OMGeee…Where to begin?!?! So many things that were awesome about 2015. So, narrowing it down to my top 5 was a bit tricky…and it might seem random, but I think that’s pretty much the theme for this past year…shenanigans, chillin’ on Instagram, gettin’ lit and owning your own politics…NO REGRETS!!!
This has to be the best Instagram page ever!!! A friend of mine turned me onto this, and now I can’t look away! What started as a gag gift for a friend, the man behind the rubber unicorn head decided to get one for himself, strip down to his undies (or au naturel), and post pics on IG. The page has become a HUGE hit, and a symbol for sexuality, freedom of expression and alternative perspectives. Oh…and he’s SUPER HOT!
As we all know, you basically can’t smoke anywhere anymore without being shuffled down the street like a leper, or your neighbors forming a lynch mob because the smells emanating from your apartment are a bit pungent. Well, here’s your dream machine! The Hotel 350 is a super ozone generator that will turn your 420 aroma into that same smell you get on your clothes when you have them dry-cleaned. Turn it on for 60 min, close the windows, and exit. When you come home, it’s like a brand new apartment. AMAZING! Thanks for the tip rogersuperstar!
As we all know, this has been the year when transgender issues were all over the media, from tv shows like Orange Is The New Black, Transparent and I Am Cait, to the fashion runways with models like Hari Neff, Andreja Pejić and Tschan Andrews. But my nod to the top girls this year that are consistent in their advocacy for their community, and fight for equal rights for all, regardless of your claimed identity has to go to Laverne Cox, JanetMock and Juliana Huxtable.
Laverne Cox has been the first at many things lately. Best known for her recurring role in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as Sophia Burset, Cox was the first transgender woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award… she was the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine…and… she’s the first openly transgender person to have a wax figure of herself at Madame Tussauds. And if that’s not enough, Cox continues to speak out on transgender rights and social issues on her Tumblr and pens articles for The Huffinton Post.
Janet Mock first came on my radar when I read her New York Times bestselling memoir Redefining Realness (now available on Audible), where she talked about growing up multiracial, poor and trans in Hawaii and California. But it’s really a book about perseverance and finding your true self. It’s basically my go to when I need some guidance…WWJMD! Mock is an activist, writer, friend to Oprah and host of MSNBC culture show So POPular!…and she’s my heroine!
Juliana Huxtable is an artist, model and DJ who turns up wherever she goes! Besides being super sweet and knowing how to make you swerve on the dance floor, Huxtable is an urban poet who speaks volumes through melodies. You can hear her work on collaborations with gay hip hop artist Le1f, or at Hood By Air fashion shows, or on her fab SoundCloud. Her art was most recently featured at the New Museum “Surround Sound” Triennial in NYC.
I’ll Never Write My Memoirs by Grace Jones (Book)
“Put Some Grace In Your Face!!!“… The model, actress, singer, icon and sh*t starter GraceJones put out her long-awaited book I’ll Never Write My Memoirs this year and it’s my #1 bedtime story! It starts off a bit slow. Grace goes back to her childhood times in Jamaica, where she came from a strict religious background. All this being said just to set the foundation for how she became the extrovert and genius that she is. It’s all pretty much rebellion from the start. She later goes into the good stuff we all wanna know…stories about past lovers, her unquenchable thirst for new adventures, and of course, her opinions on everybody else’s art, or lack thereof…LOL. We had to wait forever for this…cause Grace is ALWAYS LATE…but, this book is one of her greatest performances yet!
BONUS: The Piggy Top
And finally, for all you party queens who love sniffing a little amyl nitrite to loosen you up, but get a little clumsy when that little brown bottle gets slippery, designer Leo Herrera has come up with this beautifully brilliant bottle topper called The Piggy Top, made out of silver or gold, carved like a pig’s head. You can now wear your poppers around your neck! Not only is it utilitarian, it also serves as a sure sign to others that you’re up for some cheeky fun.
