Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

Jazmin Whitley is ready for her close-up; click to expand any images

— Text and photos by Keri Pina

A glammed up Jazmin Whitley celebrated the premiere of her new MTV show House of Jazmin Tuesday night at Live! On Sunset. The series focuses on Whitley and her hectic life as a fashion designer, co-starring her BFF Morgan, mother Susan and little brother Joey. Balancing the day-to-day business of being a teenager/young twenty-something with the pressure of building a credible brand makes for an American-dream-come-true docu-drama suitable for an MTV audience suffering from LC withdrawals.

Is reality TV stardom worth the risk? That query and lots of photos this way…

I attended he launch of her line, Li Cari, at Diane Merrick back in April. And although I wasn’t blown away by her efforts, she seemed to be heading in the right direction. Her light-hearted use of shapes and graphics take a more adventurous direction than the collections of those other MTV reality fashionistas residing in The Hills.

Li Cari models

But is The Risk of The Reality Show Route really worth the rewards for this young designer-turned-TV-star? We’ve all seen how a few career blunders caught on camera, whether real or scripted, can have a crippling effect on one’s credibility. (Anyone willing to give Stephanie Pratt a job where she’s legitimately, like, responsible for stuff?) I’d really hate to see Miss Whitley’s career, which seems to have taken off in the last year or so, be reduced to a plot device. As the show plows through its first season, I hope she can keep the focus on the fashion.

Li Cari Models

Red Carpet accessories

Red Carpet accessories

But plenty of people are already willing to show their support: Miss California Tami Farrell and Diddy’s StarMaker cast Marisha Shipp and Monet Monico all popped up on the purple carpet to show their love for Li Cari, as well as old school 90210 cast member Ian Ziering (??) and Prodigal Sunn (???). And seriously, who keeps inviting Lorielle New to all these events?

Miss California Tami Farrell

Monet Monico and Marisha Shipp

Prodigal Sunn

» Fashions—Li Cari Launches Streetwear Collection at Diane Merrick