In & Out is W‘s weekly newsletter rundown of what’s necessary to know in fashion and culture, and what you can just let pass you on by. To get it in your inbox every Thursday morning, subscribe here (be sure to check the “In & Out Weekly” box when signing up). This week, we ruminate on Brandon Maxwell’s surprising move to Walmart, more superhero content than you can shake an enchanted magical stick at, the best of the Grammys, and the end of the Kardashian klan’s run on E!
“It’s very important for us all to understand that we are interconnected and we need to hold hands together, especially when the going gets tough.”
— Michelle Yeoh
In: The Grammys Ceremony, Actually…
Out: Oscar Nomination Surprises
The Grammys ended on Sunday night a little after 11:30 pm, and then less than nine hours later the Oscar nominations were announced. We are truly in awards season overdrive! While the Grammy nominations left us perplexed, we actually rather enjoyed the ceremony—even if it went a little long. Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s joint performance is bound to be a much-discussed classic of the TV performance form. Harry Styles brought back the tradition of rock stars in feather boas in a rather chic way. The red carpet had some standout moments (see all the looks here, and the best dressed stars here). Plus, we finally got to check in with Beyoncé and see how she’s been doing, which is always nice. As for the Oscar noms? Well, despite an unprecedented year for movies, many of the nominations stayed true to predictions. Mank, Minari, and Judas & the Black Messiah all walked away with multiple nods. You can also stream most of the nominees from home already, which is a rather nice development. In fact, luckily, we finally have a break in the awards show circuit to allow us to catch up. The Oscars ceremony itself won’t be broadcast until April 25th.
In: Brandon Maxwell at Walmart?
Out: The Upper West Side
About 13 months ago, we were sitting front row at Brandon Maxwell’s NYFW show at the American Museum of Natural History—with a hunch that he had finally evolved his brand, aesthetically speaking, to become the next great name in classic American sportswear alongside the likes of Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren. Yes, he’d made his name as Lady Gaga’s stylist and has since become known for his zingers as a judge on the rebooted version of Project Runway, but the tailoring and simple sophistication of his line hinted he had his eyes on something wider. Well, color us shocked when we learned this week Maxwell has signed a major deal to be the new creative director of two brands for Walmart. Turns out his vision for dressing Americans expanded well beyond the immediate blocks around that Upper West Side Museum. Maxwell is originally from small town Texas stock, and it makes sense he’d want to lend his touch to anyone who appreciates it. The announcement also says Maxwell will oversee “sourcing,” perhaps hinting at more responsible practices than Walmart’s usual approach. The news sent a certain amount of shock through the NYC fashion community before everyone realized it made sense. Tellingly, neither of the labels will actually carry Maxwell’s name, meaning he’s free to develop his namesake branding separately.
In: Oh, Golly, Gee! More Superheroes!
Out: The Kardashian Era of E!
This weekend’s entertainment is, once again, headlined by superheroes. First, HBO Max already has the famed “Snyder cut” of Justice League. Director Zack Snyder stepped down from the 2017 film in post-production amidst personal tragedy, and fans have long lobbied for Warner Brothers to release a version of the film more faithful to his original concept. After the disappointing results of the first version, WB gave him $70 million to do just that with Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill returning to shoot new material and Jared Leto’s version of The Joker being added in. If anything, it’s an interesting experiment. Meanwhile on Disney +, just two weeks after WandaVision concluded, they have their next Marvel mini-series in The Falcon and Winter Soldier which focuses on two Captain America sidekicks. It should be something far more straightforward than WandaVision’s genre-jumping experimentation, however. Expect a steady stream of MCU content on D+ from here on out, by the way. There are four more franchise series debuts, whether animated, limited, or ongoing, expected by the end of 2021.
Speaking of world-conquering media franchises, E! premieres its very last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians on Thursday. On one hand, it definitely feels like the end of an era. On the other, the family has already signed a mega-pact with Hulu to keep their TV presence going.
So what about stuff that isn’t franchise fare? Well, Nat Geo premieres Genius: Aretha this weekend, which stars Cynthia Erivo as the late legend Aretha Franklin (and is distinct from the upcoming biopic starring Jennifer Hudson). Netflix already has the documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal, which promises the full tale of the wider takedown that landed America’s aunt Lori Loughlin behind bars. On Sunday, HBO has two episodes of its new limited docu-series Q: Into The Storm which aims to finally explain what the hell all this QAnon stuff is.
Source: W Magazine
Be First to Comment