First off thanks so much for subscribing to de la Pen! I just wanted to let you all know again that de la Pen has moved. Please visit the new de la Pen by clicking on the words or visiting http://www.allpeneverything.com. The new de la Pen is independently hosted and is a WordPress.org blog, in essence subscribing to this wordpress.com site will not keep you updated on the latest de la Pen content.

To subscribe to the new de la Pen go to the link above and choose how you’d like to subscribe. You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebbok, and Pinterest for my latest posts. Please follow @LoudPen on those sites/apps for my latest. You can also check out my Tumblr The Blogging PR Girl and my agency’s website The NetworkFAM

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de la Pen has moved! Check out the new de la Pen here.

As you can see, the blog name & tagline are the same. But I did change the domain name to allpeneverything.com because I lost ownership of delapen.com #buzzkill. Hope you love the new site! Also I have two new posts up and many more to come. Peace out Pennies & Pens and see you on the new de la Pen!

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It’s Pen here to review the beauty products I received after attending QVC’s Beauty Event here in NYC. Below is a video I shot where I discuss all the products and which ones I liked best. Also, here’s a list of the products I tried just in case you’d like to check them out as well.

QVC Beauty Event ProductS

1. Alterna Caviar Perfect Iron Spray and Blowout Creme Duo
2. Bliss Triple Oxygen C Energizing Face Mask
3. Fresh Elixir Ancien Oil
4. Go Smile Double Action Teeth Whitening System
5. IT Cosmetics
6. Laura Geller
7. Lipstick Queen
8. MAKE UP FOR EVER
9. Mally
10. Perricone MD
11. Sephora on QVC
12. SPACE.NK.apothecary – Eve Lom Cleanser
13. Tarte Rainforest Glow Full Coverage Liquid Body Bronzer
14. Wen Hair & Body Care by Chaz Dean

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Recently, I had the chance to interview the cast of the film “Life, Love, Soul” and the Director, Noel Calloway. “Life, Love, Soul” is an independent film that is a tragedy-to-triumph story of the fictional main character Roosevelt Jackson. Robbie Tate-Brickle plays “Roosevelt Jackson” a 17 year old honor student coping with the death of his mother and younger brother. After their deaths, Robbie is reunited with his estranged father who is now his sole guardian; this is where the bulk of the film takes place.

Life, Love, Soul cast. From left to right Yandy Smith, Terri J. Vaughn, Director Noel Calloway and daughter, Egypt Sherrod, Chad Coleman, Robbie Tate Brickle, Jamie Hector

“Life, Love, Soul” touches on issues like fatherhood, manhood, death, and family relationships. The film was released in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C. on April 13^th. “Life, Love, Soul” stars Tami Roman (“Basketball Wives”), Chad Coleman (“I Hate My Teenage Daughter”, “The Green Hornet”), Terri J. Vaughn (“Meet The Browns”, “The Steve Harvey Show”), Egypt Sherrod (“HGTV’s Property Virgins”), and Jamie Hector (“The Wire”).

I interviewed the cast of “Life, Love, Soul” and Noel Calloway, along with other bloggers and journalists at Atlantic Records in New York. Both the cast and Noel were amazing interviewees; everyone answered each question articulately and gave us a glimpse into the making of the film. I loved the interactions between the cast and Noel and I could tell that everyone was committed to making the film and its release a success. Being that it took four years to complete the film due to investment and production issues, this is no easy feat. Please check out the video interview below where the cast and Noel talk about the fashion in the film and costume design/wardrobe styling by Tiffani James. (Please forgive the wobbly footage, I’m de la Pen not Spike Lee, lol).

*Special S/O to Producer Dedra N. Tate, Executive Producers Allen West and Benny Pough, and Associate Producer, Yandy Smith, your support helped make this film possible.*

Learn more about Life, Love, Soul here: http://www.lifelovesoul-movie.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/LifeLoveSoul.

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A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the GUAM Beauty Mud Pop-Up at the Roger Smith Hotel. GUAM Beauty Mud is Europe’s #1 anti-cellulite product. The event was for beauty and fashion industry insiders and the general public.

The event featured a fabulous line of sponsors who all generously contributed their products to the event. The sponsors included Popchips, Wines by Wives (a celebrity wine of the month club), and Dressbarn. Also, the gift bag included Popchips, GUAM Beauty Mud products to test out, and an emergency fashion kit from Dressbarn.

GUAM Beauty Mud Pop-Up at the Roger Smith Hotel

While at the event, I spoke to Jessica Nelson of GUAM Beauty Mud who told me all about the product. GUAM Beauty Mud is all natural and it reduces the appearance of cellulite. GUAM Beauty Mud is able to reduce the appearance of cellulite because it features a special seaweed that grows off of the coast of Brittany in France where the ocean deposits vitamins and minerals that make nutrient-dense plants. Since GUAM Beauty Mud has this seaweed, it is effective for skin purification and treating cellulite. To learn more about GUAM Beauty Mud visit, www.guambeautymud.com

I had an amazing time at the event, and although I haven’t tested the GUAM Beauty Mud samples, I will be soon. S/O and thank you to Jordanna from @TouchofPinkPR for hosting an amazing event and inviting me! Touch of Pink PR is definitely on its way to being a major force in fashion PR so check them out here: www.touchofpinkpr.com.

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P.S. Check out photos from the event here:  http://flic.kr/s/aHsjyQJ4g3.

On Monday, I attended the press preview for Korean designer, Lie Sang Bong. As soon as I received the invite and lookbook, I knew I had to add it to my already hectic preview schedule. The Lie Sang Bong showroom is located in Chelsea right next to all the super cool art galleries. This gives the showroom location an artistic ambiance which I loved.

Upon entering the showroom, I met Nana who is the Director of the showroom. Nana carefully explained the inspiration for the Fall/Winter 2012 collection while I looked at the collection. She also showed me all the fabulous press Lie has received in major publications like Vogue, W, and more.

Lie Sang Bong Fall/Winter 2012

Lie Sang Bong Fall/Winter 2012

The Fall/Winter 2012 collection was inspired by “Dol Dam” which are traditional Korean stonewalls that are built by stacking pieces of stones of various sizes and shapes. In essence, the collection reinterprets architectural structure into an interesting mix of fabrics, shapes, details, and colors. The collection included fabrics like wool, silk, fine leather, and fur. Basically, the collection used high quality luxurious fabrics, clean tailoring, and a beautiful color palette. The color palette included black, grey, navy, burgundy, and hot pink.

Lie Sang Bong Fall/Winter 2012

My favorite pieces were the jackets! These pieces were so chic and minimal. I love minimal fashion because it stands the test of time. I also loved the fur pieces. The colors used were also amazing, these colors gave the clothes a cool look and I’m always partial to a pop of color. Please check out Lie’s site here .

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It’s Tuesday, time for our weekly style feature! For this week, I’ve chosen the fabulous singer, Katy Perry. Katy Perry is a style maven not only because she takes serious fashion risks but because she always looks fabulous, fresh, and flirty.

Katy Perry

I love Katy’s style from her red carpet looks to her cool music video ensembles. One of my favorite videos of Katy’s is “Thinking of You”, the 1940s war-era outfits of this video are just amazing! In fact, Katy’s style is usually described as Retro-glam because she always brings in a “blast from the past” element but with an updated twist.

Although, Katy has been known to wear her hair in all colors of the rainbow, she is best known for her midnight black tresses. Hair style wise this is my favorite look of hers. Everyone is all about blonde these days (Rihanna, Beyonce, and Jessica Simpson) but black is more universal than people realize. Black is a color that can be edgy and chic and it’s always “in style”.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Overall, Katy is definitely a style icon in the making. If she keeps making cool records and wearing fabulous outfits, she’ll have a long and rewarding career.

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*Disclaimer: All photos used were found via Google Images, de la Pen claims no ownership of any of these photos.*

It’s been a long time since I posted a “Model Mondays” article and I’m glad to be coming back with a bang! I promise to begin posting again more regularly things have just been so crazy with my business, The Network.

Anais Mali for V Magazine

For this week’s Model Mondays, I’m featuring Anais Mali. Anais was discovered in 2009 in Paris while walking down the street. Since that time, Anais has appeared in major runway shows like Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, Cynthia Rowley, Betsey Johnson and more. Anais has also done several editorials for W, Italian, French, and American Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and V Magazine.

Anais Mali for W Magazine

Anais Mali for V Magazine

I discovered Anais while scrolling through the “Top 50 Women” on Models.com and when I spotted her at #48, I knew she’d make a great feature for de la Pen. Anais is stunning! She has a very universal look, I suppose this comes from her multicultural background as her mother is African
and her father is Polish.

In all the pictures I’ve seen of Anais she has the ability to transform for that designer or brand.
This is a key element to being a top model because if you only fit one look, then your career will
be limited. However, if you can wear everything from couture to ready to wear to mass market clothing, you can have long lasting career. I believe that Anais will have an awesome career and I look forward to seeing her face in more editorials as well as seeing her strut down the runway.

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I believe you all know that I’m also a Publicist/Stylist/Co-Owner of The Network. The Network is a creative talent agency for emerging ethnic artists. We represent models, stylists, make-up artists, designers, and artists by providing them with management, branding, digital/social media marketing, and public relations services.

Back in January, I coordinated a “test shoot” (basically a shoot to build a model’s portfolio) for one of The Network’s models: Kiyauna Kingsberry. The shoot was titled, “Love That Keke” because the shoot truly showcases Kiyauna’s fun and vibrant personality as well as her versatility as a model. Kiyauna can go from fun and happy to edgy and fierce.

@TheNetworkFam Model Kiyauna Kingsberry in Kimbo Dress and k2o by Karen Ko Jewelry

@TheNetworkFam Model Kiyauna Kingsberry in Kimbo Dress and k2o by Karen Ko Jewelry

The shoot was shot by photographer Duc Nguyen who has shot for Ford, Wilhemina, and New York models and I was the Creative Director and Stylist. In the “Love That Keke” editorial, Kiyauna is wearing Kimbo dresses and k2o by Karen Ko jewelry. “Love That Keke” was shot in Washington Heights, NYC on a cold, snowy day in late January. In essence, all the snow in the images is very real and being that Kiyauna was able to shoot in such conditions, she clearly has a strong work ethic for modeling.

@TheNetworkFam Model Kiyauna Kingsberry in Kimbo Dress and k2o by Karen Ko Jewelry

@TheNetworkFam Model Kiyauna Kingsberry in Kimbo Dress and k2o by Karen Ko Jewelry

I absolutely love the way the final pictures came out and I truly believe that Kiyauna will go far as a model. The shoot was an awesome experience and it was great working with both Kiyauna and Duc. We had a blast shooting in the snow! The pictures were shot on Amsterdam between 158th & 159^th, on 160^th in front of the Duke Ellington School, and on 158^th St. As the Creative Director, I wanted to show everyone that fashion editorials can be shot in Washington Heights and look just as amazing and edgy as an editorial shot in a studio or in downtown NYC. As the Stylist, I wanted Kiyauna’s look to be simple, edgy, and chic. Something classy yet sexy. Hopefully, I got it right. Let me know what you think in the comments or tweet me @LoudPen. Also, please check out Kiyauna’s profile on ModelManagement.com for more pictures & info.

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As promised here’s the feature length post on Miss F.I.T. 2012: Miss Sasha Blowmeay! Congrats to Ms. Sasha, you deserve the win because you were FAB-U-LOUS! I interviewed Ms. Sasha (aka Akeem) about his/her personal style, life at F.I.T., and his/her future career aspirations. Check the interview below and leave Ms. Sasha some love in the comment section.

Miss FIT 2012 Ms. Sasha Blowmeay and Pen

de la Pen (DLP): Why did you enter the Miss F.I.T. Drag Show?

Ms. Sasha (MS): I entered Ms.FIT because I wanted represent my school.  I wanted people to scream: OMG! It’s Ms. FIT, I love You Ms. Sasha! I’ve always wanted to do it since I came to FIT in 2009 but being a Fashion Design major it was not like I had the time to participate. So I had to wait.

DLP: Tell me about your talent portion, what were trying to convey in your performance?

MS:  For my talent portion I really wanted to show everyone my sexy side because even though Ms. Sasha is a classy lady, she still knows how to take care of her business. I LOVE to dance so I was really to excited to get up on that stage. I started planning my performance in the summer of 2011. I knew I wanted to start off with something sexy and then something hype to make the crowd go crazy and I also wanted to have a little surprise in there. During winter break, I remixed the songs “Birthday Cake” and “Skin” both by Rihanna and added my voice in the beginning and the end using garage band. I already knew the dancers I wanted to be in my performance. Dancers Hannah Simon and Brittanny Tyree are amazing! I love the way they dance and I knew they had that same sexy swag that Ms. Sasha has. I told them what I wanted and they both helped me come up with the choreography right away. We would have practice 3days a week and I would practice every night in the Co-Ed dorm basement late at night just to make sure I got it stuck in my head.

Miss FIT 2012 Ms. Sasha Blowmeay and Miss Congeniality J'zel Grace

DLP: Where did you get your gown from? Who designed it? Why did you choose your gown?

MS: I got my dresses from my sister Jennifer who turned out to be the girl the host of the show was flirting with and calling her his baby momma, lol. The gold sequin dress is by French Connection and the black and pink sequin dress is from Cache. I picked the dresses because Ms. Sasha is all about sequin star stunning looks.  I told the make up artist that I did not want look like a drag queen so I made a mood board of what I wanted and she got it EXACTLY how I pictured it to be.  

DLP: Tell me about your personal style…what do you wear on a regular basis? Do you always dress in drag or only on certain occasions?

MS: My personal style everyday is laid back. I’m good with just a hoodie or a t-shirt, skinny jeans with some supra or converse shoes. I’m not really into dressing up everyday, I’m more all about the shoes but once and a while I might come out all styled up. I only went in drag 3 times in my life. The first time I went as my mom for my middle school costume dance party ( I won a $30 gift card to the movies) another time, I was a zombie drag queen at FIT’s 2011 Halloween party (I won the iPad 2 for best costume) and of course I went as Ms. Sasha for Ms. FIT. I plan to show up to some school events as Ms. Sasha this year and the future.

Miss FIT 2012 Ms. Sasha Blowmeay and Fashion Stylist & Personal Style Blogger Paris Hatcher

DLP: What are you studying at F.I.T.? What year are you?

MS: I’m studying Fashion Design and this is my 3rd year.

DLP: What are your future goals/dreams?

MS: My future goals and dreams are to become a successful actor. I plan to take acting classes here in NYC next fall. Also, after I graduate I plan to go on lots of auditions. I would also like to start my own modeling agency and have my own shoe line but that’s going take a while, lol.

DLP: What’s something few people know about you?

MS: Some people may not know that I love to have a fun time. I’m always dancing and acting like I can rap when I really can’t. I’m a goof ball at heart and I also look out for my family and friends no matter what happens they know I will be there for them.

Miss FIT 2012 Ms. Sasha Blowmeay and Ongina, Guest Judge and contestant from RuPaul's Drag Race

DLP: What would you say to someone who doesn’t understand someone who is homosexual or a drag queen?

MS: I would say they don’t need to try to understand it because it’s their life and if being a drag queen or homosexual is what they are, then deal with it. Life is way to short to be trying to figure out someone else’s life. I say just do you. You only live once.

Love Ms. Sasha

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