Centric TV

I have not really been a fan of BET but they seem to have raised their game a lot. Centric TV which was formerly known as BET on Jazz, BET Jazz and BET J is a spin off from the parent station, BET. Last year BET J was rebranded as Centric and now contains programmes from an African American perspective aimed at a slightly older audience. The station now has a very sexy portfolio of shows which consist of documentary series and reality shows and they are all really delightful. Well you can't really go wrong with fly on the wall shows about the modelling scene, interiors and the magazine industry. The TV schedule for Centric is enough to make the mouth of any pop culture enthusias water ferociously. I spent most of today checking out the shows and I have compiled a summary of all of them for you below.

Keeping Up with the Jones
This is about the comings and goings of a glossy magazine. Tracy Ferguson is the founder and editor of Jones Magazine which is an IT guide to the high and mighty of the African American community in Houston. It covers fashion, hair, make up and parties. Keeping Up with the Jones shows the non stop drama that goes into putting the magazine together and getting it out on the streets. We see Tracy try to balance running the publication with being a single mum.

Model City
I never had much time for modelling shows but this one certainly caught my eye and held it. Firstly when do you ever see so many hot guys on the screen at the same time? Yes that's right, never! Model City follows four Black and Latino male models as they naviagte the insane modelling world trying to get their big break. Wendell, Ibrahim, Nelson and Zeric of RED Model Management NY are on a mission to make it big in the industry. However in a world that is not only dominated by women but also where Black models are a minority, these guys have their cut out for them. This show is like the film Biker Boyz and has the drool factor.

Leading Women 
This is a documentary which profiles leading African American women who have made a huge splash on American culture on many levels. Movers and shakers such as Gina Prince Blythewood, Mara Brock Ali and Shawn Robinson share with us how they got their first break, their goals and aspiirations and the strong bond they have with their female friends. Leading Men is the male counterpaart which fearures stars such as Tyson Beckford, Boris Kodjoe and Neyo where they talk about their careers and personal lives.

Other shows in the staple are Urban Livin which is an interiors show with a difference. Unlike other shows which concentrate on decor this one looks at the foundation of the home, traditional family values, individual living style as well as event planning and personal style. American Gangster is hosted by Ving Rhames where he looks at harrowing tales about criminal behaviour. This shows takes into account the personal stories from inmates, community leaders, law enforcement officials, social historians and crime victims. Lyric Cafe celebrates the beauty of the spoken word with performances from the best wordsmiths. Lens on Talent is a series which showcases the talents of  up and coming African American film makers. The show is hostes by Sanaa Lathan with the aim of awarding the best candidate the opportuntiy to make a short film.

If you live in the US you can catch all of these programmes on Centric TV. 

For those in the UK you can catch Model City on BET on Wednesdays at 9pm.

Between the Covers

Last Wednesday I went to Black in Fashion: Have We Turned the Page?, an event that explores the relationship between Black people and fashion. It took place at The Women's Library and the panel consisted of Carol Tulloch, a curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Carole White from Premier Model Management, Sole Oyebade, founder of Mahogony Models Management, Jennifer G Robinson from Precious and my good friend and fellow blogger, Ashanti Omkar former editor of Henna magazine who invited me to the event. This vivid occasion looked at the history of Black magazine and Jennifer's delightful presentation was a wonderful reminisce of great publications such as Origins and Untold that have come and gone. However, the main debate was regarding the lack of Black models on catwalks and in magazines. We also discussed the presence of Black people working in the media and the impact they were having. Initially when I was invited to this event I turned it down due to work constraints as well as having turned into a couch potato but then I thought to myself 'sod it, I'm going' and I am so glad I did. As well as meeting like minded and creative types, Black in Fashion gave me a much needed zest. Like they say, it is good to get out.


As I mentioned before Black in Fashion took place at The Women's Library and is currently hosting an exhibition called Between the Covers which looks at the history of glossy magazines from the 17th century. Publications such as Spare Rib, The Lady, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Glamour and Grazia are on hand to disect. There are audio recordings on the culture of women's magazines as well as archived copies and visual presentations. Walking round the exhibition, I was in awe of the vast amount of material that had been collected over the years and I guess you could say I was like a kid in a sweet shop. I mean where was I supposed to start? If you like your glossy mags the I suggest you get down there sharpish. The exhibition is on till 29th August and it is FREE.


On the subject of magazines you might have heard that i-D magazine is to decrease their issues to six a year. It looks like the credit crunch is biting everyone. Respect to i-D and Terry and Tricia Jones for staying strong and not throwing in the towel. Sustaining a magazine is bloody hard business at the best of times let alone when there is a recession and particularly when you are a niche title. i-D magazine was founded by Terry Jones, a former art director at Vogue in 1980 it became renowned for it's groundbreaking photography and typography as well as being a training ground for up and coming talents. The likes of Nick Knight, Wolfgang Tillmans, Juergen Teller, Terry Richardson, Dylan Jones, Caryn Franklin all worked here. Terry and Tricia explained the rationale behind their decision in a statement that was published in The Guardian.

"We see this restructure as a reinforcement of position and strength towards a magazine and brand we are passionate about and have protected for so long, As one of the most respected and loved independent voices within the international fashion community, i-D is determined to maintain its unique status bridging the space between high fashion and street savvy."

One of i-D's usp's is it's quirky personality which is reflected on the front cover and always features a model winking.The magazine celebrates it's 300th issue next month and if it is anything the past anniversaries I am sure it will be ultra special.