She's BACK!

There are only a few shows that I watch regularly on television, and then only a few things I'll watch religiously in-season. Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane is one such show and Sunday, January 9th, the stars will align yet again and bring all that television goodness back into my living room when it returns! I can't wait and it'll be interesting to see how Kimora's ridiculous dismissal from Baby Phat/Phat Fashions is addressed.

AND, "sweet baby Kenzo" will make his debut on the Fab Lane! Well, he showed up at the end of the last season, fresh out the womb, but this season it looks like he's making his own push for some camera time. He is so absolutely adorable.

I'm very happy for Kimora, because I'm sure the past several months have been at least a bit jarring. I think the show is a great platform to keep fans updated on what she's working on and I think it allows for a small look at just how hard she and her team work to make it all happen.

I work for a black woman right now who is constantly catching hell even though what she's doing is changing lives and getting results. So, dealing with that and staying attuned to what's happening with Kimora only makes me that much more vigilant and determined to make sure that every single consumer who would even consider buying Baby Phat knows about this situation. It's disgusting and at the heart of it is sexism and racism.

In fact, as a black woman, especially from the South, I've always been aware of my black womanness, but never moreso than at this very moment in time. The parallels between how the woman that I work for is treated and how Kimora is treated would seem uncanny to some. But really, they aren't. Anytime a black woman dares to be attractive and fashionable and have something to say--and the drive and determination to make something happen...somebody's got a problem with her. It never fails. Never does.

So, before I go on for much too long, consider what's actually happened here with the way Kimora was dismissed from Phat Fashions by Kellwood before you buy another single damn clothing item from them. Stand on principle! There are dozens of other brands out there you can choose from, including Kimora's own still growing line! Don't allow your desire for a pair of jeans or a top cause you to spend your hard-earned cash on items from a company that considers you a mindless sheep.

That Kellwood didn't even think the customer base deserved to be formally told, by them, that Kimora wasn't going to be leading the company anymore, after all she did for that brand, is the ultimate slap to the face--ours and hers and they can kiss my ass. No respect, no dollars. Tune in to the show Sunday night at 9pm on Style Network and show Kimora some love on Twitter during and after! --Sugar

Life and that Fab Brain

I bought a Nook last week from Barnes and Noble. I hadn't read anything for leisure in forever and for the past couple of months, I've been determined to start doing so again. Before I even got the thing, I had already decided that the first ebook that I'd buy would be Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It by Kimora Lee Simmons. The book's been out nearly 5 years, but so what? The Bible's been out for longer than that and somewhere, at this very instant, someone's reading it for the first time ever. If a book has something valuable inside, it doesn't matter when it's first read.

I finally finished reading the book last night and yet again, I'm blown away by Kimora's insight, sense of humor and humility (alongside some seemingly unshakeable confidence). The hilarious stories and quips paired with chunks of wisdom throughout the book shatter all of the depictions of her in the media. What's even more remarkable is that the book was published nearly 5 years ago, which means most of it was probably written when Kimora was 29, 30, maybe 31 years old, yet, most of it sounds as though I were listening to the 35 year old Kimora speaking. And, you can absolutely hear her voice in the book. That's one of the things that make it such a great read.

So, in case you were too lazy to click the link at Barnes and Noble, real quick, here's what the book is about. It's a women's empowerment, soul feeding, fashion how-to, with a roadmap on how to navigate corporate America tossed in. It's awesome and the stories about her own life and how she uses the suggestions that she offers make it a truly rich experience.

It's important to note that Kimora was still firmly planted in Kellwood soil when the book was published, so she talks a lot about Baby Phat and what it took to get that company up and running and to make it so successful. Ironically, she writes in one chapter:

Putting myself in the ads was a powerful way of claiming ownership of my work. I am the image of the company because it's my lifestyle that women around the world are wearing. It's my life! So, if you get some other guy to try and go in and oversee the collection tomorrow, honey, good luck. Because what the customer is looking for is a Bentley and a fur jacket, and they're looking for Ming Lee and Aoki Lee, and that's what they get from me...

When I read that in the book, I had a damn good laugh because I'm fairly certain that Kellwood is catching absolute hell trying to get a handle on the brand since their cowardly dismissal of Kimora back in August.

Throughout the book, she talks about how, for sure, she enjoys the luxury that she's able to afford in her life, but also how she's not this brain-dead hoarder of goods, as so many have tried to portray her. She writes:

And, that's what's so funny about me. It's not about the Bentleys and stuff. You can take it all away. You can shove it up your you-know-what! Have it, take it, I don't care!

Ha! Does anybody need a translation? She continues on to talk about how she doesn't really care about how they portray her, writing:

When you're focused on the audience you care about, you have to also have the discipline not to take the input of other groups outside that audience too seriously.

That makes sense and as she mentions, that applies in so many areas of life. Only focus on those people and those things that matter and life is so much less stressful.

I could go on and on and on about this book, but you just have to take my word that it's uplifting, inspiring, hilarious and eye-opening. While I think the book was intended to be an aide to other women, I think that it does a great job of shedding light on who Kimora Lee Simmons really is, aside from the headlines. While I wish that I'd read the book before now, I'm also glad that I did since all of that bullshit with Kellwood happened. It really puts things even more into perspective about just how much of herself Kimora gave to Phat Fashions, especially towards making Baby Phat the internationally loved brand that it is.

She didn't deserve what Kellwood did to her and I'm even more convinced of that after reading the book than I was before. I won't lay off the bastards until they are done. No respect? No dollars. Check out Kimora's website, www.kls.com for ways to support her post-Baby Phat efforts and read the book! Especially if you have an eReader. Download a copy and get to readin'! --Sugar

Fans Fight Back

Attention

I don't have Dish Network, but this still isn't worth a damn. Apparently, they are planning to drop E! and Style Networks from their channel lineup as of January FIRST. This would mean that any fans of shows like Kimora's Life in the Fab Lane, of which Boycott Baby Phat is a huge fan, would be cut off from all of that television goodness.

So, a great website with a number of ways to let Dish know that you aren't having it, was launched to let "Fans Fight Back". Check it out and do it QUICKLY! --Sugar

Baby Who?

See the title of this blog post? That's what I'm aiming for in this boycott of Baby Phat--for people to utter those words in the near future when asked about Baby Phat. I want them to say, "Baby who?" As in, never heard of em. Wouldn't buy anything from them. Didn't know they existed and don't care if they do. F*ck em.

I scour Kimora Lee Simmons's Twitter timeline daily to see if she's had to yet again inform one of her supporters that she's no longer with Baby Phat so I can then send them here, breaking the news to them about why she is no longer with them. It is such a seemingly never-ending task because Kimora had soooo many supporters and most of them purchased Baby Phat not only because they appreciated the passion she put into the designs, with all women in mind, but also because she makes herself so available to them. Still, over three months since Kellwood showed her the door in such a disrespectful manner, people are still just learning about this and their reaction is always the same, "F*ck Kellwood. I'm not buying Baby Phat or Phat Farm anymore." This will continue.

As I've stated here before, it may take a year to fully spread this information, but it is a task that I am committed to. I've been extremely busy at my job so it's been tough to update this blog regularly, but I'm doing my best to stay on it via Twitter.

I've said it once and I'll say it for an 80th time, DO NOT BUY ANY BABY PHAT OR PHAT FARM CLOTHING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!! We HAVE to make them feel it or they'll think they can just keep treating not only women of color this way, but the customer base of this and other brands. It's disrespectful what Kellwood did and I'm not going to just sit back and say, ho hum. F*ck that! No respect, no dollars. Support Kimora by purchasing her fragrances, which are fabulous and will make wonderful holiday gifts and by visiting her website, http://www.kls.com/ regularly to see what's new. --Sugar

Congratulations to the New KLS Gold Models!

Here they are!!! The new faces of Kimora Lee Simmons's KLS Gold Skin Care line. Don't hate, because the competition was as open and as simple as any (see how a couple posts below)! And, it was innovative, using social media and the web to give everyone a chance to get their "big break". See how diverse the group is? And, they all look amazing!

Despite all of the crap she's had to deal with this year from Kellwood Company and their shady dismissal of her as Creative Director of Phat Fashions, Kimora is really showing what it means to "keep it moving". She's preparing to launch this new skin care line, she's working on beefing up her own clothing line and she's actively looking at ways to expand her empire. That's admirable.

Many lesser individuals would've shut themselves off from the public and just given up. That never helps. You have to show assholes that they don't control you or your destiny. That's what she's done and that's what she will continue to do.

As we head full steam into the holiday season, remember, don't buy any clothing items with Baby Phat or Phat Farm ties. They are racist and sexist and they don't deserve our support. Often, when I tell people not to buy any Baby Phat clothing, especially people around my age, they get all snarky asking who still buys it. But, there are tons of buyers out there still! I'm sure primarily girls in their teens to late 20's, and there are some really cute items that Kimora had designed for little girls. I've purchased them for my nieces! But, no more.

So, keep that in mind. Kellwood and their lawyers wouldn't be snooping around this blog if Baby Phat were unprofitable. We have to ensure that it is not profitable anymore. No respect? No dollars. Visit Kimora's website, http://www.kls.com/ to find ways to support her. I can't wait for KLS Gold to launch because I will definitely support her. She rocks and as much of herself as she's given to us, we certainly should be able to help her regroup and rebuild. She ain't hardly thru...... --Sugar

Update: To learn more about the news skincare line, Shinto Clinical, visit http://www.shintoclinical.com/ or visit Kimora's main website, http://www.kls.com/.

A Class Action Lawsuit Against Baby Phat?

We are now more than two months past Kellwood Company's disgusting dismissal of Kimora Lee Simmons from Baby Phat/Phat Fashions and still they have not formally announced this fact to the customer base. So, not only are many still purchasing Baby Phat products under the assumption that Kimora is still there, but a new, even more troubling realization has stepped into view.

It is widely known that many young girls, and probably some guys, get tattoos of the Baby Phat cat logo, better known as "Max the Cat". They don't do this solely because they love Baby Phat products. Most of them do it because they love and support Kimora and what she stands for as a symbol of empowerment for women. I've seen countless numbers of her followers and supporters on Twitter expressing utter dismay about having one of these tattoos upon finding out that she is no longer with the company. A fact that Kellwood has failed to make known to the very loyal Kimora Lee Simmons fan base.

I don't know how many girls are still getting these tattoos, but they are still getting them. Just a few weeks ago, one of my own followers on Twitter, who knows how disgusted I am about this whole ordeal, sent me a picture of a car that had been painted pink and covered with "Max the Cat". She said it looked like it had recently been done. So, imagine how that woman is going to feel when she finds out?

Kellwood is grossly negligent here because while painting a car is one thing, permanently etching something onto one's body is quite another. I'm sure some greedy lawyer out there would jump at the chance to look further into this, because Kellwood absolutely knows not only that these girls are getting these tattoos, but also that the customer base would operate differently were it to be informed about the change in leadership.

What do you say, Kellwood? Should we take this to the next level?

Remember, don't buy ANY Baby Phat or Phat Fashions clothing items. They don't deserve any continued support. The really disgusting thing is, on a weekly basis, more people than I can even acurately recall have to be told that Kimora isn't with Baby Phat any longer and the reasons are grimey as hell. The reaction is always the same. F*ck Kellwood. A song for you below you fake bastards. No respect? No dollars. --Sugar

Kimora Lee Simmons Launching Skincare Line

I was running around most of the day taking care of some business, so I wasn't as tuned in as I normally am to all things Twitter. But, today Kimora Lee Simmons announced that she's holding a casting call for a new skincare line that she's launching! Twitter was abuzz and in her normal trendsetting fashion, no pun intended (well, maybe a lil bit), Kimora revealed that she's using social media and the internet to accept submissions for consideration.

From Celebuzz.com:

Fabulosity at its finest! Kimora Lee Simmons, model, mogul, mom and all-around fab fashion icon needs YOU! The multi-faceted, style icon is launching a new skincare line and is looking for real women to star in a new fabulous ad campaign.

Kimora is looking for women over 18, with radiant skin and a healthy glow -- so if you want to show off your fabulosity, enter NOW! Applicants must be able to be in Los Angeles November 16-19.

Kimora tells us, "This new skincare line is very important to me. This is my newest venture with all the amazing women that have supported me throughout the years. They, like myself, come from a diverse background. This new line speaks to the evolution that is this new fabulous, chic woman. I'm looking for REAL women who can show off their fabulosity to make this launch the huge success I know it will be! Please be my next Ultimate Goddess!"

HOW TO ENTER:

1) Follow @OfficialKimora on Twitter, then tweet: "@OfficialKimora Wants ME! http://bit.ly/9jMuZq"

2) Upload a photo or headshot of yourself in the comment box below.

3) Be sure to include the link to your tweet with your photo comment. (If you are with a modeling agency, please include which one.)

There are a few more rules and such, but this couldn't be any more groundbreaking in the world of fashion, or social media. First of all, it really levels the playing field for so many women who would never have been able to have a shot like this otherwise. And, can you say, "low overhead"? This woman's a genius! But then, most of us already knew that. Too bad a few fools in Missouri, New York, Los Angeles and the crack of satan's ass seem to have forgotten.

So, happy submitting girls! Send in only the best shots of yourselves! You've got plenty time to get just the right one, so have at it and good luck! --Sugar

Update: To learn more about the new line, Shinto Clinical, visit http://www.shintoclinical.com/ or visit Kimora's main website, http://www.kls.com/.