Chef, Emmy-nominated television host, and entrepreneur Edward Delling-Williams wears many hats, and all of them quite jauntily. His ‘Paris Bistro Cooking’ show on Recipe TV is what drew me into his charming world, and his ‘Taste of London’ programs have me itching to get back to that enchanted city sooner rather than later. He earns this Dazzler of the Day thanks to a storied career and continued inspiration for finding and making all that tastes good in this world. Check out his website here for further evidence of his brilliance.
Being charismatic, charming, gregarious and engaging are just the minor magics of Patrick ‘Patch’ Hyde, whose greatest skill, in my hungry opinion, is his wondrous way with fudge-making – a practice he’s been working on and perfecting since the age of sixteen. In July of 2018, he opened up his first store, ‘The Fudge Patch‘ and he currently has two locations – Greenwich Market and Brighton. Cunningly making use of hemp milk instead of dairy, The Fudge Patch offers vegan and gluten-free fudge made the old-fashioned way. As the man leading the fudge charge in London, Patch earns his first Dazzler of the Day, because my heart belongs to anyone who has a knack with a sweet treat. Check out ‘The Fudge Patch’ online here.
A lost opportunity perhaps, but I haven’t been minding much of the World Cup games that have gone on, aside from the one that took place near Boston on our recent BroSox Adventure. That may change with this crowning of Erling Haaland as Dazzler of the Day. Playing for Norway, Haaland has captured the hearts of many with his golden mane of flowing hair and washboard abs. Is there another point to this game?
Actor, comedian, and most decidedly NOT a piece of shit based solely on his own website, Evan Mulrooney handily gets crowned Dazzler of the Day for that clarification alone. His work on ‘Only Murders In The Building’, ‘Fargo‘, ‘Justified: City Primeval‘, and ‘South Side‘ – along with his social media hilarity – have righty made him a star. Coupled with his good looks and the build of a former football player, Mulrooney has made an enviable splash in the entertainment world. Watch his Insta space for good things to come.
Is anyone’s star shining as brightly as Meg Stalter’s right now? With a new single (‘Prettiest Girl in America’), scene-stealing moves in ‘Hacks‘, and a Broadway debut in one of the hottest shows, ‘Oh Mary!’, Meg Stalter is doing everything right, and easily earns this crowning as Dazzler of the Day. Check out her hilariously entertaining Insta here.
While his song ‘Cruising’ came out a few years ago, it still makes for the perfect summer bop, so give it a listen down below. Before that, check out Matt Harkenrider’s entire body of work for an illustration of why he has been named the Dazzler of the Day. Catchy melodies, infectious fun, and visuals that are more than easy on the eyes, Harkenrider is just about the perfect package deserving of all the flowers.
The world, and especially this wayward country, needs more heroes like Air Force Major Jason Watson, who earns his first Dazzler of the Day honor for standing up in uniform against the racist/rapist currently acting as President of our great nation. Of course, this administration arrested Watson for protesting in uniform, but it was the act and the message that mattered, and I wish more people in power, who had more actual sway than the rest of us, would show similar courage.
Keke Palmer is one of those thrilling multiple-threats on the entertainment front, having conquered movies and television and music and Broadway, easily earning her this Dazzler of the Day crowning. Her popular appearances with Hot Ones host Sean Evans have endeared her to him, and her to us, while her engaging personality is a natural for hosting gigs and podcasts and interviews. I would watch her read the phone book (which dates me more than I’d like since no one even knows what a phone book is anymore).
Catching cowboy fever was not on my fashion radar, but sometimes we become that which we resist. (I just found a summer cowboy hat in Boston, ordered my first pair of cowboy boots, and have big plans for cowboy/leather chic this fall.) It turns out that Western wear has some cheeky and brilliant undertones, as exemplified and explained by Cowboy Ed, owner and proprietor of London’s impressive Western clothing store Hey Cowboy!
Challenging and demolishing traditional gender boundaries, and turning the typical notions of Western wear on their head while embracing the intrinsically campy accoutrements like sequins, rhinestones, embroidery, and fringe, true Western wear has the spirit of defiance in its hidden history. Ed found his first Western hat while living in California many years ago, falling in love with the style and feeling at home whenever he found himself in said hat and cowboy boots. It was a love affair that led to a market stall of Western wear in 2021, and the Hey Cowboy! brick and mortar store which opened in London in 2023. If/when I finally make it back across the pond to visit London again, this place will be one of my first stops. Thanks to his eye for a classic cowboy look, coupled with a progressively-modern take on acceptance and harmony, Ed earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning.
Our values are grounded in the West. There’s no denying that the Old West was the frontier of an aggressively expanding nation that mercilessly expropriated lands from native inhabitants. It was often lawless and violent. But it was also a place of accommodations, co-existence and freedoms. Black folk headed west to escape stricter racial hierarchies found elsewhere. Cowboys shared blankets and formed lifetime bonds. Many trans folk managed to live their gender identities as they pleased. Experiments with new ways of living from religious conservatives to labour movements to communes flourished in the west. Cowfolk always came in all genders, colours, sexualities and ways of thinking.
Cowboys are a masculine archetype. We’re okay with that, because we think masculinity is where much of the work needs to be done. Hey Cowboy! transmits an image of positive masculinity through the messages we put into the world and the pieces we design. A real cowboy treats all folks as equals. He stands against injustice, never goes back on his word and helps those who need it most. He speaks his mind, but doesn’t need to brag or boast. He mistrusts authority and has little time for status. He respects women. And of course, he always gets his man. Those are our values.
They exude the personality and heart to defiantly be exactly who they are without apology or excuse, and they live life on their own terms. Artistically it makes for a fascinating and combustible combination, but the people who love them do so because of their authentic grit and determination to stay true to themselves.
Add Charley Overbey to the collection of those who stand by their artistic visions, noble beliefs, and relentless quest to be unique and authentic in a world obsessed with making us all the same. Overbey easily earns this Dazzler of the Day honor for his body of musical work – he’s been performing since the 90’s, melding blues and country with some honky-tonk and punk into a genre all his own. His latest album ‘In Good Company’ has received raves (and is currently on repeat in my car because it’s the greatest driving music). Opening with the driving ‘Punk Rock Spy’ in which Overbey lays out his hard-won wisdom and acceptance of his winding lot in life, it sets the scene for a revelatory musical journey that finds the artist reckoning with all that has come before, and all that’s yet to arrive.
Of equal interest to those with a discerning fashion eye, Overbey is a designer of some magnificent hats over at Lone Hawk Hats – a self-taught milliner who crafts custom hats using vintage shells and environmentally-safe materials. They are true works of art – one-of-a-kind pieces from a time when quality and care came before quantity and mass-consumption. It aligns perfectly with Charlie’s vision of life – fashion and music going hand-in-hand in the search for authentic meaning and expression. (My friend Josie already has two of his hats, and she might just convince me to finally indulge in that teal green hat I’ve been seeking for the past decade.)
Beloved Broadway star Shoshana Bean is fresh off a Tony win for her performance in ‘The Lost Boys’ – as Lucy Emerson, she provides the emotional core and light in a show that dwells largely in darkness. Bean has been a Broadway favorite for years, having made stunning turns in ‘Wicked‘, ‘Hairspray‘, ‘Funny Girl’, ‘Hells Kitchen’ and ‘Mr. Saturday Night’. Making full use of her vocal talents, Bean has also released several albums and EPs, including her latest work ‘Only Smoke’. Check out her website here for further evidence of her brilliance and this long-overdue Dazzler of the Day crowning.
Part of the dazzlingly-reimagined ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ reinvigoration currently back on the prowl on Broadway, Sydney James Harcourt earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to his charismatic portrayal of Rum Tum Tugger. No stranger to the treading and tearing up the boards, Harcourt has also been in ‘Hamilton‘ and ‘The Lion King’, ‘Girl From the North Country’ and ‘American Idiot’.
This Dazzler of the Day is casting his spell across the pond in waves of floral glory and bountiful beauty. A floral artist based in London, Hamish Powell is easy on the eyes, and endeavors to bring the natural world into fashion and art. In his own words, “Flowers are my muse and my medium.” His exquisite creations have adorned galleries, fashion events, and advertising campaigns for the likes of Burberry, Diptyque, Loewe, Claridges, YSL and Penhaligons – all the finest that London has to offer. Check out his charming website here.
Born all the way up and over in Alaska, Charles Melton has made the perilous journey from male model to actor with deft aplomb and sure footing, something not many models are able to accomplish. With notable roles on ‘Glee’ and ‘American Horror Story’, Melton earned his finest accolades from his role in ‘May December’ – and today he can add Dazzler of the Day to his impressive resume.
When an artist combines music, beauty, and the natural world, it’s an alchemy that often results in the crowning of a Dazzler of the Day – which is why Ben Cosgrove is today’s Dazzler. A composer, pianist, and performance artist, Cosgrove creates and makes music that speaks to the landscape, geography, and the environment – weaving these worlds into an artistic creation that brings tender expression to how humans relate to the environment around them. Check out his website here for additional genius.
