The Coldest Winter Ever Sequel Finally To Be Released

I can’t deny I’m a bit of a book snob, so for the longest time I didn’t have any interest in reading The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah because the same people that swore to me up and down it was a must read were the same people that would also recommend books like this….

After one too many, “You never read the Coldest Winter Ever!!!“, two years ago I finally decided to read it, and was only disappointed in myself for not reading it sooner. After years of talk of a sequel and even movie, the sequel has finally been given a release date of October 2008 and will be titled Midnight. If you remember, Midnight was the sexy and mysterious character from The Coldest Winter Ever. Click here for more on the upcoming book.

My reading game has been slacking with my move, I try to read a new book a month but lately barely have time to read a magazine. Although these two books are not new, they are great reads for anyone looking for a summer read. Click the pictures for more on them. I remember missing my stop on the train back when I was reading these.

The Most Photographed Wedding Dress…Designed By A Black Woman

I’m going to try to continue to feature little tidbits in black history that are often forgotten or unknown. So far I have featured Sara Baartman, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, Claudette Colvin, Donyale Luna, and Nina Mae McKinney. This time around it’s dress designer Ann Lowe.

The most photographed wedding dress in U.S. history was worn by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1953 for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr. The dress, made with 50 yards of silk taffeta and embellished with interwoven bands of tucking and tiny wax flowers took two months to create.

The dress is so famous that it is now displayed in the Kennedy Library where it looks as beautiful now as it did over 50 years ago.

A few years ago I was shocked to learn that the dress was designed by a black woman, Ann Lowe.

Ann, born in Alabama in 1899, is the daughter and granddaughter of dressmakers for Alabama’s first ladies. After her mother passed away at the age of 16, Ann took over her mothers projects and later went to design school in New York. While in design school, although she was not accepted by her white classmates, she was accepted by Societies Elite and became known as “Societies Best Kept Secret”. The reason for the title was because although customers loved her work, they would not admit that there clothing was designed by a black woman.

After buying dresses from Ann, Jacqueline Kennedy decided to also have her design her wedding dress, as well as 10 others for wedding guests. Aside from Jacqueline’s wedding dress, Ann also opened a store in Saks Fifth Ave and her own store on Madison Ave where she made over 2,000 dresses for New York socialites.

For more on Ann, click here for a book, Threads of Time:The Fabric of History that covers 16 black women designers.

Yay or Nay: Chanel Gun Heel

(Images Source)

The fact that I frequently say “If I don’t get my hands on a pair of these shoes I’m going to shoot someone” must have been overheard by Karl Lagerfeld for these shoes that debuted for his Chanel Cruise 2009 Collection a few days ago. I was on the fence about them, but after seeing this picture I actually like them in silver….the combination of the double C logo bag and pistol heel was too much for my cynical, jaded heart to bear. After all they have dual purposes, you can look cute with your bag and if anything jumps off you can pistol whip someone with your shoe.(Let me stop, if anything jumps off I would either turn Reggie Bush and hurdle my way out of danger or just faint).

Seeing this pair up close I think they look like the unfinished shoe you can buy for prom and take somewhere to have it stained to match your dress. I’m sure the girl that was banned from her prom for looking like Diamond from Player’s Ball wished she had on these that night.

On a side note, I was so happy to see Jourdan Dunn walking this show.

For tons of pictures from the show…click here.