Black in style: Fashion, technology and sports converge in Nike’s uniforms for the Paris Olympics

This week in style, Serena Williams and Zendaya reflect on fashion moments, Virgil Abloh’s legacy expands, and more.

This summer, fashion, technology and sports will team up at the 2024 Paris Olympics, thanks to Nike. This week, the sportswear brand unveiled the athleticwear several countries, including the United States, will be wearing in the upcoming Olympic games. According to the brand’s Vice President of Apparel Innovation Janett Nichol, the new Nike Olympic uniforms feature innovative Nike Air technology, which uses data from high-performance athletes to fuel its designs, per CBS Sports. 

“These groundbreaking Nike Air designs forecast the future of performance footwear, co-created to the exact specification of championship athletes,”  Heidi O’Neill, Nike’s president of consumer, product & brand, said in a press release. “At the heart of all we do is the athlete. We exist to push boundaries and take risks on their behalf. This summer, the difference-maker is the massive energy return of Nike Air — what you’ll see athletes wear on the road, court, pitch and track. A multiyear cycle of Nike innovation is upon us, and here in Paris, we’ve shown only the beginning of what’s to come.”

To showcase the uniforms that athletes like LeBron James, Sha’Carri Richardson, and A’ja Wilson will be wearing this summer, Nike hosted an exhibition and live performance at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, which included star-studded guests like longtime brand ambassador Serena Williams and kicked off the final countdown to the international sporting event.

Expect Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard to drop this spring 

According to People magazine, American Riviera Orchard, the lifestyle brand Meghan Markle has been devising, will officially launch later this spring. 

Since Markle dropped the website and its Instagram account in early March, not much has been known about what to expect until now. An unnamed source told People the name was inspired by where the actress-turned-royal presently lives with Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2. 

“Meghan finds the name American Riviera Orchard perfect. It feels authentic to her. She can’t wait for the website to launch,” said the source. 

The insider further explained the brand “will reflect everything that she loves — family, cooking, entertaining and home décor.”

“This is something she’s been wanting to do for a while,” they added. “She is excited to share her style and things that she loves.” 

Essence highlights the sexiest Black men of the moment 

Since 1985, readers have anticipated People magazine’s annual Sexiest Man Alive issue. While other publications have since released their own versions, it’s high time Black media got in on the fun. This week, Essence magazine announced its inaugural “ESSENCE Sexiest Men of the Moment” list, and it more than makes up for lost time. 

The list of 15 features some of Black Hollywood’s most bodacious Black men. Usher, Damson Idris, and Russell Wilson smolder from corresponding covers. 

Usher, who bares his oiled-up abs in the pages, discusses his desire to be a blueprint for the next generation. Of his world-class showmanship, he said, “I try my hardest not to miss anything and to give people an incredible show that they’ll remember.”

Idris, who dons sauve suits in his shoot, opens up about why he values humility and how he wouldn’t mind “wearing a bunch of oil” on a Caribbean island starring in a rom-com. Wilson, who takes us to the gun show in his shoot, testifies to the importance of God in his marriage. 

Meanwhile, in no particular order, Lenny Kravitz, Colman Domingo, Burna Boy, Daniel Kaluuya, Jaylen Brown, Rome Flynn, Nas, Trevante Rhodes, Stefon Diggs, Cord Jefferson, Burna Boy, Tyler Lepley, Skepta, Kendrick Sampson, Joey Badass, and Tyler James Williams round out the list.  

The men aren’t just aesthetically pleasing; they are also owning their individual moments. According to the Essence staff who devised the list, many of these men are winning awards, “slaying red carpets,” fighting for what’s right, and dominating their respective fields. 

Did spring just heat up? Because it just got hot in here! 

The star-studded cast of People’s 50th anniversary issue includes Oprah, Viola Davis, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Serena Williams, and John Legend

For five decades, People magazine has been the leading human-interest and celebrity news publication, bringing us everything from major breaking news to the latest celebrity reveals. In 50 years, some major names have used its platform to spread awareness, give exclusives, and tell their stories. To celebrate, the publication has dropped a special anniversary issue featuring some of the biggest names they’ve had within their pages. 

Black celebrities include Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Serena Williams, and John Legend. Other famous faces include Matthew McConaughey, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Michael J. Fox, Reese Witherspoon, and Nicole Kidman. 

Through their individual interviews chronicling some of their biggest milestones, the group provides a journey through People’s history. Speaking with the publication about the first time she appeared on the cover in 1987, Winfrey said, “It was nothing I had ever imagined could happen to me.”

Serena Williams appreciates her “worst-dressed” fashion moments

While Serena Williams was known to rack up wins on the court, her fashion looks were not always as victorious. In a recent interview with People magazine, the tennis star reflected on some of her past looks. 

“Listen, I think being on worst-dressed lists is important,” she told People magazine.“I’ve loved every style that I’ve made, and you know, you don’t love them looking back all the time, but I appreciate them.” 

From sparkly ballet-inspired tennis skirts to custom designer gowns, Williams leans into her sartorial past regardless of public opinion. Having studied fashion at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and previously launching her own clothing line, Williams is no stranger to the fashion world. In fact, last year, she became the first athlete to receive the Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). 

“I think fashion is a way to express yourself and express your personality and express who you are and what you are and sometimes the only way the world can see you is through your style,” she added. “So for me, whether it’s the best list or the worst dressed list, it’s all kind of cool. Hey, at least I made a list” 

Zendaya relives some of her most memorable fashion moments 

Zendaya and Law Roach have done it again. In addition to dishing out head-turning, perfect serve after-serve looks during the “Challengers” press tour, this May, the dynamic fashion duo have claimed not one but two Vogue covers. As previously reported by theGrio, the “Dune” actress stars on the cover of both American and British Vogue in completely different looks both styled by Roach. While discussing the honor of having both covers simultaneously on Vogue’s podcast “The Run Through,” Roach said, “I’m the big idea, and she’s the small detail … [Zendaya] takes my big dreams, and she grounds them, and she makes them real,” he added.

In tribute to the magic the two have created together, Zendaya indulged in a brief trip down red-carpet memory lane, revisiting 23 of her most memorable (and occasionally controversial) looks for Vogue’s “Life in Looks” video series.

Teyana Taylor and Damson Idris showcase Hennessy’s versatility in a new campaign 

Hennessy showcases its versatility in its new “Made for More” campaign. Starring multi-hyphenated star Teyana Taylor and actor Damson Idris, the cognac brand’s latest campaign is designed to shake up perceptions of the legacy spirit, especially among a new generation of drinkers. 

Introducing another side of the brand, Hennessy’s chief marketing officer, Juliet Nollet, explains how the campaign’s film series showcases the often overlooked versatility of the popular cognac brand. Showcasing five new light and fresh cocktail options, the films and visuals shot by Micaiah Carter explore how the cognac enhances any drink and occasion. 

“The chance to work with such an iconic brand was one I just couldn’t say no to,” Idris said in a press release. “When I think of Hennessy, I think of my three older brothers; I think of amazing memories. The visuals are stylish, the films are fun, it’s magic. It’s cinema.”

“With that being said, I’m super excited to embark upon this journey with my favorite Cognac, Hennessy. Destination: fresh, bright, and invigorating, like any good cocktail should be,” Taylor added. 

In alignment with Hennessy’s ties to Black culture and hip-hop, the brand launched the campaign during J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival. 

“Together, we’ve created immersive worlds that seamlessly blend culture with the essence of Hennessy,” Carter shared. “It’s a collaboration that visually captivates and resonates deeply with the spirit of this next era. I’m truly honored to have brought this vision to life. It is one of my favorite collaborations yet.”

Explore the campaign’s visuals and recipes at hennessy.com.

The Fashion Scholarship Fund to expand the Virgil Abloh scholar program 

This week, during its annual gala, the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) announced plans to expand Virgil Abloh’s “Post Modern” scholarship program. In 2020, the Off-White creator and his wife Shannon raised $1 million to launch a scholarship fund supporting the next generation of Black fashion leaders. Despite Abloh’s untimely death in 2021, the scholarship continued to grow under his wife’s leadership, having helped over 100 scholars.  

As part of its continued effort to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry, the Post Modern Scholarship announced plans to expand its scope over the next three years. In addition to accepting more grant recipients, going from 30 to 60, Abloh says the scholarship will also offer a bridge fund that will address the financial barriers grant recipients face beyond tuition. 

“Some [recipients]have to work,” she told the New York Times. “They can’t quit their job and go to school. There was a student whose laptop broke, and she couldn’t afford to replace it, so she was going to drop out of school. There was someone who got a great internship in Milan but could not afford the flights. That’s not OK.” 

Similarly, FSF and Post Modern Scholarship will be introducing a strategy to reach students from non-traditional tracks, an homage to its founder, a trained architect who had no formal fashion education. The program will also connect recipients with long-term mentors consisting of some of the late designer’s friends, like fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and designer Tremaine Emory.

“It’s really nerve-racking, seeing the changes that are happening [with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives]. But for me, all it means is that the work needs to continue to be louder. It just makes me double down and say, ‘OK, then we need to fight harder,’'” added Shannon Abloh. “I know [Virgil] would be super-proud.” 

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