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How Stylists Help WNBA Players Improve Their Looks – Andscape

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There are more eyes on the WNBA this season than ever before. The increased visibility also brought more attention to the players themselves, including their style. According to , the W Tunnel became the “hottest runway of the year,” and he stated that “officially a fashion destination.”

Nowadays, brands are demanding cooperation with WNBA players. More and more often, female players are hiring stylists to assist them look their best, and athletes like Angel Reese, Cameron BrinkSkylar Diggins-Smith and DiJonai Carrington are each legitimate fashion icons. But so are players who wear more masculine or androgynous clothing, like Arike Ogunbowale, Courtney Williams and Diamond DeShields, whose looks don’t get the eye or praise they deserve.

“Sometimes when we look at female athletes, we assume that fashionable means ‘feminine,’ and a lot of the WNBA players who present themselves more masculinely actually have style,” said Amadi Brooks of Styling by Amadi B.who works with Sydney Colson and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. “That’s the beautiful thing about the W — it’s such a broad scope.”

Styling masculine women is an art form in itself, and curating fashionable looks that transcend traditionally feminine silhouettes takes thought and intention. Players like Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas are elevating their fashion this yr with stylists who help them achieve that, while others have been doing it quietly for years.

“Having a stylist isn’t as niche anymore, and it doesn’t have to be a secret,” Brooks said.

“Until this year we were only here on business, you know?” Thomas said “We used to come in to do our job… But now when we put on clothes and stop to take a picture, people are so fascinated by it, and I mean, I’m super into it.”

The WNBA has probably the most gender-diverse sense of fashion almost every other skilled sports league on the planet, and that is a part of what makes W unique. “The WNBA fan subculture respects and celebrates men’s fashion choices without stripping these players of their femininity,” Lauren Hindman, Ajhanai Keaton, and Nefertiti Walker wrote in . But it happens all too often that players whose style is highlighted by the media are those whose clothing tends to evolve to conventionally feminine standards and modes of self-expression.

The WNBA players have fought hard to be themselves on and off the court. As the WNBA grows in popularity, it’s much more necessary to make sure that visible queerness and gender diversity of the league usually are not erased. Helping players find a mode that’s true to who they’re is vital, not just for their very own comfort, but additionally for his or her performance on the court.

“I want to make sure I stay true to the athlete,” Brooks said of her approach to dressing her clients, who include NBA and WNBA players. “That’s even more important when you’re working with an athlete, because their confidence going into a big moment like a game can affect them, so you don’t want them to feel out of their body or not being themselves.”

Marisa Ripepi Marisa Styled dressed Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas (together along with her teammate and fiancée DeWanna Bonner) for the reason that starting of this season. Ripepi stressed how necessary comfort is for somebody like Thomas, and that is where her choice of items begins.

“When we started working together, she told me she really admired Devin Booker’s style,” Ripepi said. “Alyssa’s style is comfortable and stylish, but casual. We always try to take it up a notch.”

For Ripepi, that meant slowly getting Thomas to try latest things. They style one another every month, and Ripepi said Thomas’ outfits began to evolve over the course of the season, as denim set She appeared within the Sun’s match against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 18.

“When she first came to me and said she wanted a certain look, I would give her exactly that so she knew I understood her vision,” Ripepi said. “But as we worked together for a while and built trust, that’s when I started throwing in more stuff. The goal is to elevate the look, but for her style.”

Some players, like Washington Mystics point guard Brittney “Slim” Sykes, don’t have any problem pushing the boundaries in terms of what they wear, but they need skilled guidance on which direction to go. “She likes to expand her horizons and try new things,” says Sykes’ stylist, Juwan Williams of Styling: Cozhe said. “I love it when someone likes to be open to new things.”

Williams, who has been working with Sykes for several seasons, said the push into streetwear helped her find her voice. Her confidence grew as she learned to decorate her body and see positive feedback on her outfits, including last season in GQ Sports“Now that she’s a little more confident, she consults with me about fittings,” Williams said. “She chooses her own outfits, and I approve them.”

Another key to styling women in men’s clothing is all the time being attentive to fit—and having a very good tailor on speed dial. “Although (we can) dress Syd in men’s clothing, we have to be picky about how the clothes fit her waist,” Brooks said. “What fits a man’s thigh might not fit a woman, so we might have to go up a size and change her waist, for example.”

Brooks said that working with Colson is fun because her style is a combination of masculinity and femininity. She cited Sheila Rashid’s Jumpsuit which Colson wore to the Aces’ May 25 game against the Indiana Fever for example of this duality. Colson had previously worn more androgynous looks on game day and decided to vary that as much as be unpredictable. So they decided to wear her topless under Colson’s cropped blazer, giving it a female twist.

What Colson wears is just as necessary as what she wears. “It’s important to Syd to represent both sides of masculinity and femininity, but also to highlight underrepresented brands, Black-owned brands,” Brooks said. “She’s mindful of that and would rather highlight those brands than the typical big fashion brands.”

But for a lot of players, having a stylist is about greater than just looking good. Many athletes have their very own innate sense of fashion and may do an incredible job dressing, but putting together outfits takes mental energy and time. An expert athlete’s schedule is already exhausting and demanding, and having a stylist can allow players to delegate their outfits to another person.

“A lot of players want to look their best, and maybe that means getting a stylist to take some of that pressure off of them, but they still feel good about how they look,” Brooks said. “People don’t consider how much time having a stylist can save them, but for some of my clients it’s one less thing to think about on game day.”

Frankie de la Cretaz is a contract author whose work focuses on the intersection of sports and gender. They are the co-authors of Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League.


This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Melania slammed Donald Trump with third prenup change, fueling rumors of marital drama after she dodged his kiss and claim resurfaced

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For years, there was speculation concerning the authenticity of the love between President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump. The theories intensified after Melania was caught repeatedly hiding from her husband’s public displays of affection for years.

Some imagine their relationship is solely business-related, a view that gained popularity when the New York Post reported in September 2023 that its alleged insider claimed that Melania had renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with the forty fifth president for the third time. The move followed Trump’s confirmation of his intention to hunt a second term as president after announcing his re-election campaign on November 15, 2022.

When the couple married in 2005, the initial prenuptial agreement reportedly significantly favored Donald Trump. However, since then the contract has been renegotiated not less than 3 times, with the primary renegotiation going down in 2017 and one other in 2020, when she served as apparently delayed moving to the White House – not less than that is what the New York Post claims in its unconfirmed reports. It is unclear why the thrice-married Trump would conform to loosen up his protections as part of such an arrangement.

In 2023, an alleged insider told the Post’s Page Six gossip column: “Over the past yr, Melania and her team have been quietly negotiating a brand new deal following the suspension of her contract with Donald Trump. This is not less than the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marriage contract.

WASHINGTON – JULY 4: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosts a "Salute to America" ​​celebration that includes a flyover of military planes and a large fireworks display. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – JULY 4: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosts a “Salute to America” ​​celebration that features a flyover of military planes and a big fireworks display. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

It continued to be claimed that Melania can be increasingly concerned about Trump’s mounting legal problems. Last yr, he was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with making secret payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. That same yr, Trump was also found liable in a civil suit for sexual abuse and defamation of author E. Jean Carroll. More than a yr ago, Trump was also charged in Atlanta with attempting to overturn the presidential vote within the 2020 elections in Georgia. Trump ultimately faced federal criminal charges related to his mishandling of classified documents after leaving office and the January 6 rebel.

With all this happening against Trump, Melania obviously desired to be certain she can be secure.

“This agreement was necessary due to ongoing legal disputes that (…) (Donald) has suffered,” the source said.

However, the insider also told Page Six that the postnuptial agreement doesn’t mean Melania plans to depart Trump.

They said the revised deal would also provide money for his or her 18-year-old son, Barron Trump.

“Melania is most concerned with maintaining and increasing the considerable trust she has in her son, Barron.”

Another source backed up this statement, saying, “I know she wanted this to provide her with more money, and also – from what I understand – there is at least a set amount that Barron is expected to get.”

Fans shared their thoughts on Melania renegotiating her prenup with The Daily Beast’s. side.

One person said: “Thanks to her we managed to save him. After filing for bankruptcy five times, he will be living on Melany’s benefits.”

The second wrote: “He must secure Barron’s future before the non-existent money disappears.”

A third commenter advised: “Honey, take the money and run.”

CNN is preparing for Trump’s second visit to the White House reported that his wife doesn’t plan to live in Washington full time. Sources told the news outlet that while Melania plans to attend essential events, she will spend loads of time living between New York City – as her son Barron attends NYU there – and Palm Beach, Florida, where many of her friends live.

Her reported impending absence from the White House has sparked whispers about whether Melania is serious about her responsibilities and priorities as first lady, but that is not all. It also sparked more speculation about whether she and Trump have a blissful marriage.

Even during Trump’s victory speech, a smiling Melania avoided being kissed by her husband as he sang her praises on stage. After thanking her and expressing his appreciation for her “best-selling book in the country,” Trump moves to hug and kiss his wife, then places her hand on her cheek as she turns her head barely.

Still, Melania assures doubters that every little thing is effective in her marriage to Trump. In September, she even tried to disclaim the rumors during an interview on “Fox & Friends.”

When asked what she liked about her husband, she replied: “His essence. His humor. His personality. His kindness,” he added later. “It’s very special. His positivity. His energy. It’s unbelievable. Yes, so we’ve got a fantastic relationship.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Jussie Smollett’s 2019 Self-Attack Conviction Overturned – Andscape

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.

The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.

Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.

“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”

Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021

Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.

Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.

Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.

He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 ​​months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.

The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Lil Baby didn’t just rap about change – he went to Harvard to achieve it – Essence

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)

Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.

The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.

For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.

Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.

While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values ​​he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.

It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.

As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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