Tracee Ellis Ross’ mother, Diana Ross, gave her an honest critique upon seeing her walking in heels for the first time.
“My mom told me I walk like a duck,” Tracee shared with FN Spy at WWD and Variety’s StyleMaker Awards on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles. “One of my earliest memories — there’s a photo of it, which is why I can remember it — I am naked, carrying my stuffed animal Tweety Bird, I was 3, wearing my mom’s high heels and my foot is taking up about an eighth of the shoe and I’m standing there in her shoes on her shag carpet, looking like, ‘Yeah, this is where your life is going.’ ”
The “Black-ish” actress was honored as the Female Style Innovator of the Year at the award ceremony, which attracted a star-studded roster of influential figures in fashion and entertainment, including designer Michael Costello — who shared that his first time wearing a woman’s stiletto was a success.
“It was Aldo — a nude stiletto, probably about 6 inches high,” he said of the experience on Halloween. “It was tough, but I pulled through like a champ and now I can officially say I walked in heels.”
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For his costume, the red carpet go-to guy re-created a size 14 version of the white lace dress he designed for Beyoncé at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
Practice makes perfect, advises Jenna Dewan-Tatum. “I’m extremely efficient at heels because I’ve had to dance in them my whole life,” the Style Renegade honoree shared. “I’m more comfortable that way for sure. I’m the opposite of flat.”
But when it comes to gliding gracefully, nobody has left an impression quite like Rihanna — whose deft ability to stomp across subway grates in stilettos resonated with actress Peyton List so much that she attempted the feat herself.
“I tried emulating Rihanna one day walking along in my heels and they got stuck,” List confessed. “I don’t know how she does this; it’s like freakin’ Jesus walking on water.”
Kelly Rowland’s No. 1 style rule is to break all the rules — like the time she defied the 2013 Grammy Awards’ dress code policy in a risqué Georges Chakra couture gown. “We were actually given rules to not be so naked,” she recalled, “but I came there with sheer panels on and did not care about the rules. Actually, I was named ‘best dressed’ that year.”