It DOES Matter If You're Black Or White

The times they are a changin'...

Our friends at Jezebel.com have done a dandy job of calculating the diversity of models that walked the recent NY Fashion Week. In my head, they used a Chanel calculator for said sums - I mean, seriously, Chanel now does guitars, snow boards, bikes and segways (don't worry, I had to Google it too) so why not a calculator? I could think of 100 Russian mafia wives who would just adore doing their rubles to euros conversions on one, dahlllling.

Anyway.

So, 116 labels showed at NY Fashion Week, with a total of 3,697 outfits, and of these 668 - or 18% - were, to be blunt, not white. Of these models, 41% were black, 36% Asian, 22% Latina and 1% other exotic stuff.

This figure represents a 6% increase on last year, which is great news. Yay! But, according to the 2006 US census, the general population is 26% not white, so the NY runways are still lagging behind...

If Jezebel do the sums again in September, I'll give you all an update. If they don't - any volunteers? BYO Chanel.

Kia ora LV

Throw Your Hands In The Orakei Air. Photo: Norrie Montgomery

We were fortunate recently to be invited to an event called Kia Ora LV. The location said it all. Held at Orakei Marae, Tamaki Makaurau's finest piece of real estate and the ancestral home of the Ngati Whatua o Orakei, the event was a welcome to the sailors, billionaires and international Louis Vuitton folk who were in town for the recent Louis Vuitton Series by the Ngati Whatua.

It was a stellar event, not so much in a limousine and champagne way - although there was, of course, plenty of Moet et Chandon on hand - but in an inspiring melding of the world's leading luxury giant and the people of Ngati Whatua, Auckland's iwi. The powhiri, waiata and warmth of the welcome given to the global bosses of Louis Vuitton, sailors Barker, Butterworth, Coutts et al and their bosses (Larry Ellison among them) would have made most New Zealander's proud.

Photo: Norrie Montgomery

During the speeches there was talk of a long term relationship between the Ngati Whatua and the LV Series with the iwi taking an active role as the hosts and landowners of the area. Congratulations to Louis Vuitton and Ngati Whatua for creating an event that reflected the (relative) harmony of the Louis Vuitton series, and the gulf it was sailed in so well.

The Black Eye - New York Black Eye Sam Crawford

We will soon be launching The Black Eye, a Black Magazine take on street style worldwide with teams under way in NZ, Sydney, Melbourne, New York and London. We will soon add Paris, Los Angeles and other cities. As fashion week rolls on in New York our New York Black Eye Sam Crawford has been out and getting busy. Here is a sample of what you will find on The Black Eye.

FIVE Boogie Monsters From Way Back When

Lenny White and Stanley Clarke

Sick of Aunty Julie's tunes? Us too. Throw these five on at your next family do:

Bits and Pieces - Don't Stop The Music 1981

Jimmy 'Bo' Horne - Spank 1985

Uncle Louis - Full Tilt Boogie 1979

Rod - Shake It Up (Do The Boogaloo) 1980

Lenny White - Kashmir 1999

MAC Live At Fashion Weeks Here On BlackLOG

Amber D

M.A.C isn't just about make up technique and trends, the cosmetics leader is pretty hip on the technology front too. As New York Fashion Week AW 09 rolled into action this week M.A.C was there backstage with cameras and technology to keep you updated with the action behind the scenes. Utilising the Twitter.com client M.A.C's make up elite are able to post status updates fresh from all the shows in between swishing brushes backstage.

If you look to the right you will see the M.A.C team and their most recent updates. The crew are also shooting a series of clips that will publish first on Style.com then later each day at this M.A.C You Tube site. We liked this idea so much that we decided to run the M.A.C Twittering widget throughout the northern fashion week season.

Even better is the news that the lovely Amber D. (pictured above), talented M.A.C Senior Artist for NZ, will be attending Milan Fashion Week where she will be one of the 5 artists to 'tweet' during that event. Should be interesting to see who or what chirps up!

Karen Walker Fall 09 New York

How good is Karen Walker? Great, if her RTW range shown Monday at New York Fashion Week is anything to go by. Congratulations Karen, Heathermary and the crew...right up there with the best.

Top 5 songs by Manchester legends The Fall

Many reading this will have never heard of them but The Fall are a highly influential band from Manchester, England. Formed in the late 70's and still going strong, The Fall are unique. BBC DJ John Peel, himself a British music legend, loved Mark E Smith and co above all others. They were quite simply his 'favourite band'. If you get the chance, go in search...


1. New Big Prinz - Everything is here; the groove, the bounce, the hand claps, the twanging guitar and lead singer Mark E Smith at his lyrical, demanding best "Check the record, check the guy's track record, check the record, rock record. He is not appreciated. Big Priest"
2. Hit The North - One of the earliest Fall tunes and a Manchester Hall-Of-Famer. This monster Hacienda hit is a call to arms to leave grubby old London...
3. Living Too Late - when this ep came out in 1986 it included a song called Hot Aftershave Bop! The rhythm is classic Fall lilting groove.
4. Touch Sensitive - first released this decade, Touch Sensitive could have been made 30 years ago. "Hey, hey, hey, HEY" goes the chorus. So simple, so good.
5. Fifteen Ways - "There are fifteen ways to leave your man" chants Mark E Smith sounding positively upbeat about it all. "Break. Now..." and most perfectly "you gotta be cheerful hearted"

As John Peel once said "The Fall. Always different. Always the same."

Model Army - The ID multi...

Oh to have twelve covers. Just some of the latest I.D's wonderousnous...

Te Reo TV - te reo Maori for absolute beginners!

Image: http://www.pinnacle.org.nz

So you wanted to learn te reo Maori at school but they didn't teach it then or it was considered a 'minority subject'? Maybe you did learn when you were younger but these days lack interaction. Or maybe you've just emigrated from Greenland and dig the haka! The good news is that soon you will be able to turn on Maori Television each night and learn the easy way, at home.

TOKU REO premieres on Maori Television on Tuesday March 31 at 8.00 PM. The series will screen Tuesdays to Saturdays in this regular time slot and is a teaching resource that has already taught te reo Maori to tens of thousands of absolute beginners. “When the opportunity came up to make a show that teaches te reo Maori, it felt like the right time to do something,” says executive producer Quentin Hita, of Kura Productions. “A pre-requisite for me was that the learning be absolutely robust, but to buy in that expertise, or to buy a learning framework was cost-prohibitive. I was literally trying to solve the problem in my office when I turned to a bookshelf, and saw Te Kakano by John Moorfield. I thought, why re-invent the wheel?” Te Kakano is part of a series of books, study guides, tapes and other teaching resources known collectively as Te Whanake, widely used in tertiary institutions around Aotearoa.

The studio-based show uses presenters as teachers, with field footage and graphics to support them. Each episode has been developed and honed by PhD students at AUT. The format used is in three parts – grammar, vocabulary and activities.

Could be a 'must watch' and kia ora to that!

TOKU REO premieres on Maori Television on Tuesday March 31 at 8.00 PM. The series will screen Tuesdays to Saturdays in this regular time slot.

Just purrrrrrrfect...

Says make up giant M·A·C: “she has been a fashion icon for 34 years, has lived in London, is currently a tourism ambassador for Japan, and while her obsessive fan base may be 7-34, there’s no question that she transcends age and generations...” Add to that her “edgy side and celebrity following that would intimidate any Hollywood actor” and who do you have? That pop culture phenomenon known simply as Hello Kitty, of course! A source of inspiration to many beyond the local kindy since her birth, Kitty has in the past had artists from around the world (including French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and American graffiti artist Ryan McGinley) contribute pieces to a exhibit of Hello Kitty-inspired subversive art, whilst local star Kate Sylvester was one of a select few international fashion glitterati asked to design an outfit with her in mind for M·A·C ‘s star-studded New York release party. The little lady represents the desire in all of us to be both innocent and mischievous, and the new Kitty-inspired collection from M·A·C gives plenty of scope to explore the aforementioned and all that lies in between.
Alongside the make up, the M·A·C artistic team have created Hello Kitty Kouture, a very exclusive, limited edition luxe accessories line glittering with Swarovski crystals that includes a plush doll, charm bracelet, makeup mirrors, a brush holder, makeup bags,
and a tote that’s printed in a Pucci-esque pattern among other items. It’s hard to pick my favourite piece to include here, so I’ll leave you to feast your eyes on this beautiful campaign image shot exclusively for M·A·C by the legendary Nick Knight… Miaow!

Sneaky Squizz: Top 5 Models That Have Shot Exclusively For Black Issue 10 That We Are Rather Excited About

Issue 10 of Black Magazine is less than 2 months away so plenty of the magazine/book has been already been shot and we're excited to say, we have some world class models in store - all commissioned by, and shooting exclusively for, Black Magazine in Auckland, Sydney, New York and Paris.

Here's 5 from the upcoming issue:

Cover Girl: Ali Stephens - Models.com rating Number 15 in the world.

Kim Noorda - Models.com rating Number 30 in the world.

Dree Hemingway - Daughter of Mariel, great-granddaughter of Ernest

Georgia Frost - former teenage IT girl gone brunette

Cover Boy: Vinnie Woolston - NZ's hottest male model from Raglan (Rags).

Coming soon...BLACK 10!

Get Your Own Goji On

Golly gee, look at them Goji...

We received an email yesterday from Glucina, Kevin that is. Kevin lives in Matakana, the rapidly growing market garden region north of Auckland. It seems that Glucina Nursery are ensuring that the average gardener can grow their own Goji plants in their back yards by making a number of plants available to selected garden centres around Aotearoa.The extract of the berry from the plant is said to boost immune systems, control blood sugar, prevent eye problems and even help children to grow. Worldwide demand for the little red Himalayan miracle berry is such that the berries, and various extracts of, are rather expensive to procure. As the recession/depression truly starts to bite, grow-your-own/organic will increasingly become a smart option for anyone interested in their own health - and being able to pay the rent/mortgage/man. Makes great sense/cents/our inner-selves feel better!

Goji gardening now!

Plants available retail throughout NZ at :
Mitre 10 Mega, Oderings nurseries, retail garden centres and The Potting Shed at Matakana.
Or commercial enquiries to: gluc@xtra.co.nz

Strings Of The Dead - Tankian & APO

Feel the phibes!

In a Jazz-Coleman-esque way, Serj Tankian, the former System Of A Down frontman who impressed mightily at the Auckland Big Day Out will join forces with an orchestra - The Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. Together they will perform the Elect The Dead Symphony. This orchestral take on Tankian's debut album will also invigorate several unreleased Tankian tracks. This seems as enticing as Serge looks 'mad organist' because the APO are excelling as a collaborative force, slotting a number of succesful collaborations behind them. Expect a "psychedelic, classical, surrealist" interpretation by Tankian - who will score in a musical way. Respected NZ composer John Psathas will arrange the music. Elect them now...

Tickets are only $99 to $120 a pop via 0800 Buy Tickets.

Elect The Dead Symphony - Serge Tankian & The APO
Monday March 16
Auckland Town Hall

Wayne Quilliam Exhibition - Canberra

Watching Kevin Rudd on the tele last night it was hard not to like the man. As a global statesman and Australia's leader his genuine grief over the devastating fires in Victoria, and his open disgust at the people who started some of the fires, was refreshing and humbling at the same time. Then again, this is the only Australian Prime Minister to say 'Sorry' to the tangata whenua of the land for the displacement policies which caused so much damage for so many years. To mark 'The Apology', prominent Aboriginal photographer Wayne Quilliam will curate an exhibition of photographs taken on the day. Quilliam says 'the work is a reflection of peoples emotions representing the essence of the day which is why I titled it More Than A Word.

More Than A Word will be opened by Kevin Rudd at Parliament House, Canberra ACT on 13 Feburary 2009

Jogger's Delight - The New Phoenix Foundation video

Had an eventful jog lately? One of those ones where you're singing a song as you run along on a bright summer's day and you come across things. You know; low slung Pohutakawa branches, people picnicking, knights you need to slay with the sword you just happen to have on you, people you have to rescue from small hand-made pens, passing, rolling 44 gallon drums you need to jump, people on stuffed cows and a large plastic horse you must mount in one jump...you know the usual thing. No? Taika Waititi knows all about it. The filmic genius may have already created the video of the year with his latest creation for The Phoenix Foundation's 40 Years. Not only is it clever and very, very funny but the video shot near Wellington, on a warm summer's day, stars Taika himself as the jogger in the one take wonder. Priceless.

La Coacharacha

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present .... Coachella.

Morrissey. Leonard Cohen. Crystal Castles. Band Of Horses. Michael Franti. Hercules And Love Affair. Gang Gang Dance. The Cure. My Bloody Valentine. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Peter Bjorn And John. Antony And The Johnsons. Lykke Li. The Kills. The Horrors. Shall I go on?

If I was blowing out candles today, I know what I'd be wishing for. Daddy, I want to go to Coachella now! You can keep your goddamn golden goose.

See for yourself at www.coachella.com

The Big Easel Backstage.

We published a story about Belgian fashion artist Jarno Kettunen in Issue 4 of Black Magazine with the belief that Jarno's conceptualised backstage paintings of couture and top level European fashion shows and collections would soon see the artist reaping accolades and rewards for his talent. He had originally approached us with an idea to run 6 pages of illustrations he would make backstage at Chanel...

Dear Grant Fell,

Many thanks for your interest.

Today the director of 'De Rode Loper' has been discussing with the Belgian representatives of Chanel and they will present our project and the magazines that are interested to Chanel in Paris. Now we just have to hope that Chanel will take it. I will keep you updated!

Thank you again and have a great weekend.

Best regards,
Jarno

Chanel turned down his request but in the year since much has changed. Here is Jarno painting Jean Paul Gaultier backstage at his show recently, and above - his realisation of the Chanel concept for the Chanel RTW SS 09 collection. Mission accomplished...

Dr Who. Please Come. With Tardis. Now...

We're not really fans of the iconic British 'doctor' but we'd sure like to borrow his tardis and zoom over to Cappa Docia sometime this evening. The sandstone wonderland, hidden in deepest, dustiest Turkey is quite possibly the most unique habitat on Earth and the only one that looks like sand whipped into crusty lemon meringue-esque towers. How fantastic...

Ok. We'll fess up. We didn't know this place existed until we saw a National Geographic at the optometrists today, but now we're obsessed. If anyone from the Turkish National Tourism board is reading...we're keen!!!


Here is the offical site, written in a thick Turkish English yet still somehow informative. Apparently there are a number of quality hotels built into the sandstone and the hot air balloon rides sound perfect.