Au Courant Flashback - The best of '09

I can't believe it's December 31st, 2009 already! Where did the year go? I remember when I first started Au Courant back in 2007, it was the only site around that focused on International & Caribbean fashion; everyone else wrote about the mass market fashion scene, and there I was in my neck of Manhattan, going the other way and documenting what was cool about independent labels and island designers.

A few short years after the fact, I'm so glad to see that many other Caribbean-focused bloggers have popped up to write about other aspects of the industry! And still, I'm extremely glad that Au Courant has always stood apart from the rest, in terms of creating original and exclusive pieces, finding the coolest fashion items to feature, linking with interesting designers and savants, and always expanding our concept in novel ways: have you checked our Magazine | Podcasts | Facebook | Twitter? Well, what are you waiting on?!

Long story short: I'm proud to be the driving force behind Au Courant, and I'm forever thankful that you guys appreciate our content! You are an integral part of the Au Courant dynamic, and I can't wait to interact with you in even more conceptual and kick-ass-cool ways for 2010, and beyond. So while we both wait for the New Year to roll in with all it's fresh goodness, let me give you a quick countdown of some of Au Courant's memorable posts of 2009:

6. Do you know Derek Khan?::: A must-read because - It shed light on the underbelly of the celebrity styling world, and revealed the sticky-fingered rise, fall, and semi-comeback of one of the greatest style trendsetters of the last decade.

5. To Peter Minshall: We need 'Real Mas' again::: A must-read because - The legendary and revered Mas' man's work has been so fantabulously fantastical for more than two decades, it's unfair that the world shouldn't see more of it.

4. What are you? Designer or Couturier?::: A must-read because - We made would-be designers stop and question themselves and their approach to having a design business. Just because your Grannie's best pal bought your crocheted garter belt once doesn't mean you actually have a fashion brand...

3. Tribe 'Secrets of the Silk': A Review::: A must-read because - The post created a forum for Mas' lovers and Masqueraders to truthfully discuss their likes, dislikes and ambivalence about what Trinidad Carnival has become. And the actual online convo was so damn fun - click here to retrace the comments.

2. Fashionable Sex: Miss Universe T&T on Tape::: A must-read because - It was sad. It was embarrassing. It was uncomfortable. It was a good Porn tape that unfortunately starred a Miss T&T representative. Moving on...

1. Designer Shopping for Xmas | Part 1 and Part 2::: A must-read because - We should all buy and wear independent, Caribbean designer wear at least once in our lives, instead of blindly doling out cash for cheapo designer knockoffs!

And that's it! All of our '09 posts were fab, but these were the ones that I most enjoyed 'penning' - so to say. And as I wrap things up on the last day of the year, I must thank you again for growing with Au Courant, and I wish you all the best for 2010.

See you tomorrow for the New Year!

LMN Harris

Do you know Derek Khan?

So I was idly watching TV, and happened upon an episode from season one's installment of America's Next Top Model (ANTM.) In the midst of all the top model tra-la-la, I heard a faint, island-cum-FashionGuy accent.

Upon a keener listen, I realized that the numerous drawls of "Work it!" and "It's Couture!" came from one of the supposed creators of the 'Ghetto-Fab' look, aka 90's celebrity stylist, Trinidadian, Derek Khan.

Not knowing a great deal about Khan - besides the fact that he styled Mary J. in that opulent fur coat and luxury car for the cover of the My Life album - I instantly Googled him. What came up was out of a Hollywood movie - in the worst sense. So here goes:

Derek Khan is born in Trinidad. Has a flair for style and a hankering for the high life, so he moves to NYC in his early twenties. Gets into in fashion retail, and works his way through the store system. A chance meeting with music industry folk sets him on the path towards styling artistes like Salt-n-Peppa, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklyn and the other biggies, during the 90's.

Gets into managing entertainment acts. Borrows clothes from companies like Escada for his artistes' shoots, which he then sells on the side for his own gain. Gets caught and serves a brief jail sentence on the low. Nonetheless, he slips back into the industry, and goes on to introduce the R&B and Rap folk to High Fashion with a capital H: Vuitton, YSL, Dolce and the like.

Lifestyle gets uber, uber-lavish. Read: Industry lunches at Mr. Chow's. Creme De la Mer for his skin. Luxury rooms at Raffles... Khan begins to realize he can't maintain it. Borrows diamonds for celebs - up to $1.5 million USD worth - and hawks it for the money, so he can live large. Pops up as a stylist & judge on ANTM in early 2003. Skirts the jewelers for a bit, but gets caught and is once again sent to jail. Green Card is revoked, and he's deported Trinidad, without a dime.

Dips under the radar for a bit, then decides to ride the show pony to Dubai for a fresh start. Gets into entertainment in the rising Arabic fashion & lifestyle city; appears on the cover of celeb magazines and on satellite TV, and inks a deal to design his own line of jewels. Admits to everything, says he's paid his price, and is moving on with life...

Whoa... Talk about drama! You know, some folks say the man is a crook who no one should trust, end of story. Others say maybe he IS a crook, but he's a crook with style, who did the crime and the time, and deserves a second chance. Whichever way it swings, at least he told the truth...

L.M.N. Harris.

N.B. Image courtesy NY Times.