EVEN LONG BEFORE I MOVED TO CALIFORNIA SOME 17 YEARS AGO, I USED TO SEE A CONSTANT IMAGE WHILE WATCHING MOVIES AND MUSIC VIDEOS. CALIFORNIA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH BLONDE WOMEN WEARING HIGH-RISE DENIM SHORTS AND ROLLER BLADES. OF COURSE I CAME UP TO REALIZE THAT NOT EVERYBODY WAS BLONDE WITH BLUE EYES IN THE STATE BUT FOUND THE STYLE TO INDEED BE AS REAL AS IT GET HERE IN CALIFORNIA, SPECIALLY WITHIN THE HIPSTER COMMUNITY. THE STYLE CAN BE FOUND NOT ONLY IN THE BEACH CITIES BUT INLAND AS WELL, EVEN SOMETIMES CROSSING TO OTHER NEIGHBORING STATES. ALTHOUGH THE LOOK DOESN’T FLATTER EVERYONE’S BACKSIDE, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON LOOK YOU WOULD FIND IN THE GOLDEN STATE ESPECIALLY DURING SPRING/SUMMER TIME. MOST OF THE TIME, IT IS WORN WITH A DETRESS HIGH RISE DENIM SHORT WITH CONVERSE MAINLY,  BOOTS, OR SOMETIMES WITH VANS. HERE ARE A FEW PICS THAT I TOOK OF THAT STYLE THAT WAS PREDOMINANT AT THE COACHELLA FESTIVAL.

To some people, there is no distinction between a Mercedes SLR and a C Class. A Mercedes is a Mercedes. “He is driving a bimmer”, to the question: “which kind?”, he or she would reply: “I don’t know, just a BMW”.   Everyone who is a little bit knowledgeable about cars know that, there is a substantial difference between them: the raw materials used, sometimes the quality, the technology, and the horse powers. These factors would result to a higher price tag, marketed to an upscale clientele.  To name a few, we can give the example of what Acura is to Honda, Lexus to Toyota, Infiniti to Nissan. The same goes in fashion where lots of designers have flankers that are attached to the main flagship brand. Nowadays, we expect that everybody know the usage of a computer, so naturally we may look shocked when we tell someone to go a certain website, just to find out that he or she doesn’t know how to turn on the power of a computer. So it amazed me to hear people downgrade a brand tying it to a particular item. I have seen people who love and have been buying Polo Ralph Lauren for years, and who consider themselves Ralph Lauren connoisseur, and who do not know that the “polo” is just a brand in within the Ralph Lauren umbrella. They will argue thinking that they know it all just because they “have been wearing all the colors of polo since high school”. The fact is that Ralph Lauren Purple Label which is made in Italy is luxurious. The brand usually does not carry anything for under $500. A dress shirt and sweater would sell for over a $1000, the Ralph Lauren Black Label cargo pants can go for $500, and then you have the RRL, the RLX, Lauren, Rugby, Denim & Supply and so on. The Same goes for Armani (exchange, jeans, emporio, Giorgio etc), Giant by Michael Bastian and Michael Bastian, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs, to name a few, same house, different market and different price bracket.

And then there is the amusing one. The one that makes us look like a snobby individual by making fun of you. Ralph Lauren was famously quoted “Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you”. Nevertheless, He/She who would wear an U.S Polo Association shirt ( it has an embroidery of 2 polo players) for the brand,  and who thinks that he is in fact wearing a Ralph Lauren Shirt and who is ignorant that there are in fact 2 different companies who are tangled into nastiest lawsuits for infringements. I’ve seen before in the streets of LA, The Chrysler 300 car with a Bentley logo which got me thinking: Would anybody fall for this crap? If you can recognize a Chrysler to a Bentley, (which you would hope, everybody could) wouldn’t it make you shake your head, even if it is a little bit? If you going to wear some replicas, at least be knowledgeable about the brand. Wearing a Gucci print that wasn’t even made by Gucci itself and therefore that does not exist is just foolish in my opinion. To carry a replica yellow Louis Vuitton bag among your friends who do not know the difference between the real to the replica is one thing. To carry it around in the Louis Vuitton store or at a LV sponsored party, exposing it to everybody thinking that nobody would notice because in your estimation it looks like exactly the real thing, not knowing that, that particular style did not even make it into production is another thing. It is amusingly foolish.

Someone approached me a while back to offer to sell me some “genuine Dolce and Gabbana” classic sneakers with the silver plate engraved with a “D&G”. The seller did not even know that, that particular model was made under Dolce and Gabbana and not D&G. For those who do not know,  D&G and Dolce and Gabbana are 2 different brand within the same umbrella. The one usually presented as Dolce and Gabbana or DG (without the “&”)  is the most luxurious brand of of the two. It is the high end pret a porter of the company usually recognizable with its silver plate looking engraved “Dolce and Gabbana”. They are usually classic  and stay longer in style. D&G is more affordable, goes quicker on sale and is more prone to go quickly out of style. The model that I was offered, I knew for a fact didn’t come from D&G even though the quality was top notch. The sad part is that, A few innocent people, i am sure, would fall for that trap resulting in my good friend Adja, who is the unofficial lawyer for those who cant protect themselves, to be very very upset.

Coco Channel once said ” Fashion has two purposes: comfort and love. Beauty comes when fashion succeeds”. There is nothing wrong to be obsessed about fashion.”What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language” as well put by Muiccia Prada. However, not everybody is into fashion, and there is wrong with that too. Fashion is not tied to luxury brands. One can have more fashion sense and dress better without named brand than a “fashion label whore” .As Muccia Prada once said “it’s horrible when people are only interested in buying labels, because it doesn’t bring them the happiness they think it will” One should find pleasure in it…. food for thought.

STREET STYLISTS DOING THEIR THINGS AT THE DOOVER AT THE ACE HOTEL.

CUSTOM MADE T-SHIRT 100% SILK CHARMEUSE BY JAGNEDESIGNS

CREAM RALPH LAUREN CARGO SHORT

LOW CUT GINGER BALENCIAGA ARENA

AT THE G-PEN POOL PARTY. LOVING CALIFORNIA GIRLS.

LOUNGING WITH CREATIVE DESIGNER LAURENCE BASSE AT THE G-PEN COACHELLA WEEKEND PARTY.

SILVER CHRISTIAN DIOR SNEAKERS.

DOOVER COACHELLA 2013 POOL PARTY -

-VERSACE CAT EYE FRAME

-BURBERRY T-SHIRT

-HENRIK VIBSKOV DROP CROTCH ( SAROUEL - HAREM) PANTS -

-BALENCIAGA MULTICOLOR MONOCHROME SNEAKERS

DOOVER COACHELLA WEEKEND 2013.

BEAUTIFUL GIRLS IN FLOWER PRINTS.

LA night out with the African Fashion crew family.
With Joseph, creative designer and owner of Atelier Arthur and my cousin sneakerhead Hassan aka Afrokix. Sneakers of choice:
Hassan pulled out the Nike Air Jeezy II. These are the Kanye West Nike sneakers that are sold out everywhere.
Joseph and his business partners, Atelier Arthur.
Balenciaga Hightop Monochrome pleated.
And yes! It was a camo kind of a night.

Could be the lights, cameras, actions but we love the style of these Californians. She might be simply dressed but she filled in the room with her individuality. One great attribute of this city is the freedom we have in expressing ourselves without being judged. And for that i say kudos.

2 designers coming together in the streets of downtown LA and wearing their own designs. DOPE and JAGNEDESIGNS. Simply….dope!

With the #sister enjoying some delicious #senegalese #food #bestfood #senegal #africa #swag #style #fashion #menstyle #menswear #mensfashion #africans #goodtimes #love #losangeles #la #fun

NEW COLLECTION FROM PAP OF JAGNEDESIGNS -

THE COLLECTION IS CENTERED AROUND 2 OF THE MAJOR TRENDS OF 2013 - LEATHER AND CAMO.

MY TOP 4 FAVORITE HIGH END SNEAKERS BRAND IN MY COLLECTION AT THE MOMENT:

• 4) MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
• 3) DOLCE AND GABBANA
• 2) KRIS VAN ASCHE
• 1) BALENCIAGA

• 4) CONVERSE ALL STAR CHUCK TAYLOR YEAR OF THE SNAKE
• 3) CREATIVE RECREATIONS ITALIAN COLLECTION
• 2) NIKE AIR JORDAN 1 (NYK/ROYAL BLUE)
• 1)A.D.ID.A.S (ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT SNEAKERS) 

4) 2013 LIMITED EDITION CONVERSE CHUCK TAYLOR -1970, YEAR OF THE SNAKE

• 4) LEVI’s
• 3) ADIDAS 
• 2) G-STAR
• 1)RALPH LAUREN

TOP 4 POPULAR DESIGNER BAGS I RUN ACROSS IN L.A.:

• 4)MARC JACOBS- A BRIDGE BAG. I STRUGGLED A BIT TO PUT IT IN A CATEGORY. NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS MOST LUXURY BAGS, PRICIER THAN THE AVERAGE DESIGNER HANDBAG
• 3)MICHAEL BY MICHAEL KORS -HAS SOLIDIFIED ITSELF AS A POPULAR BRAND THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH ITS SIGNATURE MK LOGO.
• 2)COACH - A CLASSIC AMERICAN BRAND WHOSE QUALITY LASTS THE TEST OF TIME 
• 1)GUESS -THE FACT THAT THE BRAND IS FOUND IN ROSS, MARSHALL’S, AND OTHER OUTLET STORES FOR $50 MAKES IT POPULAR AND AFFORDABLE TO THE MASS

TOP 4 LUXURY BAGS I RUN ACROSS IN L.A.:

• 4) CELINE-THE EMERGING HANDBAG SUPERSTAR IN THE STREETS OF LA, THE DEMAND IS HIGHER THAN THE SUPPLY
• 3) CHANEL-PRICIER YET STILL A TOP LUXURY BRAND IN LA
• 2) GUCCI-COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN RANKED NUMBER ONE.
• 1) LOUIS VUITTON-STILL THE CLASSIC FIRST CHOICE AMONG LUXURY HANDBAG BUYERS.

TOP 4 HOTTEST MEN DESIGNERS HIGH END SNEAKERS I RUN ACROSS IN L.A:

• 4) ANYTHING THAT IS SEEN ON KANYE WEST OR RAPPED BY ASAP ROCKY INCLUDING RICK OWENS SNEAKERS (SIGH) 
• TIED AT 3) LOUBOUTIN /GUISEPPE ZANOTTI/LANVIN/MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA-RED BOTTOMS AND THESE ITALIAN SOLES ARE A HOT COMMODITY IN LA.
• 2) GUCCI AND LOUIS VUITTON (STILL)
• 1) BALENCIAGA-THE FACT THAT THE SNEAKERS IS SOLD OUT WORLDWIDE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

ARGUABLY ONE OF THE HOTEST BAG IN THE MARKET RIGHT NOW, THE CELINE MINI LUGGAGE HANGBAG.

BALENCIAGA ARENA SNEAKERS

COACH HANDBAG

GUISEPPE ZANOTTI SNEAKERS

RIHANNA SEEN SPORTING THE POPULAR ZANOTTI SNEAKERS + CELINE

MARC JACOBS HANGBAGS

THE EVER POPULAR LOUIS VUITTON NEVERFULL BAG

TRENDSETTER KANYE WEST WEARING THE 2011 (SOLD OUT) YELLOW BALENCIAGA ARENA SNEAKERS AND A PAIR OF LEATHER PANTS

GUESS HANGBAG

GUCCI AND CHANEL BAGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A POPULAR LUXURY FIRST CHOICE

2013 FIRST STRING - LIMITED EDITION YEAR OF THE SNAKE CONVERSE ALL STAR CHUCK TAYLOR RELEASED ON 2.22.13. I AM HAPPY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET A PAIR OF THESE BAD BOYS.

1)”Leather, Leather, and more Leather” as predicted.Last year I wrote a post predicting leather flushing the market sometime this year, well It seems that the projection was right as leather hit the mainstream fashion with a storm. While spikes seems to slowly and surely fade away, we are seeing more leather or synthetic leather (fake leather) based outfits widely in the fashion industry.

2) Camouflage versus Prints-Specially floral prints. Camo and military prints have been trendy for a few year now. And this year, the trend seems to go on. A trend that was introduce in high fashion and that could make its home to mainstreamland is the Floral Print. Please see below some sample pictures from your favorite designers.

3) The year of the snake theme - Snakeskin and Python print to showcase the chinese year of the snake- A lot of designers celebrate the chinese new year with snake, anaconda, python prints. The trend could be seen throughout the 2013 years. Please see pics.

4) Metallic Leather - Introduce in the High Fashion, Metallic Leather could be seen during 2013/2014 seasons- See sample pics