Black in Style: Spotlight on Hollywood’s glam squads
This week in style, Steph Curry champions Black designers, Cardi B gives Skims a $4 million bump, and A$AP Rocky joins Rihanna at Puma.
Behind the curtain and into the makeup mirrors of some of Hollywood’s most stunning stars — that’s where The Hollywood Reporter took style-lovers this week for its annual spotlight on Hollywood’s “glam squads.” Zoe Saldaña and Gabrielle Union grace two of the three covers for the anticipated issue, posing alongside their longtime style gurus, makeup artist Vera Steimberg and hairstylist Mara Roszak (Saldaña) and Union’s hairstylist and co-founder of her Flawless haircare line, Larry Jarah Sims.
Inside the issue, 40 hair, makeup and nail artists are celebrated, including an impressive amount of Black celebrity image-makers. In addition to Sims, notable names include makeup artist Sheika Daley (Zendaya, Issa Rae, Kelly Rowland, Keke Palmer, Letitia Wright); hairstylist Neil Farinah (Beyoncé); nail artist Chaun Legend (Lori Harvey, H.E.R. Khloé Kardashian); makeup artist Keita Moore (Janelle Monáe, Iman, Yara Shahidi, Tessa Thompson, Kelly Rowland); hairstylist Nikki Nelms (Janelle Monáe, Shahidi, Serena Williams, Zoë Kravitz, Tems); makeup artist Vincent Oquendo (Ariana DeBose, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Patina Miller, Nicole Ari Parker, Jurnee Smollett); makeup artist and groomer Tasha Reiko Brown (Michael B. Jordan, Gabrielle Union, Lupita Nyong’o, Alicia Keys, Logan Browning); makeup artist Rokael (Beyoncé, Normani); and hairstylist Yusef (Rihanna, Issa Rae, Duckie Thot).
Steph Curry champions Black designers with Rakuten and the Black in Fashion Council
What befits an NBA legend best? For Stephen Curry, it’s the design talent he’s championing in partnership with Rakuten and the Black In Fashion Council (BIFC) in an effort “to help grow and scale the businesses of up-and-coming Black designers.”
Per a press release to theGrio, Rakuten brought on global ambassador Curry to drive the next phase of an ongoing partnership with BIFC, which officially kicked off during New York Fashion Week with its sponsorship of the NYFW Discovery Showroom for Spring-Summer 2024.
“As part of the ongoing partnership, Rakuten is providing holistic support for BIFC designers, including helping to drive awareness and traffic for designers on Rakuten.com and through press and social media efforts. Rakuten advisors will also work with designer teams to counsel on affiliate marketing strategy,” according to the release.
As for Curry, he will use his massive platform in various ways to bolster the designers’ visibility throughout the 2024 season. In addition to hosting conversations with BIFC designers, Curry will wear looks from BIFC designers — including Advisry, Des Pierrot, Head of State and Savant Studios — during his pre-game arrivals. He kicked things off on Tuesday wearing a look from Pierre Blanc; each look, along with items from each of the designers’ current collections, will be up for sale and eligible for earning Cash Back through rakuten.com/bifc.
Cardi B’s campaign makes a $4 million impact for Skims as the brand moves into menswear
Recently, Cardi B joined the growing list of famous faces to lend their talent and appeal to Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims. For the campaign, the rapper modeled items from the brand’s newly revamped cotton collection as she dabbled in ASMR and declared, “Everybody’s wearing Skims.”
The campaign not only went viral and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans but has also led to a $4 million media impact for Skims, according to Launchmetrics.
As it turns out, Cardi was right — now, pretty much everyone can wear Skims. On Monday, the brand announced its expansion into menswear, including various styles of briefs, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sports leggings, socks, and more, ranging from $16 to $98.
For the inaugural Skims men’s campaign, the brand collaborated with a variety of pro athletes, including Oklahoma City Thunder player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In a campaign video, the NBA player models new Skims boxer briefs while discussing what types of fits make him feel most comfortable. Echoing Cardi B, toward the end of the video, Gilgeous-Alexander gives a smile to the camera while spinning a basketball on one finger and saying, “Everybody’s wearing Skims.”
Ghetto Gastro gets fashion-forward in Gap‘s 2023 holiday campaign
As brands gear up for the holidays, Gap has again tapped well-known faces and their families — biological and chosen — to star in its latest holiday campaign. In addition to showcasing the community and joy of the holiday season, Gap is using this year’s campaign to highlight individuals’ internal gifts. Among this year’s champions of originality are folk artist Diana Gordon, model Sabina Karlsson and her family and culinary upstarts Lester Walker, Pierre Serrao and Jon Gray, collectively known as Ghetto Gastro. Fusing culture and cooking, Ghetto Gastro describes itself as “a global mainstay of food as culture using ancestral ingredients to bring a multitude of flavors and recipes to eaters everywhere.”
“We wanted to take our skill set, which is culinary, and mix it with other things we are interested in, like fashion, art, and music,” said Gray in a press release shared with theGrio. “And create a culmination of the new vernacular.”
Check out the 2023 Gap holiday campaign here.
Venus Williams joins Nike and Dove to instill self-esteem in young athletes
Since 2004, Dove has advocated for body positivity through its “Self Esteem Project,” helping consumers feel confident in their hair, skin, body, and now sports. This week, Dove announced a new partnership with academic experts at the Centre for Appearance Research, the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, Nike and tennis star Venus Williams to launch “Body Confident Sport.”
Williams joins the brands to support the new platform aiming to address low body confidence, which is typically exacerbated in sports environments. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Nike and Dove’s research found that “48 percent of girls have been told they ‘don’t have the right body’ for sports, and 61 percent of girls would be interested in hearing from coaches about body confidence and education.”
“I am excited to be working with Dove on this initiative to help nurture girls’ self-belief and confidence, foster a positive environment, and shift the conversation from appearance to capability,” Williams said in a statement.
Aiming to reach one million people with the new campaign, “Body Confident Sport” will include interactive modules designed to train coaches, parents, siblings, and educators to instill confidence in young athletes. Through videos and virtual workbooks and videos, which will be available in seven languages, users will learn how to combat harmful, negative self-talk.
A$AP Rocky joins Puma x F1 as creative director
Looks like A$AP Rocky is joining Rihanna at Puma. This week, the rapper and father of two announced a long-term creative partnership with the sports brand. Focusing on Puma’s standing collaboration with Formula One racing, Rocky will join the team as its creative director.
“Working with brands as iconic as Puma and as innovative as F1 has been truly inspiring,” the rapper said in a press release. “When the world sees what we’re doing, I believe a shift will happen with how brands approach taking risks and working with diverse creatives.”
Known for his daring approach to streetwear and fashion, Rocky will bring his fashion knowledge, style and cultural cachet to the Puma x F1 team. The brand said Rocky will not only creatively lead its marketing but also curate activations at races and collections in the coming years, becoming fully immersed in all creative aspects of Puma x F1 by 2025. To kickstart the partnership, he will release a limited PUMA x F1 collection of accessories and apparel later this year. More details to come.
Lewis Hamilton launches alcohol-free tequila with Almave
If you’re a fan of tequila but not always looking to get intoxicated, Lewis Hamilton may have the drink for you.
On Thursday, the seven-time Formula One champion launched Almave in collaboration with Iván Saldaña, master distiller of Casa Lumbre tequila, according to a release to theGrio.
Speaking about the launch, Hamilton told WWD, “I’ve always loved tequila for its taste, but there are times when I don’t want the alcohol part of the deal, and I know that there is a growing group of people who want the same.”
The nonalcoholic “spirit” is crafted similarly to tequila but without the fermentation process, made from blue agave from Jalisco, Mexico. Almave launched offering two varieties sold in 700-ml. bottles: Almave Ámbar for sipping and Almave Blanco for mixing. Almave Ámbar available now retails for $40; when Almave Blanco hits shelves in 2024 in the U.S. and select international markets, it will fetch for $35.99.
Mitchell & Ness honors hip-hop‘s 50th in an NBA collaboration with Tats Cru
Sports retailer Mitchell & Ness is keeping hip-hop’s 50th-anniversary celebration going with a new collaboration with New York-based graffiti artist collective Tats Cru.
The capsule collection of jerseys, hoodies and t-shirts, which dropped on Tuesday, shines a spotlight on cities instrumental in hip-hop’s early days by celebrating the NBA teams affiliated with them. NBA teams being honored in the collection include the New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The jersey designs feature the team’s logo and a graffiti-style illustration of the correlating city’s skyline on the front and the number 50, along with an image of basketball players. The hoodies and t-shirts include minimalist versions of the design.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Tats Cru on this historic project,” said Eli Kumekpor, chief executive officer at Mitchell & Ness, according to WWD. “The 50th anniversary of hip-hop is a momentous occasion, and we wanted to celebrate it in a way that honors its influence on sports, art and society. Tats Cru’s distinct artistic vision perfectly complements our dedication to craftsmanship and authenticity.”
The collection is available now and retails from $40 to $165.
The Black Future Newsstand is coming to AfroTech
When the Black Future Newsstand launches at AfroTech in Austin, Texas, attendees will be posed with the question: “How can the narratives and innovations of today’s Black community lead us toward a brighter future?”
According to a release to theGrio, the in-person, custom-built installation by Media 2070 and The Center for Cultural Power will be guided by this question, engaging all the senses as it presents a future where a “thriving Black-owned media landscape reflects the wholeness of Black experiences.”
The Black Future Newsstand will be held at the Center for Cultural Power’s Mixed Media Mixer Art Show, taking place at Speakeasy on 412 Congress Ave. in Austin on Thurs., Nov. 2, from 4 – 8 p.m. CDT.
“Technology, art, journalism, and media are the bedrock of our communication infrastructure,” Diamond Hardiman, reparative journalism program manager for Media 2070, said in the release. “Tech visionaries, artists, journalists, and media-makers alchemize the Black creativity and abundance that guides how we share, tell stories, connect and communicate. This activation of Black Future Newsstand allows us to lean into a world where storytelling is rooted in Black creativity and imagination that celebrates Black folks’ wholeness, care, and dignity.”
Secret Deodorant helps women unlock the secrets to financial wellness
In honor of October being financial planning month, Secret Deodorant encourages women to take control of their financial futures with its financial wellness initiative. The brand initially launched the initiative in 2022; this year, it extends its offering, further supporting women’s financial well-being. This month, Secret launched “Secret U,” an educational platform providing foundational tools to support young women’s financial journeys at the University of Texas. To help women access affordable mental health care, the brand also announced a nationwide partnership with Open Path Psychotherapy Collective. Through this initiative, Secret will sponsor thousands of subscriptions for young women to alleviate future financial stress.
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