Cheese! With big papa Snoop missing from this cute family photo, Corde, momma Shante, Cordell, and little Miss Cori put on their Kool-Aid smiles for an exclusive Broadus pic. Everyone looks cute, even though it would have been nice if Corde would have at least thrown on a shirt, but hey, whatever works!

Twitter

Speaking of family photos, our girl Brandy, aka, B-Rocka, 33, took a very cute photo with her 10-year-old daughter, Sy’rai Smith. Taking from her mom’s fashion sense, Sy’rai rocked braids, including some adorable pink and white extensions we’re digging.

Twitter – Christina Milian

It’s fall, ya’ll! So with that, everybody is hitting the pumpkin patches and trying out the hay rides again, including Christina Milian and her little lady, Violet. The cutie patootie in her colorful floral dress and braided coily curls posed on top of a pumpkin and cheesed it up for the camera. Milian captioned the photo, “A pumpkin for my little pumpkin!”

And who needs models when you can get your kids to be in your ads? Diddy got his son Christian, his other “son” Quincy (Kim Porter and Al B Sure’s son), and model Tyson Beckford’s son, Jordan Beckford, to pose for the new fall Sean John ad. Aren’t they fresh?

And guess who just turned 8? The son of Lebron James, Lebron James Jr! Savannah Brinson posted this picture via Instagram of her son over the years. As she said in the caption, “Happy 8th Bday Jr! Wow time is flying by.” Doesn’t it always?

And here’s an up-to-date photo of “Jr.” hanging out at dinner with his family. Sounds like dad is proud: “Happy Bday again to my 8 year old young man Bronny. Love u son!!”

Adorable-ness all around!

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Source: fashionincsociety.blogspot.com

I don’t know about you, but after looking at this man, I’m certain that I need more chocolate in my diet and in my life. BJ Williams is beautiful! This brotha with his light eyes and sparkling smile is the type of model we need more of in the magazines, and his abs are extra proof of that! The model hailing from Las Vegas is on the come-up, appearing in ads for the likes of Sean John, Levis, and doing spreads for GQ, Ebony and more over the years. If you’re trying to see what he’s working with, you’re welcome to click through this slideshow (though I know how you all are about slideshows…). We promise you won’t be disappointed by this delectable piece of man meat!

Whether you are a fan of celebrities who transform into clothing designers or not, you have to give them some credit for their time management and large amount of commitment to take on another endeavor.  Sure it’s all for money, but some of these singers, actors, songwriters, socialites, mothers, fathers and models have created beautiful and successful lines. Now the fourth largest industry in the world, the fashion industry brings in $400 billion a year.  Take a look at these 10 celebrities turned fashionistas (and fashionist-ers), and see what you think!

Ha! And you thought this was going to be a negative story didn’t you? Well it kind of is, but it steers towards the positive. Promise.

I’ve noticed that there are so many people in Hollywood now trying to sing, dance, act and more, when in reality, they have no business doing it. In fact their “talents” could be of better use in some other field. And maybe it’s the hundreds of pounds of makeup their teams throw on them, and the stylists they pay big money to help them keep their wigs on straight, but I always look at the following women and think, while they are not the best at their chosen craft, they’re pretty enough to be successful at something else: modeling. Take a look yourself and see if you agree…

By Brittany Hutson

Nowadays, when music artists get the itch to step away from the industry and dive into the world of entrepreneurship, it’s pretty much no surprise that their first venture is a clothing line. But according to Kristin Bentz, retail analyst and president of Talented Blonde, LLC, “the era of the celeb-designer is close to being over, if not already. When the recession hit, so many rappers/actors/personalities rushed to get licensing deals. So now we are overrun at retail with the remnants of rappers past.”

We collaborated with Bentz to critique some of hip-hop’s hottest lines that are still memorable today, not only for their sales, but also for their massive appeal to consumers and demonstrated business savvy on the part of the artist; as well as some of hip-hop’s less memorable brands due to high pricing points, an absence of solid promotion and mismanagement.

Here are Bentz’s picks for fashion lines that have been leaders in the artist-designer arena:

Phat Farm

Russell Simmons was undoubtedly the pioneer of the celeb-designer phenomenon with the launch of Phat Farm in 1992, which combined the urban aesthetics of the streets and the preppy culture of the Ivy League for men. Successful lines such as Phat Farm are “established by tier one rapper/artists that truly have the star power and financial backing to hire superior management teams and designers, as well as [finance] multi-million dollar ad campaigns,” says Bentz. Another example the demonstrates Simmons’ business savvy and why the brand has lasted for nearly two decades was his decision to sell Phat Farm to the Kellwood Company in 2004 for $140 million. “Brands are sold to large publicly-held companies that know how to merchandise, manage and promote a brand much better than the celebs who own the company are able to.”

By Barbara Thau

“From the block to the boardroom.” That’s where Sean John, the sportswear line from Sean “Diddy” Combs, is headed, says the hip-hop-mogul-turned-fashion- designer. And Combs is betting big on Macy’s to take it there.  Come spring 2011, Macy’s will be the only U.S. department store to sell the 11-year old sportswear brand, which has morphed from an urban, young men’s line synonymous with sweat suits, into a modern collection that cultivates sophistication.

The exclusive deal marks Sean John’s bid to revive its appeal with shoppers who have evolved, just like Combs himself, Sean John and Macy’s executives said. The partnership is also designed to woo younger consumers to the brand and reignite sales of the line.

In turn, Sean John, which Macy’s has carried since 1999, will be discontinued at department stores such as Dillard’s, Bon-Ton and Belk, as well as specialty stores like Jimmy Jazz. Sean John, the line’s eponymous fashion company Combs founded, is counting on the heft and scale of Macy’s to take the sportswear part of the brand to new heights.

“Macy’s has a huge reach,” said Dawn Robertson, president. “We believe there’s a substantial growth opportunity with Macy’s.” She added: “We would not have given up distribution in department and specialty stores…if we didn’t think we could get a lot of top line growth, because it’s about top-line growth in the end.”

The brand has generated $1 billion in sales at the chain since its 1999 debut, Combs said during a May press event to launch the line at the Standard Hotel in Manhattan’s ultra-hip Meatpacking District neighborhood. Exclusive Sean John woven sport shirts, knits, sweaters, t-shirts, denim, vests, pants, shorts, outerwear, jackets and sport coats will be sold on macys.com and in 400 Macy’s stores next spring, with plans to roll out the line to most of Macy’s 850 doors over time.

“This is one of the biggest business moves of my life,” Combs said. And the Macy’s deal is designed to fortify his fashion-insider status. It’s one facet of Combs’ methodical efforts to burnish an image as a multi-industry renaissance man.

That drive has culminated this year with launch of a new album in June that has him “doing things with my voice that I’ve never done before,” as well as a starring role in the film, “Get Him to the Greek,” said Combs, who apologized for his hoarseness during the press conference.

That’s a far cry image-wise from the “Puff Daddy” of the late 1990s, who was embroiled in a high-profile shooting incident at a New York City club—but was later cleared of all charges. It also brings the 40-year old Combs, who recalled working at Macy’s when he was 16, selling shirts and ties, full circle. “The evolution of the Sean John brand mirrors the evolution of Diddy,” said Kevin Morrissey, executive vice president and general merchandise manager of men’s for Macy’s. “This initially was a line that was targeted at the younger urban customer who has grown with the brand and who now is looking for more modern, professional fashion,” he said.

The line’s appeal spans “all demographic groups,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. “Everybody wants to look like Sean.” But in recent years, the Sean John brand had lost some of its luster. After a period of “phenomenal growth,” the collection had hit a wall, and wasn’t growing, Robertson said. The company set out to “reinvent” the brand in 2008, going beyond its urban roots toward a more contemporary collection “that you can wear in most occasions in your life,” she said.

by Sheena Harrison

Beyonce’s musical talent made her an international superstar, and her House of Dereon line has turned her into a fashion mogul. Now that the diva has her own eponymous perfume, fragrance industry insiders say Ms. Knowles stands to add to her ever-growing financial empire.

Beyonce’s Heat launched on Feb. 10, putting her on a long list of celebrities who have their own fragrances, including Mariah Carey, Sean “Jean” Combs, Kimora Lee and Halle Berry. Heat was the No. 1 selling fragrance at its launch, generating about $3 million in sales within its first month in Macy’s stores, according to Coty Inc., the company that produces Beyonce’s perfume.

Coty is the largest fragrance house in the world with an estimated $4 billion in annual global sales, and creates perfumes and colognes for many of the fashion industry’s top names, such as Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole. The company also has a roster of celebrity fragrances that include Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Phat Farm and Baby Phat.

Representatives from Coty could not be reached to discuss terms of Beyonce’s deal, and financial details were not discussed when it was announced in September. However, industry experts believe the megastar and the perfumer both stand to gain significantly from Heat and any future perfumes that Beyonce may launch through Coty.

“The offering from Beyonce was one of the most anticipated offerings for a celebrity fragrance and also carried a record-breaking promotional price tag to match,” said Matthew Melver, a Miami-based beauty industry consultant who has previously worked for Coty Prestige, Estee Lauder and Parlux Fragrances. “It got off to a great start.”

The fragrance industry is estimated to generate between $25 and $30 billion annually. Sales of prestige fragrances—those sold in U.S. department stores—totaled $2.48 billion in 2009, according to a release from the market research firm NPD Group Inc.

Melver says there is no typical deal for celebrity fragrances, but many stars receive royalties of 2 to 4 percent of the sold product. That royalty income, which is usually paid six to nine months after the fragrance’s launch, is often tied to promotional requirements for the star, such as doing media interviews and talk shows.

The amount of net income generated by Heat may be tempered by costs of promoting a perfume associated with one of the hottest names in the entertainment industry, Melver says. “With the yoke of one of the largest promotion budgets in history around it’s neck, we will see if the gamble paid off or just broke even.”

Sales from Heat will need to meet or exceed the product’s costs within the next year, or Coty may delay or choose not release future Beyonce-related fragrances. Melver says there’s reason to be optimistic that Heat will perform just fine since Beyonce is adored by her fans and the fragrance industry is approaching its fourth quarter, when perfume sales tend to peak.

It is believed similar deals have been struck for Berry, who launched Pure Orchid by Halle Berry through Coty in February, and Carey, whose M and Forever perfumes are produced by Elizabeth Arden.

Male celebrities who release branded colognes, such as Usher and 50 Cent, tend to fare well in the fragrance market – but men’s colognes only produce a fraction of sales compared to women’s perfumes, Melver said. “It is even harder for a male celebrity to be successful. This is mostly because of consumer psychology. Men do not typically affiliate with celebrities the way women are likely to.”