Fotoweek DC 2009 started today, Saturday Nov 7, 2009 and will be going on until November 14, 2009. Make sure you all check out the FREE exhibits going on all week throughout the district. Check out official site for more information here.

-Selamawit

II

LABELS

Balmain- 

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Balenciaga

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Belstaff

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Bensimon

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Be You K

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BCBG

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Bill Tornade

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BIRIBELLE (dmv)**

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Box Fresh

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Buddhist Punk -

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Bruno Pieters-

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PUBLICATIONS

WWD- I know I said Vogue is the fashion bible. But let me clarify, Vogue is great and always will be…but its like the old testament and WWD is the New Testament. This magazine seems to be carrying on torch…whether Vogue likes it or not. WWD is always thorough.

W – I love how big this magazine is. Sure its not the easiest to carry around but the photography (esp the covers!) are amazing. Great fashion too! Its definitely more European than most other mags we are use to, but thats what makes it so worthwhile.

Frank151- The complete opposite of W. These miniature magazine-books are always based off of a specific theme that is carried out in all aspects of the issue. Great friend of mine introduced me to this mag and its definitely grown on me over time. I was resistant to the size and thickness of the paper. But its effective and I do like that you can carry them everywhere. And they have interviews, anecdotes, fashion and music.

DOTCOMS

Bread & Butter-Website dedicated to urban fashion. Pretty thorough.

Vice Magazine-A friend of mine put me onto this site almost 3 years ago. I am grateful for that to this day. Raw and real articles. Great images. And I LOVE their dos & don’t section. Just hope ya never turn up in it though. yikes

Format Mag – Another friend of mine told me about this great site last year. Beautiful images, layout and graphics. Music, Fashion and Art online magazine.

This is THE LIST for this month. If you are a designer/label in the area(dc/md/va) or from elsewhere in the world, please contact me editor.shademagazine.com to be considered.  Every month you’ll get a new set of labels, designers, sites, publications and so forth added to THE LIST. Hope you enjoyed this set, please leave comments and tell me what you think!!

-Selamawit

Because temporary pity doesn’t bring security for the future

by Whitney McGuire

December 1st, 2006 was an overcast day, but that didn’t deter me from venturing across campus to see famed rapper Ludacris speak to the GW community about the AIDS pandemic. I made my way across campus skipping one class, I must admit, to hear what Ludacris could possibly say about such a pressing issue. I admit I was skeptical. Aside from getting an HIV test the day before, I decided to wear my overpriced “INSPI(RED)” t-shirt from the (PRODUCT)RED line begun by U2’s Bono as an attempt to show my support for the AIDS pandemic and to vainly draw attention from Luda to myself. I entertained the latter thought very briefly. I digress.

Well I certainly didn’t get attention from Ludacris, but what I got was an increase in my initial skepticism about this visit in general. Prior to attending this event, I laughed candidly with friends about the notion of Ludacris giving a speech about AIDS. I even dissuaded my boss, involuntarily, from going to the event by telling her that he was not coming to perform, but he was in fact coming to talk to us. I couldn’t help but think to myself after these incidents, “really, why was Ludacris coming to speak to us (read: seemingly health savvy/ able to afford HIV and AIDS drugs- college students) about the pandemic”?

My thoughts stayed with me as the lights in the theater dimmed. Flash bulbs from area newspapers and magazines sporadically illuminated the darkness. The clapping of the audience subsided as the likes of Charlize Theron, Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Ashley Judd, and of course Ludacris graced a projection screen in front of us imitating the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” gestures that made three monkeys famous at one point. I digress once more. These A-list celebrities urged us (once again, seemingly health savvy/ able to afford HIV and AIDS drugs) college students to become aware of the AIDS pandemic and to give – the optimal word here– to a worthy cause by purchasing a trinket, a necklace of some sort (which was probably made in China, but that’s an unfair assumption) at your nearest ALDO shoe store for only $5.00! I along with other audience members became increasingly uncomfortable as the faces appeared more frequently and everything else they were saying seemed to be edited to repeat the optimal word give or better yet, buy. At this point, my INSPI(RED) shirt became less and less appealing.

From this event I learned that Ludacris became aware of the sense of urgency to educate others about the AIDS pandemic while filming his “Pimpin’ all Over the World” video in South Africa (The irony is just too overwhelming right now. Hopefully he was prophylactic-ally protected while he was doing all of that “pimpin!’” I digress once again.) He mentioned that DC was one of the most infected cities in North America (1 out of 20 DC residents is infected with the virus according to the Center for Disease Control); therefore his visit to GW was somewhat warranted, aside from Sigma Phi Epsilon’s push to showcase this event as a philanthropic effort (Kudos to them by the way for raising over 30,000 dollars for this cause. Trust me we were reminded quite often of their generous donation).

The audience was quite receptive. No one heckled Ludacris about his promiscuous lyrics, partially because he forewarned the audience that he practices safe sex and that his lyrics such as “shake your money maker” are about having fun, and partially because we didn’t really care about the speaker’s image– that’s more for universities like Northwestern and Harvard. We just wanted to know what more we could do to increase the education about this pandemic in our own city. Several statements were made that seemed to follow the same grain: “GW students are typically not from DC, able to afford health care, and are extremely educated about the risk of contracting HIV and AIDS. The majority of people mentioned in the former statistic are not here at GW, but in the greater DC community.” These statements were ignored by the expert from Youthaids.org sitting to Ludacris’s left.

The commercialization of the AIDS pandemic has become a temporary attempt to garner attention to a permanent—although, hopefully, a weakening—problem. Julie Potyraj, a sophomore here at GW, says that these A-Listers might think that “it’s cool to help [the poor]” but this fad “only helps as long as people are interested. The fate of impoverished children lies at the mercy of the Hollywood A-List and commodity hungry spenders.”

What I couldn’t get out of my mind was this internal dilemma; I don’t believe that these marketing campaigns make me feel any more secure about the future of this pandemic. I would have been more moved by hearing a testimony from an actual HIV/ AIDS survivor than celebrities. But on the other hand, I’m so glad that these proceeds are going towards this cause. It seems, however, that that is where it stops. What is the cause? Is it AIDS education within the inner city, the city in which we undeniably reside? Is it pressuring various African governments to start instituting AIDS awareness programs? I am not sure. The various non-profit organizations that were present that day seemed to offer more suggestions as to treatment, prevention and volunteer opportunities than the “expert” and rapper on the stage. The popularization of this pandemic has become, as Julie stated, cool. Let’s face it, sex sells, even if it kills you. I, like Julie, just hope that people will still care “after Madonna stops adopting African Children” and after ALDO finds something else to market. The fate of this pandemic should not lie at the mercy of Hollywood’s A-List.

For more information please visit the following sites:
www.youthaids.org
eric.ed.gov
www.cdc.gov
www.condoms4life.org
doh.dc.gov
www.unaids.org

Recently, I went to the 3rd Annual Mandingueiros Batizado 2009, a regional Capoeira event in Alexandria, VA.  A good childhood friend of mine, Sami Ahmed (“Selo” as he is referred to by his fellow capoeiristas), has been involved and practicing capoeira for several years [and was actually receiving his new cord to become a monitor at this event!]. Any ideas about capoeira I had were due to films I may have seen that showed some capoeira, or my roommate’s description of her college beginners level class. However, those stories are no where near how great it is to be there in person and see and watch people practicing Capoeira. I got to witness the actual batizado, which is essentially the ceremonial process in which individuals become official members and receive either their first cords or new ones symbolizing their transition onto a higher level.

Following the batizado, I got a chance to talk to his instructor and creator of Grupo Ondas, Silas Pinto. Silas Pinto was born and raised in Cape Verde. His parents ran a church and were very religious. Due to the lack of adequate educational and career opportunities, Pinto moved to 1989 to the U.S. to go to University of Rhode Island. He went all the way to receive his doctorate in psychology. He is now a Tufts University Graduate level professor in psychology. He has a wife , 2 kids aged 3 1/2 year and 1 year old.

During his university years, he decided he wanted to learn capoeira and start sharing it with other people so he created Grupo Ondas. Grupo Ondas was officially created in 1996 and originates from Rhode Island at University of Rhode Island. In capoeira, there are three center styles: Regional, Contemporary, and Angola. Grupo Ondas practices regional. Silas wanted to take traditional brazilian capoeira and introduce other cultures to it and vice versa. It is well-known among capoeiristas that Brazilian’s tend to be very protective about their capoeira. The current Grupo Ondas logo has Cape Verde flag because Silas wanted the group to reflect unity and cross-cultural significance. Initially, Silas based the group out of URI, since that provided the necessary financial support for travel and outreach that a university could provide in those early days. Overtime, the group started to be more widely accepted especially among other more traditional capoeiristas. Now it has roughly 150-200 members and managers to maintain the operational aspect of the ever-growing group.

Here’s how the rest of our conversation about Grupo Ondas and capoeira went:

How can Capoeira apply to other aspects of someone’s life? What tools have you used from this art to apply to rest of life?

I learned about respect. Respect for people of different ethinicities and ages. We learned about self-control, discipline, friendship, community, protect not destruct. Motto is: build true confidence, knowledge in mind, honesty in heart, and strength in body.

Why should  someone start learning? If you were to convince a young working adult to start practicing what would you say?

Many times people are attracted to Capoeira simply for the aesthetics of it. It looks cool and fun to everyone. Personally, I stayed because of the challenge on all levels. Its not just a sport but it actually makes you a better person because of the people you meet and principles you learn. People come in and out of our group often because ultimately they are a bit anarchy-minded. Discipline and rules are key to learning and excelling in capoeira. Ultimately, capoeira chooses you as does any sport. How well you do in this sport is determinant usually on two factors: 1) innate ability to do well in this specific sport 2) proper training.

Where would you like the group to go from here? Future Plans?

Well in regards to the studio space, it is open to existence of the mall. The studio just serves to be useful space for our group and community. [sidenote: over the past 5 years there have been reports that Landmark Mall is suppose to close].

In regards to Grupo Ondas, I would like to see more focus on inner structure. I don’t want to lose personal relationship I have with each student. Knowing their names, family members. At the same time,  I still want it to grow so that it can be financially stable and can run itself. Ideally, I would like to have it so that the schools are spawned from our own, meaning our current students continue on to be instructors.

This is the 3rd Annual Mandingueiros Batizado. What’s been the biggest change you have seen since the 1st one? What’s been biggest challenge? Proudest moment?

This is the 3rd annual OPEN batizado, meaning its for everyone who takes the course. We have had 6 inner batizados over the years. Much has changed over the years as expected. When we first started the highest level attained by the students at the time was 2nd, and now students are at the 7th level. The business itself has transformed. We went from using a room in Golds Gym to having full access to an actual studio. The biggest challenge is of course money, not that easy to get donors and financial support. As for the proudest moment? Well honestly it was when I gave my wife her graduado cord while she was 8months pregnant.

When you receive the cord it means you are an understanding person of this system. Therefore, you represent the school. Sami (Selo) comments,  “It is much more personal when you receive a cord here than in any other sports or schools. It is a very big deal and the energy is high the entire time. For instance in Taekwondo, there are so many people to even begin to appreciate the moment. The cord giving/receiving moment is also a 1st impression of sorts too, to show them there is a reason to keep coming. It’s not just a sport you become trained in, you are also joining a family.”

I am fully responsible for this school. Selo is monitor, meaning he manages it on a more frequent basis. I live and work out of Rhode Island, so there is a lot of traveling involved for everyone from RI to Boston to here and back.

Oh also, whats with the all white? (referring to the white uniforms capoeiristas wear)

I have a  few theories:

1) Traditionally Sundays everyone wore white to church so people would stay in their church clothes then joda.

2) When you wear white you have to keep it clean, so the way you differentiate whether someone is a beginner or not is by how dirty and/or clean your outfit was.

My theory?

In 1930s they all started wearing white because Master Bimba wore white to a joda. Before him, capoeira was illegal and people were seen as vagabonds and were arrested. Master Bimba tried to legalize it and would wear white uniform to make the sport look more professional.Sub-consciously,  white is generally seen as pure (as opposed to black). It is said now that we wear it for tradition not because we believe in it. Cannot possibly ignore the power and effect of colonialism and history behind all this. Now, as an instructor and leader, I am trying to get the students to change their opinion, so in our school the graduados (beginners) wear black. This all started back when I was starting out and actually got in trouble for innocently wearing black to a joda. It was seen as a sign of disrespect for me to wear black to the event and I of course so nothing wrong with So when I created the group, I altered the traditions. For instance, in this group, all members have animal names and beginners wear black because symbolic of respect and reminder of how to communicate.

After the interview winded down, I bid my farewells to Sami and Silas and  the few remaining at the studio as they chatted away about the celebrations that were in store for later that night.

It is definitely refreshing to see that there are local groups and communities that nurture and support the development of different art forms and practices. Here’s a video clip that gives you just a glimpse into what Grupo Ondas does:

If you would like more information about Grupo Ondas and/or taking capoeira classes, email the instructor, Sami (Selo) at selocapoeira@gmail.com

-Selamawit

The Eclectic Eight

Perhaps this is going to sound as though I am getting really ambitious, but it doesn’t hurt to try this out and then see how it goes.

So, every third Monday of the month, 8 different indie songs and/or artists will be brought to you on www.shademagazine.com . Why 8? It’s my favorite number.  I will do my best to present you with an eclectic assortment of sounds that’ll hopefully please everyone who checks this out (along with the other great articles on here! If you are an artist yourself or know of someone(and/or a group) that should make the cut each time then let me know! (editor.shademagazine@gmail.com) 

1)  The Big Pink “Dominos”

2) The FiveOne Band “You were my friend”

3) Super Viral Brothers-Flu Shot Mixtape

4) The Very Best “Julia (Javelin Re-Do)”

5) Anjulie “Boom”

6) Cold War Kids “Hang me up to dry”

7) Nacey & Starks (of Nouveau Riche project) EP

 8) Cage the Elephant (Self-titled Album)

Hope you enjoyed each artist as much as I did. If you know of an artist and/or group that should be on this list, let me know! editor.shademagazine@gmail.com 

-Selamawit

 I love discovering new sounds. So when I came across Ayo, I knew I needed to share her music with as many people as I could. She is an Afro-German guitar-strumming, afro-funk/soul songstress. She has a slight accent and it makes her voice sound amazing over the reggae beats. Her lyrics are reminiscent of  a young Carly Simon: songs about womanhood, love and loss. Her debut album went double-platinum in Europe and then the album was released, via Interscope Records,  in 2007. Late 2008, she released her second album, Gravity at Last in France and embarked on a concert all throughout Europe.

I remember seeing this video not too long ago on MTV2 and thought oh another afro-centric, guitar-strumming, bluesy-sounding singer has come along…but she is completely different.She is that and more. Here’s an official video for song off her debut album:

Listen to Gravity at Last here: 

Gravity at Last by Ayo 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let me know what you think. More discoveries to come!

-Selamawit

I have dreamt of going to fashion week…new york, paris and london…for-ever. However, as of now, I am still an under-the-radar…well under…renaissance woman. So until that glorious day comes where I will glide to my front row seats to any and every show my heart pleases to attend…I will write about it.

Overall general trend has been browns, whites, blacks, and sprinkle of color here and there. Light orange and blue was pretty common all across the board. Decent number of pant suits as well. Not the long skinny-leg kind, but your basic trousers right at ankle or mid-calf. Generally dresses were either super long or right above the knee.

So here’s my picks from 2010 Spring Paris Fashion Week:

Alexander McQueen- This man is fantastical. I wonder what his dreams are like. What he sends down the runway are just extraordinary works of art. This time I was hooked just on the shoes!

Junya Watanabe-I looove the 30’s style men’s shoes. No real dresses. Lots of pant-suits.Very masculine-chic. Beautiful tall tightly wound-wraps.

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Lanvin- Alber Elbaz can do no wrong in my eyes. The shoes, the dresses, everything. And if you know me well, then you know, I love a good dress.

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Giambattista Valli - If I was to go on a safari, I’d rock this. I mean that in a good way.I like the straw material. Perfectly-cut at mid-thigh to above the knee. Just how I like my skirts.

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Viktor & Rolf Duo does extraordinarily bizarre work. Avant-guard fashion. This time it was very MC Escher-esque

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Yves Saint Laurent -well-known, well-respected fashion house. always chic and refined.

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Jean Paul Gautier very colorful which definitely is not surprising since he always does his own thing. Corsetted tops making perfectly cinched waists.Heavy on the stockings and chunky bracelets and long cuts.

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Bruno Pieters – Short Dresses with pockets. My first time coming across this designer. Ethereal fresh look.

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Balmain- Rocker-look. Had various looks not just dresses or just pant-suits like most of the other collections. A lot of individual pieces. Same color scheme though.Heavy on the details and hand-work.

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You think I forgot to mention a few others? Then leave a comment and tell me what you think!

-Selamawit

Is it really not  about race?

Its October. We are fully into 9 months of living under The Obama Presidency. Now that I have become a new citizen (yes I’ve lived here for almost two decades and I have waited till now to finally seal the deal.whatev.better late than never, right? right), I have become more comfortable with voicing my opinions, because well legally, they matter more, because I can friggin finally VOTE! YES!

I digress. The point is, I find it interesting and quite frankly treasonous that people are being outrightly dissrepectful of the President and his administration. This began before he got into office, when he was being sworn in, and even now 9months into it and he is being disrespected left and right. Hell, even Dubya didn’t get treated this bad….at least not during his first term, even after 9-11 and reports surfaced that the Bush administration knew and could have prevented it.

With Fox News and Rush Limbaugh at the wheel, as of late, it has seem to have gotten worse especially with the unheard of interjection by Senator Joe Wilson of South Carolina during President Obama’s  address to Congress. Everyone seems to be tip-toeing around the idea that it might be a race issue…even the President himself. Now I am not saying that anyone who opposes him is automatically racist but it seems as though most of the folks who have complaints, when it comes down to it, are just not happy with having a black man in office. Why are people still questioning his citizenship?  What presidency has had markers every 100 days? All the networks have been checking his status every 100 days to see how he is fairing…seriously? Its almost as if everyone is waiting for him to fuck up…just even once and then they are gonna say…”oh well you see, of course he would he’s black.” or rather , “you see we gave a black man a chance and he failed. we are never letting that happen again.”

And then good ol’ Jimmy Carter went on T.V. and laid it on the line. Now I didn’t like him before that day because of his unnecessary and damaging remarks during the Ethiopian 2005 Elections. But that’s a different topic for a different day. Here is what Jimmy said:

Now this was great. Just great. But what perplexed me was the President going on Letterman and being dismissive of …well the obvious.

Perhaps he and his advisors felt it wasn’t necessary to comment, but the way its looking, if he is facing this type of blatant disrespect and incivility towards him not just as a black man, but as a man in power, and as The President of the United States of America, then well how much worse is it going to get during the rest of his term. Now I am not saying all his policies are perfect, and noone should exercise their freedom of speech, but he cannot heal the world, he cannot in a day make both the ill and unemployed and insurance companies content with his health policy, he cannot fix the education system overnight, and still prevent Iran from attacking us or anyone else for that matter.

But he is for most part, sticking to his plans. He is covering the issues he said he would cover during his campaign run. He is doing everything. Arguably, perhaps, spreading himself a bit too thin, if you ask me. Maybe that is intentional, so he appears to be a well-rounded President and can do it all, or maybe it’s because as a person of color we are upheld to much higher standard and have to do double that of our white counter-parts in every aspect of life or maybe that’s just how he is: he really is that dude.

Whatever the case may be, give him and the administration a break. After the first two years, if nothing good has come from him being in power, than by all means go for it. Hell, maybe I’ll start complaining about him too. I am just asking  for once can we all just play fair. I don’t think that is too much to ask for. Sure many of us have been affected by the recession, inadequate healthcare options, the two wars, and everything else under the sun. But all these problems did not just show up overnight.They had been slowly growing and festering under the radar (least to the general public) for years now. And they surely are not going to just completely disappear easily tomorrow.

So as the all too common saying goes: you are either part of the problem or the solution. So let’s move forward.Let him do his job and be the President. Of course you must do your part as a citizen and voice your opinions and concerns, but offer alternatives if you don’t like something. Help the nation progress and get better. Anything less would only create more problems, and at this point, I think its pretty clear, we really don’t have time for anything less.

-Selamawit

THE LIST

I love fashion. Sounds like such a common statement. But it’s true. Fashion is definitely top 3 of worldly things that I truly love and actually get moved by. I actually get chills when I see an impeccably made dress or a stunning pair of heels. As a child I would alter my clothes, cutting up my shirts and bottoms, playing dress-up with my mother & sister’s clothes and shoes (until I couldn’t fit in them anymore!), and studying and obsessing over magazines. I was in there, back when the likes of Issac Mizarhi, Versace, Valentino, Carolina Herrera and Calvin Klein ruled the fashion world…and still do!  watch this

So I have always tried to keep up with different trends and realized…well…after a while it got to be really difficult to keep up. Trends, colors and materials are easy to keep up with, but these days names are coming in and out and the fashion industry has grown to mean more than just a dress and pair of pumps.

So I realized one thing I wish I had, was an extensive catalogue. A list that had names of labels that I had never heard of. And wished I had. So I decided I need to make that list. or at least start one. And add onto it as time went by. The comprehensive list I have been working on consists of labels, sites and magazines that I love and find fresh and I feel that you need to check out too.

Along the way, I studied different magazines, sites and shows and real-life people(I love seeing what people wear and how they create their looks!) and began jotting them down.

Over the course of next few months I will be building up to my extensive list. So to start off, here are the first batch:

Labels

Abirato

Addict

Aem’Kei

Andrea Crews

A.P.C.

Atleier LaDurance

Publications

Classics:

Vogue – the fashion holy book. practically collectibles.

Marie Claire – great articles on beauty, relationships and they always have social spin.In case, ya know, ya wanna save the world

Vanity Fair – great articles, signature covers

Harper’s Bazaar – extensive coverage of newest trends/styles in fashion

Elle – youthful and always covers hippest newest “it” people.

Time – stay up on the politics. interesting articles. signature covers.

Huffington Post- socio-politcal blogger’s heaven.

Reuters - stay up on world affairs…and anything else under sun. good writing & images.

Artsy:

Juxtapoz -the images alone gets you hooked. articles pretty good too.

W’AD – wow. just wow. this European urban fashion/lifestyle magazine is more like a book. crazy covers and images.

JPG -photographers heaven. and you can learn few things if you are starting out.

Arkitip – arts magazine & website. each magazine is a work of art itself. how fun.

BeingHunted – a blogger magazine. sounds odd huh? but it works.

Stay Tuned! The List will be updated every month. It will contain not only under-the-radar designers but also established fashion houses, various publications/sites and a few trend alerts.

Also, If you know of a label/line that should be included let me know!

-Selamawit

(editor.shademagazine@gmail.com)

MOVIE PREMIERE: TEZA

Highly acclaimed Ethiopian director, Haile Gerima premieres his new feature film, Teza, this THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 at AVALON THEATER, 5612 CONNECTICUT AVE NW WASHINGTON, DC 20015.

What does Teza mean?

Teza is a word in Amharic language (national language of Ethiopia) referring to memory.

What is the film Teza about?

The film, Teza, is set in 1970s, under the militant-communist Derg regime, in Ethiopia, protagonist, Anberber,  after having gone to live in Germany for several years to escape the harsh realities of living under the Derg, returns to his native home of Ethiopia. The film documents his journey from leaving to returning to his native home and coming to the harsh realization that things had undoubtedly changed for better or worse. Director, Gerima uses Anberber’s story to introduce the overarching theme of displacement, memory and morality.

Here’s the Trailer:

Make sure to check out the film premiere THIS THURSDAY!

Special wrap-party to follow at LIV Nightclub-2001 11th Street NW (@ U Street) Washington, DC 20001.

BUY TICKETS HERE

If you would like more information about the film, director, cast, and premiere, please go to their official website: www.tezathemovie.com

***For those in local DMV area, If you would like to see and know more about Haile Gerima’s work and other prominent African-American filmmakers, please stop by Sankofa Bookstore & Cafe, located on 2714 Georgia Avenue.

-Selamawit