PICS: CIARA NAMED 'WOMAN OF THE YEAR' BY BILLBOARD; REVEALS PLANS TO LAUNCH NEW CLOTHING LINE.

Ciara has been named Billboard's Woman of the Year. Last Friday, October 24th, Billboard's 3rd Annual Women in Music committee recognized Ciara's success as a recording artist and leadership in embracing the changing music business. The actual award was presented to the star during a breakfast program to be held at New York's St. Regis Hotel. An editorial issue of Women In Music will be published by Billboard on Oct. 24. This incident reminds me of when the upper-ups over there at the Soul Train bestowed upon Ashanti the 'Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award' back in 2002. Just stepping onto the scene, some people felt that she wasn't worthy of the award. What has Ciara done over the past year that would deem her worthy enough for a Woman of the Year title? If you know, let me know because I really want to know.

In related news, Ciara has also revealed plans to launch her own clothing line with budget department store Steve & Barry's, following in the footsteps of actress Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten range. "I have a couple of cool things that I'm working on. The coolest thing about Steve & Barry's is they cater to everyday people. I won't say that my line will be like theirs, I want to stay true to who I am, but most importantly it has to be affordable." If her album Fantasy Ride continues to get pushed back, she's going to have more time than she thinks to get this clothing line launched. Speaking on the delay of her album, Ciara says, "As of now December 9th and if it gets pushed back it's only because its so many great things I want to make sure I give you guys before you get the actual package in your hands."

Ummmm-hmmm. Peep the pics from Ciara's Woman of the Year breakfast below.

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MASTER P.'S 'MILLER PEACHES' TO GIVE NELLY'S 'APPLEBOTTOMS' SOME COMPETITION. NELLY'S NEW 'SKYBOX' TO RIVAL JAY-Z'S '40/40' CLUB?

Master P....excuse me, I meant Percy Miller as he likes to be referred to these days, is on his way to giving Nelly's Applebottoms clothing line a run for its money when he launches his new women and girls clothing line called---wait for it---Miller Peaches. According to SOHH.com, the line, which will retail for anywhere between $10-$20 dollars, (damn, that's cheap!) will specialize in stretch denim for women with curvier physiques. And all you big, voluptuous women need not fret; Percy's line will also cater to plus-sizes. "P. Miller truly is a complete lifestyle brand, which now includes P. Miller Designs for young men, Miller Peaches for young women, Kids, Shoes and Accessories lines," Miller said in a statement. "This brand seeks to clothe the entire family from head to toe and target the African American and Hispanic minority customers and make history by being a quality, affordable, urban lifestyle brand for the community." Miller Peaches is expected to be sold in Wal-Mart's nationwide, alongside other P. Miller Designs. And like Nelly, Percy will also search the nation in finding the most suitable spokesmodel for his new clothing line. The nationwide search will take place via his Better Black TV Network. For those of you interested, P. Miller asks, "We are looking for The Miller Peaches Great American Girl... is it you? Tell us what makes you The Miller Peaches Great American Girl for a chance at an opportunity with our national advertising campaign for Miller Peaches clothing." Good grief.

Speaking of Nelly, it looks as if he's on his way to giving Jay-Z a run for his money in the real estate development department. Nelly's currently working on adding property developer to his packed resume, after launching a new project in his hometown of St Louis, Missouri. The rapper already owns Vokal clothing for men and Applebottoms for women, as well as a range of energy drinks...and now he is venturing into the hospitality industry. He told TheBoomBox.com, "This development company that I have back home, I’ve purchased a city block in downtown St. Louis. I have an new sports bar called Skybox." But Nelly insists he's not quite ready to challenge hip-hop heavyweight and business mogul Jay-Z, who has a chain of 40/40 bars. He adds, "You know it’s not a 40/40, more like a 20/20 you know, but just tryin' to stay busy."
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JANET JACKSON TO LAUNCH 'PLEASURE PRINCIPLE' LINGERIE LINE THIS YEAR.

Janet Jackson is set to launch her debut fashion line Pleasure Principle, an 18-piece line named after the hit single from Jackson's 1986 multiplatinum album Control, is designed to be comfortable for a range of sizes - 32A to 44G, and is crafted of mostly satin and lace. Items will be manufactured in China and will be in department stores by late this year or early 2009. Jackson and Australian lingerie designer Bruno Schiavi are currently in negotiations with major chains to carry the line; U.S. stores will be revealed in coming months, with releases in Australia, Japan and Europe to follow. Jackson said the combination of beauty and comfort was the primary driver for the designs, though affordability was also paramount. Price points for the bra and underwear pieces are all under $40. "I hate when you've had on a bra all day long and you just can't wait to take it off - every woman has experienced that. A lot of lingerie tends to leave those marks and be uncomfortable. This line is about detail, fit and comfort as well as beauty and making women feel sexy. It's something for every woman, and I truly do mean that. It makes you feel sexy. I had so much fun designing this," Jackson says.

The singer first unveiled plans for the line in June at the Versace men's wear show in Milan in June, right around the time Jackson and longtime boyfriend, record producer Jermaine Dupri, said they're planning to start a family after the latest tour ends. Jackson said the lingerie line is "definitely" a good jumping-off point for future fashion endeavors.

And presumably there will be no wardrobe malfunctions.

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JILL SCOTT NEWS: SINGER NOMINATED FOR BET AWARD; SCHEDULED TO PERFORM DURING AL GREEN TRIBUTE; LAUNCHES NEW BRA LINE IN HARLEM.

I meant to post this weeks ago, but forgot to. My bad. Thanks Mina for reminding me! Anywhoo, Jill Scott has been nominated for a B.E.T. Award in for Best Actress for her role as 'Sheila' in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? Other nominees in that category include: Scott's WDIGM? co-star Janet Jackson, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Queen Latifah and Chandra Wilson. The singer, who has made plans to relocate to Los Angeles from her hometown of Philadelphia, will also perform a tribute to the legendary Al Green during the 8th Annual B.E.T. Awards ceremony which will air live on the network at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 from The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

In related news, Scott and trend setting clothing brand Ashely Steward for plus-size women recently kicked off their The Made to Uplift Tour in Harlem, New York to launch and promote Scott's inspired Butterfly Bra Collection which is specifically designed to provide true comfort and support to full-figured women, without taking away how a woman should feel in her bra: SEXY.

Below, you'll find photos from the event which was held at the Ashley Stewart store in Harlem. Actress/author/comedieene Kim Coles made an appearance.

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LL COOL J. TO LAUNCH NEW CHILDREN CLOTHING LINE FOR SEARS.

Following in the footsteps of Kimora Lee Simmons, rapper LL Cool J has signed up to design a range of childrens' clothing for fashion chain Sears. The star - real name James Todd Smith - has teamed up with the clothing giant to create a line for young boys and girls which will be sold in over 450 stores across North America. And Smith - who previously launched a men's line called Todd Smith - admits he turned to the women in his life for help in coming up with the designs. He says, "I was raised by a matriarch, I have a wife and three daughters, so I know what women are looking for when they shop for clothes. Clothes have to make a woman feel good, relaxed and sexy. We are going to be constantly looking at fine-tuning the fit and we'll get it right."

Smith has three children with Simone, his wife of 12 years - son Najee, 18, and daughters Italia, 17, Samaria, 12, and Nina, seven.

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NEW PICS: STACEY DASH'S KING MAG (JUNE '08) PHOTSPREAD: DISHES ON NEW LINGERIE LINEM BRINGING SEXY BACK, MAKING MEN WORK OR 'IT.' & MORE.

41-year old actress/entrepreneur Stacey Dash, arguably the sexiest over 40 actress next to LisaRaye, is the featured cover story in King magazine's June 2008 issue. And she isn't gracing the cover because of her drop dead looks. The actress, who says she was sick and tired of seeing girls wearing jeans around their buns to show their thong (hold up: are women still doing that? Let me find out that that is so 2001), has launched her own lingerie line called Letters of Marque (currently in 30 stores around the country and 10 stores overseas), in order to really bring sexy back. 'You can be sexy without being too provocative. Mainly, underwear should hang well on a woman's body. It's all mental. She can put on a pair of panties and a wifebeater and feel like the sexiest thing around. I've done that before and it feels great, says the married mother of two. Dash also revealed the meaning and the reasons she had for naming her new line Letters of Marque, taking men's taste in lingerie into consideration while designing the line and whether or not she still considers herself sexy...sexy enough to bring sexy back.

Peep the excerpts below:

STACEY DASH ON THE MEANING BEHIND 'LETTERS OF MARQUE': I was looking through my heritage, and it turns out the name 'Dash' comes from our great-great grandfather, a Dutch pirate who landed in the Barbados. So I started researching piracy, and in the middle of the paragraph, I saw this phrase 'letter of marque,' and it just looked beautiful. It turns out that it's a historical document. So, say I'm the Queen of England and you're a pirate. If I give you a letter of marque, that'd make you a privateer, meaning you have the right to go into whatever country I tell you to and rape, pillage and steal whatever you want, as long as I get a percentage. So a letter of marque is a document that gives you permission to invade. I thought, Oh, my God, that's perfect for underwear!'

FIND OUT IF STACEY STILL CONSIDERS HERSELF SEXY & CHECK OUT STACEY'S KING MAGAZINE PHOTOSPREAD BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

STACEY DASH ON IF SHE TAKES MEN'S TASTES INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DESIGNING LINGERIE: Of course. I'd be foolish not to. Women may not always admit it, but a big part of buying lingerie is, 'Will this turn him on or not?' But really, if a woman feels sexy in something, a man will ultimately find her sexy regardless. When I wear my nightgown, my husband can't keep his hands off of me! A man has to work for it though. In fact, one of Letters of Marque signatures is buttons; in order for a man to get to what you're concealing, he has to unbutton you. The best things in life don't come easy.

STACEY ON IF SHE CONSIDERS HERSELF SEXY: I think there's an innocence to my sexiness. It's not like I'm wearing just a G-string and stockings, or tassels on my nipples. My ass isn't hanging out of my thong. I've learned so much in the last 20 years. I feel better, sexier and happier than I've ever felt in my entire life. People say, 'But you're getting old,' and that is such bullsh!t. I'm just getting better.

Check out Stacey when she co-stars in the upcoming Sonny Liston biopic, Phantom Punch.

CLICK ON PICS TO SEE FULL IMAGE.

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NEW PICS: TIONNE 'T-BOZ' WATKINS MEET-AND-GREET AT 'CHASE'S CLOSET' CHILDREN'S STORE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.

The naturally beautiful Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins of TLC held a meet-and-greet at her children's clothing store, Chase's Closet in Houston, Texas on Tuesday (Monday, April 21). The singer used the M&G to launch her new clothing line which will benefit the Texas Children's Foster Care System. Her boyfriend of over three years, Takeo Spikes was by her side. Missing in action is the adorable cutie the store is named after, T-Boz's seven-year-old daughter, Chase. Check out the pics below and remember to click on them to see their full image.

PICTURES COURTESY OF LIPSERVICEINK.COM

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KIMORA LEE SIMMONS TO BRING NEW 'FABULOSITY' SPORTSWEAR LINE TO JC PENNEYS.

Baby Phat designer Kimora Lee Simmons is launching her own sportswear line for the younger market. The fashionista entrepreneur will be releasing "Fabulosity" through JCPenney in July. The collection which is inspired by her own lifestyle and embodies confidence, beauty and fashion sense all at an affordable price, will feature tees, jeans, hoodies, and skirts, and will retail from $29 to $108.

Simmons, 32, says of her new collection, "I can't wait to bring Fabulosity to the JCPenney Juniors customer! Young teen girls are fabulous and my new collection will further build their confidence as they head back-to-school." The former model continues, "Fabulosity is all about celebrating who you are and your individual greatness - living your dream and being whatever you want to be. This is a great message for your teens - and I am so proud to partner with JCPenney on this collection."
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RUSSELL SIMMONS LAUNCHES NEW MEN CLOTHING LINE AIMED FOR 'THE SUCCESSFUL MAN OVER AGE 25.'

Do we really need any more clothing lines from Black celebrities? I mean, really. Rather they're targeted to a young demographic or older, enough is enough. First it was Steve Harvey and then LL Cool J. Now, multi-media mogul and Phat Farm creator Russell Simmons has officially launched a new menswear collection called Russell Simmons Argyle Culture, described as clothing for the successful man over age 25. The line combines original urban concepts with the buttoned-up styling of men's professional attire. Simmons says it represents the natural next step in his fashion-related endeavors. "After nearly 20 years in the young men's business I have always intended to design sophisticated men's wear for the urban graduate," said Simmons, who teamed with GQ magazine for the Spring 2008 Argyle Culture Ad campaign.

Simmons, who will serve as the face of Argyle Culture, recently shot a photo spread for the ad campaign in St. Bart's. The ads will run for six months in various publications and on the Internet.
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ANDRE 3000 TO LAUNCH HIS NEW CLOTHING LINE; RAPPER SAYS IT WILL BE 'TRULY TIMELESS.'

Guess what? Another celebrity has hopped upon the 'I'm creating a clothing line' wagon. Multiple Grammy Award-winning rapper, Andre Benjamin a.k.a. This Fall, Andre 3000 will launch his self-funded Benjamin Bixby line which consists of 70 pieces, ranging from wide-brimmed fedora hats to pink sweatshirts, all sketched by Benjamin. And he artist is absolutely sure that his line will be a great success, and will blow away other musicians' clothing efforts, because he is the only one not doing it for the money. "I know there's a trend of entertainers doing clothing lines but I think they do it more as a business move. But for me, I actually love clothes and feel like I have something to bring to the table." The rapper/actor, who has been voted the World's Best Dressed Man by men's magazine Esquire, is also confident his new clothing line is so well-designed that it would have impressed late style icons Beau Brummell and British monarch Edward VIII. "There has to be something inventive about it. But not so inventive that it's a turn-off. So that some of the greats, like Beau Brummell or the Duke of Windsor, would nod and say 'Well done. Those guys killed us.’ That's hip-hop.”

On the music front, Bejamin is reportedly working on a solo album due for release this Fall.
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