Korto Momolu’s show from NYFW drew a huge crowd this year for her debut of her Fall 2012 Collection called “Monaco”. This year she really did an awesome job of infusing an African vibe that isn’t totally in your face. She certainly delivered as one of the top designers to watch for. Examiner.com explains the looks as “African princess on holiday, perhaps, or New York socialite on safari”.
Click here for an exclusive interview with Korto and footage of her designs from NYFW 2012.
The enormous poolroom of the Golden Gate Hotel came to live on February 18th, where the latest in Liberian fashion and art were on display for the Liberia Fashion and Art Expo. All fundraising efforts for the event go into creating sustainable income for marginalized women and girls in Liberia. Last year, Korto Momolu’s extravagant fashion show raised the bar by showcasing internationally standard designs with genuine Liberian flavor—it set the tone for elevating Liberia’s image in a new dimension, and it was seen through LFAE 2012.
Korto Momolu has got it goin’ on. Walking down to the Cellar Bar of the Bryant Park Hotel you could practically feel the electricity and the energy. With cameras flashing, film on the roll, and people packed in sipping their Mojitos and Martinis, it was a presentation you didn’t want to miss! Momolu has said her inspiration for the line comes from the “sexy, chic jet setting woman” (jonesmagazine.com). The line included gorgeous slowing gowns, stylish jumpsuits, and daywear perfect for any woman’s wardrobe.
Be sure to check out the video on ebony.com of Korto’s presentation!
link: http://www.ebony.com/video/style/watch-korto-momolu-fall-2012-collection
Korto Momolu’s show on Monday at New York Fashion Week featured a few new faces in the modeling/fashion industry. Straight out of Vietnam’s Next Top Model were young models Hoang Thuy, season two winner, and Tuyet Lan, popular runner-up from season one. After walking in Korto Momolu’s show, the models were fully booked for photo shoot sessions with New York stylists and photographers until they leave the country. New York’s fashion experts have claimed that Thuy could be a promising representative of Asian models in the future, and plans to visit Paris to launch her international career.
Also walking in Momolu’s show on Monday were the final four contestants of Germany’s Next Top Model 2012. Seen sitting front row of her show was J. Alexander, runway coach and judge on America’s Next Top Model, as well as Andrew Leon Talley, contributing editor for American Vogue, who is also another judge on America’s Next Top Model.
New York Fashion Week is primetime for new models to debut their skills, and for stylists, photographers, and fashion gurus to check out both lines and the models. Korto Momolu’s fashion show at Bryant Park Hotel was a cradle for success for the models she chose to walk down the runway.
Yesterday was the 5th Annual ShopRite/General Mills/Partners in Caring Knock Out Hunger campaign, which held a contest for t-shirt designs. Anyone had the chance to enter their designs, and representatives from the above three partners, along with our own Korto Momolu and Jeannie Mai, the host of Style Network’s show “How Do I Look?”, all judged the designs and presented the top 15 contestants at Time Warner Center at 1:00 pm yesterday. The design that stuck out most to the judges was the design by New Jersey resident Ognen Trpeski. Not only will his awesome design that clearly and cleanly displays the purpose of the awareness campaign be featured on the new Cheerio boxes, but also on the runway of Korto Momolu’s fashion show during NYFW 2012. Thanks to all who participated and submitted entries, your efforts have helped raise awareness of this very serious issue that plagues the streets of America.
Korto Momolu presented her Fall 2012 Collection at the Bryant Park Hotel yesterday February 13th, and the Twitterverse went crazy for it. With over one hundred mentions about attending the show, there were also over one hundred mentions about loving her new collection. One follower tweeted, “Loving the ambiance of @kortomomolu show…dark and mysterious”. RollingOut.com was in attendance of the event and called it a “very nice affair”.
So I’m sure you’re waiting to hear about the actual collection, right?! Well as always, Momolu did amazing work for this collection. With long draping dresses and some low cut v-neck gowns, her African-chic line for this fall includes lots of dark hues perfect for the season. Staying true to her designs and style, the garments were well made with added flair from her African heritage. Pops of color and intimate details were added where needed to add a little glitz, and the collection was overall very well put-together. The audience raved about the Momolu’s pieces and her energy the entire night. She’s definitely living up to New York Magazine’s prediction to being one of the top five designers to watch in the coming seasons, and we’re so happy to see Momolu in action!
Korto Momolu is proud to present her new Fall 2012 line at New York Fashion Week today!!! Follow @kortomomolu to stay up-to-date with latest details of the fashion show, and keep reading our blog to find out how everything goes for her. You know we’ll be posting with the most current news that we can, all about Korto.
We already know that New York Fashion Week is a huge deal. And that it’s been global for years now. So what do I mean by “going global?” I mean that global trends and fashions are going to be dominating Fashion Week. Whether it be African, Asian, or South American styles, non-Western fashions are going to be ruling the runway this year. Me and my team are ready to rock it. Bring it on, NYFW.
Korto Momolu, along with Jeannie Mai—host of Style Network’s “How Do I Look?”, Karen Meleta—ShopRite Partners in Caring spokeswoman, and General Mills Executives , will be the judges of the “Knock Out Hunger” t-shirt design contest sponsored by ShopRite. The contest goes to support its year-round, hunger-fighting initiative. ShopRite invites local media to attend the event and take an in-depth look at how local artists are raising hunger awareness in their communities. The winner of the design contest will be announced on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 from 1-2 pm, and their design will be featured during New York Fashion Week 2012.
You can feel the African vibe from just a small selection of the whole collection of H&M's Fashion Against AIDS Campaign.
African fashion, as luxurious as it is, can be for everyone, and can be affordable for everyone. It’s slowly but surely turning into a trend we’re seeing in the stores, not just the runway.For example, for the fifth year in a row, Swedish retailer H&M has launched their fifth “Fashion Against AIDS” campaign full of African-styled pieces. Artists and illustrators from around the world have added to the spunk of this collection full of bright colors and bold prints on tops, bottoms, jewelry and accessories. Our favorite part has to be the African trims on the blouses and bustier. What’s so awesome about H&M’s collection is the fact that not only is African fashion being promoted and reaching the general public of shoppers, but also it raises a ton of money for AIDS Awareness, and the proceeds are going to a great cause.
It may be the season finale of the show, but this is definitely not the last time we’ll be seeing Korto Momolu in the media.
BET’s show Lens on Talent is currently in its third season and about to wrap it up with the finale this Wednesday night. As we know from past episodes Korto Momolu is a judge on the show along with hit-making producer Rodney Jerkins and entertainer Leslie “Big Lez” Segar. Three finalists moved on last week and one will take home the prize of being the one to watch this year. Tune into BET’s Lens on Talent to watch Korto make some hard decisions on the remaining three independent filmmakers just tryin’ to make it big.
What’s next for Korto? She’s got a New York Fashion Week Runway Show coming up next Monday in New York City, and we can’t wait to post all about it!
Fashion designer Korto Momolu. (Photographer, Cole Stevens)
Korto Momolu is a fashion designer who was the first-runner-up and was voted “fan favorite” on the fifth season of the then-Bravo TV show “Project Runway.”
Known for designs inspired by her West African heritage, Momolu studied fashion at the Parsons School of Design in New York, and designed women’s wear and accessories in Arkansas before earning her spot on “Runway.”
Korto Momolu is making history … in fashion, by bringing the vibrant colors and prints reminiscent of her Liberian background to mainstream runways. She has shown her collections during New York Fashion Week, and in addition to her line of clothing, designed two lines of eco-friendly fine jewelry. Momolu has shown her designs at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and has been named New York Magazine’s top five designers to watch.
What’s next for Korto?
Korto Momolu continues to design and show her own clothing and jewelry and is fast becoming an internationally-known designer in her own right. She recently debuted her Spring 2012 collection at the NY Fame Show.
In her own words…
“The challenges are countless. As an independent designer, there will always be obstacles in your way, from financial-investment opportunities to manufacturing issues,” Momolu told TheRoot. “It’s a struggle, but when I read the feedback from fans and supporters all over the world, it motivates me to keep pushing — no matter what.”
A little-known fact about Korto …
Momolu was born and raised in Monrovia, Liberia. She and her family left the country when a civil war broke out in 1990, moving to Canada. In Canada, Momolu studied fashion design at the L’Academies des Couturiers Design Institute in Ottawa, Ontario before moving to Arkansas
List includes 100 individuals from across 10 professional fields that are making a difference in their communities and across the country
NEW YORK, NY– January 2012– theGrio.com announced the third-annual theGrio’s 100 list, honoring Little Rock’s Korto Momolu. This exclusive list honors Black History Month by highlighting the next generation of African-American history makers and industry leaders who have the potential to make a difference in the lives of all Americans. Momolu joins 99 other individuals from across 10 professional fields, including business, education, sports, science and the environment, media, service and activism, politics, health, pop culture and the arts.
“TheGrio’s 100” was officially unveiled by theGrio Executive Editor David A. Wilson earlier today. Individuals from “TheGrio’s 100” will continue to be profiled on all platforms of NBC News including “NBC Nightly News,” “Today,” MSNBC, CNBC, and msnbc.com through the end of February.
“This year’s list celebrates 100 honorees that possess a unique set of characteristics that separate them from the rest,” said Wilson. “theGrio’s 100 gives us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on individuals that are making a difference today, with the potential to make history in the future.”
Visit www.thegrio.com/black-history to learn more about Korto Momolu and all other individuals on theGrio’s 100 list. To contact Korto Momolu, please visit www.KortoMomolu.com.
About TheGrio.com
TheGrio.com, a division of NBC News, is a daily online news and opinion platform devoted to delivering stories and perspectives that reflect and affect African-American audiences. The video-centric interactive community is populated with both aggregated and original content on topics ranging from breaking news and politics to health, business, and entertainment.
Sale season is over. Korto Momolu’s Trunk Show just started.
Check this out!
Wanna Be Spoiled by Shea Radiance? Let us get you into Project Runway’s Korto Momolu’s Fashion Week Runway Show!!!
How: All you have to do is ‘Like’ the Shea Radiance and Korto Momolu Pages on Facebook and write a comment on our wall telling us which three (3) Shea Radiance products you want to try.
Contest runs from Sunday, January 29th through Saturday, February 4th. Winner will be selected by Tuesday, February 7th.
What Do You Win?: One (1) ticket to Korto Momolu’s Fashion Week Runway Show and a basket of Shea Radiance goodies. Note: ACCOMMODATION, TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM NEW YORK CITY IS NOT PROVIDED.
When: Monday, February 13th
Where: New York City
What are you waiting for? Enter now and let Shea Radiance spoil you!
More info available at http://www.shearadiance.com/2012/01/27/shea-radiance-2012-new-york-fashion-week-give-away/
Team Korto Momolu is excited. After all the speculation in December 2011, Media24 confirmed to Bizcommunity.com late afternoon, Friday, 20 January 2012 that it will indeed launch the international news and fashion weekly magazine, Grazia in South Africa later this year. Big news- the 20th edition world
wide and the first one in Africa!
According to the source, the aim is to bring to South Africa the ‘easy chic’ formula that is the international characteristic of the Grazia brand: fashion, news and celebrities, mixing international trends with local styles and preferences.
We look forward to being featured in Grazia *wink* *wink*
Eagerly, but patiently waiting, we’ve finally received our video clip from Africa Fashion Week in New York 2o11 and it was well worth the wait.
This show was extremely action packed beginning with the planning of all of my looks, planning for a finale Wedding for WeTV (which happened during my runway show by the way) and of course the crazed media & press.
So Team Korto Momolu showcased Thursday, July 14th 2011 (last year). I used my collection to represent the transitioning stages of my countries’ social and economic conditions. Brutality against women, which was mainly due to the civil war in Liberia was common, however, because of social leaders and organizations like Armani Liberia, slowly many women are beginning to regain their voice and are being taught skills to establish and restore themselves, their families and country. I’m happy to have showed my collection and further the knowledge of those watching the video about our efforts in restoring Liberia.
It takes a team, it takes time, and it takes passion. Watch the video and see all of these elements sewn together.
Designer Korto Momolu (Liberia)
Link: http://bit.ly/wcXO9B
For Immediate Release
Media contacts:
Laura Jacobs
Communications Director
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
(479) 418-5774
laura.jacobs@crystalbridges.org
or
Leonard T. DeShield, Jr.
DeShield Enterprises, LLC
(Momolu’s Publicist)
(703) 498-8578
info@deshieldenterprises.com
Photos: Print-quality JPEGs available upon request.
INTERSECTIONS OF ART AND NATURE INSPIRED FASHION DESIGNER KORTO MOMOLU
Project Runway finalist designs uniforms for the newly constructed
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art founded by the Walton Family Foundation
Jan. 16, 2012
You won’t see them on the runway at Fashion Week, but the guest services and security staff
at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas are sporting
some exclusive designer fashions. Elements of the uniforms for both men and women at the
museum were designed by Arkansas-based fashion designer and Project Runway “All Star” Korto Momolu.
Momolu, whose first name is pronounced “Cut-TOE,” is a Liberia native, and was first runner up
and “fan favorite” in the fifth season of Bravo TV’s hit show, Project Runway. She was
approached in 2010 by Crystal Bridges director Don Bacigalupi to create unique and stylish
uniforms for the museum’s frontline staff.
After visiting the Museum site and discussing the vision and mission of the museum with
Bacigalupi and museum founder Alice Walton, Momolu developed designs for a vest and
sweater for the male employees, and a dress and blouse for the women. She also created a
custom fabric print for the scarves and ties worn by guest services staff.
Momolu took pains to find ways to connect her Crystal Bridges designs with the museum itself,
and with the landscape of her adopted state. Long before the museum buildings were
completed, she spent time in the forest on the Crystal Bridges site, gathering samples of local
flora for color and texture.
“Walking around the grounds of the future museum site enabled me to become at one with what
the creators of the museum fell in love with; the beauty of Arkansas right at your feet,” Momolu said. “It was at that moment that it dawned on me to be inspired from the very place the museum would call home, the grounds surrounding it. I gathered leaves and berries and flowers that were well known to the area with the hope to create a signature print that not only
represented Crystal Bridges, but show the beauty of Arkansas.”
Visitors to Crystal Bridges can see the result of Momolu’s work on guest services staff in the
museum. The scarves in Crystal Bridges’ signature colors are reserved for staff members, but a
variation of Momolu’s print is also available for purchase in the Museum Store.
About Crystal Bridges
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate our heritage and artistic possibilities.
Founded in 2005 by the Walton Family Foundation and opened 11-11-11, the Museum takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, and a large, glass-enclosed gathering hall. Guest amenities also include a restaurant on a glass-enclosed bridge overlooking the ponds and a Marlon Blackwell-designed museum store. Sculpture and walking trails link the Museum’s 120-acre park and gardens to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.
For more information about Crystal Bridges visit CrystalBridges.org
Whether it’s a purple hat or funky yellow framed glasses; each color has its own meaning. In Korto Momulo’s fall collection her designs has a lot of black, green and white. Here are quick definitions of what each color means.
· Black Elegance - the timeless color symbolize strength and sophistication.
· Forever Green- is more of a calm, easy going color that symbolizes relaxation.
· Heavenly White- other than meaning pure, white also symbolizes cleanliness, innocence and peace.
Springs 2012 most ventilated trend is color blocking.Color blocking pairing and strategically is placing two to three solid colors- contrasting, yet complimentary; bold, and yet bright.
The use of color has always been a must in Momolu’s aesthetic. How ironic is that the fashion industry is giving it a thumbs up?
‘This is definitely not a [passing] trend with us.
And in the ring…..!
Okay, okay… a bit “corn-ballish” with the word parody.
But as corny as it sounds, the actual 90′s smash hit record “Mama Said Knock You Out”
by LL Cool J hits very close to home for us at Momolu’s fashion house.
Simone I Smith, wife of LL Cool J launched a jewelry line
and will be featured during Korto Momolu’s showcase
during New York Fashion Week in Feb 2012 – a tight match.
And might we add, Mrs. Smith jewelry is looking violently attractive.
Check it out: www.simoneismith.com .
Brooklyn, New York during a rainy afternoon on a roof top, September 30th, 2011 ; two models and four looks; an amazing team of individuals: photoshoot and public relations coordinator (Kelly), social media team (Adiree), makeup team (Renarda Joy), and Photographer ( Mari J Brooklyn) all gathered together to create a few looks for an editorial campaign and Korto Momolu’s lookbook.
