Story + Rain

05/10/2022

Recreate star style with 1 or 2 items…right from the covers of Story + Rain. Shop the key items used by the industry’s top hair + makeup artists to create our cover looks, making each star’s look your own. Look no further for your best summer beauty looks and shopping fix. Visit our shop for the insider scoop + to buy now.

05/10/2022

Obsixed | Week of May 9, 2022

Ready for rays☀️and for longer days. This week, we’re thinking about our favorites in summer style + beauty. Shop the edit including items from @gucci, @marahoffman, @wander_beauty, @incommon, @we_evolvetogether + more

https://storyandrain.com/article/obsixed-for-7-or-week-of-may-9-2022

05/05/2022

Raised in the Bronx, Nigeria, + Louisiana, chef Kwame Onwuachi grew up surrounded by cooking. On episode 101 @storyandraintalks, Kwame talks about how that exposure changed the course of his life + ultimately saved him. Many people know him as a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef, and as a current judge on the award-winning cooking competition show that’s inspired many copycats, and has made the culinary life mainstream. @chefkwameonwuachi documented his riveting journey to food innovator + one-to-watch chef in his memoir paired with recipes, Notes from a Young Black Chef, which we discuss in great detail. His multi-layered path, peppered with inspiring + difficult moments alike, is set to be turned into a feature film by A24, and Kwame shares the inside scoop on all of it. The James Beard Award-winning chef discusses the duality of his life experiences, the push + pull aspect of his personality, his time as a drug dealer, and the pivotal moment involving Barack Obama and a hangover that shifted his focus to cooking. We talk about being an enigma, needing to get big-time creative as a cook on a ship, his entry into the Culinary Institute of America, some of his jarring experiences of racism, the many things that have contributed to his success, the nuances that mark his cuisine, and his powerful choice to look at potential experiences as having the best possible outcomes. At one point a wardrobe stylist for Top Chef, @tamararappa talks to Kwame about why he treasures his unique Top Chef family + experience. We of course get into his relationship with his creativity, prioritizing his work over his personal life, what fame is like, his longtime love of style + how it’s evolved, his intimate vision for his next restaurant venture, and his new book of recipes that will allow fans + readers to taste his life story. Check out his #Obsixed including insider food favorites + his nail polish collection you might have seen him rocking on TC the other day. Listen in on a great conversation, the amazing story of a modern entrepreneur + visionary➖ one who opened 5 restaurants before the age of 30.

Now live on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5lCipbVsOS4h86enHbI5AX?si=4Or2M_KlSeae9wggB3sqyw

04/29/2022

Dopamine Dressing

THE RAPPORT] Dopamine Dressing.
This season, wearing head-to-toe color expresses hope, promise, and a look on the bright side. Shop the edit.

https://storyandrain.com/article/dopamine-dressing-the-rapport

This Season, Wearing Head-To-Toe Color Expresses Hope, Promise, And A Look On The Bright Side. Shop The Edit

04/28/2022

To celebrate @artofteala’s book launch and today’s Instagram Live with founder Steve Schwartz, shop everything you need to make the best on-the-go matcha latte, and the brand’s signature Earl Grey Crème➖including a candle to surround yourself in its sophisticated sweet scent.
#wellnesswednesday #artoftea

04/24/2022

#EarthDayEveryDay
#earthday

04/17/2022

Happy Easter!

04/12/2022

We’re marking our 100th episode @storyandraintalks with award winning jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, whose incredible and inspiring story flies fabulously in the face of old school fashion standards. A favorite of everyone from celebrities to fashion editors + many, many in between, it’s fitting that our milestone launch pairs with Bittar, who’s career and collection longevity are undeniable. During the episode, the Brooklyn-bred, forward thinking, storytelling artist talks about being a mere child when he became an entrepreneur + street vendor on the streets of NYC. We talk about his early journey to sobriety, and how his intellectual, history-professor parents influence his lifestyle today and his approach to design. We talk about New York culture through the decades including the club scene, where @alexisbittar was early-influenced. We talk about being self-taught, ethics in business, fiercely foregoing unspoken fashion industry rules + norms, and what was scary about selling off his name and namesake brand. We ask the question we’d been dying to ask him: whether he’d had a look at the line during that time. We of course talk about Alexis’s exciting return to and relaunch of his brand, what he’s brought to his store experience, and what he’s added to his collection: handbags. We dive into a discussion about legendary stores like Artwear and Takashimaya, and Bergdorf, Dawn Mello, and the fascinating way in which he was discovered. The jewelry designer who makes his indelible mark discusses when he launched his first ready-to-wear collection, with Burberry, the creative collaborator he’s most impressed by, and the surprisingly simple setting he needs to get to work. Alexis reflects on his five years off, life with kids, how their home is their teacher, and more. We wrap by catching his morning routine, the details of his daily uniform, and what he’s watching and where he’s traveling. A true fashion maker and tastemaker across three epic decades, Alexis Bittar is one of our very favorite artists we've had the pleasure and thrill to work with closely.

Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

04/12/2022

We’re marking our 100th episode @storyandraintalks with award winning jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, whose incredible and inspiring story flies fabulously in the face of old school fashion standards. A favorite of everyone from celebrities to fashion editors + many, many in between, it’s fitting that our milestone launch pairs with Bittar, who’s career and collection longevity are undeniable. During the episode, the Brooklyn-bred, forward thinking, storytelling artist talks about being a mere child when he became an entrepreneur + street vendor on the streets of NYC. We talk about his early journey to sobriety, and how his intellectual, history-professor parents influence his lifestyle today and his approach to design. We talk about New York culture through the decades including the club scene, where @alexisbittar was early-influenced. We talk about being self-taught, ethics in business, fiercely foregoing unspoken fashion industry rules + norms, and what was scary about selling off his name and namesake brand. We ask the question we’d been dying to ask him: whether he’d had a look at the line during that time. We of course talk about Alexis’s exciting return to and relaunch of his brand, what he’s brought to his store experience, and what he’s added to his collection: handbags. We dive into a discussion about legendary stores like Artwear and Takashimaya, and Bergdorf, Dawn Mello, and the fascinating way in which he was discovered. The jewelry designer who makes his indelible mark discusses when he launched his first ready-to-wear collection, with Burberry, the creative collaborator he’s most impressed by, and the surprisingly simple setting he needs to get to work. Alexis reflects on his five years off, life with kids, how their home is their teacher, and more. We wrap by catching his morning routine, the details of his daily uniform, and what he’s watching and where he’s traveling. A true fashion maker and tastemaker across three epic decades, Alexis Bittar is one of our very favorite artists we've had the pleasure and thrill to work with closely.

Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

04/12/2022

We’re marking our 100th episode with award winning jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, whose incredible and inspiring story flies fabulously in the face of old school fashion standards. A favorite of everyone from celebrities to fashion editors + many, many in between, it’s fitting that our milestone launch pairs with Bittar, who’s career and collection longevity are undeniable. During the episode, the Brooklyn-bred, forward thinking, storytelling artist talks about being a mere child when he became an entrepreneur + street vendor on the streets of NYC. We talk about his early journey to sobriety, and how his intellectual, history-professor parents influence his lifestyle today and his approach to design. We talk about New York culture through the decades including the club scene, where @alexisbittar was early-influenced. We talk about being self-taught, ethics in business, fiercely foregoing unspoken fashion industry rules + norms, and what was scary about selling off his name and namesake brand. We ask the question we’d been dying to ask him: whether he’d had a look at the line during that time. We of course talk about Alexis'exciting return to and relaunch of his brand, what he’s brought to his store experience, and what he’s added to his collection: handbags. We dive into a discussion about legendary stores like Artwear and Takashimaya, and Bergdorf, Dawn Mello, and the fascinating way in which he was discovered. The jewelry designer who makes his indelible mark discusses when he launched his first ready-to-wear collection, with Burberry, the creative collaborator he’s most impressed by, and the surprisingly simple setting he needs to get to work. Alexis reflects on his five years off, life with kids, how their home is their teacher, and more. We wrap by catching his morning routine, the details of his daily uniform, and what he’s watching and where he’s traveling. A true fashion maker and tastemaker across three epic decades, Alexis Bittar is one of our very favorite artists we've had the pleasure and thrill to work with closely.

Now on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

04/11/2022

She’s giving you the eye. Discover + shop @lavernecox cover story makeup and skin: 12 items to get the look, from @armanibeauty, @maybelline, @drbarbarasturm + more.

04/04/2022

The season is bright. Coming soon➖our 12 item edit in [THE RAPPORT].

04/01/2022

Screened | Sofia Black-D'Elia

Breakout star and actor Sofia Black-D'Elia, of @freeform's boldly-titled Single Drunk Female, enjoys the message of hope that emerges across ten episodes in the series that is executive-produced by Girls' Jenni Konner. Black-D'Elia shares a similar sense of humor with Konner, whom she describes as "quick, really smart, a good hang, and everything you would want in a show partner." Launching her career on All My Children, and with roles on Gossip Girl, MTV's Skins, The Mick, and more, @sofiablackdelia’s performance in the dark comedy, currently streaming and recently airing its season finale, is beautifully nuanced and displays a level of savvy that makes her one to watch, leaving us wanting more. We first meet her character @singledrunkfemale's Samantha Fink in a dark place of addiction, one where Sofia focused on "finding the funny." She loves playing someone who's gaining confidence and becoming more hopeful, as opposed to the cliché flip-side of many on-screen stories centered around the journey of finding sobriety. We sat down with the 31-year-old northern New Jersey native tasked with helping to portray Writer-Creator Simone Finch's semi-autobiographical story, to talk about the similarities and differences, the approach to the series' subject matter, Gen Z, convincing costumes, and more. Our latest in [SCREENED] is now live.

https://storyandrain.com/article/screened-or-sofia-black-delia

Getting Into Character With Single Drunk Female Star Sofia Black-D'Elia

03/31/2022

This month, we’re proud to be telling @lavernecox’s exquisite story. #transdayofvisibility #TDOV #transisbeautiful

03/30/2022

“Anything can happen on the red carpet, and you're just kind of going with it. So you have to be yourself, be in the moment, listening. Listening is key.” There were many memorable Oscars 2022 moments this past Sunday on the red carpet with @eentertainment host Laverne Cox, who has a deep appreciation for acting and her fellow actors. Read more, and about how our award winning cover star has learned, prepares for, and approaches her craft➖all in our latest cover story.
https://storyandrain.com/article/tv-film-uncovered-laverne-cox-cover-photos-interview

03/30/2022

“That moment was the coalescence of me being an actor on a popular show and also having a lot to say about my community and trans representation. It felt like a culmination of my life's work."➖@lavernecox for Story + Rain. Read the exclusive full cover story + find the extended podcast interview on StoryAndRain.com.

03/30/2022

“The diversity in the room was startling. I had never seen anything like that on television before, and haven't since. I thought, nobody is going to go for this, because I had never seen it before. And people did go for it, thank God. And that changed my life."➖ Laverne Cox for Story + Rain. Discover + shop the cover story.

https://storyandrain.com/article/tv-film-uncovered-laverne-cox-cover-photos-interview

03/30/2022

Sly Art

Kicking off this Oscars 2022 weekend with the launch of cover star and E! red carpet host, Laverne Cox.

https://storyandrain.com/article/tv-film-uncovered-laverne-cox-cover-photos-interview

Actor, Advocate, and Producer Laverne Cox Breaks Barriers, Changes Rules, And Blazes Trails---With An Artful Eye And A Message In The Name Of Change

03/29/2022

Cool blue vibes + cozy essentials is this week's #Obsixed. Shop the full collection or pick up items from @tanyataylor, @jenniferfisherkitchen, @artofteala, @jennikaynehome + more.

03/24/2022

Get A Handle On Spring + Summer Handbags. 2 Styles + 12 Ways To Get Carried Away. Here's the scoop on how to handle this season's spring and summer handbag trends. Seen on all the latest runways➖are bags with a sizable point of view. It's time to ditch your urge for moderation for a bag that fits only essentials, or one that can pack it all. This season it's all about mini bags that have 90's sensibility and oversized totes that make a statement. Here's the long and the short of it: to stay on trend, go big or go small. These 12 styles will get you there.

03/22/2022

Wellness In A Cup. Tired of taking and keeping track of tons of supplements in pill form? So are we. We've curated 8 of the best mix-with-liquid powders that tackle + boost all aspects of health---the stress-free way. We've identified all the things that are important to us like hydrated skin, a healthy gut, optimized metabolism, reduced inflammation, and more—to create a rotating round up of potent powders that are easily mixed with hot or cold water, coconut water, or mixed into a smoothie. So buy the bunch, or pick your potion. Bottoms ups!

03/17/2022

Out of deep respect + love for the brave people and the beautiful land of Ukraine, at this time we are taking a moment to focus our thoughts + time on our support.

https://action.publicgood.com/campaign/13ac7e1b-4de6-4f7c-b128-4346f73b9832​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-ukraine​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​

“I am half Ukrainian, and my grandmother was and will forever be the most courageous and resilient person I’ve ever known, so the fortitude exhibited by the Ukrainian people at this time of war and destruction comes as no surprise to me. Join us in reflecting on what’s important, donate if you can, and we’ll be back next week”.➖ Story + Rain founder Tamara Rappa