Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE

Hello Beautifuls!

Just skipped over here from www.UrbanBeautyCollective.com to give you the low-down on Alicia Keys.  Didn’t she look ga-ga-gorgeous at the BET Awards?!  Well, I wanted to know how the look was put together and had to search no further than our UBC’s very own Style Squad members Wouri Vice and Tippi Shorter.  Yep, Wouri and Tippi micro-blog about celebrity style for UBC, so they’re like family.  And of course, family gets the scoop, right?  So here its is…

UBC:  ALICIA WAS JAW-DROPPINGLY AMAZING ON THE BET RED CARPET.  HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CULTIVATE THIS TYPE OF LOOK?

WV: That is really funny.  My assistant and I were sitting and looking at a catalog of the Jenny Pack collection and as soon as I saw the dress (and her performance dress) I knew we had to have them for the fitting.  The amount of time we have is really dictated by the artist schedule.  We had a fitting about a week before for Alicia.

TS: Typically I start with the type of event, the weather, and then the clothes. And all of those elements played a part in this style. It was super hot that day and I knew that her natural curl would be the best option.

UBC:  WOURI, DO YOU DO LARGE PULLS FOR ALICIA OR PRESENT HER WITH A HANDFUL OF OPTIONS?  HOW LONG HAVE YOU TWO WORKED TOGETHER?

WV: I pulled about 5 dresses and when she tried that one, we knew it was the one.

Then the fitting took about 20 minutes.  I think it was the fastest fitting of my career.

I’ve worked with Alicia since 2002.

UBC: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HER LOOK FOR THE AWARDS?

WV: She was a cross between a Moroccan queen with Diane Ross hair and Cleopatra eyes.  It’s all Black Beauty at its best.

TS: Bohemian.  On her downtime she’s very laid back and I wanted to give her a relaxed feeling with such a beautiful dress.

UBC: TIPPI, WE ALL WANT THE BREAK DOWN.  HOW’D YOU ACHIEVE THE LOOK?

TS: I started with the Pantene nature fusion shampoo and conditioner, we love the smell and it makes the hair feel beautiful. I used Ego-boost leave-in by Bed Head to detangle and applied Pantene curls shaper anti frizz cream. This was the foundation to have those big curls last through that heat. I used an iron about the size of my pinky to refine her curls and added the Ojon serum to separate and fluff her curls. I finished the look with Tresseme 24hour body holding spray, it’s amazing.

UBC:  WOURI, TELL US ABOUT THE SHOES AND ACCESSORIES.

WV: Christian Louboutin shoes, Mary Norton clutch and the ring which was chosen at the very last minute.  We tried to keep the accessories minimal because of the jewels on the mini.  The balls on the shoes worked with the balls on the dress, then the handbag had the same embellishment, it just all fell into place.

UBC: CAN SOMEONE ACHIEVE THIS LOOK AT HOME IF THEY DON’T HAVE THE FABULOUS WOURI OR TIPPI AROUND?

WV: Find a great tunic and if you are bold enough you can wear it as an extra mini or for the larger woman you can wear it with pants.  Tunics work great with different body types.  Accessories are key.  Coordinate accessories you don’t need to match.

TS: You can definitely create this at home with the above steps. If you don’t have the length or the natural curl, you can use hair extensions.   I just so happen to have my own line of hair extensions GET GORGEOUS HAIR unfortunately; there aren’t any short-cuts. Great styles take time.

UBC:  WOURI, HOW WAS IT COLLABORATING TOGETHER AND WITH ASHUNTA ON MAKE-UP FOR ALICIA’S FLAWLESS LOOK? HOW DO YA’LL WORK TOGETHER?

WV: Those are my sisters!  Tippi and Ashunta are geniuses when it comes to hair and makeup.  We have worked together for many, many years. There is a flow between us.

TS: I love them and love to work with them. We are a solid team and work really well together.

Heck yeah they do!  For more on Wouri and Tippi, visit us at wwwUrbanBeautyCollective.com any time.  Until again, stay fabulous!

Tilane

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.