Today is National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. One year ago, Karyn and Luvvie founded The Red Pump Project — an enthusiastic non profit organization which has tirelessly worked to raise awareness both online, and with a series of awesome events around the country. Today marks the celebration of the 500 in 50: Rock the Red Pump campaign — where fellow bloggers are encouraged to be part of the movement and show solidarity by featuring a Red Pump badge on their blog. And to write about what National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day means to them.

When I look at the statistics of women and girls with HIV/AIDS, it terrifies me. And when I look at the women and girls who seem to live their lives completely ignorant to the ongoing threat of HIV/AIDS, it astounds me.

Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.

Black women make up 66% of all new diagnoses of HIV in women.

These are statistics that should resonate with anyone who’s reading this. So how can you support the cause, and do your part to raise awareness?

If you’re a blogger, you too can participate in the 500 in 50: Rock the Red Pump campaign – it’s not too late!

You can become a Red Pump Ambassador and help to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in your own community.

You can seek out local HIV/AIDS charities in your neighborhood and offer to volunteer time, money, or supplies.

Or at the very least you can wear your favorite pair of red shoes today, to show your solidarity with the movement.

I am so proud to be a part of this cause, and the Red Pump Project is becoming bigger than ever, y’all. Just this morning Luvvie and Karyn appeared on NBC here in Chicago!

And I sincerely hope to see many of you come out wearing your flyest pair of red shoes on Thursday March 25, for the Rock the Red Bold Fashion Awareness event. Click here to buy tickets. There will be cocktails, fierce fashion, and some of your favorite bloggers in attendance. Please come out for this amazing cause!

So. Are you rocking red pumps today? Tell me if you are!

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Every year I like to celebrate by hosting a giveaway. This year I’m a day late, but I’m truly psyched about this one. Bellas – allow me to introduce you to Fairwinds, a unique jewelry collection by Rachel Roy. The collection is a collaboration between Rachel and Fairwinds Trading. Every item has been hand-crafted in Africa by a female-owned business.

This clutch was made in Tanzania, using local fabrics.

These gorgeous earrings were made in Rwanda, featuring beads made in a paper layering process.

This bracelet is made from shredded woven paper, using traditional Rwandan techniques.

Right now, Rachel Roy’s Fairwinds collaboration is available at rachelroy.com and select Macy’s stores and macys.com, and the collection compliments Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace collection of amazing baskets — which is also made by Fairwinds Trading!

I reached out to Rachel to learn more about the collaboration.

Afrobella – What inspired you to collaborate with Fairwinds? Was this a kind of collaboration you’d dreamed of for a while?

Rachel Roy: One of my goals has always been to help women achieve better lives through financial freedom and independence – that, to me, is about creating job opportunities. Partnering with Fairwinds was a natural choice and to be able to provide and sustain jobs in Africa is essential – the work that Fairwinds does is inspiring and it was a natural partnership.

Afrobella: So far there are three beautiful items from this collaboration – what’s next in store?

Rachel Roy: We will continue to offer seasonal items integrated into all product categories: Sportswear, Jewelry, Shoes and Handbags. Materials used will include handcrafted beads made from varnished paper and woven materials from recycled fabrics and cloth indigenous to different regions in Africa.

Afrobella: What are your hopes for the women of Fairwinds, and for this fashionable collaboration?

Rachel Roy: My hope is that this collaboration and my work with the organization will not only support these women and their families but raise awareness for women in Africa as well as the larger issues – nutrition, education and health care.

I’m delighted and honored to offer an exclusive giveaway of Rachel Roy’s complete Fairwinds collection — clutch, earrings, and bracelet!

All you have to do is leave a comment and let me know — which is your favorite Fairwinds item, and how do you plan to rock it? — comments will be open until March 12!

Good luck!

Oh and click here to join my Facebook fan page. And are you on Twitter? Click here to follow me!

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This was an epic Oscar night for black actresses, and an epic Oscar night for plus size women. Before the ceremony much ado was made of Gabourey Sidibe’s Oscar dress possibilities — blisteringly and brilliantly covered by Erica Kennedy, author of the funny, fierce Feminista and Bling: A Novel. The phenomenal Kate Harding outlined Gabby’s red carpet history and her prospects. And tonight she came through in blue Marchesa festooned with diamond-like appliques.

I didn’t love the dress, but I think Gabby was resplendent and her MAKEUP was to DIE for. Whoever did the makeup, holla at a bella because I want the deetz!

Mo’ Nique also looked resplendent in blue. She wore blue as an homage to Hattie McDaniel — to read a beautiful tribute to Oscar’s first African American winner, read Rita Dove’s poem, via 55 Secret Street. And when she won, the tribute she gave to Hattie McDaniel was truly stirring. Mo’Nique had her face as beautifully beat as evah, and she rocked the hell out of that ruched dress.

The one-shoulder trend was big (I’m not a fan, IDK #shrug). Mariah worked it.

As did Queen Latifah — and I liked the blinged out baby pink look – Queen is always so regal. She just makes me smile whenever I see her on the red carpet!

Anika Noni Rose looked adorable and fresh faced as always, something about her personality just seems so approachable and endearing to me! She looked super pretty and worked the night’s other trend — strapless, with a lush, full skirt.

I MUST say, Zoe Saldana may have worn my second most favorite dress of the night. I am a fool for purple and that dress absolutely took my breath away when she came down the stairs during the ceremony. Look how excited she is to be wearing it!

For Oscar night, I love a little over the top drama. Which is why I loved Nicole Richie’s dress.

She looked fierce. Sleek. A little severe. Very Hollywood. Gorgeous!

But my FAVORITE dress of the night was worn by Rachel McAdams. Look at her. She knows she looks amazing. Beyond gorgeous!!

Who wore your favorite Oscar look of the night?

** all photos from Oh No They Didn’t

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I gave a long overdue shout out to one of my besties in the beauty blogosphere, Julia of All About the Pretty. I’ll tell ya, I touched her arm when we were at Fashion Week in September…her skin is like silk and velvet and all things soft and sumptuous because of the body scrub she’s been doing for years now.

Some of the hubbub and criticism of Vogue Italia’s new additions have died down, since Vogue Italia’s editor in chief wrote her rebuttal (in which she quoted ME! In Rachel Zoe’s words, I die!) And also, the announcement that the legendary Bethann Hardison is now the editor-at-large of Vogue Black quieted some naysayers.

Some of the hubbub has died down, but not all. And my attitude towards it can best be described as resigned bemusement.

I realized something recently — almost every website I write for has a variation of the word black in the title. Black Voices, Black Atlas, Afrobella, and now Vogue Black. It’s not that I’m exclusive about what I write about, I’m just passionate about celebrating our unique beauty.

Most of the time, when I read criticism of the sites I write for, it’s from white supremacists who are mad that black people have their own channel on the teevee and are living in the White House and going on fancy vacations and whatnot. To paraphrase. So I was kinda surprised that this time, the shrill voiced outrage was coming from women of color — about the fact that Vogue made a site dedicated to black beauty. I’ve come to the conclusion that I must be clueless.

To me it’s like – hey! Vogue’s catching up to what I’ve been doing since 2006! But to others it’s like how DARE Vogue create a channel just for us! Why separate us into another channel? The 1950’s are over! Thanks for setting us back * insert number of years*, Vogue! SMH! And if you admit to liking it even a little bit, people accuse you of having a “separate but equal mindset.”

I’ve seen articles online where it’s that serious. And I just don’t feel that way.

I don’t see Vogue Black as some kind of intended honor bestowed unto our people by the high priestesses of fashion. Please. I don’t see it as an attempt to neatly corral our beauty thereby throwing us a wacktastic bone while keeping regular Vogue the same as it ever was. I see it as a new initiative that’s beginning to find its look and find its voice, that is celebrating a range of black beauty and focusing on our celebrities and cultural icons. Big stories from Vogue Black also appear on the front page of Vogue Italia, and I hope to see more integration of articles from Vogue Black, Vogue Talents and Vogue Curvy on the main Vogue Italia website. The future is still wide open and bright, as far as I see it.

We’re at a fascinating crossroads in the black fashion world. On one hand, Vogue — the quote-unquote “world’s most influential fashion magazine” — is giving black beauty its own spotlight for the first time in the brand’s 118 year history. On the other hand, we’re seeing sad times as we face the apparent demise of the historied and celebrated Ebony Fashion Fair, which has brought high fashion to black women for half a century.

I guess it’s obvious, I’m biased because I’m contributing towards Vogue Black. But I gotta tell y’all, I am optimistic. I believe that this another step towards some long overdue changes. But enough about what I think… I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Vogue Black is here. What would you like it to be? What kinds of articles and photographic inspiration would you want to see? Do you have any constructive criticism to share?

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This week it was confirmed that Alexander McQueen took his own life. He left behind a note, the contents of which are yet to be revealed. It’s hard to imagine the kind of psychic pain he must have been in, the kind of heartbreak he must have been feeling, to decide to end a life so full, so fabulous, so inspiring to so many.

Celebrities have given their condolences through interviews and through Twitter. Naomi and Kate paid tribute in his dresses. Lady Gaga dedicated a performance to her fashion mentor, at the Brit Awards.

The fashion world is still reeling. His passing came at the onset of New York Fashion Week, and led to a scrambled cancellation of his McQ presentation. London’s Fashion Week just kicked off, and a memorial wall to McQueen is proving to be a sort of mecca for fashionistas there. Right now it seems like everyone wants to leave a note or a flower outside his store. Everyone wants a McQueen item in their wardrobe.

The business world waits for no one, and offers no grace period for grief. Gucci will continue Alexander McQueen’s label, the tributes will continue for a while, and inevitably scandalous speculation and criticism will begin (see Toby Young’s piece for example).

And the fashion world keeps turning. It’ll remain to be seen if his fashion line will retain or increase its success in his wake. It’s hard to imagine the landscape of contemporary fashion without him.

RIP, Alexander McQueen. You will be missed, you will be celebrated, you will never be forgotten.

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Being that Abby is a well known designer whose HSN clothing line literally flies off the shelves whenever she’s on the air, I didn’t know what to expect from our interview. Would she be a diva? Would she be out of touch, or someone I can relate to?

I’m so happy to report that Abby Z is made of pure awesomeness. You don’t have to ask me — she’ll be on the Home Shopping Network at 1 a.m., then again at 9 a.m and 6 p.m. tomorrow — so you can see for yourself!

My interview with Abby became a conversation pretty much right away. We just gabbed like old girlfriends, and I didn’t take note of my questions at all. So here, my ladies, are some of Abby Z’s gems of wisdom about her amazing life, and her gorgeous clothes.

On her style of design:

“The inspiration comes from my life. My life is very contemporary casual. When I go somewhere I’m packing shorts, tunics…you don’t look good in some muu-muu sarong thing. I LOVE going to Florida, and my boyfriend lives in Aruba. I spend quite a bit of time in warm weather. I don’t desire to make formal wear because that’s not who I am.

On her amazing incredible jeans that I need in my life:

I took seven years to make my jeans, and my white denim line. This isn’t something you see that’s thin and see through. This is real, quality denim and they flatter your body. You know how there’s that gap on most jeans so your butt is visible if you sit down? My jeans don’t do that! They’re sit down jeans. My waistband is cut on the bias so they curve with your lower back. People LOVE my denim.”

On her “extras”:

“All my shirts have either a removable necklace, or a camisole. I love doing that. Every sheer shirt comes with a cami. To me, those are the things that make a purchase special. I insisted that HSN include a camisole or piece of jewelry with each shirt.

On what we can expect from her latest HSN collection:

“Lots of beautiful summer colors — teal, coral, emerald. And prints. Alot of people think that prints make you bigger, but no – prints are distracting, and can be really flattering.”

On focusing on “plus sizes,” the surprising range of her sizes, and her ethos as a designer:

“I do sizes 2 to 24. There is literally something for everyone. And honestly I don’t look at any woman as “plus size.” Everyone wants to look beautiful. So when I design an outfit, I’m inspired by trends and fashion and music. I think — this is what I’d wear to walk down Lincoln Road in Miami. This is what I’d wear to go to Aruba.”

On the advantages of shopping on HSN:

“Well HSN has a 30 day return policy. So if you’ve never tried on my clothes before, get two or three sizes, and send back what doesn’t fit. Sometimes when you’re at a department store you get hot and sweaty and it’s crowded and annoying…this way you can sit on your couch and watch me, and get to know me and see the clothes on models of different sizes.”

If that sounds good to you, be sure to tune in at 1 a.m., 9 a.m., and 6 p.m. tomorrow (that’s Tuesday February 9!)

I’m tuning in, Abby! I’ve got my eye on those jeans!

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Which is why the just-launched Barbie Basics collection is giving me EVERYTHING right now.

Bellas, behold designer Philip Crangi’s one-of-a-kind Barbie doll. She is part of a collection of 12 fabulous dolls, who each are sporting their unique designer silhouette of the classic little black dress. Not to mention – these Barbies can be customized with “ultra-chic accessory packs, including shoes, scarfs, jewelry and more.” Oh. My.

My inner child has been awakened, and thankfully this LBD-loving Barbie Basics line is also for a fabulous cause!

“To celebrate the launch of the LBD-loving Barbie Basics line, twelve CFDA fashion and accessories designers, including Isaac Mizrahi, Kate Spade’s Deborah Lloyd , Tory Burch, Rachel Roy and Monica Botkier, created one-of-a-kind dolls spotlighting their unique points-of-view. Starting January 28 at 10pm EST through February 7, these individually styled pieces of art will be auctioned off on eBay with the entire net proceeds directly benefiting CFDA education initiatives and scholarship program. The opening bid begins at $100.”

So you too can own the fiercest Barbie you may have seen thus far — here she is at the regular price of $27.90 (but she’s on backorder till March!) and here she is in her full Philip Crangi LBD glory! *Snaps in a Z*!

Click here for the EBAY auction, and click here to find out more about the Barbie Basics line.

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Just last year, I had an encounter with a fur coat that left me both aghast and amazed. At Chicago’s Modern Vintage Fashion event, there was an entire booth dedicated to fur. Now — indulge me for a second. I’m from the islands. Furs are not a part of the wardrobe in such climates. So visiting colder climes and now living in Chicago, has been quite the eye-opener. Because downtown, honey there are some women strutting their stuff in fur. And I can’t deny my fascination with it.

Fur is so soft. It’s so glam. It’s so over-the-top and decadent. There’s a part of me that loves the look of fur, particularly in moderation (head-to-toe fur is crazy tacky, IMO). But an even bigger part of me can only see the cruelty, the blood, the senseless murder of it all.

Before I get into all of that, back to Modern Vintage Chicago.

This particular booth was dripping in fur. All colors, all kinds. Fox and mink and chinchilla and rabbit, as well as more exotic-looking varieties. I walked around touching all of it. And then I came face to face with a fox stole. Complete with a pointy little nose, heartbreaking eye sockets, and little paws with pads and claws that reminded me so much of Max, my cat’s. It made me shudder. I just had to get out of that booth ASAP.

After being spooked by the stole, I had to SMH at myself. Because I eat meat. And I’ve been ardently seeking a leather jacket, because everything I’ve seen that’s pleather in plus size looks really cheap and fake. And I have a thing for suede. I realize that I am a total hypocrite.

But as hypocritical as I may be, I will never wear fur. And I don’t quite understand the defensive stance Kelis recently took in her open letter to PETA. First she took to Twitter to brag about wearing her “Cruella De Ville.” Then she took to MySpace for a rant that is nonsensical, to say the least. Kelis defends her right to wear “rodents,” then proceeds to tell PETA to “…Find a worthwhile cause like the women being maimed in these Middle Eastern countries. Or female circumcision. Or women’s rights here in America, we still get paid less for doing the same jobs as men.”

Le sigh.

Kelis I love your music, but I can’t agree with your MySpace rant. There are already organizations that focus on women’s rights. PETA is dedicated to saving and improving the lives of animals. And animal rights is a very worthwhile cause. Without the hard work of animal rights groups around the world, many species that are currently endangered would most likely be extinct.

I am glad that organizations like PETA do as much as they do to raise awareness of the tremendous cruelty to animals that is done around the world. But I also think PETA does the cause a disservice. The group has become the most public face of animal rights, and their tactics are often ill-advised. As much as I’d never wear fur, I’d also never even consider throwing a bucket of paint on someone. That is no way to win hearts and minds, or convince anyone that wearing fur is bad. That’s a way to polarize people, and to make those who do wear fur angry at animal rights supporters, and even more adamant in their desire to wear clothing made of animal pelts.

There are far better ways to make a point.

Edited at 11:34 pm – I’d like to thank the bellas in the comments and on Twitter who have added reasons to question PETA’s approach to animal rights even more.

Click here to read about PETA’s sexism, racism, and hypocrisy in their ads and behavior.

I’d like the record to show that I’m not mad at anyone who’s got a fur coat. Many of the people I know who own furs, own antiques that have been passed through their families for eons. Even if you’re pro-fur, I say that’s your prerogrative. I am aware of my own apparent hypocrisies, I abhor hunting and would never wear fur, but still I eat meat and look good in leather. To me, the difference is this — I don’t want an animal — ANY animal — to be killed just for its fur. I tell myself leather is different — cows are already killed for their meat, and leather is taken from already dead cows. But it’s more or less the same thing — an animal’s flayed skin. In terms of eating meat — that’s probably never gonna stop, sorry. But I’m trying my best to be better, by participating in Meatless Monday. I made that resolution for health reasons, primarily. But it’s a baby step in what I believe is the right direction.

I am a fan of faux fur — we’ve really come a long way from the old days. A good faux feels just as soft and cuddly as a fur coat, to me. But just when I’m patting myself on the back for making a choice against cruelty, then I’ll read that fake fur isn’t always fake.

What’s an aspiring fashionista like myself to do?

I don’t know, y’all. What do you think? Are you a fur fanatic? Or are you pro-PETA? What are your views?

* photo from the Wall Street Journal

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1. Peace Images — what more can I say about Peace Images that I haven’t already said? I have never met Camille, but she is totally a friend in my head. Her jewelry is AMAZING. The quality, the look, the creativity – hats off to her, for real. I own a few “peaces” and plan to get more, and thankfully there’s a neverending flow of new items debuting on her Etsy page. Seriously – she is always working on something new, unique, and show stopping. Every time I wear her Coffey earrings, someone stops me to ask about them. Her work with chains is stunning — her shoe chains, body chains, ear chains, joined rings… super fly. And now, for my ladies with locs or twists — hair chains. HOW FLY is this hair accessory?? And how fly is Camille? She’s got a blog now, too! Check her out!

2. Cut It Out apparel. A teeshirt line with a message and a vision that any afrobella would be proud to rock — can you dig it? I sure can! Cut It Out is the brainchild of Brooklyn-based bellas Tirinda & Noricia. Their teeshirts are high impact, inspiring, affordable, and of good quality. I’m proud to rock my Grace Jones homage tee in the summer, and now in the fall layered over a long sleeved tee. I’m excited to see what’s next in store for Cut It Out. Wearable homages to some afrobella inspirations, perhaps?

3. MBT Goti boots. My first encounter with MBT shoes came this fall, as my husband and I were strolling down Michigan Avenue. We passed some kind of orthopedic medical supply store, and I saw a sign for shoes that promised to solve knee and back problems, relieve neck tension, and do all kinds of other marvelous things. I tried them on and walked around the store. These round-bottomed shoes feel crazy at first, but I was immediately intrigued and knew I had to wear them for a longer time to try them out. I got that opportunity this December, and I gotta say — the Goti boots are the coolest-looking MBT’s out there, in my opinion. My only complaint with these boots — they’re a little tight for bellas with large calves. And the zipper looks cool, but I totally got it stuck and couldn’t get my boot off for an hour recently. A bigger, more finger-friendly zipper would be awesome. But despite those minor flaws, I LOVE these boots. They’re funky and attractive in a unique way, and SO comfortable to walk in. When I wear them I feel aware of my posture becoming straighter, and my super-flat feet which sometimes get achy, feel amazing in these. I wear them all the time. It’s enough to make me almost overlook the hideousness of the other pairs, just to have a pair to wear in warmer weather. Almost.

19. Um, Coach. That is all. The biggest giveaway I’ve ever hosted. Coach included me in their Holiday Blog-a-Day, and gifted me with a purse. The prettiest purse ever. I just want to pet it and hug it and call it George. Instead I only take it out for the most special of occasions when I want to feel uberglam.

20. Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. These were my fashion staples all year long. I initially bought my usual size, but I noticed they stretched out. Then when I went to Chicago’s fabulous plus size boutique Viva La Femme, and they clued me in — get one size down. I got me a pair of fly bootcut gray jeans that streamline and enhance my curves in the best possible way. I wear them everywhere. And my next pair of jeans will probably be a pair of NYDJ’s. But I’ve got my eye on those Cookie Johnson’s!

So that’s the best in style. One more category and I can finally move into 2010! Did you make any amazing fashion discoveries this year?

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make custom gifts at Zazzle

My trademark was finally approved by the USPTO. That means I am finally 100% in the clear to offer Afrobella merchandise for sale!

If you love this blog, have natural hair, or just want to show your Afrobella pride, click here to visit my Zazzle boutique. I hope you like what you see!

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