by Erin Moonyeen Haley
It's not officially Christmas until Mariah Carey's operatic/R&B vocals hit every note of "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Since its 1994 debut, the song and its chanteuse have ranked as standard holiday musical fare, a noteworthy feat, given that the clique of pop culture Christmas songs rarely tolerates newbies.
W Magazine spotlights the pop princess (well...goddess at this point), in a series of looks that only Mariah can pull off: a denim and diamond mix that makes even the casual ensemble appear priceless. She channels her 1990s self on the cover, wearing a white ribbed tank top and blue jeans, unbuttoned and open, giving a hint of her quinessential sex kitten self.
Around her neck is a large diamond butterfly from the Chopard X Mariah Carey Collection. In the article, she admits to the butterfly being an emblem of sorts, especially as it's also the 25th anniversary of her Butterfly album.
Reflecting on the butterfly's meaning, she explains how, after "transforming into the butterfly and learning how to fly, I had to gain that strength because the relationship I was in—the life that I was living—at the time was so difficult."
Mariah is an open book throughout the interview, and her looks are an ideal cross between princess and tomboy, between laidback singer in the midst of a respite and golden girl who knows she has the golden pipes.
Black and white images capture her wearing a faux-fur stole that is Adrienne Landau by Saulo Villela The fur is draped over a Dior tank top and paired with a Chopard X Mariah Carey necklace (of course!) and ring. Her signature Mariah hair is all beachy waves, as if she's just been awoken from a sweet slumber.
She stays with the tank top look, but switches the Dior for Intimissimi, topping the style with a Miu Miu jacket and skirt.
She opts for a slinky Dolce & Gabbana dress that she pairs with Tamara Mellon boots, delicate Chopard bracelets and Chopard X Mariah Carey earrings.
Other photos are all about family, as Mariah poses with her children, Monroe and Moroccan. Even in these more intimate snapshots, Mariah doesn't relax on the glam, wearing a Michael Kors Collection catsuit and wrap while keeping with the Chopard jewelry and adding Giuseppe Zanotti shoes.
Even with the wealth of new glamorous shots, it's worth getting nostalgic and misty-eyed over that first album that inaugurated Mimi as the new Queen Bee of the Christmas season all those years ago.
