The House Balmain Is Building

The Fashion House of Balmain has recently announced the appointment of  Olivier Rousteing as its new designer.  Balmain’s website states:  Mr. Rousteing will supervise the design and development of the brand’s men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections.  For those of you who don’t realize what a historic mark this is, let me just say that some color has been added to this fashion house.

Olivier Rousteing

Olivier Rousteing is of a biracial background.  He was born in France, placed in an orphanage and later adopted by a family that raised him in the Bordeaux region of France. And even though he doesn’t know the exact origins of his birth parents, he identifies himself as a person of a mixed race, having a black and white racial background.  This is significant in a country where the growth of racial diversity has caused anxiety over the ever-changing definition of  French identity.  Much of this anxiety has caused violent protests over the past few years.  This is why Rousteing’s appointment is significant, it shows that progress is in the making.  He himself is an example of the generational changes taking place in French society.

Many people of color are accomplished members of the French ateliers and produce skilled handiwork that is the hallmark of couture.  But having a young biracial man of color  being appointed as the caretaker of an historic French brand that was established by Pierre Balmain in 1945, is not only a rarity, but a pivotal moment in fashion history and French history.  As they say, ‘history repeats itself’, and it seems as if we may be re-embarking on an era of when people of color such as Alexandre Dumas with his literary genius, the Creoles of color and African-Americans during the 19th and 20th century who brought both skilled artisan work, literary contributions and musical staples to a country that prides itself on being the most refined and romantic place of all, will again be openly accepted and grandly appreciated.

Whether or not the Balmain fashion house will thrive under the direction of Rousteing is yet to be seen (I faithfully believe that it will), it has already thrived in future history books of fashion once again.

Published in: on April 28, 2011 at 12:01 pm  Comments (2)  

The Real Meaning of Vacation

I just returned from a much-needed vacation!  I visited islands in the Southern Caribbean.   Leaving from San Juan,  I visited St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados and my favorite island of all, St. Maarten or St. Martin (depending on whether you’re on the Dutch or French side)!

I met so many interesting people, had plenty of fun, ate fabulous cuisine and just disconnected from the world, while reconnecting with myself.   I wasn’t even trying to go on a personal/spiritual journey when I took this vacation, but that is exactly what happened and I am very grateful for it.  I feel physically renewed, emotionally revived and spiritually replenished.

In this world of being busy-bodies, we often misinterpret the actual meaning behind the phrase ‘taking a vacation’.  The word vacation derived from the Latin word vacare, meaning “to be unoccupied, empty, free, or at leisure”.   However during my vacation, I spent Easter Sunday in Old San Juan, P.R.  In Old San Juan people are very spiritual/religious and it is something that you can actually feel and even smell in the air.    I visited an old Catholic church and while taking pictures, a priest came up to me asking if he would be seeing me at mass the following Sunday.  I informed him that I was visiting and as I began speaking to him about my renewed self, he informed me that the Latin word vacare actually derived from the Latin phrase vacare Deo, meaning “to be empty for God; to be at leisure for or available to God.”  He began to explain to me that when a true vacation is taken, it is only natural that one will feel spiritually replenished.  Then he asked me, Do you think it is an accident that you are here on “vacation” and speaking to me about this on Easter Sunday?

All I could do was smile, because at that very moment, I realized that nothing in this world is an accident or coincidence.  There is a time for everything and I will definitely began making time for the next ‘vacation’.

Published in: on April 25, 2011 at 1:45 pm  Leave a Comment  

A Must See…

Oprah Presents Master Class is a must see television show.  I have watched every Master Class show thus far and have learned so much, but it was Oprah’s very own Master Class that moved my spirit beyond anything imaginable.

In parts 1 & 2 she speaks of her life journey and the peaks and valleys traveled, but it was all about the lessons learned and what can be gained which are inspirational.  We can all learn something from someone else, but Oprah encourages us to learn from ourselves first and foremost.  To listen to ‘the whispers’, never give in to doubt, stop worrying about the other person and remain true to yourself, were reinforcements for my spirit.  What I loved about her Master Class in particular was the way she spoke to the camera.  Being that she is so comfortable in front of the camera,  it was as if I was having a one-on-one student/teacher conversation with her and she was teaching me what I needed to know to get through this school of life.

The only thing I can say is that no matter where you are on your life journey, every single one of us can learn a lesson from Oprah’s journey.  Please watch her Master Class series, it is truly life changing television.

Published in: on April 5, 2011 at 1:16 pm  Leave a Comment