Did you know that black women are heathens that dress in drabby streetwear? Me neither. But thankfully the French have noticed that current pop stars like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Solange Knowles are breaking away and are “learning” to dress more chic.
In the defense of the ignorant reporter, it seems as though she was attempting to comment on an article by Jon Caramanica, having to do with Black style. Perhaps it was a story that got lost in translation? Or perhaps French people are racist.
“Dude, well, europeans don’t understand racism. I mean they’ve never had a civil rights movement,” someone said to me recently.
As a Haitian-American, I have been taught to genuflect to the alter of France. French is still one of Haiti’s official languages and the chic sensibilities of the Haitian bourgeois is obviously inspired by a place that never seemed welcoming to Francophones of color. “Streetwear” has always been viewed a faux pas in Haiti. My grandmother was the chicest women in the world.
“Black glamour” is not a passing phase that has emerged only recently.
Bleached-out presentations of history always seems to get me down.
In the meantime, New York Times has featured a large spread on up-and-comer Azelia Banks, “a foul-mouthed” 20-year-old rapper from Harlem “who has been called the next Nicki Minaj” on account of her unique fashion sense.
“Ms. Banks even performed “212” at Karl Lagerfeld’s home in Paris last week at a party celebrating “Karl”, the designer’s new budget line,” the article reports.
Oh yes, “budget line”.
