Afro-pop legend Miriam Makeba, also known as "Mama Africa," died on Sunday at the age of 76 in the south of Italy, following a concert appearance. This
powerhouse songstress's long and varied life included marriage to Black Panther Stokely Carmichael, exile from her home country of South Africa, a starring role in the film Sarafina!, about the 1976 Soweto youth uprisings, and an appearance in the 2002 documentary Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony.
Over her lifetime Makeba made dozens of records and was responsible for bringing the issue of apartheid to the forefront in Western countries, though she always identified herself first as a singer, not as a political activist.
I've recently gotten hooked on the bizarre detective/sci-fi hybrid show
Life on Mars. The show follows NYPD Detective Sam Tyler's trials and travails when he's transported back to 1973 after being hit by a car in present-day New York. Yeah, I know it sounds odd, but it's pretty compelling prime-time television.
On Monday, Kate Hudson arrived at the
grand re-opening of the Burberry Beverly Hills store looking as gorgeous as ever. But we all know Kate looks fab even when she's
not all dolled up for an A-List event. What struck me about this photo wasn't Hudson's attire — the boxy Burberry dress isn't the most flattering — but the palette is awe-inspiring.
I'm totally infatuated with Project Runway season five winner
Leanne Marshall's final collection. I loved how the palette was so restrained, just neutrals and a gorgeous turquoise; it really let the sculptural shape of the clothes shine. And although the collection did have an architectural quality, the pieces were still full of movement, with pleats that fluttered like a flock of birds bursting into the air.
When I spotted this photo of tennis player Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, who was playing at the Kremlin Cup, I was struck by its beautiful striped pattern. Of course, stripes are innately sporty. They show up on basketball jerseys, on the lines painted onto tracks, and on the racing silks of jockeys.
I was intrigued by Fab's trend alert,
Bohemian Rhapsody, which she describes thusly: "Bohemian style is poetic and a true bohemian rocks the theme utterly, completely." So, to follow this trend into the shelter world, I found some pieces that would work well with her finds, such as this
Tracy Reese comforter, which is part of her plenty Home by Tracy Reese Fall 2008 collection.
To see my other finds, .
Film actress Jean Harlow was America's sex symbol of the 1930s. Also known as the "Platinum Blonde" and the "Blonde Bombshell," this glamorous, gorgeous woman embodied Hollywood glamour. Starring in such films as Red Dust and Platinum Blonde, she appeared onscreen beside leading men Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and James Cagney.
Fashion Week may be over, but we've still got the runway images to gawk over. Since we can't sport the new gear 'til Spring, I figured I may as well use it as inspiration for interiors. The
Ralph Lauren ensemble shown here is a bit costume-y, but I love its balance of rough, sporty safari elements with glamazon sequins, and its palette of army greens and rustic browns.
It was pretty unanimous that Fab's readers
loved Nicole Richie in stripes at DKNY's Fashion Week show, and I am no exception to the pack. I loved how she pulled off the bold stripes by keeping things minimal. And, how the smartly balanced small and large stripes were mimicked by her suede caged shoes.
I love the balance of glorious, warm tones in Etsy seller
Laura Marie W's Maui Dozing (sold) oil on canvas painting. The combination of orange, green, lilac, and yellow is such an unusual one, but it really is breathtaking. The painting's landscape itself is actually what hit a soft spot in me, though.
