In conjunction with this season's New York City Fashion Week, República was recently invited to preview the debut line of Dominican-born, American designer, Emilio Sosa. The collection was presented at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The Ford-sponsored event brought out the city's brightest and best-dressed for a night full of color and soulful House music--two things that Emilio boasts, truly inspired the unique line titled: Urban Geisha.

The result is a stunning collection that's based on classic American sportswear silhouettes, Japanese aesthetic and vibrant hues of blue and red.

Introducing the Nike FuelBand, the sportswear company's latest jump into the consumer tech gadget universe. The sleek LCD wristband works like a personal monitor by recording the user's activity via an accelerometer. That activity is then translated into "Nike Fuel" a point system that quantifies and visualizes it all. Athletes can set point goals and start moving! Oh, and did we mention that you can track your progress with an app? Cool.

It's no secret that the fashion world and the commercial music scene share lots of commonalities. For one, both industries are as competitive as they come. Add in a melting pot of movers and players that are constantly creating and exchanging, and you'll realize how relatively easy it is for the line between inspiration and cloning blur. Which leads us to the following story between winter drygoods brand, Psyberia, and Harlem-based rapper, Jim Jones (The Diplomats).

According to Psyberia, Jimmy and some of his cohorts were given complimentary jackets courtesy of the upstart brand. The hope, as with any infant line, was for publicity--to have Jim Jones and company rocking the "Psyberian Coat" was a golden opportunity! And it was, that is, until a couple of months later Jimmy and competing brand, Parish Nation, show up on the scene with a collaborative line called Protocol that includes a winter jacket that looks awfully familiar.

So here it is, a rundown of the entire "exchange" process:

Psyberia Drygoods debuts Winter 2010/2011 line and Psyberian Coat.

Jim Jones receives complimentary Psyberian Coat.

Jim Jones uploads TwitVid of himself wearing coat during Winter 2010/2011 snow storm.

Jim Jones artist, Sen City, wears Pysberian Coat in brown.

2011 Parish Nation X Jim Jones "Protocol" video w/ Psyberian Coat on sample table.

Jim Jones "Ski Jacket" for Protocol Winter 2011/2012. 

As the saying goes, imitation is the best form of flattery, but we're really scratching our heads over this one. Is it possible that Jimmy was so "inspired" by the Psyberian Coat design (chest pocket and all) that he had to go ahead and create his own? And if so, where is the line drawn between borrowing and copying?

Given the evidence presented, we're letting our readers' comments decide this one.

Did Jim Jones bite?

Outside-of-the-box fashion designer, Jeremy Scott, has unveiled his 2012 Adidas Originals Spring/Summer footwear line for the kiddies and man is it cool! Expect kid-sized versions of his the already-funky designs. Think plush, colorful, and with animals and wings. We likes!

Self-proclaimed glam foodie, Tricia, of Sip Chat Chow, presents her unique series of couture breakfast cereals. She says that the idea combines her love of fashion with her love of food and amazing style:

I wanted to take something we all crave and give it a luxury lift. This tasty, chic collection gives a high-end, glam aesthetic to our favorite breakfast treats.

Feast your eyes on the Burberry Flakes, "Coco" Chanel, Gucci Loops, Louis Vuitton Charms, and more!

Japanese designer, Osamu Koyama, of Complete Technique, was inspired to take his love for precious metal, molding, anime, and Nike's Greek reference to a new level. The result is the American Eagle Zoom Force 1, a winged Nike snowboard boot cast in gold. These are ill!

Chicago Bulls All-Star point guard, Derrick Rose, is rumored to be preparing to sign a $250M USD contract with Adidas. The deal, being dubbed a "lifetime" one, will span 10 years. Sources say the plan is to give the Nike/Kobe deal some competition, especially in China and the rest of the Far East. If true, Rose will make it into the books as the current highest paid shoe endorser in all of the NBA!

Italian streetwear brand, IUTER, has joined forces with the Aussie paint suppliers of The Clash to create a limited edition bombing hoodie. The piece is crafted with night-crawlers in mind--cotton exterior with and insulated interior and functional pockets for keeping "art supplies" stashed and secure. Happy trails!

While typical American 7-year-olds are just beginning to learn how to write independent sentences and understand numbers 1-100, the not-so-typical, Nzinga Amaju, is actually running her own business! The young Marcus Garvey Institute and Teaching Academy pupil started her own jewelry-making enterprise after discovering that she had a passion for arts and crafts. Check her out as she so eloquently describes her work and mission. Her poise and professionalism is nothing short of remarkable!

Internationally-recognized authority on women's fashion, Vogue, has recently launched an online archive of their entire American magazine catalog. That's right, every single page of every single issues since 1892. The amazing feat doesn't come at a cheap price either, as a yearly subscription to the massive library costs a little over $1500 USD. Experts like Chris Sanderson of The Future Laboratory consulting agency argue that the price is well-worth the creative value:

The archive is clearly being marketed to creative professionals. The searchability gives it real value, because you have the ability to drill down into content and locate exactly what you need. So for example, if a client says ‘I want a mid-70s Bob Richardson feel’, this archive will give you instant access to the images, to understanding the scope of his work, the locations he used, the models.