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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Fashion Talk 263

Winter is upon us which means you need to look crazy hot to beat the cold. This season there is no end of styles to choose from to look sizzling. There is the graphic black and white, hard-hitting punk, folksy tribal, military styling and then eighties comeback. “Winter 2015-2016” is a celebration of personal style. No need to jumo with the common spirits.Of course winter is about boots, coats, scarfs and tracksuits because you cannot be fashionable if you are shivering from the cold. But those items do not make winter fashion. Even in summer you can wear boots, scarfs and tracksuits, it is the theme that matters.

This winter nude is the must-have colour for everyone.

But what do you picture when you hear the word “nude”?

In fashion, the word is most often used to describe a shade that is a little darker than champagne, lighter than sand and perhaps with a hint of blush or peach.

So far the nude colour has made headlines after Michelle Obama caused a stir with her frocks recently during a state function.

The dress was described by its designer Naeem Khan as a “sterling-silver sequin, abstract floral, nude strapless gown”.

To anyone who reads fashion magazines the term will be familiar.

“Nude” shades are everywhere this season, having dominated the catwalks, from off-white through pale rose to gold.

In Style magazine defines nude as the new black: just about the surest way to exclude dark-skinned women from adopting the trend, since it’s apparently not acceptable to wear black as black, nor black as nude.

Some are referring the shade to being white thus those donning it want to be white, which is wrong.

The colour is being attacked with the usual brigade calling on women of colour to be against the version of plastic surgery.

This discussion is not new as women of colour have said it before that lingerie that is classified as nude does not work for them. If it does nothing else, the colour nude sure does debunk the myth that there are any white people in the world.

But not everyone is interested in the psychological debates and many are happy to just go with the trend. Nude dresses, shoes, tops are everywhere. It looks like the trend which has long been associated with bad taste when it comes to fashion has finally shed its tacky image.

Enough of the nude shade, let us move on to some of the topical news in fashion — the road to the red carpet at the Met Gala.

The Met Gala is like the Oscars of fashion — and the 2016 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala didn’t disappoint.

Last Monday night’s fashion prom, otherwise known as the Met Gala (or the Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, officially), brought out the stars in their best and worst costume attire.

This year’s theme was “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”, which basically meant, “Let’s wrap ourselves in shiny clothes reminiscent of aluminium foil.”

Of course, with every Met Gala, there are those who got the theme and those who were oblivious to it.

For the male, my favourite was Idris Elba who happened to be the co-chair of this year’s gala, and, there are few lessons some of our politicians, celebrities and musicians can learn from the voted best dressed man.

We have no doubt that the 43-year-old father-of-two “slayed” at the Met Gala.

Lessons we can draw from him to our local gents are , be trendy and polished, know the perfect suit and tie combo and remember keep it classy.

For the ladies first came the power ponytails, slicked tight on top of the heads of Selena Gomez and Elle Fanning, which kept the focus on their fresh faces.

My favourite goddess at the Met Gala, the best dressed could be Kim Kardashian.

Kim Kardashian as usual was the queen of no-class as she showed off her slimmed-down, post-baby body in a Balmain gown which featured sheer panels.

Beyonce, who appeared last kept it simple with impossibly sleek centre-parted hair, smoky eyes and a curve-hugging sheath, proving that whether we’re in the past, present, or future, some things never change.

Is she walking in her album Lemonade style because her style wasn’t sweet but a bit sour like?

Our Zimbabwean born Hollywood star Danai Gurira left me wondering if she was making a statement against the whole event. For the style she chose seems to be a protest against glamour. “The Walking Dead” star did not need a sword or zombies to look every bit of the theme of her movie. But fashion is what you feel comfortable in so we will let her be.

Till next time, wear to impress and express your style because we are always watching you.

Feedback: [email protected]: Tafadzwa Zimoyo TheBoss twitter/instagram: tafadzwa zimoyo