Diva-Fierce.com's 2017 Silver Snap Awards: Nominations

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…

For the Knockouts, the nominees are:
Gail Kim – May The Forces Be With You
Gail can really up the seduction when she chooses and it doesn’t get much hotter than this! Her gale-force-wind-inspired set combined black fringe, a chain-link bikini bottom and black platform heels to convey the concept of a powerful windstorm with artistry and sex appeal. The added beach background worked beautifully to enhance the shots and Gail’s posing was confident, sultry and stellar from beginning to end. The glisten of gold from her hoop earrings served as a reminder that she’s still paying attention to fashion, even in the midst of this very creative concept. I love how well it suited her, and the execution was stunning.
 
Laurel – May The Forces Be With You
Giving Gail some tough competition in the temptation department was Laurel’s take on the idea, as she represented the force of water.  Her strappy monokini is positively scintillating, as are her poses. As with Gail’s set, the background – in this case a cascading waterfall – was a magnificent choice, bringing movement and vibrancy to the snaps. Laurel’s choice of wet-look hair was an inspired touch, making it seems as if she was actually standing in the spray. From fashion to backdrop to poses, everything about this set is fierce!
 
Mckenzie – 4 x 4th Knockouts
The most fashion-loaded set of our nominations is Mckenzie’s 4th of July photoshoot. I love that we got to see a streetwear-worthy oufit here! There’s not much that’s more classic than a blonde in a white tank and denim and Mckenzie smashed this look. It’s updated and made au courant by the distressing on her mini skirt and the sheer kimono –she earned huge Fierce points for rocking that trend.  And she threw in an extra bit of drama by completing the look with red suede ankle booties – a bold statement that completely works. Her poses are tried, true and solid, making this a thoroughly compelling set of snaps.
Congrats on the great work, girlfriends!

For the Divas, the nominees are:
Nikki – Vintage Romance
Nikki’s Valentine’s Day ‘shoot was drenched in romance, seduction and fabulous fashion! Set in the Annesdale Mansion, the snaps made excellent use of the gorgeous furniture and spiral staircase, as we saw Nikki checking her reflection in the mirror, dreaming on the stairs and putting on her sandals. And what amazing sandals! Simple burgundy ankle straps accented with a fun puff of faux fur made my fashion heart race! And it kept on racing, since Nikki paired those sandals with a gorgeous ivory slipdress, accented with pieces of lace. A coordinating slim choker and statement ring carried the color of her shoes all the way through the look. Everything about this set has a distinctive, boudoir-esque femininity that was both unique and incredibly beautiful. It brought out a softer side of Nikki that we only get to see no and again and it was a thrill to watch her give it full rein.
 
Naomi – Chinatown Squad
This gallery was my favorite of year because of its high-fashion vibe and Naomi’s set in it was fantastic! I loved everything about the fashion – the chic LBD, punctuated with lime piping (that matched her hair perfectly), the  faaaabulous golden strappy sandal-booties, the super-fun “Vroom” clutch and the adorably on-trend pom pom fur ring. The whole look is lighthearted, interesting, totally hip and sophisticated all at the same time. And then, there were her poses! From playing with her hair and casually slaying wall-work to vamping with the squad and staring pensively into the night, Naomi brought it hard for this set, doing the best work I’ve seen from her yet and sending  shock-waves through my fashion galaxy. It’s so freakin’ fierce, I can’t even!
 
Nikki- Engagingly Fearless
In the past, I have tried to avoid having a Diva or KO nominated twice, but Nikki hit such serious smashes in her photoshoot work this year that I really couldn’t justify not giving her the second nom. She totally earned it! This ‘shoot was amaaaayzing! It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before, an editorial cataclysm of couture and Rocky. Set in a grimy gym, the snaps had a sweaty, gritty connotation, even as Nikki made outfits out of ferocious over-the-knee boots with slashed bodysuits, body harnesses, torn and tied tanks, combat boots and stiletto ankle booties. Posing with rings, a mallet and against cement walls, she made a wrist brace seem glamorous in a dirty way, made sweat sexy again and a worn-out old training venue seem Vogue-worthy. The energy of the ‘shoot crackled with hunger and audacity and seared these snaps into my brain. I love how completely unique the whole concept of this was and, as we’d expect from Nikki, the execution was top notch, conveying her vision with poise and power.