Honoring both female artists who grace the covers of tabloids nationwide, like Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert, and industry newcomers, such as HAIM, Jessie Ware and Angel Haze, Elle magazine‘s fourth annual Women in Music issue serves to not only showcase each artist’s musical prowess, but also the personal sense of style that sets them apart from anyone else. “It’s certainly all about the music,” the magazine’s editor-in-chief Robbie Myers told DuJour at the Covergirl-hosted celebration at the Edison Ballroom, “but for a magazine like Elle, it’s also about the fashion.”
This certainly held true for the evening’s performers on the red carpet last night: Martha Wainwright rocked a quippy t-shirt (pictured, right) and mid-length black skirt, Rita Ora stunned in a tuxedo-inspired Saint Laurent frock and black floppy hat paired with her signature red lipstick, and Kelly Rowland dressed up a simple T-shirt with sparkling pink jewelry. “For every one of these women their look is important as their sound,” Myers added, “so it’s great that we can show such an expansive and eclectic group.”
And, appropriately, music reined supreme for the remainder of the evening, with Wainwright performing first on the crowded dance floor. British songstress Rita Ora (left) followed with an acoustic set, her voice accompanied by a lone guitar. The “How We Do (Party)” singer’s “stripped-down” set showed off her vocal range and proved that she really is on the same level as musical juggernauts Adele and Alicia Keys, who cover the other two versions of Elle’s print magazine. For the grand finale, LED lights installed in each guest’s event wristband simultaneously lit up in time with Kelly Rowland’s closing set, transforming the dance floor into a pulsating, spontaneous light show. Rock on, ladies.
