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‘I Was Slap Boxing With My Auntie’: A$AP Rocky Explains His Babushkas—and Nail Art—as His AWGE Label Finds a Home
We know aunties hold a special place in black culture, but who knew one was the catalyst for one of the most confounding fashion trends of the last few years? But according to A$AP Rocky, it was his auntie who inspired his now well-known “Babushka Boi” image. “So basically I was slap boxing with my…
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On Brand: Gucci Mane Announces a Collaboration With—Who Else?—Gucci
So, what took so long? Trap originator Gucci Mane borrowed part of his famous moniker from the Italian fashion house of the same name and has frequently sported the brand in public (and likely, private) appearances. But despite the obvious and natural affiliation—and a recent front-row seat at Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2020 show in Milan—no formal…
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When 'Diversity & Inclusion' Is Disrespectful and Insulting: Kerby Jean-Raymond Calls Out Business of Fashion for Tokenizing and Appropriation
Sometimes, “a seat at the table” just means “sit there and make us look good while we pick your brain, exploit your culture and give you little to no credit.” At least, that’s what Kerby Jean-Raymond, designer and founder of Pyer Moss and a creative director at Reebok is alleging of fashion analysis and news…
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'There Is a Human Cost': The Sussexes File Suit Against the Daily Mail; Harry Issues a Statement on the 'Ruthless Campaign' Against Meghan
Enough is enough; that’s the stance being taken by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex against British tabloid the Daily Mail, after the newspaper published a private letter from the duchess to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, that the couple alleges was edited in an “intentionally destructive manner.” Specifically, the paper is accused of…
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New Cameras Cause Major Issues at the World Athletics Championships—but Black Mothers Emerge Victorious
Well, this seems like a foreseeable flaw: In a quest to “provide innovative angles on the competition,” during the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, for the first time, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) installed starting block cameras for the track and field-based competition. Understandably, the new development made several female athletes uncomfortable,…
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Surprise! Oprah Matches $1.15 Million in Donations to UNCF
You get a college education, and you get a college education, and you get a college education! Okay, Oprah didn’t say that when she appeared at the United Negro College Fund’s Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon in Charlotte, N.C. last Saturday—at least, not to the best of our knowledge. But she did say, “We…
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Homecoming: A Powerful Pair of Revivals Prove Chicago a Mecca for Black Theater
There was palpable energy in the theater on the opening night of Drury Lane Theatre’s revival of The Color Purple—and a hallelujah chorus of shouts and co-signs from the audience, no doubt a rarity in the predominantly white suburb of Chicago known as Oakbrook Terrace. But the black theatrical community was out in force to…
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Press-Proof? Cardi B Goes Incognito—But as Conspicuous as Ever—During Paris Fashion Week
“Cardi don’t need more press,” Cardi B rapped in her last solo single, aptly named “Press.” But where Cardi goes, the press inevitably follows; so for an impromptu on-the-street appearance in Paris this past weekend, the fashion-loving rapper once again gave them something to talk about. At least, we think it was Cardi B… The…
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Optical Illusions: At Balmain and Off-White’s Spring/Summer 2020 Shows, Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
As Fashion Week traveled from New York City to London to Milan to Paris, we’ve been waiting patiently to see what the fashion industry’s top two black designers would be offering for Spring/Summer 2020. And while they presented very different aesthetics, Off-White’s Virgil Abloh and Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing are both taking an illusory…
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Flashback Friday: About That Time Serena Williams Took on NYFW
Editor’s note: While we try to stay on top of everything at all times, sometimes a post gets lost on the way to publishing—which is what happened when we wrote the following coverage of the first New York Fashion Week appearance of Serena Williams’ S by Serena line on Sept. 10. So, in honor of…
