Kimora: House of Fab: Gimme Some Skin

From www.stylenetwork.com

I just finished watching this week's Kimora: House of Fab and I'm feeling very introspective.  My mind is all over the place.  Allow me to share.  In this episode, the JustFab team was busy preparing for the launch of rocker Avril Lavingne's Abbey Dawn line of shoes with the company and planning and shooting the first commercial featuring Kimora as President and Creative Director of Just Fabulous.  Just when I thought the team was growing on me, they got on my nerves again.  I recognize that much of any reality series is scripted and planned...in some way...but, I also have a sense of when the real ish starts going down.  Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure, but let's call it a good use of deductive reasoning. 

Let me start by saying I think Just Fabulous and Kimora Lee Simmons fit together like hand and glove.  It just makes sense.  It's quite obvious that she's had a tremendous impact, already, on taking things to the next level for the brand, with fresh ideas and an insistence that the company continues to evolve and expand.  That's what she does.  That's who she is.  She's done it before.  This isn't her first time at the rodeo.  So, this is why I get a little bothered by watching anybody at Just Fabulous give her some push back when she offers her perspective on which direction she thinks things should go.  I don't mean to say that nothing she says should ever be questioned.  I absolutely don't mean that and I don't think that's what she expects from them.

But, telling a 37 year old mother of three, who has kicked down more doors than most of them will ever even have the privilege of walking up to, in an industry rife with sexism and racism, that the women who follow her won't appreciate seeing her "behind a desk" is absolutely ridiculous!  REE-DICK-YOU-LUS!  In fact, I think most of the women who follow and support her would have preferred to see her in a more professional light.  We've seen Kimora evolve over the years.  We've seen her scantily clad (after all, we were wearing similar ensembles at the time Ha!), we've seen her regal and elegant and we've seen her moving through these fashion streets as the business mogul that she is.

Kimora Returns!

Tonight's the night!  The premiere of Kimora: House of Fab!  I only vaguely remember the premiere of Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, but I don't think I'll ever forget this one!  The first episode of Life in the Fab Lane is a classic!  It was like nothing we'd ever seen before (lol) and I suspect House of Fab will be the same.  It airs at 9pm E/P and I'm going to do my best to be in front of the television, but my dvr is set for the full season!

And, here's a bonus!  Just Fabulous is giving one lucky winner a year of free shoes for posting a picture here of them and some friends watching the premiere!  So, make them count, spread the word and happy viewing! --Sugar

Kimora Lee Simmons Flips it Again!

Guess who's back?!  On Wednesday, January 23rd, Kimora Lee Simmons will take over the reality tv airwaves as she fashions a new nook for herself in that oftentimes unseemly corner of entertainment television.  Kimora: House of Fab promises a look at the inner workings of online fashion powerhouse JustFab.com where Kimora is President and Creative Director.  Kimora says this about the new show:

“This is an office environment with more of an ensemble. It is more like The Office or Ugly Betty. It is a team of people at all times, with lots of coming and going. It is less of my kids and my personal side.”

I'm a little perturbed that Kenzo Lee appearances will be scarce. Afterall, we haven't even had a chance to hear his little voice!  But, while I truly admire Kimora for her skills as a mother in the face of her demanding workload, it is her business acumen that is a true marvel. 

300 Dollar Cream Dreams

I don't think Kimora Lee Simmons will ever cease to amaze me!  Wednesday, was the unofficial start to Fall 2012 New York Fashion Week, but there were some pre-start shows and presentations and Twitter was all abuzz. So, I decided that I'd push any Shinto Clinical or Just Fabulous posts out to the masses with a great new tool that I found.  What I wasn't prepared for was this woman going on a KLS.com blitzkrieg of information!  By the time I finally stumbled out of the house and headed for the gym last night, I felt like I'd put in some hours at a job!

When I got in my car, I thought to myself, "What just happened?"  There was an article in OK! Magazine. There was an article in Juicy Magazine Online. There was an article and competition announced on Babble.com and a couple other things that I didn't even touch in my email from Just Fabulous!  It was fantastic! 

Kimora Talks Fashion of the Future

I was just about to start watching season two of Entourage (shuddup!) when I decided I'd better do a quick search to make sure I hadn't missed anything that needed to go up here today.  The failure to post the information about Michael Kramer's departure from Kellwood Company until over two weeks after he'd crawled away is haunting me.  The jerks don't deserve a second of a break. I wanna ride those arses like a Thorouhbred!

Anyway, I checked the Facebook page for this site, then clicked the link to Kimora's Facebook page to make sure she hadn't posted something there that I need to post here when I saw a comment that piqued my interest.  A guy named Patrick McHale wrote: "Just Fabulous Inc. and you featured on front page of LA Times Business section...all this, while at the beach!" I knew it was going to be good, so I headed on over to the L.A. Times website and found this article, Online Shoe Clubs are in Step With Fashion Forward Women. I'm guessing the picture that McHale mentioned was in the print edition, because the picture above is from a previous shoot. But, that's a small matter.  Let's get to it.

Meet Kimora Lee Simmons...AGAIN!

I think this is great. It's a nice video introducing Kimora to the JustFabulous community as the new President and Creative Director.  I watched it on the JustFab.com site the other day, but I had no idea there was a YouTube Channel!  I'm not sure if this is the JustFab.com commercial that's airing on television, but it's fantastic. I think it shows so much growth for Kimora and it's very well-done. A true KLSH production. Enjoy! --Sugar

Kimora Lee Simmons Takes Helm At JustFab.com

Can't stop! Won't stop! I decided I'd check in here to see what the stats were looking like and to see if there were any new comments and I glanced at the news headlines in the right sidebar only to see a snippet of an article from Women's Wear Daily that said this:

Fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons is ramping up her life in the fab lane by taking the helm of online fashion retailer JustFab.com. The Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based...

I thought, "What the?!" I clicked the link and it was to a subscription only article, so I did a little surfing and found a blog post over at Blaq Vixen Beauty with the details.  I am elated!  I'd love to run down a number of expletives to Kellwood Company right now, but I won't do that in order to preserve the sanctity of this moment.  But, take THAT, Kellwood!

Everytime I hear "JustFab.com" I think Kimora and in a few years, she might give Imelda Marcos a run for her money where her shoe game is concerned.  This is fantastic!  Check out Kimora's site for more details on this new development and remember, do not buy any Baby Phat or Phat Fashions clothing items!  There are far too many other designers to choose from and the disrespect that Kellwood Company has shown to the customer base and to Kimora and her staff is unacceptable.  It is racism and sexism at its very core. 

Oh, and don't call this a comeback.  She's "been here for years", and I'm sure there is much, much more to come.  Pow!  --Sugar   

A Funeral For the Baby Phat Cat

For well over a decade, the Baby Phat cat,based upon Kimora's real cat known as Max who is no longer with us, has been an iconic symbol in the fashion world. When Kimora Lee Simmons came up with the concept, it took hold to the hearts and minds of girls and women the world over and it's permanent position there seemed unquestionable. But, is anything really permanent? Besides, herpes and George Hamilton's tan? Okay, maybe a few more things...but, life is fluid and ever changing and today, I saw another testament to that fact.

Kimora sent this tweet earlier today and when I clicked the link to picture, the next thing I heard was a loud smack! The sound of a hammer on a nail, jetting through wood, sealing some ish. It was another nail in the Baby Phat coffin. Girls have been getting the Baby Phat Cat tattoos for many, many, many years. Just Google it! A lot of them send Kimora pictures via Twitter and I'm sure via other means well before Twitter even existed. Many of these tattoos have no doubt been acquired because the symbol is sexy, but many of those were also no doubt placed on various body parts all over the world simply because these bold individuals wanted to show support for Kimora--of varying levels...

Now, we have this young lady, who is in Russia I believe, getting Kimora's initials tattooed on her body. Oh the sweet joy I felt knowing that this truly is it--the turning point in this saga. The cat who inspired the Baby Phat Cat left us many years ago, but I think it's time to start planning the funeral for the logo (and brand) as well.

There's an old superstition that claims that a cat has 9 lives. The reason for the saying is really interesting and might have been a bit of hope for Kellwood Company, owners of the Baby Phat brand since 2004, but they've driven it to just about 8.5 in that longevity windfall...

So, since the annual Essence Music Festival just wrapped up in New Orleans, let's keep it there with a little New Orleans Jazz Funeral music as we remember the good times we all had watching Baby Phat and Kimora evolve over the years. It's time we leave Baby Phat behind (besides, it's owned by a bunch of scumbags) and move along with Kimora into bigger and better, more mature things. What says that more than the power of her own initials?

Check out the touching moment from tuba player Kerwin James's funeral below. --Sugar