That afro is poppin, honey! May is officially Solange’s month because she’s been all over the place (in a good way) in many ways. She dropped the remix to “Looks Good With Trouble” a week ago, she’s on the cover of the new issue of Complex showing a lot of envious leg, she’s been killing it stylistically at both the MET Gala and Cannes, and now she’s showing off her fashion sense and good looks in the June 2013 issue of InStyle. In the issue she discusses her style, and shows of some new looks on her 5-foot-8 body, from some hot designers like Miu Miu and Calvin Klein. Check out all the photos from the shoot that we could gather so far, courtesy of InStyle and Afrolistas And The City, and let us know what you think. Looking good, Solo!

Source: Complex

It’s become increasingly more and more clear that Solange is quite unlike many artists of our generation. While musicians signed to major labels are often swayed to make music that will be commercially successful, it’s very obvious that Solange’s main objective is to be true to herself and her art. She recently spoke to Complex Magazine about how her quest for artistic control led her to create music through an independent label. While, now it may seem that Solange is supremely comfortable and confident in herself and her creative decisions, there was a time when that wasn’t always the case.

She told Complex about a time when her creativity wasn’t so well received.

One day, she wore a “full-on Native American outfit” to Will Rogers Elementary School in Houston. “I had my own little quirks as a child,” Solange says. “I had a very vivid imagination, mostly through my style and fashion choices. The kids had a lot to say.” Her fourth-grade teacher, Miss Bethann, found Solange on the verge of tears in her Pocahontas costume outside of the classroom and gave her a lesson that stuck with her:

“Don’t you ever, ever bend or break because of who you are.”

“From that point,” Solange says, “the idea of convention versus non-convention or mainstream versus indie or any of those quote-unquote ‘conflicts’ has never crossed my mind.”

Source: Instagram

Oh to be a fly on the wall behind the women in this pic.

I imagine the convo before this photo was snapped went something like “Hey Bey, Solange, come here, here, let’s take a pic together really quick so I can Instagram it and show how cool we are” (in my Kim Kardashian voice). The — assumed — thirstiest woman at the Met Gala last night, considering this was her first time getting an invitation and it was like predicated on her being the opportunist pregnant with Kanye West’s child, just posted this selfie with her, Beyonce, and Solange on IG and the faces and body language say a lot.

It’s clear Kim is holding the camera, Beyonce’s smile looks a tad forced, and Solange appears to want to be anywhere else but where she is at the moment. And because we’re so shocked this “Met Life” photo opp even happened, we want you to caption the pic and tell us what you think these ladies talked about before and after the snap.

Oh the wonders a great stylist can work in one’s career. But don’t we all know what the lack of one can do for one’s style. Some of our favorite trendsetters didn’t necessarily start off the freshest, while ones who started off age appropriate and chic somehow ended up dressing like they picked their ensembles out in the dark. Check out a few celebrities whose style improved big time over the years, and a few who even with a bunch of money, downgraded, and still can’t seem to get it right.

Solange

WENN.com

It’s actually Solange’s style that has helped her create her own lane and identity outside of her very well-known big sister (that and her drastically different music). But she didn’t get to African-inspired prints, fab fros and chic pantsuits overnight. She had to wear a lot of satin, bountiful weaves and things that I’m sure she would probably cringe at now on the way up. Is that a feather purse above? Girl, no.

But luckily for her, her unique change in style has made her one of the best dressed people out there (it’s true, even Vogue said so) and is just one of many things that has helped her finally garner the respect she deserves.

WENN.com

From Black Voices

With Beyonce on her way to complete world domination this year, her mother, Tina Knowles, is focusing her attention on more altruistic endeavors with a new anti-hunger campaign called “Miss A Meal.”

The project — a partnership with Houston, Tx. non-profit Bread of Life Inc. — aims to feed millions of Americans by encouraging people to skip a meal and donate the money they would have spent to feed those who are less fortunate.

Knowles, who tapped her daughters Beyonce and Solange to get the word out about the campaign, said missing one meal is a small sacrifice for many.

“When we say ‘we are starving,’ we have to remember that there are people who are literally starving,” Knowles said in a release. “If everyone fed one person, one meal, we could make a huge difference.”

Read more at BlackVoices.com

Photo By: Kenya Smith

From StyleBlazer

Solange Knowles and Tracee Ellis are two gorgeous women with one thing in common– Chuck Amos. The celebrity hairstylist is close to both ladies, having worked in the industry for years. Signed to Jump Management, he’s definitely the first person we thought about when looking for Coachella hair advice.

Let’s be honest, having natural curls is hard work and keeping them looking good during the summer months can be extra challenging. Amos has a few suggestions to maintain moisture, keep your color-treated hair bright and your weave tight.

Peep his advice below.

Avoid frizzing with cream and oils: “Cream to penetrate into the hair and give it its nutrients and moisture, and an oil that will lay on top and protect the hair from the harsh elements of the day.”

Check the other tips on StyleBlazer.com.

Welcome to the “Work It!” column, where we take a look at business innovation of every kind. 

via BoxingKitten.com

You want to be an innovator? Awesome! Where do you start? That’s harder to tackle. Wanting to innovate in your field is admirable, but good ideas can be hard to come by. Artists and businesswomen alike are searching for the secret to creativity.

It may seem like a contradiction, but the key to changing the present can lie in looking at what’s already been done. Take a cue from your favorite hip-hop track; remix the past to innovate for the future.

Maya Lake, designer of the fashion line Boxing Kitten, is a great case study of the business remix.

The fashion industry is one of the most competitive sectors in the market. Studies show 80 percent of retail clothing businesses fail within the first five years. So, how did a no-name designer turn her college senior thesis into a brand adorned by the likes of Solange, Alicia Keys, and Rihanna?

“Melee of Then and Now”

Maya Lake

Boxing Kitten’s website describes the collection as “a vibrant melee of Then and Now.” Lake pulls from the past; merging vintage styles with African wax block print fabric to create a look that snaps necks and turns heads. “The initial point of departure for the collection was envisioning what two women — a woman involved in the Civil Rights movement and a woman involved in the black pride movement — would look like combined together,” Lake told Essence.

“I took different style elements of each woman, like the classic and conservative lady-like silhouettes, and the African fabrics that women in the black pride movement wore.” The result is a collection that continues to stand out among competitors who rarely get more ethnic than tribal print.

Lake launched Boxing Kitten with the bare minimum for a fashion line: a website, samples for production, and a cool idea. Word of mouth landed Boxing Kitten around Erykah Badu’s frame in a spread for Giant magazine in 2008. The line soon found it’s way into music video director and Lake fan, Melina Matsoukas’ productions for Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” and Alicia Keys and Beyoncé’s mythical “Put It In a Love Song”.

Copycats, Welcome

If you’re drawing your inspiration from the past, what’s to stop someone from drawing inspiration from you? Nothing. That’s the nature of the game. And Lake isn’t worried about it. She told Madame Noire, “I think the only thing I can do is keep moving forward, keep doing what I’m doing, because no one’s going to do it the way I’m doing it.”

Lake echoes the words of poet, critic, and editor T.S. Eliot: “Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.” At this point, nothing in the world is completely original. Every “new” thing is a remix of something that’s been done before.

Before you go stealing everybody’s ideas, keep these rules from artist and author Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like An Artist, in mind:

Source: StealLikeAnArtist.com

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter (@CleveInTheCity) and Facebook (/MyReadIsRed). 

We’re highlighting Pioneers in the Game every day here on Madame Noire. Click here to meet all of our salutes.

Source: YouTube.com

There is nothing like some bounce music to get you in the mood to shake something. So DJ Solange knew that’s what she needed to play at the after party for the premiere of Beyonce’s new documentary, “Life Is But A Dream.” The two did a little two step, Solange putting more back into it of course, behind the DJ booth. Loving the sister moment and the sway of Solange’s fro is giving me all the life.

And in case you’re like me and must know the name of that song, it’s “Get It Ready, Ready” by DJ Jubilee. Check it out.

Source: WENN

Well if you didn’t know Solange was a Brandy fan, now you do. This weekend, Beyonce’s little sister had her fellow (wo)man’s back like no other when she sent out a slew of tweets defending Brandy’s latest album, “Two Eleven,” against poor reviews by what Solange sees as unqualified critics. From her messages, it’s clear she must have come across a critique that gave the LP a poor rating and that’s when she took to Twitter to do a little grading — or perhaps reading — of her own. Here’s what she said:

“Some of these music blogs could actually benefit from hiring people who REALLY understand the culture of R&B to write about R&B.

Some of these music blogs could actually benefit from hiring people who REALLY understand the culture of hip hop to write about hip hop.

Like you really should know about deep Brandy album cuts before you are giving a “grade” or a “score” to any R&B artist.

And ivy league credentials don’t give you any insight on “grading” a rappers body of work…when you’ve had no access to the REAL culture.

There are SO many gifted writers who truly understand. Who didn’t get hip to R&B & Hip-Hop via the crossover artist of their childhood.

Just hire them please ,so you can stop insulting peeps knowledge.

So you can stop acting like it just popped off last year for R&B. Like it just got interesting and experimental.

So you can stop praising every rapper who raps over a trap beat, but can’t form literate sentences & then you market it as some hip s**t.

And that wasn’t a rant. It was an observation and a request.

CC: every music blogger in the world.

When one follower responded to Solange’s “observation and request” saying, “Wonder if Solange could give us profound insight into REAL hip hop culture,” she replied:

“Nope,that’s why Im not a hip hop music journalist”

All in all, I’d say this was a rather rousing proclamation for people to stay in their lane — and perhaps a major push for folks to go get Brandy’s album if they’ve been sleeping on it. By the way, I wonder what the latest reviews on Solange’s EP “True” was. Bloggers beware.

What do you think about Solange’s Twitter request? Is she right?

Another week, another opportunity to showcase or skewer the unique looks of the stars. Who was looking fabulous in their attire and who was looking like a fail? Let’s take a quick look and find out.

WENN

Solange Knowles

I know what you’re thinking: “Solange is in a “Style To Steal” damn near every week! Well, I blame her for being a mainstay on red carpets and staying out of the house in her most stylish stuff. This week, Knowles showed up at the Ermenegildo Zegna ‘Essenze’ Collection Launch event in NYC in this champagne dress with two slits in the front that showed off her toned legs. The sleeveless jersey dress was accented with strappy snakeskin heels, a gold cuff, a variety of rings, and a square gold and white clutch.

I love the idea of Solange’s big hair, and I do appreciate the size, but as for the consistency of the curls, it could be a bit more uniform. But her look as a whole is hot! Very disco ’70s with a modern flair and the make-up is flawless! Winner in my book. Steal!

WENN