Malan Breton was lit with a range of emotions during the SS 2025 collection this September. Dramatic themes of betrayal, revenge, and hope came to the packed show during New York Fashion Week.
This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Elements Music & Arts Festival in the heart of the Poconos.
Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Bandshell was alive with energy as Curl Fest 2024 returned to its hometown, celebrating a decade of natural beauty.
In the world of social media and hip-hop, image is everything. Behind the scenes of many of these stunning transformations is a man who has made it his mission to blend aesthetics with safety and communication—Danny Voskin.
On Saturday, June 1, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit held one of the most sought-after swim events at the stunning W Hotel in South Beach.
On a night that will be etched in the memories of Hip Hop and R&B enthusiasts, DJ Cassidy’s “Pass The Mic” show at the Prudential Center in New Jersey offered a euphoric trip down memory lane.
Day One of New York Fashion Week kicked off with a bang! Libertine, a luxury read- to- wear brand unveiled their F/W24 collections for men and women. With lines stretching down the block full of industry professionals and influencers trying to get into the Starrett-Lehigh, I knew it was going to be good! When I finally got upstairs it was packed with some of EVERYBODY! Designer Thom Browne was spotted and there was lots of jockeying to speak to him and get a photo.
Creative Designer Johnson Hartig did not disappoint. The collection was filled with luxurious details. The runway was a washed in sequin, colorful flowers, black and white checkered pants and veiled headbands. Also incorporated into this collection is our favorite, the embellishment trend. Vibrant colors, lively prints and crystal embroidery reigned supreme.
Drawing inspiration through deep hypnosis creatives Jean Cocteau, Mary Quant, Peggy Guggenheim and Lord Bryon emerged! The designer says, “Peggy Guggenheim emerged three times, suggesting a strong kinship between them while expressing a desire to wear Libertine and jazz it up a bit”.
Embellished blazers and Graphic prints are what the brand is known for and allows the wearer to go from daytime to nighttime in the same look! Make sure to check out the Libertine X Le Sport Sac Pop-up Shop at Bergdorf Goodman.
Written by Renessta Olds
Instagram @reneeostylelab
Photo Credit: Dan Lecca
When intuition calls, Scarlett Taylor listens. The New York artist—who wields a crystal ball or a pack of tarot cards just as deftly as a microphone—has always had a penchant for the spiritual: since February 2023, she has released a new single at each new moon and full moon, reflecting her own cycle of fluctuating creative energy and her attunement with the cosmos. “On the full moon, I try to release something I just made, like the culmination of everything I’m moving towards,” she explains. “On the new moon, I try to release something that I’ve been holding onto for a while. It’s become a very beautiful thing for me.” The songs range from stripped-back demos to skittering hyperpop productions, and while Taylor’s eerie vocal melodies and creeping instrumentals evoke visions of ancient rituals, her lyrics feel simultaneously timeless and deeply rooted in 21st century life, dealing in concepts as contemporary as internet addiction and as lofty as cosmic destiny.
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Now, Taylor is experimenting with a new sound. In her live performances, the singer reimagines her songs as howling rock jams, dialing the energy up to eleven and harnessing the reciprocal power of a live audience. Backed by a live band, the songs take on a new shape, an energy that Taylor knew had to be captured. “People were really liking the sound,” she says. “So we just decided to go in and record it.” Taylor and the band took to the studio in May to record Hallows, a rock-ified iteration of six previously released songs interspersed with fresh interludes. Infused with new energy and instrumentation, the songs take on a new life: “Veil (perfect timing),” the last of Taylor’s singles to be released on the new moon, transforms from a glitchy, stripped-back electronic meditation to a raucous jam session as Taylor’s voice soars above screaming guitars and crashing drums. The song is a celebration of love and destiny, inspired by a wedding Taylor attended between two witches. She was particularly moved by the story of one of the brides, who had lived as a man before meeting her partner and only recently transitioned. “In two years’ time, in perfect timing, she’s completely changed her life,” Taylor explains. “She has a new name, lives in a new state. It’s just crazy to think that two years ago she had a completely different life.”
For Taylor, transformation is always right around the corner. Through her rediscovery of the songs on Hallows, she unlocks a new form, one born from the electric energy of her live show. Guided by her instinct and intuition, the songwriter follows where the energy leads, shapeshifting between genres and exploring different production styles with each changing moon. “I feel more like I’m finding the song than like I’m thinking of it,” she explains. “It’s sort of like I’ve always known it was there, but I just had to rediscover it.”
Even on the heels of a fresh album release, Perry Maysun always has a new project up his sleeve. The prolific Westchester rapper, who often spends days at a time cooking up beats and verses in his room, churned out a new release every month in 2023, and he doesn’t show signs of stopping any time soon. “I love making music and I have ideas 24/7,” he says, “but I don’t like putting out loose singles. It just doesn’t feel as fulfilling as knowing all the songs have a home. I’m a sucker for an album.” It comes as no surprise, then, that even Maysun’s latest collaborations have given way to larger releases: a partnership with fellow New York rapper Young Wabo has already yielded a mixtape (Warping Time) and a full-length album (Peace Blessings Be), which both boast introspective, poetic verses over soul-lifting alternative hip hop grooves. “We made Warping Time in my room in like four days,” Maysun remembers. “And then we started working on Peace Blessings Be, too. He stayed in my house for like a month. We were just creating, creating, creating. It was like lightning in a bottle.”
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Photos by Hellen Elizondo
Not every song he creates makes it onto an album like Peace Blessings Be, but Maysun is a firm believer that every track deserves a home. Songs that didn’t originally find their way onto full albums can be found on Maysun’s Reverie mixtapes, a series of projects that serve as a refuge for the sonic misfits. “I love these songs, they’re great,” Maysun says. “But they’re like orphans. Reverie is my song orphanage. I have a great time puzzling them together and making a beautiful sequence of songs.” The collections range in size—Reveries I and II are quick 6-song EPs, while III and IV make up full-length albums. For Maysun, there’s no point in holding onto the music he makes: it belongs out in the world. “People think that if you put out too much music, it saturates you,” he reflects. “But you can’t saturate yourself. Why would you want to be less of yourself? When a color is saturated, it’s the most pungent.” To fans who might find his relentless release schedule a bit dizzying, Maysun has only one thing to say: “Keep up.”
As a die hard Marvel fan, I felt compelled to have to see the MCU’s 32nd studio film release because I’ve seen all the other theatrical releases. I’ve been invested from the moment I saw Iron Man and excited for every movie to come out after until now.
As many people are suffering from “superhero movie fatigue”, I went in with very low expectations because the last thing I want to be is disappointed in a Marvel project (I’m a HUGE Marvel fan BUT very unbiased when it comes to my job).
This film was definitely geared towards a younger audience with the inclusion of Ms. Marvel as one of the film’s protagonists. Iman Vellani does a terrific job of being the ultimate fan girl and superhero at the same time. Her bubbly attitude and eagerness to please Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is just adorable. Most of her moments made me chuckle, especially when she asks Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson reprising the role) if she was being tested to be an Avenger.
Another addition to the film was Monica Rambeau making her MCU film debut sans code name (I’m assuming they will eventually call her Photon or Spectrum OR do they have a bigger role for her planned down the line?). Ms. Marvel makes a funny comment about “workshopping” a code name for her that made the audience giggle. Teyonnah Parris is just perfect as Monica Rambeau. She did a superb job of embodying the character and I just can’t imagine anyone else playing the role. The on screen chemistry between her and Brie and Iman was undeniable. I felt the sisterhood bond they formed and wouldn’t be surprised if the three of them are friends in real life.
Apart from the light hearted moments, the film does have incredible fight scenes that looked like they were a nightmare to choreograph (kudos to the film editors and stunt coordinators for their precision). The CGI was handled with a very delicate but heavy hand ensuring the realism of the landscapes and enormous worldbuilding that looked like a world that really existed is a far away galaxy. Also, our favorite furry flerken Goose is back and it turns out it/she/they (how do you refer to alien species that can procreate on their own) have a little secret that ends up saving the entire crew of the space station S.A.B.E.R. towards the end of the film (you gotta see it to believe it…the wackiest scene EVER).
So with that said, I will say that The Marvels was a furry, fun filled romp through the space time continuum. It made me smile and the last five minutes have definitely convinced me to stay the course and see where the MCU takes us next (YOU MUST STAY UNTIL THE MID CREDIT SCENE…it’s X-cellent (insert winkie emoji).)