LaLa Vasquez Sports An Edgy Look In.... Edgier New York

Wow, this is a long way from the sexy LaLa Vasquez of floral prints, whimsical, and 'strictly business' outfits. She was spotted in a toy store in New York at a book launch with her son Kiyan (aww... dressed like an astronaut).


I like LaLa's look; she's trying to adjust and fit in to the FAST LANE of New York (you gots to, 'cuz New York will eat you ALIVE!!) She looks all MATRIX-Y. Goooo TRINITY!!! *LoL*


Oh yeah, LaLa's also shopping for an apartment to rent in NYC. The ones she was looking at were in the $15,000 to $20,000 PER MONTH price range!! *Cough*



Check the Louboutins; Beyonce wore the same HOTT shoes not too long ago.


Pic: NecoleB***hie

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LaLa Vasquez Sports An Edgy Look In.... Edgier New York

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First look @ Met Costume Institute Gala!

Islandistas and fashionistas all! [picapp align="right" wrap="false" link="term=Met+Costume+institute+gala&iid=8691891" src="1/c/2/7/_American_Woman_ab15.jpg?adImageId=12736635&imageId=8691891" width="234" height="352" /]

Pay attention because coming hard on the heels of the White House Correspondents' Dinner in D.C., it is one of the biggest nights on the social calendars of those in NYC and in fashion - the Met Costume Institute Gala.

Co-hosted by Oprah, the event is kicking off at the Met all now ... and we have the first look at the islandistas making their entrance on the red carpet.

We start of course with Zoe Saldana, who is one of the early arrivals, in a cold-shouldered navy column dress. While the dress itself is right on-trend, we're actually a bit disappointed at this from Zoe. She's usually so fly and fearless on the red carpet that a simple navy column dress seems so tame for her for a fashion night as big as this.

Gorgeous but could be better - we know she could!

Keep checking islandista for all the fashion notes from tonight!

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First look @ Met Costume Institute Gala!

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More costume bands from NYC to Bim

Week by week, Barbados' Crop-Over festival is heating up with more bands launching.

Small and mid-size bands such as Wednesday 2000, Jump and Ooutraje have all launched recently.

Our initial reaction to Wednesday 2000 was ... mehhhh. A lot of the costumes just were not cutting it, like these two selections below.




What's going on here? Did they spend all the money on the (admittedly nice) headpiece and just decide to forget about getting a waistpiece or decent leg bands or some appliques or someting to take de shame off the gold lame sports bra?




This costume also did not really do it for us. We get that it's supposed to be a colour splash hence all the different colours in the headpiece and in the appliques on the bra but it looks like federation. I actually prefer the guy's outfit. At least they bothered to get a waistband for this one though.

Some of the other costumes however were less mehhh. They did not make us swoon with excitement but they were wearable.







Now lest you think that we here at islandista are just philistines who adhere strictly to the 'bikini and beads' philosophy, that is not entirely true... not entirely! For instance, we are fans of the work done by small band Ooutraje which manages to span the gap between artistry and sexiness.

Their 2009 presentation, In the Beginning, is no different. The costumes are for the most part sexy and wearable yet they also actually (shock!) depict a theme - the beginnings of Barbados.

[caption id="attachment_1075" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="Africans"][/caption]

While there are some elements that would give us pause in our quest for ultra-sexiness on the road, such as the jar/water vessel as the headpiece and the chains, we can see and appreciate where they are going with this and why. At least they are committed to the theme. I wonder if the face painting will be included too? That would make for a great stage presentation!




 



[caption id="attachment_1076" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="Arawaks"][/caption]

 



We also really liked their Arawaks costume and this is actually less out there than the Africans costume. I also really, really like the costumes they have for the fellas. Too often a lot of the bands just give them a boxer shorts and some leg and arm bands and leave it at that. For the amount they have to pay, they deserve the full works too!


 



[caption id="attachment_1077" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Jump Promotions 2009 presentation 'Sweet for Days'."][/caption]

 



Jump has also launched (costumes above) and their prices are some of the best out for Crop-Over, especially considering that a lot of their costumes are quite decent and you still get the same perks as other bands - food, drinks, wee-wee truck etc.

Further afield, Ramajay mas launched their presentation for the 2009 Labour Day carnival in New York City.  The interesting thing I found about a lot of their costumes was that while they were not strong on some of the things we expect on our costumes like intricate and fully beaded waistbands in some instances or dramatic feathered headpieces in others, they had all these fascinating other details like spectacular backpacks (Rain and Green Jasper) or billowing wing-like arm pieces/capes (D'Amazons, directly below).  Check it.




 



[caption id="attachment_1078" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="D'Amazons by Carnival Divaz"][/caption]

 



[caption id="attachment_1080" align="aligncenter" width="315" caption="Rain by Team BG"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1079" align="aligncenter" width="257" caption="Green Jasper by Fatal Angels"][/caption]

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More costume bands from NYC to Bim

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Some justice for Esmin Green at last

Islandistas, you remember Esmin Green, don't you?

Please don't forget her. Esmin Green is a potent symbol of what can happen when society is too cynical and too absorbed to notice people.

Esmin Green was the Jamaican-born former teacher-turned-New York City-housekeeper who died on the floor of King's County Hospital in Brooklyn. She had been waiting for care for over 24 hours when she fell from her chair and thrashed in distress on the floor for a long while and even tried to get back on her chair. But no-one came to her aid, even though several passed her by and she lay on the floor for an hour before a nurse realised she was dead.

The story provoked outrage and Green's family rightly sued.

Now her family has received some... but still only some belated justice for Ms.Green. Yesterday, New York City accepted full responsibility for her death and have agreed to pay her family US$2 million for her wrongful death.

However, that is not nor should it be the end. This is not a settlement. Ms. Green's family has made that very clear, with their lawyer Sanford Rubenstein saying:

“What remains most important to this family is the criminal culpability for those responsible for what happened and those who attempted to cover it up, which continues, after all this time, to remain under investigation by the New York City Department of Investigation. In no way does this settlement affect that investigation, and the family remains adamant in its demands that anyone who committed a criminal act with regard to the death of Esmin Green or the attempt to cover it up be prosecuted criminally to the full extent of the law.”

We still await true justice for Esmin Green.

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Some justice for Esmin Green at last

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