Literature
Loud and Clear: Communication Tips From Oprah
If you don’t read O, The Oprah Magazine or check out her show, you are truly missing out on some great inspiration. Oprah has been around for this long so that probably means she knows her stuff!
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Michael Jackson’s Opus
Get ready for the one and only printed piece that has been officially authorized by the King of Pop’s estate. The Opus will feature 400 pages of never before seen photographs and anecdotes from those that knew the great MJ personally. It’ll come in a silk covered clamshell case, with a pair of white gloves that you should wear while viewing to protect the pages. There will NOT be a second run print of this so you should order as early as possible, if you want it. As a SOLID MJ fan, I think i’m gonna splurge on this. Pre-orders are being taken now for $165, which may sound steep, but after October 27th that’ll go up to $330, which is OD to me, lol. It releases on December 7th and whomever pre-orders will have a guaranteed delivery date before Christmas.
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Be A Business…..(Wo)Man
In my travels (from Brooklyn to Manhattan), I’ve met some amazing people. I’ve come in contact with fashion designers, painters, singers, bloggers, bankers, etc.
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Designing Obama
The Obama Campaign was revolutionary in just about every aspect. One aspect that gets overlooked pretty regularly is the beautiful design behind all communication materials. The O logo, the website, the print take-aways, motion graphics/video, everything, was extremely well executed and consistent.
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The Sartorialist: Book Signing in NYC
If you are in NYC and haven’t picked up a copy of The Sartorialist Book as of yet, I suggest you do that now
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I Want To Love You Pretty Young Thang: I-D Mag PYT Issue
Let me start off by saying that this concept is genius!!! i-D magazine got four of the hottest, young Black female models in the industry together for an outstanding photo shoot by Emma Summerton.
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Keri Hilson X So-Me for Complex Magazine
A beautiful woman. A great illustration. A great photograph. Add these things up and you get a masterpiece. This is the best way I could describe Keri Hilson’s  collaboration with artist So-Me for the September 2009 issue of Complex. Check out the photo gallery and cover story here. Eye candy at its best!!!
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The Sartorialist Is Yours…On August 12th, 2009
As a fellow photographer, father, and blogger, I view Scott Schuman as an icon of sorts. He has branded himself in a positive way and he is highly respected in the fashion world. Every photo the guy takes is magazine worthy. Better yet, book worthy. So it is no surprise that he is releasing The Sartorialist book in the US on August 12th, 2009 and worldwide by early September. You can pre-order the paperback and limited edition hardcover here. Trust me. It will be worth it.
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Random Homage: Been Gone For A Minute
Hello beautiful people!! I know I know. My posting has been a little inconsistent as of late. But there is a perfectly good reason for it. I’ve been traveling the world with Jay-Z and Beyonce as their personal photographer!!! No not really.I’ve actually just been in NYC introducing myself to new places, people, and things so that I would have plenty of things to blog about. In a nutshell, I took a vacation in my own city. I’ll be taking a few more vacations now that school is over, but I’ll do better with posting. I promise!! AND, as you can see, Matt and I are now on Twitter and we’ll use it to keep you all abreast of our interesting motions when actual posts are not an immediate option. Now on to the good stuff. This list is a bit longer than others because I’ve got so much catching up to do, but I promise you’ll enjoy it!!
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1: Lauren London in Complex Magazine. This girl went from New-New to pretty much everywhere. She’s gorgeous and I’m going to take her out for dinner sometime in the near future. Watch me!!!
2: LateBoots is one of the best blogs running right now. They give me my daily dose of gossip, fashion, and its always fun following Sham and Marquis around while they live it up.
3:Â Ida Ljungqvist is the 2009 Playboy Playmate of the year. She’s definitely worthy of the award but she made history, being the 50th Playmate of the Year and the first to have been born in Africa!! She’ll be on my arm the day after I take Lauren London out.
4: J.Crew has free shipping for their children’s line, Crewcuts, now through May 31st!!! My beautiful children, Avery and Brook-lynn, will be celebrating their 2nd birthday on May 11th so this promotion couldn’t have come at a better time. If there are any little ones in your life, you know where to shop!!
5: Rick Ross is the man. His beard is perfect, his money is right, and his newest album, Deeper Than Rap is an instant classic. He bounced back like a round ball from his beef with industry bully, 50 Cent. Kudos Ross.
6: Sea is one of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn. They now have a location in the Meat Packing District of Manhattan! I went for brunch the other day. Gotta love that Siamese fried rice.
7: Graphic tee-shirts are going to be a large part of my wardrobe this summer. I’ve already acquired a few from Brooklyn Circus but it’s only right that I explore other brands as well. I’ve got my eye on this 10 Deep tee with a graphic of Karl Lagerfeld on it!!
8: Converse Japan is so consistent with their footwear, it’s beginning to hurt my heart. Why does Japan get all the cool patterns and materials? Converse USA does well, but Japan is winning right now. Sigh. Guess I’ll see you all when I return from Japan.
9: It’s swimsuit time for V Magazine. And they blessed us all with more than one issue for the month. 6 issues with a different beautiful woman on each cover!!! It’s a recession but I’ve gotta have em all!!!
10: The second colorway of Nike Air Yeezy’s was released last Saturday. I haven’t gotten my hands on any pairs but these are too smooth for me to not say anything at all about them. Ye!! Wassup with my pair man?!! You’re gonna come running when the Air Nicky’s drop!!
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The Brooklyn Circus: New Looks and Leather Books
Clearly I am a BKC advocate and supporter because they have reserved a permanent spot in my mind and on the site. I spend a lot of time in their Brooklyn location and lately I’ve been in there more often than usual so its only right that I write. Right? Right. For those who don’t know me, my varsity jacket game is on point these days. And this is a fairly recent occurrence because great brands, such as BKC, keep putting out great varsity jackets that just force me to purchase them. Hence why I’m heading to the Brooklyn Circus shortly to pick up another jacket. Or two. Probably either the BKC X Sabit black varsity or the BKC denim varsity jacket. Both pieces are amazing and I don’t think my life would be complete without at least one of ‘em. But what I really need to pick up is the brand new “Changing of the Guards” style book. The creators describe the book as being “a 128 page leather-bound visual collection of photography, art, design and history that have created and inspired the Brooklyn Circus Journey”. Yep. A Brooklyn Circus Coffee table book!! Consider it purchased. Stop by the shop and just enjoy the vibe and do some Spring shopping. If you’re in NYC this Thursday, join the BKC crew for the official release party of “Changing of the Guards” at Deity lounge in Brooklyn. Click here for more info or just read the poster below! The Brooklyn Circus Experience IS and will forever be everything!!!
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Site Spotlight: Ice Cream Melts
Some may say this is the age of blogging since everyone seems to have one. To me, beneath that surface is simply a voice, the wanting to tell a story. Be it something inspiring, random, or just to vent how you feel about a particular subject or experience. Enter icecreammelts.com, a universal, user-generated blog that allows people to log in and share their own experiences, all with the intention to uplift and inspire those who read them. Ice Cream Melts carries the same name as the book of poetry released in 2007 by author Nnamdi G. Osuagwu who also created the site. A little snip from the books description
“…The collection[of modern poetry] does more than just stating the obvious pitfalls of present-day living. It shows there is inspiration to be found in the acceptance that we are only human and that, in the end, ice cream does melt.”
Hit up the site ASAP, share an experience or two, and also be sure to check out the book!
Also from Nnamdi, is an ebookumentary created for his mom about the entire Inauguration 2009 experience since she was unable to attend herself. It does however, require a special download and is available for sale on the site as well.
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No Paper Cuts…
Magazines are one thing that I’m convinced will be around forever. There are online mags and some big names like GQ and Vogue allow you to see all the main features of that particular months issue online. But yet magazines still sell out. People still flock to magazine stands for anniversary and double issues as if their lives depended on it. But whether it be online or in your hand on the subway, I am pretty sure that magazines aren’t going out of style anytime soon. Check out a list of some of my recent favorites.
1: American Icons in Glamour Magazine 70Th Anniversary Issue: If you didn’t pick this up or at least see the pictures on someones blog, you are out of the loop my friends. This has got to be one of the most interesting concepts I’ve ever seen. Some of today’s most iconic females were used as stunt doubles for some past (and some very present) icons. And I say stunt doubles kindly because believe me, they were stuntin’. This segment was graced by the likes of Alicia Keys, Lindsay Lohan, Paula Patton, and the list goes on. Oh by the way, Alicia Keys as Michelle Obama gets my vote as the best one!!!
2: Stylish NYC Women for Elle Magazine Online: As a very fashionable male (Yes. If you don’t know. Now you know), I can appreciate a stylish woman and actually prefer to be around them, as shallow as it sounds. I’m just a big fan of the immediate aesthetic value of people, places, and things. And this video that Elle Magazine made tapped right in to that part of me. They roamed the beautiful streets of New York City and interviewed some of the most stylish women they saw. Enjoy!
3: Amber Rose in Smooth Magazine: Whoa…That’s all I can say about this South Philadelphia native. The only reason I picked this is because she is absolutely perfect physically. She is also said to be Kanye West’s main squeeze. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife. But they aren’t married and he’s not my neighbor. Play ball!!.
4: The First Lady Michelle Obama for Vogue Magazine: Behind every great man is a great woman. And vice versa. Sometimes they walk side by side or carry one another. Throughout President Obama’s campaign, I’m pretty sure a few pictures popped up on blogs that epitomize that. Vogue sat down with the most beautiful and most powerful woman in the world. Take a look.
5: Kobe Bryant in Complex Magazine: Two moguls in their own right, Kobe Bryant and Mark Ecko chopped it up in Complex Magazine. Kobe Bryant is arguably the greatest basketball player in the world. So not reading something featuring someone with that much talent is downright sinful. They talk about everything from his new Nike shoe to bootleg movies so read the entire interview people!
6: V Magazine Glowing Issue: V Magazine is probably the biggest magazine ever. Literally. It’s almost poster sized, which I enjoy thoroughly because the photos are so big and crisp. My love for great photos is usually my reason for buying V but not this time. The “V” logo on the cover glows in the dark. I may never even open this magazine. Like my school text books. Pick it up when you see it folks!!
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