Right on. By the way, my wife has a pair of green leather gloves like that, and she bought them way *before* Michelle Obama sported hers at the inauguration! She's got taste like that, and you're right: sisters--or any women with style--can buy something at K-Mart, Ann Taylor, or Macy's and make it look good.
-------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Daryle Lockhart <dar...@darylelockhart.com> > > How about the fact that her hairdresser (Black) now has a TV > development deal? > > This whole "you need to wear somebody Black if you're Black and in > the public eye" has been a thing since the 80s, when people cracked > on you for wearing Yamamoto or Calvin Klein instead of Patrick Kelley > or Willi Smith (I know, my art school is showing.) It's all a problem > until somebody wears an Oswald Boateng tux on the Red carpet, then > everybody shuts up. It's ridiculous. One of my good friends from high > school designs mens and boys wear for JC Penney. So Nobody ever > talks about who's really doing work at these fashion houses, it's > always "Oh well Ralph Lauren is white so it's not a Black brand". > These "white" companies are, at times, employing people of color, > which is at the core of what will be Obama's legacy. > > Clothes and labels are what you buy, Fashion how you rock it. Any of > us can buy Armani and/or Kangol, but not many of us are going to > look like Sam Jackson in it. Who else could have worn green leather > gloves to an inauguration. Nobody but Michelle Obama. Her STYLE will > change the face of fashion for the rest of the administration, and > THAT is what we need to focus on. > > > On Jan 28, 2009, at 5:25 PM, keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: > > > My take...keith > > > > I sympathize and empathize, but one black family can't be > > everything for all > > black people. What about her jewelry, her shoes, her hairdo--any of > > them from > > black folks? And if not, is that a sin? What about the fact that > > the family went > > to a majority-black church for years? That Obama did his community > > organizer > > work in the black community, or that his main barber is a black > > man? That they happen to > > *be* black people and seem to love and respect their people? That > > they by their very existence > > and successes do far more for us than any choice of clothing > > designer could ever do? > > > > This is not at all unexpected, since the Presidency is something no > > person of > > color has ever ascended to since the founding of the Republic. And > > I confess > > that I have my own criticisms at times about famous stars and > > leaders who i feel > > don't support black enterprises enough. But at the end of the day, > > it's the > > aggregate of what we as a people do. If the Obama's don't wear > > black-designed > > clothes, let's credit them for all the ways they do support blacks, > > and then > > each of us do our part to support black people. In a situation > > where the Obama's > > literally have to please the entire planet Earth in some way or > > another, I'm not > > going to be this hard on Michelle. After all--ever seen her little > > girls' hair when > > they're just chilling on vacation or something? If that don't > > represent support > > of black haircare products, I don't know what does!! > > > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > > From: "Cinque3000" <cinque3...@verizon.net> > > > Black Artists Association Co-Founder Slams Michelle Obama's > > "Kumbaya" > > > Designer Picks > > > > > > > > > > Update 1/27: > > > > > > According to WWD, Black Artists Association co-founder Amnau Eele > > has > > > received death threats in response to her public criticism of > > Michelle Obama > > > for not wearing an African-American designer to the inauguration. > > > > > > > > > > She told the magazine, "We don't represent designers, we > > represent painters. > > > We spoke up for black designers because we felt it was the right > > thing to > > > do." > > > > > > > > > Eele is planning a forum on African-American designers and their > > careers in > > > New York next month. > > > > > > > > > Original post 1/26: > > > > > > The Michelle Obama fashion backlash has begun, as far as the > > Black Artists > > > Association is concerned. The group is publicly chiding the First > > Lady for > > > not wearing an African-American designer during any of the inaugural > > > festivities. On inauguration day, Obama wore Cuban-American > > designer Isabel > > > Toledo, and at night she wore a gown by Taiwan-born designer > > Jason Wu. > > > > > > > > > BAA's founder Amnau Eele, a former model, told WWD: > > > > > > "It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are > > the World' > > > by representing all different countries. But if you are going to > > have Isabel > > > Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening > > gown, why not > > > have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other > > black > > > designers do something too?" Eele said. > > > > >
--- Begin Message ---
comcast.net wrote:My take...keith
I sympathize and empathize, but one black family can't be everything for all
black people. What about her jewelry, her shoes, her hairdo--any of them from
black folks? And if not, is that a sin? What about the fact that the family went
to a majority-black church for years? That Obama did his community organizer
work in the black community, or that his main barber is a black man? That they happen to
*be* black people and seem to love and respect their people? That they by their very existence
and successes do far more for us than any choice of clothing designer could ever do?
This is not at all unexpected, since the Presidency is something no person of
color has ever ascended to since the founding of the Republic. And I confess
that I have my own criticisms at times about famous stars and leaders who i feel
don't support black enterprises enough. But at the end of the day, it's the
aggregate of what we as a people do. If the Obama's don't wear black-designed
clothes, let's credit them for all the ways they do support blacks, and then
each of us do our part to support black people. In a situation where the Obama's
literally have to please the entire planet Earth in some way or another, I'm not
going to be this hard on Michelle. After all--ever seen her little girls' hair when
they're just chilling on vacation or something? If that don't represent support
of black haircare products, I don't know what does!!
-------------- Original message ------------ --------- -
From: "Cinque3000" <cinque3...@verizon.net >
> Black Artists Association Co-Founder Slams Michelle Obama's "Kumbaya"
> Designer Picks
> >
>
> Update 1/27:
>
> According to WWD, Black Artists Association co-founder Amnau Eele has
> received death threats in response to her public criticism of Michelle Obama
> for not wearing an African-American designer to the inauguration.
>
> >
> She told the magazine, "We don't represent designers, we represent painters.
> We spoke up for black designers because we felt it was the right thing to
> do."
>
>
> Eele is planning a forum on African-American designers and their careers in
> New York next month.
>
>
> Original post 1/26:
>
> The Michelle Obama fashion backlash has begun, as far as the Black Artists
> Association is concerned. The group is publicly chiding the First Lady for
> not wearing an African-American designer during any of the inaugural
> festivities. On inauguration day, Obama wore Cuban-American designer Isabel
> Toledo, and at night she wore a gown by Taiwan-born designer Jason Wu.
>
>
> BAA's founder Amnau Eele, a former model, told WWD:
>
> "It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World'
> by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel
> Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not
> have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black
> designers do something too?" Eele said.
--- End Message ---
