Fashiona

Fashiona is ready to answer two outstanding questions:

1. How do you pronounce Fashiona? It is pronounced Fash-in-a.  Only Col. Dad and Mr. Random are allowed to say Fash-own-a  
2. What happened to that  class that she was supposed to teach?  Long story short: lesson plans were done, the offer letter was sent and start date was set…twice(true story), but alas the class was canceled.

Ironically, the WWD, otherwise known as the fashion bible, reported this week that enrollment in fashion colleges and schools  including: Parsons, Pratt Institute, FIT, St. Martins, Savannah College of Art and Design has increased at least 25-30%. Both the schools and the industry heads agree that even creative students need  to be more well-rounded and learn business skills as well as honing their crafts. 

Fashion 101: School adjust to the economy.Photo by Tyler Resty as shown on WWD.com

…so Miss Fashiona has other irons in the fire…got that shoe habit to support.

And yes she will bring the funny back tomorrow.

Day went to Night of Thousand Gowns‏ and has the pictures to show for it. Hail to  the queens…

Tyra, who has legs a mile long, is showing love to the petite ladies among us. The 13th cycle of The CW’s America’s Next Top Model will be required to be at or below five feet, seven inches (5′ 7″) in height for the first time in the show’s history.Day reminded Fashiona that New York City was where the stampede was~not that Fashiona is condoning such behavior but as Miss A says”little people have a lot of energy.”

Salma Hayek, Jada Pickett Smith, Eva Longorina Parker and Fashiona’s own Day, Miss A, Ms. M and Ms.Now-am-I size-2-after the -baby are all proof that petite women are only petite in stature only. They are all serious forces to be reckoned with.

Hanky Panky has also introduced their signature lace low rise thongs in Petite fit for the first time in the US.

Ladies, Fashiona is just the messenger…the only thing petite on her are her freakishly small wrists.

But seriously,aren’t all thongs “petite”?…just asking!

One of biggest compliments that  Fashiona’s mom  has paid her recently is on the “quality of her close friends.” While Fashiona is  generally a friendly and upbeat person, she surrounds herself with like minded people and quickly divorces herself from equally toxic people.  Having traveled the world extensively, she has found that  race, religion, title, career choice or  background is of little consequence  when Fashiona is choosing her friends.

What DOES matter to her is that they are loyal and honest and agree to disagree.  They support her (and viceversa) when she is on the right path and give her tough love when she is being self-destructive.  Another quality that her close friends have…is their ability to  learn from their mistakes and to resist the “woe is me” mentality.

Consider celebrities like:

• Mary J. Blidge vs. Lil Kim~Mary has evolved from a being young woman with a troubled past into a dynamic wife and step-mother with an admirable singing career.Lil Kim is turning herself into a Barbie doll.
  

• Hillary Clinton vs. Sarah Palin~Both suffered a major political defeat last year. Mrs. Palin has continued whining incessantly while  Ms. Clinton accepted the position of Secretary of State.
  

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In the example of Tyra vs. Naomi Campbell: They are both about the same age and achieved comparable success in their respective  modeling careers. Tyra has traded in her swimsuits for a TV career (not that Fashiona particularly cares for either show but does applaud her growth).

Ms. Naomi (who even more beautiful in Fashiona’s opinion)seems to be finally emerging from her cycle of cell phone temper tantrums and using her fame for good causes. Ms. Campbell first launched her Fashion for Relief in 2005 to help bring aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Photo Credit: EPA

Naomi Campbell modeling for her Fashion for Relief event London last year.

Next week she is partnering  with  India’s Vikram Chatwal  to help Mumbai recover from the horrific terrorist attacks they suffered last year. Some of the most glamorous designer labels in the world, including Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Zac Posen, Roberto Cavalli, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Matthew Williamson, Diane von Furstenberg, Manolo Blahnik and Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee are all lending their  designs to  a charity fashion show held on March 28. to help kick off Lakme Fashion Week.

Has Naomi really turned a corner in light of her more positive recent headlines? …Fashiona certainly hopes so and maybe it hints to  Naomi  “cleaning” up her inner circle?

Topaz calls Fashiona her “tea party friend” in part because of the fun things they do like go to Alice’s Teacup where they serve fancy tea,  scones and yummy finger sandwiches. Both of them are prissy beyond reproach most of the time…except when unnecessarily crossed.

Fashiona is positive that the cab driver that got them “lost” in Williamsburg a few weeks ago is still looking for his kneecap dignity after Topaz told him about himself in English and Arabic.

Another noted exception is when the two of them went to a Prince concert. Since decorum and Prince don’t mix…they made it their night’s mission  to out-scream the groupies in the front row wearing purple from head to toe.

Speaking of purple…it is everywhere for Spring. Traditionally purple is more of a Fall color, but why not for Spring?

Photo By: George Chinsee ~ Gucci  18-karat yellow gold and purple agate necklace.

Photo By: WWD Staff ~Badgley Mischka

Photo By: WWD Archive ~Cuff designs by Kara Ross.