I'm A Style Goddess...

A Look : Dame Zaha Hadid's 3-D Printed Shoes

2023-08-02T06:27:00.003-05:00

Although she has been gone from this plane for over 6 years, Dame Zaha Hadid left a futuristic legacy that is STILL ahead of its time. Some people are just wired like that. Some of her earliest works appeared on the European fashion/architectural design scene and caused a buzz in that even back then, her designs were generations ahead of what was considered cutting edge at the time.

These are just a few architectural wonders she has created:

"Vitra Fire Station" in Germany

"Bergisel Ski Jump" in Austria

"Ordrupgaard Museum" in Denmark

But her vision didn't stop there. She also designed furniture and fashion...by way of "3-D printed shoes"...

Works of walking art... She was Genius.

Style: Black-Owned Handbag Brands

2023-07-26T04:50:00.000-05:00

One day I had a few coins to rub together, so I started searching for a luxury bag because as a goddess, I have always wanted at least ONE bag that wasn't from a bin or off a rack. So I started searching the greats. Louboutin, Prada, Gucci. I finally found a few that I liked but each was too high for my milk money budget. I even searched wholesale. Same end result. A HOT ASS NO! I have a mortgage.

But I didn't want to give up. Then it popped in my head to support minority businesses. Not because they are second best, cuz we all know, race has nothing to do with talent or style. So I dipped over to peruse some smaller but talented designers, and look what I found!!!!

Peju Obasa

Petit Kouraj

Joanna Vanderpuije

Telfar

AAKS

BruceGlen

CISE

ASHYA

Brandon Blackwood

Here is a great list of more black handbag designers. (They may be expensive)

mythhouse.com

monazeni.com

vnmbyvixen.com/

instagram.com/agudie_bynana/

yvonnekone.com

mowalola.com

* List curated by Cosmopolitan.com

New Fall/Winter Colorway: Peacock!

2021-11-15T21:06:00.000-06:00

Winter is now upon us and it's time to dress like it. Because we are style goddesses, we don't have to follow the rules of fashion trends. We don't have to drape ourselves in the usual bland fall/winter colors of brown, tan, and other similar colors that only say invisible.

While green is considered a winter color thanks to it being a Christmas staple, you can give a different take on it and spruce (pun intended) it up and give winter that splash of color that makes you stand out. So let's go:

Peacock!

(Click the pic for more information about each item.)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Overstated Rings: Claws and Wraps

2021-09-26T14:48:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Mary O'Regan

When I was young I never wore jewelry and did not buy any for myself until I was a young woman. I got my ears pierced after high school ending up with a hand full of rings on every finger and a few necklaces. It was a phase I grew out of quickly. I went down to just wearing earrings. But my fascination with rings has reared its shiny head again and I am thinking on adding some unique pieces. In the process of searching, I ran into these unique rings and decided to share some of the more unique...

Goddess Behavior: Naomi Osaka x Levi’s Denim Kimono

2021-08-19T01:09:00.000-05:00

The Elusive Plus Sized Dress Form

2021-03-26T01:05:00.000-05:00

After having my sewing machine in storage for over 20 years, I took it off the shelf to help my son with some alterations for his cosplay outfit. That experience sparked in me the desire to sew on a regular basis. So I have finally started back sewing and it has been a lot of fun. It's very therapeutic, and time just melts away when I am in my lil creative world accompanied by the buzz of my sewing machine.

I have been emersed in making masks, sewing by pattern, and even did a few freestyle designs from my own invention. I even updated my sewing machine and bought mannequins to show off the styles I have created. One thing I did was purchase a mannequin of size so I can start creating fashions that I can personally wear. I started off when a dress form that appeared to be a size 10-12 but that is still kinda small compared to the size dress form that I need.

So I went online in search of an affordable dress form. The ones that were considered "plus-size" weren't, and the ones that were, were either out of stock or out of production. The one I finally found and ordered, was quickly refunded and taken down off the website. So I kept searching. I never found one that was right. The hard-shelled dress forms aren't what I needed, and the ones I needed don't exist.

Until...

Brandon Wen and Laura Zwanziger, a pair of sophomores studying apparel design at Cornell University, looked around at the fashion world and noticed a gaping need: better apparel for plus-size people. The duo decided to create their own plus-size clothing collection but ran into difficulties when it came time to find realistic dress forms. Full-figured mannequins ran scarce in the real world, and the ones that did exist were far from proportional.

In the spirit of innovation, they teamed up with Professor Susan Ashdown, analyzed thousands of 3-D body scans of women, and finally created a prototype and pattern for a “pear-shaped, size-24 woman.” Zwanziger told the Cornell Chronicle, “A lot of the clothes [for plus-size women] are really just sized up from smaller proportions, which fit really strangely … Issues of health aside, we’re all different body shapes and body proportions. Each person deserves to have clothing designed for them as they are, not as they relate to some abstract industry shape.” Amen.

(Source: The Cut)

I will be waiting with bated breath for these to hit the market. Hopefully, they aren't $5k or more.

Star Style: Gabrielle Union-Wade

2020-12-12T05:41:00.003-06:00

There are a lot of things you can say about Gabrielle Union-Wade, and I do mean a lot. She is an accomplished actress, model, mother, wife, activist, and much more... But one thing you will always notice when you see her is her penchant for trendsetting fashion. She is not afraid to push the bar higher in fashions that are asymmetrical, wildly printed, or even pieces that seem to dwarf her small frame. Whatever she wears, it makes a statement.

For more Gabrielle:

Instagram

Twitter

Fashmates: How I Style!

2020-10-21T02:50:00.000-05:00

Over the years I've helped dress many people. Starting with my own quirky looks in middle and high school, to friends and family, my two kids, and even strangers who've asked. Lately, I don't have time to style myself, but I still try to keep up on my styling game by going online to sites that allow you to create "Sets" of well-curated pieces and then post so that others from around the world can see and critique.

Originally I was on a site called Polyvore where I began my online fashion stylist journey on a larger more visual scale. The website allowed me to create some of the most fashion-forward sets that I was capable of, and I was able to build with a strong community of like-minded people with who I shared a lot with as well. Then one day I logged in and it was all gone. The whole website was replaced by some store-type blog, with only a disclaimer on how to download your sets for prosperity. It was like coming home and all your belonging were put into storage with no warning. Polyvore sold its user's data and went off quietly in the night with their coins.

It sent me scrambling looking for a site like Polyvore where I could do the same things I did on the site before they sold it. After trying but not liking a few other fashion websites stating they were Polyvore's replacement, in comes Fashmates. Fashmates was willing to update the site to accommodate users reeling from the loss of their fashion normalcy on Polyvore. It didn't take long before it felt like a seamless transition. So now I am back to creating. Here are a few examples:

See more: Bettyboopbbw69 Fashmates Looks

Virtual Fashion Shows: Hanifa by Anifa Mvuemba

2020-07-13T01:43:00.001-05:00

As we all know, Coronavirus has changed the world as we know it. The everyday freedoms to our autonomy now have to be accommodated into a sheltered existence that we used to take for granted. One of the big changes is how a lot of industries were forced to find new ways to exist or face extinction. The fashion world is one of those industries. No more model covered runways surrounded by A-list celebrities gorging on the latest designers' offerings to the world of fashion. We now have those who have found ways to adapt rather than dimming their light. In walks, 3D Virtual Fashion Shows.

One person to take advantage of this format is the Designer and Creative Director of HANIFA, Anifa Mvuemba. Not letting past hardships stop her dream, she has found a creative way to be, well, creative. Minus the svelte models, she has opted to fill each piece with invisible, curvacious models strutting their way down the catwalk with a sensuality that can't be denied. Check out her latest fashion line and the ingenious way she keeps fashion at the forefront.

Also, catch up on her inspiring path and speaking on her daily operations as she takes us through her storefront location! Go Anifa! So inspiring!

Show your support!

Visit and shop

Hanifa.co

Instagram:

@hanifaofficial @anifam

Lace Heaven

2018-02-27T01:12:00.001-06:00

Prince Rogers Nelson knew the value of a good lace outfit. Uniquely original cuts, style, and in eye-popping colors, Prince had a lot of men pushing lace and ruffles right along with the women... Lace is timeless.

Spring is here, go ahead and add a few pieces to your wardrobe. You can never go wrong with how lace accents the body, and softens any look. Whether a full suit or a lace blouse, you cannot go wrong with the many types and styles that lace has to offer.

Disney by Hijab!

2017-11-03T16:36:00.001-05:00

Saraswati uses her hijab and her skills as a makeup artist to recreate animation and live action character magic!

IG: QUEENOFLUNA

Facebook: Queenofluna

The Beauty of Transgender: Geena Rocero

2017-07-12T13:32:00.002-05:00

The Girls... The Artwork of Jason Ratliff

2017-05-29T06:53:00.001-05:00

The Artwork of Jason Ratliff

https://www.jason-ratliff.com/

Chocolate Nudes: Summer shoe trend!

2017-05-01T18:56:00.002-05:00

The Eyes Have It..... Something Different in Eyewear

2017-01-16T13:48:00.001-06:00

The Nintendo Switch: Worth your paycheck, or another pricey paperweight?

2016-12-14T10:11:00.000-06:00

All I can say is that Nintendo better come with a lot of good games for this system. Console releases can quickly flop when it does not have many good games to keep people interested in buying it past the initial release.

Nothing worse then having buyers remorse solely on the game not having enough games to keep the console feeling like it was worth the purchase. No one wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a console that collects dust while turning into a electronic paperweight.

This console is only as good as the effort they put in to keep people interested in playing it. The Nintendo Switch can go down in history as one of the most versatile consoles in a player's life.

Accommodating an active lifestyle is key to getting people up off the couch, or from sitting in uncomfortable positions for a prolonged time because they don't want to lose the progress they have in a game on a stationary console.

We shall see if they abandon the console by giving it limited promotion past initial sales, lack of games, or shoddy support for the system.

Fashion illustrator Shamekh

2016-12-06T05:09:00.004-06:00

Next Fashion Faze: Willow Smith for Vogue Paris

2016-12-05T22:43:00.002-06:00

Photographers: Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin

Color Your Confidence Makeover: Belita Edwards

2016-12-05T21:33:00.000-06:00

Hair Is: Themed Extravagance

2016-11-18T15:53:00.000-06:00

Allure of Africa

2016-10-08T23:29:00.000-05:00

Fall to Winter Strategy: Leopard Prints Galore!

2016-08-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

It is almost Fall and time to bring out the timeless fashion choices, one of them being my favorite, animal prints! Check out a few awesome pieces that can hopefully give you the ideas you need to supplement your Fall to Winter wardrobes.

WOS Swimwear 2016

2016-06-15T08:39:00.000-05:00

Island Escape

Well y'all it is time for me and my plus sized sistahs to pour our delicious fluffiness into someone's amazing swimsuits! I am ready for summer but it might not be ready for me, because it is about to be SIZZLING up in this piece, and it might be a TWO piece! Here are some amazing suits I found just perusing the interwebs that I think really flatters women with curves! Added links if you want to buy!

Cosplay: Ladies Style

2016-05-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

Featured Designers: Afrination

2016-05-28T17:11:00.002-05:00

AFRINATION