this week, american idol was the talk of the town. more like the talk of the entire country, really. one reason was the talented gwen stefani. she was chosen to dress the remaining female contestants for their performances. overall, i thought she did a pretty good job hailey's outfit was my favorite. it was on trend and fit her eclectic personality and sound.
the other huge drama on american idol concerned ms. pia toscano. it seems not even gwen's jumpsuit could save her from elimination. apparently, the consensus says she was the best vocalist in the contest. its not that i necessarily disagree with that. i just found my queens, ny brethren quite boring. singing all of those slow ballads didn't help matters much either. anyhoooo, i'm sure pia will survive, if not flourish.
but, i digress. back to fashion....it was quite unfortunate that gwen didn't get a chance to style the quirky and vibrant naima adedapo. they both seem to have a similar aesthetic and appreciation for the ethnic influence. honestly, i believe naima's styling choices played an integral role in what sent her home. she had fantastic ideas that she unfortunately, took too far. overaccessorized, too many competing colors, unpolished ragged touch. it was clear that naima was trying to stay true to her reggae ragga muffin signature look. i suspect since she was making her dresses in the beginning of the show, naima was hoping to capitalize on the homemade apparel (just in case the singing didn't work out). anyway, if you know anything about gwen, you understand her fetish for the black, brown and yellow culture. her children are named kingston and zuma, for goodness sake. safe to say, naima's ode to the caribbean culture would have been just fine with stefani.
so, i tried to recreate the what if scenario. what if gwen was able to style naima with her L.A.M.B line? i thought of four options for the up and coming songbird. the first option is the tribal print jacket from gwen's latest collection with a pair of boyfriend jeans and heels. for a more conservative naima, she could include a tank in white or black. the second look is the african print halter dress. a white suit seems perfect for naima with a few bold but flattering accessories. perhaps a colorful scarf or turban? the last choice is the maxi dress with the beautiful print. as long as she isn't doing her african dance, this would be appropriate for her performance.
naima made all the wrong choices for her hair. what she didn't understand was that her lovely locs were a statement by themselves; there was no need for the intricate updos and flowers +. the style gwen wore in the "sweet escape" video would do ms. adedapo justice. for a sultrier look, i would suggest some romantic waves (like the lovely photo of gwen up top). and that, my lovelies, is the advice i would offer the adorable naima. what would you suggest?
besos jenna pearle*
