Looking Back on the Life and Legacy of Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera’s death has been a heartbreaking shock to her beloved son, her friends, family and colleagues. Not only that, it’s a loss for fans everywhere who have admired and been impacted by Naya both on and off the screen.
This past week the Hollywood, Glee, and LGBTQ+ communities lost a shining light, the talented and selfless Naya Rivera. Naya and her four year old son rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru, which is just north of Los Angeles on Wednesday July 8th. When the boat wasn’t returned on time, staff went looking and discovered Naya’s four year old son, Josey, asleep onboard, but no sign of Naya. Josey told authorities that she had helped him into the boat and when he looked back she was sinking under the water. Everyone who knew Naya knows how much being a mom meant to her. In an interview with People in 2016 she said, “I hope to instill good morals and values in [Josey]," Rivera added. "I want to teach him to be confident but kind, strong but not proud, and to always be in love with life." Until the very end Naya gave her strength, courage and life for her son. On July 13th, almost a week after she went missing, Naya’s body was found at Lake Piru, the medical examiner determined her cause of death to be accidental drowning.
Rivera has had numerous roles but is probably best known for her role as Santana Lopez on Glee. Santana was a flashy, sassy and breathtaking cheerleader. On a much deeper level she was also a voice for queer and questioning women, especially women of color, as Santana discovered herself and her sexuality on the show. One of the most iconic Santana lines is, “I love girls, the way I am supposed to feel about boys.” Numerous Glee stars reunited and gathered together at Lake Piru, standing at the edge of the water holding hands, in remembrance of their friend and colleague. The cast has been through it’s fair share of tragedies and heartbreak throughout the years. The day Naya’s body was found marked the seventh year anniversary of Cory Monteith’s death, Cory played Finn on Glee. The creators of Glee, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan penned a heartfelt note of tribute to Naya. They wrote; “Naya always made sure that Santana's love for Brittany was expressed with dignity, strength and with pure intentions. Naya was always moved by the girls who reached out to her to tell her how much Santana and Brittany's love affected them. Naya's obligation to them — and to all of her fans — was obvious. She had the rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent." The three men will be creating a college fund for Naya’s son Josey.
Naya is loved, missed and remembered by her beloved son, numerous friends, family and coworkers. As well as many fans' lives she has touched both on and off screen. In her short thirty three years of life she used her talent for good and made a difference in so many people’s lives. Her love, light, grace, and talent will be missed by all. Be encouraged by these fitting words that Naya shared on twitter some time ago, “No matter the year, circumstance, or strife everyday you’re alive is a blessing, Make the most of today and every day you are given. Tomorrow is not promised.”
Report: Rebecca Vanderkooi
Looks from the Cannes Film Festival
With the cancellation of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, take a look back at some of the most notable celebrity looks that have come out of the festival's recent years.
In a recent Instagram post by Priyanka Chopra, the actress reflects on last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic this year’s festival has been cancelled. It began in 1939 when the French war drama, La Grande Illusion, was not allowed at the Venice Film Festival. Now considered one of the most premier places for cinema, it is located in the French Riviera and a strict dressing code is enforced.
Although the 2020 Cannes Festival won’t be happening, the years of high-end fashion it has brought us can still be looked backed upon and admired. Here are some iconic looks that celebrities have showcased in the festival’s recent years.
PRIYANKA CHOPRA
Priyanka brought simple glamour to the festival in 2019 at the premiere of Les Plus Belles Années D’une Vie. She wore a white tulle-layered gown from Georges Hobeika, a diamond necklace and earrings, and finished off the look with minimal makeup and hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail.
Crowned Miss World in 2000, Priyanka is best known for her roles in the ABC thriller series Quantico and Hollywood comedy blockbuster Baywatch.
FAN BING BING
Fan stunned in pastel elegance at the 2018 opening ceremony. Wearing a mint couture gown from Ali Karoui, she completed the look with De Beers jewelry.
Another high-paying actress in her own right, Fan is also considered to be a global fashion icon. The star of many Chinese award-winning films, she portrayed Blink in the 2014 superhero movie X-Men: Days of Future Past.
LUPITA NYONG’O
Lupita made heads turn with her bright couture gown at the 2015 premiere of La Tete Haute. She wore a Gucci jade green pleated gown adorned with floral embellishments and a deep-cut neckline. The outfit was accessorized with a gold head and Chopard jewelry, and finished off with a magenta lip.
A graduate from the prestigious Yale School of Drama, Lupita’s breakout role was as Patsy in the biographical period drama 12 Years a Slave, earning her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
BELLA HADID
Bella’s daring style was on display during the 2016 premiere of The Unknown Girl. Famously choosing not to wear any underwear underneath, she wore a red silk-wrap gown from Alexandre Vautheir. The look was finished off with teardrop-shaped diamond earrings and jewelry adorning her fingers and wrists.
Alongside sister Gigi Hadid, Bella is a prominent model that has collaborated with the likes of Dior Beauty, Chanel, and Jacquemus.
MARION COTILLARD
One can’t talk about the Cannes Festival if they don’t talk about French actress Marion Cotillard. Appearing at the 2012 premiere of De Rouille et D’os she wore a Christian Dior ball gown that had a black strapless bodice, dark navy skirt, and black patent leather belt. The look was completed with Chopard jewels and an 8k white gold watch set.
The new face of the Chanel No. 5 fragrance, she won an Oscar for her portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in the biographical musical film La Vie en Rose.
Photo Credits: Harpar's Bazaar, Elle
Report: Charlene Piccio
Killing Eve Star, Sandra Oh Killing Fashion in her Latest Photo Shoot
The June cover of Elle Canada features Sandra Oh clad in sequined Gucci.
Sandra Oh has been a household name for years, known in the industry for many roles. Most notably, for playing Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy for 10 seasons and now rogue agent, Eve Polastri, on the cat and mouse spy thriller, Killing Eve. Sandra brings a depth of talent, dedication and rawness to each character that makes her captivating to anyone lucky enough to watch her.
Killing Eve is known for its amazing fashion, especially in terms of career assassin, Villanelle, strutting her stuff in Chloé suits and J.W. Anderson jackets. Her outfits boast bright colors, unique textures, and all the latest in fashion. Sandra’s character, however, sticks to more earthy tones, baggy clothing, and turtlenecks. There is a definite clothing discrepancy between Eve and Villanelle, one of intention of course. Sandra joked, “It kills me...I go into wardrobe and see that bitch’s clothing, and I’m just like, ‘Can I get something above Uniqlo? No?” Sandra had a chance to display her own fashion brilliance in a photo shoot for Elle, Canada which will be featured in June’s issue. Sandra graces the cover in sequined Gucci, and inside there is an interview in which Sandra talks about everything from Killing Eve, to social media, and Hollywood representation. Also featured are numerous jaw dropping looks from the Elle photo shoot.
Gucci is definitely a highlight of the shoot, both the cover as well as one of the looks inside boast gorgeous sequined Gucci looks. Another look was made complete with a satin dress from Christopher Kane and heels from Versace. Still another boasts a billowing taffeta dress by Valentino. Possibly my favorite look of all is the silk shirt and leather skirt from Louis Vuitton.
Sandra Oh is an immensely talented actress, she’s genuine, enthusiastic, charismatic, and has classy fashion sense to boot. Read more about it in the Elle Canada June issue, https://www.ellecanada.com/culture/celebrity/sandra-oh-elle-canada-cover-interview-
Report: Rebecca Vanderkool
Amy Poehler at the Center of "Parks and Recreation" Special
Amy Poehler at the Center of "Parks and Recreation" Special
When stay-at-home orders were just beginning to be enforced a tweet began circulating that said, “Leslie Knope would have a binder for this.” Unfortunately, the champion-of-the-people character from “Parks and Recreation” isn’t around to help in these trying times, but fans were treated to the next best thing.
The cast reunited to film a special episode from their separate homes in which the characters check in on each other via Gryzzl, a fictional internet company from the show that serves the same function as Zoom, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Knope, played by Amy Poehler, has a daily chain in which she checks in on one of her friends using Gryzzl, in this case Ron Swanson, played by Nick Offerman, who then checks in on another character. A simple premise, but it gives the viewer a chance to see how each character from the show is coping during the pandemic. One of the show’s greatest strengths was the chemistry between some of its characters, such as that of Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle who are played by Aziz Ansari and Retta, respectively, and the one-on-one interactions that take place over Gryzzl show that the chemistry is still there despite this being the show’s first episode in more than five years. That feat is made all the more impressive given the fact that each cast member recorded their lines without interacting with each other.
Unsurprisingly, Knope has the most screen time of all the characters. Just like she did throughout the series, Knope embodies the warm, fuzzy, goofy spirit of the show which, despite a much different production method, is felt throughout the episode and is a much-needed respite from the real-life consequences of the pandemic.
The highlight of the episode is the entire cast coming together for a rendition of “5,000 Candles in the Wind,” an ode to Li’l Sebastian who is the famous miniature horse from the show’s fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Longtime fans understand the significance of the song and hearing it again during our current real-life circumstances is enough to bring those fans to tears.
The show was also made with the intention of benefiting Feeding America’s COVID-19 response. In total, the episode raised approximately $2.8 million for the organization. The episode is currently streaming on Hulu and NBC’s website.
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia and Flickr user BagoGames
Report: Michael Rosen
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.