TRACY REESE – MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK SPRING 2012 COLLECTIONS

Her inspiration, she explains is “A feminine yet relaxed mood is achieved through the juxtaposition of romance and sport, comfort and flattery. Subtle hues of khaki and blush mixed with pastel shades of waterfall, misty blue and aqua tears gradually intensify to deep saturated tones and neon brights, making a bold splash for the transition into summer.  A drapey culotte jumpsuit in waterfall, complimented with drawstring waist and seductive neckline details, pairs with a lemon zest hat and printed platform sandals to embody the relaxed mood of the season.”

Tracy Reese pairs romance with sportswear for next spring by integrating the pastel shades of a waterfall with pops of neon and subtle shades of khaki with looks that walk the line between comfort and style. Inspired by “everything around me in nature – the sky, the clouds, the ocean.”  Tracy Reese continues to do what she does best and that is pretty cocktail dresses and wonderful separates for the woman on the go.

For S/S 2012 she presents a very cute and very wearable collection. The clothes are not trendy but definitely in time and wearable. She always has great prints and makes everything look ultra feminine bright and fun. It’s the type of collection that can be mixed and matched with so many great looks — on both the high end and the low end — that it should perform well at the cash register. Also, i can see so many different women in these looks. Reese’s patrons got a good deal — a smart, sassy show packed with the kind of clothes that put a chic glow into the contemporary department.

From her Bio on tracyreese.com     With an innate desire to create beautiful things, Detroit native Tracy Reese headed for Manhattan in 1982 to attend Parsons School of Design where she received an accelerated degree in 1984. Upon graduation, Reese apprenticed under designer Martine Sitbon while working for the small contemporary firm, Arlequin. Reese worked at some of the industry’s top fashion houses, including Perry Ellis where she was the design director for Women’s Portfolio.

In Spring 1998, Reese launched her eponymous collection to rave reviews. Perfect for the modern woman, Reese’s debut showcased ultra-feminine pieces layered with intelligent nostalgia, charm and luxury; a distinctive look that the designer has since become known for.

The designer’s second line, plenty by Tracy Reese, was introduced later that same year. A bohemian, ethnic-inspired collection that is of-the-moment, yet never trendy, plenty by Tracy Reese comprises pieces that unite myth and modernity with a rock-and-roll twist. The collection is both eclectic and adventurous, featuring Reese’s signature detailing.

In 2007 Reese was inducted as a board member of the CFDA; and over the past decade, the Tracy Reese name has become synonymous with frothy dresses and print driven heirloom fare that women across the globe can’t get enough of. Reese’s eye for detail and extensive knowledge of color, fabric and form continue to be evident each season as she consistently reveals timeless, wearable looks that evoke sophistication and elegance. Reese’s approach is deliberate, combining modern craftsmanship with vintage flair, creating a look that is clearly her own.

Both Tracy Reese and plenty by Tracy Reese have expanded into several brand categories. Tracy Reese footwear feature ladylike silhouettes in luxurious leathers with exquisite detailing; while the whimsical, feminine and eclectic, plenty brand now includes a home collection and candles. Reese added a third collection to her line up, frock!, comprised of fun and flirty occasion dresses that easily transition from day to evening.

Tracy Reese has become a mainstay in the fashion industry as she continues to develop a strong design philosophy by staying true to her specific point of view. Reese has collaborated with several top brands including Sally Hansen, Hue and most recently, a line of footwear, plenty by Tracy Reese for Keds, debuting in spring 2009.

Bright colors, unique prints and intricate patterns define Tracy Reese, plenty and frock! A consistent fashion favorite amongst industry insiders, celebrities and fashionistas alike, Reese crafts finely detailed looks that make a statement and are easy to wear, garnering the attention of the nation’s top media.

Tracy Reese, plenty and frock! are sold nationwide in top department stores and specialty boutiques as well as retailers throughout Europe and Asia.

For  the new Spring 2012 collection Tracy Reese got her  inspiration from  a land of pure delight.  Softly voluminous styles pair with lean, refined silhouettes, evolving proportions with a focus on modern fluidity.  A feminine yet relaxed mood is achieved through the juxtaposition of romance and sport, comfort and flattery. Subtle hues of khaki and blush mixed with pastel shades of waterfall, misty blue and aqua tears gradually intensify to deep saturated tones and neon brights, making a bold splash for the transition into summer.

Tracy Reese showcased her new Spring/Summer 2012 runway collection at the Lincoln Center tents, but respectfully marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by joining with show partners Sally Hansen and TRESemme to make donations to charity organizations Action America and Families of Freedom.

Reese’s new collection was bursting at the seams with vibrant colors, inspired, as she told me backstage while getting ready for the show, by “everything around me in nature – the sky, the clouds, the ocean.”

Pastel blues, corals and blush colors mixed with bright neons and muted khakis in a truly eclectic mix of colors, prints and fabrics to create a thoroughly modern, somewhat bohemian silhouette.

The overall look was light and feminine with an emphasis on long fluid lines. The designer said she placed a lot of focus on dresses this season. These were shown in longer lengths in drapey jerseys, lace and crepes, accessorized with laced edged cardigans, anoraks, leather jackets and loose henleys. Palazzo pants and wide legged jumpsuits echoed the comfortable and voluminous feel of the collection. Lean lines in skirts and lace shorts paired with billowy fly-away blouses and dresses and prints relied heavily on delicate floral motifs.

Reese says the line is a reflection of the modern woman and her busy lifestyle, adding she wanted to incorporate a sporty, edgy feel while maintaining a romantic, feminine look to the clothes, all while being very conscious of the pocket books of women out to buy her looks. She says dresses are an economical way to get a complete look, without having to splurge on separates.

The following images are my favorite looks from her S/S 2012 Collection:

Tracy Reese ranks as one of the fashion industry’s most successful African-American women whose realm is not relegated to the runway. In a business where few designer labels seem to make it past their fifth anniversary, Reese has two clothing lines, TR and Plenty, which have been sold at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, and other top retailers since the mid-1990s. Her company’s sales topped $12 million in 2003, and it launched a Plenty-label home line that same year and a footwear collection the following. Reese has an unerring eye for what women will buy. “I don’t want to design a skirt just because a skirt is needed to go with a particular jacket,” she told Joy Duckett Cain in Essence. “The skirt itself has to make you want to buy it.”

Reese was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 12, 1964. Her mother, Pat, was a modern dance teacher and enrolled Reese and her two sisters in weekend enrichment classes at the city’s art museum. The women in the family also liked to sew and would sometimes hold contests in which they raced to finish an outfit first. The loser had to pay for fabric, and it was here that Reese’s future career direction first emerged. “Although I generally won,” she joked in an interview with another Essence writer, Deborah Gregory, “I still spent every dime I had buying fabric.”

Spent Summer in
Manhattan

Reese attended Cass Technical High School, the elite public high school in the Detroit system. Students there focused on either the arts or academics and, as Reese recalled in another profile in Essence, ”I actually thought I’d be an architect or an interior designer,” she told Vanessa Bush. Cass Tech, she continued, “had a fashion-design department, and I took a couple of classes, but I didn’t take it as my concentration because I thought it was kind of flaky.” But Reese was encouraged by a teacher to apply for a scholarship to a summer program for high-schoolers at New York City’s Parsons School of Design, one of the top U.S. colleges for future fashion-design professionals. She won a slot and enjoyed her summer experience, as well as New York City. After graduating from Cass Tech, she entered Parsons full-time.

Reese earned her design degree in 1984 and found a terrific job right away, as an apprentice to the French designer Martine Sitbon in New York City. She was assigned to Sitbon’s Arlequin line, and Sitbon encouraged her talents and even allowed her to sketch designs, a plum assignment for a novice. After two years on the job, Reese decided to strike out on her own, and her father Claud provided some of the start-up funds to launch her own line—a risky venture even for an experienced fashion pro. She produced two collections, both of which were well liked by store buyers, and the line was sold in stores such as Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, and Ann Taylor. Reese was just 23 years old at the time. “I had the energy and the drive to run the company,” she recalled in an interview with Julee Greenberg for WWD. ”I thought I knew everything, but I learned quickly that I really didn’t and knew I had to learn more about business.” She could not maintain enough revenue to meet her production costs, and was forced to close her business in 1989.

A heartbroken Reese was able to land a job with Perry Ellis Portfolio thanks to Marc Jacobs, her former schoolmate at Parsons. At the time, Jacobs was the vice president of design for the Perry Ellis women’s line, and working at a thriving design firm—one which also had its share of financial ups and downs—was instrumental in teaching Reese the business basics she needed to learn. She also teamed with sportswear designer Gordon Henderson, an African American who had worked for Calvin Klein before launching his own line in the mid-1980s. Henderson, Reese has said, was an important mentor who shared much of his own experience with her about running a successful start-up line.

Ready to Try Again

In the early 1990s, Reese won a head-designer job with new label called Magaschoni. It was owned by Magtague, a Hong Kong manufacturer that produced clothes for Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and other well-known names. She was tapped to design Magaschoni’s bridge, or mid-priced line, and it was not that exciting of a job, she later confessed in the Essence interview with Gregory. “It was definitely not my style, but I knew this was the kind of company that could provide me with major backing of my own label,” she said, and once sales hit a respectable $4 million-mark for 1991, Magtague executives gave Reese her own label, “Tracy Reese for Magaschoni.” She spent the next few years designing her collections, and even had a showroom in a building on Seventh Avenue, the center of New York’s Garment District. The line had terrific sales at retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, but Reese was still determined to run her own business again someday.

She stepped closer to that goal in 1995, when she struck a deal with mass retailer The Limited for her own line. That gave her some of the start-up funds for her new label, Tracy Reese Meridian, a contemporary sportswear line that was launched in the spring of 1996. She had learned much from her previous experience a decade before, but still struggled to meet production costs, and finally her lawyer introduced her to an accountant with ties to textile manufacturers in his native India. Om Batheja invested funds in Meridian, which eventually became just “Tracy Reese.” They then launched a more informal, free-spirited line aimed at younger customers called Plenty. By 2002 Reese had opened a corporate showroom, and sales at her company had more than doubled over the previous year to $12 million. Her collections, which grew to include resort and swimwear lines, were shown during New York Fashion Week, the series of events at Bryant Park tents onto which the world’s fashion journalists and store buyers descend to preview the next season’s looks and place store orders. Reese’s designs collections earned good reviews, and have been featured on the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Lucky.

In late 2004, Reese’s company launched Plenty Home, a line of bedding, curtains, and throws that used many of the same lushly patterned Indian textiles from the original Plenty line. It seemed a natural step, she explained to WWD‘s Greenberg. “When I’m designing the line,” said Reese, “I always think about how I would love to have sheets in these fabrics, curtains in these fabrics.” Shoes and accessories came next, both of which were launched in the fall of 2005.

I’m Super Proud of my Detroit Sistah! Her Collection keeps getting better & better!

Ready to play a crucial Olympic qualifying match with Jordan in Amman on Friday, the Iranian team was dismissed by officials of the international football association, FIFA. The officials decided just before the kickoff that the tight headscarves the Iranian players were wearing to cover their hair broke the association’s dress code, FIFA said on Monday.

After Jordan was awarded a 3-0 victory, Iran’s players took to the field crying, Press TV, Iranian state TV’s English-language outlet, reported.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran all women are obliged to cover their hair, neck, arms and legs according to the state’s interpretation of Shiite Islamic tenets. Female athletes who compete internationally have to obey the country’s dress code. Iranian women athletes have excelled during international events in sports such as karate and volleyball, but are notably absent from sports such as swimming and gymnastics.

“This ruling means that women soccer in Iran is over,” said Shahrzad Mozafar, the team’s former head coach. She said that now that FIFA is no longer allowing Iranian women to wear scarves, the Iranian government will no longer send them abroad for competitions. “Headscarves are simply what we wear in Iran,” she said.

In April 2010 FIFA announced that it was planning to ban headscarves and other religious outings during the 2012 Olympics. Following the ruling, Iran’s team designed special headscarves that players wrapped tightly around their heads and necks. The team said they were in line with guidelines set by the football association.

FIFA did not agree and told the Associated Press on Monday that its officials had been right to stop the Iranian women from playing the qualifier. Iranian officials were “informed thoroughly” before Friday’s match against Jordan that the headscarf covering a woman’s neck is banned for safety reasons, an unidentified FIFA official said.

The Iranian football organization, which is lead by allies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is planning to protest the ruling.

Mozafar said the ruling killed professional athletic ambitions of Iranian women.

“When a serious women athlete can’t participate internationally, which ambitions are left for her?” she said.

Special correspondent Kay Armin Serjoie contributed to this report.

This is Highly ridiculous! How appalling & embarrassing for the Olympic Committee. This is systemic racism @ it’s highest. The Olympics is supposed to be about Unity. This should not be allowed. This sets an extremely horrible precedent! When will we stop this stupidity?

South Pasadena and Los Angeles, designers Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock met at 17 in their native California before shipping off to Parsons the New School of Design, where they were rejected from their school’s senior show in 2003, so they decided to give it a go on their own. Just Three weeks after graduation they began making the first Vena Cava collection. (The duo sewed twelve looks on their living room floor). In September 2003, they debuted the line. Their signature aesthetic takes a fresh spin on vintage mixed with an artsy palette and hand-drawn prints, with past collections inspired by japonismo and Egyptian history. Based in Brooklyn, the design duo was awarded an Ecco Domani in 2006, back-to-back Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund Award nominations followed in 2007 and 2008, and have established themselves within the industry of young designers with a steady retail following.

Reminiscing about their formative fashion years, remixed grunge on the soundtrack, and a ‘zine on every seat, Vena Cava designers Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock were saying “Viva the 1990s” with their fall 2011 collection. The ‘zine waxed nostalgic for Contempo Casuals, Judy’s, Andre Agassi’s mullet, pagers, Filofaxes and Kriss Kross.

And you could see the references to Contempo, Betsey Johnson, Donna Karan and others on the runway, in the black-and-white polka dot palazzo pants; square-neck jersey tube dress; off-the-shoulder tops; and leather jackets with supersized sleeves, which had the look of a flea market find.

For Fall ’11, Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai did what they do best — quirky ethnic touches, edgy cutouts, badass leather, silky fabrics, and dark, brooding hues. The Vena Cava aesthetic — off-kilter clothes for equally standout girls — remains the same, but new hemlines arose via mid-length skirts and fitted maxi dresses. And clearly designers are also into the decolletage for the upcoming season; off-shoulder tops revealed svelte arms and long necks, while bottom halves remained fairly covered with trousers and long skirts. A couple polka-dot pieces popped up, revealing Vena Cava’s softer side.

Vena Cava’s collection for Uniqlo, is a highlight of the latest Uniqlo Designers Invitation Project (DIP), which is returning for its fifth year. And Vena Cava for Uniqlo will allow shoppers to get their hands on top designers’ creations for just a fraction of the cost of their mainline collections.
Trends: Mid-length hemlines, silky skirts, cool cutouts, cropped tops, edgy clothes with a refined twist.
Colors: Black, rust, navy, beige.
Key Look: Rust-colored fitted maxi dress paired with flatforms and layered gold necklaces.
Accessories: Berets, lace-up flatforms, gold chokers.
Who Would Wear It: Downtown girls who like a polished and graphic touch with their edgy look.

Vena Cava Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York Fall 2011

Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock, the designers behind Vena Cava, were reliving the ’90s in designing their Fall 2011 collection.

Source: Backstage at Fashion Week: Vena Cava | NBC San Diego

Buhai and Mayock are no strangers to the collaboration game.
Last fall, Vena Cava created a line for the Bloomingdale’s in-house brand Aqua, and their new (and most unconventional) collaboration launched at Vena Cava’s Fall/Winter 2011 New York Fashion Week. Vena Cava for condom line Proper Attire. Synonymous with downtown chic, Vena Cava infuses its cool-girl aesthetic into a collection of condoms for the PROPER ATTIRE® brand, boasting playful packaging designs. A must-have for any empowered fashion maven, proceeds from the sale of PROPER ATTIRE® condoms benefit Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

In February 2009 they unveiled a shoe line for Via Spiga, and in May of the same year they put their spin on khakis for Gap as part of the brand’s CFDA initiative.

“We just want to make sure whatever we do has our stamp on it,” said Buhai. For example, when it came to the Gap khaki project, she said, “Vena Cava is not a khaki brand. We had to think of defacing khaki … [it’s about] making sure things are in line with our brand.”

Added Mayock, “It’s an opportunity for us to articulate our brand in a way that’s more mass.”



Mayock and Buhai said trying new things is key to keeping their business moving forward.

“Lisa and I were at a point where we felt like we were getting stagnant,” Buhai said, noting that they’re interested in all aspects of the fashion industry, like “how to design shoes, how to make a zine, how to blog.”

“Fashion is cyclical,” she continued, “but when you add in different projects, you feel like you’re learning again.”

The designers showed pieces that stayed true to their vintage, boho-inspired aesthetic with a collection that was rife with breezy silhouettes, long skirts, and plenty of prints. The metal-worked long and short choker-style necklace, the statement metal earrings, and the dainty black berets worn by many of the models were perfect for adding structure to many of the looks, which were often free-flowing and casual.
Sexier pieces with a 90s touch were also in the mix and included wedges, cropped and off-the-shoulder tops, cut-out dresses, high waist pants and skirts, feminine mini dresses, and fitted cropped jackets.

Vena Cava Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York Spring 2011






Here’s their interview from Opening Ceremony:
What is it like designing with a friend? Is it a finish-each-other’s-sentences sort of relationship or more of a yin-and-yang thing?
LISA: It’s both! We balance each other by having an extra set of eyes and two opinions on every sketch. And we definitely each have our own taste. But we also finish each other’s thoughts in a free-associative way that baffles most casual observers. It tends to come out more when we’re extra sleep-deprived. Here is a fake sample conversation:

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

LISA: Though there was a brief period where I was fascinated by the idea of designing prosthetic limbs, I have always wanted to make clothes.
SOPHIE: I wanted to be an artist, a Shakespearean actor (thespian phase), a fashion designer, and a bowling alley proprietor (family business).

How do you think Vena Cava would change if you had begun your collection in SoCal, rather than in NYC?

SOPHIE: More Cruise, Brews, Jacuzz… just kidding, kind of. There would definitely be less black and “edge.” From a design standpoint, I think the clothes would have a lighter, more spontaneous spirit–there is something about dressing in New York that feels more formal and studied. In LA, there is a freedom to dressing because people don’t follow “fashion” as much. And you can be in a car all day, so you don’t have to worry about dressing for practical purposes. We designed our last Spring 11 collection in LA, and you can really see the ease and color in the collection.



Describe a typical day in the VC studio.

SOPHIE: It’s usually a mix of a bunch of stuff. It’s a lot of computer time and meetings. We design maybe 10% of the time; the rest of it’s managing the company, figuring out ways to expand the business, developing special projects, and brainstorming new ideas. Some days we can be at the library all day, other days may be filled with power business meetings, and then there are the less glamorous days of all: e-mails. It’s always a mixed bag.

What secrets can you reveal about SS12?
LISA: One of our prints prominently features a certain illegal substance.
SOPHIE: We designed the whole collection while traveling in Vietnam! We did most of the sketches in a bungalow on the beach. It was sort of our fashion honeymoon!

What was the first show you ever went to?

LISA: My dad took me to see NKOTB (that’s New Kids On The Block), who I definitely wasn’t into. But it was pretty awesome of Mike Mayock for being such a great dad and taking 6 kids under the age of 10 to Dodger Stadium to see them.
SOPHIE: Bob Dylan at The El Rey when I was 14. My Dad’s friend took me and my brother. There were only 150 people in the room…it was very memorable.

What about the first tape/LP/CD you ever owned?

LISA: My first CD was the Portishead album Dummy when I was 13.
SOPHIE: Motown Hits, a tape I got at the car wash. ‘Til this day, I think it’s the perfect tape.
“You won’t see us building an all-white cement-and-glass showroom in the Meatpacking District,” says Sophie Buhai, in fact, the pioneering pair were among the first to set up a studio in Brooklyn’s industrial Gowanus neighborhood, now a hotbed for indie brands. Great taste and great thrift bonded Sophie and Lisa. “It helps to have a friend to create with,” Buhai says. “Melding our aesthetics makes the collection unique.” Hand-drawn prints and long draped dresses earned them the two CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominations, but the designers swear the highlight has been Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour’s visit to their Brooklyn studio: “We never thought Gowanus would see the day!”
Vena Cava Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York Spring 2011









Currently, Vena Cava is sold in over 150 retailers internationally. The brand has also been featured in magazines including Vogue, Paper, Glamour, InStyle, Elle, and The New York Times, among other publications.
They showed their collection for Spring 2005 through the patronage of emerging artist supporter Gen Art. With a presence in New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago, Gen Art seeks new talent in fashion,
film, music, and visual arts.
When Buhai and Mayock were approached by Gen Art to present a line for Spring 2005, they had two fashion shows and positive press behind them. The experience, however, would differ greatly from their previous shows, in that they were provided with significant production and technical support, which helped ensure a fluidity and smoothness to the program. For their previous shows, the pair worked on very low budgets and with the help of many of their friends. Gen Art gave them the opportunity and the challenge to create a line that would appeal to the audience—a mix of high-end fashion buyers, commercial and corporate fashion buyers, and investors—and display their brand identity. They were able to give special attention to minor details because of the funding provided by Gen Art.

Buhai explains that Vena Cava produces clothing that women of different ages can wear: “Even though we are young, our mothers wear our designs; women of different body types wear our designs. Our clothes are quieter. We are really into the reality more than the fantasy of fashion.”

Buhai and Mayock agreed on “Vena Cava” because they wanted to avoid the obvious device of combining last names. It is by avoiding the obvious that they have marched steadily forward with their brand. Vena Cava has a strong, focused, young team pulsing with life and carrying it forward creatively, one small collection at a time. They start with small collections and improve upon them without upstaging them. Consistency is the most important thing.

Since her discovery by scout master Elmer Olsen, Canadian model Cici Ali has brought her gorgeous brown eyes, killer legs, and most importantly diversity to catwalks around the world.

Hailing from Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto, she studied fashion at Humber College before deciding to pursue a full time modeling career. Today the 5’9 glamazon of Somalian descent, splits her time between Toronto and New York.



Much love and respect to Iman (the Queen of this). She deserves respect for being a game changer and putting the beauty of Somalis on the map. Although she has always said in comparison to typical Somali girls her looks were quite plain, she is quite beautiful and smart. For a long time she has been the ambassador representing what’s beautiful about Somalis to the world. I am glad other girls such as Yasmin W, Cici Ali, Ubah Hassan, Ayan Elmi are leading that torch today in the fashion world. She opened the door for all of them.



Cici Ali been spotted in fashion spreads for Sway, Glamour and Allure magazines, and she’s a fierce presence on some of the world’s most glamorous runways.

She has walked the catwalk for Attitude, 3.1 Philip Lim, Alexander Berardi, Andy and Debb, Brandon R. Dwye, Dennis Basso, Greta Constantine, Jason Wu, Joe Fresh, Keith Lissner, Lovas Wesley Badanjak, Paul Hardy, Pink Tartan, Ports 1961, Rebecca Taylor, Tracy Reese, Travis Taddeo, .Dimitri, Academy of Art University, Alexa Chung for Madewell, Arise African Fashion Collective, Behnaz Sarafpour, Christian Cota, Generra, Italian Designers Next Generation, Michalsky, No Ifs, Paul Smith, Penkov, Rachel Roy, Roksanda Ilincic, Sam Frenzel, Tory Burch, Twinkle by Wenlan, and Malandrino.

She also appeared in a campaign for Attitude.

She’s done editorial work for Flare (appearing also on the cover), Spade Magazine, and Vogue Italia.

Flare Magazine Germany

Cici is currently signed with Elmer Olson Model Management in Toronto, Modelwerk in Hamburg, and with Next Models in New York, London, Paris, and Milan. Ford didn’t do much for Cici, but she at least got a nice show list the seasons she was with them, ever since the move to Next all we’ve seen are catalog shots. I hope they aren’t going to market her as a solely catalog model, she has the potential to do so much more than that!

It’s a shame she never made a debut in Europe.

Arise Magazine African Collective Fall/Winter 2010


3.1 Philip Lim Spring/Summer 2010


Academy of Art


Arise Africa Spring/Summer 2010


Generra Fall/Winter 2010/2011


Tory Burch Fall/Winter 2010/2011


Rachel Roy Fall/Winter 2010/2011


Twinkle By Wenlan Fall 2010

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Jason Wu Ready To Wear Spring/Summer 2010


Tracy Reese Spring/Summer 2010


Rebecca Taylor Spring/Summer 2010

NO IFS Fall/Winter 2010 Berlin


Greta Constantine Toronto Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2010

Elmer Olsen’s Cici Ali opening Paul Hardy

I adore Cici, her face is so engaging and magical. She translates very well in print and on the runway. Hopefully she does well next season and brings it up on the runway. I really want to see her do well.

Alexa Chung

I don’t understand why she wasn’t in Paris last season but I am keeping my fingers crossed for the next season. Her face is very classic and timeless – I can already see it working well with houses like Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant or Chloe – she just has a very easy to understand, accessible and natural beauty that would shine through wonderfully in clothes like that.

She has the kind of look that I think could do well in Paris. Imagine her in Lanvin – could be stunning!
She looks like Kerry Washington so much its scary..and her look screams…SCREAMS… make up campaign







Cici is featured in the Neiman Marcus February 2011 Essentials book, August Casual Book, and their “Ready Set Go” catalog. She’s featured in the Kate Spade Holiday 2010 ad campaign called “Mix and Mingle. And also modeling designs from Caroline Rose, Albert Nipon and more.



“Tribute to Black Beauties” Vogue Italia May 2011


New York is a fashion mecca for any aspiring model, but for Toronto native Cici Ali, hailing cabs en route to New York Fashion Week is all in a day’s work. Discovered at 14, Cici took a relaxed approach to modelling: She finished high school, and then studied fashion at Humber College before pursuing it full-time.







In May 2010 In between juggling castings for Glamour and Allure, Cici spoke with The Style Notebook about her Michelle Obama moment, her definition of Toronto style and her (refreshingly honest) thoughts on the size zero debate.

Were there any models you looked up to growing up?

“I was a tomboy, and I didn’t really read magazines growing up, but I remember Christy Turlington. I remember seeing her and being mesmerized by her natural beauty. She was the perfect essence of a model to me.”

Are there any models you look up to now ?

“It’s more their styling that I admire. Erin Wasson, I love—I like grungy, cool, DIY kind of girls.”

Is that how you would describe your personal style?

“I’m more laid-back, tomboyish with heels on. Lately, I tend to wear a boy’s V-neck with skinnies and high pumps. Maybe I’ll throw on a blazer or an old-school leather jacket. But I like to mix it up, I don’t think I have a definite style.”

What does “Toronto style” mean to you?

“There are so many different styles—it’s a city where everything goes. You have hipster style: people who keep it funky with funky patterns and different textures. Prep-posh styling, like big shoulders, big sunglasses, big purses—pretty much Yorkville! Then there’s downtown, which is like New York’s Lower East Side, with people wearing toques, T-shirts with holes in them, but which look kind of hot when paired with baggy pants.”

Who is your favourite designer?

“I really like Giambattista Valli. His clothes last forever—I wear it now and I will wear it in my 60s.”

Favourite place you’ve been?

“Definitely Beijing—we did a show for DTVI, which I wasn’t familiar with beforehand but it was a huge deal over there. It was amazing—they took us to the Great Wall and toured us around the countryside. One day we ate with farmers from the far west coast who had probably never seen a black girl with a huge curly ‘fro before!”

Favourite model moment that really stands out in your mind?

“In my first season I did a show for Jason Wu and I was so nervous! The runway was made from mirrors and I was the only new girl there. Backstage, I saw this huge group of photographers and security, and I realized that someone special must be here which made me more nervous. Then I looked over and saw Michelle Obama! Yeah, I actually saw her! But the story gets better. So then Jason Wu comes up to me and says that I look like his friend Kerry and that I have to meet her. I was playing along and went to meet his friend. A petite girl turned around and I realized that it was Kerry Washington! The whole show was so surreal.”

Has anything embarrassing or nerve-wrecking happened to you?

“After my first season, I got a call to head over to a photographer booking. I grabbed my heels and rushed over to this little office that was packed with girls. I was getting Polaroids taken, my hair was a mess, I looked frazzled and was wearing something you would probably wear to sleep. I asked what the casting was for and was told it was for Steven Meisel—the photographer of my life! It was the most horrendous thing ever but I will never forget that moment: It taught me to always be on point for any appointment.”

Is there anything you dislike about modelling?

“I’m slowly realizing that you can get into certain situations where you aren’t treated as a person, as horrible as that sounds. You go to a fitting, or a casting, you’re working with a client, and people talk about you as if you’re not there, like you’re a product. A few times I’ve spoken up, but that’s frowned upon. Some people do whatever they want to you, like taping your hair for a shoot or gluing stuff on your skin—treating you like you’re a doll. It’s understandable because you’re a model and that’s your job, but to constantly be accosted by it can be draining.”

There has been a lot of debate about model sizes in fashion. What’s been your experience with size pressure in the industry?

“A lot of models will probably never admit it, but some people in the industry expect you to be not just skinny, they want girls who are stick figures, emaciated and not eating for days. I’ve tried dieting, but it doesn’t make me happy and I don’t think anybody’s body should be put through that kind of pressure. I decided in the last couple of months that I am not even going to bother, and if someone won’t book me because I am not a double zero that is too bad for them!”

Do you have any advice for girls interested in fashion or getting into the industry?

“I know it’s a cliché, but be true to yourself. People will try to change you and people say so many different things, but you have to be true to yourself because at the end of the day you can only perform if you feel comfortable. You also have to work with people you feel trust and feel comfortable with because they are the people who have your career in their hands. Some people just want to be supermodels, but it takes time, so just work as hard as you can and do the best that you can.” As an awkward teenager, I remember reading magazine after magazine, desperate for beauty tips and makeup advice. I tried everything Seventeen Magazine suggested, bought the products Cosmopolitan hawked, and followed Glamour’s makeup tutorials step-by-step. I’d go through pages and pages, looking for pictures of girls who looked like me, with tanned skin, dark hair and dark eyes, but I rarely found a face I could relate to. I grew up with very little self-confidence, thinking I could never be beautiful until my skin was lighter, my nose was sharper, or if maybe I was a little taller.

REALITY CHECK
When I was growing up, my Mom was Uber into The Arts, Fashion, Optimal Health, and Reading. By default I became a fan of those things as well. She took me to the ballet, Plays on Broadway, we traveled together. She constantly exposed me to African Americans excelling in every facet of life. I was empowered and began to recognize my own personal brand of beauty. It’s within you too, to look and feel beautiful. No magazine can tell you otherwise. No other person determines that for you. No matter what color you are, no matter how tall or how short, you are beautiful.

Beauty comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. Never look at Models to determine your own beauty and self worth. I must say this often because for me, Models are Art. They help illustrate a picture that gives a feeling about the clothes for that particular editorial, etc., not dictate my own ideal of self. You define your own path. Be true to your own self. Its about being you and not worrying about how others define you because people will always try. There is power in being able to define your own beauty. To see the beauty in others you first have to see the beauty in you. I’ve never let anyone define who I should be nor should you. Defy expectations. Be Brave. Be Kind. Be Free.
Living among so many people from various walks of life and countries, I have really learned to value the beauty that we all have. Despite our differences, we are more alike than different. Never forget that.
Even with all our imperfections, we were made perfect. The forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.

By now you should know all about Color Blocking and how to apply it this Summer.Here’s a very simple way to implement the idea while maintaining simplicity.I’m a huge fan of neutrals, grays, and muted colors. On brown skin, neutrals give a very “finished” look. I also love bright colors mixed in to uplift my mood. Accessories are the “key” to seal together an outfit. I prefer delicate pieces around my neck for a softer feel.Flats are fun and comfortable to me and I do lots of running around so I like to be free and easy. I love all the current trends but I think it’s also important to maintain a sense of self. Fortunately for me this season is all about boho chic and ethnic style.

Below my fashion collage is a picture of each item. If you see something you like, just click the image. You will be directed to the site to purchase.

color block by pipercarter featuring a flower brooch

Height – 5’9”
Bust – 34
Waist – 24
Hips – 34
Eyes – Brown
Hair – Black

Marihenny Rivera  New York Model Management New Faces Poster 2011

Dominican Models are making a strong presence in the Fashion Industry, from veteran Omahyra Mota, to new stars Sessilee Lopez, Arlenis Sosa, Austria Alcantara, and Rose Cordero.

Up next is Marihenny Rivera Pasible (a discovery of Sokrates Estudio de imagen from the Dominican Republic. Beautiful Big Brown eyes, full lips, striking presence, she is both delicate and strong. A native of Bavaro Marihenny is placed internationally at New York Model Management. Less than 1 year in the game and she has already worked with some of the best photographers in the industry.

Most recently, we’ve seen her in Yves Saint Laurant 2012 Resort show and Italian Vanity Fair April 2011 where she ABSOLUTELY reminds me of a young Naomi Campbell for sure!

She has modeled for international designers Carolina Herrera, Leah Marshall, Angie Polanco, Ainek Abreu, Carmen Rincon, Nicole Jimenez, Gabriel Zamora, Gutierrez -Marcano, and Jacqueline Then, Magali Tiburcio, Hexa by Cuho, Cushine et Ochs, Duro Olowu, and signed Escada in the parade of Mir Foundation.

She’s long, she’s brown, she’s beautiful, she’s confident, she’s versatile. I absolutely Love this girl! She is a Star and I hope to be seeing much more from her really soon!.

Below are all of the images i could find on her. I haven’t found any interview footage but i will be on the look out.

Marihenny Rivera Yves Saint Laurant Resort 2012

Marihenny Rivera Italian Vanity Fair April 2011

Marihenny Rivera Factory Magazine by Fernando and Victor

Marihenny Rivera Photo by Wilfredo Alexander

Marihenny Rivera Photo by Alvin Nguyen

Marihenny Rivera Photo by Terry Richardson

Marihenny Rivera  w/ Olivia Gordon V Magazine BODY issue 

Marihenny Rivera for Jaqueline Then

Marihenny Rivera for Magali Tiburcio

Marihenny Rivera for Parsons School of Design

Marihenny Rivera New York Fashion Week 2011 Autmn/Winter

Hexa by Cuho

cushine et ochs

Duro Olowu

Marihenny Rivera Photos Michael Donovan

Marihenny Rivera Oh! Magazine Photos by Cesar Bido

Test Shots

Marihenny Rivera comp card

elements of style by pipercarter featuring striped bags

Below my fashion collage is a picture of each item. If you see something you like, just click the image. You will be directed to the site to purchase.

style diary by pipercarter featuring buckle belts

Below my fashion collage is a picture of each item. If you see something you like, just click the image. You will be directed to the site to purchase.

the beach 2011 by pipercarter featuring metal shades

Below my fashion collage is a picture of each item. If you see something you like, just click the image. You will be directed to the site to purchase.

neutral ground by pipercarter featuring ruffle tops

Below my fashion collage is a picture of each item. If you see something you like, just click the image. You will be directed to the site to purchase.