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Sisters in Style: In Tennis and Fashion, It Runs in the Family for the Williams Sisters
As the Williams sisters prepared to face off at the US Open on Sept. 1, there was much speculation over whether Serena or Venus—seeded 16th and 17th respectively (prior to the match), would take home the win. (It was baby sis Serena this round, proving that motherhood hasn’t slowed her down, after all.) But in…
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Capture the Crown: Who Designed Cicely Tyson's Famous Hat for Aretha Franklin's Funeral?
At five feet, three inches, 93-year-old acting legend Cicely Tyson may be a petite woman, but her presence has always been larger than life—as was the hat she wore to pay tribute to friend Aretha Franklin last Friday. The ruffled and wide-brimmed black straw picture hat was instantly iconic, turning heads among viewers both at…
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Double Exposure: Nicki Minaj Performed Through a Major Wardrobe Malfunction at Made in America
Thank God for a waist-length wig. Nicki Minaj has never been known for her modesty, but on Sunday she gave the Made in America festival audience in Philadelphia much more of a show than they’d expected. During her headlining performance, her low-cut velvet tunic repeatedly slid open to fully reveal both breasts (which we won’t…
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Queen to Queen: Cicely Tyson’s Tribute to Aretha Franklin Was a Master Class in Black Excellence
She could’ve simply stopped the show with that magnificent hat, but living legend, activist and still incredible actress Cicely Tyson’s final tribute to the Queen of Soul expressed the true breadth of excellence that Aretha Franklin represented—especially to black America. Reworking the words of famed poet Paul Laurence Dunbar’s dialect poem “When Malindy Sings” to…
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Out of the Box: Logan Browning Talks Identity, Colorism and the Problem of Privilege
Identity is no small issue for Dear White People’s Logan Browning. Aside from her leading role as the oft-confused but always outspoken biracial firebrand Samantha White, Browning tells Refinery29 she’s spent her entire life being asked: “What are you?” My first answer is: “My parents are Black.” Part of the reason I say that is…
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Are They Big Enough? Kanye Confronts 'Slidegate'
If you think Kanye West has been trolling us all along, you may be right in at least one respect: when it comes to those too-small Yeezy slides he wore with socks and a suit to 2 Chainz’ recent wedding, he’s got jokes. Big jokes, as it turns out; after initially defending the fashion choice…
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Pretty, Funny: Comedian Janelle James Ain’t No Joke
Fun fact: The first time I saw comedian Janelle James perform, while sitting in the audience of a 2015 taping of Wyatt Cenac’s comedy showcase, “Night Train,” I knew she was someone I wanted to know. The woman was strumming my pain and singing my life, hilariously lamenting the state of once-epic breasts and proposing…
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Making Miss Black America: As the Pageant Turns 50, an Early Contestant Looks Back
When Oprah Winfrey represented her home state of Tennessee in the Miss Black America pageant in 1971, she was part of a pioneering group of young women daring to define beauty on their own terms. In fact, the pageant, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, was launched in protest of the Miss America pageant,…
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Our Bodies Are Not Ready: Teyana Taylor Keeps That Same Energy for Agent Provocateur
Forget “Fade”—Teyana Taylor is now taking lingerie to the next level as the star of Agent Provocateur’s Autumn Winter 2018 campaign, titled, “The Power of Provocateur.” In the 90-second spot, wearing nothing but the label’s yellow Anna Padded Plunge Underwired Bra ($215), matching brief ($130), a lavender-tinged, blunt-cut silver bob wig and body chains, Taylor…
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You Had 'One Job': A Mesmerizing Release From Rising Artist TeaMarrr Disrupts the Dollhouse
Hell hath no fury like a doll scorned—that’s the plot of the deliciously innovative video for Haitian-American singer-songwriter TeaMarrr’s debut single “One Job,” which The Glow Up is delighted to exclusively premiere a day ahead of its Friday release. Using black Barbie-like figures—one of which is modeled after TeaMarrr (TEE-mar) herself—“One Job” illustrates an all-too…
