Source: Courtesy Netflix / Courtesy Netflix “Styling Hollywood” Is A Netflix Classic Last month Netflix debuted “Styling Hollywood ,” an ultra chic, but proudly black docuseries, following the lives of Jason Bolden and Adair Curtis, an insanely talented couple who run the JSN Studios design company — where Bolden styles Hollywood celebs including Mindy Kaling, Ava Duvernay, Taraji P. Henson, Yara Shahidi, Storm Reid and a gang of other lovely leading ladies and Curtis oversees interior design projects for stars like Dulé Hill and Sanaa Lathan. Our Senior Director of Content Janeé Bolden binged the entire series the weekend it was released and sat down with the happy couple to discuss. Check out her interview below! Janeé Bolden: How you decided who to actually feature on the show?(Henson, Shahidi, Reid, Duvernay, Lathan and the Hills all make appearances, while some clients were mentioned via photos or video b-roll) Jason Bolden: It was the middle of the awards season and a lot of people were working or traveling, so a lot of it was the people who had a window of time and were available. Everything was happening in real time. Seeing Taraji the day of the Emmys was happening in real time. View this post on Instagram Mid sentence per use…Milano nights w/ my 1&Only + our @prada family A post shared by Adair Curtis (@adair_curtis) on Sep 18, 2019 at 12:37pm PDT Janeé: You guys are an African-American gay couple, not exactly what we see on TV much at all. How did that factor into you guys wanting to tell your story? Jason: Hashtag #DoubleBlack! Adair: In the beginning, and even up until we started doing press, it’s always in the back of your mind, you’re cognizant of it, that it is not often that you see yourself represented, or scenarios of people who look like you so much or have backgrounds like you, so much. So it was important to us to be portrayed in our truest form, in our truest light and to give audiences a glimpse of what our life is like. We’re just like everyone else. Janeé: Yes you are, but way more fabulous! Better access, better cars, way cuter dog, way more access to dope closets and interiors as well. All that aside, you’re both very busy… How did you make time for production? Video production is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a production… That part didn’t get frustrating at all? Adair: Yeah that part was hard. It was something we had to adjust to, because our work schedules are very hectic and we work around the clock. Sometimes I had to film by myself because Jason was working, he had to be on location somewhere or on a set with somebody or at a fitting. And then even vice versa. Jason had to film while I was at a site meeting or I may have been in meetings or designing … It was something we had to adjust to but the family just got used to it. Janeé: If you guys get to do another season, and I hope you do, will we get to see more of your job Adair? I feel like the Hill house took up the bulk of the season in terms of what we saw of your work. We saw Sanaa’s Air BnB, we saw you furniture shopping with Gabrielle Union, but outside of that we saw a lot of Jason during awards season. Adair: Yeah it’s hard to please everybody the crazy thing, or the factual thing about interiors is that things take a long time. Renovations take a long time. While Jason could outfit someone quickly and you can get this on film quickly, we can start a renovation in December and not finish until the next December and when you have a window to fit something in that’s what you do. If we get a second season. we will show the interior work, because Jason is involved in that too and you don’t get to see that so much. Our dynamic of how we work together on interiors. I’m hoping we get to show more of that too. Hit the flip to continue.
Source: #ScoopStyle x Walmart / Courtesy of Walmart Fashionistas everywhere were devastated when New York brand ‘Scoop’ closed it’s doors. The iconic brand was beloved by celebrities and their boutiques were known for housing up and coming brands. Well, Scoop is back and re-entering the market in an interesting way. The brand is partnering with Walmart for their relaunch and will now be able to reach a larger audience with their affordable prices. The boutique turned brand has launched a 100-piece private label collection with Walmart where everything is affordable. A graphic t-shirt will run you about $15.00 while the collection tops out at a teddy bear coat running you $65.00. Via press release, Walmart’s Head of Fashion, Denise Incandela, stated, “I’m thrilled to announce we’re helping customers build ‘The Ultimate Closet’ with the exclusive relaunch of Scoop as Walmart’s private brand for fashion-forward customers.” Walmart worked closely with Scoop founder Stefani Greenfield and the collection is forward thinking. There are elements like being animal friendly by incorporating certified vegan leather and faux fur. There are on trend elements like animal print and camouflage and they even knocked off the Jacquemus Le Chiquiti Bag, creating affordable and acccessible fashion. The collection has clothing that will be great to add to your work wardrobe as well as your after 5 wardrobe but the accessories are personally what stood out to me. I attended the launch event for the brand and had the opportunity to see an array of influencers wearing the brand. Unfortunately, there were not any plus size women wearing the clothes, which to me was a major miss. I’d love to see how these clothes look on plus size women, especially since according to Plunkett Research , 68% percent of American women wear a size 14 or above. With over a 100 pieces of clothing being a lot to sift through, I’ve rounded up my top picks from the collection. Keep clicking to check them out!
Source: Victor Boyko / Getty Another Twenty88 Album Is Reportedly In The Works Big Sean and Jhene Aiko’s relationship is confusing, to say the least. The two have been collaborating on music for years now, but they released their first collaboration album under their name Twenty88 back in 2016. Though rumors were flowing before that, this is the same year they went public with their romantic relationship, as well. Things got so serious that Jhene got Sean’s face tattooed on her, but fans started to suspect that they broke up once she got it covered about a year later in 2018. Their break-up wasn’t confirmed by either of them until more recently, as Jhene released a freestyle about Sean titled, “Triggered” and Sean followed that up with a single aptly titled, “Single Again.” Though this is about as much confirmation as someone needs to know these two are broken up, things got even more confusing once fans realized Jhene was the one singing on her ex’s song about being single. This suggests that the two are still good friends post-break-up and want to put their personal feelings aside to keep their working relationship alive–which Sean seems to have confirmed on Friday. Once again causing some confusion on the status of their rollercoaster of a relationship, the two were seen having lunch together at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills on September 13. Though they reportedly dined together, they left separately, and paparazzi caught Sean as he was driving away. When The Hollywood Fix asks Sean if another Twenty88 album is coming, the rapper smiles and gives a big nod. See his confirmation of new music with Jhene for yourself:
Source: Jared Wickerham / Getty Twitter Drags NFL Reject Tim Tebow Over Comments On Paying College Athletes College sports have preyed on underprivileged kids and their families since the beginning of time. Mainly African American kids, under the guise that if they can get to college, do good on the field, and stay out of trouble ,they’ll get to the NFL and make enough money to support their family for eternity. It’s no secret that the money aspect and providing for their family is the main driver of these kids playing college sports. LeBron James and his Undisputed platform have been some of the most vocal on how young adults playing sports in college should be paid for all the money they’re generating. When in college, kids cant receive money based on their skills, name, or likeness, per the NCAA rules. Thanks to LeBron and his platform, all eyes were on California recently as they voted on a bill to allow college players to profit . The bill passed in a unanimous vote of 72-0, stunning everyone. While everyone with common sense is happy that these children now have the opportunity to get paid for their hard work, there is one person not on the NCAA payroll saying differently. . @TimTebow passionately expresses his thoughts on the California Senate passing a bill allowing student-athletes to have endorsements. pic.twitter.com/W5uBW7ePNm — First Take (@FirstTake) September 13, 2019 Failed NFL quarterback Tim Tebow went on ESPN’s First Take to give a white privileged opinion. Tim expresses that he never wanted to be paid in college because it was only about his family members’ favorite college team winning. This might have been the worst take ever on live TV. He is essentially endorsing slavery and is 100% unaware that he’s doing so. Fortunately, Twitter wasted no time ripping him a new one and you can check out all of the damage below. Go on national TV endorsing slavery https://t.co/L08aofRGBf — Jason Maples (@JJMaples55_MST) September 14, 2019 You trippin Tim Tebow https://t.co/zYWyI51IEo pic.twitter.com/OFRc4DZINI — Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 13, 2019 Tim Tebow look at this birth certificate….these are reasons why these athletes should be getting paid.. I walk and talk for the ones who look like me…. pic.twitter.com/mn678HRMhn — Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 13, 2019 It's also not fair to imply that wanting to be paid for your likeness, means you're a selfish person. — Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) September 13, 2019 I've known 5 college athletes who were homeless at some point prior to college. I learned from Tim Tebow today that those kids, and all like them, would be selfish for taking a small percentage of the billions of dollars earned off their talents. — Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) September 14, 2019 Tim Tebow out here talking about how college athletes shouldn’t get paid when his parents could afford to send him beer money and he still never got laid — lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) September 14, 2019 Tim Tebow stop with the BS. Nobody trying to hear that when you got College coaches making 9-10 million a year for a decade and Universities making Millions of players! #Paytheathletes — Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) September 13, 2019 A couple of things the Tim Tebow story has showed me. A lot of people love capitalism except when it applies to 18-22 yr olds And some are really worried about “how would it even work?!?!” As if schools haven’t figured out how to build spaceships in their athletic depts. — Robert Flores (@RoFlo) September 14, 2019 Just in case anyone is curious, this is what “privilege” sounds like. I guarantee @TimTebow never missed a meal growing up because his parents didn’t have the means, nor does he understand what having to help your mother pay bills so the lights stay on feels like. https://t.co/lpOMu2RqMG — David Mulugheta (@DavidMulugheta) September 13, 2019 A separate point: the only reason Tim Tebow is employed right now is because of his college reputation. Tebow is, quite literally, making money off his college likeness — Jordan Zirm (@clevezirm) September 13, 2019 Florida sold roughly 35,000 Tim Tebow No. 15 jerseys. The royalty for Tebow on those jerseys, if he were able to split it with the school would have been around $50,000. pic.twitter.com/6pMyhohDAH — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 13, 2019 This Tebow slander on the TL is so important. Thank you all. —
At the end of August, Alaskan Bush People star Bear Brown got engaged to Raiven Adams . Congratulations were in order! But two weeks later, the couple broke off their engagement , deciding to instead remain best friends. That was just days ago. Now, Bear and Raiven have a new announcement: they’re expecting their first child! Bear Brown spoke to People to share the surprising news. “Raiven and I are excited to share we’re expecting a baby this spring!” Bear gushes. He does acknowledge that Raiven is no longer slated to rule by his side as the Queen of Extreme. “Even though we’re no longer together,” Bear explains. “We’re still friends” “And,” he emphasizes. “Dedicated to raising a healthy and happy child.” “Raiven will be an amazing mom,” Bear raves about his hot model ex-fiancee. He makes a firm vow: “and I will work my hardest to be the best dad I can be!” “Family is everything to me,” Bear affirms. “And,” he expresses. “We appreciate everyone’s support as we figure out our new normal.” Raising a baby with your ex fiancee who is now your best friend is no joke. And who knows what their status will be when Raiven gives birth. Raiven also spoke to People about the surprise. “We’re still in an early stage,” Raiven revealed. “But,” she noted. “We’ve talked a lot about how to make this work and prioritize the baby.” Raiven expresses optimism: “We know the strength of our friendship and support of our families will allow us to raise a happy child.” While she is looking forward to the future, she is already feeling the full force of the pregnancy. “Pregnancy is no joke!” Raiven reminds the world. “I’m not sleeping much,” she laments. “And I’m pretty sick but still feeling very blessed.” Raiven says that she and Bear are eager to learn what sorts of genitals their baby will have “as soon as we can.” But Raiven would still “be thrilled with a boy or girl.” Raiven also made the announcement on Instagram. “Quickly after deciding friendship was best for us!” Raiven begins. “We found out we had a little surprise coming our way.” “After a quick engagement,” she reminds followers. “Because we felt that was the right thing to do.” “We talked about things,” Raiven shares. “And ultimately decided being co parents was best for us as well as our baby.” “We are super excited,” she expresses. “And surprised to announce this especially due to current events.” “We are excited to coparent as friends,” Raiven writes. “And,” she adds, to “do our best to be the best we can be.” “We can’t wait to find out the gender!” she notes. “Being in the earlier stages means a lot of sick and sleepless nights.” “Thats okay,” Raiven concludes, suddenly speaking to her unborn child. “Because you are for sure worth it!” Some would consider this a very early time to announce a pregnancy. Early pregnancies can be very fragile. But given that their engagement ended earlier this week, perhaps they figured that it was best to get it all out into the open now . Congratulations! View Slideshow: Alaskan Bush People: 13 Secrets They Don’t Want You to Know
Source: Gregg DeGuire / Getty OWN Renews Queen Sugar For Fifth Season Good news for Queen Sugar fans. OWN has officially renewed the hit series for a fifth season! Starring an ever talented cast that includes Rutina Wesley, Kofi Siriboe, Bianca Lawson, Tina Lifford and more, Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed dram a is a complex, exhilarating portrayal of African American family in the Deep South. The cast and crew have already won two NAACP Image Awards — Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series — and if we know Ava like we think we know Ava, the drama is only going to get realer and more enticing from here. “Every character feels like family. Our own. I am excited to see what Ava has unfolding next for the Bordelons,” Oprah Winfrey said via press release. Ava is also excited, adding… “I’m thrilled to further explore the beauty, pain and triumph of this African-American family, with hopes that their story will continue to resonate with audiences who see themselves in the Bordelons. It’s a real honor to create this work with Warner Horizon and OWN as their support is rock-solid and wonderful.” Tina Perry, President at OWN, said she’s inspired by Ava’s work and commitment to inclusivity. “Ava’s vision for Queen Sugar is one of inspired storytelling, and her execution of that vision has given us a remarkable series that makes us so proud,” she said. “Her leadership and creative spirit – including the commitment to exclusively hire female directors and establish an inclusive crew – is unprecedented and evident throughout each episode of this beautiful series. We are grateful to Ava and her entire team of talented writers, producers, cast and crew and look forward to another season.” Stay tuned. Season 5 is set to air in 2020.
Source: @MarioShotMe / @MarioShotMe Zippora Lewis first came on my radar in 2014. By then, I had already been pole dancing since 2012 so I was deeply immersed in the world of aerial and thought I had seen it all. However, I saw Zippora perform at a showcase in Atlanta and instantly fell in love with the Baltimore native. She was muscular, flexible, and feminine, three contradictory concepts that were all well-presented in one petite body. She had the entire crowd mesmerized with a sexy, bendy, cool performance to FKA Twig’s “Two Weeks.” I have been following her journey ever since, never not amazed by what her body can do whether it’s on the pole, lyra , or even floorwork. Zippora has taught pole, competed and performed in many performances since my first introduction to her. She has also been a stunt double for Anika Noni Rose in BET’s The Quad , recently appeared on an aerial lollipop in Lil Baby’s “Pure Cocaine,” and she did stunt double work in the upcoming Starz series, P-Valley. Yes, pole stunt doubles are a thing! The nuances of the pole world are a lot more complex than people like to believe. Zippora, in addition to her athletic life, has a thriving career in fashion. The Atlanta resident is a technical designer by trade, which means she works with factories and tells them how to create garments for mass production (yes, this skill does come in handy for her own costumes). Her resume includes Under Armour, as well as fitting athletes for the Olympics. Your girl ain’t no joke! And on top of all of that, she is as sweet as it gets! I have had the pleasure of taking classes taught by her and having had conversations about how she gets so bendy and fit because everyone always wants to know how she got such a strong, banging body! The most interesting part about this is, she doesn’t work out as much as people might think. Zippora says It’s about diet and learning about epigenetics. I caught up with the busy athlete to chat about how she fell in love with pole, what it’s like to work as a stunt double in this vein, and how anyone can transform their body. View this post on Instagram Long training day. Flexibility, Pole, Endurance and strength. #5hours #exhausted When I have the time and energy I like to keep it basic but push myself past my limit to continue to build strength and mental and physical endurance. I just like to keep it moving and control my breaths along the way. Now I am super hungry. Meal prep will not be enough food today. Song: Still by @aquarivz #poleyoga #blackgirlspole #polarina #fitnessconditioning #keepingitbasic #poledancesplit #naturalhair #beginnerpolemoves #fitnesstransformation #strengthtraining @thespicepolefitness A post shared by ZIPPORA (@zipporaflexpolefit) on Aug 20, 2019 at 11:08am PDT Who was the first pole dancer that really motivated you to to really work at the craft? The first time I took a class [in 2010], there was this instructor named Body. She was a stripper and I fell in love with her movement. She was so strong. She was so flexible and she was super sweet. It was just so different. I was never an active person. I hated to be outside when it came to rolling around in the grass or anything like that. I didn’t know flexibility or anything like that. So, I go to that class and just seeing her, I was like, “Oh my God!” I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, and not even the fact that she was a dancer, her body was beautiful. Everything about her and I mean, I’m I love men to the day that I die, so it wasn’t even on that kind of level. I just thought that she was amazing. I’ve never seen such art and something so amazing. So from there, I was like, “I’ve got to get into this!” and I just stuck with it. And you ended up transforming yourself into that same person where people look at you in aw in the same way! Of course, you started from scratch but now people look at you like, “How did you do it?” It’s funny you say that. I look back and I think about Body and I’m like, oh my God, I turned myself into Body [laughs], but she was everything. Even to this day, I pay homage to her. I know where she is, I know her son, I’m like, you are the reason I live. She was just amazing to me. And then a year or two after I started, I saw an amazing pole dancer, her name is Jenyne Butterfly . I went to a competition or a performance, and I didn’t even know who Jenyne was but I saw this person and literally, I stood up and I cried. I just love creativity, and the first time I saw her perform, I was the only one standing. I was in tears. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen aside from Body because she was tiny, she’s just so pretty, she was of a different color. Everything! She was just like Body but she was different. She’s the only person, and I’ve met some people, that I ever get starstruck for. So the two of those people are the reason why I was like, okay, I’m going to stick with it because hopefully, I can be like them one day. View this post on Instagram Be free to be you. Breathe, relax, and just be! #thursdaythoughts #atlantafitness #poledancer #yogaposes #blackgirlspole #blackgirlslift #blackgirlsyoga #naturalhair #naturalhair #flexibilitytraining #poleconditioning #beginnerworkoutmoves #legdayworkout A post shared by ZIPPORA (@zipporaflexpolefit) on Aug 15, 2019 at 7:14am PDT I know you get this question all the time, but how often do you train including pole and other conditioning stuff? I didn’t start working out until the last four years. I started to entertain a gym and I was teaching in a gym before I moved [to Atlanta]. So, I guess maybe like four-and-a-half years. I started to teach in a gym, just fitness classes because I was getting bored with pole and then I also had a studio in Baltimore and the studio was in a gym. So I ended up teaching pole dancing classes and teaching fitness classes, but even my fitness classes were a little dancey, too, so it was kind of like my own thing. At that time, I wasn’t really doing actual weights or treadmill or anything like that. I hated running. So, not until the last two years or so since I’ve been In Atlanta is when I really started to entertain the gym a little more frequently, and really, a little more frequently means two times a week and I only do legs. I don’t do any upper body because I get enough upper body on the pole. So, I only do it about two times a week. I focus a lot on nutrition when it’s time for a competition or if it’s time to get ready for a photo shoot or some kind of event. I know what my body responds to and so I’ll cut out all the whites, gluten, potatoes, stuff like that, but then at the same time I noticed that I was getting a little too skinny on the bottom half of my body and my shoulders kept growing and I just didn’t want to look like an upside-down like triangle. As you know, we all end up looking like anyway [laughs], but it was just becoming too extreme for me, so I was like let me just try this whole thing and I immersed myself into YouTube videos of how to grow my thighs. So I was like, let me just try it. Let me just go to the gym and then it just took a life of its own. You give people like me hope that I can have a banging body without working out all the time if I could just get my diet together. Exactly. You can totally just diet for sure. The thing is, they say it’s 80% of your physique and it totally is. If you find that you’re cutting out certain things, you’ll start to see and feel a change in your body because most of the time it’s in your digestive tract. You know, taking in nutrients that are either you expelling from your body or you’re taking it in, or your gut that’s leaking . Not to be a complete science nerd but I learned about muscles and engagement and stuff like that and fell into learning about epigenetics and then learning about how certain genetic markers can be turned on and off. Source: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Let’s get into some of the work that you’ve done. You were Anika Noni Rose’s body double on The Quad , and did double work for other people. How did you get into this type of work as a pole dancer? Yeah, I did The Quad , and it’s so funny every opportunity, either a video or TV show just happened to be networking. With The Quad , that was such a fluke because a friend said, “I have this opportunity, just come and try it out.” Now, me, I am one of the shyest people you’ll ever meet, so I was like, “TV? No!” And she was like, “Just just try, it’ll be fine.” So I went and because I was just a little insecure, I didn’t feel like my body was where I wanted it to be at that specific time, especially when you just drop something on me on the fly. I was just flying in from Japan for work and she said, “You need to come in tomorrow.” So I’m like, “Oh my god, I’ve been eating all this rice, I’m all bloated and it’s not going to work out” but she was like, “Just come by!” So I meet the director and the actress and they just said, “Okay fine, you can do it!” It was just as easy as that and I’m sure it’s not as easy for everyone else but you know it was just the right time and place. View this post on Instagram When there are no weights nearby…still never miss leg day. Glutes Legs Core Arms Back #totalbodyconditioning #legday #gluteday #tuesday #florida #beach #movement #movementforpole #fitnessflow #fitness #exercise #activity #strength #conditioning #inthesand #flexibility #breathe #justmove #gluteworkout #bandworkout #glutebandworkout #resistancebands A post shared by ZIPPORA (@zipporaflexpolefit) on Jul 9, 2019 at 7:12am PDT How does body doubling work when it comes to pole? How long were you on set and do they just let you do your thing and figure out the rest with special effects? There was some choreo. She actually had Torwa Joe from Vertical Joe’s as her choreographer to do the pole part of it. So I learned her choreo just so that they can overlap some of those moves but it was so odd and kind of funny because they also didn’t know what they wanted and they didn’t know what I was capable of so they just said, “Just do you, just go and do whatever” so I’m like, “Okay, no problem.” So I just started doing me and then the room got really quiet and I was so embarrassed. I come off the pole and like I said, it was so quiet and I’m looking around at the directors. Everyone starts laughing and then the director comes in and he was like, “That was amazing!” and I’m like, “No it wasn’t. What do you mean?” Again, I’m insecure because I’m like they don’t know what they want. It was probably like 30 seconds on the screen . I think call time was one something if I’m remembering correctly, and I didn’t leave until about 4:00 a.m. the next morning. So it was a lot of waiting around and things like that, but probably from the time we actually started shooting, I was there was probably from 8 p.m. until maybe 11 or 12 and then she too had to shoot after me. So some of the things that I did, she had to do and then, conversely, I had to fill in some things too. And again once you see it on TV, it’s just a few seconds. It takes a few hours to create and you need the endurance to maintain to make sure that your lines are great, your shapes are great from the moment you begin and it needs to look exactly the same. What else are you working on when it comes to this type of work? I did the pilot for a Starz series that’s coming out called P-Valley . I did the initial pilot. I wasn’t in the series because they wanted something very specific and ended up choosing specific kind of girls. There was choreo over there that was pretty specific but it ended up being partly that they just said, “Just do you, just as just do some moves,” and it was like several hours of time being on set and then even for that instance the speed for me when I pole is not slow but it’s in between like slow and fast. It’s very controlled but for P Valley they wanted very quick, very dancer stripper kind of speed, a little sloppy as strippers are and not how it is in a pole competition where you have to point your toes. Right, competitions and Cirque Du Soleil are one thing, but at the strip club, no one is looking at technique [laughs]! Right! So, they were like, “Get that technique crap out of here!” I’m like, “What do you mean, I need to point my toes!” At the end, they ended up being like, “Do you” and I was able to flex a little bit but sometimes it just depends because I am a bendy person. So, you know some things that I do, they don’t want that because it’s too pretty. It’s too artistic. They may want it a little harder so it just depends. So, like I said, these two times when I’ve done these things for TV, I don’t know if they were flukes or if it was just for networking or whatever, but sometimes people are looking for something very specific and I may not necessarily fill that void, or I may feel that for them. I know P-Valley is actually about strippers, but it’s important to point out that people who aren’t in the pole world don’t understand it and tend to think it’s one thing. They think it’s only strippers and don’t understand all the nuances in terms of styles. It’s true. I think because what’s trending now is strippers so that’s what they’re looking for. How does poling impact your professional life? Have you ever had any issues with bosses or coworkers? I was pretty scared about it when I was at Under Armour just because I didn’t know how people would view me. So, I kind of kept it under wraps for a very long time and also with what I wore when I posted things. I was pretty conservative about it just because I didn’t know how they were going to take it but everyone’s pretty cool about it and honestly, being able to pole and do fashion has given me such a diverse perspective on both ends of the spectrum. So apparel wise, when pole dancers have an issue about, this is pulling, this won’t allow me to do this or whatever, I’m able to have some insight there. But then on the flip side, now because I have such an active hobby I’m able to bring that into my profession. I can say an item is not going to work because when I’m on the pole or on aerial, this is what happens to this, this is how the garment moves, this is what it feels like, so I think my coworkers value it because I have a different perspective that no one else has. For example, this is the second time that I’m fitting athletes for the Olympics. So, I’m able to talk to them about their training, what they’re going into, what they’re doing, what they even want to wear for the Olympics, and I’m able to have a different dialogue than anyone else because I too am an extreme athlete and I know what the training is like and then I know what you’re expecting out of your garment or your apparel that day when it’s time to perform. So they feel like they also value that perspective as well because no one else in the office may even understand what a true athlete feels like and goes through. What advice do you have four pole dancers who are interested in getting into the TV film world? I would say don’t try to fit into a mold because when you are trying out for part or project people can totally tell if you’re not being your authentic self and you’re trying to force it. Authenticity is super important. And I also think that you just have to keep trying. Don’t let a no deter you from still trying to go after what you want. And I think networking also is super important. So just keep making sure that you get out there, that you’re introducing yourself to a bunch of different people and a bunch of different settings so that people can know who you are and notice your value and what kind of person you are because sometimes it really is about relationships. People may just say, “Do you know someone? Bring her in.” So networking is super important. As pole dancers, I know we both get people who say they’re interested in trying it but they’re scared because they’re not strong or too big or whatever excuse you can think of. I always tell people that all the athletes you see started from scratch so since you are an amazing athlete, what would your advice be to newbie pole dancers or people who are interested in trying? That is a loaded question! But I just say you’ve just got to do it. Don’t let yourself stop you from being a better you. Don’t get in your own way. You have to just make sure if that’s something that you want, if you want to get sexier, if you want to be stronger, if you want to get healthier, the only way that’s going to happen is if you make and take the first step, so you have to just do it. Yes, it can be extremely intimidating and there are people around you who are better than you at that time, but they were also where you were at some point. Sometimes it helps to surround yourself with people who are like-minded but who also can introduce value and help to teach you things that you don’t already know because that’s the only way that you’re going to grow sitting on the sidelines is not going to help you reach your goals. RELATED POSTS Get Fit Pole Dancing: 5 Reasons You Should Always ‘Flaunt Your Fitness’ Zoe Saldana Pole Dances With Husband Marco Perego [VIDEO] The Pescetarian Diet Helped NeNe Leakes Lose Weight, But Will It Work For You? [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3024715″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Xilla Valentine / No Kable Productions It’s human nature to change your appearance every so often in attempt to align with how you feel inside. No wonder the classic Coco Chanel proverb that “a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life” rangs so true for so many people. The real MVPs of evolution and change are Black Women. We can go from short hair, to long waves to an afro or Box braids all in one week. The DMX Challenge is proof that we can be whoever we want, any day of the week, and still manage to look like ourselves. But what about the folks whose looks have changed so drastically that they look nothing like themselves? Like The Weeknd , whose new mustache and weird makeup job almost made him unrecognizable to fans. The Weeknd Debarge https://t.co/4Czrs8PhRH — Makayla (@LayDaye) September 10, 2019 Often times, celebs take a mini hiatus from their work, and come back looking like a whole new person. Or they start making more money and we start to notice the not so subtle adjustments they’ve made to themselves. Or, some stars adopt a much healthier lifestyle and start to lose weight and glow from the inside out. Whatever the case may be, it’s their body. Their mind. Their choice. Just know that you can’t get anything past the Internets. Hit the flip for more celebs who changed their look over time.
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Joan Johnson ran so that Carol’s Daughter , Shea Moisture and even Tracee Ellis Ross ‘ Pattern line could fly. And now, the queen of Afro Sheen and Black haircare icon has died at the age of 89. According to the Chicago Sun-Times , Johnson, the co-founder of Johnson Products Company and the makers of Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen—passed last Friday (Sep. 6). Her oldest son, Eric G. Johnson , told the newspaper that his trailblazing mother was ‘battling a combination of medical conditions stemming from a 2005 accident that sent her through five back surgeries.” Her husband George added that he lost “the love of his life.” “I have lost a lifelong friend and partner and the love of my life,” he said in a statement. “Joan will be greatly missed by her family and all of those who have come to know her.” In 1954, Johnson and her husband George Johnson started their haircare line on the city’s South Side with a $250 investment and grew their business from $4 million in sales in 1967 to $40 million in 1976, the Sun-Times noted. Their company was one of the nation’s largest African-American owned in history. Johnson Products Company co-Founder, Joan Johnson, has passed away at 89. Rest in peace #JoanJohnson pic.twitter.com/0hsQ17BRcv — BallerAlert (@balleralert) September 10, 2019 In addition, Johnson gave back her community and amplified other African-American businesses and ventures including making sure that Johnson Hair Company was one of the first sponsors of the iconic dance show Soul Train and became an integral part of the marketing of the show in the 70s. Johnson also served as a trustee of Spelman College and provided an annual scholarship for a select set of the HBCU’s students each year. For her son, his mother was a “pioneer. “For having such a string of ‘firsts’ and being comfortable in that environment, I look at my mother as a pioneer,” Eric Johnson said. “She and my father had no provided path. They created a path where there was none.” Adding, “Because of her, people have been able to accomplish things they maybe didn’t think they could, and they knew all the things they had to strive for.” “As [the] matriarch of the family, she was a magnet who inspired, consoled and advised people. That’s the role she’s always played in this family from me as a child right down to her great-grandchildren.” Thank you #AfroSheen Queen #JoanJohnson for the legacy of natural hair products, with the most #Afrocentric marketing campaigns and #iconic cultural commercials. pic.twitter.com/1niafQunjh — Sista Dee Barnes (@sistadbarnes) September 10, 2019 “She truly was a grande dame in every sense of the work,” said Linda Johnson Rice, CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, which formerly published Ebony and Jet magazines. “Dignified, smart, sharp-witted and fun. I have many fond memories of my conversations with her…dispensing life advice. Her life is one to be celebrated.” Joan Johnson is survived husband and three sons, a daughter Joan Johnson, 10 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. Funeral services are set in Chicago this Friday. Rest in power Joan. RELATED NEWS: 5 Things You Need To Know About Tracee Ellis Ross’ New Hair Care Line Mane Magic: Jordyn Woods #DMXChallenge Is Giving Us Serious Hair Envy #BuyBlack: Four Celebs With Haircare Lines You Should Try! [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3056109″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Victoria Uwumarogie / HB From the moment I stepped in Brooklyn Bleu , I was impressed. Actually, make that the moment I grabbed the door handle. Even from outside, I could tell that I wasn’t stepping into your ordinary vintage jewelry spot. When I entered, I felt like embraced, not only by the woman who greeted me at the door, but also by the atmosphere. There were splashes of pink, lots of gold, and the sounds of women fawning over shining jewels. The woman behind this dream of a shopping experience is Tenisha Light-Caba. The entrepreneur, who stood in the midst of all of the excitement in a jean Fenty dress , lucite heels and her own vintage Chanel earrings and gold link bracelets fashioned into anklets, started the business in 2010. However, she has been selling vintage jewelry since she was a kid living in California. “I had rummage sales every weekend, making money selling my grandmother’s jewelry,” she told me. “Then it became my chore to clean another grandmother’s jewelry. One would let me make money at the rummage sales selling the jewelry right in front of the house. I would set up a little table, but I wasn’t selling lemonade, I was selling jewelry.” View this post on Instagram Show me Love, Keep all Those Other Vibes for Yourself! Wearing #chanel #vintage #lindaevangelista #1993 #chanelbelt @brooklynbleuny A post shared by Brooklyn Bleu (@brooklynbleuny) on Dec 17, 2018 at 3:11pm PST She’s long past the days of getting her pieces from her grandmother. Nowadays, Tenisha works with private collectors who’ve been in the business for decades to pull together her one-of-a-kind collection, which she’s been able to put in her new store located in The Oculus , otherwise known as Westfield World Trade Center in Manhattan. “I tend to like to work with the same people. This is how I’m able to get my hands on the good stuff. I take care of them, they take care of me,” she said. “They have a lot. They have more than what I could ever afford to buy. Where they get it from? Who knows.” Her collection has expanded greatly, taking her from her early beginnings of selling in a brownstone, moving on to Chelsea Market, to eventually having her own space, one of the few minority-owned businesses in the Oculus. “We first started our business in a historic brownstone in Brooklyn,” she said of her journey. “I’ve never had the space. I’ve usually worked at an artisan market. This is the biggest space I’ve ever had. This gives me a chance to really shine, have lighting and really make it my own.” It hasn’t been an easy journey, but it’s been a successful one. During her days working at markets like Artists & Fleas and Top Shop on 5th Avenue, Tenisha broke records for her sales. “I worked,” she said. “I put the work in. It’s been so many things that happened in the world over the past 10 years and in that time, I’ve had my business full time. I’m independently funded. I don’t have investors. Now I have payroll and I have employees.” Source: Victoria Uwumarogie / HB What you’ll find at the store is pieces dating back from the ’30s and ’40s. Items from big name fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel, as well as daintier, unique items from all over. The good news is, everything is affordable, but there are items specific to every wallet. For instance, she has inexpensive earrings and necklaces from the ’70s, her “Dainty” and “Re.Fresh” collections. They are old stock that she received from a collector who had a wholesale business in the 1970s, and she replated everything to give it a fresh look. They are being sold between the $20-$40 range. The wide-ranging prices are part of Tenisha’s hope to make people from all walks vintage fans — and welcome when they visit Brooklyn Bleu. “I want people to feel welcomed, to feel like they’re at home. I want them to feel comfortable and good — just as good when they leave,” she said. “That’s the experience they get when they walk through the door, that’s how people treat them, that’s courtesy. That’s being professional and knowing what you have to offer as well. I have to train and work really hard with my staff too so they can pass on that same experience.” She also wants people to know that Brooklyn Bleu will be flexible. If you get a piece and for some reason you need to return it (allergies, any other unexpected issue), she welcomes it back. Source: Victoria Uwumarogie / HB “If someone’s not happy with the piece, it doesn’t make me happy for them to have it,” she said. “I’d rather get it in the hands of someone who’s going to really enjoy it.” With that being said, it’s rare for such a thing to happen with Tenisha’s collection of pieces. You’ll understand when you step in the space and find yourself mesmerized by the statement necklaces, quirky rings, avante-garde earrings, delightful vintage mirrors and ornate bags. Especially at the cost. “It’s important to offer pieces that are accessible and vintage,” she said. “When I go to a place and it feels like everything is just too expensive, it’s like, ‘I thought I was making good money! I can’t even afford this.’ I didn’t ever want people to feel that in here — and they don’t. We have customers who take four and five pieces. Most customers take more than one item.” Brooklyn Bleu is now open and officially located at The Oculus World Trade Center: Church Street, New York, NY 10006
