The last time WWE did a photoshoot celebrating a milestone episode for Smackdown, it was the 500th back in 2009. I know I didn't review the 'shoot because diva-fierce.com didn't even exist yet - imagine that :) The Lady Superstars – Divas, as they were then known..and kind of remain as in Brie’s head :) – broke out a bevy of blue dresses to celebrate the occasion.
I get such Mother Hen feels looking at these snaps. It’s like “awww – my lil’ girls are all grown up” when I see how far these ladies have come! Natalya’s soft blue v-neck sheath looks lovely and she threw a fun vintage-esque touch into her look via her embellished almond-toe pumps. She struck a solid version of a classic pose. The whole look gives us an insight into the woman she would become – her sense of sophistication and shades of Pinup Strong are clear. This is only about two years after he main roster debut and her Divas’ championship, the Divas Of Doom and the Empress Queen of today were all in the future. I can’t help but imagine how she would slay this type of ‘shoot now, with so much more sass and confidence Maryse also chose a v-neck sheath, going with a saturated sky blue piece and pairing it with strappy nude heels. This sensual aspect of her style was pretty much the whole of what she showed us at that time. Who knew there was so much more to come! Today, she’d keep the sexy dress…and likely reach for yet more fabulous shoes ;). Maria has always let her creativity and flair come shining through in her photoshoots and being over-the-top is something she never worries about. That she pulls off so much drama time after time is one of the things I love about her! She added a wide black waist belt to her royal blue sequined sheath dress and echoed it via her black peep-toe pumps – I loved the strap detail then…and I still do! She lent extra punch to the look with a fierce hat and added lace fingerless gloves for good measure. I can easily envision her rocking very much this same look today. Brie hadn’t delved much into her bohemian tendencies at the time of this ‘shoot; her style was mostly casual and feminine. This beautiful square-neck dress with its slightly-puffed sleeves holds up incredibly well! She could easily pop this out of the closet and wear it today (ok, maybe next spring :)) She completed the look with brown leather peep-toe pumps. She nailed a tried-and-true pose – and she’s only gotten better at that over the years! Nikki chose a long-sleeved faux wrap dress which, like Brie’s selection, holds up very well. She was the only lady to add the spark of another color to her look, rounding it out with red peep-toe heels (bringing a touch of Raw into Smackdown, perhaps? :)) This look feels very true to the fashion sensibilities we see her express today – once a fashion queen, always a fashion queen! Her half up-do is gorge and her stance is fierce! (Naturally :))
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With Halloween fast approaching, here's look back at a fun little feature we did four years ago: a somewhat tongue-in-cheek guide to becoming a Superstar or Knockout for Halloween. I had a blast doing this piece...so much so that I'll be reprising it this year. Look for that to kick off in the next week :)
The last of this batch of Kim's hard drive excavations is a look back at one of my favorite recent photoshoots: WWE's homage to the Little Black Dress! A trip of divas posed for us in their favorite noire frock and gave us some insight as to why it inspired so much love. The snippet quotes made these snaps especially memorable and engaging because the ladies were able to communicate their thoughts via the printed word, as well as through their photos. As a devotee of classical fashion, a focus on the LBD naturally gave me great joy :). And the feeling just intensified while scrolling through the stars' choices. One over-arching standout theme for me was how authentically each dress represented each diva's sense of style. Rosa's bodycon selection was a blend of modernity, sparkle and seduction, combining a form-fitting silhouette with sheer insets and touches of crystal embellishment. The piece looked amazing on her and it was easy to tell from her sultry poses that Rosa was feeling its effect She nailed a variety of them - sitting, standing, glancing sideways, a cheeky smile, playing with her hair -all flirty, fun and hot! There's just something about putting on that perfect outfit that makes you feel like you rock the world, am I right? She finished the look with a fab pair of black leather Rockstud pumps, a favorite shoe of Rosa's...and mine! ;) There's no need to add much in the way of accessories due to the multiple fabrics and crystals in the dress and Rosa wisely left well enough alone.
Layla's fashion definitely hit high gear during her time in LayCool, and it retained that aura of fierce glamour after the duo's break-up. She showcased that theme with her favorite dress, a stud-accented sheath which mixed stud sizes and metals with impunity, creating flash and shimmer befitting a Flawless One. One of my favorite things about this dress is the to-the-knee length; it's brings polish and maturity to the look. LayCool was fond of shorter hems, which paired better with their trademark OTKs, so this longer style was a nice evolution. She accessorized with statement earrings, which could have been a bit much with all the metallic going on below, but they're rescued by her loose hair; it partially obscures them, allowing just hints of shine to show through, which works perfectly. Gold metallic pumps complete her outfit. The massive platforms were spot on for that moment in fashion; I might go with suede ankle booties or black leather pointy toe heels right now :). As with Rosa, the dress inspired Lay to take some extra risks with her poses, resulting in a bunch of unique and intriguing snaps. Natalya has a host of killer black dresses, but she chose this as her favorite and it's not hard to see why! Its cut flawlessly, kissing every curve, without ever showing too much - an especially praise-worthy feat for a piece done in a satin fabric like this, which can be terribly unforgiving if cut wrong. The sheen of the satin elevates this dress and gives it more refinement than, say, a wool or knit cotton fabric. Along with the dramatic scoop-neck, this elegant cloth creates just the right distinctive flair. I'm a huge fan of this piece because the simplicity of it will allow it to hold up well over time - even though this 'shoot was several years ago, she could pull this out today and wear it and it would look as current as it did then. The same will be true five, ten and fifteen years from now. Nattie described it as "timeless" and I heartily concur! Because it's so simple, she added slim but bold earrings and several touches of delicate jewelry which enhance the look just enough. Nude pointy-toe pumps were a perfect finish, adding a touch of edge and extending her leg line - a smart fashion choice with a longer mid-length silhouette. I also adore her hairstyle - it's a more dramatic version of the poofed half-do I was loving at this year's Rumble, so no surprises there :). Equally unsurprising is Nattie's slayage of her poses - she's competent and confident in front of the camera and with an LBD as additional inspiration, there was no stopping her! Impact has been a good bit off the radar over the last year in terms of photoshoots. It's a shame after the great run they had under Christy Hemme's direction and the launch of the website completely dedicated to the KO's that really gave them a chance to break free and stretch their wings. While we wait for the company regroup and (hopefully! ..as in preeettttty pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase!) get back to giving us photos again, we can thank our Kim's trip through her archives for giving us this little trip down memory lane - n AMAZING gear from Gail Kim at the time of one of her many KO's title wins. Gail began to do some really unique and special things with her gear during her second WWE run and she continued that fantabulousness, albeit with a much darker vision, when she returned to Impact. She nailed the sweet spot between trendy and tough, with a dash of romantic thrown in to spice things up. Lace and leather became trademark fabrics for her. We watched her evolution through various shades of lace with top+shorts combos and then, one day, she decided to knock us all out of our seats and on to our keisters when she debuted her one-piece variation, which evolved into various combinations of cutouts and sheers, accented with lace and leather. Oh, and finished with lace-up OTK boots. This set showcased exactly that kind of killer pairing: a deep-v front bodysuit (shove over Ariana - Gail done it first!) done with black lace set over a stunning shade of bright turquoise. The effect was mesmerizing, beautiful, bold and sexy as all Hel..sinki :). Floral lace shorts reprised the black lace-over-turquoise shading that dropped jaws everywhere, while a patent belt at Gail's waist brought even more attitude to an already scalding silhouette. After all that, those incroyable OTK boots were just icing on our fashion cake! But Gail didn't stop with her gear - she slayed a sitting pose or two as well, just to remind us that our undying devotion wasn't in the least misplaced. Bon temps, bon temps!
PS lots more posts coming this week, loves! I've got FashionHaps up the yin-yang and more all prepped and ready to be written up for your enjoyment, so stick close :) One of the WWE's first forays into doing photoshoots with a single theme, but multiple divas involved was the Diva Day Off series. The galleries gave us an insight into what the lady superstars do when they're not in the ring, or preparing for it and, rather than a lot of high fashion, we got to see a much more chill side of the gals, with lingerie, casual looks and workout gear. The series gave us peeks at Eva Marie doodling, Paige doing her nails and Charlotte shopping. Thanks to Kim's excavations, we have a pair of DDO collages to remember and get all nostalgic about: Rosa's and Alicia's. Rosa's day off was a hybrid of getting her sweat on, followed by some sexy lounging about and reading for a bit of R & R. Sounded like a fantastic day off then...and still does now! The standout part of the 'shoot for me was the stunning coral shade of her knit bodycon dress. Not only was the color gorgeous in its own right, it looked incredible on Rosa, creating a soft flush that highlighted her beauty perfectly. The sherbet shades of this section of her snaps were sweet and inviting, popping off the white sheets that served as the main backdrop and creating a peaceful, summer vibe. It was a very different look for a Rosa 'shoot - definitely unlike anything we'd seen previously from her and the whole thing came together in the most stunning way!
Like Rosa's 'shoot, Foxy's snaps showcased a side of her we hadn't seen previously: it marked the first time she made her artistic side a focal point in a photoshoot. I loved all the bright colors and crazy patterns in this set, especially with the super-simple ivory walls as the canvas for them. The plain background highlighted all the shades and prints, without ever making them seem too busy or distracting to the eye. That gave the joyous, funky vibe of the set cohesiveness and weight. Foxy paired a simple gray cropped tank with rainbow paint-splatter shorts which echoed the artistic theme of the snaps, as well as being mad fun! She added an effervescent pair of striped wedge peeptoe heels, which brought in an additional layer of color - and pattern! - which was further enhanced by the printed pillows. Foxy also broke out her glasses for us, throwing a lightheartedly studious spin into the snaps. The set succeeded fabulously, really letting Foxy's quirky, creative side shine. Among the many fabulous collages Kim dug out of obscurity for us is this stunning set from the Bellas' annual Bella Bowl - a tradition beloved by football fans and diva fans alike! The year represented here was one of my favorites - the navy and red combo looked amazing on Nikki (and, in a way, served as a precursor to the sporty ring gear she rocks these days!) and Brie's hair and make-up were spectacularly on point! I love how she worked in her trademark waist-tied plaid shirt too :). In honor of this collage, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at ALL the twin's looks from their six Bella Bowl 'shoots :) The ladies' style ranged from gridiron-worthy to made-for-the-front-row (how about their platform pumps and off-shoulder tee variation? I don't think football fandom has ever looked fiercer! Or sexier! Brie's low pigtails caught my heart both years that she wore them - she makes them look sooooo super-cute! Nikki's orange jersey was also a standout. I know it just happened to be the Bronco's shade, but that color was just so fab on her! We tend to see Nikki reach for red instead of orange, but I'd like to register a request for a gear in the latter hue some time! Of course, the very BEST part of all the Bella Bowl 'shoots are Nikki and Brie's poses! They always kill them. Always. And they utilize the competitive spirit to it's fullest, capturing pugilistic playfulness perfectly! Their mock-scrappiness and sisterly smack made me smile every single time. It's such a great side of the twins to see: vibrant, hot and lighthearted all at once. You don't get that combo in too many photoshoots and it always makes the Bella Bowls a special and memorable affair. Just how memorable were they to you? Can you match which year (1-6) belongs to which 'shoot? Give it a try and then get the answers below the break :)
Long-time diva-fierce.com readers will remember the incredible Kim, who was a massive and well-loved part of our team here for many years. Not too long ago, she touched base with me because she had found quantities of past site collages buried in the depths of her computer and we had a little freak out party with all the feels :'), which I am now passing on to you! (Love ya!) Over the next few weeks, I'll be spicing up the current posts with some time-travelling backward looks at where diva-fierce.com has come. Hope you enjoy!
While WWE has been serving up their latest version of a Barbie/Kelly redux, we did our own back in the day, complete with a style synopsis! (Keep up with that, Big Dub!). When there were more of us putting the site together, we were able to feature a Fashionista Of The Month, culminating in a fashion fisticuff (ok, it was just a poll, but still ..:)) in December for the Fashionista Of The Year. We always analyzed both in-ring and street style. Remember this pink and white gear from Wrestlemania? The reversed brassiere cups were super-creative but didn't translate particularly well. Barbie flipped them over immediately afterward into a classic push-up bra and, from then on, slayed us all with gear after gear in gorgeous, sherbet-esque colors and plenty of crystal accents! Random trivia: her black sequin outfit is special to me because her photoshoot in it formed the basis of the first complex collage I made. Dawww :) .The street style line-up highlighted the wide array of fashion choices she graced us with. Everything from glittering evening gowns to simple tee+denim combos can be found in her 'shoots, all of them handled with competence, authority..and plenty of girl-next-door seductiveness :). The Barbie-love is strong with Diva-Fierce! ;) |
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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