earth.wind.and.mila & fire

Be just who you are, make no apologies...emancipate yourself

Hey Dolls!!!

On this edition of supercrazydope people I present to you Mila & Fire Vintage...enjoy!!

1) Your name(s)

Mila & Fire

2) Age

Both 22

3) Location

Washington, DC

4) How did Mila & Fire Vintage come about?

We began noticing how often we received inquiries (from friends & strangers) on our outfits, so we thought "Why not start buying vintage for others??" We began by just finding & selling pieces here and there until we decided to start selling our clothing on eBay. Soon after we opened up our store milafirevintage.bigcartel.com & that is where you can find our beloved gem of a store today

5) How would you describe you guys' style?

We don’t do labels, like rocker or boho. We describe our collective style as a mix of random eclectic-ness & contemporary with a whole lot of nakedness and sex!

6) What are your guys' similarities/ differences style wise?

Mila-I’m a label whore on the low (LOL)! You should hear my squeal when I find a Vintage piece with a luxury label. I’m building a vintage wardrobe full of timeless pieces I can pass down to my daughters, like my Vintage purple Miu Mius, or my Vintage D&G bustier, or even my Vintage Bill Blass scarf.

Fire- I don't do labels! They seem pointless and over-priced (unless its shoes lol). I am a lover of all things vintage, sheer, skinny, mini, black and printed. I would much rather be adorned in an AMAZING vibrant printed vintage jacket for $5 then a pricey piece for $500.

But we both like & dislike the same things. For example, we LOVE all things sheer, yet we both have an intense hatred for kitten heels. YUCK!

7) What's your mission?

To rid the world of copycat fashion! We loathe predictable, easy outfits.Where’s the spice? When we shop at chain stores, we wear the clothing in fresh, innovative ways. You’ll never catch up looking like every other girl walking down the street.

8) Your inspiration?

We are lucky to be surrounded by some amazingly unique individuals. Our closest friends and significant others are some of THE flyest people we know.

9) Give me 3 words that would describe your movement best

Individualism, style, sex

10) What decade do you find the most inspiration from?

Definitely the 70s. Seriously, what is better than high-waisted bell bottoms, mini dresses & platforms? That’s us now!

11) If you could be trapped in any movie/sitcom from the past which one would it be?

Mila: Matilda. The mom dressed soooo ridiculous, from her fur trimmed robe and slippers, to her crazy color-coordinated sets.

Fire: Different World and Cleopatra Jones. I love the vibrant colors and wide array of outfits the cast on Different World would wear. Anything that catches my eye and is BOLD wins my heart. Cleopatra Jones was just so damn sexy. She wore fauc fur, big hair, and red lips. Does it get any better?

12) Who are you guys' style icons?

Chloe Sevigny, Tracee Ellis Ross, & Helena Bonham Carter, Kelis, Zoe Kravitz, Cleopatra Jones

13) When did you guys realize that you can turn what you’re passionate about into a business? How did it happen?

One day this past summer, we were talking about all things fashion. We hit a pretty dry spell when it came to income, especially with this economy. We wanted to do something that we would be good at and we wanted to give other trend destroyers something they too would enjoy. Vintage shopping is something we are experts in because we do it ALL THE TIME. Plus our personal interests helped alot. Fire is a PR practioner so she is extremely business savvy & Mila is a stylist so fashion is her love.

14) Who would you say is your target audience?

The guys & gals who quite simple “don’t give a fuck”. They aren’t concerned with dressing to please others nor do they care about being stared at. We also target the economic trend destroyer. They love to be individuals and rock original pieces, but don't want to break their pockets to do so.

I adore Mila & Fire and live for everything they embody -- fashion without limits, style without societal constraints. Make sure you guys support Mila & Fire and visit their online store: www.milafirevintage.bigcartel.com  

Here are a few of my favs from their store:

Contact Info:

Mila.FireVintage@gmail.com

@MilaFireVintage on twitter

Fire- PlayedwithFire.wordpress.com

Mila- MilaExclamation.blogspot.com

hard.in.the.paint

Got me bringin' guns to work, Gilbert Arenas

This is definitely a first. Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas hit the court in style Tuesday night against the Lakers. He is pictured above in a pair of D&G velcro high top patent leather sneakers ($395). I wonder if this is the start of a new trend. Will athletes ditch the athletic gear and op for a pair of high end designer kicks instead? What do you guys think? In my opinion I dont see it happening...at least I hope not. Players have enough to focus on, and making fashion statements shouldn't be one of them. I'll take a pair of Jordans on a player any day.

By the way, the Wizards lost that game....

interlude

Pardon the interruption...

my.mascara.face

And I'm all up, all up, all up in the bank with the funny face....

What do all these lovely ladies have in common?....Yup you guessed it, the infamous 'mascara face' that all us chicks make. I was on twitter a couple weeks ago and I ran across the screen name @mymascaraface, which peaked my interest. Apparently chicks were taking pictures of their mascara faces and sending them in, creating a collage of mascara faces. Their goal is to reach 1 MILLION photos...I fell in love instantly. This movement is so supercrazydope and creative, I had to contact the originator and ask her if I could feature her on my blog, she agreed. 

I'm proud to introduce My Mascara Face....

1) Name: Cayla Cousins

2) Age: 21

3) Location: NJ/NY

3) How did this movement come about? 

Our generation has gotten into the nasty habit of tearing other women apart, especially using social networking sites. I decided to use the tool in a positive way and unite us all with something that we all do or have done once in our lives, put on mascara....and make a crazy face while doing so!

4) Your mission: 

My mission is to create a fun platform for Mascara-wearers to connect and be creative. I want My Mascara Face to go worldwide (...and it's already on its way!).

5) Your inspiration: 

One of my inspirations has to be my Aunt Dee Marshall, a life coach who has started and runs several businesses that all support and empower women. 

6) Give me 3 words that would describe your movement best: 

Innovative Universal Networking

7) Contact info: 

Cayla Cousins 

www.itsohcay.com 

I absolutely LOVEEEEE everything this movement stands for, girl power to the fullest. Lets leave the cattiness alone for a change & come together to support something positive. Thank you Cayla for sharing your vision with the world...I'm inspired! 

Make sure you guys support the movement & send your mascara faces to twitter.com/mymascaraface or mymascaraface@gmail.com. Check out all the other mascara faces at http://mymascaraface.tumblr.com 

<3 

[Sidebar]: I'm gonna start featuring supercrazydope ppl every week. 

If you're interested in being featured please email modedopeness@gmail.com for more info.

Stay dope!

december.4th

I'm leading the league in at least six statistical categories right now
Best flow, Most consistent, Realest stories
Most charisma, I set the most trends...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOV!!!

Not only is Jay-Z the greatest to ever do it -- rap that is, he also sets the most trends. When he told you to change clothes and throw the throwback jersey back in the closet and throw on a button up, what did you do? When he said "eff Cristal," what did you start drinking? There's no denying Jay's influence on not just hip hop but society as a whole, but just incase you need a reminder here it goes....

Platinum Jewelry: “I mean like I gotta be the pioneer to this shit…wearing that platinum shit when all you chicks thought it was silver and shit.” Jay ain’t never lie. Before hopping on the scene the average rapper’s jewels looked more like Mr. T than Mr. Weezy F. Baby. You can thank the original Mr. Carter for making your trip to Zales that much more expensive.

No Pad, No Pen: Jay-Z has always bragged about not owning a rhyme book, he always was able to hash out his song on the spot, using a combination of his wit and immense memory. The technique spawned a lot of imitators, namely Lil Wayne, Kanye West and T.I., among others, who have all also bragged about using the same song writing method.

The popularization of Cristal: Prior to the summer of 2006, Jay-Z hadn’t come across an opportunity to drop a Cristal reference in a verse that he could pass up. His high-end champagne of choice, the gold-labeled drink—which has been available commercially since 1945, though its creation dates back to 1876—made nearly as many cameos in Jigga’s songs as Memphis Bleek. From “Dead Presidents II” (“The icon, baby, you like Dom/Maybe this Cristal’s, to change your whole life”) to “Imaginary Player” (“I was popping that Cristal when y’all niggas thought it was beer and shit”), his incessant brand-name-dropping gave the company tons of mojo.

Bentleys: Mr. Carter has long been outspoken regarding his appreciation for Bentley automobiles. He lovingly called out the Bentley Azure on “Jigga That Nigga” (off of The Blueprint), and, most recently, he dropped the top-of-the-line whip brand’s name on The Blueprint 3’s closer, “Young Forever” (“Slamming Bentley doors, hopping out of Porsches/Poppin’ up on Forbes lists, gorgeous”).

Icerberg: Name-checking the brand in several lyrics, Hov helped popularize Iceberg in the late ’90s. At one point, the BK MC became so synonymous with the line that his shows were filled with concert-goers donning Loney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck on their sweaters.

Sped Up Soul Sampling: With relatively new producers Kanye West, Just Blaze and Bink producing most of The Blueprint, the God MC helped end the syntheziser era and resurrect soul sampling in the same breath. Taking a cue from Wu-Tang Clan’s the RZA, who had made a trademark out of sprinkling vocals onto his tracks, Yeezy and Just sped up the samples to give it a new twist. Sure, Hov didn’t actually bang on the MPC or the ASR-10, but he had the foresight to usher in hip-hop’s new sound. Soon, everybody from T.I. to Cam’ron benefited from Roc-A-Fella’s chipmunk sound.

Killed Throwback Jerseys: “And I don’t wear jerseys, I’m thirty plus/Give me a crisp pair of jeans, nigga button up.” Founded in 1904, it took decades for Mitchell & Ness to become hip-hop’s brand du jour. Yet, with only two lines off “What More Can I Say” from The Black Album, Jigga made throwback jerseys irrelevant in a matter of weeks.

Button (Up) Down Shirts: It’s not like MCs never wore button down shirts before, they just hardly ever did it in a casual fashion. Following Jay’s fashion advice, the throwback jersey set took to colorfully loud button down shirts as their go-to attire. Change clothes, and go!

Maybach: Way before Rick Ross was making Maybach Music, Jiggaman had already traded in his benz for the ultra luxurious ride. Ever since you couldn’t watch an episode of Cribs without rappers and celebrities alike bragging about their new miracle whip. Too bad the six-figure price tag doesn’t also include a verse from Jay.

D.O.C. (Death of Cristal): Mojo that Hov quickly eradicated come June 2006, however, when he staged an all-out boycott against Cristal. In an interview withThe Economist, Frederic Rouzad—managing director for Louis Roederer, the company that produces Cristal—responded to a question about the brand’s feelings toward an association with hip-hop’s “bling lifestyle” with, “What can we do? We can’t forbid people from buying it.” Viewing the quote as racist, Jay-Z subsequently put his once-beloved drink on ice, omitting “Cristal” from all of his lyrics and discontinuing sales of the champagne at all of his 40/40 venues. Three years later, Cristal’s visibility rivals that of Zima.

D.O.A (Death of Autotune): King Hov declared the death of autotune in 2009 ending the overused musical accessory. We haven't heard from T-Pain since.