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Ebony Fashion Fair - The Runway Report
What's happening family!!
Yesterday my baby sis and I attended the 51st annual Ebony Fashion Fair Showcase at The Apollo Theater. This year's show was called "The Runway Report: What's Hip. What's Hot. What's Now!" and I can say honestly that we both enjoyed this year's show a lot more than we did last year.
The show was scheduled to begin at 3pm and my sister was running a few minutes late, so I decided to await her arrival outside of the Apollo theater. She got to me at about 3:15pm and we hurriedly went inside to check out the show, which was already in progress.
We wound up getting great seats down front, the ushers gave us 2 copies of the Ebony Fashion Fair Magazine and we quickly got comfortable.
The show was a dazzling mix of vibrant hues, ornate fabrics and fabulous furs. I always get excited at the prospect of seeing a plus sized model in ANY show, so I was amped up everytime plus sized model Phonicial Washington took the stage. I always enjoy seeing her but I still have problems with most of the clothing they decide to put her in. It's usually black, grey or plum with no style, no fierceness...no nothing. It was a little better this year though, they gave her a little more color AND a bathing suit to boot! They also sent out a brother in a jacket with multi colored tights and SHOES...What the hell??? You could hear the titters of laughter in the audience as I whispered to my sister "Who in the hell is w
During the intermission, my sister decided to opt out on the bar and said she wanted a cup of coffee, so we went outside for the break. As I was waiting for her to return, I stood outside chatting with some folks who had come outside for a smoke during the intermission. I decided to ask how they were enjoying the show and the subject of the plus sized model came up.....
The general consensus with this group was that "She wasn't plus sized, she's no bigger than I am". They pegged her at about a size 12-14 and in their minds that ain't plus sized. While I had less of a problem with her size...I did have a problem with that Ebony Fashion Fair Magazine - Plus sized model Phonicial Washington was not in it - not even on the "Meet The Models" page! What's up with that?? I also read the story called "Fade to Black" about the disappearance of the black model and the plus sized models were not mentioned in that story either (lol...no surprise there at all). Actually there was NO mention of plus sizes anywhere in that magazine - yet over 50% of that audience was a size 14 and up!
Fur, rich colors mark 2009 Ebony Fashion Fair
Posted on March 2, 2008 by Sheena Barnett in News
BY SHEENA BARNETT
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Hundreds cheered for sleek suits, flashy furs and a plus-sized model at the 2008-2009 Ebony Fashion Fair.
This year’s fair, sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., took place Sunday at the Tupelo Furniture Market. The theme for this year was “The Runway Report,” with special scenes dedicated to the most fashionable styles, colors and fabrics.
Despite the recession, snowy morning weather and the fair traveling to nearby cities like Columbus, the Tupelo show was a success, said AKA member Jackie Smith.
“We’ve had a very good turnout,” she said.
Usually the fashion fair comes to Tupelo once every two years, but this is the first year the AKA has hosted it two years in a row.
“We’re having a wonderful year,” Smith said.
Nettie Davis, a member of AKA and the Tupelo City Council, thanked the audience.
“We work very hard to make this a success,” she said.
This is the 12th time the Ebony Fashion Fair has come to Tupelo, Davis said.
It was a model, not an outfit, that drew the biggest applause of the night.
The fashion show’s full-figure model, Phonicial Washington, won rave reviews as she strutted down the runway in a green Mark Bouwer dress.
“(Washington) proves women larger than a size four can definitely work the runway,” said the show’s commentator Jada Collins.
Furs were a big part of many of the outfits of the night.
One of the more outstanding pieces was an orange metallic leather vest with a dyed-to-match fox fur collar made by designer Rubin Singer.
A transparent evening gown embellished with strategically placed black beads drew some “oohs” from the crowd. The dress is from the haute couture collection of Italian designer Sarli.
Bright red was featured in many outfits, but it drew the most attention when a male model wore an almost entirely red outfit.
“Seeing a man in a bright shade of red is like seeing a horse of a different color,” Collins said.
Peaches, purples, creams, mustards, pinks and grays were all popular hues on the runway.
The Ebony Fashion Fair is the world’s largest traveling fashion show.
Sheena Barnett
500 people attended Ebony Fashion Fair
By Maureen Sieh The Post-Standard
on October 16, 2008 at 5:52 PM, updated October 16, 2008 at 6:15 PM
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Syracuse, NY.----I missed the 51th annual Ebony Fashion Fair Wednesday because I wanted to watch the final presidential debate.
I had plan to go with some friends, but some of us opted to watch the debate. But those who attended the event at the Oncenter Center told me it was great affair.
The Syracuse chapter of the National Council of Negro Women puts on the show every year to raise money to buy winter wear for elementary school children, provide thanksgiving baskets for needy families and support a variety of charitable causes.
I would have felt right at home at the event because I love high fashion.
The event began at 8 p.m at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center, 800 S. State St. The crowd got to meet some of the models during the reception after the show.
The Johnson Publishing Company, which runs the show, selected the National Council of Negro Women to host the event which travels around the world to showcase fashions by leading designers.
"The Runway Report'' is the theme for this year's event.
The event drew a crowd of about 500 people, said Stephanie Thomas, the group's publicity coordinator.
"It's been a great inspiring, elegant evening in the city of Syracuse and evidently we've had enough attendants to keep going as a major fundraiser,'' Stephanie said. "It's a great ambience for anyone who loves fashion.''
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51st Ebony Fashion presents the Runway Report
April 18, 2009 12:35 PM MST
Photo from Ebony Fashion Fair
Fashionistas it is about that time again! The world’s largest traveling fashion show is coming our way! To the Bay that is! So, get your hair done, your nails polished and don your flyest fit, because this year’s Ebony Fashion Fair brings you The Runway Report!
Say What?
Saturday, April 18th, 2009 Ebony Fashion Fair makes it grand entrance into the Bay Area, set to mesmerize us Fashionistas with 13 breathtakingly stunning models (2 men, 11 women) and YES, a Plus Size Model! These models will strut the runway in an impeccably edited array of designers, including Christian Lacroix, Sarli, b. michael, Carolina Herrera, Ruben Singer and Jean-Louis Scherrer.
Okay, Tell Me More
If you don’t know about the Ebony Fashion show, let me help you out. Ebony Fashion Fair is “an elaborate production fully equipped with special effects, hip-hop and R&B music as well as all of the entertainment of a Broadway show.” Basically, a concert for your clothes! But what also makes this event so amazing is that not only do you get the chance to witness this moment of beauty, is that you are able to partake in Ebony’s Fashion Fair commitment of giving back to the community- having raised over an astounding $55 million donated to charitable organizations and scholarship funds.
To understand just what to expect from this year’s Runway Report, Ebony sums it up beautifully:
The fashion stories for this season have been written. The trendsetting news is set to be told, and in an entertaining and informative presentation of haute couture and ready-to-wear, the 2008-2009 tour of the Ebony Fashion Fair will give all an up-close and detailed view of what’s hip, what’s hot and what’s now!
This year I am so excited to see the lovely Phonicial Washington, this year’s Plus Size Curvy Fashionista, hailing from Waldorf, MD! Trust me; I will be covering the fashion from all angles and curves, but with a special eye on her! You know I have to represent for The Curvy Fashionistas!
What is even more fabulous, in her interview in the promotional video, is that she realizes what she brings to the show, representing the ladies with curves. Knowing this, she brings an extra oomph and kick to match and exceed the energy and sass as her straighter counterparts!
I am Ready to Go!
Ebony models strut high-fashion styles
Kevin Cowan
12:00 AM, Nov 6, 2008
A crowd of about 600 cleared the 51st annual Ebony Fashion Fair for takeoff as it presented the "Runway Report" at the Civic Auditorium.
Guided by veteran commentator Jade Collins, about a dozen models showed attendees high-fashion styles from some of the world's top designers. They showcased the clothing in front of a twinkling wall of lights and strutted to the rhythms of today's top tunes. Last Thursday's show included several scenes.
In "Fads from the Past," the latest take on the grunge look was in the spotlight. This time around the trend has more of hippie or bo-hemian-chic quality, as evidenced by the Guy Laroche crocheted numbers that opened the segment. The show's two male models donned matching sweaters and coats and fingerless knit gloves. Grunge went haute couture with a metallic b.Michaels gown with a matching long coat. The scene also featured grunge gone wild with distressed-leather, fur-trimmed ensembles.
Fabulous fashion was at the end of the rainbow in "Colorful Story." Model Lamont Jennings made quite a splash in an out-there Vivienne Westwood grouping that included a red double-breasted coat over what was essentially luxurious long johns painted with red, purple and black bands. More purple, the color of the season, was seen in a show-stopping look that teamed a Bill Blass purple fur coat over a flowing purple silk satin gown by Jean-Louis Scherrer. Red and fuchsia melded in a vibrant Gianni Calignano outfit, which featured a kimono-inspired brocade swing coat over a matching dress with a beaded tulle ruffled bodice.
In "Attire Talk," Collins said, "What you wear says a lot about you." When full-figured model Phonicial Washington came out in a Roberta Scarpa purple print dress, Collins commented, "You can look at this mama and know she knows how to cook," while a brocade fur-trimmed trench coat spoke that a model was high-paid, and loved imported cheeses and caviar. Although male model Jennings showed a quilted double-breasted Laura Biagiotti jacket with a fur collar, it still said, "Call me. I'm hungry."
The "Midnight Splendor" segment featured one of the presentation's most daring dresses. Model Deonna Pinkerton donned a sheer Sarli creation with beading in just the right places. Flanking her, the male models wore sheer black long-sleeve tees.
The models showed even more skin in the brief swimwear scene "Fantasy Island" which ended with model Richard Gallion disrobing to reveal red-and-blue square-cut trunks. Women in the audience squealed in delight.
The show's final scene, "High Drama," lived up to the title. Its bridal finale, which featured a love triangle between Pinkerton and the male models, was soap opera-ready. Pinkerton was torn between her current beau and an old flame. She struggled to make a decision, but chose the blast from the past. She ripped off a coat to reveal a slinky gown and a hat to let her flowing locks down, and ran into her true love's arms. The end.
Style writer Kevin Cowan may be reached at 865-342-6426.Ebony struts cool couture at 50th annual show Kevin Cowan 12:00 AM, Nov 15, 2007 Previous Next
Phonicial Washington is the show’s only full-figured model.
Show Caption Hide Caption Previous Next It came, and it dazzled.
The world's largest traveling fashion show, the Ebony Fashion Fair, descended on Knoxville's Civic Auditorium and treated a crowd of about 600 to a style extravaganza.
Guided by honey-voiced commentator Jada Collins, the 50th annual show, "Glam Odyssey," opened with a chic retrospective, with pieces shown in previous Ebony Fashion Fair presentations, from the 1950s to the new millennium. With Kanye West's "Gold Digger" setting the tone, male models Ronnel Blackmon and Justin Brown started it off in vintage Brioni brocade suits. For the 1960s, a vintage-look psychedelic dress by current designer Anna Sui. A Nina Ricci number took the '70s spotlight. The '80s were over-the-top, and so were the Bob Mackie fringe-beaded dresses that represented the decade of excess. A Jean Louis-Scherrer tuxedo-style women's suit represented the '90s, while a Renato Balestra evening gown with "2000" splashed across the bodice gave props to this decade.
After the blasts from the past, it changed from top to bottom with a fun "Head to Toe" segment that focused on the complete look. A highlight was a Lorenza Riva plaid pantsuit with matching fedora and pumps. The theme was head-to-toe purple with an Oscar de la Renta look that boasted a fur-trimmed cape.
Next, Collins expressed her "Point of Hue." The scene was all about color, with an eye-popping Louis-Scherrer matte-jersey dress in fabulous fuchsia. Another Louis-Scherrer creation, a pleated flapper-style mustard dress, proved yummy, as did an eggshell Laura Biagiotti men's outfit with a double-breasted leather jacket, turtleneck and striped pants. A chartreuse Vivienne Westwood take brightened up the stage as well.
For the next scene, "Spot on Style," animal prints clawed their way onto the stage. A Gianni Calignano design with ruffled leopard-print coat over a gown with a leg-bearing high slit wowed the audience. Animal print went abstract in a Stephen Burrows piece, and sexy with a peek-a-boo gown by Elizabeth Carson Racker. For the guys - or, as Collins called them, "male cats" - there were trench coats with collared muscle shirts, worn with animal-print ties, and trousers underneath.
In the "Break the Mold" set, it showed that designers had been around the color-block trend a time or two. The thumping beats of Timbaland's hit "The Way I Are" had the models strutting and the audience tapping its feet. Favorites included a Burrows gown with panels of red, pink, black and royal blue, Bill Cosby-esque Missoni men's sweater, and a breathtaking, flowing b michael gown awash in a vibrant rainbow of colors.
At the end of the rainbow, some "Celebrity Style." In this scene the male models became paparazzi, getting shots of well-dressed beauties. A couple of models did their version of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, complete with toy dogs and Bill Blass minidresses. "The Diva," Chattanooga native Tinika Blackmon, demanded her time to shine in a Sarli evening look that included a sequined fur wrap and sequined cone-shaped hat.
The show went from chasing stars to "Chasing the Sun," in a brief swimwear segment. It featured looks from such makers as Marc Bauer and Victoria's Secret. As usual, the male models got the female audience members a little hot and bothered by coming out in sarongs. Underneath them, square-cut trunks by Sweetwater Swimwear.
The mood went from showing skin to covering it up in "Back to White," which featured luxurious outerwear. Looks included a zebra-print coat and matching boots, shown with a red mini-dress, by Bauer; shiny patent-leather de la Renta jacket worn with leggings and fur leg warmers; a bold maxi-coat by Chado Ralph Rucci; and a Laura Biagiotti mink for the guys.
In "Shine of the Time," sequins and beads took center stage. Among the standouts: a gold-metallic, fur-trimmed mini-dress by British designer Tomasz Starzewski, a trio of red, blue and green beaded tunics by American designer Naeem Kahn, and a fun Franck Sorbier fringe dress.
Class was in session in "Campus Glam," with bookworms, athletes and sorority girls in fashions few college coeds could afford. Ungaro, Westwood and Biagiotti? They were majoring in fantasy.
More star power arrived in the "Black and White" party-clothes scene. Brown got the crowd going with his dead-on Michael Jackson dance moves.
Then it was time for haute couture with "Glam the Night Away," which featured top-notch evening looks. Full-figured model Phonicial Washington captivated attendees in a Bill Blass goddess gown, while doing a slow turn that looked as if she were on a turntable. The climax - the wedding scene featuring fashion-show newlyweds Justin and Tonya Brown. She truly was a vision in a slinky Zang Toi white gown with plunging back and dramatic pleated train. Collins' husband, Ernest, serenaded them with the romantic ballad "When I First Saw You" from "Dreamgirls."
Talk about an "Ahhh" moment.
Style writer Kevin Cowan