-
DRK Beauty: Cynthia Erivo Covers InStyle's Beauty Issue—and Crusades for Black Women's Mental Health
“Beautiful, inside and out.” “Pretty is as pretty does.” We’re all familiar with the platitudes, but beyond being our kindest, most generous selves, what does putting it into practice actually look like for Black women? We’re well accustomed to taking care of everyone else, but as InStyle’s October cover star Cynthia Erivo reminds us that…
-
'Know That You Are Loved and Love': Amid Her Divorce Announcement, Lizzo Sent Cardi B a Congratulatory Bouquet
Fun fact: As I write this, Girlfriends is streaming in the background, making this entertainment tidbit particularly poignant (and no doubt putting the theme song on a loop in your brain, as it’s now in mine). According to People, Cardi B is getting some timely support from at least one of her girlfriends following the…
-
Bringing Romance to Ready-to-Wear, Pantora Bridal Designer Andrea Pitter Campbell Debuts Pantora RTW
If you’re the type of femme who fantasizes about your wedding day (or regularly fantasizes about a wedding do-over), no doubt you’re already familiar with Pantora Bridal, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based bridal boutique that unapologetically centers brown-skinned brides. Jamaican American designer Andrea Pitter Campbell’s dramatic, curve-loving designs are a favorite of bolder, sexier brides—and have been…
-
A Promised Land: The First of Barack Obama's Two-Volume Presidential Memoirs to Be Published in November
If you’ve never stopped longing for the simpler, kinder, more rational time and place that was Barack Obama’s presidency, you are far from alone—and can soon take a deeper dive into the beloved president’s remarkable rise from civic-minded civilian to the highest office in the land. On Thursday, Penguin Random House announced that Obama’s highly…
-
Speak on It! Fannie Lou Hamer's Legacy Takes the Chicago Stage With a 9-Venue Outdoor Run—and a Voting Drive
To vote or not to vote this November seems a fairly absurd question to many of us facing what is likely the most crucial election of our lifetimes. But if you’re still on the fence about participating in our (admittedly problematic) electoral process at this point, may I, in all irony, quote the Oompa Loompa-in-Chief…
-
This NYFW, Harlem's Fashion Row Founder Brandice Daniel Explains Why We Should Still Make Room for Fashion
It’s New York Fashion Week: Do you know where your priorities are? Chances are, given all the trauma 2020 has wrought—in addition to far more time spent at home—you may have questioned why we’re even bothering with fashion at this pivotal moment. After all, what good are frivolous pursuits when our climate, democracy and public…
-
'A Black Future': Carmelo Anthony's StayMe7o Propel Program Launches With 7 Black Designers and a 3-D Virtual Show
With the weeks beginning to blur into each other months ago, many of us may have forgotten that this is, in fact, New York Fashion Week. While none of us will (or should) be gathering in-person this season to see next spring’s fashion trends—especially since we still may not be going out much, come spring—our…
-
Black Designers Matter: Christopher John Rogers, Telfar Clemens and Kerby Jean-Raymond Win 2020 CFDA Fashion Awards
This season’s trending colors? Red, black and green—or, at least they are this New York Fashion Week, which kicked off on Sunday with Pose star Indya Moore making their runway debut as the opener for Jason Wu’s presentation (h/t Harper’s Bazaar)—followed by Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 13th annual gala and runway presentation, both of which were…
-
Kind of a Big Deal: Luxury Conglomerate Kering Invests in Kerby Jean-Raymond's 'Community-Focused Platform'
If the fashion industry’s wide variety of responses to our current—and very crucial—racial conversation have revealed nothing else, it’s that some folks were woefully unprepared to engage in this much-needed dialogue. In some cases, watching companies scramble to find the appropriate response or redress has been nothing more than been clear confirmation that there was…
-
Simone Oliver Named New Editor-in-Chief of Refinery29
It’s no secret that amid the racial uprisings that began in earnest this spring were parallel reckonings happening across industries, including entertainment, retail, tech and media. In fact, in June, we reported on the complaints raised against several well-known media imprints as current and former employees bravely called out incidences of discrimination, sidelining, pay inequity,…
