THE ENCHANTED BOUDOIR: beyoncé

VMA's 2016 : Beyonce, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears and more

It was not my intention to watch live anyother MTV awards show since they have become so predictable and lame, but this year‘s lineup was something you cannot miss: Beyoncè, Rihanna & Britney Spears, the women I grew up with.

So I did it, I woke up in the middle of the night (time zones are sooo funny #sarcasm) tuned on MTV and watched.

How was it? Not bad thanks to the performers that I have mentioned.

Here is the top 5 moments of the night:

Rihanna & the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

It was Rihanna’s night (on the paper): the barbadian superstar was meant to receive a career tribute award so a performance was needed. The badgal we know and love didn’t go for a long medley of her hit, nope she broke the rules and performed 4 times throughout the show. A cool idea, given all the outfit she wore: the vocal performances were good as long as little movements were included from her side, while the more physical ones were more fun to watch (than listen).
[I am being honest, as you know I went to her concert in Milan last month, and as a fan I love everything she does, even if she is not always perfect live].

VMA'S 2016 : BEYONCE, RIHANNA, ARIANA GRANDE, BRITNEY SPEARS AND MORE

Cherry on top, on her last beautiful performance Drake showed up, basically declaring his love for her : #LoveBirds !!

If you missed it, here's Drake giving the most sweetest speech to Rihanna as she accepts her vanguard award https://t.co/nIFtOf9CXw
— Queen Mel (@BLVCKMATTERS) 29 agosto 2016

Beyoncé & her epic Lemonade medley

As I said it was meant to be Riri’s night…but the queen showed up and the crowd went crazy.

Beyoncè is the big winner of the night (Best Female Video for "Hold Up"; Breakthrough Long-Form Video Award, Best Direction, Cinematography and Editing for Lemonade, Video of The Year and Best Pop Video for "Formation"), an easy bet since Lemonade is her best album so far, a true masterpiece. She took the stage and slayed it, and for me was like going back to the Formation world tour (which I attended last month…yep, the #TEBcrew has seen also Beyoncè this year!). Basically I turned off the tv after this mind-blowing performance, because nothing would compare: there was fire, cool outfits, amazing dance moves and a baseball bat…yep, the queen broke a camera as in the Hold Up video!

Here is the 5 songs she performed from Lemonade: Pray you catch me/ Hold up/ Sorry/ Don’t Hurt Yourself/ Formation.

Britney Spears & her comeback performance

The princess of pop is back at what she does best: performing for her fans in sexy outfits (and lipsyncing). It was cool and emotional…however, MTV ended up putting her performance right after Beyoncè. A really shady move.

Speaking of the positives, Britney was in shape rocking a shiny leotard and matching tigh-high boots (that Las Vegas residency has seriously influenced her wardrobe), all her iconic moves were there so, good job Brit!

Kanye West & his 4 minutes speech

It’s not even funny at this point.

The rapper took the stage to present his new video Fade (available only on TIDAL) e, which stars the beautiful and toned Teyana Taylor and BTW is a cool remake of Flashdance (except for the wtf last 30 seconds). However instead of introducing the video and maybe saying a few words about the song…he said "FIRST IMMA TALK" #PleaseNo

4 minutes of nothing, where he kind of talked about his provocative Famous video, his genius (yes, again) and Taylor Swift: I guess no one actually understood (or needed) his monologue, except maybe for his wife Kim Kardashian who smiled the all time.

Ariana Grande ft Nicki Minaj vs The gym

A pink workout-inspired performance for miss Grande, who premiered her new reggae-tinged single Side to Side with Nicki Minaj, wich BTW is one of my favourite songs from her new album Dangerous Woman. The performance was cool, the choreography was fun to watch, even though IMO Grande’s beautiful voice suffered at one point given the many movements required by the choreography.

Check also the sexy fitness-inspired Side to Side official video!

written by: Stella

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BEYONCÉ: FORMATION WORLD TOUR - THE REVIEW

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CFDA 2016: BEST AND WORST LOOKS FROM THE RED CARPET

On Monday (June 6) A-list fashion designers, editors, actors and models gathered at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City to celebrate this year's top talents in the fashion industry.

The so called Oscars of fashion, aka CFDA Fashion Awards, finally announced its winners: as we previously wrote Italy took home the International Award thanks to Alessandro Michele’s work at Gucci, while the late David Bowie was honoured with the Tribute Award.

2016 CFDA winners list

Womenswear Designer of the Year

Marc Jacobs

Swarovski Award for Womenswear

Brandon Maxwell

Swarovski Award for Menswear

Orley: Alex Orley, Matthew Orley, Samantha Orley

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design

Paul Andrew

Menswear Designer of the Year

Thom Browne

Accessories Designer of the Year

Mansur Gavriel: Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award

Norma Kamali

The Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert

Donna Karan

International Award

Gucci: Alessandro Michele

The Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award

David Bowie

The Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard

Imran Amed, editor in chief of The Business of Fashion

One of the highlights of the night has to be Diane Von Furstenberg presenting Beyoncé with the Fashion Icon Award: the superstar took the stage in an eye-catching Givenchy outfit and made a touching speech about her family and the power of fashion.

Among the past Fashion Icon honorees we have Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Johnny Depp, Lady Gaga, Iman, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman.

Read Beyonce’s full speech:

“I feel so much love and I feel so proud right now. Thank you guys for this incredible honor. As long as I can remember, fashion has always been a part of my life. Its effect on me actually started before I was born. Most of you guys don’t know this but my grandmother was a seamstress. My grandparents did not have enough money and could not afford my mother’s Catholic school tuition, so my grandmother sewed clothes for the priests and the nuns, and made uniforms for the students in exchange for my mother’s education. She then passed this gift down to my mother and taught her how to sew.

When we were starting out in Destiny’s Child, high-end labels didn’t really want to dress four black, country, curvy girls. And we couldn’t afford designer dresses and couture. My mother was rejected from every showroom in New York. But like my grandmother, she used her talent and creativity to giver her children their dreams. My mother and my Uncle Johnny, God bless his soul, designed all of our first costumes and made each piece by hand, individually sewing hundreds of crystals and pearls, putting so much passion and love into ever small detail. When I wore these clothes on stage I felt like Khaleesi. I had an extra suit of armor. It was so much deeper than any brand name.

My mother — who’s so fabulous and beautiful and is here tonight, I love you — my grandmother, and my uncle were always with me so I could not fail. My mother actually designed my wedding dress, my prom dress, my first CFDA Awards dress, my first Grammy dress, and the list goes on and on and this to me is the true power and potential of fashion. It’s a tool for finding your own identity, expression, and strength. It transcends style and is a time capsule of all of our greatest milestones. So to my mother, my uncle, my grandma, thank y’all. Thank you for showing me that having a presence is far more than the clothes you wear and your physical beauty. Thank you for showing me to never take no for an answer. Thank you for showing me how to take risks, work hard, and live life on my own terms.

I want to say thank you to every designer who works tirelessly to make people feel like they can write their own stories. Y’all are fairy godmothers, magicians, sculptors, and sometimes even therapists. I encourage you to not forget this power you have or take it lightly. We have an opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine cover and see her own reflection. Soul has no color, no shape, no form. Just like all your work it goes so far beyond what the eyes can see. You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, to show people how to embrace their complications and flaws and see the true beauty that’s inside all of us. Thank you so much for this incredible award I’ll never forget this night. Got bless y’all.”

These words are truly inspiring, we appreciate that she took that moment to thank all the people that worked hard to support her career. Isn't this a true Queen?

Ok, let's not forget the purpose of this article: what about the red carpet?

Best Dressed

Beyoncé in Givenchy

Demure, elegant, classic, costumy...call it as you want it, but this look to us is a win.

We all were expecting the next sheer embellished gown, but Beyoncé surprised all of us in a crystals-embellished Givenchy suit.

The hat is a reminder of the Lemonade's era, as well as a smart advertise for her Formation World Tour.

Fashion as a communication tool: the queen slayed again.

Elsa Hosk in Naeem Khan, Shanina Shaik in Givenchy, Jessica Hart in The Row

Elsa Hosk stole our hearts wearing a custom Naeem Khan gold jumpsuit.

This look could have easily looked messy, if overstyled: fortunately this is not the case, because at the end of the day it's not simple to deal with net, sheer patterns, metallic emebellishments and fringes at the same time!

The new Victoria's Secret angel completed her look with statement earrings, light make-up and elegant waves.

Australian beauty Shanina Shaik opted for something less flashy, as she wore a light Givenchy dress. At first sight it felt too simple for the occasion, but it is impossible to not appreciate the proportion, the silhouette, the cuts and drapes of this beautiful design. Shanina styled her outfit with a dainty necklace, which matched the triangular shaped cut-outs of the dress, Tamara Mellon sandals with clear vinyl inserts and a fur Lanvin purse.

Jessica Hart was all about minimal designs last night, as she wore a three piece silk ensemble and Alexandre Birman 'Clarita' velvet sandals.

CFDA-best-elsa-hosk-shanina-shaik-jessica-hart-

Worst Dressed

Taylor Hill in Thakoon, Constance Jablonski in J. Mendel, Adriana Lima in Marc Jacobs

It hurts to see such beautiful women wearing expensive looks that do nothing for their figure: let's get a closer look...

First we have Taylor Hill in what we could easily describe as Granny-chic or Hamish couture: this Thakoon's design definitely needed a bit more drama.

Costance Jablonski seems to have borrowed Taylor's stylist for the night: just another beautiful design...by aprons' standards.

Last but not least one of the most beautiful models in the indutry, Adriana Lima, trapped in a Marc Jacobs suit, that simply does nothing for her bombshell figure.

CFDA-worst-taylor-hill-adriana-lima-constance-jablonski

Written by: Stella & MsD

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BEYONCÉ & LEMONADE: a visual album to explore the diva’s private life

She made us hold our breath for a week…but was it worth it?

Hell, yes!

Last night Beyoncé managed to outdone herself once again by debuting her latest music project, LEMONADE.

The star tapped HBO for an unconventional presentation that is a one-hour film to reveal Lemonade as a visual album: forget the homonymous 2013’s album, because this time Ms Carter took her time to present a more cohesive project aimed to explore her private life and inner struggles.

This is no doubt a very intimate and emotional project, where Beyoncè publically addresses the dark moments of her marriage, showcasing her emotional journey.

“Are you cheating on me?”

With this line addressed to her husband, the visual journey begins: Beyonce’s music becomes a spectrum of her feelings, ranging from denial and anger, to scorn and grief.

In the most emotional segment, the star decides to introduce the social/political undertone, by having mothers Sybrina Fulton and Lesley McFadden holding up pictures of their sons Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown, both killed by the police. Almost a prelude to “Formation,” the political track featured at the end of album, which she performed at the 2016 Super Bowl.

Beyoncè’s journey through heartbreak ends with a redemption: after praising her father for teaching her to be strong, the singer manages to cope with her pain and move on.

Indeed, the final segment is filled with hope, as the star is finally pictured smiling with her husband and daughter.

Visually I believe that this is one of the best projects that we have seen in years: the film was directed by Beyoncè, Mark Romanek, Khalil Joseph, Melina Matsoukas, Todd Tourso, Dikayl Rimmasch and Jonas Akerlund.

Tennis champion Serena Williams, model Winnie Harlow, actresses Amandla Stenberg, Quvenzhané Wallis and Zendaya Coleman served beautiful cameos in Lemonade’s visuals, while The Weekend, James Blake and Kendrik Lamar where featured in the album.

I can’t say if visual albums will become the new black or just a Beyoncè’s thing, but as music lover I believe that sometimes we need projects like these to remind us the storytelling-power of music.

LEMONADE is available on Tidal.

Track List

1. PRAY YOU CATCH ME

2. HOLD UP

3. DON'T HURT YOURSELF f. Jack White

4. SORRY

5. 6 INCH f. The Weeknd

6. DADDY LESSONS

7. LOVE DROUGHT

8. SANDCASTLES

9. FORWARD f. James Blake

10. FREEDOM f. Kendrick Lamar

11. ALL NIGHT

12. FORMATION

written by: Stella

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BEYONCE, KENDRICK LAMAR & MORE: Is this the beginning of a re-education about black history in music?

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COLDPLAY, BEYONCE, BRUNO MARS AND LADY GAGA: Was this the best Super Bowl ever?

Every year in this period I find my self wondering what the Super Bowl actually means to me: do I care more for the athletes or the halftime show? The answer is always the music of course…but it depends on who is performing.

As Coldplay was announced to be the main act of the event my interest dropped: even though I respect them as a band and I believe in their talent, in my opinion they could not suit the event.

Have I changed my mind after watching the show?

No.

The British band called Bruno Mars & (queen) Beyoncè as supporting acts, but they predictably ended up looking like the main course.

As Chris Martin opened the show with a medley of his most famous hits, Bruno Mars speeded up the beat performing Uptown Folk with a group of dancers: all of them wearing Versace head to toe, with plenty of gold chains.

Finally they welcomed Beyoncè on stage: wearing a custom Dsquared2 jacked inspired by Michael Jackson, the diva brought some girl power to the show performing her newly premiered single Formation, a manifesto for the Black Lives Movement…and #TEB’s new jam. During the performance she nearly fell, but she quickly saved herself like a pro. #Queen.

The halftime show ended with a tribute to all of the artists that had the honour to perform at the Super Bowl: from Michael Jackson to Witney Huston, from Steve Wonder to the Rolling Stones without forgetting the Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Beyoncè and Katy Perry.

Leslie’s review: It was not the most spectacular Halftime show ever, I mean, even Katy Perry did better last year, showing up on a gigant robotic tiger. I believe that Bruno and (queen) Beyonce saved the day showing off their insane dancing and vocal abilities.

Therefore this means that Coldplay’s performance was a flop: no energy, no spark, no soul. The closing tribute was a good intuition, but ultimately a lame decision.

Also in my opinion, the show’s drama was taken away from the daylight: just try to imagine the same show performed a couple of hours later. #Boom !

@URaStella Quenn B blast it!!! I gotta say it doee without @Beyonce n @BrunoMars this #HalftimeShow would have been so boring!
— Leslie Sackey (@OFFLeslieSackey) 8 Febbraio 2016

Agree.

Another major musical moment was gifted by Lady Gaga, who got the chance to open the 2016 Super Bowl “Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos” match singing the American national anthem: a beautiful vocal performance that honestly brought me to tears, even if I am not American!

Chills. Best National Anthem since Whitney Houston. Wow #ladygaga
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) 7 Febbraio 2016

The styling however brought me to tears for other reasons: I can get on board with that shimmering lurex Gucci suit, but to me the hair style and the shoes were all over the place.