Watching my favorite a-diva on stage after my Thanksgiving celebration subsided and my steak, roast beef, rice, etc. (yum!) digested, I was like… Ok! She is definitely the baddest chick in the game! Hardest working as well. I think the only person that works harder is her costume designer:

Her creative advisor and costume designer for her “I Am… Yours” tour, Thierry Mugler, shut it down with crystal embellished leotards, shard shouldered jackets, sculpted hip detail, animal prints, and rhythm ready corset’s. Whether it’s the famous “Halo” wedding gown, sheer panel leotard with matching cut-out glove, or her flame burst, cheetah printed, red light bust bearing (what’s really good with that?) one-piece, she has just as much hits in the wardrobe sector as she does in the music sector.

I have pulled some “I Am… Yours” inspired looks for all my a-diva’s!

1. Pineapple Leopard Scoop Neck Body $50.99

2. ASOS BLACK Fitted Piped Gold & Black Jacquard Dress $144.48

3. Dune Jadore Double Diamante Bow Shoe  $168.27

4. Thakoon Disco Mirror Jacket $2,750

5. Julien Macdonald Gem Embellished Suede Jacket $7,565

Be inspired by the Thierry Mugler original’s with these items!

I always said “it’s not about who thought of it first, it’s about who did it first”. But in a world where everyone is doing the same [exact] thing, it is now a matter of who did it better. Now we all know Beyonce did the blonde thing first and foremost. She has stood by her Dark & Lovely shade of honey blonde and lace-fronts since the beginning of time. And while Rihanna bust on the scene doing the long light brown weave, people insisted on drawing comparisons to her idol Bey Sting. Then she went and cut it all off, went all black, and sharpened her swag. But she’s back lighting things up, going her lightest shade of blonde thus far.

Stepping into the Queen Bey’s hive, and bodying her classic swag, question is… who does the blonde bangs better? Honestly my money is on Rihanna for this one. The blonde hair suits her well.

Imagine stepping off the V train in the Lower East Side; the streets are crowded with people from all walks of life, uniting under one rhythm in funky, colorful 80’s gear that we all try so hard to revive (and forget). Well, that’s pretty much what “unusual” singing sensation Cyndi Lauper had in mind when she shot the video for her hit single “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” on the streets if NY in 1983:

It’s a party in the N-Y-C, and Cyndi Lauper brought out the best (& worst) of the 80’s. While hip-hop rocked rope chains, bamboo earrings, Adidas, and acid wash jeans, Pop’s bad girls did the “Molly Ringwald” dance in leg warmers, leotards, oversized off the shoulder sweaters, and stacked bangles. Oh, and you can’t ever forget the tutu! For this week’s “Vintage Video” my treat to you is the party anthem of the 80’s. Because, after all, girls just want to have fun! The times & style’s may change, but that won’t. I have chosen a select few items that have the aesthetic of this video, emphasis on aesthetic. Just the vibe, quite impossible to get the exact threads.

SKIRT: Exposed Zip Mesh Skirt $13.99

BRACELETS: Rock Chick Gold Wristwear Set $27.20

EARRINGS: Enamelled Fan Drop Earrings $13.60

DRESS: Mink Pink Floral Belted Shirt Dress $110.48

CHAIN BELT: Interwoven Satin Chain Belt $7.80

HAT: Wool Felt Fedora $10.80

GLOVES: Leather Tarnished Stud Fingerless Gloves $30.59

Whether it was inspired by one of Cyndi’s iconic dresses and accessories in this video, or one of her million many extra’s and dancers, the Queens native pretty much swallowed the 80’s and spit it out on the streets of Manhattan.

4 words: Shu Umera Essence Absolue! This little bottle of magic have been causing chaos in hair salons all across the country. Could it be that a product is finally delivering on its promise to, well, do as it says?

Shu Umera Art Of Hair launched the must-have hair product just two short weeks ago and it sold out in hair salons everywhere, and waiting lists are already being formed. Apparently it’s a magic elixir for dry hair — it intensely hydrates, adds shine, and makes hair healthier overall. Blah, blah, blah… that’s what they all say right? Well hair care professionals are saying it’s true! It’s all of the above and then some:

Daniel Jones, co-owner of Muse Salon in Alpharetta, GA says, “This product is incredible. Quite simply, there have been so many other products on the market that try to mimic what Essence Absolue does. This product makes for a perfect blow dry and closes the cuticle so your hair is left with a beautiful luster.”

According to Joseph Cozza, owner of Joseph Cozza Salon in San Francisco, “It is the one product that can control frizz, tame waves and add shine and volume to almost any hair type.”

And Bobby Cooper, founder of Bobby Cooper Salon in Indianapolis, IN says, “I love how sheer this product is on the hair. It really is the best product I have found to fill in the dry porous areas because it is so moisturizing.”

Trying to keep up with the influx of requests, Shu Uemura is trying to push production and get more product into salons and online by mid-December. You can add your name to the waiting list here to get in on the action, for a whopping $65. Sounds like it’s worth it if you’re serious about the care of your hair. You can find out more about the Shu Umera Art Of Hair collection here.

And no, Michelle Obama is not starring in the return-to-Broadway production of the iconic stage play, but she did look lovely in a [literally] dazzling sleeveless gold gown and shawl designed by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan, who also designed the costumes for the 2006 movie “Dreamgirls”:

Her & presidential husband Barack Obama welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Mrs. Gursharan Kaur for the first official state dinner on Tuesday night:

Here’s what the fabulous First Lady had to say about the first State Dinner, and the overall importance of having them:

“The states visits and dinners are a really important part of our nation’s diplomacy. Throughout history they’ve given US presidents and the American people the opportunity to make important milestones in foreign relations. So these dinners and events are really critical to what we do internationally. And they’ve helped build stronger ties with nations as well as people around the world.  That’s what President Obama and Prime Minister Singh are doing today.”

She also invited 17 high school girls that she mentor to the exclusive dinner, so that they can get a feel of something they see as “untouchable”. Oh, how I hope to be as gracious, warm, inviting, and inspiring as she when I grow up. *admires from afar*

You can check out designer Naeem Khan here.

Crossing over from R&B to pop/techno (was she ever really R&B?)? Check. Cutting off all her hair, going from a bob to a crop? Check. Dressing crazy and rocking unheard of designers? Check. Using rock beats and slaying them with technically R&B vocals? Check. Since 1999 (when her Kaleidoscope album dropped) Kelis‘ style and sound has become synonymous with outright rebellion, edge, and color crazy. Her anomalous sense of fashion caught the attention of spectators and skeptics alike. No matter which side of the fence you were on, you couldn’t help but watch:

Whether her hair was big & curly, with every color of the rainbow, or whether it was the post-”Bossy” short cut, ranging in an assortment of colors, she was always 12 steps ahead of the game:

Can’t think of any Hollywood chickadee that has fearlessly toyed with as many looks as she has. Serving us her fair share of “WTF?!” moments, you have to respect her truculent unwillingness to not conform to what was of the moment or made good business sense at the time. And as far as her style game goes, everything Rihanna is, Kelis was first.

Whether it’s the exposed bra, the caged look, funky architecutre, mixing & matching fabrics, or layering colors that normally don’t go, her style has always been unapolegetically bold and eccentric. Being in a league of her own has been a good and a bad thing for the bad ass rockstar, IMO, Kelis was way ahead of her time. Everything that is being done, the type of music that is topping the charts, Kelis was always making (in collaboration with The Neptunes of course). She was swirving in & out of lanes while everyone was impatiently honking their horn, trying to get her slow down and look long enough so they could point her in a one-way lane. She wasn’t having it.

Kelis is one of the only people I credit for originality. In  a world where A&R exec’s, air tight PR teams and over-paid glam squad’s dictate who you are, how you look and how you conduct yourself, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle and buffle, and everything you promised yourself you would never do, you’re doing. Despite sub-par record sales, and pressure from her label(s) to do what black girls at the time were doing (R&B with a splash of Pop), she continued to be Kelis Rogers- born and raised in Harlem, never gon’ change.

So in celebration of her new single that she just dropped, “Acapella”, here’s an air toast to the original bad b*tch! Glad to have you back! You can check out her new single “Acapella” on her official site or here on YouTube, if her site link doesn’t work [that site has went down due to too much incoming traffic].

Before you, my whole life was acapella/now a symphony is the only song to sing

Before there was the sky-rocket rise of Kim Kardashian, there was only one other young lady that rose to the top of the socialite food chain that quickly: Genevieve Jones. Dubbed as the ‘black’ Paris Hilton, Genevieve frequents the front row at shows like Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs, and Proenza Schouler, and struts the red carpet for events that some of Hollywood’s featherweight’s can’t even get an invite to:

The only difference between her and the over-exposed Hilton sister? She actually works for her money, designing a line of intricate and attention grabbing accessories that has been featured in magazines such as Elle & Vogue, and worn by celebs like Penelope Cruz, Kate Moss & Kim Kardashian:

Marc Jacobs is wearing the “Wishing Safety Pin” earring

Grace Silver Fringe Bag

Kate Fringe Bag [Kate Moss' namesake and favorite bag]

Shagreen Envelope Clutch

Tree Bucket Bag

Bird Bracelet

Mount Cristo Rey Charm Rings

Wishing Safety Pin Earrings

Vertebrae Cuffs

Genevieve’s great eye to detail, and visionary approach to design is making her an accessories force to be reckoned with. This it girl has proven she’s more than just a socialite turned designer, exploiting the title in an effort to stay relevant and stave of questions “what does she do?”. She is a designer– a real one. And a damn good one I might add! You can check out the Genevieve Jones site for more details about the line.

This laser shoulder detail is the hottest on-stage costume ever! Ever!

When I saw Rihanna’s performance at the AMA’s Sunday night, I thought “hmm, something looks familiar”, then I brushed it off, continued to enjoy the performance, got up the following morning and browsed the web:

LOW & BEHOLD, the fly folks over at Stuff Fly People Like pointed out that she was tapping into her “Fifth Element”. Why of course! Rihanna’s look was totally pulled from the 1997 flick about the future (supposedly year 2259, when cars fly & subway’s run vertically), tapping into the created character, recreated from the fifth element and dubbed as “the perfect being”, Leeloo, played by Milla Jovovich.

The original costume was created by French powerhouse, Jean-Paul Gaultier, who created 954 costumes for the science fantasy film. The “Leeloo” look has become extremely popular over the years, with many people rocking it for Halloween:

Hmm… I think I may be celebrating Halloween for the first time in a long time next year.

One of my style favorites, Kim Kardashian, rocked this white draped dress while hitting up the eBay Holiday Store in NYC Friday night, then rocked it again the very next day (gasp!) while out & about in Miami Beach:

She first rocked it [left] with a black tuxedo blazer, a quilted black Chanel clutch and open toe Camilla Skovgaard sandals. For the second look [right] she opted to go with the flow of the warm Miami breeze and rock the dress alone, a Genevieve Jones silver fringed handbag, and ankle booties. I personally love the first look, but…

When did she ROCK It?

Some time last week, Nicki Minaj hit the GQ Men Of The Year awards with her labelmate Drake, and both artists cleaned up nice. It was great seeing Drake in a suit (have we ever seen him in one before?), and it was especially great seeing the self-proclaimed black Hannah Montana in a dress:

The bandeau dress had a velvet bodice with sweetheart neckline, and sateen skirt. Loving the abstract fabric, and it hugged her body perfectly.

You can cop Nicki’s Theory Chanesa Dress for $325 on ShopBop. Or you can get the cheaper alternative

Bow Bandeau Zip Back Dress $33.99

Why drop $300+ on a dress, when it’s that simple? Honestly, it’s not worth it, unless you’re a big textile freak who believes fabric quality defines the dress. If it was of a more intricate design, then I would have said go for it. Go with the cheaper alternative.