Black Artists Association Co-Founder Slams Michelle Obama's "Kumbaya" Designer Picks

Update 1/27:
According to WWD, Black Artists Association co-founder Amnau Eele has received death threats in response to her public criticism of Michelle Obama for not wearing an African-American designer to the inauguration.

She told the magazine, "We don't represent designers, we represent painters. We spoke up for black designers because we felt it was the right thing to do."

Eele is planning a forum on African-American designers and their careers in New York next month.

Original post 1/26:
The Michelle Obama fashion backlash has begun, as far as the Black Artists Association is concerned. The group is publicly chiding the First Lady for not wearing an African-American designer during any of the inaugural festivities. On inauguration day, Obama wore Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo, and at night she wore a gown by Taiwan-born designer Jason Wu.

BAA's founder Amnau Eele, a former model, told WWD:

"It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World' by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?" Eele said.

Comments

[Meditation]

AMNAU EELE IS A VERY POWERFUL WOMAN BECAUSE SHE GOT OVER 2000 OF YOU IDIOTS TO RESPOND TO A STORY THAT WAS NOT FACT CHECKED BY ANYONE WITH ANY SENSE.
THAT'S A LOT OF POWER.

[Weirdwriter]

I doubt Ms. Obama vetted her clothing for the ethnicity of the designers.

[thebatgirl]

This is the first lady of the U.S. Not only for black people.
Is everything you use, made by black people.
Don't you have better things to do?

[JScott]

Oh please you look at all their creations on the rack and they're all still made in China, Bangladesh or
Honduras. Where's the outrage there about offshoring garment worker jobs eh?

[RobinSeattle]

Spot on Mr. Scott

Those goods are no doubt made in sweatshops exploiting the poor amid unsafe working conditions. THAT was MLK's dream? Or Obama's? I don't think so.

I would also encourage black designers to worry less about what Michelle is wearing and think more about appealing to the broader American public. Get out of that ghetto mentality and stop thinking about using fellow members of the black community as billboards you own by virtue of having a similar ethnicity.

[ailbhe]

Michelle can wear whatever she likes, it is a free country.

I'm sure like most normal people she picks her clothes according to personal taste, not the colour, creed, nationality, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, accent, body size, political faith, attractiveness, health or age of the designer!

She always looks good and comfortable in herself, she exudes confidence, intelligence, strength and femininity, I doubt she cares who makes her clothes as long as they are dressing 'her' for who she is.

If AA designers want to dress her, send her clothes like everybody else, if she likes them she will wear them and maybe take you on fulltime.

I think at this time, Michelle is more concerned with supporting her husband who has the most difficult job in the world right now, dealing with real life or death decisions, than to be bothered with this silliness, how many people are homeless already? More to lose their jobs, homes, not to mention lives in two wars and all the other problems I have no more room to mention.

Stop drowning in self pity, creating problems where there are none and help get the country back together!

[Meditation]

Support of black designers and black design students will provide jobs for people of all colors and maybe the black youth and many black males will be able to get jobs in design and retail, instead of selling drugs or going to jail as an option.
President Obama's half brother was arrested for selling drugs as a poor black man in a poor African country, support of black designers and all designers in the retail industry can provide jobs for poor people like Mr. Obama all over the world , no matter their skin color.
Instead of selling drugs , I'd rather see Mr. Obama work for a black designer or consider design as a career instead of drug dealing.
I am white and I work for a black designer of jewelry, and without his designs , i would have no job and I couldn't pay my rent.
J, Crew, Tracy Feith and Jason Wu are swimming in orders and cash from the first lady's support, but not black designers..
No, ms. Eele was right!! Change came on Jan 20, 2009, but not for black designers.

here's the interviews that i found on the internet:

http://jemiltd.bravejournal.com

http://affilliate.kickapps.com/service/display/kickplace.kickaction?u=2373825&as=16936

http://www.oprah.com/community/blogs/jemiltd/2009/01/30/amnau-eele-the-real-story

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.youtube.com/jemiltd

I think "The Media Lynching" of Amnau Eele is a very sad story

[eden4barack08]

Listen, this could be a valid point, but if you keep presenting it the wrong way it's going to be a losing point. The right thing to do is to lobby the appropriate people in the WH. You need to write to Desire' Rogers, WH Social Secretary, first and foremost. You can also simply e-mail the First Lady at whitehouse.gov, relentlessly, don't give up, keep it positiive, send photos of collections, write eloquent letters as to why this is important, ask others to join you in this noble endeavour. But for god's sake refrain from making these talented designers out to be victims, the same mistake that Eele made, by using this kind of dialogue. I have seen some of their collections, and they are fantastic, they are more than deserving of dressing our First Lady, especially Kevan Hall, but nobody's going to hand it to them, they have to seek it, and seek it without giving up, just like they would any other business contract. Trust me, stop complaining about it on blogs, and start pitching this sale where it counts. Desire' Rogers first.

BTW The article does NOT say that George was dealing drugs, just that he had a joint presumably for personal consumption.

[Americanium]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm How am I going to afford my summer classes??

[jemiltd]

As promised in past posts, here is the February 27, 2008 interview of Amnau Eele, straight with no chaser:
http://www.oprah.com/community/blogs/jemiltd/2009/01/30/amnau-eele-the-real-story

[jemiltd]

Story is on these websites. For some reason it was removed from the one above:

http://www.theurbanblogger.com/profiles/blogs/amnau-eele-interview-the-real
http://affiliate.kickapps.com/_Amnau-Lee-Interview-The-Real-Story/blog/172433/16936.html

[DivorceSaloon]

must everything be about race? Relax. She's got four years. I'm sure she'll get around to a designer from every racial group. Michelle is an individual who happens to be African American. It doesn't mean everything she does have to be Afrocentric. That is for insecure people. This is a highly educated and evolved woman and she is more than just a sum of her skin shades. She doesn't have to prove anything. If the author has something to prove, then that's the author's business. But don't personalize it and make it Michelle's problem. She had better things to do with her time and her life. Everything is not and should not be about race and color and one of the first groups of people who need to understand that and communicate that message to the rest of the country, is black people. When Blacks start to think of themselves as just people who are free to be and where and live and go whereever they choose, others will get the message and follow suit. But it is thinking like what is exhibited in this criticism that keeps Blacks locked in a box and keeps blacks as "other" for generations. Free yourselves! And while you are at it, leave Michelle alone. She looked beautiful on inauguration day. Leave her alone.

[sankofaman]

We Black people do not need any lectures on the subject of "race and color." It is because my African mind is free that I love myself and therefore am capable of loving others. People are missing the whole point Eele was trying to make in regard to underrepresented AA designers. WHATS MORE is that she did not even use the word "kumbaya". Read the ENTIRE article posted by jemiltd - The Real Story.

[Steve Kemp]

Why do you say you have an african mind surely that by definition is seperating you. Can you not have a human mind why do you have to diferentiate yourself in this way. I agree totally with "Divrorce Salloon" we are all people race, creed and class seperate us only if we let them. Your saying "African mind" continues this seperation.

S

[yearlin]

the designers that she mentioned are really good...look them up

[eden4barack08]

True, especially Kevan Hall, I could really see some of his designs on the First Lady.
It must be clear, I hope, that Eele mentioned them unbeknownst to them, lest foolish people think of taking it out on them too.

Here are their websites, it's worth checking out their fabulous collections:

http://www.bmichaelcouture.com/couture.htm

http://www.kevanhalldesigns.com/collections-s08.html

http://www.stephenburrows.com/home.html

[mypov123]

I agree. They shouldn't be harassed if they never solicited Eele or anyone else to say anything on their behalf.

I agree with you about Kevin Hall, his designs are beautiful. I can see Michelle wearing on of his creations.

[eden4barack08]

True, especially Kevan Hall, I could really see some of his designs on the First Lady.
It must be clear, I hope, that Eele mentioned them unbeknownst to them, lest fo.o.lish people think of taking it out on them too.

Here are their websites, it's worth checking out their fabulous collections:

http://www.bmichaelcouture.com/couture.htm

http://www.kevanhalldesigns.com/collections-s08.html

http://www.stephenburrows.com/home.html

[TivoliEclipse]

Yes! Kevan's work is lovely and smart. Good for MO. The b. Michael Collection for Fall 08 -- BREATHTAKING... HOT! See the show at Christie's!

[DSimmons24]

Haters come in all colors, shapes and sizes! It's fine to have an opinion, but don't bash someone because they don't do what you would have them do! Mrs. Obama can wear whatever her heart desires. Perhaps "Kevan Hall, B Michael and Stephen Burrows" weren't her style. People need to realize that although Barack and Michelle are black, everything they do does not have to be run by an African American committee before it is approved. Let them do their thing and sit down somewhere!

[NYCIC]

"Post-racial". That's my favorite laugh out loud phrase of the moment. Who was the first politically correct simpleton to use it after the election?

[els1955]

The First Lady is African American and it has nothing to do with her choice of fashion. We as women look at fashion not by the creator but whether we look good in it or not. I believe the First Lady has an elegance about her , simple and elegant seems to be her style and she looks great. She is not only the First Lady for African American people, she is the people's First Lady as President Obama is the President for all people. They should continue to be who they are before and after the White House without worring about offending anyone but being proud of who they are no matter what style they happening to be sporting. I think Michelle Obama is beautiful and she looks great no matter what she wears. By the way the gown she wore was from an unknown designer, it seems opportunity is for everyone and can not be labeled by race.

[yellowdoggie]

Hey! I thought we were all post-racial now. WTF?

[frant52]

What is the matter with people?
Personally, though I may not agree with the criticism regarding Mrs. Obama's choice of designer, I can accept that opinions differ, and are equally allowed.
How in the mind of whomever can death threats be justified because of an opinion?
It's frightening, simply frightening to think that while the country seems to have made great strides in acceptance of others, we must still be aware that there are those who have not progressed.