MY DAY: PSTYLE SPYING

What is wrong with fashion today? Or is style your cup of tea? What will it take to bring this generation out of its thugged-out, throw-on induced coma? Is there a rebelling spirit against real style, purpose and effervescence? Is a picture still worth a thousand words?

For about five years leading into the new millennium, we published a calendar showcasing vintage fashions of middle class African Americans from about 1880 to 1955. A portion of those publications are housed in the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C., and we kept a diary of some comments received about the pictures. Very interesting.

My collection of vintage style started with a drawer full of photos my mother left in an antique bureau.

The “upscale style-only” collection has grown since to magnum proportions, because African Americans have always led the quest fashionably unquestionably and we have the evidence to prove it.

This past week I went style spying. The temptation was overwhelming. So much going on in the cosmopolitan- fashion-forward city of Dallas. Two National Baptist Conventions(NBC) back-to-back,were in town and let me assure you, the brothers, sisters, et al, were completely all put together scrolling the polished halls of our best hotels. To remain bedazzling, the mayors (United States City Mayors Conference) and their spouses, did not disappoint us, they came in blazing trails with style choices only suitable for appearances in “Big D”.

My style-spy week started with the audacity victory and party for Joyce Foreman, over to the NBC Women’s Luncheon, with Pamela Daniels, Chair (. . .and thanks again for having me on the program) who eloquently mastered a ‘first ladies fashion show’ . . . of just WOW!!! people. The week ended with the celebrated fashions of Mitsu Ishikawa and Gadol Wilson, the awesome Konjo,an African Fashion Designer at the Gallery Noir in the Dallas Design District. Cheryl Edwards, founder, hosted the 10th Annual “Sister’s Gift” there, honoring nine

“Women of Unsung Courage”. Honoree, full-figure model and spokesman Debra Jones, elaborated on the question of why do you choose to serve “this” population of people. “Sister’s Gift” is a renown HIV-AIDS program. The honoree, on behalf of all the awardees, calmly replied that ” people always remember how you make them feel”. What an appropriate closing to style-spy week.

Whatever your purpose, do it with style and effervescence.

Ester Davis can be reached estyler2000@aol.com. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Maxine Cash