Ivben Taqiy is a talented Philly based painter who fell in love with art at the young age of seven. He has gone on to illustrate books, has had a clothing line and has created portraits throughout his city. He also has the most stylish blue beard on the planet lol! The HOF Fashion & Style blog had a chance to interview Taqiy via email...


HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PAINTING AND WHEN DID YOU GET YOUR “BIG BREAK”?  I've been painting for over 20+ years: I've had a lot of big breaks, but what stood out to me the most was Swizz Beats putting a post on social media saying he wanted a painting done and completing it in one night and being praised and respected by over 400k people as he complimented my dedication and establishing a friendship with the music producer/ art collector.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT SO FAR? One of my biggest accomplishments was working a charity event with Bill Cosby and having the opportunity to listen to some wise words of business and share some inspiring words in which we collaborated on a painting that we auctioned off.

WHO, IF ANYBODY, HAS REALLY HELPED YOU ALONG THE WAY? Help comes from your biggest supporters and I'd say my parents, my wife and all the friends and fans that believe in me and all my adventures.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?  Living life inspires me as well as failure in other people, knowing I don't want that future for myself and my family. So I'll always be driven to be successful!


WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR TALENT? I discovered my talent in kindergarten art class, and in the house with my 4 sisters. My mom always got us coloring books for activity time


WHAT CELEB WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAINT? Sade' I love her. Mya just wanna meet her she's super sexy, Phyllicia Rashaad, Oprah Winfrey, Sean Combs, and Nia Long


WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Eating wings with friends, quality time with kids and family, and traveling


HOW DO YOU PREPARE TO WORK ON A NEW PAINTING? Snacks, a good team, a game plan , and proper supplies!

WHAT DOES “FLY” MEAN TO YOU? "Fly" means Fearlessly Legit, Yomeen! Having creativity and style that bleeds out the soul with passion and grace.

FAVE DESIGNER OR FASHION HOUSE? Calvin Klein, Boss, Versace, Comme de Garçon just to name a few.


WHERE DO YOU SHOP? Target, H&M, consignment shops, Nordstroms, Status Shop, and Platinum.

DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE... Artistic, masculine, creative, metro, and debonair with a flair of thuggish thuggish bone.

WHAT ARE YOUR GO TO PIECES? All black, tailored suits, ties, 3 1/4 length trench coats, Timberland boots, fitted sweaters, solid colors, black and white stripes, black and white polka dots, and leathers.

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU REFUSE TO WEAR?  I refuse to wear some synthetics like fake leather, I don't wear khakis, button up shirts unless I'm wearing a suit, flannel button ups and Skinny jeans or colored pants/ jeans. Also sneakers with more than 3/4 colors.


WHO ARE YOUR TOP 5 STYLE ICONS?  Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz, Brad Pitt, Steve Harvey and Kris Jenner


IS THERE A MOVIE OR VIDEO THAT YOU REALLY LOVE THE FASHION? I love the fashion in Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, Ronin, Matrix- all 3, and John Wick.


WHAT WAS YOUR FAVE OUTFIT GROWING UP? My favorite out fit growing up was jean overalls one strap down, a white tee or striped shirt, and some dope Nike basketball sneaks


WHOSE CLOSET WOULD YOU LIKE TO RAID AND WHY? Both the old Nicki Minaj and Lady GAGA . I love the creativity.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVE SONG TO GET READY TO? Favorite songs depend on mood! Gravity by John Mayer if I'm down, some lil Wayne joints and Future monster mix tape, and also Tove Lo Habits remix.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OFF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? The crazier the better, consistency, accuracy, and to keep going even if it looks bad!


WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU? Handling being famous for being a living legend and masterminding the Art world creatively.

WHERE CAN WE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WORK? Instagram @ivbentaqiy @ivbentaqiyart #ivbentaqiy #ivbentaqiyart and make sure you stay updated with me with all my ventures ie; shows , restaurants, clothing line, art supplies, work shops, events, and any announcements.


ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? You got to love and respect yourself and dreams before you can be apart of anyone else's!

Cleveland based designer D.Hayes is notorious for utilizing unique fabrics, bold color combinations and avant garde silhouettes for his fashion collections and is preparing to do the same with the launch of his luxury footwear collection.

"A shoe can tell you a lot about a person's style," said Hayes when asked about his new venture. "Someone wearing the O:U "Retro" has a keen sense for classic style and quality with a love for detail work and a need for comfort at the same time."

Origins:Unknown "Retro" are handcrafted in La Marche, Italy and are made of the finest calf skin leather and suede. The unisex hi-top sneakers mimic the clean classic designs of basketball shoes from the 70's and 80's, fusing Hayes unusual color schemes, luxury fabrics, and high quality design to create a statement making sneaker.
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"In my opinion (shoes) not only look good and complete a look, but (should be) comfortable and be made of quality with close attention to detail," explains Hayes. "A shoe, whether it be a sneaker or a heel should have an attitude and style both on and off the wearer."

The limited edition shoe is so exclusive that only 15 pairs will be produced and will retail for $169.00, but from now until Monday in a Valentine's Day special for my followers, Hayes is offering the shoe at a special discounted rate of $99! Want to get your lover something haute, fresh and new? Look no further- order your pair today: aliveshoes.com and peep this cool video of how the shoes are constructed.

Ladies (and gents) dust those brushes off cause mega makeup brand L' Oreal Paris is holding an international contest searching for the next top make up artist! The contest is open to anybody with an interest in makeup and knows how to work it- so no matter if you paint faces out of a mall or in a small bathroom at home- you are eligible to apply. The winner gets flown to Paris, wins a cash prize, a year contract with L'Oreal Paris and the opportunity to beat the faces of top models, Lara Stone, Barbara Palvin, Doetzen Kroes or Karlie Kloss. 

To enter, you must upload a video to Youtube (no more than three minutes) creating a full make up look around the theme of "Color Clash". The top 50 winners will be decided by viewers and then a local panel of judges will narrow them down to five from each country (13 countries). The deadline for entry is February 15! Interested? Here is the official website with all the details: wwwthebrushcontest.com

Good luck!

Major Munster: Plus sized, tatted up model Tess Holliday (Munster) has been snatched up and signed by UK-based modeling agency, MiLK Model Management. This history making move is huge simply because Holliday is the first model of her size (22) and height (5'5) to be signed to a major modeling contract. She has been spreading body acceptance on her Instagram account since early 2013 with the hashtag #effyourbeautystandards which encouraged women of all shapes and sizes to post positive images of themselves online. Read her amazing story here...

Iggy Mad: Iggy Azalea stay beefin'... This time the Aussie rapper took issue with a set of photos from her collaboration with shoe designer Steve Madden, with whom she designed her first shoe collection (a deal which Irv Gotti may have set up for her). Apparently Azalea felt like a few of the images that appeared on a now deleted Tumblr page were not up to her liking and she went to Twitter to rant:
            "Steve madden did the most disgusting photo shoot ever and never even told me about it, I'm just now seeing as its      uploaded on some random tumblr page and iam [sic] livid."

Iggy quickly deleted the inflammatory tweets, and followed up with this love letter:

            "I love Steve and he gets it! Artists clash sometimes, it doesn't mean I dislike the brand. I love Steve Madden as an individual and as a company. I have 3 more seasons I'm making with these guys and I'm going to enjoy it.
Right.... To read more on this story and see the approved campaign images click here.

Cool Guys Style: Menswear always seems to get the short end of the stick, but looking at the Spring/Summer 2015 collections- you can tell there has been a change in season. Wild prints, tailored cuts, bright clashing colors, play on proportions and embellishments- men finally have a chance to play dress up and look good in the process. Need a little help deciphering punk from goth, or figuring out what styles are right for you and your body type? Then check out these cool shopping apps just for men from CraveOnline.com.