SO2 June 28
First
As Jamaican-American model, singer and actress Grace Jones’ fourth studio album Warm Leatherette celebrates 40 years, freelance writer and editor Nick Levine has penned a tribute. Titled “Why Grace Jones was the most pioneering queen of pop”, Levine’s account of the triple threat’s career appears on BBC Culture via BBC.com. And a day after Warm Leatherette‘s third single, The Pretenders’ Private Life also turned 40, the Style Observer celebrates with excerpts from the article.
“Jones, who moved from Jamaica to Syracuse, New York, as a teenager, signed her first modelling contract at the age of 18. She then walked runways for Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo and Azzedine Alaïa during a successful spell in Paris in the early 1970s.”
“Still, Jones was never too enamoured with her modelling career, which she describes in I’ll Never Write My Memoirs as “throwaway”, so she soon parlayed her growing visibility into a viable music career.”
“After 1979’s Muse album sold poorly, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell encouraged Jones to radically reinvent her sound to reflect her forceful personality and diverse musical influences.”
“Chris took all my different worlds and stuck them all together to create the Compass Point All Stars – the erotic French side, the acid tripping rock ‘n’ roller, the Jamaican drum and bass, the androgynous android electronics,” Jones recalls in I’ll Never Write My Memoirs.
“Jones cemented her status as an ’80s pop culture icon by transitioning into acting with roles opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1984’s Conan the Destroyer and Roger Moore in the 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill.”
“Forty years after she released her first great album, Warm Leatherette she remains as impossible to pigeonhole as her music.”
Next
Jamaican-Canadian model Stacey McKenzie sits on the panel of judges for the first season of Canada’s Drag Race. The latest version of the American reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race was first announced last June and premieres on July 2. McKenzie joins Canadian actor and model Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 runner-up Brooke Lynn Hytes.
CREDITS:
Photographer: Matt Barnes
Styling: @lisawilliamsstyle
Hair: @lodidthat
MUA: @luckymakeup
And Jamaican-born, Milan-based fashion blogger Tamu McPherson’s fresh spin on her and her husband’s historic Milan apartment has caught the eye of Architectural Digest, a magazine the blogger says she has collected and referenced over the years.
CREDITS
Photos: Valentina Sommariva
Set Design/Styling: Greta Cevenini
Text by: Architectural Digest Style Director Jane Keltner de Valle
Also
Jamaican-born jeweller to the stars Matthew ‘Mateo’ Harris has been featured by Forbes Africa. In a sit-down video interview with the African arm of the magazine, Harris discussed his experiences with racism in the fashion industry, how he started his jewellery line Mateo New York, why he thinks millennials are the most intelligent people, and how he seeks to be a role model for black and LGTBQ+ men in the industry.
Plus
Supermodel Naomi Campbell wished her adopted father figure and GoldenEye principal Chris Blackwell a happy birthday via Instagram. “Happy birthday to my darling #dad @chrispblackwell. You inspire me and so many!! True #legend #leader #icon of music #pioneer have given careers to so many #U2 #GraceJones #BobMarley #CatStevens #Stevewinwood and so many more … Now #GoldenEye #Jamaica close to your heart. ️We all salute you!! I love you very much!!! #prouddaughter,” she posted. The English businessman and former record producer celebrated his 83rd birthday on June 22.
Etc…
Comedian and actor Kevin Hart and his wife Eniko (who has Jamaican roots) have partnered with Kate Hudson’s athleisure line Fabletics to fight for equality and justice for the black community. In a photo posted to Instagram, the couple donned ‘Together We Change’ tees standing in solidarity with the black community. Other celebs like Reggie Bush and Jeannie Mai also participated in the effort. According to Fabletics, 100% of net proceeds from the Together We Change tee will go to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc, America’s top legal firm fighting for racial justice.
Finally
Canadian rapper Drake’s affinity for Jamaican dancehall culture was on full display as he celebrated Father’s Day last Sunday in a ‘Gully vs Gaza’ tee.
