Going ten years strong in the fashion industry, Nicolita designs let wearers flaunt that pin-up vibe on the beach but with a modern twist. “I embody that glamorous, tropical island of the sea, and I infuse a lot of modern [style] so that ladies can feel like they’re Nicolita without having to feel retro 100 percent. It’s the allure and the feeling that people get when they put it on.”

Consumers can experience that charm through Di Rocco-developed lines like Cuban Sunset, Club Nautico and La Turista (The Tourist). While Nicolita’s demographic has grown into the overall curvaceous woman, it received another Cuban kiss this year when Christina Milian joined forces with the designer to create the Havana Nights collection. “We were able to put together a line that reflected her personality,” Di Rocco says. “I didn’t want to compromise what Nicolita was about, but I also wanted to make sense and have the right synergy. It felt very right and fluid. ”

Nicole’s reflection of their Cuban culture was what sparked Christina’s attention; and according to the Young Money starlet, the two have worked in tandem completely. Drawing on her fiery personality, Havana Nights isn’t for the faint of heart.

“We came up with a nighttime, exotic, more modernized version of our Cuban descent,” says Christina Milian. “For me, it reflects my personality, the spicier side. It takes a lot to put on an animal print. You have to be a confident woman or else it will make you feel like you are.”

Making a splash at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim Miami this past July, Havana Nights saw the light of day for the first time. Milian shared their success with fans on Twitter, in pictures that showed the artist cheesing for the cam. “My name is on the line and I care about it. It was my first opportunity in fashion, so I wanted to make sure it came about right and that my fans know that it really did come from me.”–Tyler McDermott

Carpenter, who is the first female African American to hold this position, has a history in college sports ranging from her run as a member of Hampton University’s 1988 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship team to her work as the assistant women’s basketball coach at Virginia Union University. Her promotion to Commissioner of the CIAA comes after a nine year stint with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

“The CIAA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Jacqie Carpenter as our new Commissioner,” Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, CIAA Chairman of the Board of Directors said in a press release. “She is a very talented athletics leader who brings rich and varied experience and skills from years at the NCAA. We welcome her tremendous enthusiasm for the future of the CIAA.”

Though her new position isn’t effective until next month, Carpenter already has her eyes set to the future. As the CIAA approaches its Centennial, she has a host of innovative plans of her own in store for the organization.

“We will provide effective, stable management reflective of the CIAA’s remarkable history,” she revealed in an official press release. “Our focus will be to deliver a successful second century to the CIAA within a culture that assures the highest quality experience and opportunities for our student-athletes and membership.”

The CIAA was founded in 1912 and is the oldest predominately Historically Black College and University athletic conference. Active participants span the east coast from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.

Congratulations Jacqie!

Vogue Italia announced Rihanna as their Woman of the Year for the second year in a row yesterday (July 5). The editors reference her no-nonsense attitude, talent, and stunning looks  that make her the go-to choice for the honor once again:

“Independent, energetic,” reads their editorial statement. “The jewel in the crown of Jay-Z’s stable who helped her become such a huge success, the young Robyn Rihanna Fenty (only 23) is our woman of the year and not just by virtue of numbers and figures but also, and foremost, for her kind and fighting spirit. The same spirit that brought her from Barbados to the top of the music charts achieving a career which she has forged and mastered completely by herself (whose last move was to become the new ambassador for Armani).”

While Rih Rih has yet to begin her cover shoot with the well-respected fashion magazine, the singer can enjoy her reign on August’s Harper Bazaar.

“Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Day #1,” he tweeted with the attached photo.

Congratulations to the happy couple! Click through to check out a few more pictures from the Johnson’s honeymoon.

Mr and Mrs. Johnson and @TichinaArnoldlockerz.com/s/222582781

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) July 5, 2012

Look at @EvelynLozada at the pool party with the dancers… lockerz.com/s/222579423

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) July 5, 2012

Tank covers the pages of Kontrol magazine’s annual Sexy Body Issue. Sharing the spotlight with R&B Vixen Dawn Richard in a double cover, he delivers a bout of sexiness in his latest spread to make all readers swoon! Check out exclusive pictures from the shoot below, then head here for excerpts from the interview!

Summer is upon us ladies! The season of leisure is here; and what a better way to relax by the pool or on the beach than with a good read.

For your summer reading pleasure, Vixen has compiled a list of books that deserve your attention this season, featuring VIBE cover girl Evelyn Lozada, John Grisham, Robin Roberts, and others. Click over to the next page to check out the goods!

1. Inner Circle (Wives Association) – Evelyn Lozada

VIBE Magazine cover girl Evelyn Lozada serves up a fiction tale of a protagonist, Eve, and her aim to protect her inner circle at all costs.

Release Date: Available Now

2. The Secret She Kept – ReShonda Tate

National Bestseller ReShonda Tate delivers a dramatic story of a magazine executive’s quest to find love, only to be further complicated when his marriage to his wife takes a dramatic turn.

Release Date: July 3, 2012

3. Atria Summer Beach — Read Bag

You don’t have to use your library card to read this one for free. Atria presents the Summer Beach-Read Bag: a free collection of excerpts from 11 novels from a few of their favorite authors including, Tananarive Due, Lisa Tucker, and Jennifer Weiner.

Release Date: July 3^rd, 2012

4. Amy, My Daughter – Mitch Winehouse

Mitch Winehouse, the father of late soul singer Amy Winehouse shares his most intimate moments with his daughter from her journey into music, leading up to her untimely passing, in Amy, My Daughter.

Release Date: June 26^th, 2012

5. Soulacoaster – R. Kelly and David Ritz

R. Kelly works in conjunction with David Ritz to reveal the man behind the lyrics in Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me. In the memoir Kelly shares his life story through episodic tales and exclusive photographs.

Release Date: June 28th, 2012

6. Serial Typical – Michelle Janine Robinson

In this sexy, sultry tale, a womanizing detective meets his witty match in the perusal of a religion-obsessed serial killer.

Release Date: July 17^th, 2012

7. The Litigators – John Grisham

A summer reading list isn’t complete without a John Grisham novel. If you’re into thriller, suspense, and law, John Grisham is worth checking out.

Release Date: June 26^th, 2012

8. My Story, My Song: Mother-Daughter Reflections on Life and Faith – Lucimarian Roberts, Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts and her mother, Lucimarian Roberts, co-authored this inspirational read of resilience and faith through the trials and tribulations of Lucimarian’s life. The addition of biblical passages adds a possible devotional quality to the text.

Release Date: Available Now

9. Brick: Double Dippin’ 4 — Allison Hobbs

Continuing her Double Dippin’ series, Allison Hobbs returns with the fourth installment in the series, allowing readers to once again become engrossed in the menacing character of Brick.

Release Date: July 24^th, 2012

10. You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other) – Vanessa Williams and Helen Williams

Vanessa Williams was asked to pen her memoir countless times and now she has—with the help of her mother, Helen Williams. Together, the mother-daughter duo outline the award-winning actress and singer’s life through childhood, achievements, scandal, and what it takes to get back up again.

Release Date: Available Now

Chris Brown

It’s no secret that putting Breezy on your hook is almost a sure-fire way for your song to be a hook. While Ci-Ci did collab with CB on her last album, his vocals would more than likely assist in a crazy comeback.

Nicki Minaj 

Aside from recent controversies, Nicki Minaj is currently one of hip-hop and pop’s most valuable players. If Ciara collabed with Nicki, not only would Barbz all over the world support but she’d be coming back strong.

But, perhaps it was the hastiness of the couple’s nuptials that surprised the blogs, as some suggested the union was staged. However, one month later, the reality star-turned-model couldn’t be happier and could care less about the naysayers.

Sharing her joy with her loyal social media followers, Natalie is excited for everyone to witness her journey down the aisle during season nine of WEtv’s Bridezillas. Ms. Nunn sat down with Vixen days before the premiere to discuss her relationship with Jacob and going from ‘bad girl’ to ‘bridezilla.’

VIBE VIXEN: What can viewers expect from your episode on Bridezillas?
NATALIE NUNN: I’m turning it up a little bit on Bridezillas. I’m a diva, so I want things my way. I have a sexy, handsome, charming, loving husband, and the wedding has to be perfect. So that’s what honestly people can expect to see from my few episode besides the fact that I have crazy, diva bridesmaids. I have some celebrities, so there’s some drama there.

You mention your bridesmaids being divas. How was Meagan behaving?
Meagan’s a good girl, of course. She’s not a bridesmaid. She was just at my wedding because my wedding was really small. I only had 50 or 60 people, which was all close family, Jacob’s family and friends. This wasn’t a publicity stunt. I didn’t want my pictures everywhere. I wanted to be in control. I wanted my real friends, who I’ve grown up with, there; that’s it. I’ve known Meagan for nine years. I’ve always supported anything that she does. I was around with she was shooting Roll Bounce. I was on set when Meagan was filming Waist Deep with Tyrese. We’ve always been good friends, and I’ll leave it at that. I was only expecting her to come and support me on my big day and that’s what she did. That’s what mattered the most to me.

Will you be at Meagan’s wedding?
[Laughs] Everyone keeps asking me that. Jacob and I have a lot going on with his football and projects that we’re working on, so I don’t know if I’ll be there. But, I do know she’s getting married next month. Hopefully, I can make hers like she was able to make mine.

From 1-10, how bitchy were you on the show?
I was actually sweet! I was very sweet, but when things weren’t going my way, I was probably a 10 [laughs]. My whole family is Christian, my father’s a deacon, so I tried to be the righteous, Christian girl that I am, but that “Bad Girl Bridezilla” in me always comes out. You get to see me really nice and you get to see me being a bitch.

Why did you decide to do the show?
When Jacob and I went to Jamaica and he proposed to me, [my fans] knew. I feel like we have a connection, and maybe that’s the connection that happens after being on TV for three years. They were like, ‘If you don’t film it, then we don’t get to see it, and we don’t get to be there.’ They were going to be really hurt, so I ultimately did [the show] because I know the 300,000 followers on Twitter, hundreds of thousands of fans on Facebook, the millions that have watched me on Bad Girls Club, Love Game, Hair Battle Spectacular, and all these shows, if they didn’t get to see it, they would have lost that connection with the next thing we’re doing. It would have been a big scare. People would have been like, ‘She’s married now? What?’ I did it for them. I did it for everyone that wants to love to hate me. It doesn’t matter who is watching. The numbers are there, and they want to see it. We were going to get married with or without the cameras so it didn’t matter. I just wanted them to see it.

VV: People have been saying the marriage is fake. Do you have any thoughts on that?
NN: This is where it was hard for to, honestly, do my wedding on TV and bring Jacob into this limelight. I’m going to be very resentful when somebody says my wedding is fake. I had a couple of friends who were upset about not being in my wedding, which were a couple of the other “Bad Girls” who thought they were close enough to be in my wedding and they weren’t. They’ve been saying my wedding is fake and because of that, I’ve cut a lot of people out of my life. Jacob and I have been dating for a year, and there’s nothing fake about it. There are other relationships out there that I can, hands down, say is fake, but I keep mine two cents because who’s to say what’s real and what’s fake. We decided to do Bridezillas because my fans on both Twitter and Facebook knew who Jacob was. He was always in pictures. He was in one picture with me and my family at Christmas that ended up hitting the web. They knew who he was, but it was never out there. So, when we decided to do Bridezillas, we sat down and we were like, Are we really going to do this? This is opening a can of worms for people for everyone’s opinion.

How did you meet Jacob?
I met Jacob in Detroit. I had an appearance, and one of his boys was the promoter at the club I was having my appearance at. He was there with his boys and the promoter. From that night, I was like, “Oh my God, I’m in love with this guy [laughs]. I’m kidnapping him.” A month to two months later, he came to L.A. to visit. He was only coming to hang out and he never went back since; that was last year. We had all his stuff shipped, and he’s just been on the road with me, all over.

What was the most exciting part about the wedding process?
Trying on my dress and bring our families together. We had a big family dinner, which you guys will get to see. It was really awesome. You get to see the chemistry of the Midwest meeting the Bay Area for the first time. Everyone’s going to see me meeting Jacob’s family for the first time on TV. He had been in L.A. in California for a while, so my family already knew him. [Viewers] get to see it from their perspective and what they thought of me.

You expressed the possibility of Bridezillas opening the door for other opportunities. Are you and Jacob interested in doing a ‘married life’ reality show?
Absolutely! Jacob and I discussed that possibility. We’re going to move forward. I think it’s important for people to know who I am, and get to see a ‘Bad Girl’ that’s now married. That’s never been done before. There’s so much going on, with my shoots being half naked in Smooth magazine and this week I’m shooting for King Magazine. My husband was asking me, ‘Are you going to be wearing a wedding ring at this shoot? I want your wedding ring to be in those pictures.’ It’s like, ‘Honey, I’m shooting for King Magazine. It’s a men’s magazine. They’re not going to be happy that I’m married and then there’s my wedding ring.’ There are a lot of things that’s going on that I think people need to see. That people want to see. Is Natalie going to take her wedding ring off or leave it on? It’s just real things like that. We’ve got some things coming. I’ll say that much.