‘Record Redux: Spice Girls’ Takes on the World

New book by Quentin Harrison marks the Spice Girls 20th anniversary on the heels of a buzz-worthy U.K. jaunt to connect with fans. Whether you were just becoming a fan when the Spice Girls first landed on the pop scene 20 years ago, or have only a passing knowledge of their biggest hits, there’s no way to miss the impact of the globe’s most successful female pop group.

This summer, music historian and commentator Quentin Harrison aims to make an impact of his own among pop music enthusiasts with ‘Record Redux: Spice Girls’. His debut book, part of a 12-book series documenting the discographies of women musicians, is an accessible reference guide and analysis of all things Spice.

The book acts as a reintroduction to the casual fan; for the faithful, it’s an affirmation of the Spice Girls’ musical prowess. Harrison recently returned from the U.K. where he held the “RRSG Walkabout” on March 26. The event allowed him to meet fans and tour various historical and contemporary “Spice sites.” Locations included the Royal Albert Hall (as seen in Spice World: The Movie), the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel (as seen in the “Wannabe” music video), and Victoria Beckham’s flagship storefront in the West End.

Record Redux: Spice Girls (Volume 1)

By Quentin Harrison

Buy on Amazon

‘Record Redux: Spice Girls’ is available through Amazon.com in soft-cover format. A digital download for any tablet device will be offered through the Selz.com storefront. The book is published through Joy of Sound Publications with the support of Harrison’s hand-picked team: Paul Wolski, creative director and illustrator; and editors Jill Mazzetta and Travis Müller. Highlights include an entire study of the Spice Girls’ output as a unit and individually; compellingly rendered synopses of familiar and lesser-known works; and a foreword by renowned British music journalist David Sinclair, author of ‘Wannabe: How the Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame’.

The next ‘Record Redux’ release spotlights singer and songwriter Carly Simon. Simon rose to prominence with the hits “You’re So Vain” and “You Belong to Me” in the 1970s — and her career continued to flourish and develop for three more decades. This second book will be available April 10, 2017. The aim of the series is to draw attention to women recording artists whose musical legacies lack definitive discussion. “It’s about correcting context and the larger sphere of what the Spice Girls and other significant female artists have done,” Harrison says.

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NIXON DEBUTS SECOND ITERATION OF ROCK LTD COLLECTION, A LIMITED EDITION WATCH CAPSULE

California-based, global watch and accessories brand Nixon announces the spring release of the Rock LTD Collection, a limited edition capsule of one-of-a-kind timepieces designed with donated leather jackets, pants and guitar straps from some of the world’s largest names in music and sport. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Rock LTD Collection will benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund®, a charity that provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment. Offered in extremely limited quantities, the Rock LTD Collection is available globally mid-April 18, 2016.

This season, the Rock LTD Collection features leathers worn by 13 world-renowned talents, such as Guns N’ Roses’ lead guitarist Slash, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Coldplay front man Chris Martin. The collection will also include exclusive watch designs from Nixon athlete and skateboarding pioneer, Tony Hawk, and Nick Rimando, goalkeeper for Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. The donated leather goods are provided direct from each artist and athlete’s closet and are transformed into extremely rare and highly collectible timepieces. The resulting one-of-a-kind watch straps offer a worn, live-in feel.

Rock LTD Collection:

·         Slash — The 51-30 Chrono (Leather Pants)

·         James Hetfield — The 51-30 Chrono (Guitar Strap)

·         Kirk Hammett — The 51-30 Chrono (Guitar Strap)

·         Tony Hawk — The Time Teller (Leather Jacket)

·         Eminem — The 51-30 Chrono (Belts)

·         Nick Rimando — The 51-30 Chrono (Goalie Gloves)

·         Jared Leto — The Sentry Chrono (Belt)

·         Chris Martin — The Sentry Chrono (Guitar Strap)

·         Tim McGraw — The Sentry Chrono (Belt)

·         Brandon Steinekert — The Sentry Chrono (Leather Jacket)

·         Macklemore — The Time Teller (White Sleeveless Leather Top)

·         Alisa Xayalith — The Time Teller (Leather Jacket)

·         Jun K — The Time Teller (Leather Jacket; Available in Asia Only)

Each watch is individually, hand-numbered to denote its rarity. Additionally, each watch features a custom, etched caseback with the name of the artist and is packaged with a certificate of authenticity from Nixon and MusiCares®. Past Rock LTD Collections have used donated leathers from Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Eddie Van Halen, Steven Tyler, Ringo Starr, Anthony Kiedis and Flea, and Dave Navarro, among others.

This exclusive delivery of the Rock LTD Collection will be available at global retailers, including: Westime (Sunset and Rodeo Dr. locations), RonRobinson | Fred Segal Melrose, Feldmar, Placio De Oro, Nixon Chadstone (AUS), Nixon London Carnaby, Nixon London Seven Dials, Nixon Paris and Nixon NYC, Nixon LCX (Hong Kong). 

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Sylvia Tosun: From the Opera to the Top of the Dance Charts

SYLVIA TOSUN / Photos by Hyuna Shin, styled by Carlos Davis, makeup by Jasmine Lee

She has an angelic voice and a golden touch. When Sylvia Tosun isn't making home at the top of the dance music charts - #1 to be precise - she's gracing the NYFW runways. The musical genre-crossing singer/songwriter has talents the rest of us only dream about. From opera to trance, her voice will captivate and mesmerize. The vocalist is in high demand by some of the world's biggest DJs but she's also leaving a mark in the world of fashion, which is one of her other loves. 

This classically trained opera singer has a golden heart too, as beautiful as her voice. Sylvia Tosun uses her public platform to fight for human rights, specifically for the LGBT community. I was fortunate to ask Sylvia questions about her music, fashion and life. Her responses make you love her even more.

You recently performed and walked-the-walk at Malan Breton's NYFW show. How did this come about? Describe the experience. Also, how much did you love that dress?! It was gorgeous on you.

Sylvia Tosun: Thank you! Malan is such a delightful and talented friend.  We were introduced a few years ago through our mutual friend and fashion stylist, Carlos Davis. I have always admired Malan’s work and he has been very generous to me with his creations. I wore his designs in a few of my videos and photoshoots including an image that was featured in a recent issue of British Vogue. In that image, photographer Barry Hollywood captured me wearing an intricate brocade Malan couture gown as I held an antique pruning saw in front of a 300-year-old red barn. We loved the contrast of high fashion and rustic farm life. Regarding this recent NY fashion week, Malan totally surprised me with a phone call while I was on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Toronto for Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance (ASOT) 750 event. I was heading there to join Andrew Rayel onstage for the finale of his set when he closed with our collaboration, “Winterburn.” Coincidentally, Malan was calling me because he had just heard “Winterburn” and said he loved it and had an inspiration for it to be the musical theme for his upcoming show! He wanted to know if I would be willing to do a special performance at his event. Of course, I was thrilled and honored so I said, “Yes!” The experience of the show was memorable: The event was held at Gotham Hall, which is an impressive and grand space, replete with its gorgeous and ornate cathedral ceiling, classic columns, and so on. Showtime was exhilarating! The venue was absolutely packed with reporters, cameras, celebrities and fashionistas. Suddenly, the room went dark and silent as the music began. The musical director for the show, Anton Bass, began the show’s sound by playing the orchestral version of “Winterburn” over the PA; that version was arranged by composer Geert Huinink. This was the very first time anyone would be hearing this version so it was extra special and dramatic.  As the orchestral track swelled, I entered stage-right, illuminated by a spotlight and, wearing Malan’s magnificently hand-stitched white winter gown. I focused on hitting my notes. Internally, I channeled the character of a lovestruck, heart-broken ice queen. The show felt quite theatric. Without missing a beat, the song completed by slamming into the high-energy original version, which was produced by Andrew Rayel & Digital X. The room erupted with energy as the lights flashed brightly and the first model stepped onto the runway! The rest of the show was as dynamic and spirited, musically, thanks to Anton. The show’s director, Luis Villabon, told all of us to have a good time up there and to act as if it was a dance party and that is exactly the type of fun it was.

In your music videos, your style seems to be a balance of glamour meets edgy. How true to life is that? Do you have favorite designers? Who are your go-to’s?

Sylvia Tosun: That is an accurate description and intentional. In real life, I am a tomboy and I love gardening. I’m a do-it-yourself builder by day, however, I love playing dress-up and being styled in cool fashion at night or when hitting the town, be it New York City or wherever/whenever I’m traveling. I am lucky enough to have my friend and fashion-stylist, Carlos, set me up for any public appearances or photoshoots. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of wearing edgy couture fashion designs of designers like The Blonds and Michael Bevins, and my all-time favorite designer is Alexander McQueen! I have always loved the art of “de-constructed glamour.” It’s certainly an expression of art imitating life. Creation and survival, to me, go hand-in-hand.

Can we talk about your vocals? Such an angelic yet powerful voice... How much of an influence is your classical training within the world of EDM?

Sylvia Tosun: My classical training certainly comes into play as far as technique.  However, a lot of what brings out the results in my EDM/trance music recordings is the approach taken during the studio sessions. My vocal producer and collaborator, Anton [Bass], has a knack for knowing which buttons to push, both literally in the recording studio and figuratively in helping me use my voice as an instrument in order to create different textures and sounds. I think the training definitely helps with endurance and overall vocal stability but I also believe that singing is a feeling and not necessarily something one has learned. On that level, when I am singing, I am feeling, and that is my influence.

Your latest song, “Winterburn" with Andrew Rayel & Digital X is so beautiful, soothing and poetic.  What can you say about it?

Sylvia Tosun: Thank you! I love that you think it is soothing. “Winterburn” symbolizes a deep, nurturing mother spirit who can be both soft and blanketing like a gentle snowfall or as harsh as an arctic blast that even the mighty sun cannot thwart. The phrase, “I am your Winter,” is an expression of a woman who is confident, nurturing and resilient in the face of adversity.

You've worked with so many amazing artists, including Armin van Buuren. Will you talk about the process of collaboration? Does it differ from artist to artist?

Sylvia Tosun: Well, I haven’t had the pleasure of directly working with Armin yet, but I am so grateful that he has taken an interest and been a supporter of some of my songs, most notably “An Angel’s Love.” It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Andrew Rayel on few songs recently. He is supremely talented and I think we have made a good team with our collaborations because of our shared appreciation for the classical element in the music. The song that I did with Aly & Fila and Roger Shah, “Eye2Eye” was a joy to help create, and as well, having it chosen as the official anthem for their Future Sound of Egypt 350 world tour.  It was a fantastic experience to perform the song, live, at Hammerstein Ballroom, opening Aly & Fila’s set in NYC!  

It makes me happy when people use their public platforms to do good. Please talk about Love Is Love.

Sylvia Tosun: Love is Love was inspired by the moment we were living in. There was this underlying tension in the world with Russia’s intolerant and abhorrent public mistreatment of the LGBT community, while the political debate in the U.S. was showing uncertainty and strong pushback against our social progress. French producer David Vendetta and I were already working on a musical project together known as VenSun at the time and he sent me the track that became “Love is Love.” It’s a universal concept that love should be a freedom which is honored and respected for all.  Coincidentally, the Supreme Court made its ruling on DOMA the exact same month that we began to promote the song.  What are the chances of that? We had no idea that that was coming, and even more serendipitously, President Obama sent out a tweet following that decision using the hashtag #LoveIsLove !  "Today’s DOMA ruling is a historic step forward for #MarriageEquality. #LoveIsLove." It was such a happy moment to be in NYC during gay pride festivities that year.

What's in your fashion and musical future?

Sylvia Tosun: I have been preparing and rehearsing to perform live shows where I play piano and sing my EDM/trance songs acoustically (in the form that I write them). I will have special guest musicians joining me onstage as well. We’re planning to announce some dates starting in the early summer and hopefully, my friends in the fashion industry will help me out with my look.  Trance in fashion, anyone?

Can't get enough?! For more information on Sylvia Tosun, visit: http://sylviatosun.com/

fashionado

BEST & WORST GRAMMYs 2016 RED CARPET FASHION

Lady Gaga in Marc Jacobs

Adele in Givenchy

Carrie Undrewood in Nicolas Jebran

Carrie looked gorgeous. Her choice to wear black and show so much leg added edge to her red carpet glam. 

Taylor Swift in Atelier Versace

Taylor Swift knows how to dress for and work the red carpet. Her daring look is Grammys (and age) appropriate. The ONLY thing I would have done is tailor the hot pink skirt so it wouldn't puddle so much.

Ciara

She confuses me. Why??? Her look reads desperate. Sure everyone is talking about Ciara but for the wrong reasons. Worst Dressed.

Ariana Grande

Change your FUCKING  hairstyle.

Bella Hadid

Big Sean

This is the one award show that a dude can go tie-less and get away with it. 

Common

He is an elegant and eloquent man. Sharp.

Demi Lovato

I love the plunging neckline and jewelry. It's the only thing that saved this mother-of-the-bride dress.

Ellie Goulding in Stella McCartney

A little washed out. 

Florence Welch in Gucci

Love her! Florence has a very defining personal style. It's not for everyone but she knows what she likes and always wears high end.

Janelle Monae in Jean Paul Gaultier

Fashion, art and self-expression always collide beautifully with Janelle Monae!

Joséphine de La Baume and Mark Ronson

Cool, rock look. I'm fine with it. But the two no-no's: 1- Mark Ronson wore sunglasses inside during red carpet interview; 2- he removed his jacket at some point during the ceremony to reveal that he was wearing a black tank top. Sexy, yes. Man-candy, you bet! Tacky, yup.

Justin Bieber in Saint Laurent, and his younger brother Jaxon Bieber.

Like him or not, this is adorable.

Selena Gomez in Calvin Klein

Okay, ok... she looks good. However, her outfit was incomplete because Selena left her Miss America crown at home.

Meghan Trainor

Her dress was a little mature, but it's her hot red locks that made the best-dressed list... And dos genuinely sweet was that tearful speech?!

Kacey Musgraves in Armani Privé

Kaley Cuoco in Naeem Khan

Kaley rocked a sparkly jumpsuit with a a little skin reveal. The Grammys is the award show to pull off a look like this. Your stylist did well.

Kendrick Lamar in Costume National

He just needed a blazer to complete the look!!! C'mon Kendrick, you're a winner, you can afford it.

Pharrell Williams

Blondes have more fun. Love everything Pharrell!

Sam Hunt in Dolce & Gabbana

He's so handsome that it doesn't matter what he wears. In fact less would be great!

The Weekend in Givenchy

Love his voice and he rocked the look, but his hair is so distracting. The Weekend needs to stop getting groomed by the Disney landscapers.

Tori Kelly in Gauri & Nainika

Tori came dressed for the Oscars. 

Zendaya in DSquared2

This was a bold move. She looks good, I'll give her that. Just not a fan of this spoiled brat.

Wiz Khalifa in Thom Browne

I absolutely love that Wiz Khalifa wears one of my fave designers- Thom Browne.

The Grammys is the one award show that delivers a little bit of wild to the red carpet. This year, it brought more glam than anything else. There were more hits than misses (and that's not a bad thing!) Adele ruled the red carpet with her new razor-cut hair, her new-found confidence and in a chic, black sparkly Givenchy. Lady Gaga channeled a couture-like Bowie in Marc Jacobs. Stunning. This is the Gaga that we all love. And then there was Ciara, who reminded us (once again) that she has a bangin' bod and no taste. Click through the slideshow above for more comments.

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Best of 2015

2015 was a fabulously busy year for fashionado. From travel to Cuba to designer runways to epic music festivals, we were in the thick of it and loving it. I went through more than 300 posts to select my top ten. It wasn't easy! After the slideshow below, there are ten links to my 2015 faves. Thank you to all for the loving support. Happy New Year! xo

Doggies on the Catwalk

Havana, Cuba

Raf Simons Dior and I

Jeffrey Fashion Cares

Libby Langdon's Last Minute Holiday Decorating

John Galliano Margiela

Interview: Iris van Herpen High Museum

Erik Rosete's Mister Triple X

Pitti Uomo

Armin van Buuren TomorrowWorld

We moved on up to Buckhead, The Shops Buckhead to be exact! This was a major year for Doggies on the Catwalk: new upscale venue, amazing designers and a huge audience. Our collective efforts raised more than $37,000 for the Atlanta Pet Rescue. DOGGIES ON THE CATWALK

While Cuba continues to be in the news, on a more personal level, I've travelled to Cuba twice now to visit with my elderly father. We spent 43 years apart. CUBA

This was a big year for Jeffrey Kalinsky. As a celebration of twenty-five years at Phipps Plaza, Jeffrey Fashion Cares held their annual bash and runway show at Phipps. The fashion was behind amazing! JEFFREY FASHION CARES

The third annual TomorrowWorld got to a rainy start and only got worse, but hey, we made the best of it. When we couldn't get to the festival grounds on Sunday, we met up with Armin van Buuren in his hotel suite for an interview. Not too shabby! ARMIN VAN BUUREN AT TOMORROWWORLD

This is one of the best fashion films I have seen. Beautifully shot and a good story told. Inspiring and moving.  DIOR AND I / RAF SIMONS

In big fashion news, we saw the "return" of Galliano. JOHN GALLIANO FOR MAISON MARGIELA

One of my most popular features... designer Libby Langdon shared last minute decorating ideas for the home. LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY

New York, LA, Miami... Erik Rosete's Mister Triple X is a fashion powerhouse that is making its mark on the industry with stellar runway shows. I hope to catch up with them in 2016 at NYFW. MISTER TRIPLE X

The first ever fashion exhibit at the High Museum of Art. I had the privilege of interviewing the curator of this groundbreaking show. The show is stunning. IRIS VAN HERPEN AT THE HIGH

The way men should dress. See for yourself. THE BEST OF PITTI UOMO

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Sarah Charness & her electric Pink Violin

When you've been playing the violin since the age of four and now your musical instrument is electric, well, then so are you - as in HOT! As hot as a pink violin in the hands of an artist, musician and fashionista. Sarah Charness is a wickedly talented artist musician living in New York City. She electrifies us with her violin and personal style. I first introduced you to Sarah this Fall and her new hit single with the Disco Killerz called GRIP. Her collaboration with the Disco Killerz continues with "Beautiful Life" and "Running For Our Lives." Both tracks are awaiting release and though Sarah was enthusiastic about the new music, she didn't say much about them, keeping the suspense high. We did chat about many other fabulous things, including her involvement with NYFW. See below:

Tell me about the transition from classical to electronic? I'd like to say that it was something that happened overnight, but was this gradual thing that started happening when I was 16 at a summer intensive program. A guy named Mark Wood came in and he showed off all of his gorgeous electric violins and I'd never heard of such a thing. And I was so pumped. Slowly but surely I got myself an electric violin.

How does living in New York City inspire and influence you, your music, your style? New York has allowed me to flourish as an artist because NYC is such an accepting place. You can be any color, any race, any gender, any anything - any artist has a place here and it's very unique. That's sort of what's allowed me to grow. To be in a totally wonderful, accepting city.

Tell me about the hot pink violin, it's fabulous. I did not design the instrument but the color I chose. I was only sixteen when I did but I think I would still choose the same thing. (She laughs). I wanted a violin that look like a Barbie violin.

Let's talk fashion... From a very early age I have loved clothes. As a performer I have to be comfortable. I have to be able to move around. Off stage I can wear all sorts of fun things. (...and she's does.) And NYFW? I don't have the schedule just yet because not all the designers have made their schedules, but for sure will let you know once I know which will be a few weeks before fashion week.

You've worked with such a diverse group of artists, from Josh Groban to Flo Rida. It's impressive. When you do something as totally obscure as I do you, really need to be versatile. It's good for your style and it's good overall.

What is your career wishlist? I'd love to work with some of the artists on the Armada label. For sure, Armin van Buuren. He's someone I have enormous respect for and his music is so classically influenced in so many ways that I think it would be really really cool to do that.  

It was such a pleasure chatting with Sarah. Maybe next time it'll be over a bourbon during NYFW?! Lookout for Sarah Charness and make sure and visit her website!

fashionado

Tiësto & Tony Junior “Get Down”

New collaboration from Tiësto and Tony Junior “Get Down” is a heavy-hitting house track that will leave you wanting more. The track builds on a serious bassline, with a tantalizing build and explosive drop. The distorted synths are overlain with addicting vocals creating a high energy club anthem.

Voted “The Greatest DJ of All Time” by Mixmag, and the #1 DJ by Rolling Stone, Grammy Award winning artist Tiësto is a worldwide phenomenon. With both his singles “Wasted” and “Red Lights” off of his 2014 album and A Town Called Paradise achieving gold status, Tiësto’s resume also includes a Grammy for his remix of John Legend’s “All Of Me,” as well as hosting duties on the online TV series Your Shot USA. Most recently, the producer released Club Life Vol. 4 - New York City, the fourth installment of his Club Life mix album series based on his Sirius XM Club Life channel, in addition to continuing his residences at Las Vegas’ Hakkasan and Wet Republic pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

Dutch musical prodigy Tony Junior is known for his outrageous diva-like antics on stage, internationally recognized tunes and hilarious shenanigans on Dutch national TV. With tracks like “Twerk Anthem,” “Michael Jordan” and “Wake Up” blasting onto the scene via Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records, Tony has gained a tremendous following. His collaboration with DVBBS on “Immortal” scored over 6 million views on YouTube, as well as “Cobra” and “King Kong” reaching over 1 million views. Tony sets dancefloors on fire with his Marnik collaboration on “Jump Around” which has gained support from DJs like Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Nicky Romero and Showtek. 

Preview: https://soundcloud.com/musical-freedom/tiesto-tony-junior-get-down-out-now

‘Get Down’ is out now via Musical Freedom, go grab your copy: https://pro.beatport.com/release/get-down/1671824

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