To all of our lovely followers,

The ShowStoppers Blog is moving!  We have had such an amazing experience here at Tumblr, but it is time for us to move along.  You can continue to follow us at theshowstoppersblog.wordpress.com and in a few days, you can find us again at www.showstoppersblog.com.

We are so thankful for all of your support and hope you will continue to follow us on our journey!

XOXO,

Team ShowStoppers

Traveling to New York this Holiday Season? Be sure to head to the W New York Downtown to check out the “Rocked” exhibit, a showcase of Mick Rock’s jaw-dropping photographs.

WWD announced Raf Simons, from Jill Sander, is the new rumored candidate to step into the former shoes of John Galliano as creative director at Christian Dior.

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor went to auction last Tuesday and gathered $115,932,000 and broke 7 world records.

Although Victoria’s Secret may have thought that the cotton they bought from Burkina Faso last season was legitimate, new reports show that said cotton is in review for it’s potential encroachment on child labor laws, as well as a review on their certified organic and fair-trade systems.

Stealing (truly, robbing) cinema-goers hearts, Viola Davis has just been announced as a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards nominee for her female lead performance as Aibileen Clark in this summer’s hit film, The Help. Flavoring her character with sincerity and soul, Davis helps audience members delve into the stagnant times of Southern life in the 1960s. For many years following the abolition of slavery, African Americans noticeably remained the working class. The Help indulges this trying time with stories of black maids serving white families. Journeying audience members through the lives of the strong women who lived through this time, Davis’s character takes a lead role in inspiring the revelation of truth. Bringing credibility, warmth and expression to her performance, Davis charges the film with a new set of sad and happy emotions – producing sadappy, if you will. Davis’s exquisite attention to her character’s intersectionalities has brought Davis under the limelight that shines upon her today. We here at ShowStoppers raise a toast to the fine news, and send Davis our very best for the 2012 awards ceremony. 

“Magic happened.” – Susan Burton

The movies, literature and news relay the struggles of life after prison, but Susan Burton has personally lived through it over a span of 20 years. She recounts the story as dismal. When released from prison, Los Angeles ex-offenders are given $200 in pocket cash and are dropped off at a bus terminal in Downtown. Hopeful for new beginnings, these female ex-offenders, more often than not, find their way to Skid Row, only blocks from their drop off point, where temptation to join hands with pimps and drug dealers rears its ugly head. In response to this reoccurrence, Burton, in 1998, established a reentry program, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, to give female offenders a place to find recovery and prospect for a promising future. Burton was raised in the East L.A. projects, where she mothered a beautiful son. In 1981, at age 5, Burton’s child was accidentally hit and killed by a car, beginning a downward spiral for Burton. To cope with her heartache, Burton turned to heavy drugs, and was eventually imprisoned. Shortly after her release, Burton ended up back in prison. This pattern continued for six prison terms, until Burton willed herself into sobriety via a rehab facility in 1997. Here, she not only cleaned up, but also found inspiration to help other women stuck in the drug-prison cycle. Beginning as a live-in caregiver, Burton saved enough money until she was able to purchase a house that she converted into a place for recovery. Provided with food, clothing and transportation, women were encouraged to face their pasts, heal and find strength together. Today, Burton owns five homes, which can each support 22 women at a time. Funded by an array of private foundations, Burton is able to focus her energy less on the monetary side of her business and more on integrating recovering offenders back into society. Burton personally picks up new arrivals either at the bus station or prison gates and greets her future residents with a signature line, “Welcome Home.” Burton help women get ID cards so that they can begin work and regain custody of their children. Also, to encourage women to stay on track, Burton requires that her residents stay sober, attend 12-step meetings, and undergo drug treatment, enroll in school, or get a job. When the women choose to branch out independently, Burton aids in their home hunt and furnishings. In response to having rescued over 400 women, Burton says it simply: “Magic happened.”

There’s something intrinsically special about a diamond-studded ear.  It’s simple, it’s delicate, and it’s classic. The beauty of diamond studs is that they may be paired with all that your closet holds, from your most glamorous of gowns to your flannel PJs! In two, three, four, five or six prongs, and deeply plated, mounted, contoured, tapered or rounded, solitaires can be fashioned to the setting of your choice. While Tiffany’s and Harry Winston are delightful picks, we do recognize that we are in a recession. Still, we believe a woman’s ears should always be dressed in love. Enchant your ensemble with diamond studs from Nordstrom, Macy’s or Bloomingdales. While not genuine in stone, a diamond, irrespective of clarity or grade, is always a timeless accessory. A sparkle on a girl’s ear asserts a womanly elegance that speaks (with much poise) for itself. Enhancing your look with a simple touch is a beautiful holiday gift to which we encourage you to treat yourself this holiday season. Never allowing your ears to feel lonely, these stunning studs remind us that diamonds really are a girl’s best friend. 

                 

Frank Warren, creator of PostSecret, established an ongoing online community art project. People from around the world are encouraged to mail in secrets - deep, funny, and all those in between - anonymously on a homemade postcard. A team at PostSecret then selects a small number of secrets to post every Sunday to their blog, postsecret.com - which also happens to be the largest advertisement-free blog in the world. Secrets that are not posted to the blog are published in the PostSecret Twitter/Facebook feed, PostSecret books, or museum exhibits. The blog brings strangers together in a non-intrusive fashion, allowing the world to connect on organic emotions. The blog has been extolled in its efforts to prevent suicide and domestic violence, as well as provide help lines for those who seek professional help. Warren has expanded the company to include moving videos that showcase individuals facing and overcoming their secrets - inspiration that has and continues to spread virally. As protests much like Occupy L.A. bring to light the ugly side of businesses, we here at ShowStoppers can’t help but revere Warren for creating, expanding, and monopolizing human connections and happiness at their core, for staying true to his business model, and for helping so many across the globe find a sense of belonging. Celebrating a great human being!

“Fashion is my game.” - Laura Dahl, Wifebeader           

Understanding fashion to be her inner engine, Laura Dahl delved into the industry via the New York City Fashion Institute of Technology, where she received a masters. Dahl landed an opportunity with renowned designer Anne Bowen, who dresses clothing in semi-precious stones and beads. Inspired by her mentor, Dahl jumped head first into her own beaded clothing business. She decided to embellish women’s undershirts with beads and stones, naming her masterpiece the Wifebeader. Dahl received media attention from magazines like Vogue and InStyle, through which her business gained momentum. Dahl expanded her line, adding variety to the design, making her handcrafted clothing a hit. The Wifebeader slowly worked its way onto boutique shops’ shelves, then into Bloomingdale’s and Anthropologie, and in 2005, reached high fashion status when Fred Segal bought the Wifebeader autumn collection. Launching the Wifebeader label in 2006, Dahl became the official designer behind the Sundance Film Festival gift bags. Her designs are offered in over 130 boutique stores through the USA, and recently have traveled to stores in London, Paris and Puerto Rico. Dahl’s Wifebeaders today take to one of 12 unique silhouettes, which are fashioned with an array of fabrics, stones and beads. Dahl’s business is a testament to the fact that passion absolutely fuels success. Dahl today lives, breathes and talks fashion. Continuing her expansion efforts, Dahl inspires us at ShowStoppers in our own endeavors. She teaches us that with a good product and an honest business model, success is inevitable.

                

A silver line separates well-dressed from fashion forward. The catalyst? Cocktail rings. Dress your hand up in delicacy. Big, bold and beautiful, cocktail rings are the cherry on top of your Sunday – a no-line-at-the-grocery-store, if you will (that sparkles). This fine detail can take an elegant gown, flirtatious mini, cute sundress, tights, jeans and skirt from trendy to fabulous. While beautiful in their emerald, ruby and crystal shine, cocktail rings are not all formal. Designs include boyish cubes, blush-toned stones, intricate embeds, simple circles, layered rings – the works! The beauty about cocktail rings is that they are statement pieces. That is, while they call forth attention from even the laziest of eyes, they are not meant to showcase wealth. Inexpensive by nature, cocktail rings are known to be costume jewelry. So rather than boasting the amount one’s bank account holds, cocktail rings operate more as a testament to one’s eclectic fashion taste. Although a seemingly insignificant item in the entirety of one’s ensemble, cocktail rings illustrate the care one gives to one’s whole look. Pieces as such indicate that one is an individual who pays attention to the smaller details, separating mediocrity from greatness!

Britney Spears is turning 30 today, and we’re awarding her with ShowStopper of the Week and a great big Happy Birthday! Not only is 30 a huge birthday, but Britney is back on top after years of struggling, and we couldn’t be happier for her! An icon from the beginning of her career, many people thought that she would never come out of her slump. Singer of such hits as “…Oops! I did it again” and “Toxic,” Britney’s music is always sure to put a smile on your face and a hop in your step. We hope she has a fabulous birthday surrounded by those she loves, and we also hope she keeps rolling out the fabulous tracks! Happy Birthday, Britney!