A dancer and actress by trade, Lola Falana began her career by moving to New York armed with only $23. She danced in nightclubs until she was discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr. who anointed her his protégé and gave her the lead dancing role in the Broadway smash “Golden Boy” (October 20, 1964 - March 5, 1966). Falana then tried her hand at singing. She had a moderately successful career but she finally broke away from Sammy Davis Jr. in an attempt to create a name for herself, separate from her mentor. That's when her career really took off; she acted in several highly successful Italian movies, peformed on variety shows such as Bill Cosby’s “The New Bill Cosby Show” and she finally acquired her own act in Vegas. By the late 1970s, she was considered the Queen of Las Vegas. She played to sold-out crowds at The Sands, The Riviera, and the MGM Grand hotels. The Aladdin even offered her $100,000 a week to perform. At the time, Falana was the highest paid female performer in Las Vegas. She was also the first black woman to model for a line of cosmetics that wasn't targeted solely to blacks. Falana’s last Vegas performance was in 1987 due to a relapse of Multiple Sclerosis. I’m not sure where she resides now but she has since fought the disease with hopes of one day returning to the stage. All hail the First Lady of Vegas.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Style Flashback: Lola Falana
A dancer and actress by trade, Lola Falana began her career by moving to New York armed with only $23. She danced in nightclubs until she was discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr. who anointed her his protégé and gave her the lead dancing role in the Broadway smash “Golden Boy” (October 20, 1964 - March 5, 1966). Falana then tried her hand at singing. She had a moderately successful career but she finally broke away from Sammy Davis Jr. in an attempt to create a name for herself, separate from her mentor. That's when her career really took off; she acted in several highly successful Italian movies, peformed on variety shows such as Bill Cosby’s “The New Bill Cosby Show” and she finally acquired her own act in Vegas. By the late 1970s, she was considered the Queen of Las Vegas. She played to sold-out crowds at The Sands, The Riviera, and the MGM Grand hotels. The Aladdin even offered her $100,000 a week to perform. At the time, Falana was the highest paid female performer in Las Vegas. She was also the first black woman to model for a line of cosmetics that wasn't targeted solely to blacks. Falana’s last Vegas performance was in 1987 due to a relapse of Multiple Sclerosis. I’m not sure where she resides now but she has since fought the disease with hopes of one day returning to the stage. All hail the First Lady of Vegas.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Where Did You Buy That?
Author Funmi Odulate and the cover to her first book “Shopping for Vintage.”
Illustrations from "Shopping for Vintage."Forgive me but I forget the name of the reader who suggested this book. After buying myself a copy and falling in love, I had to recommend it to the rest of you. Vintage clothing has taken over the fashion industry of late. If we’re not looking for genuine gems from the past we are drawn to vintage “inspired” pieces currently on the shelves of our favorite stores. Thankfully fashion journalist Funmi Odulate took it upon herself to research, collect and condense her vintage shopping knowledge into this cute little book appropriately named “Shopping for Vintage.” In it you’ll find beautifully illustrated pictures of fashion trends through the decades, a brief history of fashion’s pioneers and a must-have directory of vintage shops throughout the world. Unfortunately, this book is only available in Europe (and Australia, I think) so you may have to get relatives to buy it abroad (like I did – thanks sis!). It’ll be worth the hassle though, especially when you saunter into that party in a one-off, throw-back Lanvin dress.
Author Bio: Funmi Odulate is a top fashion writer and worldwide vintage connoisseur. She has collated her extraordinary knowledge of fashion during her many years as a fashion journalist writing for major titles such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Sunday Times Style, The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and InStyle magazine. This is her first book.
Clutch Magazine Interview
Clutch Magazine interviewed me for their Blog Index section this month. Click here to check it out. Thanks again to Deanna and her team. The site is a total must-read!
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