Penelope’s Black Dress for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Premieres is Fashion Faux Pas?

Penelope Cruz is a certified black dress aficionada as this was her favorite color whenever she attended red carpet events. She was always looking lovely whenever she donned a black dress that really accentuates her admirable figure.

But this time around, it seems that her favorite black dress that she wore during her latest movie with best friend co-star Jonny Dep to the premiere of  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides didn’t get the solid 100% applause from the web commentators and from the fashion enthusiasts.

Both positive and negative comments were thrown against the dress she rocked during the premiere night of the movie held at Disneyland, California. She was wearing a off the shoulder feathery fishtail black Marchesa gown that perfectly curves her hour glass figure.

 Some said that the dress was lovely and really glamorous.
“I love how Penelope looks – she brings classiness to whatever she does. This dress shows off her stunning figure and looks really glamorous too. Penelope has finished off her look with a great updo hairstyle, dangling silver earrings and pretty natural, subtle makeup. Another triumphant ensemble that unlike a POTC film, doesn’t get boring after looking at it for 5 minutes,” 

It was indeed a show stopping gown as one major site commented “It's an unusually dramatic piece for a movie premiere—plus, a style that the new mamacita just can't quit—but there's no doubting Pen looks gorgeous (if we don't count the ponytail fail)”

A huge fan of hers,  admires her look by saying, “Her low-neck black dress which hugged her curves perfectly and gave no indication that she had recently given birth to baby boy Leo”

But another said that this is just a same old style of dress the actress dons every red carpet event.

“She basically wears the same style of black dress with just a different texture!” as per one commentator.

 Others commented that she was overly dressed while her co-stars are just in their plain casual dresses especially the lead character Johnny Depp who wore a very relaxed casual attire.

More so, this particular dress that she wore at the Moscow premiere of the movie gained double criticism throughout the blogosphere. Some really commented very negatively like this

“Yikes! Penélope transforms from hot young mom to sad old maid in this high-neck velvet Emilio Pucci dress at the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides premiere in Moscow”

Someone posted, “Penelope Cruz looked like she wearing one of the Pirates costumes at a photocall It's not a very spring-like dress, but we get the reference to Russia.”

“It’s going to be a very long and boring promo tour if Penelope doesn’t start mixing things up. She looks awful! That huge bow distracts me from a dress that could have been nice. It looks better on the model. It looks so heavy on Penelope. And black. For God’s sake does she know that there are other colours out there?” a blogger named Lil said.

Elle says: I don’t understand why Penelope insists on wearing black! She looks a lot older in this photo too… She’s such a beauty who looked absolutely gorgeous wearing pinks and reds in “Woman on Top”, I wish she would go back to colour soon! (Plus, I really don’t think those bangs suit her that much either)..ok rant over haha.

 Ok, it’s your turn to judge her look? Is it a Yay or a Nay?

 Joanna Rossi, www.salsacircuit.com

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Posted in 2011 famous latina , fashion latinas , fashionista , hispanic market , Penelope Cruz , Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Jennifer Lopez Is Gaga For Gaga

We love "Hypnotico," one of the songs that Lady Gaga wrote for Jennifer Lopez's new album, Love?, (which came out on May 3rd), but we're not the only ones who think Gaga and Lopez make a great team.

In an interview with MTV News, J.Lo gushed about having the opportunity to collaborate with Gaga and with producer RedOne on her new album. "I think RedOne's sound is very specific, but he also can be very individual for each artist that he works with. He makes a record sound so big and important," said Lopez. "When he would play me different tracks and even the beginnings of ideas and when he told me, 'Actually I worked with Gaga on this,' and I was like, 'Really? That's awesome. Is it OK?' and he [was] like, 'Yeah, yeah.' You know, they write and produce together a lot. So, it was exciting. I kind of just lucked out on that one."

Lopez tells the website that her new album has been years in the making. "It's been quite a process, but I've been saying lately that I've been actually making this record since I was 13 years old — the first time I fell in love — because it's true, all the thoughts and all the things that went into this album were questions and things that I've had over the years," she says.

Lopez, who has many songs about love on her new album, says the subject of love is interesting to her. "Love is a very complex topic and I've been singing about it since my first album, and this was kind of the culmination of that."

"I wanted to pose some questions and get the dialogue going about love," she added. "I wanted to make a great dance, rhythmic album, as well ... and we did that. I had great producers ... who helped me do that, helped take me and put it into this generation of music with all of that [and] we still were able to do that."



Source Lee Hernandez

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Posted in dance salsa , fashion latinas , Hypnotico , Jennifer Lopez , jlo new album 2011 , lady gaga , mtv unplugged

Top Songs by Celia Cruz

A Compilation of Hit Songs from The Queen of Salsa

The following list offers some of the most famous songs by Celia Cruz. From "Tu Voz" to "La Vida Es Un Carnaval," this compilation shows why Celia Cruz was considered the Queen of Salsa. Her charismatic personality, powerful voice and vibrant style made of Celia Cruz one of the most influential figures in Latin music.

10. “Tu Voz”


"Photo Courtesy Seeco
There has to be a bolero in any list dealing with best songs by Celia Cruz. "Tu Voz" is my personal choice in this field, leaving out of the list other tracks like "Te Busco" and "Dile Que Por Mi No Tema." However, this could be the bolero that better captures Celia's voice. A fantastic song from her beginnings with La Sonora Matancera.

9. “La Ceiba Y La Siguaraya”

Photo Courtesy Fania

In my opinion, "La Ceiba Y La Siguaraya" is one of the best Salsa songs ever recorded by Celia Cruz. This single is the star track from La Ceiba, the collaboration album between the Queen of Salsa and the legendary Puerto Rican Salsa band La Sonora Ponceña. "La Ceiba Y La Siguaraya" is also a perfect song for dancing.


8. “Burundanga”

Photo Courtesy Pimienta Records

This is another classic song from the times Celia Cruz used to sing with the legendary Cuban band La Sonora Matancera. It was her ticket to capture audiences in New York back in 1957 when she visited the Big Apple for the first time. A colorful song enhanced by the memorable trumpets of the Cuban band.

7. “Azucar Negra”

Photo Courtesy Universal Latino

From her 1998 album with the same name, "Azucar Negra" was the most popular track from this musical production. Every time Celia Cruz went to stage her distinctive call "Azucar!" drove people crazy. This song not only enhances that call but alsot Celia's African roots. "Azucar Negra" (Brown Sugar) was one of the most famous songs by Celia Cruz.

6. “Quimbara”

Photo Courtesy Fania

"Quimbara" is one of those songs that helped build the whole musical brand around the Queen of Salsa. This single is dominated by great percussion and trumpet sessions. By far, one of the best dancing songs by Celia Cruz.

5. “Sopita En Botella”

"Photo Courtesy Pimienta Records

From her productive years with la Sonora Matancera, "Sopita En Botella" is one of the songs that shaped the Salsa style that characterized Celia Cruz's throughout her successful career. Salsa fans know this is one of the best songs by Celia Cruz. Her performance is fantastic in a single that needs the voice in the right place at the right time.

4. “Yerbero Moderno”

Photo Courtesy Pimienta Records

This track is another classic from Celia Cruz. It is, in fact, difficult to find a compilation of Celia's hits without this song. This single offers a good beat of Rumba that is exalted by Celia Cruz's powerful voice. A classic track not only for Salsa but for Latin music in general.

3. “Guantanamera”

Photo Courtesy Fania

Even if you are not into Latin music, you know that "Guantanamera" is at the heart of Latin music. This song, which is part of the Cuban identity, was taken to new levels of popularity thanks to Celia Cruz's fantastic version. Very often, when we think of Guantanamera, we think of Celia Cruz and we think of Cuba.

2. “La Negra Tiene Tumbao”

Photo Courtesy Sony Music Latin

"La Negra Tiene Tumbao" proved that Celia Cruz was an artist in constant evolution ready to answer the call of her time. This song provides a modern beat quite different from all the classic repertoire Celia Cruz built throughout her career. With this track, Celia Cruz showed to the world the eternal artist she was.

1. “La Vida Es Un Carnaval”

Photo Courtesy RMM Records

Commercially speaking, "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" was one of the most popular songs by Celia Cruz. Those who grew up with Celia's music know that this is not her best song. However, younger generations made of this track a point of reference for Celia's music. Regardless of all this, "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" was probably the best way for Celia to share with the world her never ending happy spirit. In the end, she lived her own life like a carnival full of smiles and joy. Definitely, one of the most uplifting songs by Celia Cruz.


Source Carlos Quintana

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Posted in celia cruz , celia cruz salsa , dance salsa , dance salsacircuit , fashion latinas , queen of salsa , top songs celia cruz

Jennifer Lopez named 'Most Beautiful Woman'

NEW YORK, April 13 (UPI) -- People magazine has declared New York-born singer and actress Jennifer Lopez the World's Most Beautiful Woman.

Lopez, a mother of 3-year-old twins and judge on TV's "American Idol," appears on the cover of the magazine's Most Beautiful issue, on newsstands Wednesday.

Despite her glamorous image, the 41-year-old star said she doesn't wear any makeup when she's home with her husband singer Marc Anthony and their kids.

"That's when I'm my happiest," she said in an interview with the magazine. "Just being able to touch my face and rub my eyes and put my fingers in my hair and not having to worry about messing it up. It's so much better."

Lopez emphasized she works very hard to stay in shape.

"The thing is, it's part of my job," she said. "I don't want anybody thinking it's easy. It does take time and it's hard work. HDTV wide-screen is nobody's friend!"

Also featured in People's Most Beautiful issue are Zac Efron, Kellan Lutz, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Simpson, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Hudson.

Ryan Reynolds was named People's Sexiest Man Alive last November.

Jennifer Lopez is all smiles as she and her husband Marc Anthony appear at a news conference to announce "The Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony" collections in partnership with Kohl's department stores at The London West Hollywood Hotel in West Hollywood, California, on November 18, 2010. Kohl's will be the exclusive provider of the contemporary lifestyle brands in the U.S. and it will be available nationwide in Fall 2011, beginning with women's and men's apparel and accessories.

Source UPI/Jim Ruymen

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Posted in fashion 2011 , fashion latinas , Jennifer Lopez , latin artists , latin dance , mark anthony , people magazine , World's Most Beautiful Woman

The horrible truth about Latino feminism

I consider myself lucky to have been raised by a strong-willed woman who was a Mexican feminist when “Mexican feminist” seemed like an oxymoron. While the cynic in me jokes that my mom taught me how to cook, clean, and do laundry because she wanted some help around the house, I know better: she understood her value as a person, and wanted to ensure her two sons respected that value—in her and in all women. So that we’d understand that women were placed on this earth for the same reasons men were, and not to be domestic servants.

As Jennifer Turano recently wrote, “feminism” remains a loaded term that, while easy to apply, masks the intricacies of its nature—and the beautiful simplicity of its central tenet (i.e., that, yes, women are real people too). For Latino men in particular, feminism remains a work in progress. Our embrace of women’s equality has been hindered by the generations of machismo that are only now giving way to practical realities—like the growing need for two family breadwinners.

The horrible truth about Latino feminism is that while we Latino men are making strides concurrent with our practical reality, we should instead be integrating the equality of women into our cultural constitutions, regardless of economic necessity. (Or did we plan on relegating women back to the kitchen once the economy improves?)

I’m not going to debate feminism; I think it’s common sense that women—who, among other things, got the short end of the stick on that whole procreation thing and have to endure pain us men would probably pass out from—are equals in every sense. If you sincerely believe women should be second-class citizens, you should stop reading this now.

But if you agree that women rock, let’s change the ways we conceptualize gender from the get-go.

There’s a reason why, when I’ve offered to wash dishes during visits to family members or Latino friends, I get funny looks from the men, who then look on in amazement as I open this mysterious bottle labeled dish detergent and get to work. It’s called “gender coding,” and most of us were raised with some form of it. Most of us were taught that women worked in kitchens because they were the weaker sex, and men in factories because they were the strong ones—the efforts of Rosie the Riveter notwithstanding.

But we’re becoming smart enough to decipher these codes and realize that most tasks aren’t gender exclusive or hierarchical. We know without a doubt that women can build planes and fight in wars. And we know men have the physical capacity to load a washing machine and hit On. Most of us can logically discern that women are equals—the Neanderthalic comments left by a few 18th Century Facebook trolls notwithstanding.

And yet, that belief remains largely unarticulated among Latinos. Do a Google search for Latino feminism and see how quickly Google says, “Uh, did you actually mean Latina feminism,” before yielding its scant results. We can do better.

We have to incorporate this belief into the very core of our cultural constitutions. We have to genuinely believe in and embrace the equality of our Latina and non-Latina sisters, and raise our own kids accordingly. We have to genuinely want our daughters to grow up as strong-willed women who will effect societal change. We have to raise our boys to understand there’s nothing wrong with them doing dishes. We have to encourage both to succeed, and to value and respect the contributions of their peers regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.

We have to respect women not just because they’re helping us pay the mortgage, but because we intrinsically recognize and appreciate their value as fellow people and partners.

Trust me, they’ve earned it, and then some. They’ve put up with us since the dawn of man, after all…

Source  Ulises Silva

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Posted in best mexican movies , fashion latinas , latina , mexican feminist , mexican immigrants

Mottola ladies, past and present, expecting little surprises

Babies abound this spring as Tommy Mottola and his wife, Mexican singer Thalia, as well as Mottola's ex, Mariah Carey, are expecting. Talk about planned parenthood! Naturally, that's not exactly how it happened, but the timing is ironic, don't you think?

The pregnancy marks the second for Mottola and Thalia, as Mariah prepares to have twins -- a boy and a girl -- with actor/comedian/rapper and hubby Nick Cannon. Mottola and Thalia recently opened the doors to their Palm Beach estate, where the public got a peek at the pair's love nest, inside the pages of Hola! Magazine.

And Thalia is quite happy to share. She makes pregnancy look positively stunning.

Radiant is likely the best way to describe her with a beautiful smile to boot. The Mexican singer donned her pretty smile and her baby bump online and on the cover of the magazine for everyone to see.

In the interview and photo shoot, just a day after her good friend, Lili Estefan, organized her baby shower; Thalia shares intimate details about her second pregnancy, such as not wanting to know the sex of the baby until he -- or she -- is born.

Looking not only gorgeous, the Mexican singer shares her reason for deciding on becoming a mommy the second time around after overcoming Lyme Disease, following a tick bite for which she was in treatment for quite some time.

"The arrival of my baby means that I'm finally healthy again. I feel dually blessed," the 39 year old told the magazine.


Congratulate the soon-to-be mommies!

Source Rafael Abreu

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Posted in fashion latinas , Hollywood Star , latina , mariah carey , Mexican singer Thalia , Mottola ladies , salsacircuit , Sony , Thalia

Spring Shopping Trends Report

The Spring has sprung—so it's clearly time to chuck those scratchy woolens and shop for bright, new clothes.

At the Spring fashion shows last year, the overall mood for this season was a new sense of sobriety. Most designers pulled back on the reigns to show more comfortable, minimal silhouettes. Clothes were sportswear inspired, with a very chic, carefree, effortless sense of spirit.

Here's what you should be looking for:

SHORTS. They're back in every shape and length: short shorts, city shorts, utility shorts, boy shorts and tap shorts. The look is great when paired with a jacket.

WIDE LEG PANTS. All sorts of trousers went down the runway for Spring: High wasted, cropped, loose at the hip, tapered at the ankle. But the newest look is the wide leg trouser. A white version is a perfect base to build from this season.

TUXEDO JACKETS. The Yves St. Laurent-inspired smoking jacket won't only be a look for evening, but a key option for daytime.

ALL SORTS OF DRESSES. The slouch, no-fit dress was a favorite, but also popular were the long and lean variety with halter, tank, scoop and asymmetric necklines.

1950'S SKIRTS. Prepare to see lots of Fifties-inspired knee-length skirts, those with a full flare and defined waist.

LONGER LINES. The newest and most chic are from knee- to mid calf length. Longing for a mini? Not to worry, there still will be some available.

NEUTRAL COLOR. The color palette took two separate tracks. Most sophisticated were the neutral tones mixed with pale tints and whites.

BOLD COLOR. But burst of bold, shocking colors were also in evidence.

LIGHTWEIGHT FABRICS. Flowing fabrics heralded spring collections. Stars in this category were the transparent sheer fabrics that did not leave anything to the imagination. In real life,layer these over slips or wear them under a jacket.

PRINTS. In every shape, size and form, these added drama to collections. Geometric, animal prints, stripes, polka dots, foulards and floral prints are the newest vogue.

SENSIBLE SHOES. Hooray, they're back! Ankle-strapped wedges, espadrilles and flat shoes will get women out walking instead of cabbing it in Spring 2011.


Source By Gwen Marder

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Posted in 2011 women fashion , fashion latinas , fashionista , LG Canadian Fashion Week 2011 , sensible shoes 2011 , spring fashion 2011 , Spring Shopping Trends Report

'I'm more attracted to my wife than ever,' says Nick Cannon as heavily pregnant Mariah Carey poses for nude cover shoot

'I'm more attracted to my wife than ever,' says Nick Cannon as heavily pregnant Mariah Carey poses for nude cover shoot

Mariah Carey has posed for her fair share of portraits. But none has been as personal or emotional as the singing legend unveiling her baby bump - days away from giving birth to twins.

Eight months pregnant Mariah, 42, proudly showed off the bump in time-honoured celebrity fashion - in an exclusive cover shoot with a magazine.

Bronzed, radiant, with her hair tumbling softly about her shoulders, the chart-topping singer looked relaxed as she awaits the arrival of her first children, a boy and a girl.

I was feeling very vulnerable about taking pictures at all right now, but then I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to document this once-in-a-lifetime experience,' Carey told Life & Style magazine.

Mariah Carey (L) and singer Nick Cannon arrive at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium.

Expectant: Mariah and husband Nick Cannon seen at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last year

'My ultimate goal was to share this incredibly personal moment with my true fans.'

Carey joins a number of pregnant stars who have posed nude while heavily pregnant. Demi Moore famously appeared naked on the cover of Vanity Fair in August 1991 while seven months pregnant with daughter Scout LaRue.

Many have copied that pose, including Christina Aguilera, who was pictured pregnant with son Max on the January 2008 cover of Marie Claire.

Carey's twins - a boy and a girl - were clearly ready for their close-ups. She said: 'The babies were kicking almost the entire time; it was unbelievable.

'Especially the girl - clearly she’s a diva in training. We didn’t start shooting until 1:30am because I was in the hospital from the night before until the day of the shoot with contractions five minutes apart!'

Clearly, although Carey isn't due to give birth for a few weeks, the twins could be making their entrance sooner rather than later.

The We Belong together singer suffered a scare when she was admitted to hospital last month with early contractions. But for now, she and her husband Nick Cannon are enjoying their last few days as a household of two.

Cannon said he has never been more attracted to his wife. 'I thought I couldn’t love Mariah more,” he tells Life & Style.

'But I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for her.'

Source Donna Mcconnell

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Posted in 2011 women fashion , fashion latinas , fashionista , hollywood actress , latin music chart , mariah carey , Mariah Carey pregnant , Mariah Carey pregnant nude , Nick Cannon

Fergie and L.A. designer Michael Schmidt make Legos hot

Los Angeles designer Michael Schmidt, who has worked with Cher, Madonna and Janet Jackson, stole the fashion show at the 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday, with this Lego dress he created for Fergie.

"It fit the occasion," said Schmidt, who collaborated with stylist Bea Akerlund and Lego on the dress. "It was built on a corset to give it structure, but all of the external stuff was made of Legos. The sheets were formed in hot water to create a structure around the body. And the rest was drilled and linked to create a Paco Rabbane-like vibe," he explained.

Fergie is seen in the photo above performing with the show's host Jack Black. And if Black's rad Lego sunglasses and Fergie's bracelets alone don't make the folks at the Danish Lego Group think about launching a fashion accessories line--with Schmidt's help of course--then they aren't doing their job. "I would love that!" said Schmidt, who is currently hard at work on his own line of (non-Lego) jewelry and accessories.

Source Booth Moore
Images shuangxingfu

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Posted in 2010 latin grammy , black eyed peas , dance salsacircuit , fashion latinas , fashionista , fergie , fergie lego dress , lego , michael schmidt

"Joe Fresh Collection- LG Canadian Fashion Week 2011"

At Joe Fresh a splashy orange microfiber coat opened the show on a smil­ing model fol­lowed by a slew of orange touched and sat­u­rated dresses, coats and genius acces­sories. At times it felt like designer Joe Mimran’s col­lec­tion was a mass mar­ket ver­sion of the Tron Legacy Open­ing Cer­e­mony line, which isn’t such a bad thing, with tai­lored camels and emer­ald greens throw in here and there to bring it back to the more con­ser­v­a­tive tone of pre­vi­ous collections.

 

For more than 25 years, Joseph Mimran has been an important contributor to the fashion and design industry in Canada. With his sharp eye, impeccable attention to detail and insight into emerging trends, Joe has always been on the forefront of what’s next.

Joe provides elegant design, inventive product development and branding expertise for the apparel, home and entertainment divisions of Loblaw Companies Limited including the Joe Fresh^® brand and the PC^® Home collection of contemporary home décor and accessories.

Over the years, Joe has developed many successful fashion labels including Alfred Sung, Club Monaco and Caban, and he contributes to the Pink Tartan clothing collection. Joe also currently serves as chair of the Fashion Design Council of Canada.

Source Joe Fresh
Images Salsa Circuit

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Posted in 2011 women fashion , fashion latinas , fashionista , joe fresh , joe fresh collection , LG Canadian Fashion Week 2011 , salsacircuit

"Holt Renfrew Collection- LG Canadian Fashion Week 2011"

 

We were among the delight­ful lot last night at LG Fash­ion Week’s invite-only open­ing night fea­tur­ing the most cov­eted Cana­dian brands show­ing their lat­est col­lec­tions to help us bun­dle up in style yet again when the snow comes round next winter.

On the ros­ter for the evening was Holt Ren­frew’s pick of Cana­dian design­ers includ­ing Wings + Horns, Pink Tar­tan, Twenty Cluny, Smythe, Todd Lynn, Denis Gagnon, Greta & Ezra Con­stan­tine, Lida Baday, Canada Goose, and Jeremy Laing, along with IZMA’s fash­ion­ably furry show, and JUMA’s stun­ning inti­mate stu­dio presentation.

After Jeanne Beker and Robin Kay’s heart­felt intro­duc­tions and a cutesy lit­tle video fea­tur­ing the entire Holts staff lip-syncing Bachman–Turner Overdrive’s 1973 throw­back “Takin’ Care of Busi­ness”, the mod­els, sep­a­rated by designer, went calmly down the runway, styled specif­i­cally to suit each design aesthetic.

IZMA was up next with a sparkling array of gar­ments uti­liz­ing chif­fon, vel­vet, and of course the fluffi­est most lux wild Cana­dian fur. This being our first per­sonal intro­duc­tion to Izzy Camil­leri and Adrian Mainella’s lus­cious col­lec­tion, we were a lit­tle bit in awe and left espe­cially dig­ging the dra­matic shim­mer­ing floor length gowns paired per­fectly with a fluffy fox fur coat as well as the metal­lic blocked fur dresses and coats.

Last, but def­i­nitely at the top of our books was Alia and Jamil JUMA’s fall 2011 col­lec­tion which we’ve been obsess­ing over ever since we saw this teaser video last month. Pre­sented in a new stu­dio area this time around, we fil­tered around the rec­tan­gu­lar run­way, find­ing our seats to the tune of Twin Shadow. Fol­low­ing last sea­sons infor­mal pre­sen­ta­tion at the Spoke Club, we were delighted to see they decided to show the col­lec­tion, inspired by exotic trav­els to Tibet, Thai­land, and Shen­zhento, in a more for­mal light.

 

After the show we bumped shoul­ders back­stage with Isis Salam of Thun­der­heist before briefly gush­ing with the design­ers about their cur­rent col­lec­tion before they pre­pare to head back to China in a few weeks. Def­i­nite hits of the col­lec­tion were the black lit multi-coloured knit pieces drawn from those used for cen­turies in win­ter by Tibetan moun­tain peo­ple, worn by the men with black lace up Red Wing Boots and lay­ered on the girls inter­mit­tently amongst the dis­torted silk tapes­try that’s become the sig­na­ture JUMA look.

Source sidewalkhustle

Image: Salsa Circuit

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Posted in dance salsacircuit , fashion latinas , fashionista , Hot Renfrew Collection , LG Canadian Fashion Week 2011 , salsacircuit

Real Women: How to Wear Florals

Check out these tips to make sure florals fit your shape and style!

Body Type: Petite

Roots: Puerto Rican

Nicole Colon, 21

Stick to small floral prints, which won’t overwhelm your frame.

On Nicole: Dress, AMI Clubwear, $22, amiclubwear.com. Cardigan, American Apparel, $44, americanapparel.net. Sandals, Bamboo, $28, lulus .com. Belt, ADA Collection, $55, adaonlinestore.com.  Earrings, Urban 1972, $5, urban1972.com. Bracelets, Sushma Patel, $15 each, sushmapatel.us. Ring, Sorrelli, $40, sorrelli.com

Body Type: Tall

Roots: Cuban

Cristina Maria Rojas, 32

Go bold! A bigger print accentuates your leggy appeal.

On Christina Maria: Dress, ASOS, $63,  asos.com. Blazer, H&M, $40, hm.com. Shoes, FlirtCatalog .com, $50, flirtcatalog .com. Earrings, Janessa, $55, janessaonlinestore .com. Necklace, Jewels by D. LaPaix, $84, jewelsbydlapaix .com. Bracelets, Juliet and Company, $88, julietandcompany.com.

Body Type: Pear-Shaped

Roots: Dominican

Tatiana Fernandez, 25

Pair a solid-color bottom with an embellished, ruffled or collared floral top to call attention to your upper body.

On Tatiana: Dress, Motel, $76, motelrocks .com. Pants, Clara Sunwoo, $79, clarasonline.com. Shoes, MLE, $199, miashoes .com. Belt, American Eagle Outfitters, $30, ae.com. Earrings, Sonyarenee, $40, sonyarenee. Necklace, Jodi Henry, $50, jodihenry.com.


More Tips
1. If you want to keep it simple: Pair your print with a solid, because too many patterns will only compete for attention.
2. If you want to mix it up: Then at least keep different prints in the same color family to avoid looking messy.
3. If you want to be cutting-edge: Try an abstract print, which gives off a sophisticated—instead of girlie—vibe.

Source Latina

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Posted in Dance , fashion latinas , fashionista , floral dress , latin artists

Salsa celebration: Dance night welcomes beginners as well as experts

Women in high strappy sandals and men in dress shirts all groove to the same rhythm of blasting trumpets and soul-shaking drums. Even the most timid pull their hands out of their pockets and break away from the bar to attempt some sultry steps.

Perlé is bringing the New York salsa scene to downtown New Brunswick.

Every Thursday, the small Paterson Street nightclub trades in its Top 40 playlist for the pulsating beat of salsa. Started in 2009 as a response to the growing interest in Latin dancing and music, the salsa-themed dance night attracts enthusiasts of all skill levels.

A beginner's class kicks off the festivities at 9 p.m., when instructors from the Highland Park-based Scarlet Mambo Latin Dance Studio, which promotes the weekly event, teach basic steps and turns.

"The nightclub is the perfect place for people to be exposed to Latin music and dance," said Dany Joshua, artistic director for Scarlet Mambo. "There are classes around here, but this is a place where they can learn and be social."

Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledge

The hour-long class shows dancers how to transition from move to move and add their own flavor.

"Do a different pose every time, make it your own," Joshua urged a group of about 30 people earlier this month.

Later, as the lights go down and the music turns up, the floor is not empty for long. Dancers show off fierce footwork, dizzying turns and hip rolls that would give professionals a run for their money. The sophisticated crowd ranges from mid-20s to early-50s, all displaying fascinating styles of Latin movement and rhythm.

Though you may feel more comfortable bringing a partner along, don't be afraid to go solo, since it's not uncommon for a stranger to ask someone to dance. The low-pressure environment is ideal for dancers of all levels to watch, improve their skills and soak up the culture.

There's enough seating to perch on after you've built up a sweat from the fast-paced choreography. But pay attention as you make your way across the floor, in order to avoid collisions -- it's easy to get tangled up in twirling couples.

Rose-colored lighting adds a warm and exotic vibe to the crimson and chocolate-brown space, which shimmers with pearl white furniture. The main room serves as the dance floor while the secondary bar often hosts bands and provides a more intimate lounge atmosphere for conversation.

Melanie Thompson, 31, of Highland Park said she has been coming to the salsa night for about three weeks and couldn't think of a better place to learn and socialize.

"It's all about moving and feeling good and knowing your own vitality," she said. "Plus, technically, everyone's learning here, so there's not as much pressure."

Richard Reque, 43, of Plainfield, said it was hard to find a place to salsa without trekking to New York, but the salsa night ensured a full dance card each week.

"It's very friendly," he said. "We share the desire to dance and show off the steps that we've learned and really have a good time."

Jorge Palomino, 28, of Milltown came to the salsa night for the first time and said it was exciting to see salsa in motion outside of class.

"I like that you can see beginners and professionals dancing together," Palomino said. "It's cool to actually show off what I'm learning and pick up steps from everyone else."

Source: Tiffani N. Garlic/The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger

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