Divorce Atlanta Housewife Style!!

Real Housewives of Atlanta's Sheree Whitfield

It would seem that Sheree Whitfield, Bravo TV’s  “Real Housewives of Atlanta” matron, is very unhappy right about now. But she plans on doing something about it. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, next week Whitfield plans to have her unsatisfactory divorce case and subsequent settlement heard by the Georgia Supreme Court.

Insisting that the divorce settlement is no where near the seven figures that she has so strongly stated that she deserves, Sheree Whitfield’s lawyers have argued that the $2,142.87 a month in child support, the lump sum of $775, 000, NFL pension shares from former husband ex Atlanta Falcon’s Bob Whitfield, half the marital property totalling $1.1 Mil, and $113,422 a year is frankly not enough cash for an uneducated thirty-eight year old woman to live on.

Now, this settlement is not enough to keep Sheree in the lifestyle her former NFL husband’s wallet afforded. It doesn’t make sense that Sheree should be forced to sell the only home her children has known. Any real lawyer worth his weight in salt should have represented Sheree Whitfield better than this.

But for lawyers to say that Sheree should be given far more financial support than what was allocated on the grounds that she is uneducated, and can’t do better is ridiculous at best and a personal affront on the millions of single parents in this country that support families on less than $50,000 a year!

Was Sheree thinking about getting an education during the seven years of marriage she endured with Bob Whitfield? Atlanta is full of colleges and universities. I am willing to bet that a secondary education never crossed Sheree’s mind. Why should it have? Especially if she was counting on a serious pay day from a wealthy husband to sustain her for the rest of her life!

It would seem that Sheree and women like her are waking up to a fool’s paradise. Perhaps all of that money Sheree spent on that trashy fashion line of hers could have been set aside for something useful. All of those shopping sprees that Sheree enjoyed on the “Housewives”  in the privacy of her own home, the over the top fashion show bust that cost a mint, all of this reveals a callous materialistic attitude that Sheree has cultivated.

I hope that in the final analysis, Sheree Whitfield gets what she deserves, not what she desires.

Will Italian “Vogue” Black Issue Make A Difference In The Fashion Industry? Some Would Argue ‘Maybe’

When I received my advance copy of Italian Vogue’s“Black” issue, I was surpised and pained at the same time. The photography and the models were absolutely beautifully done. The magazine is an artistic acheivement. What pained me were the years upon years of the most insidious, racist notions by those deep within the fashion world who ascertain the idea that African American models are not commercial or marketable. Italian Vogue is in its’ second reprint at the time of this article and sales are up by 700%. So much for that myth.

The primary photographer of Italian Vogue’s historical “Black” July issue, which as been dubbed in Britain as “The Most Wanted Issue Ever!,” Steven Meisel, speaking on the various ‘reasons’ why African American models are snubbed on the runway and in fashion magazines routinely is because of “laziness, paranoia and pedantry which may have something to do with the failure to hire Black models for shows and magazine features in any meaningful manner.” Vogue did pave the way for African American models in 1974 by putting an up and coming Beverly Johnson on its’ cover. Johnson was the first African American model to do so. Naomi Campbell also hold the distinction of being the first and only African American model to cover both French and British Vogue.

However, when it comes to the runways, top fashion designers and houses still blatantly boycott African American models. Blindingly so. The recent tally of the last Paris Fashion week yielded shocking numbers:

Out of 34 models, Balanciago used zero African American models.

Out of 36 models, Chanel used zero African American models.

Out of 42 models, Celene used zero African American models.

Out of 49 models, Louis Vuitton used 2 African American models.

Out of 28 models, Chloe used zero African American models.

Interesting data isn’t it? Yet, African Americans are known to spend billions upon billions each year on designer clothes making this particular group of consumers number one on the marketing and advertising charts. Still, does this factor impress the powerful mover and shakers in the fashion industry?

The answer is a resounding NO! Fashion photographer and film maker Nick Knight commented in his film, “The Cut” that “whenever I ask to use a Black model I am given the excuses such as ‘black models are not aspirational in some markets’ or ‘they do not reflect the brands values.’ Normally, however, no reason is given…it is my belief that our society must be inclusive.”

So, with the huge sold-out mania taking place over Italian Vogue’s“Black” issue, is it wise to assume that a change in the casting and advertising sectors of the fashion world is imminent? Some would suggest that this is more than likely. But the runways of Fashion Week this Fall will be the litmus test of verification. And with a vast majority of editorial leadership in the fashion magazine sphere being Caucasian, it appears to be highly doubtful if changes in the perception and usage of African American models arrive speedily.