PRESS PLAY:

For his spring 2012 haute couture show Jean Paul Gaultier did not present an array of gowns but instead offered an ode to late singer Amy Winehouse with a collection of tailored jackets, form-fitting skirts and bustiers.

Amongst the models walking in the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2012 Couture show was Sudanese supermodel, Angelique “Ajak” Deng….

“As a teenager I always wanted to be a model. I loved Alek Wek … ” – Ajak

The models wore Amy Winehouse’s signature beehive and had cigarettes in hand as they strutted down the runway with the singer’s tunes playing in the background.

The color palette was a somber black with splashes of citrus and lime to reveal lacy undergarments, silk dresses and belted waists.

Ajak also debuted long hair for this show….

[Source]

It’s that time of the year! All things fashion and….

Our good friend, blogger, Fashionjunkii…

and her fabulous non-profit Global Fashion New York Inc will be hosting a charity soiree during New York Fashion Week to benefit “The Murungu Primary School Project” in Tanzania on Thursday,  February 16th at Studio XX1, 59 West 21st street, New York City, New York.

The theme is A NIGHT OF FASHION FOR PHILANTHROPY:

“Better schools Better education Project“

celebrating fashion for a good cause to benefit the Murungu Primary School in Tanzania.

The soiree will feature fashion presentations, designers auction, cocktail reception, music and networking. There will also be surprise guests for the night, so you definitely don’t want to miss it.

For more  information about the event please contact the organizers at info@gfny.org  or fashionjunkiis@gmail.com.

To purchase your tickets go to Charity Happenings: CLICK HERE  OR CLICK HERE.

Hope to see you all there!

South African businesswoman, fashion powerhouse (she is beyond mogul) and philanthropist, Dr.Precious Moloi-Motsepe graces the cover of the February/March 2012 New African Woman magazine.

In the issue, New African Woman mag talks to Dr. Precious about the importance of the business side of fashion, God-fearing family values, her love for books and why African women are “powerful beyond words“…#loveherlongtime!

2011 Miss Universe, Leila Lopes is also on the cover of the magazine which the debuts as the magazine’s DOUBLE-COVER bi-monthly editions.

In this issue, the reigning Miss Universe, who is from Angola, talks about her beauty (she is dark & lovely y’all) and she had this to say:

As an African woman, I feel blessed that I can show the world the true beauty of my continent

Love her already! Go girl…

South Africa’s uber fabulous, talented and very chic songstress, Lira is profiled in this month’s edition.

Lira’s full length 14 song album, Feel Good was released January 31st (2012). Below is the track listing:
1. “Feel Good” (new mix)
2. “Rise Again”
3. “Typical”
4. “Ixesha”
5. “Call Me”
6. “Abba”
7. “Believer”
8. “Love To Love”
9. “With My Eyes”
10. “Valley Of Darkness”
11. “Phakade”
12. “Be My Friend”
13. “Stay In My Company”
14. “Soul In Mind”

Make sure you cop your copy of Lira’s latest project! She is amazing. Love her song, “Phakade“….

The magazine also goes in the fashion & design of Vlisco made up of a mixed team of mostly Europeans. One guy in the team is part part Nigerian, part British. The design team has strong DNA principles when it comes to design:

Appeal to Africa & its people. This has to be contained and always visible in all our designs.

Tyler Perry!

According to Forbes.com, thanks to five movies he has cranked out over the past two years and two TV series (Meet the Browns and House of Payne), Tyler Perry earned US$130 million between May 2010 and May 2011, which ranks him as the highest-earning man in entertainment for that time period.

So he definitely knows something about success….

Tyler Perry recently posted a video blog that shared his personal thoughts on how to be successful.

Thanks to NecoleBitchie for the transcript:

There’s only one answer for that and I say this all the time in the press but people cut it out of articles or they don’t want to print it or they don’t want to say it. The truth be told, it was nothing but the grace of God. Nothing But The Grace of God.

You can plant seeds all day long; you can go around giving your business cards to people. You can go around knocking on doors and auditioning; you can do all of that every day of your life and for most people nothing happens. When a seed is planted in the ground all you can do it water it. You can not control the sunshine. You can not control the weather and you can not control what the locus will come and try to destroy. All you can do is plant your seed in the ground, water it and believe. That is what allowed me to be in this position right now.

I would not stop believing. I planted my seed; I worked really hard. I had one idea and that was to do a play and all that other stuff came. My only focus was to do one play and I knew if I could get that to work, everything else would come to pass. There are so many people who go into so many directions. This week they’re doing this and next week they’re doing that. Then the next week they’re they’re going to be in Real-Estate and the next week they’re going to open a salon. Those kinds of people are all over the place and I usually try to get them to focus. Focus on one thing –one area. Put all of your energy into watering one area. If you spread the water across many, many seeds you don’t have as much water for one seed. So focus on one thing, make it your priority and stick with it no matter what.

No matter how many people told me no. No matter how many people lied to me. No matter how many times I put the show up and nobody came. I remember when I tried my very first show, I worked my butt off and saved $12,000 tax returns through H & R Block money. I worked hard and saved it myself. I rented 14^th Street Play House; put that show up and thought that 1200 people would come over that weekend and 30 showed up and I knew everyone of them. But I didn’t stop; that didn’t deter me. That was in 1992. In 93’ the same thing happened -94’, 95’, 96’, 97’ up until 1998 the same devastation of nobody showing up in the audience. It was still one show a year working with promoters trying to get the show up and nobody showed up but I didn’t stop.

What I say to you now, looking at me here, I am a human being; there is no difference between my humanist and your humanist. The only thing is if you’re trying to get there you can not stop believing in any way. No matter what anybody says, no matter what anybody tells you, you have to know it beyond knowing it. When something is for you, there is a feeling that is deep down inside of you that will not allow you to let it go. It will keep you going when you can’t keep even keep yourself going. That’s why the mantra here at Tyler Perry Studios is a place where even dreams believe because there comes a time in your life where you’ve worked and you’ve stressed and you tried to get there and you couldn’t on your own but you have a dream and that dream has to take on the belief for you because you can’t do it by yourself. So what I would tell you is this, don’t stop; narrow your focus to one idea –[only] one and make it work. That will give birth to all the others. All you can do is plant the seed and water it. God himself has to give the increase. Only God can make the sunshine. Only God can make it rain but if you planted the seed then you’ve done your part.

I wish you so much success in 2012. Anything you want is possible. God knows I’m a living witness. Please feel me. Please hear this from my heart. Anything you want is possible. If I didn’t believe it I wouldn’t take the time to send this message to you. Take care of yourself.

Hope you are inspired….

Kelly Rowland headed to Paris, France for a steamy cinematic ‘Keep It Between Us‘ music video, featuring sexy actor Lance Gross.

The very romantic music video premiered today on her website.

The visual has the two taking long walks through the Parisian streets, visiting the Eiffel Tower and drinking espresso at some quaint cafe. Oooh la la!

 “Keep It Between Us”
.
They say true love, is enough
forever, forever
Then I’ll stay here in your arms
forever, forever

Not a thing in this world I won’t give up
Can’t live in this world, if I’m not next to you, to you, to you
Just a plain ol’ girl, I don’t need nothin’
They say I got it all, but they don’t know that all is you, is you

So don’t give your love away

Let’s Just Keep It Between Us

Can’t see myself, with no one else
no never, no never
I can make it through, the words with you
so whatever, so whatever

Not a thing in this world I won’t give up
Can’t live in this world, if I’m not next to you, to you

Know that I don’t ever wanna hurt you
And I don’t think nobody else deserves you
and I don’t think I can see nobody else here with me
Promise to love you, and to cherish, and to nurture
And when the time is right we can take it further
Long as I know that you’re here to stay
And never give your love away

So don’t give it away baby!

The “Keep It Between Us” track is from her third studio album, Here I Am.

Check it:

In case you missed it, last night, President Obama delivered the 2012 State of the Union Address to Congress and the nation….

Some of the highlights:

The state of our Union is getting stronger.  And we’ve come too far to turn back now.  As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum.  But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.

Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last -– an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

I’m a Democrat.  But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed:  That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.

I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.  But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country.  Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship.  I will sign it right away.

Full transcript HERE

Watch President Obama’s State of the Union address:

Great job!

Seal, who is currently promoting his album (Soul 2 now available in the US). gave a number of interviews yesterday following the official announcement of his separation from supermodel wife, Heidi Klum.

The singer explained why he is rocking his marriage ring on Ellen earlier today.

Yes, I am still wearing my ring. But I think that it’s pretty much a token of how I feel about this woman. We have eight years. Eight wonderful years together. And just because we have decided to separate doesn’t necessarily mean that you take off your ring and you’re no longer connected to that person. We will be connected in many ways ‘til the rest of our lives…. through our children and also through this tremendous kind of admiration, respect and love that we have for each other.”

“Will we wear the ring for the rest of our lives? Who knows? But right now it feels really comfortable on my hand so I have intentions of taking it off anytime soon.

On the shocking revelation of their divorce announcement:

I think so you and you can include us too. I think we were shocked. You go into these things with the greatest intentions when you say ‘I do’ and you say ’til death do us part.’ Those vows hold value. They are not just words. But these things happen. We have pretty much said how we feel. I think we made it clear in the release statement.

You just grow apart after a while.

You try and you work through it and the thing that you quickly realize when you are married and you become a parent is that you do the best that you can. It makes you actually appreciate your parents a lot more. The thing that I’m most proud about this great woman who married (and I really do mean that from the bottom of my heart), is that together she has given me four incredible gifts…four beautiful children [Leni, Henry, Johan and Lou].

She still, in my opinion, the most wonderful woman in the world. I think our priority was to remain civil and do this thing with dignity. We still very much love each other.

To say that neither of us were grieving would be an out and out lie (and I don’t mind telling you that). I think the operative here is that we are civil to each other and we both have a tremendous amount of respect and love and we try and do this with as much dignity as we possibly can.

Keep ya head up Seal!

Check it:

The United States of America’s First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama opens up about her White House mentoring program in this month’s issue of More Magazine.

“Growing up the way that I did — kid from the South Side, going to public schools — the more my career developed, I realized how much I didn’t see, how little exposure I had to opportunities.”

FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s More Magazine cover picture is absolutely breathtaking…. Equally amazing is the elite White House mentoring program created by the First Lady herself…

“To open a secret door for others that hadn’t been opened for me,” by pairing disadvantaged girls with some of the powerful women in the land.

Mrs. Obama explains to the newest inductees of high schoolers, noting that the President’s internal White House acronym is POTUS:

““They call me FLOTUS, for first lady of the United States. And there are many times when FLOTUS and POTUS feel like characters.”

There have even been times, she says, when she’s craned her own neck to see which celebrity might be causing all the excitement.

“And it’s me. Oh, man, it’s FLOTUS. FLOTUS is here. No one told me FLOTUS was coming.”

FLOTUS Michelle Obama tells her class of mentees:

“But sometimes, I just want to be Michelle. So you guys have to start slowly seeing me as Michelle, all right?”

For more about Michelle Obama’s unique mentoring program–and why it is so personally meaningful to her–read the full story in the February 2012 More Magazine, on sale now.

The Oscar nominations have been announced!

And the fab actresses of one of the best movies out of 2011, “The Help”, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis, each landed a nomination for the 2012 Academy Awards. The 84th Annual Academy Awards air live on ABC, Sunday, February 26th at 7p ET.

Salute to Glenn Close, Michelle Williams, Meryl Streep & Melissa McCarthy of “Bridesmaids” for their Oscar nods!

Here’s complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations:

Best Picture: “The Artist,” ”The Descendants,” ”Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” ”The Help,” ”Hugo,” ”Midnight in Paris,” ”Moneyball,” ”The Tree of Life,” ”War Horse.”

Best Actor: Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”; George Clooney, “The Descendants”; Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”; Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”; Brad Pitt, “Moneyball.”

Best Actress: Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”; Viola Davis, “The Help”; Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”; Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn.”

Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”; Nick Nolte, “Warrior”; Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”; Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”

Best Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”; Jessica Chastain, “The Help”; Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”; Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”; Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”

Best Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”; Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”; Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”; Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life.”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Bullhead,” Belgium; “Footnote,” Israel; “In Darkness,” Poland; “Monsieur Lazhar,” Canada; “A Separation,” Iran.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”; John Logan, “Hugo”; George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”; Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”; Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”; Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”; J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”; Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation.”

Best Animated Feature Film: “A Cat in Paris”; “Chico & Rita”; “Kung Fu Panda 2″; “Puss in Boots”; “Rango.”

Best Art Direction: “The Artist,” ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” ”Hugo,” ”Midnight in Paris,” ”War Horse.”

Best Cinematography: “The Artist,” ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”The Tree of Life,” ”War Horse.”

Best Sound Mixing: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”Moneyball,” ”Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” ”War Horse.”

Best Sound Editing: “Drive,” ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” ”War Horse.”

Best Original Score: “The Adventures of Tintin,” John Williams; “The Artist,” Ludovic Bource; “Hugo,” Howard Shore; “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Alberto Iglesias; “War Horse,” John Williams.

Best Original Song: “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets,” Bret McKenzie; “Real in Rio” from “Rio,” Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

Best Costume: “Anonymous,” ”The Artist,” ”Hugo,” ”Jane Eyre,” ”W.E.”

Best Documentary Feature: “Hell and Back Again,” ”If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,” ”Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” ”Pina,” ”Undefeated.”

Best Documentary (short subject): “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,” ”God Is the Bigger Elvis,” ”Incident in New Baghdad,” ”Saving Face,” ”The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.”

Best Film Editing: “The Artist,” ”The Descendants,” ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”Moneyball.”

Best Makeup: “Albert Nobbs,” ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” ”The Iron Lady.”

Best Animated Short Film: “Dimanche/Sunday,” ”The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” ”La Luna,” ”A Morning Stroll,” ”Wild Life.”

Best Live Action Short Film: “Pentecost,” ”Raju,” ”The Shore,” ”Time Freak,” ”Tuba Atlantic.”

Best Visual Effects: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” ”Hugo,” ”Real Steel,” ”Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” ”Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”