Turkish Vogue

Tired of magazine subheadings that compare celebrity sex lives and gossip? Bored of the same celebrities being featured on every magazine lining the racks. I mean, you get enough of them starring in every Hollywood movie already, right? Vogue's Turkish edition, which came out this week, featured a cover free of Hollywood celebrities and all of the distracting subheadings. It's clean, professional, yet stylish. Much like Hemma.

What do you think about this magazine cover layout in America, would it survive?

Michelle Fashionista!

Michelle Obama was made an official fashionista this week when her Inaugural Ball dress, designed by Jason Wu, was put on display in the Smithsonian First Lady Museum. Her only faux pas? She wore Prabal Gurung to the event, while she stood next to designer Wu himself. While you may not be able to get your hands on the prized Wu dress Mrs. Obama wore at the inauguration, you can still feel like a member of the elite class in Hemma's classic and chic dresses. The material, Kente, was worn by royalty in Ghana for centuries. Shove that in a glass box, Wu!

What do you think about all the fashion press coverage Michelle is receiving? Were former first ladies considered as fashionable as Mrs. Obama? Why not?

Anvil Westwood?

Anvil Knitwear is a USA-based company, established in 1976, aimed at providing sustainable business procedures from manufacturing up to distribution. In 2007, the company launched a campaign of eco-friendly, organic materials. And, in 2009, Anvil teamed up with Vivienne Westwood in order to design and promote a limited edition t-shirt for the U.N. conservation effort "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation." Philanthropic efforts such as Anvil's pave the future for the fashion industry. Realizing this, Hemma has gotten a jump-start on this endeavor and produces eco-friendly products, as well as making donations to the school at which the founders of the company worked while in Ghana.

Could you imagine what could be accomplished if all industries donated some of their profits toward philanthropic causes? Do you think it would make a large impact on global hunger, poverty, or other important concerns?

Shopping For A Cause

Who doesn’t love Oprah? Oprah is auctioning off items from her personal closet to benefit her Leadership Academy for Girls, Hemma loves this idea because just like Oprah we also support the youth education in Africa.

New York Fashion Week Highlight: Greenshows

While the New York Fashion week received a lot of press, its eco-friendly counterpart might have slipped by you. The Greenshows, a collection of designers and their trends that utilize environmentally friendly materials or production techniques, took place in the East Village of Manhattan. Some writers in attendance noted the, "All-natural dyes, knit details, and interesting, experimental fibres," that swept down the runway. Organic fibers were also an enormous part of the show.

With the rise of the "green" movement in New York City and elsewhere, do you think that environmentally friendly products and procedures will one day overtake traditional design and manufacturing techniques? Would you prefer a greener wardrobe?

Victoria's Got A Secret

Buying used and refurbished goods can be intelligent on environmental and economic levels, buying used (and dirty!) underwear may not be so smart. Victoria Secret was tested by secret shoppers who dirtied their underwear and lingerie items and then returned them to the store. The store simply put the items back on the shelf! With Hemma's handmade and handwoven production techniques, each piece being completely one of a kind, you won't have to worry about any products being... soiled.


Do you think it's correct of large chains like Victoria's to resell dirtied items, even if they are recycling?

L’Oréal Paris Runway Show in Australia

L’Oréal Paris Runway Show will take place in Melbourne Fashion Festival from March 14th-21st.

Dedicated to Fashion Lovers, this Festival is the largest one in Australia!

During 5 days and 7 shows, more than 50 Premium Australian and International designers will be presented by different International Fashion magazines each day: Grazia, Vogue Australia, Madison, In Style, Cosmopolitan, Yen and Harper’s Bazaar.

Check out the designers’ list here to learn more about fashion down under….

Turquoise to be the predicted color of Spring 2010

Is turquoise the new purple?

The color for Spring 2010 is turquoise from eye shadows, sunglasses, shoes,assessories, and clothing turquoise has been seen everywhere. Turquoise represents an escape to a tropical paradise or clam setting it also adds a splash of excitment to any outfit as does Hemma which adds a splash of excitment to any outfit with our unique Kente patterns.

Black Women Honored in Hollywood by Essence Magazine

Today Essence Magazine is celebrating its 40^th anniversary during the third annual Black Women luncheon in Hollywood.

Actresses including Zoe Saldana, Gabourey Sidibe, Queen Latifah and Cicely Tyson will be honored, who all worked hard to convert the images of Black women in television and film.

A special Legend Award will be presented to Cicely Tyson for her contributions in breaking barriers for people of color.

Scheduled to take place right before The Academy Awards, it will be interesting to see which actresses will be honored twice…

Fashion For Charity: Hemma

See what Bella Naija has to say about Hemma!

Lady Gaga and Cindy Lauper were in London to celebrate M.A.C.’s Viva Glam newest lipstick launch.

Who said Glam can’t be conscious? Lady Gaga and Cindy Lauper were in London to celebrate M.A.C.’s Viva Glam newest lipstick launch. They participated in a discussion panel about HIV, AIDS awareness, safe sex and abstinence. We here at Hemma love to support others involved in fashion with a conscious, as a percentage of Hemma’s profits goes to the middle school we taught at while in Ghana.

Africa Fashion Weekend in Dublin

The first Africa Fashion Weekend in Dublin will celebrate top designers inspired by African fashion whether it is clothing, accessories, beauty or image products, all bringing to light the richness of the continent. Step by step, the African fashion industry is growing….Hemma is already taking advantage of this new trend successfully by promoting the authentic hand-woven Kente from Ghana, West Africa. If you want to network and encourage this new movement, this is the place to be! Africa Fashion Weekend is taking place in Dublin on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of April 2010 at Thomas Prior Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Check out the designers and see how they mix the old and the new.

Rachel Roy Collaborating with Fairwinds Trading

Is African fabric a reoccurring trend for Spring and Fall 2010?

Rachel Roy will be introducing a collection with Fairwinds Trading, a U.S.based company that uses business as a strategy for economic empowerment of women in developing nations that will create new jobs for African women.

As with Rachel Roy, Hemma also empowers people in a developing nation by having all of our Kente hand-woven by skilled craftsmen in Ghana. The line will consist of handcrafted accessories from Tanzania sold at rachelroy.com, selected Macy’s stores and macys.com.

Italian Vogue Launches Vogue Black and Vogue Curvy

Italian Vogue Launches Vogue Black and Vogue Curvy, websites dedicated to Women of Color and Curvy Women. Interesting concepts which reopen the debate concerning differences in the media.

Should there be a separate entity for these two groups or is it better for Vogue to include women of all shapes and background?

Back to the Seventies with Gucci’s 2010 Fall Collection

Frida Giannini latest venture for Gucci highlights the upcoming Fall Fashion Trend: Sophisticated, classy and sexy 70's style adapted to 2010.

This is a decade that has been previously reinvented in fashion but Frida's evolution seems to be more centered on quality construction and chic yet glam, 2 keys focuses shared by The Hemma Collection even though the aesthetic is quite different.... Instead of the flower power fashion trends that this decade has preciously inspired, we will see more immaculately tailored trousers, lace and adventurous dresses.

Fashionistas will not forget some of the main accessories: fur, suede knee highs and of course a lot of leather!

What do you think about this coming trend? Will you be partaking?

Hot Pick: The Hemma Collection

Hot Mama Daily's Hot Pick - Hemma!

Hemma featured on the Passage Project's Blog!

HAITI: Turning a Tragedy into Change

Maybe this disaster in Haiti will finally be an international wake up call for the industrialized countries to stop not only ignoring but also to stop purposely hurting Haiti simply because they were stronger in spirit and might once upon a time.

If you think Haiti became the poorest country in the western Hemisphere w/o some help, please take this opportunity to learn. Every disaster can be an opportunity for change.

Learn about the structural adjustment programs that have kept this small country in such deep debt for decades. One of the most heinous white collar crimes that industrialized countries are getting away with is pushing less industrialized countries into corners where they have few FAIR options and forcing astronomical dedts on these countries that they will never be able to climb out of, thus forcing them into modern day slavery: socio-economic & political servitude is the slavery of the 21st Century. In today's global economy there are many non-military ways of forcing weaker countries to give in to the demands of the more powerful-- more "quiet" ways that kill even more civilians than wars do.

Unless industrialized countries move to absolve these unrealistic loans imposed on under-developed countries such as Haiti, they will not only continue to be ill prepared for any natural disaster that comes their way but be ill prepared to create a stable, healthy and prosperous nation.

Text 90999 to Donate $10 to the Red cross each time you do it. It's easy enough for any of us to do and only takes a minute. Change has always historically been proven to happen not when celebrities, the wealthy or political figures believe in something but when the general public is behind a cause, folks like you or me.

Have we as a country done enough? Have individuals done enough? What do we need to do next? There will be much to do to rebuild in the future, what should be the priorities? What are you planning to do in the next year?

We need sustainable, lasting change in Haiti not just transient media attention.

Watch this NY Times Video to understand some of what is being done and not done!

Ghana Rising: The Hemma 2010 Collection

Check out the latest Hemma feature on Ghana Rising!

Behind the Scenes: The Hemma Launch Party

The Hemma Launch Party marked a momentous step for Hemma - It was finally time for us to unveil the 2010 collection and come out to the public as a lifestyle brand embracing African luxury.

It was a bumpy ride on the road to planning the official launch and we worked around the clock to create a fabulous event. During the ups and downs, we added new hats to our personal collection - that of event planners, decorators, budgetary gurus, and miracle workers.

We had been laying the groundwork for the event since the summer of ‘09, when it was first slated to take place! But as with everything in business, it often takes twice as much preparation and money to complete a new phase.

We moved our first date to re-strategize marketing. Our second date was moved for us when the venue canceled our reservations a week before Mercedes Benz Fashion Week!

Barely any designer can escape the drama of fashion week…amongst all the drama, we managed to host an amazing launch. Here are some tips on planning your own event:

1. Provide take-away materials for the attendees to hold on to. This must include your company description, product description, price points, contact information, and ways to purchase your products. During our event, we gave away press kits containing the Hemma catalog, sales sheet, about us information page, the Hemma and Hemma Foundation press release, and an amazing giveaway.

2. Give the public strong representations of your work! Showcase your products in the best way possible by allowing the public to step into a space that embraces your company’s vision. For the launch, we wanted to share the Hemma experience. There was warm golden décor with tropical floral arrangements, delicious hor’dourves, carefully selected wines, chic models, amazing black stylized mannequins to display garments, and a great loft space to host the event.

3. Have your invites arrive at least two weeks before the event!

4. Create buzz to increase the amount of attendees. A great tool to use is online marketing, a quick and easy way to get the information out to countless people. We researched different media outlets and industry personnel that we wanted to attend our event and sent them our press kits and evites. This proved to be beneficial as the majority of attendees were the ones we connected with online.

5. Know when to splurge and when to cut corners! There are countless components that go into planning an event. The cost can sky-rocket quickly if attention is not paid to every detail. Cutting corners in the right areas can save several hundred dollars. Being a luxe brand, we had to be very strategic on when to cut corners and when to splurge:

· SPLURGE: Great stylized mannequins were a major component in displaying our clothing and something that we can use on future events.

· SAVE: Instead of opting with a modeling agency and paying an agency fee, we used Model Mayhem to select models from varying agencies while cutting out the middle man.

· SAVE: For catering, we used an amazing chef that happened to be a friend. Tapping into the resources around you is a great way to save money!

SPLURGE: Styling for our collection was definitely a splurge. Presenting our garments with pieces of similar quality was a must for the Hemma Team.

6. Get a great photographer to capture the event. Using a videographer is definitely a plus for future marketing.

7. Enjoy the event! It is easy to get tied up with all the mayhem that goes on behind the scenes when hosting an event. During the event mingle, relax, and marvel at the results of your hard work.

Check out full photo coverage HERE

DESIGNERS OF COLOR: HEMMA

THE CHOCOLATE FASHION BLOG ON HEMMA!

Trendy Africa Features Hemma

SECRETISTA: HEMMA BRINGS ME BACK TO MY ROOTS

Check out the Hemma feature on Secretista

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: HEMMA | SEVENTH SQUARE

Kente Redefined: Two American Designers Give Kente a “Hemma Collection” Treatment

Check out the Hemma Feature on LadyBrille Mag

You are Cordially Invited to the Launch of Hemma

Check out the Hemma Feature on Runway New York!

Check out the Hemma Feature on Runway New York!

Hemma Interview on Avenue Pink Radio

CHECK OUT AVENUE PINK'S YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR SHOW, 47 MINUTES IN IS THE FEATURE ON HEMMA!

Behind the Scenes of The First Annual Ghana Parade

The First Annual Ghana Parade was all about making it work for Hemma. The parade took place at Crotona Park in the Bronx, NY. We booked several great models, created a Hemma banner, and instead of a conventional float, decided to use a convertible. Although we planned every aspect of the event, it became clear the day of the parade that it would be all about making it work!

The morning of the parade, we realized that the convertible we requested for our float was sold out. We continually phoned every car rental company in New York City only to find that the only car available without a top was a pick-up truck! We were still frantically calling companies and floatless two hours before the event when a friend generously extended their zip car rental service.

With one hour to spare, we rushed to the rental location in Brooklyn and drove the convertible to the parade line-up in the Bronx. We met the models at the site, and quickly began prepping them for the march. We were one model short! My friend who was assisting us during the parade graciously decided to be one of the models.

At the parade, we got a chance to meet one of the chiefs of Ghana. We also had an impromptu photoshoot in the park while waiting to present our clothing on stage. By the end of the parade, we were exhausted and extremely thankful to all of the friends who helped us to make the parade a Hemma success!

Spike Lee & Hemma

So many reasons why NYC is addictive...great people, wild books & awesome events for those with non -top energy.

• Meeting Spike Lee last Wednesday night was a highlight for me after living in Brooklyn my entire life & attending highschool right across from 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks. With too many awe inspiring films such as Do the Right Thing, Bamboozled, Malcolm X & Crooklyn...his genius & discipline are obvious. Check out his long list of films!

• Spike was having a book signing for his newest co-authored work at Taschen, a trendy bookstore in Soho, originally a comic store started in Germany in 1980 by an 18 yr old, now an edgy art, design & architecture book boutique. Showing that the young are the pulse of society and the innovators of civilization. Taschen is home to many acclaimed pieces such as Helmut Newton's compilation of photographic splendor & eye grabbing pieces like The Big Penis Book. Spike's book Design for Obama. Posters for Change: A Grassroots Anthology, is a must have coffee table conversation starter.

• This was not to mention great for networking, where I met an array of interesting folks from media, fine arts, marketing and on. You never know who you might meet and how you can help each other grow..Cin and I love to meet great people and I can't wait to go to the next hot spot tomorrow night!