Photo: Yanni Vlamos / GoRunway.com
Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com
Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com
Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com
Photo: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com
The little monsters in Gagaland are rejoicing and dancing in the streets. Lady Gaga’s reign as pop music’s newest monarch was cemented at Sunday night’s 53rd Annual Grammy Awards telecast on CBS. She took home the golden phonograph for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Vocal Album. Also, she delivered one of the most anticipated performances of the evening when she sang “Born This Way,” a revamped version of Madonna’s “Express Yourself” complete with Horton-styled, Aileyesque choreography.
But while the legions of Gaga fans were celebrating, this viewer was not so happy. Overall, the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards was lackluster to say the least. I doubt I could have had a worse time watching a bunch of crickets performing a mating song on the National Geographic channel. The show opened up with LL Kool J introducing a star-studded girl group that paid tribute to Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and included Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, Yolanda Adams, Martina McBride and Christina Aguilera. The crew of ladies belted out some of Franklin’s most iconic works and it seemed that the Grammys were off to a rocking start. But it appeared that music’s biggest night never fully got off the runway as the performances were sans the oomph of past Grammy shows.
More than ever before the Grammys’ formula showed like a slip hanging from an expensive cocktail dress. A physic was not needed to foretell the winners, all one needed to do was watch the performers. Almost every performer that hit the stage won their category (and frankly that bit is getting pretty old). Also the Grammys’ method of ad-hoc collabos was for the most part insipid. The most unlikely duo to perform was Ceelo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow; they along with a band of Muppets sang “F**k You.” Green looked like the Muppet Czar as he donned a colorful, feathery number that resembled an Elton John throwback. Paltrow looked sexy in a black catsuit, but the most entertaining part of this duo was watching Paltrow balance herself in a pair of uber-high colorblock heels. Another anticipated performance was that of Mick Jagger, and although it was enjoyable watching him and Raphael Saadiq on stage, I have seen Mick Jagger give more spirited performances.
One good component of the Grammys’ formula is that in this digital, Auto-Tuned age, The Recording Academy still values musicians over artists as the top honors of the night, Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best New Artist were won by Lady Antebellum, The Suburbs and Esperanza Spalding instead of the pop stars du jour.
Probably the most ironic element of the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards is that it started out paying homage to the woman most synonymous with soul music and that was exactly what the show was lacking – soul. In past Grammy shows, a more eclectic blend of music was present in the selection of performances that exposed the viewers at home, especially the youth, to genres of music they would not normally listen to. Question for the academy, where was the classical, jazz, Latin or gospel music? How was this music’s biggest night when more music outside of Billboard’s Top 40 was not represented in the telecast? If this is an omen for Grammy nights in years to come, then the world should just wait for the MTV Awards because the Grammys will not be worth watching.
Photos: WireImage.com, Lester Cohen/WireImage.com, Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
Low Blow, Oil on canves
“Have a nice Day,” Sh*t Happens,” T-shirts allow us to literally wear our heart and emotions on our sleeves (or should I say across our chest). Icons of history and pop culture have become iconography in fashion as their faces are plastered across cotton blend canvases. James Rieck explores non-verbal communication on multiple levels with Enter the Dragon, on display at Lyons Wier Gallery until February 26.
Using Bruce Lee as a muse, Rieck presents five lifelike oil portraits of women with T-shirts that depict fight scenes from Bruce Lee movies. Martial arts is a dialogue between two opponents, and no one did it better than Bruce Lee. The vivid depiction of the shirts serves as an unconventional and colorful reminder of his stunning form and technique.
The portraits’ names, “Cockblock,” “Body Shot,” “Low Blow,” “Black Belt” and “Gang Bang,” provided a sexual innuendo that corresponds to not only the positioning of the models, but the action in the T-shirt. Enter the Dragon is short and to the point just like a T-shirt, and the dynamic illustrations definitely did not come from a comic book.
To learn more about Lyons Wier Gallery or James Rieck, click http://lyonswiergallery.com/.
Photos courtesy of Lyons Wier Gallery
Left to right: Rebecca Santilli and Sesheta Holder
Pop quiz FAMERS…what is the most important component of an ensemble? The correct answer would be accessories. In Steel Magnolias, Olympia Dukakis wittingly delivers one of the best zingers of the movie when she tells Darryl Hannah, “The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.” And she was right. Prêt-à–porter does not provide women with the exclusivity of couture, but with accessories every woman can take the same piece of clothing and create an innovative, fashion forward look that evokes her own personality.
With a commitment to style, creativity and sustainability, Sesheta Holder and Rebecca Santilli give ladies another reason to whip out their credit card with Maven Fresh LTD. – an accessory line that is a mélange of Mother Nature, color, sparkle and simplicity that is hand made and 100% New York City inspired. Cute mutli-hue crochet hats, shawls and headbands and Swarovski crystals, beads and appliqués add a natural feel to a vintage collection with a modern twist.
I recently had a chance to speak to the “premiere fashion mavens” to learn more about Maven Fresh and find out what they think should be in every woman’s closet.
Tell us about your backgrounds?
Sesheta: Though I’ve always been creative with my hands, I didn’t get into designing jewelry until about 12 years ago, after taking classes on Holistic health. I learned so much about it that it inspired me to want to design things that reflected that knowledge. That’s when I self-taught myself how to bead and weave as well as crochet.
Rebecca: I’ve always followed my instincts when it comes to my own sense of color and style. Different forms of artistic expression run in my family. When I inherited what seems like an endless collection of vintage buttons, beads, and yarn from both of my “fashionista” grandmothers, I knew I wanted to start designing. Learning to crochet came after I met Sesheta and now I wish I started sooner!
How did you meet?
Sesheta: We met while working at the Long Island Children’s Museum. Rebecca was hired to fill my previous position after I changed departments. It was all part of the master plan because we bonded right away on diet (I’m mostly vegan and she was raised vegetarian) as well as on color and fashion.
Rebecca: Lots of days we would find ourselves coming to work dressed in the same color palette. It was not pre-planned…we are just totally on the same wavelength!
When did you first form MavenFresh Ltd?
Sesheta: It was back in late ’08 – MF was born from our conversations about how color excited both of us and about our common love of fashion, accessories and especially styling. We decided one day that we should start a line together.
What is the story behind the name MavenFresh?
Sesheta: MavenFresh is the combination of who we are as individuals as well as all the things that we believe that we want to share with the world. The name means that we are experts and connoisseurs in Fresh-ness – fresh style, organic living, healthy eating and more.
Describe the MavenFresh woman.
Sesheta: We believe the MF woman is ageless because we have found that MavenFresh has something for women of all ages – someone who is connected to what makes her happy and who isn’t afraid to be bold, and make a statement by standing out and pushing fashion norms.
All your jewelry and accessories are handmade. How long does it take for you to construct a piece?
Sesheta: Honestly, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three weeks, depending on the style and construction. We collaborate on design and sometimes creation. We know you can’t rush fabulousness so our customer has to know that many of our pieces will last a lifetime so what’s a three week wait! (This wait time really applies to our custom orders).
How do you fuse your vegan/vegetarian lifestyles into the jewelry and accessories you manufacture?
Sesheta: Our designs literally reflect who we are – people who are interested in the preservation of culture and repurposing of what is old and mixing that with new pieces/modern style. Our lifestyles encourage freshness literally – the food we eat is fresher and I think it helps inspire designs. We also are really focused on using natural components when we create.
What five essential pieces do you believe should be in every woman’s closet?
Sesheta: Skinny studded belt, day to night statement earrings, great transitional leather jacket for either casual or dressy, fabulous pair of clog or wooden heel boots [and] a MavenFresh jersey mobius. We definitely believe that it should all be accessories since you can dress up or dress down just about anything based on your accessorizing.
Accessorizing can be tricky for some women. What is one rule of thumb a women should remember when accessorizing an ensemble?
Rebecca: Don’t be afraid! So many women tell us that they could never wear something, but it is all about inner confidence.
Sesheta: Make sure that your pieces don’t compete for attention. Think of yourself like a portrait – where would you want the viewer’s eye to go first? If you start with a statement pair of earrings or a necklace, then build everything else around that so that they all work together to complete the picture.
What do you love most about New York City fashion/style?
Sesheta: I love the edge. New Yorkers are so diverse and I love that fashion can be as diverse as the people. I also love how everyone mixes vintage styles with new trends. It’s fabulous.
Rebecca: Anything goes here- and I love that! You can be inspired to reinvent your style by just a glimpse of the unique fashion combinations that surround you daily…and New York City fashion has totally confirmed my belief that it is ok to be a bit overdressed rather than underdressed.
To learn more about Maven Fresh, click http://www.etsy.com/people/MavenFresh#.
Photos courtesy of Sesheta Holder and Rebecca Santilli
F.A.M.E NYC Magazine 