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!
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I’m practically still living on the high from this year’s Royal Rumble. After the thrill of the incredible performances from the current crop of girls, there were the chills and shivers of all the returns: the Bellas! Beth! And the DoD reunion! The feeeeeeeels! Barbie! I caught my breath when Michelle ran in – I never thought I would see her wrestle again! I was back to the early days of my fandom in a heartbeat. It was 2010 and everything was flawless and filled with real talk and FIERCENESS. Omg. And Trish! And Lita slaying! And when Vickie “excuse me”d…I lost it. Like, gone. Brb. Annnddd. The Big Dub did not disappoint with this one. It took me some time to chill a smidge and savor it all. And then, there was the plethora if ring gear to examine and rave over :)…which I shall now do, in print. Are you ready to rrrrrrrruuuuuumble?
The Glamazon looked as if she last stepped out of a ring just yesterday in this black and white rendition of her trademark gear. While Beth went through a few variations of her gear (including a skirted version, several different side cutouts and an iteration or two with lace-up pants), this is the style that seems synonymous with her. I love this perfect recreation, right down to her trademark headpiece and the in-flight phoenix. The color scheme accents the cool, powerful an practical nature of the design. It has no intention of being sexy…and that’s sexy as h**l! You would be well within the boundary of smart logic to cower in fear at the entrance of the Glamazon…especially when it became apparent that her skill set was 100% intact… Unless, of course, you are Natalya :). The Divas of Destruction sharing a hug in the center of the ring was a standout of the many special moments of this inaugural Rumble. Nattie wore a an iteration of the one-piece that has become her signature look. This one combined the striping and be-crystalled “shield” front we’ve seen previously with additional pink piping and crystals (of course ;)). Set on a latex backdrop, the look is sleek, but glamorous and , like Beth’s gear, practical, despite its fierceness and opulence. While I can’t help but have favorites among the many variations of this gear, there’s no doubt that this series represents Nattie at her absolute ring-fashion best, melding haute couture with performance wear in an unforgettable way. Bayley really didn’t have to do much to get me to adore her gear beside wear it in yellow :) (#FavoriteColorSyndrome). That said, I’m in for her new addition of fringe on her pants. Surprising, no? True, it’s a bit crazy from a fashion standpoint, but the movement is creates is super cool and after the multitude of patterns and graphics on her previous looks, this feels cleaner and lets me appreciate the details and all that free-spirited color – which comes off effervescent and exciting now that it has chance to shine. I love the sprinkling of stars over her top and boots –it’s perfect pattern for her, on trend but also fitting for her taste and style. All of this in combination easily makes this set my current favorite of all her gear outfits! On RAW'S 25th Anniversary, we fans had the fortunate experience of seeing some of our favourite women from the past, some we haven't seen for years, grace our screens once again.....and now, we get to review their fashion :), which is a massive thrill!
Lilian Garcia: The sultry songstress’ look was trademark Lilian, pairing a glittering printed dress with suede OTK boots. This is a combo Lil has plenty of experience with and it shows, as she smartly plays on texture by combining suede with shine. Her long and loose hairstyle adds her customary sense of ease and un-fussiness (did I just make up a word again?) to what could be a fairly fancy look, making it feel accessible, but also formal enough to be respectful to the occasion. Plus, it makes it feel like a party! Shine will do that ;) Nikki & Brie Bella: It's been so long since we've seen both Bella Twins on screen together in a WWE setting, so RAW 25 was definitely a special moment for the Bella Army. Though we all know Nikki can 100% slay in a designer dress and heels, she brought her ring gear out for this night. Rocking her signature snapback, red jersey top and shorts, knee high socks, and sneakers.. this is THE Nikki Bella look we all know and love. Brie Bella walked onto the ramp in style, wearing black high waisted leggings, ankle boots, and a tied up Brie Mode t-shirt. Her accessory of choice? A red flannel tied around her waist... which of course, is classic Brie Bella. Barbie/Kelly Kelly: As per her usual gift for dressing just right for the occasion, Barbie (aka Kelly Kelly) looked every inch the former diva – in fact, she looked like she could step right back into Diva-hood tomorrow without missing a beat. She paired a zippered sequin crop top with cut-off blue denim shorts. She topped the look with a sleek and thoroughly fierce leather motorcycle jacket, tempering the glam with a dose of punk attitude that’s echoed by the wide belt at her waist. She earn props from me for not going over the top with a sequin or crystal belt; this unembellished one makes just the right statement. Barbie finished the look with my favorite piece in the ensemble: sequin pointy ankle booties. I’m heaven! Right there is where she goes from typically fab to street style Queen. They make this outfit! Brie caught our attention with this look which encapsulates her trademark boho flair. It pairs an antique rose peplum blouse with flowing sleeves and blue denim. I love Brie's coordinating mauve and periwinkle-gray make-up palette. ANd, of course, who can resist her pucker face? :) A white bead necklace and a gold pendant add polish to this vintage-casual look. She kept that vibe coming with her next outfit, a lovely ivory lace off-the-shoulder dress (the Marissa from Adelyn Rae) with black trim and a black bow at the bodice. I'm especially a fan of the ruffled-and-trimmed hem; there's something so sweetly throwback about that styling! Her low pony kept the look polished, but not overly formal. I would lay good money she completed this look with either black or ivory sandals :).
Brooke was also continuing in bohemian mode, pairing a navy tank with cut-off denim shorts. The highlight for me is the way she updated the look by topping it with a woven ivory fringe vest - it gives the outfit a trendy nod and upgrades the visual interest dramatically. I confess that I could live without the addition of the headband, but I love the laidback earthiness of her caramel sandals! Naturally, I can't do anything but rave over Cathy's outfit here: it has yellow! And what an amazing piece of yellow it is :) This spot on-trend one-shoulder ruffle top is from J. Crew (and is still available (and on sale!) here). She puts into a classic pairing with blue denim. With a statement that vibrant, you don't need much else to complete a look. Cathy adds a rose lip shade and ta-da: done and stylish. That's waaaay too easy, right? Finish with neutral (or yellow! :) I just had to get that in) heels or flats. We got a glimpse of Emma at the Mae Young Classic in a sheer-and-pieced crop top set above a black brassiere and mulberry pants. I'm not generally a fan of bra-baring styles, but I like the way it works here. The look comes off youthful and modern and it works on Emma. She also gets props for her choice of pants. The unusual and beautiful color makes this ensemble much more interesting. It helps her OTK boots to really stand out as well. This is a great look from Emma - it has a fierce, cool-girl vibe without feeling either too fussy or too nonchalant. Oggh..how is it possible to look so casual and so chic at the same time?! Barbie slayed in this set from Kyna Collection that pairs wide-leg drawstring pants and a double-breasted duster-length jacket. She layered a cropped beige top below for a perfect dose of color. I'm head-over-heels for the way this outfit, despite doubtless being super-comfortable and laidback, also retains plenty of sophistication. These are not your everyday drawstring pants! And the ultra-long jacket makes a huge, stylish statement. It's fab from stem to stern! Next, she subtly got her USA on with this vintage-tinged polka dot bikini (this is the only time I'm ever grateful for something not being yellow!) from Frankie's Bikinis. I love that it's Fourth Of July appropriate without being the expected stars-and-stripes iteration. The red trim brings a spark to the set, as well as a modern touch that keeps it fresh and current. With her flowing blonde hair, sunnies and a drink her hand, Barbie is the picture of a flawless, dreamed-about summer day! From there, she heads into punk territory with this sweatshirt dress from Mistress Rocks. The length of this piece makes it quite versatile. For summer it works just as Barbie has styled it: as a mini dress, paired with strappy sandal-booties and a chain-handled bag that enhances the punk vibe. For transitional days, add fishnet stockings and motorcycle boots to head even further down Avenue Punk. For winter, it metamorphosizes easily into a tunic: style it with leggings and OTK boots...and possibly a thermal underneath ;). It gets all fierce-grunge when Barbie layers a House of CB scoopneck cami and cut-off jean shorts below an H & M oversize jacket. Barbie has become quite fond of this mid-length style topper this year; we've seen her use it several times with great effect, adding a fun shot of panache to whatever look she incorporates it in. An Hermes belt and Guess peeptoe OTK boots round off this look with a hint of flash and a big dose of attitude. She got serious about Western-wear for a Dierks Bentley concert, going with fringed beige knee-high boots, which completed a cropped white tank and cut-off white jean shorts combination. She didn't leave out the fierce though: she topped the ensemble with a strappy-sleeved jacket from Hot Miami Styles (which reminds me of the sleeves of this jacket of Sasha's). It brings a definite urban, trendy vibe to a classic Americana look.
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. There are a number of snaps from Wrestlemania week and events that just didn't quite fit anywhere else, so I've collected them all here into a salad of Wrestlemania fashion - with plenty of dressing (ha ha...see what I did there? :) ...Ok, yeah...it was a bad pun...but you love me for them :)). Prob about to be the tastiest salad you've ever had, right?
If you saw this and thought "Hey - Mandy and Lana buy their boots at the same place!", well....yep I had that same though too :). Mandy reminded us that she's the Gold Standard of WWE by rounding off this white crop top and blush pencil skirt combo with metallic gold ankle booties. As with Lana's outfit, these seem like a bit too brazen a way to finish the look, at least in this material. I'd love them in beige suede, though! Then again, I could totally see this color and silhouette paired with her ring gear. So, the boots themselves = yaas, the circumstances = less yaas. Minus the boots, I like the way this look works on Mandy. It fits her trendy, sexy style, without being overblown and I like the minimalist influence of the unadorned silhouettes and fabrics. As a side note, it's quite similar to the look Maryse wore for Axxess. I wonder if the French Queen is giving Mandy some style inspiration? Hmmm :) Charlotte's cutout floral dress was her look of choice for both the Rick Flair statue unveiling and her Toys R Us meet and greet. This is a gorgeous dress, playing on the season's dark floral trend, a look that made waves in the fall and has stayed strong through the spring. The wide-ranging mix of colors in the print keeps the styling fresh and garden-y, but less starry-eyed than a light-background print. The side cutouts give an extra dash of flirty-ness, while the sheer lacy details the edge of the bodice bring an interesting extra dimension. Charlotte plays that up nicely by echoing it in her shoe choice: black ankle strap sandals with sheer fabric at the vamp. This is a wonderful summer dress than could be lightened up more with bright accessories (yellow sandals, aqua bag), as well as working its way into fall when topped with a blazer or motorcycle jacket. Stephanie also attended the Rick Flair statue reveal and, like Charlotte, chose a dress for the event. This checkerboard print isn't my favorite per se - possibly due in part to the somewhat drab sage-gray color - but I absolutely love the way the print is used on the piece to create shape. The smaller scale in the middle accentuates the waist, while the larger rint at the bottom enhances the a-line shape and adds to the hourglass visual. So, despite my lack of excitement about the pattern, I think the piece is wonderfully conceived and a fantastic choice for Stephanie. She completed the look with one of her favorite pairs of sandals, her St. Laurent Tribute sandals in black. She also gets fierce point for the super cute braided ponytail! Maryse created a fabulous layered effect by wearing her ivory capelet dress from BCBG over this sheer-printed sheath dress. I'm wild over the unique way she used these two pieces together - what a great way to get more out of your wardrobe! And the look is amazing; the extra dimension the underlayer adds to the cape dress works flawlessly and looks incredibly chic! She finishes this masterpiece with her Valentino Rockstud pumps and a neutral bag with a chain handle for a bit of extra edge. Equally appealing is the black monochrome outfit she wore for a business summit with Alicia. Maryse paired a simple v-neck peplum top with flowing wide-leg pants. Note the difference in the look they create compared to, say, a leather legging or a mini pencil skirt. The look comes off polished and professional. It's a crucial part of being a fashionista to dress appropriately for the occasion, whatever it may be and Maryse is a master at it! She finishes the look with a barely-visible pair of black embellished sandals that we'll be getting a better look at shortly *wink*. Comparable to Maryse as a fashionista is Foxy, with an equal innate grasp of the right look for an event. She, too, went with an all-black look and wide-leg pants. She topped hers with a v-neck blouse as well, but added a beautifully tailored jacket and statement necklace. My favorite part of her look is the dash of quirkiness thrown in via patent leather oxford flats. That is trademark Foxy! I love how she always throws a curveball into her fashion and never lets it get boring. |
Welcome to the place where wrestling & fashion join hands. Inspiration. Reviews. Musings. Retros. FASHION. Covering and craving gear to gowns since 2011. May the Fierce be with you! ;) Peace & Glitter!
AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
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