It’s been years since the last Rihanna album ––exactly six, but who’s counting?–– and while the Navy is hungry for another ANTI-type takeover, Rihanna has blessed us with not one but two live performances this year. Following her epic Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna hit the Dolby Theatre stage Sunday night to perform Lift Me Up at the 95th Academy Awards.
Her colorful voice rang out over a violin rendition of the award-nominated track to an emotional audience in awe of her glowing vocals, face, and, of course, outfit.
Photo: Getty
At the halftime show, RiRi casually and stylishly announced she and her beau A$AP Rocky are expecting their second child. A blessing for their growing family and the fans who get another round of internet-breaking maternity looks. After arriving at the ceremony in a leather and sheer Alaïa, the Bajan beauty stepped into a crystal-covered Margiela ensemble featuring wide-leg trousers and a sleeveless top with cascading crystals. The icon accessorized with leather opera gloves and layered diamond jewelry.
Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty
With effortless style, Rihanna proves that we don’t need an album to get a remarkable performance out of her.
With a high profile and a fanbase that exceeds beyond the fashion Industry, it’s no secret that CEO Claire Sulmers is THAT girl. Whether slaying New York or Paris Fashion Week, she shuts it down with her most notable looks that consist of everything from designer metallics to Mongolian furs and snakeskin prints.
Pic @pix_by_smh
Although Paris Fashion Week came to a halt this week, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t give you a glimpse into Claire’s latest expedition to the Paris shows. From attending the Balmain show where her favorite designer Oliver Rousteing presented a wide assortment of black and white ensembles down the runway, to personally being invited to attend the Paris FW Givenchy show, Claire was undoubtedly on fire. (In Alicia Key’s voice)
Credit: Guillaum Landry
Despite some of the hiccups that Claire encountered while on her Parisian excursion, such as her flight being postponed and her bags being delayed, you wouldn’t have never known based on how flawlessly she looked. Claire wore a red snakeskin Ivy Park sequined duster with a wrap blouses and red snakeskin pants from Neiman Marcus.
She expressed, “with entrepreneurship, there will be moments when unfortunate things happen, however it’s important that you don’t quit, and you continue to push forward to make it right.” Her intentional and admirable mindset is what allowed Claire to persevere. In fact, perseverance is nothing new to the Harvard alumni who once lived in Paris, interned for Paris Vogue and worked for Vogue Italia.
Photo Cred: @pix_by_smh
Claire, who’s originally from Atlanta, was able to reunite with stylists for the stars, Jeremey Haynes and the designer of the Grey Area brand, Mark by Mark. Claire expressed how “Jeremey has styled half of Atlanta including celebs like Usher, Kandi and most recently Mary J Blige.”
“Every time I go to Paris, I can’t help but remember that girl who use to walk the streets of Paris with a camera around her neck, asking people to take their picture, or the girl who so desperately wanted to be in the fashion industry but couldn’t find a way in,” stated Sulmers.
Fast forward to now, and Claire personally being invited to attend the Givenchy show by designer Matthew Williams and walking into the Givenchy store on Rue Faubourg Saint Honoré to shop a look for the show. “It’s a testament to God’s grace, hard-work and what faith can do,” explained Sulmers.
Towards the end of Claire’s trip to Paris Fashion Week, Claire made a pitstop to meet with the designer of Jitrois who was delighted to have her preview his latest presentation. Jitrois collection was edgy, and over-the-top with fringe pants, Moto jackets and rich Mongolian furs such as the white off-the-shoulder fur that Claire is wearing below.
Credit: Anthony Wilson
Claire’s ultimate fashion advice to those inspired by her journey is that, “nothing should stop you from pursuing your dreams, which is a mantra that I personally live by, and one which has served me well.”
Tonight, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Hollywood’s biggest names, newcomers, and filmmakers gather to honor the best performances of the past year. While we wait with bated breath on which talented queen will snatch up the Best Actress category or which box office success will take home the coveted Best Picture title, the red carpet is open for business!
Stay up-to-date on what your favorite actors and actresses wore with Fashion Bomb Daily. Check back here throughout the night to get all the style details you’re dying for.
Hey Bombshells! Meet Linda, our Fashion Bombshell of the Day, check her out below.
Her style is classy and timeless. This Bombshell uses textures and shapes to define her looks rather than patterns and prints.
She usually rocks colors monochromatically, keeping things simple yet striking.
What are your thoughts on her style? Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature showcasing the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. For your chance to be featured, send your name, location, a description of your style, and 5-10 clear, unfiltered, head-to-toe pictures of 5-10 different outfits (no collages) to Bombshell@FashionBombDaily.com.
From honorees such as the legendary Sheryl Lee Ralph, and actress Danielle Deadwyler, to presenters like Quinta Brunson and Yara Shahidi, black excellence arrived in full force with beautifully crafted ensembles that were fiercely fashionable.
The red carpet was filled with accentuating and over-the-top looks, and we all know that anywhere where black women are the topic of the theme, they’re going to show out with guns blazing. Singer Chlöe wore a white maxi body-con cut-out dress with white gloves while giving an incredible performance in her euphonious voice.
We also saw full monochromatic looks from Quinta Brunson and Yandi Smith, and a play on plaid from singer Teyana Taylor. Carolina Wanga served us Solange vibes with her orb-like halo crown while Megan Good and Mona Scott Young looked Spring forward in orange and mint green hues.
Some celebs chose to keep it classic with traditional black and white ensembles like our CEO Claire Sulmers who embodied old Hollywood glam and looked incredible and regal in her Sergio Hudson strapless black and white bicolor column gown. Along with Sulmers, stars like Danielle Deadwyler, Bresha Webb, Kiki Layne and Karrueche opted for those ceremonial colors that you can never go wrong with.
The celebratory afternoon felt ritualistic, in true Essence fashion to praise and present poignant accolades to some of the brightest black women in Hollywood who are challenging the status quo, leaving progressive footprints, and delivering outstanding performances in their chosen fields.
Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon ultimately highlighted influential black women who are changing the narrative of what success looks like and what it means to be highly sought after in Hollywood. The honorees and attendees, many of whom were the change-makers in the room, looked victorious, stunning and incredibly modern . Check out some of the red carpet looks below:
Marsai Martin in For Love & Lemons
Photo: Backgrid USA
Quinta Brunson in Greta Constantine
Photo: Getty
Teyana Taylor in Kidill
Photo: Getty
Yandy Smith in Naeem Khan
Photo: Backgrid USA
Yara Shahidi
Photo: Backgrid USA
Kandi Burruss in Smythe and Paola Bernardi
Photo: Backgrid USA
Caroline Wanga in Custom Levenity
Photo: Backgrid USA
Claire Sulmers in Sergio Hudson
Photo: Getty
Crystal Renee in Alex Perry with Valentino and Cult Gaia
Photo: Getty
Mona Scott Young in Etro and Versace
Photo: Backgrid USA
Cheryl ‘Salt’ James in Versace
Photo: Backgrid USA
MC Lyte in FARM Rio
Photo: Backgrid USA
Monique Rodriguez in Tom Ford, Rene Caovilla and Hermès
Cardi B makes motherhood stylish. Whether she’s posing alongside her entire family in Lever Couture or coordinating with them in Denim Tears, the fly femcee knows how to parent without compromising on her fashion icon status. Recently, the Up rapper spent some quality time with her 1-year-old son Wave at a SZA show.
Although she was on mommy duty, Cardi showed up and out in a $1,250 knit Marni mini dress.
Photo: @iamcardib on Instagram
The long sleeve dress features a psychedelic print done in orange and red, which she paired with red open-toe heeled sandals and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
Photo: @iamcardib on Instagram
Photo: @iamcardib on Insatgram
Meanwhile, baby Wave wore a Dior denim jacket with jeans, DJ Khaled x Air Jordan Retro We the Best sneakers, and a toque as vibey as his mother’s dress.
Dion Lee is an It Girl signature brand with a celebrity following, including Bella Hadid, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, and more. So it’s no surprise that two beloved A-listers stepped out in designer but also the same design.
For the Creed III premiere, Insecure star Yvonne Orji wore the gray Dion Lee chain link dress: a ribbed knit maxi dress with midriff cutouts decorated with a silver chain that drapes across the open back. Orji kept the styling simple with black simple strap sandals and two silver rings. Beautiful as she looked, I couldn’t help but get deja vú.
Photo: Getty
Last year, Normani popped out in an altered version of the dress. The Wild Side singer had the dress shortened for a sexier look than the original design, and stylist Kollin Carter paired the dress with Dylan Lex earrings and Jessica Rich silver drip sandals.
Photo: @jpwphoto on Instagram
The way these ladies are styled speaks to the versatility of the gorgeous piece. For $1,490, would you splurge on this dress as well?
Last spring, Off-White announced that editor and stylist Ibrahim Kamara would be taking over as Creative Director. For his first official show, the multi-hyphenate fashion boy harmonized his heritage with the cemented ethos of the house. Fine fabric from West Africa coated varsity bomber jacket gowns and tailoring. The clothes were out of this world, an expression driven home with the Tennis Club de Paris transformed into a lunar landing set. Kamara knows how to put on a show and close one too. For the final look, he had model legend Naomi Campbell close the presentation and stand alongside him during his bow.
Photo: Filippo Fior for Gorunway.com
Campbell strutted the runway in one of the varsity bomber jacket/gown hybrids: all black and worn with western-adjacent boots. The ribbed collar formed a plunging v-neckline, which ended above one of the garment’s enlarged zippers.
Photo: Filippo Fior for Gorunway.com
Naomi is no stranger to an Off-White runway and effortlessly wears each look. We’re glad Kamara is keeping her legacy with the brand alive, and we can’t wait to see more of her in his designs for the house.
Marc Jacobs returns with the release of their Spring 2023 handbag collection. The Quilted Collection features the Marc Jacobs Stam bag which originally hit the runway in 2005, and the Quilted J Marc bag. The Campaign was fronted by R&B Princess, Ashanti alongside the bag’s namesake Jessica Stam, Paris Hilton, Ashlee Simpson and Selma Blair.
No stranger to lavish threads, Ashanti wears extravagant black knit wear and solid black gloves that extended above the elbow while modeling the Quilted J Marc bag which comes in rose, cotton, wolf grey, and black.
Coined the “it girl” bag of its time, the Re-Edition Quilted Leather Stam Bag features a metal chain and coin purse closure. The recording artist again wore all black, this time rocking a textured dress and platform heels, as she poses with the black Stam bag which also comes in white. The ‘little’ version comes in black and rose.
Last fall, Balenciaga launched its wildest controversy yet. So unhinged it sent the internet –rightfully so– into a frenzy of furriery so bad the brand’s biggest fan Kim Kardashian made a statement, and Balenciaga went into quiet hiding, removing all of their photos on Instagram and revoking its tagged feature. The crime in question was two campaigns, one with young children wearing teddy bear bags styled in S&M-style accessories and another featuring the Balenciaga x Adidas Hourglass bag laid across court documents relating to the 2008 United States v. Williams Supreme Court decision regarding child pornography laws.
After attempting to sue the production company behind the disturbing pieces of work and then dropping the charges, Balenciaga made it back to the runway during Paris Fashion Week.
What is life after a major scandal? Creative director Demna, formally known as Demna Gvasalia, is no stranger to bouncing back. Lest we forget it was under his leadership that Balenciaga remade IKEA’s 99-cent shopping bag as a luxury item with a hefty price tag and sent war-torn-looking models down the runway toting trash bags of luxury leather. No, this isn’t Balenciaga’s first rodeo but last year marked something unforgivable even for them.
For the Fall/Winter 2023, Denma is back to the basics, to the very idea and reason of the brand: the clothes.
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
The show was intimate, well as intimate as a Balenciaga show can be. Despite its years of aligning itself with celebrity and celebrity culture, there wasn’t a single A-lister in the front row although 700 guests attended. Industry professionals filled the bright white Carrousel de Lourve space, seated in traditional show form. For a brand that has taken part in elaborate presentation sets more often than not, this was a key symbol of the change within house. The show opened with a series of black tailored looks outfitted with reverse-tailored trousers. Coats long and short feature hems with pockets and pant loops. All of which, of course, are oversize. It is Demna’s Balenciaga after all.
Bringing the focus back to the clothes isn’t the end of Demna’s design ethos but rather an evolution. Elsewhere in the collection outsized denim is paired with equally outsized denim, and he reinvents his floral knife pleat dresses into blouses with pussy bows and elongated sleeves. Styled in monochromatic maximalism with skirts designed in the same print and pleat.
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Elsewhere in the collection, we see Demna’s familiar cyber-avatar meets normcore. Male models dressed in futuristic shades donned sweatsuits and hoodies featuring bulbous shoulders and bodies. Some look as if they were hiding coffee machines underneath their garments. Motocross-like boots with pointed toes accompanied most of these looks. A style we’re sure Kanye has called in for already.
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
One Demna favorite was shockingly missing from this collection, the use of text or even logos. The man loves an ironic slogan tee more than your favorite hypebeast and when logomania had stopped floating down on social media feeds in full force, Balenciaga still held on with its use of the house name like a classic stripe or animal print. No, Fall/Winter 2023 is about refocusing on the legacy of the house. So the eveningwear, though beautiful, isn’t super-sized in typical Demna fashion but sleek and outfitted with high necklines and the projecting shoulders seen throughout the collection.
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
Photo: Carlo Scarpato for Gorunway.com
The recentering on fashion is only one part of the Balenciaga rebrand. For the next three years, the brand will partner with the National Children’s Alliance and plans an internal reform. There’s only one way out of this scandal and it’s through. At least he’ll be stylishly dressed.
