Yes its time for us to add mesh paneling, exaggerated shoulders, sexy cutouts, corsets and catsuits back into our wardrobe. Lets just say H&M heard our prayers as their 2023 designer collaboration is the iconic Mugler. The highly-anticipated drop — which spans womenswear, menswear and accessories — will incorporate some of Mugler's most iconic silhouettes and house codes, from both the archives and the more recent runways. “Casey and the Mugler team have been incredibly generous in offering up so many of the house’s classics and signatures, which shoppers will recognize from the runway and red carpet,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M, via the press release. “The collection encapsulates the H&M ethos of sharing great fashion and democratizing design.” H&M x Mugler. Photo: Lengua/Courtesy of H&M The collection definitely will be worth the spulrge. Prices are rumored to start at $49.99 and go up to $749. Here's a look at menswear, people forget menswear can be sexy too. When will the H&M X Mugler collection drop? According to H&M, the collection will drop May 11 2023.

By Erin Moonyeen Haley What would the Swinging Sixties be without the miniskirt? Come to think of it, what would feminism be without its liberating length (or lack thereof)? What would teen rebellion have been defined by? What would runways and springtime photoshoots have looked like? Name your celebrity, past, present or future, and the miniskirt is going to be there. Tina Turner, Britney Spears, Ann Margaret, Dua Lipa, Dusty Springfield, Bella Hadid and a chorus line of others. Now, think back to your own personal style, your wardrobe as you came of age. Chances are, a miniskirt was there too, a staple as much as an article of clothing that operated as a rite of passage. Chanteuses aside, the miniskirt has a specific icon, creator, engineer and jet setter: Dame Mary Quant. A fashion designer and pop culture pioneer, her name is forever entwined with the miniskirt (as well as with hotpants), and her peaceful death at her home in Surrey on April 13th only reminded the world of that fact. She was 93 years old. "The sixties mini was the most self-indulgent, optimistic 'look at me, isn't life wonderful' fashion ever devised. It expressed the sixties, the emancipation of women, the Pill and rock 'n' roll. ... It was the beginning of women's lib." - Mary Quant 2012 On the outside, she was known for her fake freckles and her bob; for her wide eyes that were always painted and mascaraed. She emerged on the scene in 1955 when she and her boyfriend - aristocrat Alexander Plunket-Greene - opened a Chelsea-based boutique called Bazaar at 138a King's Road. (Mary Quant and Alexander Plunket Greene in a New York dance hall, 1962. Photograph by John Cowan Mary Quant Archive) At this time, England was just beginning to emerge from post-WWII austerity with the youth leading the way in the worlds of music, design and fashion. Quant, who studied at Goldsmiths College of Art, took a cue from the boisterous demographic and channeled inspiration from the cropped pleated skirts and black patent-leather shoes that girls were wearing to dance class. On top of that, she was also inspired by her favorite car - the Mini-Cooper - and thus pop culture's favorite minuscule skirt was born. It wasn't just that she brought the miniskirt into the public eye, it was that she did so at a time when mass production allowed fashion lovers who were buying Seventeen and Vogue to mimic their favorite model's wardrobe. She was a modern woman who could not be domesticated and who understood that women were joining men in defining themselves by their work. However, in that very same workplace, they would not tolerate stodgy uniforms. They were young and they wanted to look as much as celebrate it. Adhering to that giddy nonchalance, Quant also tapped into the youthfull market with her Ginger Group line, a readymade line of skirts and tops that were less expensive and ideal for those entering the workforce and party scene. To complement the miniskirt, Quant also ushered in the world of tights, Crayola-crayon bright stockings that replaced the sheer delicacy of hose so favored by the previous generation. While Quant herself was always been ambivalent about claiming sole authorship over the miniskirt, she was nevertheless instrumental in its popularity and making it a garment that encapsulated the essence of a time when boundaries were being pushed and eccentricities were being embraced as a way to liberate more than the feminine form. (While some believe that actual credit for the skirt goes to French designer Andre Courrèges, who, in 1964, introduced the minidress in his 1964 spring/summer collection, it was Quant who made the mini mainstream.) Among the skirt's earliest champions were models whose very faces (and legs) were synonymous with the era's buoyancy. One of the biggest and starriest names was Twiggy, a megawatt-level fashionista whose gamine stature, teacup-wide eyes and insouciance aesthetic made her the ideal ambassador for a garment that was as much about flirtation as it was about the c'est la vie bohemian vibe. Looking at some of her more legendary shoots, it's hard to imagine her existing or reconfiguring the status quo without the mini skirt. British supermodel Jean Shrimpton was another superstar model of the era who popularized the mini, becoming an unintentional poster girl for the daredevil skirt at a sporting event in Australia in 1965. And then there was model, rock and roll groupie and Beatles babe Pattie Boyd who also made the mini part of her uniform. If social media is a litmus test of one's popularity and cultural impact, then the outpouring of admiration, grief, and nostalgia that has been seen since Quant's death has overwhelmed Twitter, operating as a posthumous reminder that fashion will always stand out as a powerful historiographical tool that tells us who we were a long time ago, in a fashion boutique far, far away. Victoria & Albert Museum: "It’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion. She represented the joyful freedom of 1960s fashion, and provided a new role model for young women. Fashion today owes so much to her trailblazing vision." Dr. Kate Strasdin, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University: "The loss of a fashion icon today, #MaryQuant’s designs came to define a generation and influenced so many. Her clean lines, new materials and quirky details make her garments instantly recognisable." The New York Times: "Mary Quant, the British designer who revolutionized fashion, died on Thursday at her home in England at 93. Known as the mother of the miniskirt, she epitomized the style of the Swinging Sixties." Pattie Boyd: English supermodel who was also married to George Harrison (1966 - 1977): "Very sad news today to learn of the passing of the 60s daringly creative, fun genius, much-loved lady, Dame Mary Quant. Mary insisted on making George's and my wedding coats in 1966; his, Black Mongolian Fur and mine, Red Fox. A true icon. RIP." *Images courtesy of V&A and Vogue

By Erin Moonyeen Haley Cue the circus, cue the carnival, whatever you do just cue the fun because Harris Reed has injected the sheer joy of fashion into Nina Ricci, choreographing a show that is devoid of anything remotely hoity-toity or pretentious. The pomp and circumstance are gleefully over the top as bold colors and audacious silhouettes capitalize on fun the same way that Kylie Minogue and Shirley Temples with maraschino cherries embrace the fun: in a manner that is cheeky, fearless and forever young. Reed, however, says it best on Instagram: "All I truly want is for people to feel is joy, a massive sense of fun and most fucking importantly, acceptance. This next chapter of Nina Ricci is truly about showing Diversity across Gender, Size, Age, Race and Beauty what are we truly doing if we are not embracing ourselves and being bolder than life, it’s 2023 so time to dress up look in the mirror and tell ourselves we are feminine, we are beautiful and we are fucking here to stay!" From black sheer, polka-dot babydoll dresses paired with sleek-as-a-ski-slope hair to bright orange numbers that could be customized for Lady Marmalade, Reed promoted a joy so undiluted that it is no wonder that celebrities like Florence Pugh have recently worn their tangerine-red mermaid-tail gowns, and their sequined checkerboard ensembles to a variety of events. As for Paris Fashion Week 2023...where to start? There were outfits as blissfully nonsensical as the entire wardrobe for The Birdcage coming hot on the heels of faux furs and bubble skirt dresses with striped Beetlejuice patterns. Wide-brim hats made multiple appearances, as if ready to bring ostentatiousness to the country club scene. For a touch of the tropical, lime-green suits were paired with matching corsages that were voluminous enough to be manicured into topiaries. Amid the layers of color and material, whitewashed all-denim looks made cameo appearances, affixing everyone with a hankering of all things '80s. ~ Images Courtesy of Vogue & Harris Reed Instagram

By Erin Moonyeen Haley Although it had to be moved up a day for fear of Friday's rain, the Versace Fall 2023 Ready to Wear show went off without a hitch on Thursday, March 9th on the roof of the palatial Pacific Design Center. Stars galore came out in support: Cher, Elton John, Pamela Anderson, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, Lil Nas X and more, and all decked out and glamified accordingly. Among those walking the runway were Gigi Hadid and Naomi Campbell, giving the Versace line the superlative treatment Donatella's genius deserves. Donatella, in turn, returned the love to the City of Angels, stating "I love this city, I love the people, the laid-back vibe, the atmosphere." For the collection, Versace added that she was eager to get back to the cut and shape of clothes that dominated fashion in the mid-1990s, having pinned a pivotal image to her inspirational board that had been taken by Richard Avedon and was of Kristen McMenamy while she wore a skirt suit that was tailored close to the body and bedazzled with Versace signature gold buttons. Donatella insisted that her goal was to concentrate on the "perfect little black dress, the perfect black suit." While there were plenty of perfect proportions and black geometry, there was also plenty of colorful flair; taffy-pink and aqua dresses were reminiscent of 90s prom with the layered peplums and squiggly bodices, while the excess of colorful opera-length gloves conjured up memories of ransacking mom's closet for fashionable - albeit grown-up - accessories. Little black dresses and leathery patterns also walked the runway, as did crème-brûlée-colored satins with black florals that splashed across the material with leopard-spot asymmetry. Makeup vacillated between smokey and sultry to angular with punk-rock lightning bolts that angled halfway between a zig and a zag. Through it all, celebrity sightings provided all the additional glamour and name-dropping that one night can handle. - Images courtesy of Vogue

By. Kim Dillinger The 9th Annual Truth Awards red carpet recap at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. @betterbrothersla hosted by Claudia Jordan co-presented by @thesherylleeralph The DIVA Foundation and sponsored by Gilead Sciences, STARZ #TakeTheLead, BLK, LeadersUp, Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment, USC Race & Equity Center, Northrop Grumman, Walmart, Columbia IRAAS, The AMAAD Institute, In The Meantime, and Nissan. The Better Brothers Los Angeles (BBLA) was created to provide spaces for members of the Black LGBTQ+ community to network, socialize and be BETTER – at life, love, and community. Developing a sense of community has been a challenge for some within our community, given the cultural and religious opposition to our orientation and gender identity. As those challenges have receded in mainstream society, they still present significant difficulties and sometimes constrain a healthy sense of well-being. Since our inception, BBLA has sponsored cultural, informational, recreational, and social/networking events. We continue to invest and create opportunities that increase community confidence and pride. Claudia Jordan (TEA-G-I-F, Cocktails with Queens), Jerrie Johnson (Harlem) and Marcus Washington (NBC Bay Area News); presenters include Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Jason Lee(Hollywood Unlocked, Jason Lee Show),Judge Mablean Ephriam (Justice with Judge Mablean),Eric Scott Ways (The Best Man: The Final Chapters), Geffri Maya(All-American Homecoming), Folake Olowofoyeku (Bob Abishola), Rhoyle Ivy King (All-American Homecoming), Kim Coles (Act Your Age), Terrance Terrell (The Best Man: The Final Chapters), Brandee Evans(P-Valley),Tre'vell Anderson (Entertainment Journalist), Ashlee Marie Preston (Media Personality), and Darnell Moore(Nextflix V). Honorees for this years ceremony: Raven-Symoné (Icon Award), Netflix The Upshaws (Cultural Affirmation Award), Judge Greg Mathis, Greg Mathis Jr. Mathis Family Matters (Family Award), STARZ #TakeTheLead (Corporate Leadership & Diversity Award), Tabitha Brown (Ally Award), Byron Perkins (Courage Award), Dr. Darnell Hunt (Excellence in Education Award), Dr. David Malebranche (Advocate Award), and Unique Woman’s Coalition (Advocate Award). SWV’s Coko Clemons and son, Jayye Michael along with jazz saxophonist, Bryan Thompson will perform during the ceremony. Check out courage award winner Byron Perkins answer for receiving the award and becoming the first HBCU athlete to come out as gay. Sheryl Lee gives tips on surviving the industry & Nomi speaks on being your authentic self. Watch the show on @foxsoul Saturday, March 18th, at 5:00 p.m. (PT).

Camellias are the first optimistic sign of spring , in Paris despite this week’s frigid weather. In 1923,Coco Chanel first pinned one of the blooms on a dress. Designer Virginie Viard picked up that moment as the center-piece of her fall ready-to-wear show... from the runway set to adding the bloom as part of the print, embellishment , accessories and handbags. Viard had organized a giant symbolic white camellia as a set, and had a real one placed on every guest’s seat, but she wasn’t pressing the anniversary angle. “The camellia is more than a theme, it’s an eternal code of the house,” she said in her press release. “I find it reassuring and familiar, I like its softness and its strength.” Celebrities at the show included Jennie, H.E.R., Sofia Richie, Zoe Saldaña, FKA Twigs, Dianna Agron and Penélope Cruz at Chanel's RTW fall /wainter 2023 show ; on the last day of Paris Fashion week. Sofia Richie arrived at Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday, in plaid, matching with her sister Nicole Richie. To support the brand in unveiling its fall 2023 runway show, Sofia Richie wore a blue plaid check dress with Chanel interlocking C logo buttons, a Chanel interlocking C logo belt, mesh heels with a black cap toe and a bow with interlocking Chanel Cs and a chain strap quilted handbag. Chanel's runway opened with variations on black, white and gray. White camellias ran up a black trellis on a long, slim, tweed coat; they clustered as a corsage on slick black patent oversized blouson. Monochromatic dresses bloomed with the Camellia inspired print amidst the classic Chanel logo. MONOCHROME COLOR PALETTES RULE: POLKA DOT PLAY : While staying within the guardrails of Chanel’s femininity and decorativeness, Viard added her own dash of quirkiness to the mix. Some of the suits came paired with tweed bermudas, bloomers or leather shorts, teamed up with white floral lace tights and knee boots. TWEEDS TALE : The finale of the runway were a collection of evening wear line ; with camellia-print silk dresses, layered over sweaters and longjohns. It was a depiction of what Parisian style might mean as worn by women on the street. HANDBAGS : Hangbags looked chic and quirky in pale pink hue inspired by the Camellia bloom.

by Erin Moonyeen Haley Were we below the sea or dancing among the stars? It was hard to say, even if you were front and center at the Noir Kei Ninomiya show at Paris Fashion Week '23. What was certain, however, was that the conceptualization of fashion was supplanted by the extravagance of costumery. Bioluminescent couture transmitted a sense of deep-sea wonderment while nature-inspired designs crafted looks that called to mind dandelions with hypersensitive bristles. Some costumes looked like life-sized representations of cell structure and still others hinted at playful Futurism with pompoms peppering hot pink and licorice-black fitted jackets and blazers. Nature - both earthbound and celestial - was evident everywhere. Backstage, Ninomiya professed to be working towards "a blooming.", a soft verb that found expression as models walked the runway wearing the equivalent of art installations; attachments were rooted with slender wires, allowing flowers and florets to butterfly around the body in an aesthetic that was pure Eden-like whimsy. Soapy attachments elevated foam to a haute couture fabric while oversized netting that could snare a mermaid was used to embellish skirts. Adherence to the basics of the molecular structure was evident in accessories as well. Hats were outlandishly shaped, with some calling to mind Bowen Yang's iceberg hat from his iconic Titanic skit on SNL, save for the fact that they were painted in fluorescents that could sear the eyes and warn anyone of impending doom. Shoes were skyscraper high, with thick heels and pixilated sparkles - a wishlist item for Ginger Spice. Still others were black and covered in hooks and hardware, ideal boots for a cyberspace battle. And just when things might have gotten too serious, magenta socks with polka-dots kept the capriciousness frisky and fashionable.

By. Angel Neal Charisma is just one of those things Patrick Cage was born with. Disrupshioon caught up with Cage to talk all about his love for making people smile and his latest role on “Welcome To Chippendales,” opposite Kumail Nanjiani. The series follows the true story of Indian immigrant Somen “Steve” Banerjee, (played by Nanjiani) who founded the widely known Chippendale’s clubs. Patrick plays ‘Don Gibson’ a UCLA law student who, after being denied access into Chippendale’s due to racial discrimination, becomes the catalyst that sets off a series of events that eventually leads to Banerjee’s downfall. Patrick is best known for his role as “Phil” on the Emmy-winning series “Westworld.” Additional credits include “Manhunt,” “All American,” “NCIS,” “United States of Al,” “Lucifer,” “NCIS: Hawaii,” “The Rookie,” “New Amsterdam,” “CSI:Vegas,” “Rosewood,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Stitchers,” “Station 19,” and “This Is Us.” Interview Angel Neal @angel_stylistbehavior Photography By Stephanie Girard @stephgirardphoto Styling By Kiara Hatcher @kiara.hatcher Grooming By Red @theartistred On Self Love. "It’s so important to take a second of whatever works for you . A second of mindfulness, journaling and going to the gym, can change your entire prospective on life. Even if it's in a small way until it becomes routine. " Q&A We know growing up in Los Angeles many artists get inspired just by being in the environment to create. What prompted your interest and foray into entertainment? I was driving around and listening to the radio and I heard on a commercial an audition for the Chicago tour of Lion King. My mom took me to the audition and I had various call backs but I didn’t get the gig. That was when the bug hit and I realized this is what I wanted to do. Both of my parents use to be models so they had a lot of connections for agents. One of my mom friends signed me and I was doing smaller roles and commercials but it wasn’t serious until I became 15, I realized this is what I wanted to do. Modeling was never something that interested me I played music in school and acting was my secret weapon. In industry with so much competition how do you stay uplifted, motivated and even inspired to push through and maintain your happiness while still cultivating necessary relationships? For me its a lot of healthy competition. With my network of core friends we push each other, we film each others tapes together and we go to the gym together. It’s really easy to stay motivated when you have other people around you that are at the same successful level or a higher, friends that are pushing you on. Outside of that having a deluded sense of confidence in yourself, there are so many no’s that you get in this industry that they really have to mean nothing. I think hearing so many no’s the longer that you do this it can drive you crazy, 100%. There’s a special quality in people that have that perseverance and stick to it and push past the no’s and keep their head down and push forward. Theres also a Kobe Bryant mural right outside my apartment so that helps. You can’t really give up when your gym is facing that. It’s pulling inspiration and motivation from wherever I can that keeps me going. What makes you say yes to a project? Luckily I’ve been getting a chance to blend work with things that are meaningful to me. Recently, Chippendale’s was that for me. Because Don Gibson’s story and how he dealt with racism, his efforts ended up being supper progressive. Its not everyday you get on a project and are able to talk about things that matter to you. The short films I do, I love to pick things that resonate with me, because with acting I feel its the perfect way to show people themselves and show someone else their problems through the characters problems. Hopefully a way through whatever you’re going through within the story line, inspires someone. First cinema memory or TV show that resonated with u? Other than “The Lion King”, “Avatar” is one of those movies I remember walking out of that theater and I cried. I had the realization that the Na’vi people weren’t real and they messed me up so much because I badly wanted to go this place. I wanted to be in an environment like this. It really reaffirmed my belief of wanting to pursue acting as a career path. I can’t go to this planet but the closes I could do is be in the film franchise and becoming a character in that world. The film changed my whole viewpoint on film making and acting. In addition I was completely in awe when I saw “Black Panther” and attended the premier. When I saw them go through the cloaking device and to see the city of Wakanda, and a place that beautiful in the homeland that was ours, untouched by colonialism or anything and pristine, just a thought of what we could have had if they never figured out we were there. Thats beautiful. Tell us about your character Don Gibson on Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales. Did you learn anything about yourself bringing Gibson’s character to life? I had a zoom meeting with Don I found him on LinkedIn, great resource by the way. I told him I would be playing him in the project and he was so gracious enough to speak with me. I was elated he took the time to sit down and speak with me about his story to prepare for my role. Speaking with him really inspired me as a black man, to know that at the time we didn’t have the power or the reach he was in law school and saying to himself I’m going to fight this the legal way. He went about it the right way and conducted little sting operations with people of different races to see who was turned away at the door. It was just genius of him to be going to school full time and to have this as a side project as his first law case. Although he didn’t take any money from the case he just wanted them to do right by black people. It empowers you and reminds you even if the system does not look like its for us or against us, you have to do what you feel is right because you never know what you can get done or what you can change. With such a diverse cast in general why do you feel stories like this should be told? The Chippendales story itself is wild, I didn’t even know Somen Banerjee the man who created it all was of Indian decent. This a story I think that just needs to be told in general, unless you lived in Los Angeles in the 80’s and 90’s you really wasn’t a part of it. So I think it’s just interesting telling the history and the way that race played into it. Because with Banerjee being an Indian immigrant, yet he was very racist toward black people. It was just so interesting to see. The surgical scene I auditioned with was a face off scene with Steve and Don Gibson sadly it got cut. But an underlying message is we all want money thats great, we live in a capitalist society but when it corrupts you and makes you treat the next man even worse , keep it. Thats personally why I love this story specifically from Don’s perspective. What should viewers take away from the show? With hard work you can make it. Steve was a smart businessman, he had a vision that worked out. But it shows the way you treat people once you attain success matters. It’s a lesson to not change who you are, because the way the money corrupted him and the way that he molded and changed as he became more and more successful and the lengths he was going to keep that was not a good look. In the struggle of power he reminds us that greed will and can bring your downfall. But thats as much as the power unfolds. Keeping that core and staying true will keep you sane. As black people would say, the show is a reminder to don’t forget where you come from. Any genres you want to tackle on your bucket list? I do a lot of dramas, I love drama and thrillers and action roles. I’ve always wanted to do a romantic comedy. Like “Hitch.” I really love, love and I’m a hopeless romantic so would be nice to express myself in that role. So you’re also musically inclined, tell us a little about that. The music thing has always just been fun, since second grade I played the trumpet and started playing the drums when I was 9. I went to Hamilton High school which is a music academy school and by the time I left I played about 10 instruments. I like learning as much as I can. I sing and I make things for fun. I made a song about social distancing with my boy Mitchell whose on “All American Homecoming.” Music is a fun way for me to release and create something that doesn’t have to much pressure on it. As things progress I may get more serious about it and drop a project in 2023 we will see. Would you do musical? Yeah a musical would be a fun way to mix my passions for acting and music. Let’s talk about your off camera personal style. What type of relationship do you have with fashion? My dad would always say presentation is everything. I don’t think I have a specific style or fashion. I like to wear suits because they look fly. I like to play with my different suit selections. I like to be comfortable more than anything, I like earth tone and black and whites. I’m a firm believer, whatever you are comfortable in you will wear well. For many to get to where they want to be, they have to be comfortable in the now of who they are. For you, is self-love a practice, a destination, or something else entirely. Self love is a practice and a journey, something that has to be done consistently. There are days that I’m not tapping in like I should. But I definitely think that I’m at a point that I know what I can do for myself to go about my day and feel 100. My morning and night routines help when done consistently. It’s so important to take a second of whatever works for you daily. A second of mindfulness, journaling and going to the gym, can change your entire prospective on life. Even if its in a small way until it becomes routine. To stay up to date with all things Anthony Bless make sure you follow Patrick Cage !

By. Angel Neal Born in NYC to immigrant parents from Cuba and Puerto Rico, Anthony Bless was destined for greatness, proving no adversity could stand in his purpose. Bless plays the role of Malcolm Green – a ruthless, volatile, and damaged FBI agent on Tyler Perry's BET+ hit show "Ruthless". While Bless describes his character as invincible, his authentic persona proves there is also nothing he can't do. The talent spoke to Disrupshion Magazine about everything from faith, to purpose to walking him his purpose. More than just an actor, his singing and songwriting skills would prove to be impressive to producers at Tyler Perry Studios. He also wrote, created, and performs the “Ruthless” (Original Themes Song). Get to know more behind the man because we will be seeing more of him in the near future. On Self Love. "I’d say a practice and instead of destination, I might say a journey, something that you’re continually arriving at. I think I like to use the word unbalanced a lot because in achieving balance, you kind of go through life. And in martial arts, I was taught, unbalanced is a great place to be because you’re constantly weaving and learning balance and you’re just flowing, kind of like a wave. Q&A What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the entertainment industry? I think a lot of my personality traits definitely led me into this field. I think sports had a lot to do with it. In my sport groups, I always wanted to take on leadership roles. I didn’t mind the pressure or the spotlight, it kind of was like a way for me to overcome something. Today I think that a lot of those attributes show up in my entertainment side. Whereas like when I’m on stage, or the mic in my hands, or whether it’s time to shoot a scene and do my best work in that moment, or an audition, or whatever the case may be. That kind of pressure makes me thrive, it’s motivating. It allows me to tap into my faith. It’s reassuring when things just kind of go better than you expected on a regular basis because of belief itself, and preparation and all the things that you do to lean into it. I used to love writing poetry when I was a kid, and I still do. My love for poetry definitely led me into writing music. Growing up in New York City getting influenced by the Biggies, the Jay Z’s, Nas and Tupac, like all the greats that had something to say, had a clear purpose. These talents were at a really high level of their craft. I mean, it was impossible for me not to just get sucked into that. I remember having my first Mathematics CD, and like man, I wanted to be Method Man. I was ready to find how to get some gold in my mouth. Put a little extra bass in my voice. I was walking home from school rapping M-E-T-H-O-D MAN. I thought I was Method Man. Music is technically your first love? It provided the segue into acting. Your first acting experience was in theater and actually utilizing Spanish? How has that transitioned you into your passion today? I think that theater experience did a lot for me because I was just getting into acting. I mention this a lot with my friends, and with my love and when I’m talking about training. If I’m training for a 40 yard sprint, my training will probably look like the upward the uphill run of that 2040 yard sprint. So the regular sprint feels easy. Same thing with martial arts. When I’m training in my in my martial arts, I put weights on me I have hand weights in my hands I put plyometric shoes on I give myself every level of difficulty that I can to make the battle hard on myself so that when I actually go through it feels easier. Similarly, in that regard, I just try to make it more difficult on myself. So with acting, I was much more well versed in English than I was in Spanish. So what I did was I joined a theater conservatory. I really liked the director. I liked the purpose and the alignment of our goals and our vision and the reverence and the honor in that theater, and the fact that the performances were mainly in Spanish. So, I was like oh shit, so I’m going to be doing something that is new for me. In English I could always just use my words to let things continue to propel forward but with Spanish I didn’t have that at my disposal. Now your body has to behave, you have to create physically so that pushed me into being better. I think it shows up now as I’m a very physical actor, a very behavioral actor. I had a great coach, that kind of a challenge made it easier. Because if I can do it in Spanish, something that’s new to me, then when I’m performing in English, which is the language I dominate more, it was just that much easier. Same as training, same as all the other things. Do you remember your first cinema memory of a show that resonated with you that had that kind of crossover of Spanish and English? I know that’s happening a lot more now today with the Latino American population, dollar signs, viewership, visibility, product placement, and whatnot. Don’t know if I can remember the first, but I do remember watching New York Undercover, but there would be like maybe two words in Spanish, and every five episodes they’d show that the guy was Puerto Rican. So I don’t know if I recall the crossover visibly on TV growing up. When I first got into the industry, I kept my hair long, because at that time, if you were Latino actor, your role: you were selling drugs. That’s all you were doing. You were a drug dealer, or you were the drug dealers right hand, man. But the point is you were dressed in a black buttoned down and you had long hair. So I had to keep my hair long to be able to fit for what Hollywood was putting me fit for the time. So let’s talk “Ruthless” new season. You play agent, Malcolm Green, what can we expect from these new episodes? The danger just keeps on increasing the volatility on everybody’s relationship within themselves and with the people around them. Their dynamics just continues to get more volatile, like a lot of deception and the police force interrogating is the catalyst for all the problems that start arriving. And it’s at a point where it’s kind of beautifully chaotic and out of control, but still within a mad order of things. And what’s beautiful, is, there’s a lot of doubt happening within each character or the overcoming of dealing with that doubt. And to see how each character is facing that and how that applies to the people in their world and their dynamic. And then it applies to the whole world of Ruthless, it’s really creating a change and it’s making. I remember printing out a picture for myself, whereas it was just like a lightning sky and there was a lot of electricity in the sky. That’s what it feels like. For me if I were to describe the texture, the nature of what the compound atmosphere feels like, it feels like lightning. It feels like static. Like if you would have reached out and just put your hands in the sky. It’s like things are pinching electrocuting they’re raising. It’s a dangerous place to be in, you know, people either fighting for their position or fighting for their lives, like Malcolm is. He finally got a breath of fresh air of getting out of that cooler, like, there’s nothing that he won’t do. You know when you put an animal against the wall and have to give it only the ability to defend itself. You’re gonna see the highest level of defense. And I think that’s where he’s at right now. There is no, he’s lost his mind and several aspects. He’s also like, held on to the tiniest glimmer of hope. And now this is the point that he’s had the most hope in a while. So we’ll see how that activates him and his choices moving forward now that he’s free. And he’s got a gun in his hands. I mean, watch out. I feel like with Malcolm there’s so many layers to him, and so much more depth that we haven’t even seen from him. So from the outside looking in, why should viewers be Team Malcolm? One of my favorite things as an artist as an actor, in my craft is to create levels of subtext, so that a lot of things are operating underneath what’s actually happening. I hope and I think that the viewers are seeing Malcolm with all these levels, the kind of adaptability and shape shifting that he’s had to bring out within himself to deal with everybody that’s persecuting him, everybody that’s torturing him with the different personalities on the compound and how he could possibly make his way out how he deals with rules. How he deals with Dikhan or the Highest and River you see, he shape shifts, he completely in the method and effort of survival becomes whatever he thinks would serve him in that situation. And that’s something I worked really hard on is figuring out it’s kind of like a really good businessman, you figure out what the other person needs, how you could add value, so that you’re not just asking for something. Malcolm is in that sense, except for his survival. You see when he deals with River when he deals with Dikhan, like those are different personalities that want and need different things, that receive things differently. And so that shape shifting is happening where he’s trying to find a way into them, so he can find a way out of his imprisonment out of his torture out of his insanity. I’m happy those layers are really showing up. Because that makes me proud. As an artist, I work very passionately hard on developing this character to its fullness. And I think you can see it in his behavior. I’m gonna give a little secret as to some of the things that were going on behind the scenes for me. In my binder, you’ll see pictures of venom. I make references to Hulk and Wolverine, which for me, those are metaphoric relationships to what his body’s feeling in regards to like the cocaine, the freezing the torture, the starvation, like the moodiness, the even like a lot of the snake, like Dikhan is the compound snake. So for Malcolm I created him to be the FBI snake, when he’s facing Dikhan, because it has to be snake on snake they have to meet at the same level. And then from the snake, you get this the behavioral shivers that are coming from the freezing and also like, give you a little some for the fans. And for the viewers watch when Malcolm leans over to his left shoulder. Pay attention to if he’s hearing something, if there’s some demon over here that might be communicating something that is then there because he’s lost logic. You can’t be drugged, tortured, and starved, frozen, kidnapped, lose freedom, and maintain complete sanity. And this is a guy that was an ex Marine, and an FBI agent that already was coming with his own demons. All of these circumstances have allowed me to bring logic and step outside of the world of logic into a place of artistic survival, which has been really fun and really captivating for me. And I love that Tyler Perry has given me the opportunity for me to create this arc in what’s happening to him. You know, he’s not a suit and tie Malcolm from the first season. He’s not down to cover leather jacket, Malcolm. That’s like trying to be the hero now. Now he’s just fighting for survival. But all of that is still residing within him. The brilliance of Tyler Perry’s artistry is that he meets people where they are. So he gives you a platform to illuminate the script in your own way. So has your passion for the craft changed since you’ve been brought under his expertise. Thank you to Tyler Perry for allowing us this platform. He definitely has taken the boundaries off on this one. This is kind of his passion project. It definitely goes a lot more left field than the other shows that he has, by far, totally on its own. I’m honoring this opportunity that he’s given me the difference also in the work pace. Whereas first season I remember being like, oh shit. And the prep being so nuts because like, you know, you’re on a regular TV show, you’re doing seven pages in one day. Cool. When I’m on a show like that. When I’m in my trailer on my downtime, I’m writing music, I’m taking care of business emails, like I have space to do so much. When you’re working with him, you might have seven scenes to shoot and six wardrobe changes before lunchtime. So that workload and that pace, it was a beautiful challenge for me to take the season one experience and then learn how to work to the depths that I want to work at within the pace and the speed that we need to work out to deal with the volume of pages and the and the swiftness that he shoots at. So he gives us all the resources we need. We have readers and literally they’re so adaptable because sometimes your day could look like showing up hair and makeup asking you what you’re getting for breakfast, your inherent makeup by the time you get back your breakfast in your room, but then they need to do mic checks, you’re grabbing a bag or you’re getting miked up, then they check on you. As soon as you’re about to sit down, you have the wardrobe, wanting to fit you and this its off to the shuttle to do a quick blog rehearsal. Step out of that, go to the 10 change, get ready for the next shoot while he’s setting up or re shooting or shooting the next scene. Like it’s pom pom pom back to back. And sometimes a full day is like that, aside from your lunch break and for your lunch bag, you better be looking at your stuff while you’re eating because you have a scenes back to back. So it’s been a beautiful challenge. Working with him. It’s kind of like taking the limitless pill. Before that, I would have never thought that I could work to this depth at that capacity with our workload. And now I embrace it. It’s enticing, you kind of like crave it. So I have to ask what inspired the creation of the theme song of “Ruthless”? How did that come about you being apart of that? That’s actually one of my most proud accomplishments. I did a meditation I was visualizing, and I told myself, I’m going to write this theme song. And I started going through all my notes and creating bullet points, I wanted to make an abstract feeling of what the show is versus giving you all the information that’s happening in the show. And really, I was just so filled with gratitude. And I wanted to give that back as a gift. I didn’t know what was going to come of it. I knew that this is a talent that I had, I felt passionately inspired to write and create this. And then I went ahead and I just I started writing and I got to work, I got the recording, I didn’t even show it until I was done recording, mixing, mastering and all that. And they fell in love with it. I was talking with the music department. And we started like cutting up the opening credits and changing up a little bit of the format so that I could fit with time that we needed for the opening credits. And it was, it’s a dream come true. I still laugh and smile about it. Because to think of my first series regular to also my biggest song release at the same time. Like goes to show you man, Tyler Perry, the way he impacts people is in such a positively strong way. And if you believe in yourself, and if you’re ready, and you take action towards that. Things like this can happen. So you often are vocal about your purpose to heal, uplifting, re-energize the people around you through your talent. So as an actor and a musician, you have to be ready to function with no sleep at time. So you spoke of martial arts and meditation, how has that been helping you focus on navigating both of these industries? Completely. I know some people look at meditation, as like this weird out of body experience, people that don’t practice it. It seems like something real hippie or real foreign. I want to let people know meditation is as simple as sometimes taking a few deep breaths and just being present. If it wasn’t for meditation, and if it wasn’t for martial arts, I wouldn’t thrive, I wouldn’t work at the level that I can. The level of peace groundedness, belief, understanding the level of composure that I get from those two elements being in my life on a daily basis is a lot. I’ll give a quick example. My lover and I are planning a trip. I’ve got some special things in line for the end of the year involving us and that we want to do together and between all the things going on in regular life plus an audition that I just had to shoot right before jumping on with you. Having so much on your plate daily sometimes can be very aggravating, very triggering. Some people could take that negative emotion and let it carry on to their whole day and we’ve worked to a place where like man it’s such a deep bond standing and acceptance. And in our words, the law, she says, you know, taking the path of least resistance, she was handling some things today, she came back in such a peaceful nature and asked me how things were going. I told her about, you know, some of the things that will be really frustrating. Its therapeutic. I’m thankful for meditation, writing and journaling. I think, you know, putting the effort to be your best self, all of that contributes to that. And it allows for a more peaceful or more grounded experience, you know, whereas somebody else might take that experience and then the rest of the day is like, the anger of carrying that frustration, only harping on that when there’s so many things you could also be grateful for, you know, we’re not saying to ignore, like the negative things that happen, it’s just a matter of accepting it and having the consciousness to deal with it in a way that doesn’t jeopardize your happiness or your health. With so many new musicals, being adapted to live actions and hitting the big screen, would that be something you’d be interested in? When I look at Hamilton, when I look at those projects, like, of course. On my vision board, I have a Tony, Grammy and an Oscar as like milestone achievements that I want to reach towards. And yeah, that’s very much in alignment with something I’d like to pursue at some point in my career. So you’ve been killing it in the TV industry as you set away and some more film opportunities. Are there any specific genres you want to be in? Anything on your bucket list? I love dramas, I love suspense thrillers. I absolutely adore Guy Ritchie movies, I would love to work with him. I’ll tell you one of my biggest things on my bucket list is working with Marvel or DC. I’m a superhero nerd, I want to use these martial arts skills. Tap into my childish experienced that I had from being a little kid going to the comic book stores. I just saw Wakanda Forever. Whenever there’s a Marvel or DC project out, I’m there, more than likely, I’m wearing some superhero shirt. And I’m all in like, I love that. And I’d love to be able to use my martial arts skills and my acting attributes to bring that into a character that I can bring to life to work in that cinematic universe. So yes, definitely. So for many to get where they want to be, they have to be comfortable in the now of who they are for you is self love, a practice a destination or something else in its entirety. I’d say a practice instead of destination, I might say a journey, something that you’re continually arriving at. I think I like to use the word unbalanced a lot because in achieving balance, you kind of go through life. And in martial arts, I was taught, unbalanced is a great place to be because you’re constantly weaving and learning balance and you’re just flowing, kind of like a wave. Whereas off balance is not a great place to be and then being completely balanced. The only thing that you could get is unbalanced or off balance from that place. So yeah, unbalanced is what I would call it. And as far as self love, that’s got to be a daily practice. Something we say here at home all the time is we like to overflow into other people. And you can’t overflow from your cup if your cup isn’t full. 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By Erin Moonyeen Haley The Schiaparelli website has a self-declaration that tells the world all it needs to know: "All of us who work in fashion know that much of the rest of the world thinks that what we do is silly. It's a boring criticism, and we all argue otherwise, but if you think about it, fashion is silly at times. It's also provocative, upending, challenging, and meaningful. It's breathtaking. It's beautiful." Such metacognition is rare in the world of performative fashion, but Daniel Roseberry is quite aware of what he wants from the epic fashion label and how to get there. In the wake of the provocation of the faux-taxidermy wolf, lion and snow leopard heads, he has created a display where he has hit the sweet spot between ready-to-wear and haute couture. It's a strange arithmetic, but it exists in Schiaparelli's Paris Fashion Week extravaganza simply because the glamour is tantalizingly there, and yet it comes with an accessibility and a relatable silliness that promises to electrify any prosaic wardrobe. In essence, the world of day-to-day dress is thus rescued by all the avant-garde details one longs for upon hearing Schiaparelli's name. If the sign of a superlative designer is in their attention to detail, Rosenberry - who has been with the Schiaparelli line for 3 years - has proven to have that subtle, immaculate touch. Beyond the keyhole cutouts and measuring tape embroidery, costumes were offset with baroque gold jewelry with watchful eyes that matched purses that also had oversized pupils one expects to see glowering from ancient stones that signify the worship of mighty - or comical - deities. Gold bangles made their own music as they crashed a party on several wrists while cuff bracelets - also carrying keyhole impressions - made a more formidable statement. Then of course there were the earrings in the shape of ears and earrings embroidered with lips. Were the looks daring? Yes, indeed. Might you see them on the streets? Absolutely. After all, that's the whole point. The shoes continued the trend of eccentrisizing the everyday with the outlandish. Black stockings and black heels carried the Midas touch, courtesy of the just-dipped-in-liquid-gold look that immortalized the toes in priceless precision. As for the garments themselves, each outfit perfectly upheld the thesis that even the most surreal garments can be apropos for a ready-to-wear line, and that one need not abstain from individualist glamour just because the occasion might be mundane. Onlookers were treated to a world of possibility in the form of voluminous sleeves, gold statement buttons, keyhole cutouts and velvet mini-dresses. While the oversized faux mink black coats gave the aura of a damned heroine in a Tolstoy novel, the crisp hats tilted at a near-ninety-degree angle seemed to hint at a royal funeral where chic solemnity was required. ~ Images Courtesy of Vogue

By Erin Moonyeen Haley Andreas Kronthale, designer and husband to the late Vivienne Westwood helmed one of the most anticipated shows of Paris Fashion Week 2023. Since Westwood's death in December of 2022, her legacy has only been reinforced as models, designers and fashion savants recalled her punk aesthetic that she used as the girding reinforcement for many of her shows, forever linking her name with a playful form of anarchy that ruled even as it eschewed boorish etiquette and redefined the status quo. Kronthale delivered a show full of flamboyance, asymmetrical ornamentation and natural motifs. But, lest anyone assume that he was locking the show into any one style or epochal influence, the heavy brocades and jeweled accouterments were offset with 1970s plaids and 1980s athletic wear, keeping the mood appropriately eccentric. Colors were also bold and assertive, with indigo blue corsets paired with matching satin harem pants, and cabernet-purple satins billowing out in perfect bell-shaped silhouettes. Baroque music played as models walked in a palatial setting that included colonnades and lavish decor. Oxblood fabrics, hologram-patterned boots, fishnet stockings, and towering heels also ensured that Westwood's spirit infused every element, while Westwood's granddaughter Cora Corré closed the show wearing a delicate white minidress made from lace and paired with platform boots.

By Erin Moonyeen Haley There is much to be said about the square. According to Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich (1879 - 1935), the square "is not a subconscious form. It is the creation of intuitive reason. The face of the new art." In the hands of Satoshi Kondo, the artistic director and head designer for the Japanese fashion brand Issey Miyake, the square becomes a method of returning to the quintessence of imagination; it is both the alpha and omega of the creative process and the genesis of all future endeavors. Rarely is geometry the ethos of an entire fashion show, but, for Paris Fashion Week '23, the square was just that for the house of Issey Miyake. Sold colors, full forms, squares, rectangles and trapezoids tessellated across the runway with the same repetition that such shapes grid our everyday lives. In an interview, Kondo referred to shapes by their omnipresence, stating, "We're surrounded by them...The paper we use, the screens we look at...we worked with the square, investigating it in various ways, to transform it into new shapes and volumes." Such a thesis was played out in real life throughout the show that was aptly titled “The Square and Beyond", and was held at the Théâtre du Châtelet. With the models strutting between rows of viewers, there was a sense of origami in motion, an aspect that was enhanced by the actual performance of Lyon-originated percussionists Trio SR9, who performed a live marimba rendition of Simeon ten Holt’s “Canto Ostinato. But it wasn't just the shapes and music that Kondo was playing with; he was toying with the space in between the shapes, an idea based on ma, "meaning the unfilled space between the outfit and the wearer." In the end, it was a fashion show centered on the most basic, primordial elements - fabric, music, canvas and a square - that, when fused together, created a divine amalgamation of a new art form that Malevich himself might have prophesized. ~ Photos courtesy of Vogue