Mattel Gets Ethnic...

...And it's about time! Mattel announced today their introduction of an all new, permanent Black Barbie doll line. The new dolls have features that more closely resemble those of Black people. That means fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinct cheekbones and "curlier" hair. The So In Style line, or S.I.S, features Kara, Trichelle and Grace who are three best friends in tune with fashion, fun and music. You can click here to learn more about each doll.

Each doll features its own unique personality and style and reflects one of three various skin tones - dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel. The line also features a mentoring theme and each doll comes with her own little sister. The little dolls are called Kianna, Courtney and Janessa. The big and little dolls hope to inspire mentoring in the black community (and all communities for that matter). Tell me if you like the dolls or not. My only gripe is the hair. I wish one of them could have had a more "natural" look but hey, this is progress! I wish these dolls were around when I was growing up. I LOVED to dress them up!

The dolls from left to right: Kara, Trichelle and Grace.

Five New Finds

I've been going out on the town more frequently the past few months, and for a girl who loves to get dressed up, this is good news. I'm oddly pleased to reveal that I haven't repeated an outfit yet (hey, it may sound diva-like, but it's a small world, and I don't want to be caught in the same look twice). On the other hand, I'm actually a bit ashamed to admit that there are still items in my

Goapele Covers Diablo Magazine...

Goapele is on the cover of the San Francsico East Bay magazine "Diablo." The songtress discusses her new album Milk and Honey and new business ventures including a nightclub and clothing boutique. Here's a snippet:

Born in Oakland in 1977, Goapele (pronounced gwah-puh-LAY, which means “to go forward” in her grandmother’s Setswana dialect) is the daughter of an exiled South African political activist father and a New York–born Jewish mother. Her parents married in Kenya, then moved to the East Bay.

“Music and politics were integrated into my upbringing from a very young age. A lot of my family is from South Africa, and during my childhood, there was a rich South African community in the Bay Area,” she says. “There were lots of parties where people would break into singing a cappella or playing conga drums.”

Click here to see more pics and read the full article.

Don't Mock The Croc

By the time my Christopher Kane for Topshop items arrived today via the U.S. Postal Service, I was so excited that the current heat wave we're experiencing in southern California ceased to annoy me, and I immediately changed into the (sold out) croc tee and eyelet peep-toes in order to make it to my dinner reservation on time. Admittedly the outfit isn't creative, but in the interest of time and

Fall '09 Window Shopping

Recent shopping excursions in Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara have resulted in some mildly inspiring store window photos, five of which I've decided to share.Although fall has officially begun, the stifling heat here in southern California still dictates summer-y attire. As someone who prefers cool weather (since it offers more opportunities to layer), I certainly appreciate cool fall evenings.

Feeling Floral

When I'm traveling, practicality always dictates my wardrobe choices. You probably won't catch me in five inch heels, cumbersome dresses, or impractical pencil skirts when I'm out exploring or sightseeing. Instead, I opt for casual, comfortable clothing such as sneakers, skinnies, and cozy knits. While I've got a soft spot for high heels, I've come to accept that they just aren't worth the pain

The Scent Of Bebe

Upon my return home from San Francisco on Friday evening, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a package from Bebe had arrived. You may have seen the recent eye-catching Bebe fragrance ads featuring a striking, pale redhead wearing absolutely nothing. Well I opened up the bag and caught a whiff of the new Bebe scent. I've always been extremely picky when it comes to the perfumes that I wear. I

SF Highlights

It's always refreshing to get out of town for a change of scenery. Last week's absence from the blog gave me the chance to explore and enjoy northern California and my favorite American city - San Francisco. The scenic (and long) drive through pastoral areas affords great views of hillsides dotted with abandoned farmhouses and grazing cows. I finally visited the Hearst Castle, with its sprawling

Five For Fall '09

What's fall without new items to update the wardrobe? Right now, platform booties, anything adorned with sequins, and playful party-worthy pieces are on my style radar. This week I'll be traveling and doing some serious shopping. I'm looking forward to: examining Rachel Roy's wares at Macy's, shopping the new arrivals in the Divided line at one of the biggest/best H&M locations, and browsing the

Anna Sui For Target Fitting Room Review

With mild enthusiasm in my heart, I schlepped to Target last night to inspect Anna Sui's Gossip Girl-influenced designs for the mass retailer. Don't get me wrong, I do watch Gossip Girl, however, being well past high school and college, I was probably not the target demographic for this collection. With the intention of scooping up the Blair-inspired tablecloth dress (the one with the blue bow),

Kane's Killer Collection

Somewhere in my relentless internet search for photos and information on Christopher Kane's upcoming 39-piece collection for Topshop, I spied some lustworthy eyelet platforms. After seeing more of the lookbook on a Scandinavian blogger's site, it was official - I was intrigued, and couldn't get enough of the mesh and eyelet flourishes. When the complete lookbook and a short (but glitzy) video

Plain English

A few things I noticed while shopping on UK-based sites:Gotta love the Brits!

Rare-ly Stylish

When I received this invite last week to the Rare A/W '09 press day on September 11 in London, my first reaction was a) to reprimand myself for not yet moving to London, and b) to take a closer at this affordable, Liverpool-based high street brand which I had seen at Topshop and know very little about. A quick peek at the website revealed an easy-to-navigate layout with my favorite feature, New

More Fashion Events in L.A.

Event #1Where: Fred Segal Feet, 8100 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CAWhen: Thursday, Sept. 10 from 7pm - 11pmFor more info or to RSVP contact rsvp@alinemedia.comEvent #2The ELLE Style Station at H&M is coming to Los Angeles. For one day only, get the season’s most sought-after trends, and get styled by ELLE.When: Sunday, September 20, 12pm - 4pmWhere: H&M, 8500 Beverly Blvd., Los AngelesEvent

Rachel by Rachel Roy

You may of first been "introduced" to Rachel Roy through her husband, Roc-a-Fella co-founder Damon Dash, but these days her name has become synonymous with emerging fashion. The young, high profile New York designer has come a long way. Over the last couple of years her label has expanded and now offers a more affordable line appropriately titled, "Rachel, Rachel Roy." The likes of Joy Bryant, Padmi Lakshmi and even Michelle Obama wear her designs (probably from her original line Rachel Roy New York). But despite her star being on the rise, she's still a dedicated mother of two who hasn't lost sight of what's important. Posted below is "Behind the Lens" - the three part video series filmed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Douglas Keeve. In it Rachel Roy reflects on her past, present and future and there are plenty of cute scenes with her adorable daughters, Ava (9) and Tallulah Ruth (1). After you've checked out the videos visit www.rachelroy.com to view photos of her new and more economically friendly fashion line.

Designer Rachel Roy launches her new more affordable line, "Rachel".

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

LeToya Luckett

LeToya attends LeToya's "Lady Love" album release party at Cain on August 27, 2009 in New York City.

LeToya Luckett proved to the world that there's life after Destiny's Child. At the release of her sophomore album, "Lady Love," LeToya wore a shimmering 'Illusion' fringe sequin dress by Haute Hippie. Follow in her footsteps by scrolling to the post below. If you want more sequined inspiration, check out these two old posts. Click here and here.

Steal LeToya's Style

Dress: Haute Hippie Illusion Fringe Sequin Dress, $595, www.shopbop.com

Pumps: Restricted Ashlee, $65, http://www.piperlime.com/

Clutch: Asta Clutch, $60, http://www.monsoon.co.uk/

Nail Color: OPI Nail Lacquer Sonata in Bronze 4D2, $8.99, www.amazon.com/

A long-sleeved dress will take you seamlessly from summer into fall. If you want to shorten it a little, like LeToya's, grap any skinny belt you have and hike the dress up. Tighten the belt then let the fold of the top half of the dress cover the belt. Finish the look with a metallic nail lacquer, but avoid something predictable like silver. Bronze or a dark gold will work wonders!

Mark Your Calendars For September Events

Via my inbox, here are two upcoming events this month - the TOMS + Trovata Family Reunion in support of Fashion's Night Out on Sept. 10, and the Assistance League of Ventura County's "Fashions on Main" event on Sept. 26. The TOMS + Trovata event takes place from 6pm to 11pm at TOMS headquarters, 3025 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA. TOMS shoes and Trovata's A/W 2009 collection will be available

I Just Wanna Dischoe

Sequins and shoulder pads are two trends that I've been scouting at thrift stores lately. I just unearthed this Dynasty-esque top (which covers both trends and is worthy of an '80s-era disco party) for less than the price of a movie ticket. With similar sequin styles going for well over $100 at Topshop, I feel quite pleased with my new find, as it's in mint condition. I'm left wondering who owned

Zebra Dreams

If it weren't for the presence of my neighbors, I would've let out an exceedingly emphatic exclaim of "Ashish!" upon seeing a box from Arcadia Group on my doorstep today. Yes, my beloved Ashish for Topshop wedges finally arrived after a long week of anticipation and excitement. In typical fashion blogger style, I'm gushing about them to all my friends and now, to my readers. With six full inches

Best Boots Under $50 To Buy Now

Footwear seems to be a recurring theme here on Fashion Trend Guide, and as a self-professed shoe addict, I'm continuing my shoe devotion with more boot options for fall. Because I get questions from readers about where to buy affordable and trendy footwear, I challenged myself to find five up-to-date styles each under the $50 price point. (My picks are all things that I would buy if I had more

We're Ready For Our Close-Up...

The September cover of i-D magazine will feature the fashion world's best and brightest stars... four up-and-coming black models. In fact, let's give them their credit, they are no longer "up-and-coming." These ladies have ARRIVED! Chanel Iman, Sesilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Arlenis Sosa look nothing short of fabulous in this photo shoot. And if you don't believe me, take a sneak peak at the video below which features behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot. Naomi Campbell may still be forging ahead but these girls are bringing in the rear. On my cue everybody sing... "I want to love you, P.Y.T. Pretty Young Thing. You need some lovin'. T.L.C...."

P.S. Jourdan is supposedly pregnant, hence the strategic placement of Seslie's arm. Also peep the 1:03 minute mark in the video. Congrats Jourdan. You're repping for the U.K.!

Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke out and about last week for her birthday, August 2009.

British X-Factor winner (the equivalent of American Idol,) stepped out last week in a gorgeous floral print dress that only cost $50. Most famous divas dress head-to-toe in labels but this star on the rise looks just as stunning in ASOS than she does in Stella McCartney. You can steal the exact look below, but for more info on this songstress and her upcoming album, click here.

Steal Alexandra's Style

Dress: ASOS Border Print Dress, $51.49, www.asos.com

Wedges: AK Anne Klein, $49.99, www.piperlime.com

Clutch: Embossed Checkbook Wallet, $10.80, www.forever21.com

Scarf: Leopard Print Scarf, $32, www.shoprumor.com

Since summer is nearly over why not treat yourself to one last dress? This featured frock is sooo flatering for all shapes (comes in U.S. sizes 2 to 14). If you need "petite" sizing, the dress will only set you back $26!! And you must check out the sexy back of this dress. Tres chic! ASOS.com is a British online store but they ship to anywhere in the world for $6. There really is no excuse to let this dress go.