theGrio Style Guide: Janelle James’ star rises, Zendaya’s new role, and British Vogue gives disabilities deserved shine

In this week’s Style Guide, we review top Met Gala looks and Coachella fashion, Yung Miami tops The Cut, and Balmain joins forces with IN THE BLK.

Janelle James just had quite the week. 

The “Abbott Elementary” star was not only on the cover of Variety this week, but she was also profiled in Vanity Fair. In Variety, James reveals how she got her start in Illinois, gets frank about not wanting to play “sexy” roles, and refuses to disclose her age.    

“I’m grown. I have a 20-year-old son. I’m not ashamed of my age or anything like that. But for women — and everybody knows it and acts like they don’t — it gives an idea of what you are in people’s heads,” she said. 

James has steadily risen through the comedy ranks over the last five years, including writing for “The Rundown With Robin Thede” and “Black Monday.” Nevertheless, she wasn’t prepared to become somewhat of a household name through her portrayal as “Ava,” the less-than-above-board principal of TV’s “Abbott Elementary.” James told Vanity Fair she’s extremely private with her personal life because she’s “reluctantly famous.” 

“I am reluctantly famous, and because of that, I’m protecting the people around me as well,” she said. “My whole family is very private. So I don’t know how realistic it is, but I’d like to keep part of myself out of this machine if possible.”

Also a standout on the stand-up circuit, James spoke with Vanity Fair amid her multi-city comedy tour, “Newly Famous.”

“[Abbott] has allowed me to broaden my fan base, and people can decide whether they like Ava and me—or maybe they only like Ava,” she said. “But I get to keep some part of myself—my real self—going. So I need it, as all stand-ups do.”

James’ profiles are just two of many great profiles we’re excited about this week. In this week’s style guide, we take a look at Monica in Women’s Wear Daily, Yung Miami in The Cut, British Vogue’s disability issue, and more. 

The rumors were true: Zendaya is Louis Vuitton’s newest star

After months of speculation, fashion lovers finally received confirmation that Zendaya is the newest brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton. On Friday and Saturday, the Emmy-winning actress, producer, singer, and style icon made her debut in multiple spots for the French luxury house, as well as in a print campaign photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and styled by Law Roach.

Of her newest role, Zendaya told Vogue, “I remember growing up around LV campaigns. There was this one that I loved from the early 2000s of Naomi Campbell, and she’s like sprawled out over a trunk. I can still see it.”

The 26-year-old star’s campaign co-star is Louis Vuitton’s Capucines bag, now celebrating its tenth year. As reported by the LV in People magazine, the “Capucines handbag is named after the Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Paris street where Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854.”

A new vanguard of talent covers British Vogue’s May issue

When the May issue of British Vogue hits newsstands on April 25, readers will be introduced to a class of emerging talent in fashion and culture who all happen to identify as disabled, and many of them are also Black. 

The model Aaron Rose Phillip, a transwoman with quadriplegic cerebral palsy; comedian and podcaster Fats Timbo, who is a little person; Jessikah Inaba, the UK’s first Black and blind barrister; Motha Musa, a professional dancer and leg amputee; Nicolas Hamilton, a race car driver with cerebral palsy; and Justina Miles, the ASL performer who went viral during Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance are among the 19 included in the issue titled “Reframing Fashion: Dynamic, Daring, & Disabled.” 

British Vogue editor Edward Enninful told BBC this upcoming issue is “one of the proudest moments of my career.”

“What I loved about all of them is they all just speak up and champion their community by teaching the world to be more caring and understanding,” Enninful said. “Anybody like that deserves to be on a British Vogue cover.”

Lupita Nyong’o says hello to a big chop

This week, “Black Panther” star Lupita Nyong’o debuted a new ‘do. In a video shared on Instagram and TikTok, the Oscar-winning actress let viewers in on just how hard it is to say goodbye when cutting off her sister locs in a post captioned, “I chopped off my sisterlocks! Here’s how I said goodbye, #sisterlocks, #shorthair and #newhaircut.”

“It’s time to let you go,” Nyong’o said in the video set to Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye (to Yesterday).”

“It’s sad, it’s oh so sad,” she said. “You’ve been so good to me, you’ve been so thick! For the first time in my life. I’m gonna miss you. Come back again.”

After blowing a few kisses, Nyong’o picked up a pair of scissors as the popular TikTok phrase “Girl, don’t do it” played in the background. The next frame showed the actress poking her head out of a car window, sporting her brand-new buzzcut and a gorgeous smile. While she’s become almost as famed for her versatile hairstyles as her award-winning acting, Nyong’o proved she can pull off any look. 

Balmain and Victor Glemaud’s IN THE BLK join forces on a new mentorship program

Designer Victor Glemaud founded IN THE BLK (ITB), a collective of influential Black fashion creatives, in 2020 with the aim of promoting the growth of Black-owned fashion brands. With over 30 established and emerging designers, ITB supports its designers with a focus on professional growth, job creation, and profitability. Today, ITB has announced a partnership with Balmain to further support ITB’s mentorship program.

“Too many talented early to mid-career creatives reach a plateau in the fashion industry,” Glemaud shared with Vogue. “They need a supportive network of expert mentors who can help them to break through. Our solution: Professional residencies with global fashion houses.”

The first recipient of this mentorship is Dayanne Danier, the founder of women’s accessories brand Bien Abyé, made by female artisans in Haiti. Danier’s residency with Balmain will grant her access to design, marketing, sales, and finance guidance, along with valuable advice on overcoming business hurdles. The six-month residency will culminate in a presentation of Danier’s learnings to the ITB community. Ultimately, the ITB and Balmain partnership allows the nonprofit collective to expand its resources and scope. 

“Of course, we all know that the fashion industry has been embarrassingly slow in pushing for the needed changes that will help create a fashion future that better reflects the beautifully diverse world where we all live,” Balmain’s Chief Marketing Officer, Txampi Diz told Vogue. “The work of the dedicated professionals behind IN THE BLK is helping us to start making up for lost time and the association’s mentorship program is a smart way to kick-start the development of tomorrow’s Black design and business leaders.” 

The Brooklyn Circus creates some ‘Space‘

The Brooklyn Circus needed — and found — more space. 

On Friday, the prep-wear brand opened a new retail concept called “The Space,” a 1,100-square-foot gallery-style store at 361 Canal Street in Manhattan’s SoHo, according to WWD. A deliberate deviation from the brand’s Boerum Hill location, the new store will feature a rotation of inventory and will reportedly work with friends of the brand on partnerships and in-store experiences.

“It’s for people to discover and also rediscover what The Brooklyn Circus is and what the global village is about,” founder and creative director Ouigi Theodore told WWD. “We are constantly evolving, constantly trying to learn more about what we can contribute to not only our community but also to fashion and design. So, it’s constantly changing.”

H&M supports sustainability with Harlem’s Fashion Row

H&M again partnered with Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) to host its second annual Sustainability Forum on April 19, 2023. Highlighting the significance of environmental care and diversity in the sustainable fashion industry, HFR aimed to empower underrepresented Black and Latinx fashion designers with the knowledge and resources necessary to build more ethical and eco-friendly fashion brands through the initiative. 

“Empowering underrepresented designers to create sustainable and socially responsible fashion brands is not only a moral imperative but also a vital step toward a more diverse and sustainable fashion industry,” said Brandice Daniel, CEO and founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row, in a press release. “Our Sustainability Forum aims to provide the knowledge, tools, and resources necessary for designers to build economically viable fashion brands that reflect their unique creative vision while promoting environmental and social responsibility. We are thrilled to partner with H&M, a company that shares our commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, to bring together the best and brightest minds in the fashion industry to drive positive change.” 

The summit featured informative sessions that inspire and equip designers with the skills to produce environmentally conscious, socially responsible, and economically viable fashion. Bringing together some of the best and brightest sustainability experts within the fashion industry, the summit included Tracy Reese, creator of responsibly designed brand Hope for Flowers as its keynote speaker, and other speakers like Bridgett Artise, author and designer of Born-Again Vintage, Keith A. Fraley, professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Nicole King, founder of Esenshel, and more. Overall, the summit’s main mission was to be an enlightening and informative event for anyone interested in sustainability within the fashion industry.

Monica named one of the ‘Fashion Icons of Atlanta‘

On Wednesday, R&B singer Monica was honored as one of the “Fashion Icons of Atlanta” by the Fashion Group International of Atlanta. In a new WWD profile released ahead of the award, the multiplatinum-selling and Grammy Award-winning singer updates the publication on her two upcoming albums, discusses her style, which she describes as “around-the-way chic,” and divulges what fashion means to her. 

“It’s 50 percent because it speaks for you before you say a word,” she said. “You look at someone, and you can almost get a vibe from them in how they carry themselves and how they’re dressed.”

Yung Miami is an open book in The Cut

Caresha Brownlee, best known as rapper Yung Miami, is The Cut’s latest cover star. Alongside a nostalgic photoshoot giving an ode to the ’80s and ’90s, the City Girls member sat down with New York magazine for a candid interview. In addition to revealing the amicable ending of her situationship with Diddy, the star opened up for the first time about the challenges that came along with her quick rise to stardom. Ultimately describing it as both a gift and a curse, Yung Miami explains how difficult it to juggle the constant criticism and lack of privacy. 

“I have no privacy,” Caresha shared with The Cut. “I feel like I can’t even express myself. If I really want to be myself, I have to do it at home,” 

However, the rapper, actress, and talk show host continues to have big dreams. 

“I want everything: to be an actor, an artist, and entrepreneur. It’s just my work ethic that’s gonna determine my success.” 

Zendaya and Rihanna among the most googled Met Gala looks

As the Met Gala and its controversial theme of Karl Lagerfeld draws closer, some have begun to recall viral looks from the gala’s buzzy red carpet history. According to WWD and data from Google, five looks, including those worn by Zendaya and the unofficial Queen of the Met Gala red carpet Rihanna, are among the most Googled. 

The top searched look appears to be Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2021 Met Gala look, a white gown emblazoned with the phrase “tax the rich,” designed by Brother Vellies’ Aurora James. It’s little wonder it’s the top look in Met Gala history, considering how her political rivals are still talking about it to this day. 

Zendaya’s 2019 rendition of Cinderella in an LED-enhanced Tommy Hilfiger gown styled by Law Roach and the 55-pound embroidered yellow cape by Guo Pei worn by Rihanna in 2015 round out the top three. Kim Kardashian’s 2022 ode to Marlyin Monore is number four, and Claire Danes’ 2016 look earned number five.  

Coachella’s Week One fashion

Friday, April 14, Coachella kicked off its first weekend with highly anticipated performances by Frank Ocean, Kaytranada, Pusha T, GloRilla, Willow Smith, a surprise visit by Ciara, and more. Offstage, the weekend also featured its fair share of festival fashion, expanding well beyond the typical cut-offs and fringe (although there was plenty of fringe). So far, Coachella style this year has been heavy on sheer sparkles, cowboy hats, and lots of Barbie pink. As Weekend Two gets underway, we’ve gathered our favorite festival style in the gallery below.

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