

Hard-Stuff.