Should Black Designers only Hire Black Models? Ole School Interesting Article from CoCo and Cream:)

During Fashion Week, each designer makes a visual and political statement with what they show on the runway. No, not the elaborate and innate designs but the people that bring the collections to life: the models. Usually slender, boasting long gams and torsos. And white. Yes, white.
It doesn’t matter the designer’s race or ethnicity, the majority of models cast during Fashion Week are white or Asian, usually anything but black. Let’s look at the numbers. This past New York Fashion Week featured 137 shows. Out of that there were 5,269 looks. Of that amount only 384 black models were used. Diane Von Furstenberg, Rachel Roy, Nicole Miller and Elie Tahari were among those that featured black models; however BCBG, Max Azria, Herve Leger, Vera Wang and a host of others did not.
French designer Sophie Theallet caused quite a ruckus in the fashion industry when she cast all black models for her Spring 2009 show. She insisted that she wasn’t trying to make a political statement; she simply thought the colors used in her collection looked better on darker skin. Designer Ruben Singer‘s 2008 show was criticized for “going too ethnic”. The reason? The overwhelming number of black models used.
Then, there is Tracy Reese. An African-American designer who is very vocal about the need for diversity on the runway but as of late hasn’t cast as many black models as she does of those of Asian descent. While one can argue that black designers who don’t cast all black models are just focusing on the clothes and not race, the question remains: shouldn’t they take racism against models into account since they’re in a position to make a difference?
New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week was the least racially diverse since 2008. Out of the 5,269 looks debuted, 4,468 were modeled by white women. That means nearly 84.8% of the models featured were white. Should black designers feel obligated to give black models a platform when the odds are stacked so aggressively against them?

Is it the responsibility of designers to provide black models with jobs just because they are black? Is an all-black cast a step toward diversity or does it promote segregation? What about a white designer who only casts Black models? Is it fetishization or a step toward racial inclusion?

-Krystal Franklin

I love how she styles her Micros...See the versilatily of Protective styles:)

Making Lip Stick with Crayons:) Completely Cool and Completley Safe:) PROMISE!!!

Ok so me being the ultimate do it yourself type of person wanted to find an easy cost effective way to make lipstick and low and behold through my research I found several ways to make lipstick with ease using those ole school crayons we all had back in the day. Below is a simple yet effective recipe anyone can try:)

Tools needed

Old lipstick/lipgloss container (rolled down and cleaned out) or any small container with lid
Box of crayons( non toxic of course)
1 100% non colored beeswax candle (1inch diameter)
 3 tablespoons of Mineral oil  ( or baby oil, or soy oil, or coconut oil etc)
Heat resistant cup
Plastic zip lock bags
Hammer
Pot (to melt crayons and oils in)

Instructions

1)       Take off  paper labels from the crayons, and place them in  zip lock bag. 

2)       Break up the crayons into smaller pieces with a hammer and put pieces, oil, and one inch piece of candle in heat resistant cup and place cup in a sauce pan on the stove.

3)       Fill the saucepan with enough water to reach about an inch up the side of the cup. Heat the contents of the pan on a low temperature setting, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients in the cup melt together.

4)      Remove from heat and take the cup out of the pan. Allow the contents to cool slightly--about one to three minutes.

5)      Pour the mixture into a small container or an empty lipstick tube while still warm. Allow the lipstick to cool completely (uncovered). Cover or close the container. Now you have your very own cool lipstick shade made by YOU:) ENJOY!