Sneaker Lessons

So do you argue with people over which new shoe releases look better, and basically give a persuasive speech on why you chose the colorway you did for a particular sneaker? You can end all that non-sense and shut people up by saying that you're obviously right because you have a college credited course to back you up!How cool would that be??? Well the pic you're looking at is a picture of (from left to right) Elliot Curtis, Octavio Lubrano, and Jesse Chorng. The two on the end are the creators of Sneakerology 101 for Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA , and Lubrano is the designer behind the ever-so popular Air Jordan 6 Rings. Sneakerology 101 is a college credited course which explores the history of sneakers and they appeal. Curtis and Chorng created the course for Canegie Mellon University from the pure love of sneakers and wanting others to go deeper into the design and logic behind them.

Recently Lubrano paid the Sneakerologists a visit and was a guest speaker during the course. (Ha! I can see half of you addicts trying to register as we speak!). Through Chorng's blog he gave a very brief summary of Octavio's lecture:

"For the most part, he talked about the legacy and design philosophies behind Jordan. Being such a high end performance shoe, Jordans have a really unique process from concept to manufacturing and involve a tight knit team dedicated to upholding Michael Jordan's high standards of what he personally believes an athletic shoe should be."

Chorng and Curtis have both fulfilled sought after internships with Vice Magazine and Reebok, which I'm sure opens the door for their most studious scholars to network their way to sole heaven.

Can't go another day without the class??? Click here

-Doni W.

Another Legend Dies...

If you haven't heard by now, I hate to be the barer of bad news, but Vibe Magazine is shutting down shop. The publication founded in 1993 by Quincy Jones (Thee Quincy Jones) has concluded that the economic situation we are in has strained the magazine to the point of no return. One of the few hip hop/urban focused magazines, you could ask any new hip hop or r & b artists and I can guarantee one of their dreams was to grace the cover of Vibe Magazine. Well those dreams will have to be altered and the entire Vibe staff will now be added to the overgrowing unemployment pool. I'm shaking my head as I write because it's more than a shame that this economy is not only effecting everyone personally, but taking down companies that people have grown so attached to.

Vibe's last cover will feature the love birds Christina Milian and The Dream, which I had mixed feelings about. It's such a sad thing to see this magazine go, and for The Dream's career to just be really reaching were it should be and Christina to have had such a luke warm career, I'd rather see some heavy hitters take Vibe out with a bang. Jay and Bey??? Now that would've been dope! And Vibe might've sold enough copies to stay in business!

My buddy JT made a good point earlier today on the subject. He said for Vibe to be so important to the hip hop community, why won't these flashy and big-spending artists pool some money together to ensure that the magazine stays running?? It would only be showing appreciation for the magazine that practically MADE their careers right??? Right.

Hopefully the phoenix will rise from the ashes. R.I.P Vibe

-Doni W.

Tank Ya Very Much

Y-3- $120

As I sit here with my sweater on in JUNE I long for the days of... last week, when I was searching high and low for the perfect tank top to celebrate the long awaited warm weather. Well I guess I'll just be longing, and admiring tanks from afar but keeping in the back of my head which tanks will soon be mine the minute the temperature inches over 76 maybe 77 degrees. Here's some good tanks you may want to scoop up, hopefully you're enjoying normal summer weather from wherever you are.



Obey- $34(mens)



James Perse $55




Heritage $14.90 (mens)



Charlotte Russe

-Doni W.

Being Naked Has Never Been Sweeter

The Naked Honey collection by MAC is going to keep the bee's buzzing until the very last day of the summer. The base of the collection is to embrace bronzed skin and the sweet scent of honeycomb.

The Run Down...

Eye Shadow
Buckwheat-$14.50
Pollinator-$14.50

Creme de Miel-$14.50

Lips
She's a star-$14.00

Queen Bee-$14.00

Buzz-$14.00

High Light Powder
Honey Light-$24.50

Golden Nectar-$24.50

EXTRAS
Naked Honey Skin Salve-$18.50

Naked Honey Body and Hand Cream-$22.50

Naked Honey Body Wash-$19.50

Creation Hue (Naked Honey)-$25.00

Creation Hue (Africanimal)-$25.00

I'm not so sure that I would consider buying all of the extras, because that I might be over doing it just tad bit. But the makeup used in the photo is a sure thing!!!

-Shaeveon La'Trey

LA Girls Love Red Bottoms

This idea is genius, I just love it!! Its more than one way to get inspired by your Christian Louboutin's. Jet black on top and perfect shade of Louboutin red on the nail underside, and Bam! You're making two hot statements at once. And the best thing of all, you could do this at home.

-Shaeveon La'Trey

BET Awards 2009

The 2009 BET Awards made sure to honor the man who they owe much to, Michael Jackson. Learning of his death only days before the show, Debra Lee made sure we knew how feverishly the staff worked to rearrange the show according to the tragic and untimely death. So bravo BET for that! When Janet came out I'm sure everyone got the same feeling of heaviness on their heart like I did, because we all know how close these two were. I also applaud her for speaking for the family.

Ok, but honestly the BET Awards would've been nothing without all my funny folks on twitter (make sure you follow us @livluxmag, and @christophernic...shameless plug). The most memorable tweets of the night:

"Somebody tell Monica to pull her pants up in the middle"
"Yeah Beyonce did call them some hoodrats" (referring to Keisha and Monica)
"Ne-yo head look like a fat fat elbow"
"...so Amber Rose is giving all the strippers across the world HOPE. See - MJ touched everything including poles."

I didn't tweet them! I just laughed ok people, lol.



Some parts of the show were really good, like when Travis Barker came out and rocked it (literally), when Maxwell performed (and won my heart) and when Alicia accepted her Humanitarian Award with such grace and elegance (despite the blemish meanies).



Other parts were average. A lot of people thought Beyonce could've came a little harder, but I think she sang beautifully, and she performed like a legend in her own right. (Hated the boa lined dress though). And Ciara gave a mediocre performance seeing that she can dance much better than Ne-yo or Jamie, she should've played a bigger role in the MJ tribute.



Other parts were not so good...AT ALL! Like when Drake and Wayne performed every girl with LITTLE GIRLS on the stage! Come on now, no one in their entourage had the nerve to say..."Maybe you shouldn't bring your kids out this time Wayne". It was very pedophile creepy-ish. Or when Keri (sorry girl I still love you!) stopped singing in the middle of her performance because she was winded. And the abundance of Jamie and Ne-yo performances were just uncalled for, where was Usher? Who died and made Jay-z ruler of the universe to where he could ban Chris Brown from showing up? And could Justin not perform because he's white???

Other than the obvious but excusable messiness because of time constraints, The BET Awards were pretty entertaining for a Sunday night. But as a whole, the network still has some work to do.

"They was dancing and sh#+" ...(lol don't act like you didn't die laughing at that slip up)

-Doni W.

Milan Fashion Show

This Tuesday was the exquisite 2010 menswear show, or Milan for short - overall consisting of sophistication with a dressed down style, some of which evoked a travel look. To keep you up to date with some of your favorite designers I have here a summary of what exactly went on.

Because this was a Spring/Summer collection, top names took advantage of men’s bodies, from the vests by Cavalli to the open tops and tight swimming trunks by D&G, there is and was plenty of skin to be shown! But who got a standing ovation from the crowd?None other then Emporio Armani, Giorgio showed off his olive skinned models in suits in light hues of grey, with a tailored look and defined shoulders, overall giving off a “city smart” yet “comfortable” look. For this same approach he has techno mesh with bright orange that gave it that perfect flair, needed for those urban nights with your cadre. Suits were checkered or stripped, shirts have loud and often times, obnoxious patterns, but it all came together for a very unified look.

Men are looking for excitement in fashion, Versace and Gucci know this, they went with a disposition that was “resolutely optimistic,” starting shows with pale creams.

Latter in the show we see hot reds coming with Gucci evening suits, this mixed in with a black line, also accompanied with Bottega Veneta. The tops and trousers went well with tie-dye pattern.

Versace and Gucci, whose mood was "resolutely optimistic", started their shows with men dressed in white or pale creams.

For accessorizes, designers played with plastics.

With much love,

-Z

June 25th...The Darkest Day In Music

Yesterday my twitter and facebook pages went ballistic when the King of Pop passed. I can't lie the news was alarming to me as well. Initially I felt that people's reactions were a little extreme, until I sat down and really thought about how much he's added to not only the music industry but fashion, dance, and heck even hair. MJ introduced in a new wave of entertaining just as Elvis did before him, and Miles Davis did before Elvis. I thought about how artists like Ne-yo and Chris Brown wouldn't be who they are if they didn't take a page from MJ's notebook. The sound and style of his music is still ever present today and people even felt the need to move and dance like Mike. How many people til this day can still do the Thriller dance?

On twitter stars poured their hearts out about how they felt about Michael. I believe Naomi from Electrik Red said it best...

"Michael was one of the few people in the world that has been under so much pressure from such a young age. He's Free now..."

Jackson's entire life was comprised of media scrutiny, family troubles, and pressure to be great, and such things can way on a person's heart. It's undeniable that anything Micheal did is now engraved in history...the white glove, the red leather jacket, the white socks, the moon walk, heck Bubbles is even famous. So for me, I needed step away from the social sites and see how I really felt about it. And although I could never feel as strongly about it as I would if it were someone close to me, but I do recognize that music has lost one of its.... no THEE most biggest influence it had.

R.I.P Michael

-Doni W.

Mandela foundation leads South Africa tributes to Michael Jackson

Johannesburg - The foundation of South Africa's anti-apartheid icon, former president Nelson Mandela, on Friday joined music fans worldwide in expressed its sadness at US popstar Michael Jackson's death at the age of 50.

"The Nelson Mandela Foundation regrets the untimely passing of Michael Jackson. His loss will be felt by his fans worldwide," the statement read.

Jackson met Mandela in 1999 and made a donation to the Nelson Mandela Fund for Children.

Two years earlier, during his "HIStory" tour, he played a concert in South Africa's port city of Durban.

Radio stations in South Africa played Jackson's songs throughout the morning as fans phoned in to express their shock at the death of the singer and philanthropist, who co-wrote the charity song We are the World with fellow singer Lionel Richie in aid of Africa.

One radio presenter noted a South African woman had sung backing vocals on the star's Liberian Girl hit.

"The world has lost one of its greats," South Africa's Independent Newspapers lamented.(dpa)

Michael Jackson dead at 50

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop" who once moonwalked above the music world, died Thursday as he prepared for a comeback bid to vanquish nightmare years of sexual scandal and financial calamity. He was 50.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.

At the time of his death, Jackson was rehearsing hard for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13.

As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There."

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, and Jackson's death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions, and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."

"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.

Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary. He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers — Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito — in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.

The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."

The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

By then he had cemented his place in pop culture. He got the plum Scarecrow role in the 1978 movie musical "The Wiz," a pop-R&B version of "The Wizard of Oz," that starred Diana Ross as Dorothy.

During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning, even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, now 12; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.

Jackson also had a third child, Prince Michael II. Now 7, Jackson said the boy nicknamed Blanket as a baby was his biological child born from a surrogate mother.

Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."

Jackson's 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.

"He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit," he said. "People might have started to think of him again in a different light."

-
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and AP writers Derrik J. Lang, Solvej Schou, Anthony McCartney and Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles; and Virginia Byrne, Hillel Italie, Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this report.

I ♥ me

The brand me was launched in 2001 in Japan with the aim of "creating T-shirts of the 21st century". Revolving around tops developed with our company's innovative pleating techniques it has expanded its range season by season while advancing overseas and today grown to be a full-fledged brand available to offer a whole wardrobe. This time, from the Spring/Summer 2008 collection, the brand enters a new stage. Renamed me ISSEY MIYAKE in Asia or CAULIFLOWER in Europe and the U.S., which is named after the brand's main staple, it will seek a further innovative way of making things of quality.

Click here to see the collection.


-Christopher Nic.

She's Back!

I dont know about the "and better than ever" part. We'll have to wait and see.



But Grammy award winning artist, Whitney Houston has released the name of her upcoming cd, "I Look To You". It's set to hit stands September 1, 2009. Get in line now!


-Christopher Nic.

God's Newest 'Angel'

After a long and strenuous battle with anal cancer, Hollywood Legend and Charlies most flirtatious angel Farrah Fawcett was taken away from us this morning. She had an awesome life and was such an impact to Hollywood and the entertainment industry. God Bless her family and friends.


-Christopher Nic.

Above & Beyonce

No words can express the way I feel about this woman.


-Christopher Nic.

"She Aint Got A Chance!" -Doni W.

I've never been one to diss an artist..BUT there is a first for everything. Miss Thang below needs a reality check - you're not going anywhere honey, your career is a FLOP! Ciara's new video work is a prime example of an artist who does too much, in hopes of getting their career back on track.



FAIL!


-Christopher Nic.

Ralph Lauren Celebrate Wimbledon

Greeting everyone at the door of Ralph Lauren’s annual Wimbledon party at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens was model David Gandy, the face of Dolce & Gabbana. Adding to the guest list were former Destiny’s Child Kelly Rowland, royals like the Duchess of York and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, and top seeds Ana Ivanovic and the Williams sisters. Serena Williams looked really nice (for once) in gold harem pants from Ralph Lauren’s Spring collection and a gold bangle stretched across her bicep.

Sir Richard Branson hosted: “Listen, we have tennis, gardens, freezing weather, and strawberries and cream,” he said. “That pretty much sums up a perfect English summer party.”


-Christopher Nic.

Would You Wear?

So ok. I know people really don't wear K-swiss like that anymore, but you can't tell me that these aren't just a teensy weensy bit dope. You're probably thinking "Not in a million years" but let's see how many years you'll slash off that million if Kanye or The Cool Kids wore them. It'll turn into "Man, those new K-swiss kinda hard!" lol.

Ok let me quit speculating and see how you really feel. Leave a comment and tell me "Would you wear" these high top K-swiss Classics.

-Doni W.

Ms. Simpson Sees Red...

Jessica Simpson has found her niche and stuck to it. I would imagine that her brand is making her a lot more money then her album sales. Missy's shoes always look good to me at Macy's and now she's teamed up with swimwear extraordinaire Red Carter to release a line of swimsuits. Now I know C Nic's heart just jumped for joy because we both witness Carter in action, and let me tell you...home boy don't play around. His show out shined every show in Miami fashion week last year.

I can already tell you to expect super feminine and flirty styles, and the prices are recession proof! Starting around $24.

See...we can still get our fix in this economy.

-Doni W.

So Sik...

Well looky here... not all dope lines come from the east and the west. Sikkis Clothing is bred down in New Orleans, and I'm sure they'll be hanging with the big dogs pretty soon. Sikkis is already doing collabs and sick (no pun intended) designs that you need to get your hands on (I doubt this stuff sits on the shelves). So if I were you, I wouldn't wait until everybody else is up on game, go order your shirt now... you do call yourself a trendsetter right?



-Doni W.

Go Play...

"So it all just became aspirational, being fresh was the uniform of success". Spoken by an unlikely source, 1/2 of the Clipse, Pusha T about the integrity of their brand Play Cloths. Who would've thought that "The Clipse" would come out with a clothing line that's so well received?...I mean I don't know of anyone who just really adored The Clipse' style... but they are ace boon coon with Pharrell so maybe that's the connection. Anywho, I really took a liking to Play Cloths Summer bags and wallets and just between you and me...(the sale items look better than the summer collection to me.) No shade... just get your discounts. lol.








"For Real? Naw, For Play Play"

-Doni W.

Nothing Better Than A Red Bottom

Famed shoe designer, Christian Louboutin has really used his creative juices this time around for his latest ad campaign with famous still life photographer Peter Lippmann. Each shoe of the collection was interpreted into photos that emulate classic pieces from the 18th century - multicoloured sweets, exotic fruits, flowery decorations, still life and a pair of Tina boots, a must-have for this summer presented in a killer photograph.








-Christopher Nic.

Kill Bill?

Or Kill Bazaar?








-Christopher Nic.

Fox x Elle

Actress, Megan Fox is expanding beyond the big screen (Transformers) into the fashion world. Snagging the cover of Elle's June 09 issue does something for your career, if I do say so myself. There is even rumors that Fox might possibly be snagging the role of a younger Lara Croft in the prequel "Tomb Raider".

Sidebar - Her tattoo on her back is soo bomb. "We will all laugh at glided butterflies" (King Lear, Shakespeare)





-Christopher Nic.