Celebrities Attend the Ecovvear Fashion Show in Malibu

On Saturday celebrities and influencers came out to Malibu to support the Ecovvear fashion show held at the historic Marwan estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The exciting event was hosted by the International Justice Alliance and featured speakers and celebrities who spoke out about important social issues. Actress and influencer Dara Renee hosted the fashion show and spoke about the importance of using fashion to make a statement. The show featured designs from India, and a special collection called the "Walk for Freedom" in support of reforms for wrongful convictions which was a featured topic at the event. The show held poolside at the beautiful Marwan estate was a hit with the crowd and featured a variety of looks that were all ethically designed and conscious of the environment. I spoke to some of the celebrities in attendance on the red carpet about the importance of sustainable fashion including Caitlin O'Connor, Dara Renee, Paris Bravo, Addison Brian, and more! Check out the video below to see their red carpet looks featuring vintage fashion! 

 

Video: All the Stagecoach Style You Missed This Year

 Festival fashion is back and this year at Stagecoach artists came out rocking their best country style. Check out the video below to see all the fits from the weekend party in the desert! 

Stagecoach Day 3 Recap

On day 3 the festival came to a close with a rockstar lineup of more fan favorites as well as more fun surprises throughout the day such as Luke Combs special appearance at the Stagecoach Smokehouse, the SHE IN pop up karaoke bar, and more! 

Despite rising temperatures on Sunday energy was still running high in anticipation of Luke Combs closing night performance. Throughout the weekend the general consensus among artists was the feeling of gratitude and excitement over the return of live music. For many who had originally been scheduled to perform at Stagecoach 2020 and 2021, this was the end of a long road and the beginning of a new chapter.

Jesse Labelle who has been "On the Road to Stagecoach" for a few weeks now spoke to me before his show opening up the festival on Sunday. He described his journey doing several events as he traveled across the country for his first ever Stagecoach performance. He also talked about how the pandemic has inspired his music and more! Check out our interview below for more. 

Lainey Wilson took the stage next giving a rockin "Bell Bottom Country" performance singing her radio hit "Things a Man Oughta Know" to fans who showed up in big numbers for her show. Check out my interview with the singer to find out what "bell bottom country" means and see her wild vintage inspired outfit for the festival. 

Callista Clark another fan of vintage fashion also performed at the festival on the SiriusXM spotlight stage. She took me behind the scenes of her festival outfit and personal style in our exclusive interview after her show. Watch more here! 

 

 Lindsay Ell, who gave the first performance of the night on the main stage, debuted her new song “Right on Time”. Inspired by her experiences on the road and the unexpected delays caused by the pandemic, the song is a reminder that anyone can be the author of their own story and decide the timing of their own life. The singer gave a fun filled performance and keeping with the theme of the weekend brought a special guest of her own out. Cheat Codes came out to sing with her and doused the crowd with supersoakers! Check out my interview with the pop country star to hear about her new neon inspired look, her newest project as host of Canada's Got Talent and more!  

Finally, Luke Combs shut down the show with a set of back-to-back hits including crowd favorite “Beer Never Broke My Heart”. While it was the end of Stagecoach 2022 it was the beginning of the return of festival season. Fans were more than ready for this long-anticipated return of California’s largest country music festival and stayed until the last minutes of the show soaking it all in.

Stagecoach Day 1 Recap

Stagecoach music festival returned in style after a 3-year break due to Covid. This year the festival kicked off with a lineup of up and coming country stars as well as major headliners that drew a huge crowd. The festival also included several fun brand activations for guests and unique experiences for country fans such as the Bud Light Seltzer sessions, Guy Fieri's Stagecoach smokehouse demos with artists, Angry Orchard's clubhouse with $1 samples, and the Malibu dreamhouse filled with tropical drinks to beat the desert heat.  In between sets, festival-goers enjoyed the return of many Stagecoach traditions such as gathering collectible bandanas and posters from the Toyota Music Den which has been a festival staple since the very first Stagecoach in 2007. Collectors display posters from each year in the RV campground and even after the hiatus fans continued the tradition. 

First, the day kicked off with new artist Ryan Griffin on the SiriusXM spotlight stage who brought his Florida inspired coastal country jams to the stage as guests got into the party mood. Check out my exclusive interview with the up and coming artist here to discover how his love for the beach inspired his latest music.

   

Following Griffin, the festival fans who arrived early in the day were treated to a fun and inspiring performance by Walker County a sister duo from Nashville that has been making their name in country with their strong vocals and trendy music. I got to get a behind the scenes peek at the Walker County performance including their sparkly glam show looks. Check out the interview here. 

 

 Maren Morris who opened for Thomas Rhett, also made an unexpected appearance when she came out early to sing a duet with husband Ryan Hurd during his set. The adorable pair gave a sweet performance that the crowd loved. Finally the crowd went wild for headliner Thomas Rhett who gave the audience a surprise when Ashton Kutcher came onstage to sing 90s country classic “Friends in Low Places”. 

As the festival lights came on and the sun set over the iconic ferris wheel it was clear Stagecoach weekend was back in full swing! 

Stagecoach Day 2 Recap

The second day of the festival was jam packed as events picked up and more guests arrived for the weekend. The day started off with an exclusive BBQ by the pool hosted by producer Leslie Greif and John Meglen as industry execs mingled and pre-partied before another day of great music. Up and coming artist Drake Milligan attended the event and I got an exclusive interview with the singer who had just performed at the Nikki Lane Horseshoe stage on day 1. Check out the video here to find out who his favorite day 2 bands were and more! 

 

 After the party, the festival grounds began to fill up as fans staked out their spot for the big performance of the night featuring Carrie Underwood. The country mega star definitely brought a theme of girl power to the weekend and guests showed up in their best country glam wearing rhinestone boots, hats and more. 

Caylee Hammack, who performed on the Sirius XM spotlight stage, even wore a custom Daniel Diamond denim jacket with bedazzled fringe saying, “I wore denim and rhinestones for the show tonight!” referencing Underwood’s new song “Denim and Rhinestones”. Check out the full look and more in my backstage interview with her here.

 

 Lee Brice and Brothers Osborne warmed up the crowd with high-energy performances before Carrie Underwood stepped out to close down the show. Then the country megastar made a glittering statement stepping out in a rhinestone-encrusted denim jacket, matching rhinestone shorts, and pink bedazzled boots saying, “I practice what I preach” before launching into the performance of her new love song “Denim and Rhinestones”. She gave an unforgettable performance with 4 costume changes and a surprise special guest of her own. The singer told the crowd, “Welcome to the greatest night of my life!” as Axl Rose, lead singer for Guns N Roses came out to perform the classic hit “Sweet Child O’ Mine” with her. This was a bucket list moment for the singer as well as the audience as Underwood has always been a fan of the band and often covers their songs in her concerts. 

Later on that night fans were still ready to party and filled up the Honky Tonk tent hosted by DJ Bad Ash who mixed up her signature sets full of pop country and edm. For those that decided to stay and dance the night away they were treated to a special live performance of her latest song "Momma I Know You Tried". Check out my interview with her below to hear the inspiration for the song and see her festival style! 

The Daily Front Row Presents 6th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards

 

This year the Daily Front Row is bringing back the Fashion Los Angeles with a show line up filled with some of the most stylish celebs. Derek Blasberg will Emcee the ceremony. Presenters include A-listers such as Christina Aguilera, Zoey Deutch, Megan Fox, Tiffany Haddish, Kendall Jenner, Kris Jenner, Machine Gun Kelly, and Brie Larson. The awards will honor several innovative designers and artists who have ties to Los Angeles including Brandon Maxwell (Designer of the Year), Russell James (Lifetime Achievement), Elizabeth Stewart (Fashion Visionary), Barbie (Fashion Influencer), Michael Fisher (Men’s Stylist), Etienne Ortega (Makeup Artist of the Year), Maeve Reilly (Style Curator), Bryce Scarlett (Hair Artist of the Year), Paris Hilton (Fashion Entrepreneur) and Adam Ballheim (Music Stylist of the Year). 

The awards will be held at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel and I'm sure there will be some amazing fashion statements from celebrity guests! 

UnWord BoardGame Launches in Style

Leading up to Oscars weekend the creator of the popular Unword App Ryan Glen launched the new and improved UnWord Board game on Thursday night. Celebs including Kathy Kolla, Amarachi Odinma, Claudia Jordan and more showed up to support the launch. 

The night kicked off with some glamourous fashion on the red carpet and guests came out ready to enjoy game night in style. Guests were also treated to a musical performance by Brian McKnight Jr. who debuted some new songs from his upcoming release. There was delicious food and drinks as well so everyone had a great time mingling in the warm LA weather. Then it was time to start the game. Guests got to participate in the first ever gameshow version of the UnWord game and the live audience was able to play along with contestants! The momentous event had everyone laughing and brought out the competitive spirit in many party goers as audience members and contestants competed to come up with the most words of the night and win the $1200 giftcard.

The Unword board game is now available for sale and is fun for the whole family! It was a great way to start off Oscars weekend with a night full of fun challenges! 

The Griot Gala Oscars AfterParty

On Sunday night celebrities came out in style to celebrate entertainment's biggest night at the Griot Gala Oscar's afterparty. This year the Gala honored Diversity and Inclusion in the film and entertainment industry and Cedric the Entertainer hosted the event celebrating nominees award-winning stage, television, and film actress Phylicia Rashad, revered for her portrayal of Claire Huxtable on the Cosby Show, Cheech & Chong’s Cheech Marin, and the Have & Have Nots Reneé  Lawless. The theme for the night was elegant Parisian splendor with a nod toward Moulin Rouge created by Dwight Eubanks & Annette Bibby Oliver/Dreamhouse MBG. The night kicked off with red carpet arrivals from post-academy awards ceremony celebs. who all came dressed in their best awards-worthy styles. Sparkles, mermaid silhouettes and artistic designs were all trends from the night. I interviewed celebrities such as comedian Cheech Marin, Layla Crawford, Sabrina Lewis Miss California USA, Jabari Banks who plays Will on the Bel Air reboot, and more to get the scoop on their red carpet looks. The House of Stars fashion house designer walked the red carpets with several of the stars and models wearing his looks for the night including this amazing red creation worn by a supermodel. 

After the red carpets guests headed inside the BOA steakhouse restaurant to enjoy food and complimentary drinks from Beam Suntory/Courvoisier. There was also a DJ with music and dancing for a celebratory night! Check out more of my red carpet style coverage on Instagram! 

NYFW Report Day 4: Looking to the Future with Virtual Fashion

New York Fashion Week returned in person this season with a stellar lineup of fashion shows and presentations from new designers and household names alike. However, several major brands chose to remain virtual including Jonathan Simkhai, Alice and Olivia, and more. It seems this pandemic practicality is here to stay for the fashion world. At NYFW: The Talks a panel of experts explored what we can expect from virtual fashion shows, the metaverse, and more in the future. 

The panel held at Spring Studios included experts on the Metaverse, digital fashion design, fashion marketing, and Vogue Business Senior Innovation Editor Maghan McDowell. 

The panelists focused on the future of fashion in the metaverse and how designers and brands can continue to reach customers in an increasingly virtual world. One major theme the panelists covered was the virtual fashion show. While live streams and fashion films have been around for years, technical advances in the metaverse and the rapid digital adoption that occurred during Covid have given a new meaning to the term virtual fashion show. Now, audience members can participate in virtual runway shows as if they were really there, using personalized avatars and even gaining special access to backstage footage. While virtual fashion shows allow people to participate from anywhere including the comfort of their own homes, it doesn't necessarily mean that the shows will be any less exclusive. For luxury brands, virtual fashion shows offer another avenue to provide a personalized experience for VIP customers around the world. Virtual fashion also provides for endless creativity and the panelists agreed that virtual shows are a great way to find out what fashion can look like when it is not confined by the laws of physics. Some exciting design possibilities could be in our future and as Maghan McDowell pointed out, we could even get to wear virtual fashion items while on Zoom! 

The panelists also discussed the future of how physical clothing items will integrate with virtual worlds. According to panelist John Lynden, CEO of Mythical Games, video games and virtual worlds offer the perfect environment for luxury brands to test out virtual pieces of fashion to an existing customer base. Panelist Umindi Francis CBO at Infinite World agreed that studying use cases and the success of exclusive digital merchandise in video games is a great way for brands to dip their foot into the future of digital commerce. According to the panelists, a future where every luxury purchase comes with a digital twin in the metaverse could be closer than we think. There are numerous benefits to this idea and panelist Daria Shapovalova and CEO of a virtual fashion store DressX pointed out that it would make verifying luxury items in the resale market fast, easy, and accurate. Perhaps more so than ever before. 

Some brands like Dior, have already begun to test out the virtual world partnering with video games to offer exclusive products while other luxury brands have partnered with young creators to inform on strategy. According to the panelists, the new perspectives have been energizing for everyone involved. According to Umindi Francis just as social media has become a key marketing strategy for fashion brands, a Web 3 strategy will be key in the future and a successful Web 3 strategy must include collaboration. 

Whether the metaverse was always an inevitable part of fashion's future or our post-pandemic world has created this opportunity one thing is clear: virtual fashion is here to stay. 

NYFW Ones to Watch: Colin Locascio AW22 Presentation

 The Colin Locascio presentation on the final day of NYFW may have been a quiet event compared to some of the more well known shows of the season but it was not one to miss! I am labeling this designer as one to watch as the style and skill in this breakout collection definitely stood out. 

Colin Locascio who is a new designer on the scene made his NYFW debut with a brightly colored Autumn Winter collection full of whimsical designs and surprising details. The designer may be new to having his own label but he has spent several years in the industry working for some of the top brands such as Marc Jacobs and designing custom pieces for celebrities including Kendall and Kylie, Bella Hadid, and more. His design background and experience showed through in this season's collection which had notes of Marc Jacobs artistic refinement mixed with loud celebrity style. The collection was described as designed for the outer-borough girls and pays homage to the designer's roots in Queens. 

The collection notes stated, "For AW22, we looked to our favorite Bridge and Tunnel gals from TV -- Adriana from the Sopranos, Betty Suarez from Ugly Betty, and of course Fran from the Nanny to name a few. Each character has her own defined style, and we were interested in mixing the sexy, the quirky, and the absurd. For AW22, we also leaned into a grittier approach to our RTW, referencing the bridge and tunnel teens in the South London Club Scene in the late 80’s early 90's. Key items are our patch worked vegan leather trench and bustier dress, our 3-D crushed velvet floral puffer and micro mini set, our tinsel eyelash knitwear, and our brand signature printed mesh with 3 original prints this season." 

My favorite piece was the 3-d crushed velvet floral puffer and micro mini skirt set.

 This piece incorporated so many trends for the Fall season including bright and unexpected colors, and the elements of whimsical 3-D tech inspired fashion. The idea of bringing creations from the virtual world to life seemed to be a common theme and this was one of my favorite representations. The collection also spoke to the sentiment of recovering from the pandemic and keeping the fun energy going even in the colder months. Another one of my favorite pieces was the puffer that featured fun vibrant prints and from afar looked like a typical streetwear piece but up close had a delicately bejeweled drawstring.

Little elegant details like that were everywhere in this collection giving the clothes a very Hollywood effortless cool touch. No doubt inspired by his work with celebrities a Colin Locascio piece will make any wearer feel like an A-lister. I can't wait to see what's next for this exciting brand! 

NYFW The Talks: The State of Fashion Journalism

On the fourth day of NYFW I attended the Fashion Journalism panel held at Spring Studios where several household names in fashion journalism came to speak on some of the historic moments and scandals in the fashion press over the years and the state of the industry today. Panelists Bridget Foley former editor of WWD, Lauren Sherman of Business of Fashion, Dr. Valerie Steele director and chief curator of the museum at FIT and Emil Wilbekin editor and founder of Native Son shared their thoughts on how things have changed during Covid, what TikTok means for fashion journalists, and more. After a whirlwind 2 years of historical events that have turned things upside down for many, journalism may look a bit different but these journalists are committed to continuing to report on all things fashion. 

Social media has been a huge part of the fashion industry for years now and like brands, fashion publications have embraced connecting with their audiences on these platforms. However, due to the accelerated digital adoption that happened during Covid lockdowns, more people than ever have joined social media and are embracing even the newest platforms like TikTok at rapid rates. #FashionTok as its known on the platform has become a worldwide community that encompasses every aspect of fashion from amateurs to legendary professionals. The community has also become known as somewhat of a counterculture with many prominent users sharing controversial opinions and going against the traditional norms of the industry. TikTokers such as Caroline Vazzana have been able to gain more success and recognition on the platform than through traditional jobs in fashion media. So how can traditional publications navigate this new space? 

Bridget Foley shared her thoughts on the platform saying, "I think people want to hear from their peers which TikTok is great for, but they also want to hear from those traditional authority figures whose opinions are informed by years of industry experience." 

The panelists echoed this outlook when discussing social media. Traditional fashion publications can take on the role of experts sharing opinions and verified stories readers know they can trust. While social media platforms like TikTok can serve as a place for people to hear the opinions of their peers and have more open conversations that aren't dominated by corporate fashion's interests. The panelists also discussed the unique phenomenon of TikTok fashion vloggers pointing out that they stand out among social media users as a group that truly cares about what they are talking about. 

The panelists also pointed out that the counterculture found in these communities could be a reaction to the consolidation of the fashion industry over the years. Bridget Foley shared that she had witnessed firsthand how the industry had transformed over the years into a corporate-driven environment. This shift has touched all areas of the industry including designers, consumers and of course journalists. One important effect the reorganization of the industry had was how we define what may be perceived as a scandal and how it is covered by the media. Panelists shared some of the major scandals they had covered throughout the years and discussed how those same scandals would be received if they had happened in the present day. Scandals like copyright issues, designers copying one another's work, and giving credit to independent artists have all been hot topics in recent years. The panelists pointed out that in today's fast-fashion economy copycats are not as scandalous as they once were and it can sometimes be impossible to trace back where an idea originated from. However, one of the more positive effects of social media is that it has now become easier for designers and brands to credit independent artists whose work they may have used by shouting them out on social media. In recent years it has become an expectation for big designers to give credit where it is due when using work from small independent artists whether it be in prints, graphics etc. 

The topic of fast fashion is also a controversial subject in the industry right now and the panelists addressed the fast-paced fashion calendar that has taken over in recent years. This has led to difficulty for designers to be new and create because we are constantly inundated with newness. With an "on to the next" attitude, it is hard to reflect on things that stand out which is a challenge fashion journalists must contend with when covering new products. The fashion industry is creativity on demand and many designers have compared the feeling to being on a treadmill year round and journalists have also had to change their working style to keep up with the new normal. But, after the world was put on pause for 2 years during the pandemic, the panelists concluded that there is hope for the future. Everyone agreed that there is an urge for change, for something new. And that there is no substitute for in person events. 

Another challenge fashion journalists face with the advent of social media is the blind enthusiasm that emerges from the 24/7 nature of these platforms. It can be difficult to publish negative opinions and still get eyes on a piece when you are going against the flow of the social media hype train according to the panelists. Does this make fashion a more forgiving industry than other creative professions? Designers are often not subject to some of the harsh criticisms that other creators may receive on a regular basis. The panelists pointed out that the industry media often does not need to be as critical since the general public is already so critical of fashion. However, journalists also face a challenge from bigger brands who may control the media. 

After attending this insightful panel looking back on the evolution of fashion journalism it has definitely changed my opinion on some of these controversies. Let me know what you think in the comments!