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Posts published in “Arts / Style”

Frank Ocean Models For Band Of Outsiders

By goodblacknews on March 21, 2013
Frank Ocean Models For Band Of Outsiders
Frank Ocean (Band of Outsiders Tumblr/Instagram)
Frank Ocean has already taken the music industry by storm and is now moving on to fashion. Aside from blending sick urban style and high-end couture, (think of his sleek and chic navy blue Dior Homme Spring 2013 look he rocked at the Grammys) Ocean has been hobnobbing with industry leaders like designers Riccardo Tisci, Raf Simons, and Karl Lagerfeld.  Ocean also attended Fashion Week in Paris chilling at the Dior and Givenchy fashion shows and striking a pose for GQ Magazine.
Now the “Forrest Gump” singer is headlining in his first fashion campaign as the latest subject in Band of Outsiders’ ongoing Polaroid series. Ocean joins the likes of Josh Brolin and Michelle Williams who also modeled for the brands new segment. The sun-kissed images were shot at the Los Angeles Times building by creative director Scott Sternberg. In the hazy shots Ocean rocks the brand’s Spring 2013 collection, featuring a dapper white shirt, black trousers, and a tuxedo jacket with a satin lapel.
Stay tuned to the Band of Outsiders’ Tumblr and Instagram pages as new images from the shoot continue to pop up.
article via Billboard.com
Related Post: Oprah, Frank Ocean Among GLAAD Award Nominees 

Chaka Khan on the Cover of Billboard for 60th Birthday

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2013

Chaka Kahn on Billboard

This month’s Billboard magazine’s Stars Tribute issue honors iconic singing legend, Chaka Khan, for her 60th birthday and the 40 anniversary of her career in entertainment.  “Chaka has always been an innovator as an artist,” says Tammy McCrary of Chaka Khan Management.  “In today’s market, it is just as important to be innovative technologically. This is why we chose to partner with Printergize.”
The new mobile app will go directly to www.chakakhan.com, where Chaka’s Billboard magazine cover image will come to life through the Augmented Reality app. At that moment, users will see Chaka introduce her 100 Days of Chaka campaign, which marks the 100 days from her birthday (March 23) to the anniversary of the release of her first recorded album with Rufus, “Rufus” (July 1, 1973), 40 years ago. This timeline will highlight daily, a series of historic moments in Chaka’s career, mixed with celebratory current events.  The 100 Days of Chaka culminates with the release of “The iKhan Project: Alive!” on July 2nd.
article by Brittney M. Walker via Chaka Khan on the Cover of Billboard for 60th Birthday | EURweb.

Black History Collection Makes Its Disney Debut

By goodblacknews on March 17, 2013

Bernard & Shirley Kinsey

Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have entrusted their collection of African-American treasures to Walt Disney World Resort for the “Rediscovering America: Family Treasures from the Kinsey Collection” exhibit at Epcot. Take a look at a few of the pieces that have truly made their mark in Black history. (Photo: David Roark)
via The Kinsey Collection at Epcot | Black History Collection Makes Its Disney Debut | News | BET.

First Lady Michelle Obama Tops UK Sunday Times' 1st Best-Dressed List

By goodblacknews on March 11, 2013

michelle obama

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama arrives to speak during the “Building a Healthier Future Summit” March 8, 2013 at the Lisner Auditorium of George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Our first lady has just scored another first.  Michelle Obama has topped the first ever best dressed list from UK’s Sunday Times newspaper, with editors commending her for using fashion as a “force for good.”  The Sunday Times Style magazine described Michelle, 49, as “understanding that, as her primary role as first lady is visual, fashion can be a force for good used to inspire and entertain.”
Other names on the list included Queen Elizabeth, Home Secretary Theresa May, Victoria Beckham, artist Grayson Perry’s drag alter-ego “Claire,” 6-year-old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and actress Dame Helen Mirren.  Tiffanie Darke, the Sunday Times Style magazine’s editor, said: ”The diverse nature of this list demonstrates the importance of fashion in the overall conversation, confirming the role clothes play in creating a visual manifesto.”
article via eurweb.com

Tina Turner Poses for Vogue Germany Cover, Singer's First Time Gracing Glossy

By goodblacknews on March 11, 2013

tina turner vogue cover

The cover says it all: “Simply The Best!”  This April 2013 issue of Vogue marks Tina Turner’s first time gracing the iconic fashion magazine.  The legendary singer is seen rocking her signature honey blonde-highlighted hair, a silky navy blouse and what appears to be a black skirt for Vogue’s German edition, which was shot by Claudia Knoepfel and Stefan Indlekofer and styled by Nicola Knels.
Turner is 73 years old and looks like she just stepped on the stage at the “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1970 to perform “Proud Mary.”  Fashionista.com points out that the age-defying beauty might be the oldest Vogue cover star ever–snagging the title from Meryl Streep who covered American Vogue last year at the age of 62.  Either way, we’re just thrilled to see the Queen of Rock-n-Roll in all her glory. 
article by Julee Wilson via huffingtonpost.com
 
 

Eighteen Year-Old S.M.I.L.E. CEO Chosen As Newest CoverGirl

By goodblacknews on March 10, 2013

alexis harris next covergirl
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced that the newest CoverGirl model is 18-year-old Alexis Harris (pictured) on her show last Thursday.  Harris won the honor, along with a $20,000 award, in CoverGirl’s model search. During a mock press conference on the show, DeGeneres brought out Harris’ family to see her entry video, which featured her mother independently raising both her and her three brothers.
Despite growing up without a Father, Harris still managed to reach admirable heights. She is the founder and CEO of the S.M.I.L.E. Movement (Students Making Impacts In Lives Every Day), a nationwide student support system that pushes young people to enact change in their communities.  And if her words are any indication, this is only the beginning for the University Of Texas-San Antonio student. “We’re going to use the money to give back to different local organizations: Haven for Hope, different groups locally,” Harris said about how she plans on using the grant money.
Harris’ first project as a CoverGirl will be appearing with DeGeneres in a campaign shoot next month. Those pictures will appear in a future People Magazine issue.
article by Hannington Dia via newsone.com

Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. on the Wall at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

By goodblacknews on March 5, 2013

A portrait of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. by artists Yuki Wang. (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)
What does Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. have in common with explorer Amerigo Vespucci, poet Allen Ginsberg , and actress Mary Pickford? They’re all new on the wall at the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. In an e-mail to friends and supporters, Gates called the unveiling of his portrait “one of the most exciting moments of my life.”  The oil painting, done by artist Yuqi Wang, shows Gates standing beside a table with an African sculpture and books by W. E. B. Du Bois, Wole Soyinka, and Kwame Anthony Appiah on it. “The perfect portrait for the National Portrait Gallery is one that combines a nationally significant subject and the work of an exceptional artist,” Brandon Fortune, the Portrait Gallery’s chief curator, told us Monday. She said the painting was commissioned by Harvard and then offered to the Portrait Gallery. “It’s a long, drawn out process when we consider a portrait of someone who has not previously been in our collection,” Fortune said.

Conflict and Costume: The Herero Tribe of Namibia – in Pictures

By goodblacknews on March 2, 2013

Men and women of the Herero tribe feature in a new book by photographer Jim Naughten, published by Merrell. Wearing traditional costumes fashioned on the influence of the missionaries and traders of the late nineteenth century, Naughten’s dramatic portraits reveal Namibia’s colonial history. An exhibition of the photographs will open at the Margaret Street Gallery, London on 5 March 2013.
via Conflict and costume: the Herero tribe of Namibia – in pictures | Art and design | guardian.co.uk.

"Because of Them, We Can…" Campaign Features Children as Famous Black Figures (PHOTOS)

By goodblacknews on February 26, 2013
(Courtesy of Eunique Jones Photography)

Photographer Eunique Jones’ photo series, ‘Because of them, we can…” , has made a splash on the Internet as a unique and creative take on the importance of Black History Month.  Her 28-photo project features more than 40 young children posing as some of the most iconic and influential black figures from the past and the present.

From Harriet Tubman to Spike Lee, the children are seen dressed and styled like the individual they are portraying and also incorporate an  inspirational quote from each particular famous person.  Jones, who has been a professional photographer for three years, says she was inspired to create the project for Black History Month because of her two children, Chase, 4, and Amari, seven months-old. She realized they had so many opportunities available to them today which would not have been possible without “the African-American individuals who paved the way for [my kids’] future.”

Gordon Parks Honored by Macy's

By goodblacknews on February 23, 2013

gordon-parks001NEW YORK – From one icon to another, this February Macy’s, an American retail institution, salutes American cultural hero Gordon Parks in celebration of Black History Month. 
Via special events and exhibits at select stores across the country, Macy’s will honor the legacy of this artistic master who chronicled and defined a generation and whose work continues to inspire artists today.
A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, Gordon Parks was one of the seminal figures of twentieth-century photography.
From the early 1940s until his death in 2006, Parks created a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture, with a focus on race relations, poverty, Civil Rights and urban life.
In addition, Parks was a celebrated composer, author and filmmaker who interacted with many of the most prominent people of his era — from politicians and artists to celebrities and athletes. In 1969 he became the first African-American to write and direct a Hollywood feature film based on his bestselling novel “The Learning Tree.” This was followed in 1971 by the hugely successful motion picture “Shaft.”