SheBreathes™ | Fashion + Culture

Inspiration | Adolphus Opara Photography

Nigerian-born photographer, Adolphus Opara has been inspiring me with his work for a while, and while I would normally share this on my old decor/inspiration blog, I could not resist sharing his Emissaries of an Iconic Religion series on here. All of the photos are inspiring me for a new project. The saturated colours, the power of each image, the subjects all inspired me to sketch in-flight, and I immediately shared his work on tumblr. For me, this his how inspiration begins, and I'm sure as I flesh-out my ideas I will come back to the images often. How does inspiration begin for you? Image, words, sound? Do share.

More on that project soon, but for now enjoy and do visit Mr. Opara's website to explore his entire collection of amazing photos.

Fotos Courtesy of Adolphus Opara.

McQueen for a Night

On Friday I attended the McQueen for a Night event at the MET, hosted by the College Group at the MET. it was in honour of the Savage Beauty; Alexander Mcqueen exhibit, but it was a bit more than that. The MET invited college students down, and a few members of the press; to not only view the exhibition, but to partake in the many activities of the night, like a panel with fashion consultant, Julie Gilhart. Everyone was encouraged to dress-up either in McQueen or something inspired by him, and trust me plenty of us did. We were able to see the runner-up pieces made for the Parsons design contest, and learned who won - it was Paula Cheng, which Creative Coordinator of Alexander McQueen, Trino Verkade announced she had won. We also got to hear from the curator of the exhibition, Andrew Bolton, who went through the entire exhibition with ease, beauty, and knowledge. There was music by DJ Justine D, beverages, and snacks. It was truly an extraordinary night for all who attended.

If you have the chance to see the exhibition, please do — it's breathtaking. There are quotes by McQueen throughout, and you learn what each collection was made-of, and the inspiration behind them. I even saw my 2003 shoes on display, which made me so happy, but now I'll never sell them. The exhibition also includes the collection that Ms. Sarah Burton finished, encased in glass, and while you're not allowed to take photos during the exhibition, you can buy the book, which will last you a lifetime. And, if you're in college I implore you to join the college group, because they host fabulous events throughout the year.

The topper for me, was meeting so many wonderful people, like Ms. Trino Verkade {who rocked a look from the S/S 2010 collection, and was down-to-earth}, Ms. Gilhart, who helped me with Ms. Verkade's name, Ms. Shelly Fox, who was as jubilant as a kid in a candy store, and a host of amazingly talented people who I'm sure I'll be hearing more about. Below is a peek into my evening and what I saw, enjoy.

I only had my iphone and point-and-shoot, because I knew that photos were allowed to be snapped at the actual exhibit, but I knew at the event I could, so below the pieces from the runner-ups, and the winning design.

And the winner . . . Paula Cheng. She'll receive a 4 week internship at Alexander McQueen.

The winner — Paula Cheng with Creative Coordinator of Alexander McQueen, Trino Verkade.

This was the line to see the exhibit, but thankfully we received passes, so we didn't have to wait. If you plan on going to the exhibit, expect a wait, but it's worth it!

Fotos © SheBreathes.

Certified Breathable | Favela Painting

Back in January, during Berlin Fashion Week, we were invited to the gallery showing of Favela Paiting. We got to see artistic duo, Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn's work in the favelas of Brasil, up close.

Favela Painting, started with two murals in Vila Cruzeiro, in Rio — one of the more notorious favelas in Rio. It was a community driven project that involved the youth of the favelas, and has expanded to Santa Marta, also in Rio. In fact, you can see some of their beautiful work in the movie Fast Five, which was filmed in Rio. It truly is something to see in person, which I did last year during Fashion Rio. To say I was thrilled, is an understatement. As a Brasilian and lover of culture, I completely support Favela Painting, and so can you by visiting, exploring, and donating. For now do click the images for a larger view, and enjoy the cultural movement.

Fotos © SheBreathes.

Certified Breathable | Selah Sue

I'm a fan of good music, and Belgium arist, Selah Sue {Sanne Putseys} serves-up plenty of it. At just 21 she's opened for Prince, and collaborated with Cee-Lo and Jamie Lidell. Her self-entitled debut album has plenty of tracks that I've already fallen in love with, like Raggamuffin, Peace of Mind, Please, and Black Part Love, with plenty more that will keep real music lovers happy. Below is a glimpse into her world. Purchase her album here, and get to know her more here.

And Ragamuffin:

Foto Courtesy of Selah Sue.

Vogue Brasil | Black is Beautiful {All Black Issue}

The January 2011 issue of Vogue Brasil is dedicated to "All Black Models", with Emanuela de Paula as the cover model. Apparently they've taken cues from Vogue Italia, which I'm applauding without having my copy in hand yet. As many of you who've been reading SheBreathes know, I've always wondered when this would happen. And I've always given my opinion on "race" and fashion, from a global perspective. I've never been afraid to state how I feel about the issues that continue to plaugue the fashion community. But, understand {to me} this is a far more significant move, considering that Brasil has the largest black population outside of Africa. So, of course to see the media in my country, who've always always peddled Afro-Brasilians to the back, now acknowledge the diversity of Brasilians, especially the women is no small feat. I know Vogue Brasil recently went under a new licensor, so perhaps I owe this change to them. Perhaps now the true diversity of my country will be on display. Hopefully it won't become this novelty, but integrated within the magazine monthly. This is my hope of course, that scouts would stop only scouting in the south of Brasil, and scout the north as well. For now, it seems like all signs are pointing south — South America, Brasil that is, and the diversity within! As soon as I get my hands on a copy, I will be scanning all the images. I've also been in contact with Vogue Brasil, so hopefully this will happen sooner, rather than later, as I'd love to share with you who else is made the issue. I can only hope it's all my favourite Afro-Brasileiras! So, do stay tuned as I wouldn't post about this if i wasn't truly elated! 2011 is starting off nicely, sim!

I'm back with some of the editorial fotos, that was posted on my favourite fashion forum, thefashionspot, which I've been a member of for years {smile}.So far I can confirm that Mani, Gracie, and even Jordan Dunn  and Chanel are in the issue. My mum says there are other models, but she's not good with names. She did ship my copies to me today! She purchased a few for me, so I may give some away on here, to those of you who are inquiring about how to obtain a copy. I'm not that impressed with the editorials thus far, because one looks like it's been ripped from a US Vogue editorial about Bahia, but again it's a start.

From Trash to Treasure | Waste Land

In an effort to balance out the fashion with a bit more culture {expect more of this}, I wanted to introduce Waste Land, a film directed by Lucy Walker. It's a documentary that highlights the catadores {human scavengers}, that rummage through the Jardim Gramacho in Rio — the largest landfill in the world. The film spans three years and follows several individuals, that you'll be inspired by. Many of these catadores live in the favelas in Rio, and are paid a commission for their finds. The film also documents Brooklyn-based Brasilian artist Vik Muniz’s project of creating over-sized portraits of the catadores out of the recyclables that they spend their days collecting. It explores what happens there, but more importantly it reveals Brasil’s poverty without the Cidade De Deus {City of God} flair, which to me is the most important aspect. I can only hope people who see this film are inspired beyond what they've heard, or hear about Brasil and povery, because there is plenty to chew on. I had the pleasure of seeing this film last Friday when it opened at the Angelika Film Center in NYC. As a Brasilian it brought tears to me eyes. Finally, there is a film that I believe speaks what I know to be true about millions of Brasilians — that beyond the fantasy they are resilient and beautiful, despite their socio-economic status. And that art has the power to transform an entire nation.

Visit here for a list of screenings. Do let me know if you've seen it, or will.

Fotos Courtesy of Vik Muniz/Waste Land Movie

Commentary | Race, Size, and Fashion

I've talked about "race" before, but more country specific - my own Brasil. I've applauded Italian Vogue, for their "All Black" issue, because as a woman of colour it was rather groundbreaking, even if it did garner mixed feelings. But what I can't do and won't do is immediately co-sign this new move by Italian Vogue, that has a "Vogue Black" and "Vogue Curvy" section on the Vogue.it website.

I've known about this for some time, let's just say a little birdie told me this was something Sozzani wanted to do. And before anyone dubs my commentary as "hate or "negative" please know, I have as much vested in Italy as I do in the US and Brasil. I often travel to Italy for work, I'm fluent in Italian, and I'm a huge fan of Vogue Italia. But none of this trumps this feeling that it's not the type of progression I had hoped for, since the "All Black" issue. 

Now, is it all wrong? No. Black women and curvy women deserve to be highlighted and shown in a three dimensional manner by mainstream magazines. But how exactly is sectioning off integrating? And I wonder what people would've said had this been done to all the Vogue websites? What does this say to us as a whole? If we allow it, will it become the norm? Will it be normal to have "special" sections for every group that doesn't make it onto Vogue.it or Vogue.com's main page? Is this truly "in the right direction" as I've heard some say? And the right direction for who? The questions are endless as are the concerns, and I'm not the only one who has them.

Certified Breathable | Ana Bravo

As you know SheBreathes is more than fashion it's culture too. I love highlighting amazing emerging and established artists under the Certified Breathable series. So today I'd like to introduce you to Mexican artist Ana Bravo whose work caught my eye when I spotted it on her Myspace page. Her Cruda Series captured me immediately because it incorporates beautiful elephants in lush settings and painted in lovely splashes of pink and grey. What amazed me more about this series is this was Ana's first foray into painting — inspiring! So without further ado . . .

Name:

Ana Bravo

BackStory:

I started drawing and painting in my early 20's. Since then I've gotten my BA in Fine Art and pursued it part-time. I have been relatively successful given the amount of time that I've actually been doing it.

Fun Fact:

I once co-starred in a feature film about four girls who run away from a group home and become private dancers (thank god it never came out!). I'm actually in the process of getting my Masters degree in Library Science.

Inspiration:

People, Music, Nature, and other Artists.

Most memorable moment?

Since I was a little girl I've always wanted to move to NY, so when I moved into my first apartment in Brooklyn and heard scratching in the ceiling (mice) I was horrified! After the horror had passed I became oddly at peace and thought "aah. . . I'm home" followed by a big exhale!

What's on your Certified Breathable short list?

Mercedes Salazar jewelry, SIEMBRA by Willie Colon & Ruben Blades, orange juice, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, which is one of the most beautiful artist communities in the world!

CD or Vinyl?

Vinyl! I love album cover art especially David Stone Martin's Jazz album covers.

Favorite Artists?  

Louise Nevelson, Egon Schiele, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Kehinde Wiley, Takashi Murakami, Marc Jacobs, Ndebele Art.

Words you breathe?

It's never too late.

Photos from Ana's Cruda Series . . .

And more. . .

Fotos Courtesy of Ana Bravo for usage on SheBreathes.Fotos of artist Photograher John Walder.
I'd like to thank Ana for being apart of this series. Please be sure to visit her at the following places and explore more of her world:
www.anabravo.com
www.myspace.com/baby_bravo
www.facebook.com/anabravo.art

Clam Mag Scans | L'Eclaireuse

I'm so sorry things have been sporadic this week but as many of you know I'm away and in a completely different time zone than my statesiders. So sorry about the late posts or no posts, things will return to normal soon, but who can resist actually living? Remember I breathe LIFE. FASHION. CULTURE. With so much sun and other dreams to capture, updates may slow just a bit. But I didn't come empty handed, below are the scans from the Clam Magazine feature {which is out now}, thanks to reader Elle for sending them my way! I was surprised to learn I'm on page 3, that's so early on. I was sure I'd be tucked in the back some place. Seriously the issue features some amazing creatives like DJ Rashida, actress Rhona Mitra, to super creative illustrator Alyosha Quooss, and so many more from around the world. There are also loads of Brasilian artists with interviews in Português like Emanuel Arajuo, Ruy Carvalho, Daúde, Carlinhos Brown, etc. With amazing photography by Marc Baptiste, Andrew Donsumu, and so many more. I was completely smitten with Andrews fotos of model Mengly Hernandez, who it appears is a designer/photographer — amazed by her creativity. From Brasil, Barcelona, South Africa, to Brooklyn and California they've truly packed a beautiful and powerful punch — I love it! Perhaps now it will make much more sense why I said this. Clam is how my world looks to me —  diverse + filled to the brim with substance, and interesting individuals. Thanks again to Andy and his assistant Odessa, it's truly an honour to be in your magazine amongst the diverse and talented.

The Covers [front and back}.

Oh and expect to see more of me very soon. I've finally decided a few steps from behind the blog won't hurt me. I recently did a magazine shoot while I was in Brasil + have one coming up for a UK publication. Perhaps I need to rethink my non-belief in the personal brand {smile}. Nah it's all for the shoes with a nod to SheBreathes.

Music from Daúde

Beijos e amor.

Documentary: All of Us

SheBreathes is more than fashion, art, and culture it's life too, which is why I feel compelled to share this documentary with all of you. It's called "All of Us", and it follows Ethiopian-American, Dr. Mehret Mandefro as she set-outs to do research in the South Bronx, about why black woman are being infected with HIV/AIDS at an alarming rate.

We Have + We Will

I rarely use my blog to declare my political affiliations, because I've never wanted to sway anyone, it's not why I blog, or even how I approach life. I have always believed that people are perfectly capable of making their own choices, and they did that last night, overwhelmingly. Muito Obrigada America, Muito Obrigada! Click here, to see these amazing collage of fotos from around the world in support of Obama and his win. Click here to see headlines from around the world.

Beijos.

The Poetics of Cloth: African Textiles/Recent Art

I love being back at NYU, because there is always something amazing going on, well besides finals and the cost {smile}. There is an art exhibit at the Grey Art Gallery entitled "The Poetics of Cloth: African Textiles/Recent Art, which I plan on attending soon. It will be at the gallery until December 6th, you can get more info here. Partial press-release below and a review by the NY Times here. There is also a similar exhibit at the MET until March 22nd.

There are some really amazing photographers on display like Malick Sidibé, Seydou Keïta, and the loveliness of photographer Nnontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko. Some of her work is below. She was doing "street style" photography in Johannesburg long before it became a trend. The images below are between 2003-2007, from her "Beauty is in the Eyes of a Beholder" series, which you can see more of here.

Fotos via AfroNova.

The exhibition presents some 60 contemporary paintings, sculptures, videos, and photographs by artists living in Africa and abroad alongside a selection of mid- 20th-century and recent African textiles. The Poetics of Cloth: African Textiles / Recent Art, which will be on view at New York University’s Grey Art Gallery from September 16 through December 6, 2008, illuminates the connections and continuities between past and recent modes of African artistic expression. The exhibition also draws attention to vital and often exuberant African textile traditions which have too often been relegated to the long shadows cast by classical African sculpture.

Some of the African textiles on display.

Fotos via NY Times.

Beijos.