ChristinaKristin: Fun Fashion Friday!!!

A BLACK HISTORY MONTH EDITION

It's 'Fun Fashion Friday'! In these posts I will bring you the playful side of fashion. Fashion doesn't always have to be so serious. I am a big fan of really funky, fun pieces. I admit to loving my fun or bizarre items more than the classic ones; even if some of my friends hate and make fun of them. After all, fashion is about self expression and SHOULD BE fun.

THE BOMBSHELL, THE SONGSTRESS & THE SHOW

When I was in high school, I remember looking for tees with beautiful black icons. There were after all, plenty of tees with the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. While I thought they were both very beautiful women, I did not want to wear them on my chest. I wanted a t-shirt with someone of my likeness; someone like Josephine Baker or Dorothy Dandridge. Baker and Dandridge were just as beautiful as their counterparts but were not represented at all in retail. Matter of fact, there were no black icons represented much of anywhere. If I were the wiser then; I would have figured out a way to change the situation seventeen years ago. Luckily, with the web we all have access to unlimited possibilities. Artists and designers have a place to sale their pieces to people all over the world. That includes those artists/designers that I have featured in this post. They are black artists/designers who create pieces representing black icons and reminders of black history.

Accidental Genius Clothing

(My Favorite New Tee!)

The end of last year, I discovered a designer on instagram who creates just the kind of shirt I wanted as a teenager. I own three of his shirts which feature icons like: Grace Jones, Jasmine Guy as Whitley Gilbert and Pam Grier. I have worn my Grace Jones tee and Whitley Gilbert in closet posts on the blog. While there are others who produce similar shirts; no one offers the colors or the pizazz that Accidental Genius Clothing does with his shirts. My tees are now out of stock but there are always plenty of options. He keeps the site fresh with new tees every couple months and there is almost always some sort of promotion running. I selected some of the tees I love that are currently available. For those who missed the Accidental Genius tees I've worn in previous posts, I have included some photos below.

1. The Prototype II Tee (Clair Huxtable/Phylicia Rashad) $27
2. The Lena II $27
3. The Dandridge 4 $27
4. Bougie III (Billie Holiday) $27

My Tees by Accidental Genius Clothing

Musical Icons, Iconic Movies & Shows

I am a fan of etsy and instagram because they are both great online sources to find unique items. I can't tell you how many of my favorite pieces were discovered on social media or on etsy. These are also the items that I get the most compliments on because they aren't pieces that can be found at the mall. Since I am above keeping things I love and stalk a secret; I just had to include these two designers in this post.

On etsy among so many designers/artists of many medias; you will find Luxor Couture. This shop is full of black images and African inspired pieces. The selection is small so I suggest a visit to their actual website. It isn't a visually stimulating site once you get to the product section but the variety is immense. I have included links to etsy and the company website below. I love their earrings featuring artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill (featured below).

I have been stalking this Siamaise website for weeks now. The brand creates fun pieces that remind us of a time when there was great black programing and thought provoking black films. While very entertaining; we are so bombarded with reality programs full of women beating each other up physically and mentally or programs with brilliant writing and strong characters who have seriously dysfunctional relationships. These earrings are cool and fun but they offer great reminders of positive shows like 'The Fresh Price' and 'A Different World' (featured below). My favorite designs are 'Do The Right Thing'(featured below) and the 'In Living Color' pair. You must check out the website for the selection.