As some of you already know I’ve been given the amazing opportunity to blog for WEEN. I’ve been posting since October (I post on Mondays) and so far the experience has been great. Today’s post, however, is EXTRA special because I interviewed my friends The Glamazons! Jessica & Andrea are truly dedicated to their craft and as sweet and humble as can be. I love to see my friends shine and want to thank them sooooo much for taking the time out of their hectic schedules to interview for WEEN.
Be sure to check out their blog and WEENOnline.org for this post and all the past ones as well. Enjoy!
*P.S. The blog relaunch is coming super soon…can’t wait for you guys to see it!
In Sex and the City Carrie claimed that twenty-something women come to New York for two things, labels and love…..wrong! Screw the love! In the city that never sleeps all a girl really needs are labels and lipsticks….lots of it! So who can a girl turn to when she needs to stay in the know on all the latest beauty and fashion trends? Cue The Glamazons! The vivacious duo of Jessica Andrews a.k.a Coutura and Andrea Arterbery a.k.a Ferocia, are living the SATC life with an Empire State of Mind. From front row at Fashion Week shows for Christian Siriano and Nicole Miller to exclusive launch parties for the hottest new beauty products and more, The Glamazons have got you covered. Their site, The Glamazons, is fast becoming the online go-to fashion bible for true fashionistas everywhere and their expert opinion on all things beauty and fashion is as coveted as a rare vintage Chanel. These fashion goddesses in the making gave WEEN the scoop on being a Glamazon and why they rock like a pair of studded Christian Louboutin pumps.
Welcome to the fashion jungle!
Who are The Glamazons?
Two creative, ambitious, fun-loving, small-town girls trying to make it in New York’s cutthroat publishing industry. We’re self-proclaimed fashion and beauty addicts, and obsessed with finding what’s NEW, HOT and NEXT.
What was your inspiration for starting The Glamazons?
While working at a popular African-American women’s magazine, we needed a creative outlet through which we could share our life experiences, our reviews of fashion and beauty products as well as the red-carpet events we have access to. The blog started as a way to express ourselves and now it’s grown into its own brand and a legitimate news outlet.
Today anybody with internet access can call themselves a fashion blogger. What separates The Glamazons from the rest?
Well, we’re editors turned bloggers. We use our relationships from our days as editors to bring fresh content to our readers like behind-the-scenes coverage with Bobbi Brown backstage at Fashion Week or celebrity interviews with Ameriie and Mary J. Blige. And by sharing info from people ‘in the know,’ we make the elite fashion and beauty world democratic and accessible to everyone.
Finally, we’re different because we don’t just cover fashion and beauty. Entertainment, food, careers and even relationships are some of the other topics we write about. Articles about our life like when Ferocia got laid off, or when Coutura’s boss criticized her for not being ‘bitchy’ enough, are the most popular on the blog.
What do you love most about what you do?
We are truly writers at heart. We both were English/Journalism majors in college (and are complete nerds and bookworms!) so expressing our opinion is one of the best parts of our job. Also, Ferocia’s a beauty/pop culture junkie and Coutura is a fashion addict so playing dress-up and hanging out with celebs is also a fab perk!
I follow you both on Twitter and you two are always on the move! How do you balance The Glamazons, day jobs and life in general?
It is no easy feat. But when you love what you do, you’re willing to put in the extra hours (instead of sleeping, lol) to get it done. Here’s a secret though: for our more in-depth posts, we’ll write them during down time on the weekend and schedule them throughout the week. That way, something is new on the blog everyday and we have extra time to cover breaking news as it happens. We make it work!
You ladies have access to some of the most exclusive and coveted beauty and fashion events in town! How do you make such big connections happen?
Relationships are so important in the industry we work in. We’ve been blessed to meet so many great publicists, designers, stylists and make-up artists who believe in our vision and support our blog. We’ve developed those relationships over years of working in the fashion and beauty industry as interns, assistants and now editors.
What are your favorite fashion moments?
There’s something so magical about a fashion show with all the glamour, and beautiful fashion, and models, music and photogs. But most of our fave fashion moments actually happen backstage when we get to watch designers and makeup legends like Zac Posen and Pat McGrath work their magic on the models.
And partying with fashion greats like Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour and Donatella Versace dressed up at the MET Gala was truly one of our best fashion moments!
What celeb do you think is most in need of a Glamazon makeover?
We’d have to say Amy Winehouse. She has such an amazing voice so there’s no reason for her to look like bees are living in her hair. We’d love to see her with a short, sassy haircut.
Who are the must see designers for fall fashion week?
Alexander Wang, Zac Posen, Chanel (Karl Lagerfeld), Lanvin (Alber Elbaz), Tracy Reese, Rachel Roy and Marc Jacobs. Also, love to see what Tom Ford is offering now that he’s doing Womenswear!
What are your thoughts on the lack of diversity on the runway in both size and color?
Every woman wants to wear beautiful things, no matter her size, shape or skin color. And we’re happy to see designers offering a variety of sizes, featuring plus models and celebrating different standards of beauty. On The Glamazons, we try to give attention to events like Full-Figured Fashion Week and films like The Colour of Beauty to keep the discussion at the forefront of everyone’s minds. We’re finally seeing change but we still have a long way to go.
You ladies have obviously been blessed, how do you pass a little of that blessing on to your community?
We’re both church girls, so we’re active in the youth and homeless programs at our churches. We also participate in the Penn Station Outreach program giving food, gloves, coats and scarves to homeless people in NYC’s blistering cold. Plus we love mentoring young girls and guys with an interest in fashion, beauty and blogging. We have the best mentees!
What advice would you give other women looking to follow your lead?
Never take ‘No’ for an answer. Keep positive people around you. Always give your best whether you’re getting coffee or writing a cover story; hold yourself to a standard of greatness in everything you do. Be kind to everyone no matter his or her ‘status’; today’s intern is tomorrow’s editor-in-chief!
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Simply, think positive thoughts. People underestimate the power of positive thinking! A lot of folks underachieve, not because they’re not capable, but because their mind is filled with fear and doubt. When you truly believe you will be a success, the universe works in your favor to make your thoughts a reality. Picture yourself where you want to be, and you’ll get there!
If you could design a collection or fragrance encompassing all the elements of one woman who inspires you, who would that woman be and what would you name your creation?
We’d create The Glamazonian fragrance and our muse would be Grace Jones, the ultimate Glamazon. She inspires us because she’s a creative genius, experimenting with fashion and beauty in groundbreaking ways and pushing the envelope with her androgynous style. The fragrance would be a musk both men and women can wear. Definite Glamazon material!
What can the world expect next from The Glamazons?
While we can’t reveal all of our plans, we can tell you that we’re currently giving our website a facelift and you can expect an all-new fabulous look from us as early as January 2011!
Name three things every empowered woman should possess.
Faith, Vision and Persistence.
For more on these WEEN Women to Watch, check out The Glamazons Blog and follow Coutura (@Ms_Andrews) and Ferocia (@Arterbery) on Twitter