A Pallete of Style Books

We've been diving into our favorite book shop or magazine shop just to get any book or magazine that would help us with our everyday fashion lives...it's also hard to find a book that has huge and complete content on it.

Here are some fashion books that would complete our day and would answer our questions with regards to fashion and style.

The Way We Wore: Black Style Then by Micheal McCollom (Glitterati Inc.). The clothes, the hair, the attitude and all fabulousness that make us timeless architechs of style are wonderfully captured in this photographic retrospective. The fact that only a few of the photos were taken by professional photographer enriches the collection with an unposed and rehearsed authencity.-YKL

Effortless Style by June Ambrose with Richard Buskin (Sion Spotlight Entertainment). Do you want to step onto your very own red carpet every single day? Ambrose, style maven extraordinaire, equips you with the essential knowledge you need to live a fashionista's fabulous life. According to Ambrose, the most important ingredient is self-confidence, not a closet chock-full of designer names.-YKL

While style is about how you look, it's not just the right shoes, or the perfect necktie. It's also how you live. Of course, if you've glanced at Micheal Henry Adam's Style and Grace: African Americans at Home (Bulfinch Press), we're preaching to the choir. Style and Grace not only reintroduces us to some of black American's greatest minds, it also shows us stunning images of their homes-often reflection of their tennant's brilliance-SW

The T-shirt can be worn anywhere! At least that's the philosophy behind T-shirt Makovers: 20 Transformations for Fabulous Fashions (Glitterati Inc.), a fun, new book authored by the clothing design duo known as Sistahs of Harlem (Carmina Marshall and Carmen Webber). Their book is a step-by-step guide that will teach you everything you need to know about how to turn regulat T-shirts into wearable masterpieces. Grab your scissors, ladies, because it's easier than you think.-ESS




Just How I picture It in My Mind: Contemporary African American Quilts from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts by Mary Elizabeth Johnson Huff (River City Publishing) describes a unique collection of Southern-made quilts that range from the traditional patterns of stars and stripes to "story quilts" about Jackie Robinson and Elvis. Behind each of the 48 quilts featured in this book lies a story told in images, patterns and words, expressed by a group of African American quilters.-NG

How to be a Budget Fashionista: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous For Less (Ballantine Books) is a smart, fun book that teaches readers how to be conscietious consumers while still looking fabulous. Kathryn Finney's cost-cutting tips for spotting high-end on Ebay, consignment shops, outlet malls will help you look chic for cheap.

(source: UPTOWN magazine Vol. 3 issue 9)

Fashion Trivia

A Fashion Trivia: Imelda Marcos

How well do you know Imelda Marcos?

Aside from she's the first lady of the late philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, she's been tagged as one of the world's greediest person. She's also been famous for her shoe collection of over 2,500 shoes (as of this year). Here are some facts about the famous Imelda Marcos:

Date of Birth2 July 1929, Manila, Philippines
Birth NameImelda Remedios Visitacion Romualdez
NicknameThe Iron Butterfly Meldy

(picture source: mav-equalizer.blogspot.com)

Spouse
Ferdinand Marcos
(1 May 1954 - 29 September 1989) (his death) 3 children

Mother of three; Ferdinand Jr., a.k.a. "Bong Bong", born September 13, 1957; Imee, born November 12, 1955; and Irene, September 16, 1960. Also has an adopted daughter, Aimee.

When the Philippines hosted the 1974 Miss Universe Pageant, she had the whole City of Manila and Baguio City painted to welcome the visitors and candidates.

While serving as the First Lady of the Philippines, her major projects include the Cultural Center of the Philippines; Philippine Heart Center; Lung Center of the Philippines; Kidney Institute of the Philippines, Nayong Pilipino; Philippine International Convention Center; Folk Arts Theater; and the infamous Manila Film Center.

To this day, in popular media whenever the wife of a dictator is being depicted for the purposes of satire (be it in cartoons, sitcoms, etc.) a large collection of shoes appears to be a functional characteristic, in reference to Imelda.

In the Madam & Eve cartoon where South African President Thabo Mbeki is shopping for a second hand executive jet, the salesman introduces an aircraft owned a by 'a little old lady' - Imelda Marcos. The plane has a thousand pairs of shoes onboard.

As a Special Envoy of the Philippines, she was instrumental in the opening of Philippine diplomatic relations with China, the Soviet Union, and the Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe (Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, etc.), Middle East, Libya, and Cuba, in the securing of a cheap supply of oil from China and Libya; and in the signing of the Tripoli Agreement.

Husband Ferdinand Marcos became the 10th President of the Philippines in 1965. Together with Imelda, he would rule the Philippines for more than 20 years.

She also became a beauty queen. At the age of 18, she was crowned the "Rose of Tacloban," became "Miss Leyte", went to Manila in 1953, and was named the "Muse of Manila" by then Manila Mayor, Arsenio Lacson, after she protested her loss in the Miss Manila pageant.

Her extensive shoe collection is world-renowned. When her family fled the Philippines in 1986 during a popular revolt, she left a treasure trove containing jewelry, some 1,500 pairs of shoes, dresses, and paintings by the masters.

Owns fashion line "Imelda Collection" with her eldest daughter, Maria Imelda (Imee) as designer. Products include jewelry, clothing and shoes.

A former First Lady and erstwhile powerful political figure in the Philippines.

Earned a bachelor's degree in education at St Paul's College in Leyte

(picture source: timesonline.typepad.com)

(picture source: http://www.latimes.com/)

Personal Quote:

"When I left the Phillipines, people looked in my closets hoping to find skeletons, but all they founds were shoes."

(source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0545905/bio)

more links for Imelda Marcos being featured as one of the most greediest person in the world at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090405-197989/Greediest-list-includes-Imelda-Marcos, http://services.newsweek.com/search.aspx?offset=0&pageSize=10&sortField=pubdatetime&sortDirection=descending&mode=summary&q=imelda+marcos

My Designs and Sketches

Hi guys! I just wanna share my designs and sketches that i made awhile ago. These sketches show my love for fashion and art. I hope you all like it!

I'll make more of these for my incoming blogs...take care and God bless!