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.
Spring is the season of rebirth, of new beginnings, of a renewed sense of purpose and life.
I’m not sure I’m doing spring correctly this year, but it’s all good. Once the weather settles a bit, and once that sunny warmth arrives with summer, the heart will quiet itself, the nights will allow for sleep, and the journey will continue.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen an item of clothing in an online ad and thought, ‘Oh, I want that… I NEED that…’ only to click on it and see it’s for a girl aged 3 to 5.
A breathtaking gust of fiercely fashionable fabulosity, Robert Hartwell is a force of joy and hope and promise packaged in the prettiest wardrobe you may ever see. With an impressive Broadway background in shows from ‘Memphis’ and ‘Motown’ to ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Hello, Dolly!’, Hartwell has the theatrical experience and rich knowledge to share with others looking to break into musical theater, hence his running of The Broadway Collective. His reality renovation show ‘Breaking New Ground’ revealed a bit of the man behind the myth while pushing the idea that being unabashedly ourselves is always the best form of progress. With a commitment to beauty, joy, and fashion, and a bedrock of family and friends to populate his wonderfully whimsical rooms, Hartwell earns this Dazzler of the Day crowning as if to the manner born.
Talismans of protection, coils of crystals, and ropes of intoxicating intent line my wrists – pretty purpose and reiki-infused meaning, these bracelets from the Wicked Fabulous company are my new obsession. With every conceivable color and design, they offer infinite styling possibilities, along with a deeper and more profound manifestation, as each comes with its own reiki-infused intention – a reminder that we are all connected – to spirit, to humanity, to love, and to each other.
Having already espoused the wonders of the Wicked Fabulous company here, this is just a reminder of all that they have to offer. Their recent visit to Puerto Vallarta resulted in the glowing Corazon collection – a line of bracelets in vivid colors, crafted by an artisan named Alma.
Delivery is quick, packaging is vibrant, and their ‘Love Forward’ bonus bracelets have already brightened over 1769 orders – each order comes with a reiki-infused bracelet intended to be given away to a friend or stranger in a random act of kindness for a world where that’s needed more than ever.
Sharing love and propagating kindness are tenets that founders David and Marc have implemented at every step and stage of their retail experience, leading their products something deeper and more profound than the average supplier. With their penchant for giving back to various communities, and propensity for sending love forward, it’s an enterprise you can feel good about supporting, while decking yourself out in the most fabulous creations. Art, beauty, mindfulness and love – the very best of all possible worlds. Check out all things Wicked Fabulous on their website here.
Fashion illustrator, author and designer Hayden Williams earns this Dazzler of the Day for not only talking the beautiful talk, but walking the beautiful walk, as evidenced his own sense of carefully curated style. His debut publication, ‘Hayden Williams: The Fashion Activity Book’ is available now, allowing all of us to color within the extraordinary lines of his designs and drawings. Check out his Instagram page here for further evidence of his brilliance.
Chronicling the world’s most fashionable, and spiritually wise, elders sounds like a dream job, and Ari Seth Cohen has been doing that in books, in print, on the web, and in his life with his ‘Advanced Style’ brand. That earns him the very first Dazzler of the Day crowning for 2026. The doyennes of fashion that he captures are an inspiration for all – and I’m almost in that age-bracket where gaining wisdom meets not giving a flying fuck. The awe-inspiring characters he finds exemplify living life to the fullest at all its stages. Bonus: he’s no stranger or shrinking violet when it comes to personal style and pizzazz, and he has yet to meet a hat that was high enough. That’s a hero.
A major component of the magic that is the land of Oz in the ‘Wicked’ movie universe is wondrous work of costume designer Paul Tazewell, who won a rightly-deserved Oscar for the first film, and continues his enchantment in ‘Wicked: For Good‘. This post marks the return of our Dazzler of the Day feature, and Tazewell more than merits the celebratory nature of this post. His costumes are the stuff of high art – exquisite of style and enchanting of detail – and they manage to be effortlessly whimsical while telling their own story to accompany those of the characters.
“Fashion has always been a vocabulary for me, a way to express myself to you and to myself. The artistic practice of fashion is a daily act of self invention. An opportunity open to every one of us to recognize a garment as a paintbrush on the canvas of self. We are, each of us, the art of our own design.” ~ Jordan Roth
Fashion impresario Jordan Roth earns his very first Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to that impeccable sense of cutting-edge style and brilliant genre-smashing courage. The substance behind the outrageous style is found in his Tony-winning theatrical accomplishments as producer, in shows such as ‘The Book of Mormon’, ‘Spring Awakening’ and ‘American Idiot’. Check out his impressive website here, along with all its wondrous portals for more.
I will say that I would still wear this outfit if it came in my size, and I would rock it just as hard as I rocked it way back then. Despite a world that seems intent on destroying one’s inherent spirit, I ended up living my life in surprisingly unabashed ways, often because my own sense of fabulousness eclipsed the whispers and derogatory remarks that floated around me. Sometimes they got through, and sometimes they stung, but every attack built me up in some way.
When I look at this picture, it fills me with pride, because it took guts to be who I was when the world was telling me to be someone – anyone – else. Sometimes it still does – and on those days I just put on my sassiest pair of pants and keep marching.
Pride season is upon us, and with it comes the need for entertaining t-shirts, sweatshirts, jewelry and LGBTQ+ flair. Producing all of that and more is the Wicked Fabulous! company. Founded by David and Marc, a Massachusetts-based couple who have been together for 24 years, this small business managed to take hold during the COVID epidemic in 2020. Offering a wide array of witty apparel and an extensive jewelry selection that is perfect for Pride season and beyond, they also just revamped their website here – same great spirit, with even more sparkle and pizzazz, and a super-easy shopping experience.
There is an extensive selection of shirts and slogans that gets updated regularly, and an equally-impressive line of jewelry that incorporates gemstones and crystals for a Zen-centered bonus.
Best of all, this is a small homegrown company that courageously supports inclusivity and equality at a time when the current administration is dead-set against our basic rights. I will always give my support (and money) to a business that stands behind decency no matter the cost (we still see you, Target). It matters, and it makes a difference. It helps that I also happen to love so much of what they have on offer.
If you’re looking for some Pride gear, a fun and witty statement shirt, or a few pieces of exquisite jewelry, consider everything at Wicked Fabulous!
(I found the ‘Openly Gray’ t-shirt I’m wearing in the bottom of this post at Wicked Fabulous! It remains a favorite.)
Madonna returned to the Met Gala in tailored and fine fashion this evening, and I am here for all the elegance, softness, and quieter tones. It’s a lovely addition to her Met Gala look-book. (I still think I enjoyed her Louis Vuitton bunny ears ensemble best, so I’ll include that throwback pic at the bottom of this post.)
