THROWBACK FASHION/STYLE MUSIC VIDEO: CRUSH ON YOU- LIL KIM

Lil Kim- Crush On You

This video is what did it for me! I loved Lil Kim when she first came out.  Hardcore, explicit, sexy, and she could spit!  I loved her ghetto fabulous style and this video solidified her iconic status to me.  All the colored weaves, the furs, the glasses, the fits and the shoes- it was like sensory overload for me and I remember hitting record on my VCR every time this video came on and playing it repeatedly in my room when I was younger.  When I got older (much older lol) and started to wear purple hair, I consulted this video for styles and inspiration.  I can't say much about her knifed up appearance now, but I was proud she was reppin us brown/dark skinned  girls back in the day. Oh about her clone Nicki?

 Yeah no style, no substance, no shade... carry on.

FASHION READING IS FUN(DAMENTAL): New Romantics: The Look by Dave Rimmer

I am a self proclaimed fashion nerd.  I read any and everything related to fashion, style and art, and along with a massive music and fashion magazine collection dating all the way back to the early 90's, I have also acquired quite a few fashion books.  I practically live at the downtown library and I must say that Cleveland has one of the best ones.  I actually used to skip school and divide my time between the library, the art museum and my delinquent ex- boyfriend's house on any given day.

  Now that I have learned to invest in myself and my craft (and the discovery of the ever amazing Amazon.com) I started buying more fashion and art books but still frequent the library all the time and check out all the consumer magazines that I can no longer afford/want to buy (Cosmo, Elle,Allure, any hair magazine).

 Anyway, on my recent trip I came across a book entitled "New Romantics: the Look" by Dave Rimmer.  What a discovery! This book shed light on the influence of music and style icon David Bowie and his followers- European club kids from a very influential night spot called Blitz- and the makings of punk, glam, new wave and other fashion trends that shook the 80's rock music videos and nightclubs.

 This book touches on everything, Boy George, Vivienne Westwood, the Sex Pistols- there were so many jewels, gems and tidbits dropped in here, not to mention the fashion, that I devoured it all in one sitting.  It hipped me to a host of fashion diehards and style icons that I have never heard of before.  There will definitely be a few upcoming Style Icon and Fashion Trivia posts nabbed from this book.

New Romantics: The Look by Dave Rimmer, available on Amazon.com