Tap In: Saweetie Takes On NYFW, The MET Gala & Becomes MAC's Latest Global Brand Ambassador
New York Fashion Week has finally returned to its in-person fashion shows. The magic, glamour and thriving energy is back after quarantine changed everything last year. While most people were sequestered at home fighting boredom, music superstar, Saweetie used the lockdown to cement her dreams. Through content creation, catchy new music and building her brand, Saweetie explored various business endeavors and began to execute her philanthropic goals.
Leaning on the expertise of her grandmother, Roxane Harper, who is an entrepreneur, author and investor, Saweetie and her "Glam-ma" created a foundation that equips Black and Brown communities to learn about financial literacy. They are set to launch the Icy Baby Foundation this fall.
Managing her time wisely during quarantine gave bloom to the elevation of her brand and star power.
Courtesy of the artist
In one year, Saweetie has become more than just an entertainer, she is now a desirable powerful influencer for top brands. She has been invited to attend several shows during NYFW, including Tom Ford, Kim Shui, Christian Cowan and more. To adding icing on the cake, the "It" girl and queen of content is starting her first day at Fashion Week with a major announcement.
Today, MAC Cosmetics introduced Saweetie as its newest Global Brand Ambassador. MAC snatched up the popular rapper and appointed her as their latest M∙A∙C Girl. Saweetie will join the brand in a long-term global capacity.
"I am so excited about my new partnership with MAC. When I was young, I remember admiring the way my mom would organize her MAC products in the silver MAC travel bag. I would always sneak and play with her lipsticks and products. I loved the creativity of makeup even back then. Now I can't believe I have my own collection. This is definitely a full circle moment," said Saweetie.
"Saweetie is one of those people that truly does it all – musician, CEO, actress, TV show host, gamer, viral sensation, the list goes on – she is an extreme talent and is relatable…she is all of our 'best friends,'" said Drew Elliott, SVP, Global Creative Director, MAC Cosmetics.
"Saweetie's message of self-confidence and female empowerment is the perfect match for a brand like M∙A∙C that has always embraced unapologetic self-expression with open arms! Saweetie IS a MAC girl, because she is a boss, a winner, an artist, and she knows exactly what she wants…and goes for it. I'm obsessed."
As MAC's Global Brand Spokesperson, Saweetie will contribute her wit and beauty as the face of MAC's upcoming renowned collections and key campaigns. In addition, Saweetie will work with MAC Makeup Artists to showcase her signature looks, share beauty secrets and her lifestyle with MAC fans.
"All of the things that happening are like a dream come true. I'm excited about all the shows during NYFW and thankful to be invited. I also hope that designers, stylists and creatives of color can also be given more opportunities to showcase their talents on these type of large platforms."
Fans can see Saweetie's first piece of content for the brand on her Instagram @saweetie and follow @maccosmetics on IG for more updates.
Featured image courtesy of the artist
Abesi Manyando is a Journalist, Public Relations Specialist and Creative Writer obsessed with culture, art, and music. She intermixed her degree in business management and marketing with her love for writing to form the popular PR & Branding Development firm, Abesi PR eight years ago. She is now making art and writing her priority and is working on an upcoming children's book and creative projects that move her soul. You can follow Abesi on Instagram @abesipr and her blog, 7thandlotus.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images