Oprah Winfrey attends at the 3rd annual Diane Von Furstenberg awards at the United Nations on March 9, 2012 in New York City. (Source: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images North America)
Who needs Santa Claus when you've got Oprah Winfrey?
On Thursday, the talk show host released her annual list of her "Favorite Things" on her website and — no surprise — the list is filled with lots of unique gifts and covetable goodies. The items are all featured in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine and will also be included in the two-hour special, Oprah's Favorite Things, which airs Nov. 18 on OWN.
You can head on over to Oprah's website to see the full list, but we've highlighted a few of the best (or most hilarious) items below. Any woman who puts fancy pigs in a blanket on her list of favorite things is a friend of ours.
Glam Studded High Tops Chic Sneaks "Heels are not my friend. So imagine my delight when I came across these ultracomfortable, metallic high-tops while shopping at Michael Kors's flagship store in Manhattan."
Corkcicle Cold Comfort "Don't you just love a good gadget? No need for an ice bucket when you pull the 'corkcicle' out of the freezer and insert it into any bottle of wine that needs to stay cool. Talk about chilling!"
Tom Ford Beauty Lipstick Lip Service "Because I have never met a Tom Ford lipstick I didn't want to take home, I've handpicked these four colors—Deep Mink, Casablanca, Sable Smoke, and Scarlet Rouge—to create a universally flattering palette; or you can choose from 18 shades to customize your own."
Wagging Tail Custom Portrait Cards Photo Op "Sending in a picture of a beloved pet, which is then computer-illustrated and made into custom greeting cards, is a heck of a lot easier than convincing a friend's gerbil to pose while someone carves his likeness in marble."
Gourmet Pigs in Blankets These Little Piggies "Whether you chose spicy, chicken, or original, keep these artisanal pigs in a crispy puff pastry blanket in your freezer, and you've got a holiday platter waiting to happen."
Check out the full list on Oprah.com, then hit the comments below with your thoughts? Which one of Oprah's favorite things woule be on your personal wish list?
Azealia Banks is many things: rapper, singer, Twitter enthusiast, apparent Seth Rogen fan — and now her new video for “Van Vogue,” from her 1991 EP, and more currently "Luxury" makes a good argument for adding style star to the list.
The fashion community has had no troubles in embracing Ms. Yung Rapunxel, as she's rubbed elbows with the best in the bizz in just a short amount of time. From the Met Gala, to covering almost every Fashion Magazine possible (except VOGUE, which we see coming very soon).
For his T campaigns, Alexander Wang tends to forgo the models for musicians. For Fall 2012, Wang chose the foul-mouthed rap-and-pop darling of the moment, Azealia Banks. It's not the first time the two have linked up. Banks was Wang’s date for the 2012 Met Gala, as well as providing the music for his Spring 2012 AW campaign with Liya Kibede. Why the move in front of the camera? “She exudes a certain rawness that makes her a very unique talent,” Wang says. If Lana Del Rey is going mass as the face of H&M, Banks is becoming an icon of cool.
Her style stock has stayed consistently high in the last year. Telling the New York Times that she wears "a lot of clothes that's (sic) going to get dirty and look cool once it gets dirty," nothing is ever too put together.
Azealia Banks added another pair of questionable footwear to her growing arsenal performing this weekend in Glasgow. The rapper took the stage in a custom LED & Swarovski crystal bra top made by Studio XO, jean shorts, fishnet tights and black stompers.
Azealia Banks attends the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party at The Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park
Azealia has thus far been known for her kooky looks. From paillette and pom pom-embellished dresses to mesh space age booties, Ms. Banks’s sartorial proclivities have been nothing short of… interesting. But this teatime look is rather cute on her, and I like how she edged her sweet dress out with a pair of serious stompers.
Azealia Banks brings the house down in a butterfly outfit during her performance at the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party held at The Serpentine Gallery
Ms. Yung Rapunxel herself Azealia Banks showed off her new forest green waist-long weave at the Mugler show in Paris. I love it!
Other notable outfits include a sleek python bodycon LBD of Wang's design, which she wore for the red carpet of April's Met Ball
Azealia Banks hit up the M.A.C store in SoHo for an energetic live performance. The rapper was on hand to promote her new ‘Yung Rapunxel’ lipstick shade, which I’ve already ordered. She rocked a black cutout romper and a strange fishnet high thigh boot creation for the occasion.
There's many metrics of when you've finally "made it" and one of them is when you get your own MAC lipstick. She joins other MAC girls like Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga who've gotten their own limited edition lipsticks.
In total:
An element of the kook is always part of Banks style – and that recalls a young Chloe Sevigny. While Banks might be a 21-year-old African-American from Harlem – contrasting with Sevigny's white suburban upbringing – they share a precocious eye when it comes to mixing street and high fashion. You never quite know what you're going to get with either of them. Still yet to release an album, you suspect Banks has got a lot more style – as well as music – to give.
Badass fashionista pop star extraordinaire Rihanna is producing and will co-host Styled to Rock, a fashion reality television show that will air on Britain's Sky Living.
Rihanna, alongs with designer Henry Holland, Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts, and Rihanna’s stylist Lysa Cooper will mentor 12 unknown British fashion designers—contestants all hand-selected by Rihanna herself.
The show will take place over the course of 10 weeks, and the hopefuls will be challenged to design for every aspect of a pop star's life including: the stage, the red carpet, and photo shoots.
What do you think the specific challenges will be? Share your speculations with us in the comments below.
Get excited Real Housewives of Atlanta fans! Nene Leakes, one of the brightest stars to emerge from the Bravo reality series, has just announced that she is launching a clothing line. Yes, now you, too, can dress just like Nene.
\According to a story in The Hollywood Reporter, Nene's inked a deal with licensing agency Beanstalk which will "look to license a range of consumer products built around fashions that will appeal to the women who have watched her evolve on the show."
Can you imagine Nene as a designer? What do you think of her style? From combing our archive of photos, it looks like Nene mostly favors body-conscious solid-color dresses in statement hues. She tends to pair her figure-hugging frocks with super-high platform spike stilettos. We can totally get behind her look—it's sleek (especially compared to the OTT styles of her RHOA co-stars) and flattering and relatable.
Tell us what you think of Nene's personal style! Are you excited to wear a Nene-branded line of clothing? Sound off in the comments.
Step into some amazing shot’s of Amber Rose’s latest gig, the blonde bombshell has been selected to grace the pages of Black Book’s June/July issue in a well polished fashion spread.
She may be best known for her romantic entanglements, but Amber Rose is certainly a singular force to be reckoned with. With a blossoming music career in the works, Ms. Rose was the perfect person to grace the pages of BlackBook’s June/July issue. But we couldn’t just do the ordinary, which is why we had the lovely lady add a dash of femininity to the masculine look of the summer’s hottest menswear. In this Spanish Harlem-themed shoot, Ms. Rose chills with the barrio boys. Check out our exclusive images and video!
Lauren Weisberger, the author behind The Devil Wears Prada, ha confirmed a new story. Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns, is set for a 2013 release. Check out some of the details surrounding what’s sure to become our favorite book release via BBC News:
"The story will continue the adventures of former magazine assistant Andy Sachs. Set eight years after the first book, the story will see Andy – now a bridal magazine editor – crossing paths with her old boss, Miranda Priestly, again.
The book will be published by HarperCollins in the UK next April. It had been under contract as part of a multi-book deal, but it was not known if Weisberger would ever write a sequel.
The sequel will also see the return of Andy’s Runway magazine catty rival Emily, who now works alongside her at The Plunge and has become her best friend.
HarperFiction publishing director Lynne Drew said: “I’m thrilled to be once more encountering the world of glossy mags, Miranda Priestly and our favourite heroine, with a novel set to be one of the big summer reads of 2013.”
The Devil Wears Prada was a hit when it was first released and spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list.
It was adapted into a Hollywood film in 2006 starring Anne Hathaway as aspiring journalist Andy and grossed more than $300m (£196m) worldwide.
Meryl Streep was Oscar-nominated for her role as the overbearing Miranda – widely considered to be a fictionalised version of Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief, where Weisberger was once a former assistant."
We’re so excited! Hopefully this means there will be another movie adaptation.
Inspired by his own new single, "I Don't Like," Kanye West treated us all to a list of his top men's sartorial pet peeves via a lively round of tweeting over the weekend. Read on and despair ye fashion news.
1. "I hate button up shirts with hoodies"
Not a criminal-level offense in the world of men's style, but we could see how ‘Ye might think the look is a bit sloppy. We'll compromise and tell guys to ditch the hood in favor of a crewneck pullover.
2. "I hate hoodies with sport coats"
We firmly support Yeezy on this stance. What was once a novel way of dressing down a tailored staple is now one of the first tells in deciphering douchebaggery. We say do away with the hood, but keep the sweatshirt to maintain that whole air of casual formality.
3. "I hate sport coats with button up shirts, jeans and dress shoes"
Normally, we'd take this point personally—he's describing the GQ uniform—but let's put it into perspective: Kanye's the kind of dude who hates things like, uh, smiles. Believe us, the sports jacket is the most versatile thing a guy can have hanging in his closet right now. When done right, like Trey Songz here, it can easily stomp any capital-F fashion out there.
4. "I hate khaki trench coats with jeans and off brand work out sneakers"
Fair enough, khaki might be too old man for a member of the Thundercats. But there are a ton of other outerwear options out there for rainy weather, like a Mackintosh coat in a sweet color. And unless they are acid-washed, we'd have to say the jeans are probably fine. As for off-brand workout sneaks, we're not exactly sure what the author is alluding to, here, but not all of us can afford Air Yeezys.
5. "I hate khaki cargo shorts"
We do too. They're the bro go-to of summer. If a guy is going to venture into those waters, he should at least do it right with a pair like these from Save Khaki. They fit just as well as the brand's pants, the pockets have been moved toward the front of the thigh to avoid the extra bulk, and they hit at just the right spot (above the knee).
I was over on one of my favorite sites the other day, and they had this ode to Kanye West as "Fashion's Most Prolific Name-Dropper", and after reading a few of the quotes from some of his songs, I was amazed as to how I could have missed so many of Yeezy's fashion lyrics!!
If you missed them too, here's a list of some of Ye's name dropping lyrics:
STRONGER
"Let's get lost tonight / You could be my black Kate Moss tonight / Play secretary, I'm the boss tonight / And you don't give a f**k what they all say right? / Awesome, the Christian and Christian Dior / Damn, they don't make 'em like this anymore."
MONSTER
This one's courtesy of Nicki Minaj, but we'll count it since it's a Kanye track. "OK first things first I’ll eat your brains / Then I’mma start rocking gold teeth and fangs / Cause that’s what a motherf***ing monster do / Hairdresser from Milan that's the monster do / Monster Giuseppe [Zanotti] heel that’s the monster shoe."
RUNAWAY
"Split and go where? / Back to wearin' knockoffs, huh? / Knock it off, Neiman's, shop it off / Let's talk over mai tais, waitress, top it off / Fools like vultures wanna fly in your Freddy loafers / You can't blame 'em, they ain't never seen Versace sofas / Every bag, every blouse, every bracelet / Comes with a price tag, baby, face it / You should leave if you can't accept the basics / Plenty hoes in a baller-nigga matrix / Invisibly set, the Rolex is faceless / I'm just young, rich, and tasteless."
SO APPALLED
"Praises due to the most high, Allah / Praises due to the most fly, Prada."
BLAME GAME
"This one's another guest spot courtesy Chris Rock's obscenity-filled rant at the beginning of "Blame Game." "Look at you motherf***ing butt ass naked with these motherf***ing Jimmy Choos off / Who taught you how to put some motherf***ing Jimmy Choos on?"
TOUCH THE SKY
"
Back when Gucci was the s**t to rock / Back when Slick Rick got the s**t to pop / I'd do anything to say 'I got it' / Damn, them new loafers hurt my pocket."
ALL FALLS DOWN
"Man I promise, I'm so self conscious /That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches / Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy / I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace!"
HELL OF A LIFE
"What party is we goin' to on Oscar day / Especially if she can't get that dress from Oscar de la Renta/ They wouldn't rent her they couldn't take the shame / Snatched the dress off her back and told her, 'Get away.'"
GOLD DIGGER
"Met her at a beauty salon / With a baby Louis Vuitton / Under her underarm."
THE GLORY
"Tank on empty whipping my mamma's Volvo / I spent that gas money on clothes with logos / The furrest man that s**t that you don't floss / The Goyard so hard man, I'm Hugo's boss."
CHRISTIAN DIOR DENIM FLOW Pt. 2
"Took my ma to Chanel / Had her LC the stunner / She got haters, some in the fam made us / But they don’t really matter, we escaping with our paper."
Celebrated singer, actress, and model Whitney Houston—winner of six Grammys, two Emmys, and 22 American Music Awards—died on February 11th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel at the age of 48. Throughout her long career, Houston had earned a reputation for not only being one of the most brilliant voices in the music industry, but also for her inimitable ladylike elegance, her unmistakable signature style.
Houston was rarely ever a fashion victim—even though some of these clothes we're showing you, below, may seem pretty out-there in retrospect, remember that she launched her musical career in the mid-1980s, when dress-up pop acts like Culture Club (feat. lead singer, cross-dressing androgynous Boy George), Cyndi Lauper, and even Michael Jackson (in his early days) were all the rage. Houston's styling choices, in comparison, were tame—she wore a lot of monochrome looks in black, white, or red. Her silhouettes were relatively conservative—suits, shoulderpads, prom-dresses, turtlenecks.
Here's my very abridged breakdown of some of Houston's most memorable looks:
1985 - Saving All My Love For You: Whitney Houston put on a stunning red dress to perform her hit single at the Grammys in 1986. I wonder how many girls modeled their prom dresses after Houston's that year?
1985 - The Greatest Love of All: Everybody knew this song in the mid-80s—it was positive, life-affirming, full of hope. We learned this in music class at my elementary school. In the video? Whitney Houston is the ultimate '80s good-girl-with-style in her cropped black moto jacket (a little edgy) and medium gold hoop earrings.
1987 - I Wanna Dance With Somebody: This is sort of the ultimate late-'80s fashion video. Whitney opens the video in a super-conservative grey skirt-suit, then changes to a casual leather bomber-jacket and jeans look. Singing to camera? She's all '80s hypercolor in those candy earrings, multi-hued eyeshadows and purple and orange dresses.
1986 - American Music Awards: Whitney's 1985 album, Whitney Houston, won her seven American Music Awards in 1986 and 1987. Here she is at the 1986 awards show in an oh-so-'80s black-and-teal column dress, complete with giant bow on the shoulder and a rhinestone brooch:
1987 - I Wanna Dance With Somebody: This is sort of the ultimate late-'80s fashion video. Whitney opens the video in a super-conservative grey skirt-suit, then changes to a casual leather bomber-jacket and jeans look. Singing to camera? She's all '80s hypercolor in those candy earrings, multi-hued eyeshadows and purple and orange dresses.
1987 - Portrait: Here she sits for a portrait by photographer Ebet Roberts in a similar look/mood she wears in the I Wanna Dance With Somebody video:
1988 - At an awards ceremony: This photo was taken in February of 1988, when Michael Jackson was receiving an award in New York City. From left: Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Christie Brinkley. Whitney is wearing what's to become, for a long time, her signature white hat.
1990 - All the Man that I Need: So many of Whitney's earliest videos featured her wearing head-to-toe black—and this video in the early-90s is a sartorial return to her roots. She's wearing a black monogrammed (!) turtleneck, black skinny pants, and black flats. The effect is very classical, very Audrey Hepburn-ish.
1990 - I'm Your Baby Tonight: I hadn't really thought about it until now how Whitney appeared in so many of her music videos looking so casual, but I guess she does. Here she is wearing a super-quintessential early-90s look: a brown leather jacket and jeans. Partway through the video, she changes into a white suit and fedora—which is a signature 90s popstar look—think Madonna in "Vogue," which was released the same year.
1991 - National Anthem at the Super Bowl: Often held up as one of the all-time greatest live performances of the Star-Spangled Banner, Whitney appeared at the 1991 Super Bowl wearing a white headband (sporty!) and a white warm-up suit, which, if you remember the early-90s, was one of the trendiest things ever. I don't consciously remember seeing this performance on television, but I do know that for a good portion of the years 1989 through 1991, myself and many of the other students in my junior high school class wore warm-up suits to school every day. Yeah, the 90s, I have no explanation.
1991 - How Will I Know: Obviously, this video is all about the giant hair bow.
1992 - I Have Nothing: We're getting into 1992, which is The Bodyguard phase of Whitney's career—an amazing, successful, mindblowingly popular phase of Whitney's career. This video cuts clips of the movie together—and, while it is a costume from the film, the Cleopatra-inspired beaded headpiece and jewelry are really stunning—one of the all-time most memorable Whitney Houston looks.
1992 - I Will Always Love You: Obviously, you can't talk about The Bodyguard without mentioning Whitney Houston's remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." The video is mostly clips from the movie, but it's haunting and memorable nonetheless.
1994 - And I am Telling You: Two years later, Whitney is doing it at the American Music Awards in a caped black velvet gown with rhinestone sleeves—so 90s! Before Jennifer Hudson, before Dreamgirls, Whitney sang "And I Am Telling You," looking like the ultimate diva she is.
1994 - I Have Nothing (live in South Africa): To me, this is one of Whitney Houston's most stunning live performance looks—probably because she's wearing gold, a surprising color for her, head-to-toe—including a dramatic gold turban!
1995 - Night of 200 Stars: I love Whitney's ladylike look here—a simple V-neck black gown accented with a colorful wrap (wraps = so 90s). While Whitney wasn't always a fashion risk-taker, she would occasionally experiment with color and print:
1995 - Shoop from Waiting to Exhale: One of the my favorite modern style incarnations of Whitney Houston was her Waiting to Exhale period—her wardrobe in the movie was sleek and wearable, all slip-dresses and wrap-dresses. The video for "Shoop" features clips from the film, where Whitney looks beautiful—in control, strong, but something about the styling makes her seem soft and vulnerable at the same time.
1998 - My Love is Your Love: In head-to-toe caramel knits and leather, Whitney Houston looks like the ultimate 1990s R&B singer here—all smooth and trendy. I think she looks beautiful, but sort of indistinguishable from all the other ladies who were rocking a similar style at the time (read: Lauryn Hill).
1998 - Heartbreak Hotel: Here's Whitney in full, major diva mode in a giant white fur coat, ruby red gown, and a giant signature choker.
1999 - It's Not Right But It's OK: In this late-90s video, Whitney wears a sleek strapless leather (!) gown for her hit "It's Not Right But It's OK." Works great for this tough girl-power pop song.
RIP Whitney Houston, you were a great lady.
What were some of your favorite Whitney Houston moments of all time? I feel really sad about her death because she's one of the few celebrities who seem really intertwined with vivid memories from my childhood. Which celebrities are like that for you? Mine are Princess Diana, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Boy George.
