Black in style: Mariah Carey and Law Roach get into the holiday spirit
The week in style, the cast of “The Color Purple” covers Essence, Victoria’s Secret introduces adaptive lingerie, and more.
You may still be deciding on Halloween costumes, but Mariah Carey, the undisputed queen of Christmas, is already bringing the holiday cheer this year.
Carey stars in a new holiday campaign for The Children’s Place alongside her 12-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Nick Cannon. For the “An Iconic Holiday: Part 3” campaign, the family models holiday pajamas, attire, and more.
According to People magazine, the collaboration includes matching pajama sets and festive holiday party outfits, including Carey’s ultra-glamorous red A-line gown with a green plaid sash. The “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer told the publication she was initially nervous to accept the collaboration, which came with some design and styling duties.
“At first, I was like, ‘What do they mean they want me to design this?’ And then I just decided to do something really pared down but classic, and I was really excited about that part of the collaboration,” she said. “That was something that was really fun.”
Carey added that her children “had a blast” during the shoot and were “troopers” on set.
“To use my love of them in my work is so rewarding,” she said.
Before Carey’s campaign was released, the brand released Part 2, starring Snoop Dogg, his wife Shante Broadus, and the children and grandchildren. Part 1 of the campaign starred AJ McLean, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Wanya Morris, and their families.
Telling People why she ultimately accepted, Carey said, “The Children’s Place is a household name, and it truly dominates the children’s apparel space, so I’ve always been a fan of theirs.”
She added, “Secondly, I’m just someone who absolutely loves the holidays. I mean, that’s obvious, but I really do love holidays, specifically Christmas.”
Carey isn’t the only one catching the holiday spirit early; Law Roach is debuting his holiday homeware collection with CB2, and the star-studded cast of the highly anticipated “The Color Purple” movie musical graces the cover of Essence’s Holiday issue. We get into both stories and more below.
Law Roach shares his style with CB2 for a holiday collection
After buying his first house in December 2019, Law Roach told People magazine he initially chose a muted monochromatic color palette. Then lockdowns hit in 2020, and Roach realized he had sequestered himself in a “pit of gray.” He quickly remedied the situation by adding color and festive energy to his space.
He told the publication he infused this same spirit into his brand new collaboration with CB2, which includes holiday-themed decor and home accessories for the entire home, including the Christmas tree, the kitchen, the living room, and more. Titled “The Law of Opulence,” the collection includes gold ornaments, brass table toppers, cocktail glasses in jeweled tones, velvet Christmas stockings, multiple glamorous faux Christmas trees, and other holiday decorations.
“When I got the opportunity to partner with this amazing company that is from the city that I’m from, that made me proud and happy,” the Chicago native said of the collaboration, which also features his ”How to Holiday” guide.
He added, “It’s the holidays, the happiest time of the year, so to be a part of that and to spread love, joy and this obtainable opulence and luxury, it just speaks to everything that I am and what I want to do in my career.”
Prices for the collection, available now, range from $4.99 to $2,599.
The cast of “The Color Purple” graces Essence’s Holiday issue
Cover image: Mickalene Thomas for ESSENCE; Creative Director/Stylist: Corey Stokes
Executive producer Oprah Winfrey and members of the star-studded cast of the upcoming “The Color Purple” film, including actresses Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson, and singers Fantasia Barrino and H.E.R., grace the cover of Essence’s November/December Holiday issue, photographed by acclaimed multimedia artist Mickalene Thomas.
In the cover story, the cast gushes about how they have breathed (or sung!) new life into the nearly 40-year-old story, originally a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by author Alice Walker.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is what ‘The Color Purple” will do for the sisterhood,” Winfrey said.
According to a press release to theGrio, Essence’s cover, which evokes moody holiday glamour, will be the only cover featuring the cast together this holiday season.
New adaptive collections from Victoria’s Secret and Pink make lingerie more accessible
This week, Victoria’s Secret & Co. introduced its new lingerie collection, designed to cater to consumers with disabilities.
“People with disabilities are one of the most underrepresented and underserved minority groups in the world,” said the company in a statement, as reported by WWD. “As a global brand and workforce, VS&Co has a responsibility to connect with, listen to, and empower people with disabilities, caregivers, and their allies to drive meaningful change within the global fashion industry.”
For this collection, the brand reimagined its “Body by Victoria” and “Wear Everywhere” collections to include magnetic closures, sensory-friendly fabrics, adjustable straps and more within the adaptive designs of their bras and panties. As a part of Victoria’s Secret & Co.’s general efforts to be more inclusive, the adaptive collection will be available at both Victoria’s Secret and Pink in sizes ranging from XS-XXL and AA-G in cups and 30-44 band for bras. With prices as low as $16.50, shop the VS Adaptive collection online and in-store at select retailers.
The British Fashion Council honors Joe Casely-Hayford’s legacy
In honor of fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford’s notable career and impact on the industry, The British Fashion Council (BFC) will launch a scholarship program in his name. Through the 2023-24 BFC Foundation Joe Casely-Hayford MA scholarship, the organization will financially support Black and mixed-race students pursuing a master’s degree at the BFC colleges.
WWD reports the scholarship was created to highlight “Black British culture, and its far-reaching and impactful influence on wider British culture, especially its creative industries,” and honor Casely-Hayford, which Caroline Rush, chief executive officer of the British Fashion Council, described as: “one of the most talented and ground-breaking designers of our time. He catapulted London’s reputation as a fashion and cultural hub on a global stage and paved the way for generations of designers.”
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Casely-Hayford was a leading Black fashion designer of Ghanaian descent. Despite not being well-known in the mainstream, the designer was known in the fashion world for tailoring pieces that merged African and British culture while also being sustainable. Casey-Hayford passed in 2019 but has since been honored posthumously through exhibits and organizations like BFC. In addition to distributing a scholarship in his name, the British Fashion Council will award the designer a special postmortem award during its annual Fashion Awards ceremony on December 4.
“He paved the way for generations of designers, and the UK fashion industry is indebted to his unique vision, designs, and unwavering support of young fashion talent,” said Rush in a statement. “We look forward to honoring him in December.”
Nyakio Grieco’s Relevant brand launches beauty with Nicole Richie as its first face
Since launching last year, Relevant, a skincare brand by beauty industry veteran Nyakio Grieco, has not shown signs of stopping. The brand debuted a fragrance earlier this year and now, a cosmetics line featuring Nicole Richie as its debut spokesperson.
The newly released beauty line includes lipsticks and lipglosses in pinks, reds, oranges, and at least one deep purply-brown shade dubbed “blackberry.” While the line is launching with only lip products, Grieco told Women’s Wear Daily consumers can expect more makeup to come, including products that are good for the skin.
“Skin care is at the heart of everything I do,” she said. “We’re using skin care benefits in each of the categories to make sure that you are getting to experience being in your best skin, but enhanced.”
The makeup line is priced from $29 to $34, available now in-store at Thirteen Lune’s flagship and Thirteen Lune’s shop-in-shops at JCPenney and online at Relevant Skin and Thirteen Lune.
Brigette Romanek unveils new book, “Livable Luxe”
Celebrity interior designer Brigette Romanek celebrated the launch of her first book, “Livable Luxe,” with the likes of Kelly Rowland, Lupita Nyong’o, and more. The coffee table book gives a glimpse into the acclaimed interior designer’s journey in the industry while showcasing beautiful homes.
“The thing that really spoke to me was that people kept asking me questions, in the politest way, ‘How did you get here? What’s your story?’ People sort of seem to think that I kind of just showed up on the scene,” said former singer Romanek, per WWD.
“And so, I wanted to speak to that. And I wanted to speak to designers just starting out and say that you could do it too. And here was my story. And it wasn’t necessarily an easy story growing up as a kid. But all of that fueled me to what I am now and influences my work,” Romanek continued. “So even if you have hard times, you push through and use that. Use that and make it something good. And so that’s what it’s really about. And yes, there are lovely images in it. But it’s really my story and my connections to clients and how they happened.”
Taking only eight months to curate the book, Romanek describes “Livable Luxe” as a “stunning collection of the luxurious yet casual home and commercial […] filled with detailed design moments, personal stories, and inspiring interiors that look luxe but feel livable.”
Diotima’s Rachel Scott is a 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Vogue have announced the winner of the 19th CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The competition, designed to support up-and-coming talent in the fashion industry, selects one winner, two runner-ups, and a list of finalists. While Melitta Baumeister took home the top prize, this year, Rachel Scott, founder and designer of Diotima, shared runner-up honors with Henry Zankov of Zankov, making her a $100,000 grant recipient.
“Beyond feeling incredibly honored and excited,” said Scott of the honor, “I was totally surprised by how I received the news: a FaceTime from Aurora James!”
Describing Diotima as “seductive, artisanal, nuanced,” Scott uses her luxury fashionwear line to highlight the beauty of the Caribbean. The Jamaican-born designer’s brand gained popularity for its unique crochet designs and has since expanded its collections to include tailored and hand-embellished pieces.
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