Rita Ora has been on the music scene for a while now, recently making waves with her latest video How We Do (Party). Lately with the Gagas, Perrys and Minajs of the world, it seems lady singers are trying to outdo themselves to see who can look craziest. So, when I saw Rita Ora and her downtown meets glamour girl look I was immediately hooked.

Rita Ora has called out Gwen Stefani as a style influence and it’s definitely apparent – though I wouldn’t say that it’s a copy cat look. Ora seems to tread the line of influence but not copying very carefully. The bleach blonde look is probably the most obvious reference – as are the beater tanks, red lips and crop tops.  And like Stefani, she can walk the fine line of street and glamour.

Though she doesn’t have a tremendous discography yet, Rita Ora has definitely developed a signature look.  Her blonde locks are very often topped with a beanie (and very frequently a XXX beanie which you can get online), she wears custom leather jackets (made by L.A. Roxx) and her look wouldn’t be complete without her nails did, big jewelry (the bigger and golder the better) and her red lipstick.  She also is able to play the part of the tom boy and look every bit the lady.

Though How We Do (Party) is her latest release, I actually like the fashion better in her R.I.P video so I’ve broken down three of my favorite looks from the video below.  I definitely can’t wait to see more from Rita Ora and I hope she stays true to her look.

I was hooked on Grimes the moment I heard her sweet voice against the hypnotic beats of Oblivion, the first video from her album Visions.  Set against a backdrop of motocross, football and lots of testosterone, we see Grimes dancing and singing her way through the locker room and games.  The simple melodies are off-set by her not-so-simple ensembles and hair color. 

Grimes has taken what look to be vintage finds and piled on pieces you wouldn’t normally pair together and made them look seamless.  I think what makes Grimes’ look so unique is that a lot of her pieces look like they were found in a thrift shop so her look is more unique than packaged. 

That said, you can definitely channel Grimes, and don’t be afraid of digging in the racks at your local thrift store! Just don’t forget your fingerless skull gloves to complete the look…

Rye Rye’s long awaited album will be out on May 15th and until then we have “Boom Boom” to keep us occupied.  It’s obvious from the look of the video that Rye Rye is MIA’s protégé – the bright colors, punchy graphics and trippy collages are all MIA hallmarks.  Boom Boom features Rye Rye as three personas as she fights herself in different rounds of what looks like an old school arcade game – that and she rides a magic carpet and a dolphin.  But while all this craziness is happening in the background, I can’t seem to take my eyes off of Rye Rye’s outfits (or her dancing for that matter).

Here’s how to get two of Rye Rye’s looks – for the first look I went with my own color palette of black and gold because these looks are meant to inspire, no? You don’t need to keep to the exact palette to achieve a cool look. For the second look I went with a literal interpretation and stuck to bold brights.  So here’s to you channeling Rye Rye…

Oh, and if the song sounds familiar, it relies heavily on the Vengaboys’ Boom Boom Boom Boom – but if you’re my age, it’s actually reminiscent of Paul Lekai’s version. Both below for your reminiscing pleasure.

If we told you that we’ve found rap’s newest fair-skinned lady in the land down under, would you believe us?

Our latest bad-ass muse is Australian Iggy Azalea. At 21, she has been rapping since the age of 14 – but only broke out onto the scene with her 2011 YouTube uploads and a little help from a Mr. Perez Hilton. Oh, and not to mention A$AP Rocky and, most recently, T.I.

With curves for days and envy-inducing locks, Iggy’s style isn’t something we haven’t seen before, but worth taking inspiration from for Spring 2012. In her most notable video to date, My World, she playfully mixes statement-piece jewelry, leather, and a dash of cotton-candy-lace-and-gold. Her lyrics and voice bring sexy and wit to the rap landscape. Honestly, the only ones doing it for me lately in terms of female MCs have been Iggy and M.I.A.

In interviews, Iggy has stated that a huge inspiration for her and her dive into rap was Tupac Shakur. Growing up, her room was covered in every image of him possible. While she may not have “Thug Life” tatted across her belly, Iggy does exude a sort of mystique and tough quality, despite her feminine exterior. We have seen this trend lately in female songstresses: tough attitude with a girly twist.

We just love the fashion in My World. Here we break down the look piece by piece!

We’ve already seen bright neon colors as a huge trend for Spring ’12; the video styles this in quite nicely. For Iggy’s style, she works those assets in tight, body-con choices, usually paired with a tough jacket. We think an artfully constructed leather biker jacket with studs (1) would go well. Another element of her style is her signature hair: a tightly pulled ponytail long enough to whip back and forth. If you don’t have Rapunzel locks, don’t fret – that’s why extensions were created! Just make sure the hair is super straight and placed high on your crown to get the full effect.

For makeup, we’ve seen the Kardashian-esque smokey eye is transitioning out, with a cleaner look phasing in. Winged liner continues to be a mainstay, a look Iggy rocks here. Choose a thin, liquid liner that is light and comfortable to hold, as you will need to be careful when applying. When choosing the liner, choose one that feels like you’re holding your favorite pen; with the winged liner effect, things can get frustrating when the liner is uncomfortable to use. Keep the lids clean, only using a a cream color that matches your foundation or a little lighter in order to secure a base for the liner.

Below are our picks for a look ready for Iggy’s world:

As mentioned, Iggy has been reportedly working with T.I. on her debut studio album, slated to come out June of this year. Her mixtape Ignorant Art was released to positive reviews; we have high hopes for her studio effort. It seems Interscope Records shares these hopes as well.

Bad Bitches beware.

For more information on Iggy Azalea, check out her website.

A theater geek with a supportive mom who went to the same high school as Liza Minnelli and Al Pacino hardly sounds like the future of female MCs. However, combining her theater roots with a sick flow puts Azealia Banks in the perfect place to give every girl in the game a run for their money.

This 20-year-old Harlem rapper started out working her way toward an Oscar or a Tony, but disappointing auditions and Shawty Lo’s “Dey Know” remix inspired her to put down the scripts and pick up a mic. Good thing she did, in the past few years Azealia has collaborated with Major Lazer, made NME’s “Cool List”, was nominated for BBC’s Sound of 212 poll, had a hit single with “212” and recently released another club banger, “Liqorice”, which is an ode to licorice ladies who have an eye out for vanilla if you know what I mean. While her sound and energy remind me of Nicki Minaj meets one of the kids from Glee, Azealia’s style is straight Harlem girl next door.

Azealia Banks is not your average lady rapper, so it would only follow that her style is on the above side of average as well. I’d hate to burst your bubble but, Azlealia’s style is so average that it’s refreshing. Instead of going hip-hop Barbie on us and sporting anything bright and tight, she keeps it true to her age and her personality with kicks, tees, cut offs, and creepers. She comes off more like the cool chick that sits in the back of the class and happens to rap, not like some manufactured future sex symbol. By shunning the expected “ride or die” chick image, Azealia’s lyrics are able to take center stage making it even more shocking when this girl next door drops the c-bomb. Not that is isn’t a gorge girl who doesn’t enjoy glamming it up every now and then, she just doesn’t glam it up by pushing her boobs and butt in the camera.

Peep Azealia Banks killing it in her videos, her latest release “Liqorice” and her sick cover of Interpol’s “Slow Hands”–seriously, this girl is like Santigold meets Lil Kim and is a woman after my own heart–and you tell me who you think will be blowing up the musical space in 2012.

LIQUORICE by Azealia Banks

Slow Hands by Azealia Banks

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