I was going through some of my archived folders and I discovered a bunch of images and collages from Melange that I re-fell in love with and wanted to share with you all :). Right now, Melange denotes special, capsule-type posts with a particular theme, but originally Melange was conceived as an online magazine, with three articles presented each month, as well as a cover. We started it with a Prom issue, about nine months after Diva-Fierce.com was born and it was so much fun! I have tons of great memories surrounding the brainstorming and collaborations that took place to bring it together each month. These colls are from a feature called Art Major which married several Divas' photoshoots with art, such as the one above of SoCalVal edited into my vision of a Helen Frankenthaller piece. We intended to present it in March of 2013, but it proved to be trickier to execute than we originally envisioned and it ended up not getting released until August. It still one of my favorite concepts that we did...although, that could be said about a lot of the content ;). I hope you enjoy!

Are you ready for more? There are always more shoes I’d love to see the ladies get to try :). So, here goes…
In addition to her insanely cool, in-ring glow, Naomi has a fantastic sense of fancy style. These Monili-beaded-strap Velvet sandals from Bruno Cuccinelli would fit in perfectly with her sophisticated-with-a-twist sensibilities. They have a wonderful play on materials, with a textural combination of glimmering micro-beads and opulent velvet that makes them quite formal. However, that’s tempered by the mountaineering-gear vibe of the strap that supports the beads, giving a very athletic and functional-looking spin to the formality of these heels. These are just made to be the crave-worthy finish to an LBD or minimalist gown.  Equally in her wheelhouse, but on the less formal side are these celestial-feeling peeptoe booties from Alexandre Birman (the Ziggy).  They get an extra touch of modernity from the tie at the top which creates a paper-bag tie look at the ankle I can totally see Naynay fiercing up acid-wash skinny jeans and a tee with these! Like Maryse, Natalya’s shoe game already sends us into ecstasies! But that doesn’t mean we can’t come up for a few fun things for her to try ;). The classic foundation of her style lends itself to pairings we don’t often see from Divas, like these gingham flats (the Side Bow Mule from No. 21). I love this brand’s modern-classic aesthetic in general and the lighthearted feminine chic of these flats in particular. The jewels at the heel add a delightful dose of extra dimension – don’t you just adore them? I can see these with a floaty summer dress or a sleek pencil skirt. In a more daring genre are these Maureen Double Band mules from Malone Souliers. Nattie is always a fan of pink and this sensual coral-tinged shade would look amazing on her! The moiré (pron: “mwah-ray”) fabric gives them a luxurious vibe that’s contrasted by the sleek silver leather bands. These heels would be provide a fabulous pop to almost any of the clean, classic looks that are Nattie’s trademark. Lastly, I couldn’t resist including a more traditional (but hardly sedate) selection – these pointed Mira Pearl pumps from Nicholas Kirkwood feature glittering textural fabric and a single pearl hung from the sole. About the only thing I can see them not working with is Natalya’s ring gear. Then again, maybe…:).

I’ve never kept my love for shoes anything close to a secret. Whenever the Superstars (*whispers Diiiiivvvaaaaassss*) wear some incredible pairs, I go wild – especially if they’re designer because, face it, a little vicarious expensive-stiletto enjoyment never hurt anyone. We tend to see a lot of Louboutins from our fellow Superstar shoe-lovers. We see a good bit of Giuseppe Zanotti, too.  And Louis Vuitton.  And Stuart Weitzman. And I rave over all of them because…shoes! Then again, there are tonssss of amazing designers outside of the above Quad Squad that I totally wouldn’t mind seeing the ladies get their heels in. For instance? Oh, I was so hoping you’d ask! Come share my little fashion fantasy :)

I’m so excited to finally post this for all of you! It’s been in process since literally August. I plead lack of time and scope of post: this season’s “blast” is more like a ka-boom  - fashion is going in so many directions right now! There are a multitude of subtexts underlying a few dominant themes.

Are you ready for super-simple? How about being a boxer, à la Summer? The only prop you really need is a pair of boxing gloves – check out Amazon for an affordable pair (like these. Note that the weight and color make a big difference in the price). Then, grab a hoodie, a sports bra, running shorts, a towel and a water bottle. Summer went with bright neon colors, which adds intensity to the look and makes it stand out. Alternatively, Sasha’s snaps form this same shoot were done in carbon grays and black, with just one pop of deep purple, so consider that option if you’re feeling a bit badder  :). Last item: sneakers! Pick up an authentic pair (like these) or use any pair of high-top, lightweight ones you already own (no flatforms please :)). Brush up on your air-punching skills before the big day and be sure to finish the look with plenty of attitude ‘cuz you know you’re a knockout, right? ;) Ok, how easy was that?

Halloween is fast approaching so it’s definitely time to start putting together costumes and ideas! This year, I was inspired by Lana’s Dark Carnival look from last year. It got me wondering how many other photoshoots might be perfect points of departure for that special costume. I did some time-travelling and it turns out there are a fair few that got my creative juices simmering.

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to give you some quick notes on finding things: I’ve moved Divas and KO’s who we only have a few posts for to the new “Other Alumni” or “Other Current” categories to try to make the list more manageable.
If you’re looking for posts other than FashionHaps, Inspiration Boards, Awards posts or photoshoots, look under Melange. That was the name of our editorial-style posts that we used to do tri-monthly and I’ve kept the idea and category. I’m working on adding posts to the new Inspo Bd seasonal and Inspo Bd item categories, so you can scroll looks by those sub-categories. Lastly, on the Favorite Things page, you'll find fashionable musings which are not connected to the Divas/KOs. I hope this is useful! XO ~Brie

Woohoo! The hottest party of the Summer is happening... Tonight! Summerslam is one of the biggest PPV's WWE puts on every year, and because of that, we usually get some pretty exciting, unique, and head turning gear from the women superstars. Before we see what the lovely ladies bring to the table tonight, let's look back at past SummerSlam years and some memorable ensembles.

2013 - Brie Bella
Briiiiieeee Moooooddeeee! Goodness, I miss that. Brie totally killed it back in 2013 with this vintage inspired gear. The black, white, and red color scheme is text-book Bella style, and I adore the long, red gloves she added for her entrance. Do you see those tiny bows on her wrists? Adorable! This gear was before Brie moved away from her trademark ruffle boot covers, but I love how the trim matches her high waisted shorts. Now, the really cool fact about this gear is that you could actually own it yourself... because it's a swim suit! That's right! I couldn't find it anymore, but I remember when she debuted this gear, people found the exact same suit online. It would be like owning a little piece of SummerSlam, and Bella Twins, fashion history.

Back when the Big Dub took their Summer Skin seriously and didn't just dash off a crumb to the anniversary with a mere four photoshoots *ahem*, they gave just about every diva on the roster their own day of swim snaps. I remember how freakin' amazing that summer was, waiting to see who was going to be next and what they had chosen for swimwear and the locations and just...ogh...so much fantasticness! That - and I can hardly believe this because it seems like this blog's been my baby forevs - was back in the days before I was a fashion writer. So, although I got to savor and be inspired by each 'shoot, I didn't get to review them. Remedying that as we speak :)...or rather as we share thoughts electronically via various networks.  It's so funny to think back to those moments - I had a different car, different laptop to race to wwe.com on, different  hair color, same love of wrestling in general and divas in particular (thank Maria and Michelle for that; they hooked me).  The continual and unprecedented 'shoot releases kept the whole summer lit...not that lit was in common usage then :). It made a huge impression on me because it coincided with the first summer I was a huge diva fan.  I don't remember what order the snaps came out in, but I do remember raving over Maria's, Maryse's (some things never change ;)) ...

Maria's set was as diverse as her fashion is, ranging through some girl-next-door blue denim-esque and skull-accented, rocker chick piece before getting to the heart and soul of her fashion: glam. This mint-and-gold set had me drooling with it's shining beauty. Maria went heavy with gold statement jewelry, adding plenty of va-voom to an already attention-getting look. She pushed her poses to the dramatic limits - sometimes blowing right over them, but whatever :) - now that's how you work some bamboo! And thennnnn, she busted out the bikini I can't forget. Well, ok, maybe I can forget those metallic boy shorts, but that triangle top covered in massive silver paillettes? Never. Oh, and there was a star charm dangling off the center. I still want that piece.  Her roll-front side-pony was about as glam as glamour gets. And there were also stud bracelets.  Not sure my heart ever left that shoot. So maje.
Then again, Maryse didn't go easy on the heartstrings with her looks. She included sequined sets in magenta and red, a pure white bikini shot in the spray, a glittering blue bikini and then these two: a black triangle set covered with crystals and the curveball of the line-up: a floral-printed french top paired with white bottoms which boasted super-long side ties. It was basically a "You'll need oxygen for this" set of snaps from stem to stern, but these two stood out particularly for the backgrounds and poses. The black bikini was shot with Maryse perched on an outcropping of rocks. It looked challenging, but that brought out the best in her, as she draped herself over the rocks for a stunning series of shots. The floral bikini was shot primarily on the beach, with Maryse half-in/half-out of the water. Her poses, all the way from laying in the sand to kneeling in the foam evoke quintessential summer.

Between La La Land and the live Beauty and The Beast, 2017 has felt like the year of the yellow dress - especially with Nikki wearing it for the Oscars! Periodically, movies create fashion longings because something you don't usually gravitate to looks amazing on-screen. If you fell in love with a yellow dress (I've focused on dresses here to keep things simple, but it all holds true for yellow tops and/or bottoms as well :)) due to either of the above and are now a bit lost because it's a shade you don't often wear and even if (or now that) you had/have one, you wouldn't/don't know what to do with it, fear not! Your friendly neighborhood Lover Of Yellow (disclosure: does not come with superhero cape or goggles) is here to help! First important point: I strongly feel that clean yellows are the easiest to wear. And no, I don't mean you need extra Clorox. Shades of yellow can be straightforward and "pure" or they can be mixed with other tones. The color of a buttercup for example, is fairly clean, while dried ginger is "muddy" in that it has more brown to it. (If you were making a ginger shade with paint, you could get it by adding the right shade of brown to buttercup, plus some white.  Or, you could also add purple...but that's a whole other essay ;)).  Yellows intended to suggest "vintage" tones tend to be in the browned-yellow family (imagine mustard-y 70's shades).Yellows can also be warm (ok, obvi) or cool - a lemon (on the green side of the yellow spectrum - think of moving backwards through a rainbow) is a much cooler yellow than mango, which is on the orange side. Dandelion is nearly smack in the middle. Any of these colors are pretty accessible, as long as they are of the "clean" variety. If brightness makes you feel awkward, go for a pastel (which has a lot of white in it), rather than a drab yellow.
 Now that the whole clean/muddy thing is behind us, what shades can you put with yellow? Black, right? Black goes with anything. True. You can always reach for ye old go-to standby. It rarely, if ever, fails. A dash of black with yellow looks amazing. If I do too much  though, I feel like I get into bumblebee territory. So, other options? The simplest is blue. Blue *always* goes with yellow. Light or dark, pastel or bright, cool or warm, blue and yellow are a match made in heaven. Purple, yellow's color wheel opposite, is similar, with blue-purples (lilac, grape) being safest. If you want to do color and be daring, try a clean (there's that adjective again ;)) pink - carnation or candy shades, rather than blush or antique rose. That's not to say the latter two can't work; they just depend on a firm color sense to mix two appropriate shades (I happen to love coral with mango yellow and wear the combo periodically in the summer). If all this color has you dizzy, there is always silver.  It's my favorite neutral to pair with yellow. It harmonizes with cool yellows, contrasts distinctively with warm tones and avoids any suggestion of bees.
Certain pairings of yellow gain impact based on hue. Of course, white goes with anything, but it's especially stunning with lemon-y hues, due to the crisp feel. Red is one notable deviation from the cool-to-cool, warm-to-warm rule. It gives a classic, primary-colored pop to lemon. (Note: it can also go with warm yellow - think jewel tones and autumn leaves). In fact, most autumnal hues work nicely with warm yellows - nude/beige, caramel, chocolate, pumpkin and melon blend beautifully, as their warm tones echoes those in the yellow. (Note: lemon can be paired with brown also, but choose cooler tones, like taupe. Also note: the closer to the center of the yellow spectrum you get, the less the warm-cool distinction matters, i.e. dandelion will coordinate with any brown tone).
 Cliff Notes version of this: put cool tones with cool (greener) yellows, warm tones with warm (orange-er) yellows and blue or silver with any yellow.
 Handy Thought: Instead of being the main shade, yellow can be used as an accent for an  outfit done in any of the listed colors.
XO!