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As many know I am a Fashion Voyeur……
I love many different designers such as Prada (ie: my eyeglasses, Bag), D&G (ie: my bags, clothes, sunglasses), Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Luis Vittone(ie: my bags, sunglasses), Ferragamo, Versace, Chanel (ie: my jewelry, bags, clothes) and the ultimate classic sometimes edgey Ralph Lauren (ie: my bags, bed pillows, comforter etc)
Anyway, I just saw the new Fall ad for RalphLauren.com and I think they made it just for me and anyone who knows me will think the same thing!!
Here is a photo from the ad:
Immediately I clicked thru to buy the purple bag but then I thought $16,995.00 was way overboard for a bag…….LOL…. then I remembered Aaron bought me a bag similar to that 3 years ago for Christmas. Guess I need to go thru my bag box and dig it out!
I love the Purple, Black, & Leopard combo and may incorporate that in to my wardrobe this winter. I think its so sophisticated yet funky too……
Just like me ;0)
} The Mrs {
My chosen photograph on pgs. 490 & 491 McQuade, McQuade (2006) is titled Baby Phat produced by welp, Baby Phat and depicts the very exemplification of what the Fabulosity Fashion Brand has earned its distinct notoriety. Model, Mogul and Mother Kimora Lee Simmons is captured in this time capsule at the height of her fashion glory. However, a closer investigative look into this snapshot reveals a more cynical vain attempt to portray in the public’s eye a deceptive faux image of success to hide Kimora’s subconscious insecurities and personal failures. So in a more somber sense, Manipulator, Manic and Monster Kimora Lee Simmons in her desperate attempt to push one commercial perspective, in a Freudian slip sort of way unknowingly subconsciously shares with us a lot more than she ever intended.
In this essay paper I trace the introspective iconic symbolism graphitized within the photo. These many symbolisms coincide with her life’s struggles as they highlight their role within the produced photograph. Consequently my paper has an unique interesting twist in that although most essay hypothesizes are reviewed and supported by Professional Peers, Tycoons, Specialists, Professors and such; with deep introspective study from within the photo itself revealed to me that the powerful image possesses my primary experts itself. Each prop provides tell tale conclusions supporting my ideas on my subject. In all cases, each of the following twelve “character experts” behave like actors which play out in the photo as if the frame was theater stage.
A functional analysis about the Photograph shows us many things to warm up our investigation. The exaggerated freeze-frame cult-classic poses by each of our models and subtle prop suggestive elements in this picture are astonishingly robust with colorful fashion statements that only Kimora herself could dream up. Given the evidence in the photograph pictured at Kimora Family’s Mansion in Saddle River, NJ in 2006 which she designed herself (Kimora, pg 63) you can sense the thickness of ego stench and self-exuberance in the air. Forced Perspective by the 6 white marble columns draws us deep into the photo first down the long corridor. Each of these pristine columns are iconic to that of the authoritative laws which Kimora lives by and outlines as the core foundations of Fabulosity in her book. (pg. 11,57,109,129,191,227) These axioms are the very source which not only support the mansion in the photo but also were the driving forces which produced the money that the very house itself was built by. Continually in this photo we are blinded by the outrageous supremely fog of millionaire arrogance however the principles Kimora write about in her book are fundamentally sound just like these pillars within her mansion.
No less significant than these pillars as keystones in supporting the family which lives within the mansion, the next “character traits” depict the rise and deterioration of the progressive momentum of Kimora’s commitment to her own publicized values she writes in her book and as you will read are swiftly eroded by her weak life choices and poor actions photographic iconic symbol by iconic symbol.
Predominant in the frame stands our protagonist Kimora Lee Simmons. But who is Kimora anyways? Raised in St. Louis by Joanne Kyoko Syng, 50, a district manager for the Social Security Administration (Kimora is estranged from her father, who never married her mother),
To help her insecure daughter develop confidence, Syng enrolled her in a modeling workshop when she was 11. At 13, she hit the Paris runways, becoming the face of Chanel under designer Karl Lagerfeld. “Everything people thought was weird about me before,” Kimora says, “was now good.” A girl from Missouri who was a total misfit, but who started from nothing and imagined herself to be a million-dollar woman. Kimora worked hard toward her big goal in an unconventional way, made something of the challenges and opportunities that crossed her path, and ultimately became a million dollar woman with a full and meaningful life.
Her striking looks which landed her on the cover of European Vogue, come from her Japanese-American mother and African-American father. Broad cultural influencing contributors of Kimora’s heritage have certainly contributed to the unique connection her fashion line has to it’s multi-cultural consumer base.
While hippie, punk, grunge, prep or goth of the past have all not been as wildly influential to mainstream fashion as hip-hop style or the concept of ghetto fabulous. Kimora’s fabulosity image has certainly won it converts. Studying the photo, it reveals several particular elements that portray the epitome of the meaning of Kimora’s “fabulosity”.
Fabulosity is expressed in the photo with how Kimora’s hair is done; full like a mane of a lead lion yet she is a fashion lioness. Hence the term “Cougar” is applicable for Kimora; how so very becoming of her.
Her luxurious hip-hop beats and bling-celeb (Kimora, 2006, pg. 64) “Life in the Fab Lane” status is worshiped by millions of “luxaholics” globally.
Fashion rules say denim is the most versatile fabric on the planet, and the most popular. (parenthetical) It is no wonder Kimora chose to wear this from top to bottom in order to appeal to everyone who responded to the advertisement with purchases. This faux expression of connecting with her marketable target audience is almost like a political campaign which merely votes “fashion present” when it comes to a time that could be seen as a tremendous opportunity to take a stance and make a outspoken fashion statement but leaves The Fashion District with a sense of relentless futurelessness. My point here is even though Kimora presents herself as an outspoken princess that knows herself inside and out in this Photographic Advertisement she only played it safe in terms of fashion. I mean why does it say that a fashion millionaire diva stands on white marble left to only wear blue jeans ? Ergo I ask you where is the “Fabulosity” in that?
The word “jeans” is thought to have come from a type of material, called “jean” that was derived in the early 1600’s. The material was named after sailors from Genoa in Italy, because they wore clothes made from it. The word ‘denim’ probably came from the name of a French material, “serge de nimes” - serge (a kind of material) from Nimes (a town in France). Avid viewers of Kimora’s reality show will find a sad coincidence with the history of this fashion staple when they connect her speaking french whenever she can. “ooOOH La La” she cries as she portrays a false sense of class and sophistication to her public following. Any savvy fashiontista knows that blue wears dark on you — so pick a shade lighter than you want. Kimora poses in our photo wearing blue on blue in showing us all her darkest deepest overtones doesnt she?
It also should not come as a surprise to you that Kimora is over-particular where her image is concerned. She is extremely bi-polar and emotionally high maintenance when it comes to her figure. In her own words, “my belly is a major wardrobe malfunction” she confesses. (parenthetical) Kimora actively battles her bulgy love handles with cardio and yoga training when she can fit it in her busy schedule even though all the while she’d rather stuff her face with a doughnut and order a cheeseburger and coke. Fabulosity no, flabulosity Kimora fears yes! But in the photo for at least when the moment the photo was taken shows for all time, for all eyes of the world to witness Kimora never has any need to hide any evidence of a “muffin top”. “I will sew myself into a dress to make it work if I need to then we’ll rip it off to get out of it” Kimora confesses.
Many people hold a superstition that supernatural spirits can be captured in photographs in the form of stars, sprites and gleaming streaks. It appears that in our photo we seem to have caught a ghostly deep embedded symbolism that lingers in Kimora’s subconscious mind. Kimora’s childhood haunting visits us in the form of the stuffed giraffe toy the maid is holding. You see when Kimora was an adolescent the future catwalk star hit five foot eight inches tall by age ten! She quickly became the object of schoolyard taunts. “People called me the chinky giraffe,” she recalls. I believe it is not mere coincidence that Kimora now surrounds herself delusional with stuffed giraffes only to make sure they are fictional fun toys. These children tools of playtime are tended by the lowly hired hand because the thought that she is a “chinky giraffe” is beneath her, that those pranks are behind her and that there is no substance for giraffes in her life; although there certainly enough purpose to portray this symbolism in our photo.
Though Kimora is a good person when she is directly engaging her girls, celebrity ‘zines have reported just how high maintenance she is when it comes to her hired help says BJ who is Director of Public Relations and knows when Kimora is bearing a grin for the cameras or barely grining at her employees. My research unconvered Kimora is serviced by a butler, a nanny, a live-in maid and a full-time chef (People Magazine July 01, 2002 Vol. 58 No. 1).Jerome who is a BabyPhat Line Designer swears that ” Kimora even has a closet organizer who photographs all of the clothes in her room-size walk-in closet and arranges a digital database of the designer duds”. Kimora says in one of her outrageous emotional breakdowns herself “I have clothing catastrophes all the time, it’s the pain of being beautiful” she sighs. From the nanny pictured in the photograph and the mansion maids, sometimes watching Kimora’s “Life in the Fab Lane” reality show I ponder is she serious?!? Part of me is sickened by her way of treatment toward her helpers, but Kimora would make us all try to believe it’s okay because she’s just “fabulous” like that; and so I simply change the channel when I’ve had enough of each episode.
Moreover as done in the photo with the accent of the giraffe held by the nannie, animal spot print vogue - although politically incorrect - has made it to items that other patterns just cant make it to. Even when fur is morally banned in most minds; I have seen coats, hats, belts, trimmings and more are all abundant throughout the Baby Phat line. Kimora marks her territory with the gaudy fake print wherever she can. My wife in fact has two sets of conservative Baby Phat scrubs which have an unexpected leopard print trim. Use of this print screams that the wearer is “King of Beasts”. Kimora even admits she is addicted to adrenaline, excitement and to instant gratification (Simmons, 2006, p.62). Clearly she is a wild spirit. As a fashion author wrote in her book on the subject “We get it girl; you wear animal print. You’re so WILD!”. (parenthetical)
Even more of a wild streak is Kimora’s cultivation and blatant display of what appears to be a ganja plant on the right of the photo. A year before this advertisement photograph was taken, in the very same foyer Kimora was charged with possessing marijuana and avoiding police, according to law enforcement officials. Kimora was driving unsafely and stirred probable cause to pull her over. When the red and blue lights signaled her to pull over, Kimora freaked out and refused. She never slowed down or stopped for police at all. She drove on through from the city to her driveway and in that very foyer, police arrested her. Officers discovered “a small amount of marijuana” in her car. Kimora was released after being charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, eluding police, careless driving, tailgating and driving with a broken brake light. (parenthetical) Accordingly Kimora went and grew her own lavish wacky weed like it was her own Audrey II !
Equal to Kimora herself she is accompanied in the photo with her two daughters, Ming Lee Simmons (born January 21, 2000) and Aoki Lee Simmons (born in 2002). Both of whom in Kimora’s mind are naturally full-time models for Baby Phat Clothing. These two little angels are already diva devils who even have their own signature clothing collection. As a matter of fact, the two girls are wearing their line called “Ming and Aoki” in our photo.
Ming who is very extroverted takes charge in the photo by riding on the coattails of mother Kimora’s success. In contrast however we see Aoki, the youngest of the two grossly gaussian-blurred out in the image. Coincidentally I believe this rack-out of focus is intentional and is an important point to note because Aoki is the daughter who has struggled with obesity in the recent past. In direct contract to this Ming is right up there in full limelight and crisp focus with her mother which they both are certainly two peas in a pod. It seems likely that Kimora’s philosophy on the world will greatly sculpt the majority of the minds of her daughters as well…
Another form of powerful symbolism to ponder from within the photo is the pink tricycle Ming Lee is riding. The pink tricycle is a timeless retro priceless antique. It is a symbol of success; so fantastic, so unique like the mysterious blue rose in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks or John Edward’s voice phenomenons. It is as epic as the “Rose Bud” sled in Citizen’s Cane or Harold and his purple crayon. By the way, purple is always the fashionable equalizer. Most Baby Pharm basics are blue, pink or a shade of purple which Kimora gravitates to the most.
Wherever Ming and Aoki go, “fabulous” fun is sure to follow. As a working mother, Kimora teaches the girls the “tricks of the trade” everyday. Afterall, the girls are the heirs to the fabulous fashion empire. Although as with most working parents, adequate time cannot be dedicated to the children directly, Kimora is a fabulous mom. Although Kimora may have her photog critics about good a mother she is, the underlining love the family shares truly is certain.
Beauty is Kimora’s Business. When it comes to her business, Kimora is a shrewd outspoken cougar who does not settle for less than the glamorous vision she has set out to obtain. Kimora talks about her transition from model to designer and her unconventional rise in business which she learned on her feet (Kimora, pg.70). Model/ actress expert Tyra Banks said “Kimora is a fashion girl turned designer who became a celebrity”. Tyra is also still Kimora’s best friend who also served as maid of honor at Kimora’s wedding. Though she is a Lion in the boardroom, surprisingly she is a scardy cat outside of her fashion zone.
If you want to grasp your inner self-belief, confidence, work and power, independence, positivity, sustainability make sure to read Fabulosity What It Is & How to Get It and uncover Kimora’s secrets to achieving your goals, tap her signature fabulosity success. Just do as she says and not as she does and your soon become fabulous like Kimora.
Not.
As Kimora clinches her clutch