2018 brought us one runaway winner and one nail biter of a race that was won by only two votes.  Whose work were you loving this year? The winners are:

WELCOME to New York, Scarlett! One of the KOs newest recruits, Ms. Bordeaux abso won my heart with this sizzler of a ‘shoot. First, the backdrop is YELLOW. So, like it literally needs nothing else for me to be in :). But she doesn’t stop there: she serves up an outfit with the kind of fashionista bona fides I’d just about given up on seeing from the KOs, given their historic penchant for sexy-kitschy sets. She pairs a hardware-embellished leather pencil skirt with a simple black tee and adds a shot of glam with a long, slim crystal statement necklace that breaks up the black monochrome perfectly.  He doesn’t segue into 2010’s grunge-glam though. Instead, she adds a mod and totally fun checked newsboy cap that gives the look a cheeky chic. She enhances that vibe with the serious slayage of her studded ankle boots (omg gimme gimme!) and her coordinating spiked mini tote. Bright scarlet (what else? :)) lips add a jolt of color that looks amazing against the neutrals and yellow. She then proceeds with the coup de grace:  a scintillating run of editorial-worthy poses, ranging from a flirty cap-tip to Gwen-Stefanie-esque lounging against the wall to a more classic print-model’s stance – all done with undeniable-competence and devotee-making attitude. brb..keeling over now. Clue officially gifted: it was Ms. Scarlett, in New York, with the studded boots that did me in.

Keeping up with Impact/GFW/Impact again has been a real challenge lately, as the company spent most of 2017 and early 2018 wrapped up in ownership changes that detrimentally affected personnel  and content. During the summer, the Knockouts – hopefully with a steadier roster now! – began to release some photoshoots again. The first, themed “Back To Basics”  seems to be a ground floor attempt to take the division back to its most recent high point, 2013 when Christy Hemme was directing the KOs marketing. The presentation includes adjectives with each photo highly reminiscent of the photoshoot that accompanied the opening of the now-defunct WestlingKnockouts.com website. I hope this does indeed herald a renewed beginning for these ladies! In keeping with the theme, the styling is stripped down and simple: denim shorts, tees, girl-next-door vibes. I’m having an inordinate amount of fun with these snaps, likely because we’ve been so starved for shoots on all fronts lately!
Katarina (the lady formerly known as Winter) kicks things off with a black tank and dark  denim shorts. She throws some edge into the look by completing it with knee-high scrunch boots with a sexy lace-up back. Her rock-solid poses show her comfort and experience: they’re fierce and sensual at the same time.
Allie takes the shoot to a lighter, brighter place: pairing a white tank with medium wash denim. Fringed beige ankle booties give an on-trend Western vibe to her look. She plays around on the bench prop flawlessly, conveying both sweetness and sexiness at once.
Tessa chose a black cropped top paired with cut-off dark denim and rounded off the look with fierce pointy ankle booties. Despite the minimalist vibe of her clothing, she manages to channel femme fatale attitude with her unique poses and stunning facials. She gets props for working hard to push the envelope.

We’ve fiiiiinally gotten some new fashion-containing photos from Impact: a trio of snaps highlighting the newest additions to their roster. While I’m sorry to report that Laurel is no longer a Knockout (I really enjoyed her fashion!), I’ thrilled to have Madison back in the line-up. This snap gives us a look at the gold version of her gear and it is a stunning set! The clean lines and simplicity of this iteration, which she’s been using for two years or so, continue to make it powerful and compelling. The highlight is the holographic sheen to the fabric, which gives a futuristic vibe to the ensemble. I love how it keeps the gear – in no matter what color- from feeling flat or done; it’s a flawless touch! I also love the touch of sheer fabric at the shoulders. It adds a hint of sexiness without seeming thirsty – just what you’d expect from a queen of the ring like Maddy! Her dark red hair really pops against this gear set and she looks amazing! Also new to the roster is Tessa Blanchard, a third generation wrestler. Her black and gold gear features a copped halter top and shorts, a combination we’ve seen plenty of, but which suits her very well.  The gear has a polished, professional quality that I admire and enjoy. Hopefully, in future, we’ll see her explore some unique detail that will add her own personal touch - in addition to the diamond insignia- to this well-designed attire.  Impact’s newest Knockout, Katarina, may look familiar to you – she was previously part of the roster under the name Winter (and previously part of the WWE roster as Katie Lea, back in the early days of my fandom :)). I love that she finally gets to use her real name – it’s so pretty and unique! While she has a new, party-girl persona on-screen, in this snap we see fashion that reminds me of her Winter character in that she’s incorporated lace and a vintage vibe. It’s not quite Winter’s Gothic style, but it has vestiges of it. She paired the sexy, feminine plum blouse with simple black leggings. I’ve always enjoyed what Katarina brings to the table; she always has a creative take and I’m looking forward to seeing where she goes with this new run.

Aaaaaand, iiiiiiit’s tiiiiiiiiime!  We are about to unveil the photoshoots that won our stylish hearts this year. And YOU get to award the one best ‘shoot the honor of the Silver Snap.  Are you ready?
First, a few quid pro quo: this year was especially difficult as it suffered from a dearth of photoshoots from both promotions. Also, both companies leaned toward gallery-type snaps where a number of ladies got individual sets all at once. Consequently, I decided to count each lady’s set as an individual ‘shoot. From there, I whittled down and split hairs and compared and contrasted and evaluated and… you get the picture. In the interests of full disclosure, since diva-fierce is a fashion site and we are all about the fashion, there is a slight bias around these parts towards fashion-type ‘shoots, so I tended to weight those a little higher than less style-inclined snaps. Ok…the lawyers can go off retainer now. Let’s get to the good stuff…

We have a couple of addenda to Impact’s Halloween ‘shoots ( I know, I know...I’m a full holiday behind *hangs head in shame*). First up is McKenzie as a lovely and quite glamorous mermaid – a theme that seems to be a perfect choice for her. Her outfit is classic and flawless, from the seashell bra to the aptly named mermaid skirt of her costume. I really love the color combinations in this set – they create an ombré effect starting with metallic azure, shifting into bright lime and then into shimmering mint. It aptly reflects the sea theme but also looks quite stunning. Many mermaids are content to allow the seashells to be their only baubles, by McKenzie gives us a flashier, more luxe interpretation of the look, adding a sparkling crystal choker and glittering statement cuff, which definitely up the wow factor. Her eyeshadow echoes the colors of her outfit, as well as it’s sheen, enhancing her natural beauty. She nails two standard poses, setting up my only regret regarding this ‘shoot: that we didn’t get a couple more snaps in it.             
Taya’s Viking-themed “set” unfortunately suffers from the same paucity of shots, but what’s there is solid. She dons an ivory bodysuit with a metallic front panel, which gives a nice illusion of armor and adds a heavy dose of fur: gloves, epaulets, even a sort of bustle, which I’m sure there is much tougher, more technical, and far more Viking-esque name for :). Fur also trims her horned metallic cap. Fishnets stockings add a subtle dose of sex appeal to the look, while the red streaks in her hair bring in a welcome shot of color. We sadly never get to see her footwear choice, but I’d put good money down on fur-lined boots – what else would a Nordic warrior face battle in? Her pose is an appealing one and presented with confidence. On my wishlist:  I would have loved to see her carrying a giant shield or sword…I’d even settle for an ice pick. Perhaps those were in the snaps that didn’t get released. Ooo..and maybe she’s off to do battle with the one keeping them prisoner.  If so, I hope she wins! ;)

Kim: If we have any Marvel fans reading... *I raise my hand*... You're probably going to immediately recognize who Rosemary is dressing up as... *Raises my other hand*. She's bringing the darkness with this Venom look. The coolest part of this costume is without a doubt the face paint. The big, gaping mouth going all the way down her neck, with an even longer and twisted tongue, completed with lots of sharp, fang-like teeth. She also continued the black face paint down her chest to match up with the black body suit. And I mean a full on body suit, no cuts outs or sheer material, with long sleeves and everything. We've got the spider logo in silver right in the middle, and the hood with Venom's eyes is a haunting touch.  The final pieces of this costume are the knee high black boots, and the black leather gloves. I will call her poses very spidery, with her arms outstretched and her hands curled. Her facial expressions are so calm, and yet chilling. She isn't smiling, I mean come on it would mess up the paint, so for these shots it's all in the eyes.