Style Icon: Nicki Minaj

Oh, the many faces of Nicki Minaj' - how I love them all.

I'm not saying that she's flawless but I am saying that she's fabulous. Her style (like her music) is all over the place right now, let's call it growing pains. Some say that she is doing too much and I'd agree but I'd also argue that too much is better than not enough. It has to be intense to be that talented, creative and inspired and to have crazy amounts of fame dropped in your lap. She seems to be trying to please every new fan - trying to fit every outfit, every song, every concept in all at once. 

I haven't seen her live but I've read that her show is overwrought with costume changes and lacks fluidity. She's trying to spotlight a closet full of "personas" and while that may be a mistake it's impressive that she can even be three or four different women over the course of one concert. 

Sure, her "rap" fans feel confused and betrayed and her "pop" fans don't appreciate the harder stuff but her catalog is made for someone like me. I love tough, grimy rap as much as I love a solid dance track. My favorite song from Pink Friday is "Did it on 'Em", hands down, but "Starships" is for sure my summer jam. I appreciate how clean "Beez in the Trap" is and I can't resist a hot mess like "Stupid Hoe". I may be the minority but I don't think that experimentation is the same as selling out. 

It's lazy to accuse her of biting Lady Gaga or Lil' Kim. If you pay any attention to music or fashion then you understand that neither would exist without influence, inspiration and a little bit of flat out borrowing. Nicki's style is outlandish, experimental, bizarre and almost always on point. She is brave, funny and seriously sexy. In photo shoots she packs a supermodel's talent into a five foot four frame and don't even get me started on all of her lovely assets. It's hard to imagine a future where she is not relevant or one where she's settled into a style. I think that like Lady Gaga (and certainly Madonna before both) we are witnessing the beginning of something special. Some may call it an identity crisis but I say she's just being herself - whoever herself happens to be on any given day. 

Cheers to self expression! 

xo - jocelyn 

Images: nickidaily.com

Wordless Wednesday - Be Nice Or Leave

Sharing with : Project Alicia

xo -jocelyn

I Think Kitty Pryde is Made of Magic.

Maybe that is symptomatic of a bigger problem. Regression? Arrested development? Totally possible. I am a grown ass woman but I am also a 14 year old girl. Maybe every woman is sometimes - when you like a boy, when you don't get whatever the grown-up equivalent of a pony is, when you just want to wear your favorite ripped up t-shirt and not brush your hair, when you hear a song that hits the spot...





Her music is obviously not for me and her tumblr makes my eyes ache but I can't stop watching and I can't stop listening. There is some simple, sweet perfection to it. Her rhymes are cute, heartbreaking, true and funny. Obviously something in her delivery speaks to Beautiful Lou too - the dreamy production of Okay Cupid is flawless. Then there is the mystery of the thing. Teenagers are painfully transparent these days so it's not hard to buy what she's selling - a clever suburban teen who works at Claires, has a tight grip on pop culture and a sick flow. Of course, the internet can be tricksy and there is always a possibility that the wonders that it births are not as authentic as they seem. It's not hard to imagine that she is a carefully crafted trap but if she is I've fallen in...

Her music is a reminder that we've entered an age where anyone can be anything that they want. Generation X carried that banner but we never really believed our own hype. Even at our most angsty we were all still terribly uptight. There is a new generation of kids who have so much freedom and so much inspiration. I care about real hip hop but I don't feel like it is a fragile thing that needs to be protected. I say let goofy white girls rap if they want to. She is not hurting anyone. She is expressing herself and that's good. Her generation is not confined by our stereotypes and they can't help but put all of their ish on blast. I certainly can't relate to it but I do appreciate the cultural significance.





The 14 year old girl in me loves this but really, I don't envy teenagers. Being a teenager is the effing worst.

xo - jocelyn


Images: Bandcamp

You Can't Fake Fashion

BCBGMAZAZRIA

Deborah Llyod for kate spade

Foley + Corinna

John Varvatos

Joy Gryson

Joy Gryson 

Nicole Miller

Robert Gellar

Rogan/Loomstate

The CFDA and Ebay have teamed up for another round of "You Can't Fake Fashion" totes. Bidding started at 11 AM EST and the designer bags are already sold out. Still, if you love all things fashionable it's worth a peek - think art installation not missed opportunity. Over 75 designers contributed to today's offerings. Each designer used 1 of 4 CFDA canvas tote's as a backdrop for their own work of art. Designer bag sold for $200. The canvas tote's are still available.

The campaign's focus is on raising funds and awareness to combat counterfeiting. The Ebay marketplace is a unique environment  where you can score an incredible deal on designer but there is a seedy underbelly, too. I am proud of Ebay for fighting the good fight. It benefits them to maintain a good reputation and kicking counterfeiters out of our community benefits us as Ebayers. Personally, I feel that establishing trust and loyalty between buyers and sellers is the best way to combat for this cause at the grassroots level.

The slogan kind of kills be, though. I hate to split hairs but isn't the issue here that counterfeiters CAN, in the most literal sense, fake fashion. Maybe not the concept or the art but certainly the execution. Sure, most knock-offs are just that but high-end falsies can look just as fresh as the real thing. Still, it's catchy and it gets the point across.

I support fully embacing the sentiment - buy a CFDA canvas tote ($45) and create your own work of art. Go all blank dunny on it. But no matter what you do please don't sew a hot pink boa on to it. Betsey already did that and you can't fake fashion.

xo - jocelyn


Images: Ebay Fashion Vault

Wordless Wednesday - Dear Oakland

Sharing with : Faith, Hope & a whole lotta Love + Project Alicia

xo -jocelyn