Gearing up for the 2020 FABYs, we are shining special spotlights on the best of the best in fashion, beauty, and hair from this year!
Our next category is: Best Dressed TV Host! Our Fashion Bomb Staff narrowed down six thosts from television whose style simply cannot go unnoticed. Let’s explore the nominees (in no particular order):
Wendy Williams is always delivering looks on her popular daytime talk show The Wendy Williams Show! When it comes to her style, she dabbles in little bit of everything. Some days, she’ll rock designer like Christian Cowan while other days she’ll rock a chic $141 AFRM dress.
Wendy also shows love to Black designers on the show as she was spotted wearing Aliétte, Hanifa, and Sean John this year!
Tamron Hall never misses a beat when it comes to style and looks! While hosting her show The Tamron Hall Show, Tamron typically opts for vibrant colors, chic animal prints, and garments with surprise elements like crystal embellishments or feathers.
How could we forget her David De La Cruz look back in February?
Good Morning America returned with Robin Roberts at the forefront, giving daily news and stylish fits! With the help of her stylist Diandre Tristan, we’ve seen Robin experiment with mix prints, popping sequins, and sophisticated-chic blouse and wide leg pant looks.
Dancing With The Stars announced Tyra Banks as its new host with Tyra introducing her fashion background to the audience! Since this season’s first episode, Tyra has brought couture and fashion to the world of dancing.
She’s been spotted in names like Zigman, Afffar, and Michael Costello to name a few.
Back in September, Drew Barrymore kicked off her self-named talk show discussing everything from crafts to catching up with celebrities. What caught our attention was Barrymore’s boho-chic-meets-preppy style!
While hosting, Drew Barrymore often opts for wide-leg pants and tie blouses. Occasionally, she’ll switch it up with wide skirt or boho style dress.
When she’s a coach on ABC’s The Voice, Kelly Clarkson is spotted in daring and glammed-out styles from brands like Balmain, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga.
When hosting her daytime talk show, she opts for more casual styles that mimic her mom lifestyle and the fun, heartwarming vibes of the show itself.
Now that you’ve seen our nominees for Best Dressed TV Host of 2020, it’s time to cast your votes for your fave!
Flat Out of Heels is pleased to announce the appointment of Danielle Shortt to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 2011, the company is enjoying massive success for its innovative rollable flats designed to relieve women from the pain of wearing heels for hours.
Danielle, who has worked in retail for 15 years at outlets like DSW and Express says she is delighted to take on her new position and is looking forward to the future:
“The foundation of Flat Out of Heels is there, and as we approach ten years of saving women’s aching feet, I am excited to use my retail experience to build and propel the company further.”
Dawn Dickson, Founder of Flat Out of Heels, comments:
“Danielle has worked with Flat Out of Heels for several years on our digital marketing strategy; she brings years of retail experience to the team from sourcing, to marketing, to customer acquisition. As CEO of PopCom, my fast-growing tech company, I was no longer able to meet the increasing demands of managing Flat Out of Heels. Danielle is the perfect person to take the reins and usher Flat Out into our tenth year of business. I believe we have only scratched the surface of what we can do, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store.”
As a serial entrepreneur and inventor, Dawn is one of the few black female tech founders to raise over $3 million. She is the founder of PopCom, an automated retail technology company with a software solution to revolutionize automated retail. Dickson was recently awarded a patent for the PopShop, a smart vending machine that she calls the “iPhone of vending machines.” The design is sleek and innovative with a range of new features that are not available on traditional vending machines, including facial recognition, exterior cameras to collect data, advertising screens, and cashless payments with plans to accept digital currency in the near future.
Dawn created Flat Out of Heels rollable flats out of necessity. In February 2011, she attended an event in South Beach, Miami, dressed to the nines in six-inch heels. After standing for hours, her feet were on fire, and she desperately searched for a place to purchase some affordable flats for relief…to no avail. It was at that moment that Dawn set out to create a fashionable, durable, and must-have rollable Flat that’s chic and durable enough for everyday use and dispensable out of vending machines to make purchasing convenient. Shortly after that, Flat Out of Heels was born.
“Every woman can relate to the pain experienced after wearing high heels for hours,” Dawn adds. “The balls of her feet are throbbing, and all she wants to do is take them off, even resorting to walking barefoot to escape the pain. Selling shoes out of vending machines is how we are addressing this problem.”
The vending machines have been placed in the Atlanta Airport, Club LIV, Bayside Marketplace in Miami, MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and the company has recently placed a test machine in Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, Ohio. The shoes have received celebrity endorsements and support from Eva Langoria, Lala Anthony, Claudia Jordan, Shaun Robinson, Meagan Good, and Vivica Fox, to name just a few. Flat Out of Heels recently appeared on the homepage of DSW.com and are scheduled to be featured on Zulilly in December.
Founded in 2011 by serial entrepreneur and inventor Dawn Dickson, Flat Out of Heels offers stylish, comfortable, and rollable flats to relieve women’s aching feet from hours of wearing heels. The machine-washable flats are compact enough to fit in a clutch purse but durable enough for daily wear and come rolled tightly in a disposable box with a shoe bag conveniently included with the purchase. The product is available online, in stores, and vending machines across the US.
Blake Martin constantly raises the bar for himself and although you might not know his name, if you’ve picked up VOGUE Magazine, shopped on ASOS or walked through Times Square, then you’ve most definitely seen his work. While his career path was a bit unconventional, the entrepreneur has carved a niche in the fashion industry; and has now become the new “IT” guy in the world of fashion photography.
Over the last decade, Blake Martin has proved himself to be a pioneer in the world of fashion show production. However- along with the majority of the rest of the world- Blake found himself unemployed when Coronavirus ended all live events, including his biggest source of income- New York Fashion Week.
Instead of allowing the pandemic to land him in depression and uncertainty, Blake committed himself to a new hobby, photography. “Photography was supposed to be something just to pass the time until the pandemic was over and we were able to get back to our normal lives,” Blake states. “But it was with that very first push of the camera that I knew something in me and changed forever.”
Blake produced his very first fashion photo shoot on May 2, 2020 at Him Over There Studios. “I called my friend Kevin and said ‘I bought a camera and I have no idea what I’m doing. But I’m coming to the studio with models and I need help,’ and we did just that. He helped me understand the basics of lighting and he pushed me out there. My very shoot featured 4 models and a 6-foot ball python snake. I look back and wonder, who did I think I was?” *he laughs* “But it was an amazing moment for me. I had all the skills to produce a successful photoshoot but this was my first time with the actual camera in my hand.” The skillset he references is a 10-year successful career as a fashion creative director, stylist and model coach. In his tenue, Blake has produced fashion shows, photo shoots, and content for brands such as NIKE, Timberland, Gucci, Llewellyn, Omari’s Closet, Under Armour, ADIDAS, and has produced a 32-city tour in China. The guy knows this business-inside and out.
“Transitioning to photography was extremely scary but also (on many levels) made sense for me. Just felt like the next thing to take my career in fashion to the next step.” Since starting his journey within photography, this freshman has QUICKLY become the professor. To date, Blake’s photography has been featured on the pages of VOGUE Magazine, GQ Magazine, over 54 other magazine covers, and has went viral several times being reshared by Erica Campbell of Mary Mary, 50 Cent, CANON, Nigel Barker, and even White House Staff. In addition, Blake has become the international creative director of Paris based publication, MALVIE magazine and has become the first photographer of color from Chicago-in history- to have his photography shown on a billboard on Broadway in Times Square- a feat most photographers work their entire career for.
Most recently, Blake has begun a photography residency and partnership with Midnight Cinema Studios in Chicago, Illinois and has become editor in chief of his own publication, BEZEL Magazine- which has already featured celebrities such as Willie Taylor of Day 26, Anthony Miller of the Chicago Bears, and supermodels Brianne Pearson, Harper Anthony and upcoming, Wendell Lissimore.
“I’m just so humbled by all of this. It’s overwhelming, exciting, and scary all at the same. But I’m happy and humbled. I thank all of those amazing photographers who answered all my annoying questions and all the models who believed in me even when they had no reason to. I take none of it for granted. But if I am being honest, this is all God. He is the creator of all of this and he is my guiding light. He’s placed me here and it’s because I know this is his journey for me, I accept it and plan to conquer everything imaginable.”
With all his accomplishments, on top of degrees from prestigious HBCUs and training completed at HARVARD Business School, there is no doubt that this man of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Is set to take over the world- VERY SOON. This icon will soon be a legend.
After breaking the internet in her floral L.O.C.A dress, City Girl JT gave us yet another birthday look and this time she kept it cozy and chic.
JT was spotted wearing a Helmut Land Shearling Coat and Norma Kamala Slinky to Knee Dress paired with Bottege Veneta’s Chain Cassette Bag and Mesh Square Toe Pumps.
Shop her look:
Is JT becoming another fashion “it” girl? What say you?
Cardi B Looked luxe as she posed for Instagram wearing a $150 ‘CoCo Sheer Mesh’ dress by Mahjing Wong. The chocolate colored dress is long sleeved and has stitching which creates a subtle yet bold pattern.
Cocktail parties with a dress code are so common nowadays. But not many of us have a straight idea about what this means.
What is meant by ‘cocktail attire’? For “LIT” parties and other semi-formal events, you can wear cocktail dresses. Women generally wear shiny dresses with stilettos and flashy accessories to add the bling. You can experiment with different kinds of dresses, be innovative, and fun. The range of colors you can choose is wide, starting from gold to rose gold to scarlet red to bold turquoise, and more.
Now, turning heads at a cocktail party is not simply about knowing your wine and old fashioned cocktail syrup, but also about choosing appropriate apparel and accessories. If you need some ideas to set it rolling for you, then keep reading.
How to do your cocktail attire right?
You have every reason to wear that pretty footwear that is waiting in the corner of your shoe rack. The shinier, the better, but ensure that the shoes are comfortable so that you can walk with ease. After all, elegance gets the push when you feel confident. Go for shoes made of plush materials or are stone-studded.
Want to try a jumpsuit? Go to town! Let the plush fabric make you look exotic. You can play with bold colors and luxe fabric like silk or satin. Want to be a little more adventurous? Then try out animal printed jumpsuits that look absolutely out of the world. Team the ensemble with matching stilettos, a classy sling bag, and sparkly jewelry.
We all know that parties are fun, and with a cocktail party dress, you can fully show off the sexy side of your personality. Keep your options open when it comes to statement jewelry and fancy accessories. Get all dolled up and hit the party with confidence.
Wearing jeans or canvas sneakers for a cocktail party? Do you think it is appropriate? Yes, you love comfort, but a cocktail party is meant to show off your fancier side, right? So, avoid wearing jeans of any kind. If you are interested in wearing pants, then go for a pair of shimmer trousers or sparkly jumpsuits. You can team it up with a pair of dressy mules, and be at ease till the event lasts.
If you are not a handbag person, well, good enough, then carry a sling bag but not a backpack, pretty please! Carry a smaller bag to move freely at the party. You want the heads to turn but not because you look all messed up but because you look spectacular right? So, be poised and comfortable only then will you be able to enjoy the party and look your best.
To keep things straight, don’t go overboard with dressing up. Wearing anything too short or too revealing might be a little distasteful. Not that it matters, but you wouldn’t want people judging you for no reason at all. If your dress is a little short, you can use a pair of tights that go well with your skirt, and in case it is a dress that is too revealing, maybe consider adding a chic jacket that will look truly awe-inspiring.
Few pundits would’ve likely made the prediction that 2020 would be the year many mostly stopped caring what “celebrities” think about important issues. The year started off with a sympatric spotlight on celebrities. An outpouring of grief gripped the world following the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash on January 26th. Parts of America went into mourning – as did other places around the planet, in scenes reminiscent of the 2011 passing of Steve Jobs. News outlets touted Kobe’s global influence, noted his charitable works, as well as the controversies and scandals that were part of his life story. In January, you have been forgiven for thinking it would be a banner year for stars of all stripes. But life is famously unpredictable.
By April, geopolitical realities made the famous – and the infamous – largely irrelevant. It was around then the New York Times asked the question we really all should have been asking a while ago, “When Did We Start Taking Celebrities Seriously?” –Seriously. When and why? Insert-famous-pop-star-name-here may be a superb pop-star, but how are they experts on…well…anything other than music and perhaps fashion?
This year taught a good number of us that famous people’s opinions, in general, don’t often matter that much. What’s more, some of these luminaries aren’t very awesome or smart. And some aren’t even very nice human beings. Certain individuals especially stood out as dandy bad examples. The kindness and generosity of Ellen DeGeneres was mostly shown to be a façade and charade, offering a needed kick in the brain reminder that what you see on TV is literally, made for TV. How many other “philanthropists” or do-gooders are also privately less-than-roll models? –Probably quite a few!
Nearly everyone agreed with Kanye West’s self-proclaimed genius when he was releasing albums such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and other classics. Antics such as running for president, however, clearly demonstrated that he’s only a musical genius. (That said, Kanye took ninth place in the 2020 election with 60K votes, which is about 59,550 more than he deserved, based on his political skillset.) And Johnny Depp was determined by a court to have been abusive to his ex; news that came after several years of articles describing how this “sincere and serious” beloved actor is an immature, shallow egotist. Depp may not have been doing much acting when playing the character Jack Sparrow. Vice Magazine added a few more examples, citing “Virgil Abloh donating US$50 to a Black Lives Matters protesters’ bail fund, despite a net worth of US$20 million, and Kim Kardashian posting about “humbly being reminded of how privileged her life is” at her 40th, from a secret location on a private island.”
In fact, perhaps the only segment of the entertainment industry that retained some of its power was comedy. People like Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais and others were never “nice” and never pretended to want to heal the world. Today, for some they are close to modern-day prophets; wise ones who don’t do BS and are rewarded for it with trust and affection.
This isn’t to say celebrities can’t have ideas, thoughts, causes or crusades – they can and they do, but now when we hear someone like J.K Rowling pontificate on transexuals, the fact that she’s Harry Potter’s mommy doesn’t factor into how we react. And it never should have. You could well know as much or more about transexuals as J.K. Rowling. You likely know as much about vaccines as Jessica Biel, and any parent knows as much about parenting as Jenny McCarthy. You probably don’t, however, know as much about drumming as Ringo Star, don’t understand character acting in the way Christian Bale does, and you almost certainly don’t and shouldn’t have the same intense knowledge of pyrotechnics that movie director Michael Bay does. And of course, if American restauranter, author, television personality and 2020 “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” winner David Chang has an opinion on food or becoming a millionaire…it’s probably best to listen to pretty much anything he has to say.
In short, as former U.S. president Barak Obama might have phrased it, 2020 was a “teaching moment.” Things have gotten out of hand over the last 20 years or so. Fame does not automatically equal knowledge and image does not equate with truth. Celebrates of all kinds are obviously entitled to an opinion about anything and everything. As are you. But unless you’ve done extensive homework in the mold of writer and columnist Tom Friedman or spent serious time in the field in the way CNN’s Christiane Amanpour has, your feelings come with major “grains of salt.” George Clooney or Angelia Jolie very likely have more informed opinions about refugee camps than the average bloke; as they visit them with some frequency. But if Mr. Clooney or Ms. Jolie have an opinion on, say, enlarging the Supreme Court, we should and must simply nod and absorb their views, without tacking on any additional heft owing to the fact that they are gorgeous and their names are often in lights.
