Black in Style: Naomi Campbell to become the first model ever honored with an exhibit
This week in style, the American Museum of Natural History gets iced out by iconic rappers, Tremaine Emory discusses Denim Tears critics, Skai Jackson for Cantu, and more.
Naomi Campbell is a legendary, trailblazing model who has accomplished a lot of firsts in her life, such as being the first Black model to appear on the cover of Time magazine, French Vogue, and British Vogue. So it’s little wonder that, after 40 years in the industry, she’s becoming the first model to receive an exhibition dedicated to her career and cultural impact.
“Naomi: In Fashion,” opening at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on June 22 and running through April 2025, catalogs the supermodel’s life and rise in the fashion industry through clothes.
The exhibition will feature around 100 looks and accessories from legacy brands in fashion like Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and more. Standout pieces include a 1989 Thierry Mugler car-inspired corset made from plastic and metal, a bubblegum pink Valentino gown and feather cape Campbell wore at the 2019 Met Gala and a pair of Vivienne Westwood platform shoes she wore during her famous 1993 catwalk fall.
Viewers will also get to gain greater insight into Campbell’s personal life, including growing up in London, getting scouted in her early teens, and her relationship with the late designer Azzedine Alaïa, who became like a father to her early in her career.
“I’m honored to be asked by the V&A to share my life in clothes with the world,” Campbell, 53, said in a statement, per ABC News.
Bling bling: The American Museum of Natural History to open hip-hop jewelry exhibit
The American Museum of Natural History is about to be seriously iced out. Starting May 9, legendary bling from some of hip-hop’s most iconic performers will be on display for “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry.”
According to a release, the exhibit will include jewelry pieces from The Notorious B.I.G, Slick Rick, Erykah Badu, Nicki Minaj, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, A$AP Ferg, Joey Badass and more.
“These jewelry pieces are not just magnificent in and of themselves, they’re an important part of hip-hop history and hip-hop culture as artists claimed and transformed traditional symbols of luxury and success,” said Sean Decatur, president of the American Museum of Natural History. “Hip-hop jewelry has had a huge impact on our wider modern culture, and we are excited to provide our visitors the opportunity to see these remarkable pieces, especially in the context of our Mignone Halls dedicated to gems and minerals.”
Tremaine Emory addresses Denim Tears critics and discusses storytelling in fashion
Since entering the fashion industry, designer and creative director Tremaine Emory has been known for making a statement with his pieces. However, the newest collection of his brand Denim Tears, called Kiss My Grits, is particularly shocking. Featuring references to the anti-Jim Crow era, the spring-summer 2024 capsule follows Denim Tears’ mission to tell stories about the Black diaspora through its designs.
“I hear, ‘Denim Tears is talking about Black trauma all the time.’ No I’m not,” Emory said on the “Business of Hype” podcast. “There’s lots of beautiful, fun, weird stories that I’m telling. Some stories are about the plight of slavery, but that’s not the whole brand.”
Aligning with his passion for storytelling, Emory released a short documentary with the collection. However, social media had mixed reactions to the brand’s new capsule as it showcased a number of Black stereotypes, including watermelon motifs, baroque-inspired displays of fried chicken, and a handmade chicken bone necklace. However, Emory is no stranger to backlash and debates surrounding his pieces; in fact, it fuels his work at Denim Tears.
“I don’t agree with all the things that people say or feel about the brand, but I like that there’s discourse,” he said, per GQ. “When the brand stops causing discourse, I’m gonna shut it down.”
“In the end what really makes an artist great is how much fear do you lack,” he later added in a conversation with Rick Rubin.
Michael Strahan returns to football as a fashion business partner
Michael Strahan just signed a deal with a football league, but instead of a player contract, this time, the athlete turned media personality signed a business deal. This week, the United Football League (UFL) named MSX by Michael Strahan as the organization’s official off-field apparel partner.
“Becoming the first Official Off-Field Apparel partner of the UFL is not just an opportunity to showcase our brand in a groundbreaking way, it also demonstrates the off-the-field opportunities and ventures players can have,” Strahan said in a press release. “Our MSX by Michael Strahan™ line is known for its versatility, comfort and performance, and we combined those brand pillars with our signature styles to create exceptional collections to outfit their players, staff and fans for the 2024 season.”
Founded on the belief that if you look good, you feel good, the menswear clothing brand MSX by Michael Strahan launched in 2015. Now, as part of the UFL, the brand will be selling a collection of merch designed for game day and beyond. The collection’s versatile pieces, combining the UFL’s and Strahan’s aesthetics, are available for purchase at the UFL shop. At the beginning of the league’s season on March 30, fans will be able to shop exclusive styles through “MSX Fashion Pick of the Game.”
Flavor Flav’s clockmaker opens up about making over 100 pieces for the rapper
Flavor Flav and his signature massive clock jewelry made headlines after the 96th annual Academy Awards when he not only arrived wearing a Barbie-inspired pink Swarovski crystal-encrusted clock pendant but also gifted a matching one to singer Billie Eilish.
The rapper and reality TV star’s current clockmaker, Kelly Salvaggio of Rock ‘n Stones, gave insight on her relationship with Flav in a new interview with Complex. She told the publication that even though she met Flav 10 years ago while on a cruise, she didn’t start making custom clock chains for him until the shutdowns in 2020. Since then, she has crafted more than 100 original pieces for Flav, including a Taylor Swift timepiece for his stop at the Eras tour.
He’s not the only notable she’s iced out. She has also crafted a rhinestone-encrusted Miami Dolphins jersey for Flo Rida. However, she confirmed with the publication that she only makes the clocks for Flav. (Sorry to anyone who may have hoped to get one!)
On Flav’s Barbie piece garnering so much buzz, Salvaggio told Complex, “I didn’t really expect it to get this much attention, but I’m glad the photographers were there to capture the moment. I’m honored to be a part of something so special.”
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Skai Jackson is the new face of Cantu Beauty
Actress and best-selling author Skai Jackson is helping Cantu Beauty launch new and improved versions of its best-selling products. Now made with fair-trade organic shea butter plus B vitamin complex, the brand’s reformulated classics are “designed to increase moisture, strengthen hair, and help foster healthy hair growth.”
“I am thrilled to partner with Cantu, a brand I’ve been using since I was a kid,” Jackson said in a press release shared with theGrio. “Being a part of its evolution and advocating for products that celebrate authenticity is a dream come true. I look forward to empowering young women worldwide to embrace their natural beauty and confidence.”
According to Nikia Bowman, Cantu Beauty’s global marketing director, the partnership with Jackson represents the brand’s “dedication to innovation, authenticity, and positive change within the industry.” Similarly, the haircare brand continues to empower young women as a continuous partner with Women Empowering Nations, a nonprofit organization that provides exposure, development and mentorship for girls, accelerating their path to social impact and executive leadership, and by sponsoring initiatives like Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Global Network.
Oprah Winfrey accepts the Vanguard Award at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards in purple tuxedo dress
Throughout this awards season and during the press tour for “The Color Purple,” Oprah Winfrey has donned many headline-making ensembles in hues of purple. The legendary TV host and producer kept up the motif as she accepted the Vanguard Award at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday night for her allyship with the LGBTQ+ community.
Winfrey attended the ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, dressed in a black tuxedo blazer dress embellished with purple lapels and buttons. She also wore the tuxedo dress that day to “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” but changed before her appearance on the show, where she gave insight into her weight-loss journey that began after surgery on both knees in 2021.
“I made a vow, that if God let me walk again, I promise I will get myself in shape, I promise I will use my body to the highest possible good for myself and my health,” she explained, per People.
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