Sakura/WENN.com

Harlem rapper Azealia Banks says she was so offended by the Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2013 collection featuring racially insensitive black face mammy images, shess boycotting the brand.

The designs in question, which were  presented last month during Milan Fashion Week (and available in this HuffPo slideshow), included Blackamoor imagery (basically mammys) printed on clothing and used on accessories, such as black face mammy earrings.

The “212” rapper tweeted this past weekend that she’s boycotting that brand. Among Banks’ tweets, “I really hate when people do corny, racist things then try to justify it as ‘art’” and “Definitely boycotting Dolce & Gabbana.”

Although Banks is relatively new, she already has some influence not only in hip-hop circles but in the fashion industry.  “She is currently the face of T by Alexander Wang, has her own M.A.C lipstick and knows how to turn heads on the red carpet,” reports The Huffington Post.

Hip hop has proven to have power when boycotting, especially when against brands like D&G that young black people aspire to own. Remember Jay-Z’s boycott of Cristal champagne in 2006 after Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Louis Roederer, the company that produces it, told a magazine that the company really was not happy with the acceptance of the drink by the hip-hop community and that the “bling lifestyle” could be detrimental to the brand. Jay-Z viewed this as a racist comment.

“It has come to my attention that the managing director of Cristal, Frederic Rouzaud views the ‘hip-hop’ culture as ‘unwelcome attention,’” Jay-Z said to USA Today. “I view his comments as racist and will no longer support any of his products through any of my various brands including the 40/40 Club nor in my personal life.”

After all, it was rappers who had helped make the champagne a household name through mentions in lyrics, appearances of it in videos. In fact, wrote the UK Guardian, “Cristal’s current must-have status owes something to its adoption by young black musicians and their fans.” Because of the boycott, Cristal lost popularity and other champagnes, such as Armand de Brignac, became more popular.

Banks isn’t the only one who upset by the latest D&G collection. But whether her boycott will actually elicit change or some sort of an apology remains to be seen. The bigger the star the more effective the boycott. It’s unclear whether Banks’ star shines bright enough. But the negative media attention could be enough to make D&G reconsider any other questionable designs they might have in mind.

Image: UsWeekly.com

ACCRA, GHANA – This October 5 through 7, Vogue Italia is co-sponsoring the first ever Ghana Fashion and Design Week. Timed right after the Paris shows, fashion’s most important season will close in West Africa, daring fashion editors to pack their Prada for the extended month of international fashion show fun. Expected to be a major coup in terms of exposure for Continent-based labels, the Vogue-anointed event will also open the African market to international fashion labels eager to find new takers even as the recession and general saturation of the American and European markets have resulted in eroding bottom lines.

“There are growing numbers of moneyed, stylish, well-travelled consumers living on the Continent,” noted Helen Jennings, editor-in-chief of lush African style glossy Arise Magazine and author of coffee table tome New African Fashion. “Thanks to improved infrastructure and political stability, retail environments are expanding fast with international and African brands alike taking advantage… all fashion eyes are on Africa as the next creative and lucrative frontier.”

Photos courtesy of INFphotos.com

Is Solange’s outfit making you green with envy or what!? Let’s decide.

Stepping out for Milan’s Fashion Week, Solange arrived at a party for Dolce & Gabbana this weekend looking very bright and colorful while turning heads in her green getup. Solo rocked this see-through green dress that hugged her figure nicely, and also showed off her undergarments without looking tacky. The dress reached down past her knees and she paired it with strappy black and white heels. Her undergarments included a black, lace, strapped corset top and some fun comfortable briefs (I’m just assuming…), and her jewelry was kept to a minimum with some flashy rings. Her makeup was fresh with a red lip and her hair was big, with what I’m assuming is a wig, but a fab wig nonetheless.

From the moment I saw this look I was in love with it (not the shoes so much though), so this is a steal for me! You rarely get to see a see-through green dress or skirt like this, and as it’s my favorite color, it’s a must-have for me. I probably would have gone with some more dramatic heels, maybe even some pumps, but everything else works for me. Solange is really feeling her new model status and stepping into it nicely. She’s a style winner, and this look is just an example of why. BOW!

What do you think of Solange’s look?

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