black hollywood
-
The French Connection: The Cannes Film Festival Closes on a High Note
While several of the entertainment industry’s elite flocked to England on Saturday to celebrate the royal wedding, other members of Hollywood royalty concluded their takeover of the French Riviera for the closing events of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. This year’s festival had a strong streak of activist energy, marked by multiple festival-endorsed demonstrations and…
-
#ThrowbackThursday: The Legend of Zelda (Wynn Valdes)
“What becomes a legend most?” That was the tagline of now-vintage ads for Blackglama mink. But if you were a black female entertainer at the height of your fame between the 1940s and 1960s, chances were you found your most legendary looks courtesy of designer Zelda Wynn Valdes. Born in 1905, Wynn Valdes was the…
-
Rolling Solo: Thandie Newton Made a Stylish Statement About Representation at Cannes
Fun fact: Thandie Newton collects Star Wars action figures. Well, only the black ones. How do we know? Because she incorporated them into the Vivienne Westwood gown she wore to Tuesday night’s European premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story, which opens May 25 in the U.S. That’s right: Newton, who plays explosives expert Val…
-
Black Is Not My Job: 16 Black Actresses Take the Cannes Red Carpet by Storm
The red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival got even more colorful Wednesday as 16 black and biracial actresses staged a very glamorous protest on the steps of the Palais des Festival convention center. Dazzlingly dressed in black, silver and white by Balmain wunderkind Olivier Rousteing, actresses Nadège Beausson-Diagne, Mata Gabin, Maïmouna Gueye, Eye Haidara,…
-
Estée Lauder Ambassador Aïssa Maïga to Lead Historic Forum Against Racism and Sexism at Cannes Film Festival
Actress Aïssa Maïga was the first black woman to be nominated for a Cesar, the French equivalent of an Oscar, for the film Bamako in 2006. My Profession Is Not Black is the title of a new book by the French Senegalese actress, who has fought an uphill battle for the last 20 years to…
-
An Hour With Her: Debbie Allen Teams Up With Dove to Talk Mentorship
If you’re of a certain age, there’s a likelihood that you remember the iconic words spoken by the character of teacher Lydia Grant in the opening credits of the ’80s hit television series Fame: You’ve got big dreams. You want fame. Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying: in sweat. Multihyphenate…
-
Yes, We Cannes: The Lens Is on Equality at the World’s Most Fashionable Film Festival
Liberté, egalité, fraternité (“liberty, equality, fraternity”) is France’s motto, and equality has appropriately emerged as the theme of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, taking place May 8-19 on the French Riviera. This year’s nine-member Main Competition Jury boasts five women, including Ava DuVernay, Burundian singer-songwriter Khadja Nin and this year’s jury president, actress Cate Blanchett.…
-
Red Table Talk: Jada Pinkett Smith Starts a Multigenerational Dialogue
Just in time for Mother’s Day, one of Hollywood’s most famous moms is inviting us to her table—the red table, that is—for Red Table Talk, a new Facebook series created and hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, featuring her 17-year-old daughter, Willow, and mom, Adrienne Banfield-Norris. “Motherhood and everything that comes with it is our red-hot…
-
Met Gala 2018: Did Vogue Catch Your Fave Live on Camera?
Go down a wormhole, but make it fashion. This was pretty much how I spent Tuesday night, watching video after video on Vogue’s YouTube channel, where all of our Met Gala faves were featured talking fashion, true confessions, and their takes on the night’s theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Let’s start with…
-
‘I Was Joan of Arc in a Former Life’: How Zendaya Was Transformed for the 2018 Met Gala
“What do you think Zendaya will wear?” As of late, that’s the question we’ve become accustomed to asking before red-carpet events. In the past few years, the ingenue has matured into a bona fide style star, frequently winning our “best dressed” votes at parties, film premieres and even this year’s Academy Awards. With her boundary-pushing…