First Things First… Executive beauty editor for InStyle Kayla Greaves is featured in The Beauty of Blackness, a documentary film that spotlights Fashion Fair, the first cosmetic brand created by Eunice Johnson in 1973 exclusively for black women.

Greaves, a recent Jamaica Observer Beauty & Wellness Summit presenter broke the news via Instagram. “Honoured to be featured in The Beauty of Blackness documentary now streaming on HBO Max. The film takes a look at the evolution of Black beauty through the lens of the iconic Fashion Fair Cosmetics, which just relaunched at @sephora”.

Before Fenty Beauty, Juvia’s Place and Pat McGrath, there was Fashion Fair, a black-owned beauty brand that produced pretty pink compacts that sat proudly on women’s vanities in the 1970s and 80s. The company broke barriers and challenged dominant beauty standards at the time, but struggled financially under its parent company Johnson Publishing, which went bankrupt in 2019.

The Beauty of Blackness was produced by Sephora and follows Fashion Fair’s journey to the present, where, amidst an evolving industry, and with a new focus on inclusivity, has been revived under the helm of entrepreneurs Desiree Rogers and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack.

CREDITS

Film directors: Tiffany Johnson and Kiana Moore

Next…

If you don’t already know about Jamaican-American designer Brandon Blackwood, then welcome to the party — you’re late, and not fashionably so. Since its launch in 2015, bags from the eponymous brand have been steadily gaining popularity, securing a spot in the wardrobes of, among others, beauty and fashion mogul Kim Kardashian and Jamaican-Canadian model Winnie Harlow. Now, we can add rapper Megan Thee Stallion to the list of stars lusting after 2022’s ‘it’ bag: The Kendrick Trunk. The Body rapper was recently snapped rocking the mini version of the bag in Nylon.

And…

We are living for the return of red-carpet season, and the beautiful Sandra Oh in Greta Constantine is a big reason why! The Canadian actress best known for her starring role as Cristina Yang on the ABC medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy, attended the LA premiere of her new animated movie Turning Red in a cerulean silk faille dress with plunging neckline from the brand’s Resort 2022 collection.

Also…

Model Mangal wears Greta Constantine Spring 2022 for Fashion Magazine’s Block Party editorial. The hot pink, lime, and cardinal silk faille short-sleeve dress was a standout of the Met Gala-themed drop. Greta Constantine — a ready-to-wear womenswear brand based in Toronto — is helmed by Jamaican-Canadian designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong.

Additionally…

Barbadian multidisciplinary artist and Pratt Institute alum Taisha Carrington has been lauded by the school’s alumni for her contribution to her field. The initiative — part of the institution’s Black History Month celebrations — highlights several past students from the New York City university.

Carrington thanked her alma mater in a post uploaded to her personal Instagram page: “Thank you Black Alumni of Pratt for highlighting my work”.

Carrington currently works in Barbados collaborating with biochemists, farmers, and medical practitioners to pool knowledge and resources and shed light on social issues.

Then…

SO2 is declaring espadrilles the only shoe you’ll need this summer!

As Jamaicans ready to celebrate the country’s 60th Independence anniversary, Resortwear by Eroleen — Jamaica’s premier boutique for resortwear — has added Jamaican-themed variations to its line of canvas espadrilles. A breezy cousin to ballet flats, the styles are defined by a canvas upper and a rope or jute side sole with signature Jamaican insignias embroidered a top.

Jamaica’s 60th Independence anniversary year-long celebrations are being observed under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.

Celebrate in style.

Plus…

Just a month after the release of Pull Up, Grammy-award winning artiste Koffee has released a collaboration which, yet again, speaks to her love of sports cars. In a group effort with English actor and musician Idris Elba, American rapper Lil Tjay, Nigerian-American singer Davido, and Nigerian singer Moelogo, the reggae star introduced the new soundtrack, Vroom, on March 1, 2022, for PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 7.

Gran Turismo is a series of racing simulation video games developed by Polyphony Digital. Developed for PlayStation systems, Gran Turismo games are intended to emulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, most of which are licensed reproductions of real-world automobiles. Starting this week, gamers will now be able to start speeding around tracks in virtual vehicles while listening to the fantastic new soundtrack when racing to victory.

Meanwhile…

Jamaican jewellery designer Matthew “Mateo” Harris has announced that he will be a guest speaker at the Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS) slated for March 14-16, 2022 in Miami, Florida.

LAFS is a multiplatform created by entrepreneurs Estefanía Lacayo and Samantha Tams with the mission of elevating and enriching the Latin American fashion and design industry.

There’s More…

SO takes you backstage at the Valentino Fall/Winter 2022 Ready-to-Wear show, where Saint International model Kai Newman immortalised her Paris Fashion Week experience with a series of shots taken ahead of the show.