SO2 – Sheryl Lee Ralph for SAVAGE X FENTY
First…
A new travel show, WTAF — Women Travel Art and Food, was recently shot in Jamaica. WTAF features artists, creatives and chefs from around the world and proves that travel isn’t just the purview of the boys’ club. Co-producers Kelly Groehler and Diana O’Gilvie (who also directs the series) were on island in October showcasing Jamaica’s beauty and paths less travelled. Viewers can see the world through a fresh set of eyes and experiences: about women, by women, for women. The Jamaica episode will air on November 24 on YouTube. Visit https://www.wtafwomentravelartfood.com/ for the entire show line-up.
Core concept…
Rooted in travel with a sense of irreverence, adventure and fun, WTAF follows two entrepreneurs who boldly explore the new opportunities ahead for chef-driven food and contemporary art — through conversations and meals with women chefs and artists.
Next…
Rock-blooded Hollywood actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s post-Emmy Awards glow up continues as the Abbott Elementary star hit the runway in Rihanna’s new Savage X Fenty Vol 4 fashion show.
Ralph — who had a diva moment in a green bustier jumpsuit with matching robe — took a spin in the spotlight alongside stars like Taraji P Henson, Cara Delevingne, Marsai Martin, and Trinbagonian actor Winston Duke. Ralph, who is back on set filming the new season of Abbott Elementary, says she’s both a fan of Rihanna and the Savage X Fenty brand.
Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Vol 4 fashion show premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday, November 9.
Then…
The Ralph Lauren Home Round Hill Candle deserves a spot on your 2022 Christmas gift ideas list! Officially presented in Ralph Lauren’s iconic navy-and-gold palette, the soy-wax candle is inspired by the cashmere-chic Round Hill Hotel and Villas where Lauren, a shareholder, vacations with his family several times a year and is a fixture at the annual hot-ticket Sugar Cane Ball fund-raiser.
The candle distributes pleasant scents of lemon, lavender, white tea and warm musk. The gold-tone lid is engraved with the brand’s signature logo and can be styled as a plinth beneath the glass vessel.
And…
On Monday, November 7, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) hosted a special gathering to celebrate the release of No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot, a memoir by Jamaican-born Dr Wesley J Hall, business leader, author, philanthropist.
At the luncheon, Hall sat down with fellow Jamaican Dr Donette Chin-Loy Chang, journalist, philanthropist, volunteer and mentor, to discuss the joys, challenges and obstacles he faced on his journey to becoming one of Canada’s most influential business leaders.
Finally…
Designer and recording artiste Abenah Adelaide “Bena” González is a proud graduate of the prestigious University of the Arts London: Central Saint Martins (UAL: CSM). She also has a diploma in Professional Studies (DIPs). Her plans are to assist in the development of the Jamaican textiles industry and by extension the fashion/interiors industry; launch a textiles studio and relaunch her fashion line Abenah Adelaide; as well as pursue a postgrad degree in business administration or digital marketing.
It’s a lot for Gonzalez who’s currently also pursuing music. Look out for her on Bounty Killer’s highly anticipated album King of Kingston. She’s recently released a trap song called Bartender and has produced a drill song called Tony Montana which fuses Jamaican and British culture. Her journey has hardly been smooth sailing. Having been accepted at CSM and receiving a tuition-only scholarship from the CHASE Fund she still came up short and so she was given permission by her mum Champayne González to sell some of the work of her late father, renowned fine artist Christopher Francis Gonzalez, OD.
A robbery mere days prior to her departure left her once again with insufficient funds but even more determined to succeed.
As part of her studies, she worked on a project with LVMH and also participated in a project with Amanda Kelly for Premiere Vision Paris.
“The journey,” she recalls, “was far from glitz and glamour… I faced hardship, culture shock and the pandemic was just the cherry on top of my bittersweet journey. Class of 2020 but 2022 graduation ceremony. In the end the journey was worth it. I gained valuable UK fashion and music industry experience. As well as strength from adversity that money can never buy.”
