F*ck ready to wear, get ready to rumble!

At last! Downtown style darlings House of Diehl have perfected the cocktail for a fashionably good time. The recipe? A little event they pull together every year called STYLE WARS. The Toy Plane scored access to House of Diehl’s STYLE WARS: STYLE BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP earlier this month at legendary Don Hills in New York City. Hosted by Surface magazine and featuring a panel of stylish VIP judges Jenny Shimizu, Claw Money, Elettra Rossellini Weidemann & Rebecca Weinberg, STYLE WARS has grown into an international fashion party and competition like no other.

So what exactly is Style Battling? Let’s revisit that cocktail recipe analogy again, shall we? Mix 1 part thrift store shopping, 1 part hip hop battle, add a dash of Project Runway style drama, killer DJ's, and more than a few splashes of fresh talent. Then shake well and pour over a crazy hyped audience. That is Style Battling. Like some sort of high art boxing match using live mannequins, designers go head to head in 4 minute rounds of cut and sew -or in this case cut and tape- fury. Making use of everything from vintage clothing and random lamp shades to plain old trash these kids turn crap into incredible- and sometimes incredibly odd- new garments. Newbie designers battle for bragging rights and a chance at global exposure with a tour and spread in Surface Magazine.

House of Diehl creative partners (and the evenings MC’s) Mary Jo Diehl and Roman Milisic opened the show by crafting a spacesuit-slash-cocktail dress out of ‘I HEART MY CLEANERS’ hangers and Scotch Tape. Dope yes, but they weren't the ones competing. So for the next hour or so, crowd and judge watched and cheered for a way too easy newspaper dress, a tragically charming Karate Kid inspired jumpsuit thingy, and a Berlin Wall/Set it Off get up (the latter being the authors personal fave). But in the end there could only be one winner. A cute little duo of stylish vixens with a line called Dominique Auxilly trumped the night by turning paper strips into an animated tennis skirt and a frumpy 80’s wedding dress into a swanky vintage Chanel inspired cocktail frock. Kudos cuties!

Check out House of Diehl to see where the STYLE WARS tour ends up next.

P.S. Check out  HAEtv coverage of StyleWars and live interviews with some of the designers and judges!

TEAR DOWN THE WALLS!

What 2 things do New York City and Nicaragua have in common?

No, we're not talking about Sandinistas or the booming black market economy.

We're thinking alot more abstract...

Come on now...Rain + Wild Life...am i reaching here? Ok...well whatevers! I really just wanted to post these boots and figured I needed to to tie them into a story somehow.

Spotted these on a recent trip to Saks and have been in passionate love since. Check out JimmyChoo.com for more details.

P.S. I'm a size 10. You know...in case you wanted to know.

carry on.

POP'Africana is Back!

Months before anybody with a pulse could see how fresh Oroma Elewa's global style manual Pop' Africana was, we tried to warn you. Back then Miss Elewa's 'magazine' was merely a blog and an online collection of impeccably styled fashion editorials feating a host of young black models. But the potential for something amazing was written on the chocolate foreheads and dimpled backsides of every lanky beautiful black girl that graced thoes digital pages. Last month Pop'Africana went to print!




Congradulations POP'Africana dreams do come true!




To learn more about POP'AFRICAN or get your limited edition copy visit www.popafricana.com

Disposable Income 1.0

Come, Shop, have a blast & get blasted. (the last part courtesy of TheRumPunchCrew bka MOI)

The Notorious...

A few years ago, I worked with this very sweet girl named Lena who idolized Betty Page. "Betty who?" My girl was floored and I was embarrassed cause I didn't know who "Betty Goddamn Page" was .

So that night after my shift I went home and did my homework...and I fell in love.


RIP