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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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Simone Biles torn apart after giving George Strait’s wife a ‘vulgar look’ while fans came to her defense

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Did Olympic gymnast Simone Biles cut George Strait’s wife’s eyes on the Country Music Awards?

Some people think so after a viral video of Biles, 27, showing her frustration within the audience on the 58th annual CMA Awards on November 20.

In several clips circulating online, the 27-year-old gave Strait’s wife, Norma Strait, a “dirty look” on the annual awards show where her husband was honored with the John Paul II Lifetime Achievement Award. Willie Nelson.

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist asked viewers if she had glanced out of the corner of her eye on the Lifetime Achievement Award winner’s wife through the 2024 CMA Awards. (Photo: @simonebiles/Instagram)

“Does anyone know if there is a dispute between Simone Biles and George Strait’s wife?” – one in all the X users asked on the evening of this system.

X’s post included a clip of Biles looking nervous as Norma and other attendees danced in the gang on the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony tribute performance.

The tribute to the “King of Country Music” featured country stars Lainey Wilson, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum. Additionally, Chris Stapleton joined Strait on stage to walk through the “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” to conclude the segment.

Speculation about Biles’ possible disdain shown on the CMA Awards has turn into a topic of debate online, with fans and critics taking sides in the controversy.

“I watched it live and wondered the same thing, and then death looked up and down, she definitely hated!” answer on X platform he stated.

Original X poster he replied“As long as I’m not the only one who saw it.”

However, the legendary gymnast had her defenders. For example, user X sent“He’s probably just watching her reaction (honestly) without thinking about the cameras.”

“Nothing happened” – another person he argued. “George Strait’s wife doesn’t care about messy things like that. It looks like Simone could have a resting face. She wasn’t the one black person either. There are many Black people in country music, from singers to musicians.

Similar entry To read“I saw it and cringed, it’s just her face, but she should politely decline if she doesn’t like country music.”

Another fan he wrote“She probably saw the camera give attention to George Strait’s wife and just looked around curiously. I do not think she’s giving a mischievous have a look at all, she just looks like she’s noticed that the camera is specializing in the people next to her.

Despite questions on Biles’ on-screen response, the multiple-time world champion expressed her excitement to attend the 2024 CMA Awards on the day of the event.

Biles reposted photos from the evening on her Instagram Story. In one photo, shared by hairstylist Justin Revenge, the Olympic gold medalist showed off the short red dress she wore to the red carpet, in addition to the silver off-the-shoulder dress she wore to the CMA Gala.

The star of the Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising” appeared at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to present the Female Vocalist of the Year award to country singer Lainey Wilson.

Lainey Wilson won the Female Vocalist of the Year category, beating out fellow nominees Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves.

Biles herself had a successful 12 months as an athlete. The Texas native won 4 medals on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, bringing her profession total to a record 11 victories for an American gymnast.

However, Vice President Kamala Harris couldn’t replicate Biles’ success because the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024. Harris lost to former President Donald Trump within the nationwide election.

Biles publicly called on current Democratic President Joe Biden to take a stand on behalf of American women before Republican MAGA leader Trump enters the White House on January 20, 2025.

“Mr. Biden, you need to stand up, straighten your back and shake some things up before you go… xoxo women of America,” the Olympian wrote on Twitter on November 6 in response to the election results.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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What do you know about Cynthia Erivo?

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Cynthia Erivo, Wicked, Cynthia Erivo controversy, Black Hollywood, theGrio.com

With the discharge of Wicked fast approaching, it’s protected to say that Cynthia Erivo is on fire straight away.

The film adaptation of the Broadway musical (which is an adaptation of a best-selling novel based on one other novel) is about to open to over $175 million worldwide this weekend, and Erivo has just landed a significant deal.

Universal Pictures has struck a first-look cope with its production company Edith’s Daughter, Deadline reported.

“Having spent the last three years working with Donna Langley, Peter Cramer and the Universal team on Wicked, I have experienced first-hand the love and fearlessness with which they tell stories and uplift narrators,” said Erivo. “I am absolutely delighted to take the next step in our cooperation under our first-look agreement. This is not only a milestone for my production company, but also a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of diverse voices in film. I can’t wait to bring our visions to life and share them with the world!”

However, some could also be just discovering the 37-year-old from Stockwell, London (where she was born right into a family of Nigerian immigrants) or may don’t know about her background and profession to this point. There’s quite a bit to like about the Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner – and much more to grasp beneath the surface. Below we have gathered some things you have to know about Erivo, including some very necessary ones.

He is a Broadway sensation

Before Erivo became a star of the silver screen, she made a reputation for herself on the stage. The actress’ breakthrough role was the role of Celie within the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” on Broadway. From 2015 to 2017, she delivered critically acclaimed, groundbreaking performances, winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

She has played several iconic black characters

Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman and Recy Taylor are black American historical figures immortalized on screen by Erivo, who has played all of them in movies. Shortly after her Broadway run in 2017, Erivo played Taylor in “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” She then starred as Tubman within the 2019 film “Harriet.”

In 2021, Erivo played Franklin within the National Geographic anthology “Genius: Aretha”. While critics praised her performance, Franklin’s family had a special tackle the project, claiming she was never consulted and even felt “disrespected” by the production team.

He is a queer icon

Earlier this yr, Erivo received the Schrader Award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center as a self-proclaimed member for her talent and support of the queer community.

“Acknowledging that I am queer publicly – especially in the public eye – means taking a risk to claim my freedom,” she said in her speech through which she agreed to return out as queer later in life. “It seems we prefer to see the world in black and white rather than accept the difficult (but beautiful) complexities of our humanity.”

Although it has never been explicitly confirmed, Erivo has long been considered one half of a fairly powerful Black Hollywood power couple, as she is commonly seen at red carpet events alongside fellow industry heavyweight Lena Waithe.

He has a novel sense of fashion

From shaving her eyebrows to her signature long and ornamental nails, Erivo is understood for her daring sense of fashion. Her uniqueness was even incorporated into her makeup for “Wicked.” The makeup artist used stencils to attract eyebrows and add freckles. Meanwhile, a special shade of green face and body makeup was developed to make Erivo’s melaninated skin appear “clearly” on screen, and the shade was named “Cynthia Green,” the film’s makeup artist said People Magazine. It’s value noting that despite the hours-long application process required day by day for months of filming, she also said that Erivo “never, ever, ever complained.”

She doesn’t suffer fools

Social media was abuzz this week with response to actor/podcast host Dax Shepard’s invasive query about Erivo’s signature elaborate manicure, specifically how he moves through it while using the lavatory. When footage of her interview with Shepard hit the Internet, many individuals were quick to sentence its inappropriateness, asking her how she wipes herself while having very long, jeweled nails.

“My answer is that no one wipes their ass with just their fingers. You use wipes, right? And you wipe it off,” she replied calmly.

Erivo further expressed her annoyance with this query; the one she had exhibited before.

“I understand, it annoys me. Come on, guys,” she said. “I understand, but I’m a functioning adult and I’ve never walked around smelling like… you know.”

People participating within the discussion found this query rude, disgusting and invasive. It can also be, as Erivo identified, unoriginal. In response to this viral exchange, some have responded by demonstrating how they adapt these very human processes to long fingernails – and shockingly, it’s just about the identical process we have all been doing since potty training. It’s really not that complicated.

Cynthia Erivo Recalls Her Reaction to Fan-Made 'Wicked' Poster: 'I Probably Should have Called My Friends'

He has some questionable tweets in his search history

When it was announced in 2018 that Erivo would play Harriet Tubman within the biopic “Harriet,” the British actress’s seemingly problematic comments made years earlier about the language of Black Americans inevitably resurfaced. As previously reported by theGrio, this compounded existing questions about the choice to forged British-born Erivo because the historical African-American hero, given what some perceived as a disdain for African-American culture.

“As for the tweets, they were taken out of context, giving me no room to explain what they meant – and they weren’t actually mocking anyone,” she explained on the time: Complex reported. “It was not intended to be (offensive) at all. It was to celebrate a song I (wrote) when I was 16.”

Speaking further about the controversy during an event on the Toronto International Film Festival, she said: “I actually have never… never spoken negatively about people because I don’t desire to; I don’t desire this energy to be passed on to others.”

She continued: “I do not think it’s good for us in any respect; I do not think it serves any purpose apart from to bring negativity into my life and yours, and I just don’t desire that.

Perhaps he has some tension with the band in “The Color Purple.”

For unknown reasons, Erivo claims she was not invited to a special screening of the musical “The Color Purple” for family and friends, which was also attended by other members of her Broadway forged. It’s a bit strange that the Tony-winning revival star wasn’t on the guest list. When asked about her apparent rejection in the course of the interview and whether it reflected her initial considerations for Celie’s role within the film adaptation, Erivo suggested she couldn’t talk about it.

Despite every little thing, he’s capable of admit his mistake

Erivo can have had mixed emotions previously as a result of questionable comments or her unwavering passion for her craft, but she is ultimately capable of admit when she was incorrect. In the lead-up to Wicked’s premiere, fan-made art got here to light that edited the film’s poster to look more like the unique Broadway Playbill, obscuring Erivo’s direct gaze with the brim of her witch hat. The actress was initially very offended, but later admitted that she can have overreacted.

“I think for me it was a human moment…” she later explained. “I probably should have called my friends, but I’m fine.”

Cynthia Erivo accepts Los Angeles LGBT Center award for speech on freedom to 'be different'

After all, she is an expert

Say what you want, but Cynthia Erivo is robust and talented. He can also be a one that is alleged to place the nice of the team ahead of his personal glory. During a recent appearance on “Cutting room floor” podcast, she described her technique of coming into harmony together with her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande and the way the 2 worked together to create a unified sound fairly than resorting to diva-like behavior in an try and outshine one another.

For example, although she and Grande have very different voices, Erivo noted that what they’ve in common is way more necessary.

“I think what connects us is the way we hear music, so we can hear each other,” she explained. “And the beauty of singing with someone who can also hear is that you follow each other back and forth. We can find ways to make our textures and sounds make sense, and that’s really hard with humans.”

Erivo added: “It also signifies that you found someone completely selfless because they care about working with you, and being an element of that’s essentially the most amazing thing. When you find someone who’s committed to creating sound together, (there may be) no ego.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Snoop Dogg Takes Over ‘Amazon Music Live’ in Season 3 Finale – Essence

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Snoop Dogg attends the Los Angeles Premiere of “Gladiator II” held on the TCL Chinese Theater on November 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

When Snoop Dogg takes the stage at Amazon Music Live on November 29, it is the moment hip-hop fans have been waiting for. The West Coast legend ends Season 3 with a performance that guarantees to be nothing in need of legendary.

Airing after Black Friday Football at 7pm EST on Prime Video and Twitchthe show will showcase his expansive musical journey, combining chart toppers with deep cuts that defined a complete generation.

Sponsored by the brand new 2025 Nissan Kicks, fans can expect an exclusive first hearken to songs from his upcoming album ‘Missionary’, which might be released next month. The announcement comes at a critical point in Snoop’s profession and marks the following evolution of an artist who moves seamlessly between music, acting and entrepreneurship.

(*3*)Snoop Dogg takes over

Amazon Music Live has change into a powerhouse of musical innovation, and Snoop’s final performance epitomizes what it’s all about. Throughout Season 3, the series featured standout moments from artists resembling Jelly Roll, who brought together country and rock stars for an epic performance, and Big Sean, who paid tribute to historically black colleges and universities together with his breathtaking tribute .

For those that wish to have fun in advance and luxuriate in the final word Snoop experience, Amazon Music has REDISCOVER Snoop Dogg playlist it’s the proper foundation. It’s a musical time capsule chronicling his journey from the Long Beach underground scene to world-famous superstardom. Each track tells the story of an artist who not only survived in the music industry, but fundamentally modified it.

With 16 Grammy nominations to his name, Snoop continues to prove that he’s greater than only a rapper – he’s a real entertainment icon. His influence extends far beyond music, touching on film, television, cannabis culture and entrepreneurship. The Black Friday performance might be the following chapter in a profession defined by constant reinvention.

The performance isn’t only about music – it’s also a presentation of, amongst others, recent nissan kicks 2025. As an official sponsor of Amazon Music Live, the compact crossover was integrated throughout the season, giving fans a glimpse of its modern style and advanced technologies through pre-show and in-person experiences on the show.

For those in the Los Angeles area, a limited variety of tickets can be found from DICE. But for everybody else, Prime Video and Twitch will bring the magic of Doggfather right to your screen. It’s a probability to see a living legend in top form, delivering a performance that guarantees to be as unpredictable and electrifying as Snoop himself.

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