ANNUAL HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE

Please join us in celebrating Judith Jamison’s 20th Anniversary with the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Friday December 4th, 2009
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
New York City Center
131 West 55th Street
( between 6th and 7th Avenues)

Donation: $125 with a Toy*

*Price includes the performance and a pre-performance reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Mezzanine Lobby at the City Center.

BRAG wishes to thank our corporate partners Lord & Taylor and Saks Inc, along with former BRAG board president Nan Puryear for their wonderful support of our Christmas toy drive. This is a great cause as we give back to children in the communities we serve.

All toys will be donated to local charities: Hale House, Harlem Dowlin and Women In Need.

For more info visit www.bragusa.org or contact the BRAG office at 212-234-3050.

BRAG's 39th Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner Gala Was a Huge Success!

BRAG hosted its 39th Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner Gala last month at Cipriani, Wall Street.

The gala attracted more than 500 fashion industry insiders, retail executives, celebrities and the media, bringing together many partners who made the event a tremendous success. Retailers such as Best Buy, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s Inc, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale’s and Footlocker were just some of the event sponsors who provided financial scholarships that evening to high school and college students interested in pursuing careers in fashion, retail and related industries.

This year 24 scholarships were awarded to students from schools such as The High School of Fashion Industries, Howard University, The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM), The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Centenary College, Berkley College The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Fordham Leadership Academy High School.

This annual fundraiser supports such efforts as the industry acclaimed BRAG Summer Internship Program; The Executive Development Series; and the initiation of new BRAG college clubs at colleges and universities across the country. In the past year alone BRAG has opened student chapters at Howard University, The Ohio State University, Centenary College, LIM and Morehouse College.

The theme of the BRAG gala, The Power of Change, recognized that the world at large including the retail and fashion industries are on the cusp of a significant transformation. The leadership exemplified by each of the honorees and their methods of effecting change have challenged industry standards to ensure that all people of color are embraced, mentored and given opportunities.

Former NBA all star, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and President and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, Earvin “Magic” Johnson was recognized alongside Richard Dent, Senior Vice President, COO and Co-Leader of Victoria’s Secret, PINK; Shawn Outler, Group Vice President, Multicultural Merchandising and Vendor Development, Macy’s Inc.; Stephen Sadove, President and CEO, Saks Fifth Avenue, Inc.; and Constance White, Style Director and Fashion Spokesperson for eBay. Best Buy, nationally recognized for its diversity initiatives, received the BRAG Corporate Award while Latisha and Colin Daring, Co-owners of the Brooklyn, New York based boutique Pieces, was presented with the group’s JJ Thomas Business Innovators Award. “We were thrilled to have such a stellar group of honorees again this year”, said Gary L. Lampley, BRAG President. “Each of them was selected because they all understand that change equals diversity and diversity equals dollars and sense”.

Mr. Johnson’s philanthropic efforts was certainly the highlight of the evening when he held an impromptu auction raising an additional $10k to go towards supporting some of the new college clubs and student programs.

To date, BRAG, whose mission is to promote the acceptance and participation of men and women of color at all levels of retail and related industries, has been able to award over 350 scholarships totaling more than $300,000 to students who have achieved academic success and who exhibit financial need. Remarkably, over 800 students nationwide have participated in the industry acclaimed summer internship program. BRAG also continues to be praised for being one of the few organizations of its kind to recognize the achievements of African American’s and others in retail and retail related industries.

Check out the link to see BET's coverage of BRAG's 39th Annual Scholarship Gala.
http://www.bet.com/video/633655

"Fashion Siren for Change" Fashion Show by HUMAN INTONATION

Announcement: HUMAN INTONATION will be a featured designer in the NAACP Centennial Conference Fashion Show on Tuesday,
July 14, 2009! Coverage by Giant Magazine


The NEW premium unisex apparel brand dedicated to raising social awareness while giving 15% of the proceeds from each sale to youth & minority HIV/AIDS prevention, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina & Education in Darfur.


Your Invitation!!! July 22, 2009


“Fashion’s Siren for Change: HUMAN INTONATION”

Season 2 of HUMAN INTONATION will launch with a full-fledge fashion show, along with a live film & art performances and a surprise special guest! You want to be at this event.

Come view our first line of HUMAN INTONATIONTM men & women long sleeve tees and dresses as we introduce new designs as a call for attention to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, youth & minority HIV/AIDS prevention, and education in Darfur! This year’s event will raise funds specifically for the Darfur Peace & Development Org (DPDO).
Hosted by J-Harris of Maschil Entertainment!!!

“Fashion’s Siren for Change: HUMAN INTONATION”
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Aperture Gallery
547 W 27th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Doors Open @ 7:30pm


Suggested Donation Scale: $20 - $50*
Donations over $35 for VIP seating (RSVP a must for VIP seating)
* Tax-deductible receipt for your donation available at the door


To RSVP please send an email to info@humanintonation.com.
Please pass this on!
www.humanintonation.com

BRAG Remembers Michael Jackson: A Fashion Icon

As we lay to rest the undisputed King of Pop we can’t help but pay homage to his influence on fashion. Michael Jackson effortlessly created trends that would deem him a fashion icon. These looks would be globally replicated everywhere from the runways in Paris to concrete catwalks in remote American cities. High fashion designers like Roberto Cavalli and retail chains like Banana Republic have all created collections influenced by the entertainer. We were all mesmerized when he struck a pose on the tips of his penny loafers back in the day.

MJ’s choice of fashion was as smooth as his melodic voice. His elaborate military influenced costumes made it apparent that he was a true lover of detail. Michael’s signature white shirt, black pants, and one sequenced glove added a twist to the classic look.

Over three decades later we can find artists like Kanye West, Chris Brown and Beyonce all wearing styles influenced by the King.

Whether you were walking down the streets of Harlem, riding a trolley in London, or sitting in a cafe in Paris you were captivated when you saw him moonwalk across the stage during Mowtown 25. From music to fashion Michael Jackson bridged the gap between generations, races, and cultures. There will never be another entertainer that phenomenally influenced a culture the way MJ did. What do you think?

Gary Lampley, President of BRAG, was published recently in the highly respected Magazine Americana.

An article written by Gary Lampley, President of BRAG, was published recently in the highly respected Magazine Americana (The Journal of American Popular Culture). See link below.
http://www.americanpopularculture.com/style.htm

Americana: The Institute for the Study of American Popular Culture, is an academic, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the publication of exceptional American creative writing and American Studies scholarship since the year 1900. They are especially interested in publishing material that examines such issues as social justice, human rights, environmental awareness, the human condition, diversity, love, compassion, ethical and moral obligations. In other words, they are passionate about projects that empower and uplift humanity.

Please join BRAG in congratulating Gary on this wonderful piece. Once you've had an opportunity to read the article be sure to post your comments here on the blog. We'd love to know your thoughts.

On The Move...

Pierre-Alexis Dumas has been named creative director of Hermès.

Michelle Melton has been promoted to senior public relations manager for North America at Sonia Rykiel.

Lesley Langsam Kennedy, formerly PR director of Saks Fifth Avenue, has been named vice president of Behrman Communications.

Randy Kriech has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing at Priori Skincare, and U.S. distribution for the brand will now be handled directly by PRIORI Skincare USA, LLC with headquarters in Richmond, VA.

Beth Thomas Cohen and Beth Overzat announce the launch of B'squared Public Relations, specializing in public relations for accessory designers.

Sue Hostetler, currently the host of Plum Homes with Sue Hostetler on the lifestyle network Plum TV, has been named shelter and design editor for Niche Media.

Crystal Carlton Flynn has been named director of publicity and special events for Hearts On Fire.

Robert Skinner Jr. has re­signed as chief executive officer of Devanlay U.S. Inc., the licensee for Lacoste branded apparel in the U.S. Skinner will be replaced by his predecessor in the position, Robert Siegel, who retired as chairman and ceo at the end of 2008 after seven years with the company.

ALSO...
The Wall Street Journal has closed its fashion bureau; 8 staff members including Teri Agins and Cheryl Tan have been let go, effective at the end of March.

BPCM announces its representation of Katherine Fleming.

Blue Stripe PR is pleased to announce our representation of Eight Centuries, a new jewelry collection launching for Fall 2009, and Mimi & Coco.

The fashion department of BWR has recently been retained to launch Charley 5.0 and Rebecca Minkoff Apparel.

Caro Marketing, Dietch PR and Michele Marie PR will all be handling Public Relations and Marketing for Kangol's new apparel launch in the US.

Kravetz & Company Public Relations announces its representation of Lisa Freede Jewelry.

Kwittken & Company announces its representation of The Ana Tzarev Gallery.

Moderne Press announces its representation of Emily Elizabeth Jewelry.

People's Revolution announces its representation of Zadig & Voltaire.

Polly Ryerson PR announces its representation of Cooper Martin, a new medical recovery clothing line, and Cocoon Innovations, a line of tech bags for computers, ipods, Blackberries and other tech gadgets.

Siren PR is pleased to announce its representation of Mrs. Meyer's.

ShopPR announces its representation of Ouidad.

Tractenberg & Co. is pleased to announce its representation of Nieves Lavi.

Williamson PR announces its representation of Paige Novick.

J-Crew Site Crashed During Inauguration Crush

When news spread on Inauguration Day that the Obama Girls, Sasha and Malia were wearing Crew-cuts, the children's line from J-Crew, I decided to go on to the J-Crew site to take a look at the pieces. Well, millions of other people must have had the same idea because the site was down when I went on. Now I've been a J-Crew shopper for years and the site is never down. I e-mailed a friend that works at J-Crew and she was surprised it was down, but my geek squad confirmed that the site had crashed due to the amount of traffic.

That Mickey Drexler is always one step ahead!!

Layoffs at Lord & Taylor, Saks & Neimans

Layoffs across the retail industry are accelerating. In just the latest round, Lord & Taylor let go of 170 people on Friday. But more cuts could come soon at L&T as a result of a broad consolidation strategy being formulated by the company's parent, NRDC Equity Partners, involving combining back office functions to save costs and gain efficiencies. NRDC also owns Fortunoff and Creative Design Studios, and in Canada, The Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters and Fields.

At Lord & Taylor, sources said the job cuts were across the board through the chain and were in addition to the store’s 120 layoffs that occurred last October. Combined, the 290 positions represent about 3.5 percent of the chain’s total workforce of 9,000.

In the midst of the deepening recession, job cuts have become standard procedure at many retail companies. Earlier this week, Neiman Marcus announced 375 job cuts, representing about 3 percent of its workforce.

Even more dramatic was the announcement Thursday at Saks Fifth Avenue that 1,100 jobs at stores and headquarters, or 9 percent of its workforce, is being eliminated. Some of Saks’ more visible figures are departing in the wave of layoffs, including Michael Fink, vice president and women’s fashion director, who’s been a regular at the designer shows, a frequent participant in industry forums and widely quoted in the fashion media.

Also leaving Saks is Leslie Langsam Kennedy, the director of public relations; Gina Giordano, senior vice president and regional director of Saks stores in the Northeast, and Jan Richter, the creative director, who also held the title of senior vice president.

A Saks spokeswoman confirmed the departures and said their duties are being reassigned.

Many Saks sales associates are being let go because the stores are considered overstaffed in light of the dwindling shopping traffic and declining number of transactions in the last several months.

Saks is also cutting inventories and capital expenditures and eliminating merit-based wage increases and 401 [k] matching contributions this year. The company expects to save $50 to $60 million as a result of all the cutbacks.

2009 Buzz Word: Post Racial

I know we are only 13 days into the new year, but could the word of the year be "post racial", (i know it's two words, but you get my meaning). I was at a comedy club on Saturday Night and the comedian on stage, a black comic, used the term at least 3-4 times in a snippet of his act.
As I was watching the Golden Globes on Sunday I also noticed Tracy Morgan used the term as well. Although Tracy used the term in jest, it got me to thinking. Is a Post-Racial America a better America? Is it a realistic goal for the country?
Tell me what you think

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

On The Move...

Paul Deneve, CEO of Lanvin, has left the company.

Nicole Beland, previously features director of Women's Health magazine, has been named executive editor of Cosmo.

Chris McLoughlin, previously publisher of Golf for Women, has been named associate publisher of REDBOOK.

Charlotte Adjchavanich has been named vice president, global public relations, for Jurlique.

Casey Sangmeister has been named manager of U.S. public relations for Jurlique. The company will no longer retain the services of its agency of record, LaForce + Stevens.

Sérgio Pedreiro, previously CFO of América Latina Logistica, has been named CFO of Coty, Inc., following former CFO Michael Fishoff's departure at the end of last month.

Diego Marchioni is the new CEO of KidRobot.

Marissa Rubenstein is now an account executive at Style House PR; she was formerly with Dana Galin Jewelry.

Chelsea O'Donnell has left her position as a senior account supervisor with 5W Public Relations, due to a move to Sydney.

Lauren Branche is now the in-house media & consumer relations manager at Carol's Daughter.

Vanessa Poskanzer has resigned as president of KSVP Media & Events, Inc.

Also...

MML PR announces its representation of NYX Cosmetics,Tela Beauty Organics, Greek yogurt Chobani, makeup artist Christy Coleman and nutritionist Ashley Koff.

Blue Sky Communications announces its represention of ANSR, an at-home phototherapy device for treating acne, created by Oregon Aesthetic Technologies.

Janice McCafferty Communications-Houston announces its representation of LiLash.

Alison Brod Public Relations announces its representation of Liz Lange Maternity and Hanky Panky.

Bismarck Phillips Communications and Media announces its representation of Tadashi Shoji.

Bismarck Phillips Communications and Media, Los Angeles, announces its representation of Hugo Boss and Escada.

Black Frame announces it will be working closely with Nike Sportswear on communications in the United States.

BrandStyle Communications announces its representation of Hunter boots.

Denise Williamson Showroom announces its representation of Raf by Raf Simons.

Laura Henson Consulting announces its representation of Bibhu Mohapatra (former design director of J. Mendel), KIR Jewelry, Robert Comstock Menswear and Armand de Brignac.

Shadow PR announces its representation of Treesje handbags.

Starworks announces its representation of Jasmine di Milo for both PR and celebrity services in the New York and Los Angeles offices.

TLCommunications announces its representation of Yes To Carrots.

Wetherly Fashion Group announces its representation of signed Randi Rahm Couture.

Linda Gaunt Communications is no longer the agency of record for Christian Cota.

FASHION BAILOUT: THE OBAMAS

Some disappointing news came out today regarding the retail industry. Saks down 19% in December, Neimans down 31% and Chicos down 12%. Retail Sales in December were like being on a bad date and waiting for the check to arrive, retailers could not wait to just pay the bill and move on...fast. Why the rush to close out the season? Some see a retail bailout on the horizon. The Obamas.

Lets start with the girls. Monday was their first day of class at the prestigious Sidwell school. When Sahsa stepped out from the shadows of the presidential motorcade she had on a Primp hoodie. In today's WWD, Primp designer Wells Butler, was quoted as saying, "I screamed when I saw that she had on our peace sign printed hoodie." According to Wells, the hoodie was an exclusive to Bloomingdales, so we now know one of the Obamas favorite stores.

The president-elect has clothes, and it's being made by Hart Schaffner Marx. HSM outfitted Obama for his acceptance speech and fashion insiders, say that the company will also outfit Obama in a tux for the inaugural ball. HSM will also be rolling out an Obama inspired collection this Spring

Now we come to the first lady-elect. She is getting a lot of buzz about her fashion sense, case in point the Nightly News with Brian Williams did a piece on the first lady and how she can single handedly bail out the industry.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

GOING GREEN IS THE NEW GREEN

It's the new year and the Obama team is working hard to get the nation back on track. The buzz words I keep hearing from the new administration is green job and sustainability. Well, what is a "green job" and what does "sustainability" mean?

I was in 40 carrots, Bloomingdale's yesterday (the best carrot cake in NYC) having lunch with some friends from and we think the next great job growth is going to be in government related jobs and the green industry (sustainability), meaning industries where they produce a product and the by-product is something can be used again OR the materials needed come from "discarded" materials from within the sector.

This got me to thinking, will there be green jobs in the retail industry.

I let my fingers do the walking and came across some retailers that are look at going green to make some green.

Marks & Spencer, the prominent U.K. clothing, food and housewares retailer, launched an ambitious, five-year “eco plan” in January 2007 to force the organization of more than 75,000 workers spread globally to re-think the way it measures, manages and reports on social, environmental and ethical issues. Plan A, as Marks & Spencer calls it, is a voluminous pledge of 100 commitments that challenge the breadth of the organization on issues ranging from climate change, waste, sustainable raw materials, fair partnering and health.

It includes goals for M&S to “become carbon-neutral, send no waste to landfill, extend sustainable sourcing, be a fair trading partner and help our customers and employees to lead healthier lifestyles,” according to CEO Stuart Rose.With 622 stores in the U.K., Marks & Spencer sources goods and services from 2,000 suppliers globally and is pushing an ever-expanding international business portfolio that includes ventures in India, Greece, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Influencing its business partners and suppliers to join in the effort is a tenet of Plan A. Rose says engaging suppliers, customers and employees is part of Plan A’s “virtuous circle” for ideas to advance progress and find solutions.

The company wants its business partners to approach environmental and social issues as opportunities for innovation rather than as a means to achieving rudimentary compliance.

Good for them. Here are some other green articles I came across. Click on the links to read the full story

Green Grows at Retail
Award-winning programs support Kohl’s green mission
Target takes a holistic approach to sustainability
Safeway switches truck fleet to biodiesel
Starbucks program supports ethical practices and sustainability
Wal-Mart brings associates, suppliers and other experts together
REI applies environmental sensibilities to store design
Whole Foods uses green tickets to purchase wind energy
Office Depot utilizes a wide pallet of earth-friendly initiatives
Consumers say they are becoming more environmentally aware – and expect retailers to do the same