Bad BiriBelles!

Sound round up pics from past events. LSP Audio trip for which I designed these fabrics and outfits, and the Crylittle for BiriBelle debut.

Stylin' on em

Carolyn Malachi and Tamika "Love" Jones looked beautiful and sounded great on the 22nd during the Sister Bohemia show at Bohemian Caverns. Here are some photos from the event taken by photographer Brandon Hunter. If you have not heard them perform, you are missing out! Tamika will actually be at Ben's Next Door tonight...and its Free99! YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY. SmartChicks Rule!

Carolyn Malachi

Fantastic Hat, designed by Cry Little Hats for BiriBelle

Tamika "Love" Jones

Madia Willis interviewed by Society HAE

Find more videos like this on SOCIETY HAE


Check out my interview with Society HAE! It's after Kirette Couture.

BiriBelle with a Capitol B

Last month, the ever fashionable blogger (and scientist!) Kou Moore wore BiriBelle for her interview with shoe design icon Christian Louboutin for Capitol B. Some of you may remember me practicing my illustrator skills with this dress from a previous post. Here are some pics from the day. Isn't it funny how perfectly the dress matches the set up? Is that fashion telepathy or what? You can read Ms. Moore's interview here.







P.S. Has anyone seen the Louboutin cat burglar Barbie? Meeeoooww!

Goddesses

It's been a while since I've written but much has been going on:

1. I just got back from chaperoning a fashion camp trip to the Mary McFadden exhibit "Goddesses" at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. Mary McFadden is often called a "Design Archeologist" as all of her haute couture garments are inspired by ancient cultures. It was amazing to see her completely unique garments that clearly paid homage to Greece, Africa, France, China, India and more. It was also cool to see her patented Marii fabric (patented because it takes 6 steps and several continents to create), intricate beading, hand painting, and choice of colors/fabrics. Well worth the $10, and kiddies are free.

2. BiriBelle clothing will be featured during the first "Be YOU" music event presented by Lilsoso and Smirnoff. Tonight's event is entitled "Soul Overdose" feat. N'digo Rose and DJ Jahsonic (you might know him from Marvin mondays) w/special guest Yahzarah. Starts at 8pm at
TABAQ , 1336 U Street, $10/$8 w/Be YOU jump drive http://besojul.eventbrite.com

3. Upcoming Events: I'll be participating in the Street Glam Outdoor Fashion Expo and Show on August 15th in Downtown Silver Spring. I'll also be participating in a fashion show benefiting metro teen aids that has lined up some pretty big DC designers and boutiques on September 26th. More on that to come...

4. Follow Up: I ended up having a meeting with the production manager of Singa, Inc, which I mentioned in a previous post. While they are not a fashion incubator, Singa has indeed opened a small garment production facility in NE with very low minimums and affordable pricing. This is strictly a cut & sew operation, but they do have the ability to do some pattern grading. They can sew from samples or your own pattern. This is a well needed addition in DC, and their market is independent designers (like me!) Singa will also offer entrepreneurship and sewing classes for adults in the fall.

5. I participated in a photo shoot with DC photographer Patrick Ryan on Saturday to capture my fall line. I'm excited to see all the pics but here's a sneak peak:








Goddesses indeed!

Yinka Shonibare Opens at The Brooklyn Museum Today

As I start thinking about themes and inspiration for my upcoming trip to London to study fabric print design at Central St. Martin's, I cannot help but think about the nebulous relationship between Europe and Africa. Fortuitously, today marks the beginning of the Brooklyn Museum's exhibition of the work of Nigerian-born British artist Yinka Shonibare MBE. Shonibare’s artwork explores contemporary African identity and its relationship to European colonialism through painting, sculpture, installation, and moving image. Often working with visual symbols such as Dutch wax fabric (produced in Europe for a West African market), Shonibare evokes the complex web of interactions, economic and racial, that reveal inequalities between the dominant and colonized cultures of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Here are some samples of his work:

Afrobeat meets Afrochic at the Black Light Special on Ust.

Hey folks, If you are in town for DC Carnival weekend, come to LunchBox Theory Production's packed Afrobeat party on Ust on June 26th. Check out the site for more details but BiriBelle will be there in full effect to help Afrobeat meet Afrochic. Dance it out to vinyl spun by DJ Underdog, get your face painted, and shop super discounted summer pieces from BiriBelle. Best of all it's only $1!