Fashion

NBA forward and sneakerhead P.J. Tucker is honoring fashion icon Virgil Abloh with his shoe choice for Monday night's game ... rocking a pair of Off-White Jordan 5s with a special tribute.

The Heat baller showed off the kicks prior to taking the court against the Denver Nuggets ... which have messages etched in Sharpie -- "Thanks for a lifetime of inspiration" and "Virgil will always be here."

The gesture comes one day after Louis Vuitton announced the passing of its artistic director ... a loss that affected tons of celebs across sports and entertainment.

Tucker actually posted a pair of Off-White Jordan 2s the day before Abloh's passing was announced ... which read "Air Tucker" and "Virgil 2021."

Abloh was beloved in the sports world ... with athletes like Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Odell Beckham and more speaking about his tragic death.

"Rest In Paradise LEGEND!!!," LeBron said Sunday ... with KAT adding, "Stunned….Rest In Power"

Count Affion Crockett among those who are big fans of Rihanna's trailblazing pajamas ... he says her new ass-out offerings are perfect for couples snuggling up in the cold.

We got the comedian at LAX and asked him about SavageXFenty's latest offering in loungewear -- the Tied Up Tartan Open-Back PJ Pant -- and its wide-open bottoms.

Affion says he's all for ladies showing more booty, and thinks the PJs are great for anyone cozying up by a fireplace on a chilly winter's night.

Naturally, some folks are wondering how people will utilize these unique PJs when going to the bathroom -- but Affion tells us it's not a good idea to cross streams between sexy time and toilet time.

We also asked him if men can pull off this look and he says, yes!!! Well, ONE guy could, anyway.

Kanye West is grieving the loss of his close friend, Virgil Abloh, and it seems he's deleted every post on his Instagram page in response the Abloh's death.

Ye's Instagram page went blank Monday, about 24 hours after it was announced the Louis Vuitton visionary had passed away after a private battle with cancer. Kanye has not spoken out publicly since the news broke, but the two had a very strong friendship, so you have to imagine he's devastated.

Celebrity tributes poured in from celebs, athletes and all sorts of people who had either interacted with Virgil directly or had been inspired by his work.

Kanye and Virgil had their bumps in the road along the years -- with Kanye upset Virgil had taken the Louis job -- but they resolved things in 2018 during an LV fashion show. The two embraced, cried, and everything seemed to be good from then on.

One of, if not the last time, the two saw each other was at Kanye's "DONDA" listening event in Chicago.

While his cancer battle was entirely hidden from the public, those closest to him -- including Kanye -- knew Virgil had been sick for quite some time.

Virgil was just 41 years old.

Rihanna is dishing out a new line of pajamas for the holidays -- with a pair of bottoms that show off, well, your bottom ... but it seems she's making a push for bigger girls to buy 'em.

The fashion and beauty mogul took to IG this weekend to plug SavageXFenty's latest offering in loungewear -- the Tied Up Tartan Open-Back PJ Pant, plus the accompanying bralette and sleep short ... which feature a checkered pattern and come in a couple color schemes.

Indeed ... she showed off her rockin' bod with the demonstration, including a sneak peak at her derriere, which is partially exposed with the open-back design. Quite the show!

Here's the interesting thing, though -- on Sunday, RiRi posted a link to her SxF site where folks could buy the clothes she just showed off ... but she selected a specific page that appears to highlight plus-size models, for L and XXL.

There are four models that appear in the promo shots, and sure enough ... they too got their asses out as they showcase Rihanna's PJ line. What you don't see (at least for this color option) are models for small sizes, like M, S and XS -- even though you can buy those sizes.

If you click on the lighter color option for the open-back pants ... you see models that appear to be more on small side of frames ... with XS and S demonstrated, but there's also a medium-size model and yet another 2X model.

For the darker shades of the pants, it looks like Ri and co. decided to prominently feature the bigger women, and even gave another plus-size model some shine in the light option. Just to keep track ... that's 5 larger models to 3 others whom some might consider a more traditional model-like figure -- at least for this pants sale, that is.

Bottom line ... you don't necessarily have to look exactly like Rihanna to look good in her clothes or lingerie, and she appears to be hitting that point home with this latest campaign.

Virgil Abloh -- the artistic director for Louis Vuitton and the founder of Off-White -- has died ... this according to his respective fashion houses.

Louis' parent company, LVMH, made the stunning announcement Sunday ... saying Virgil passed away Sunday of cancer, a disease he'd been carrying and battling privately for several years now apparently.

Their CEO Bernard Arnault adds, "We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow, and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother or their friend."

Like we said ... Virgil was historic in the fashion game, as he was the first black man to be tapped to take charge at LV with its look and vision in early 2018. He was a revolutionary designer and was also good friends with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

Speaking of Ye, Virgil and him had been feuding in recent years -- alluded to on some of Kanye's songs -- but they squashed their beef during the 2018 Paris Louis show, where they embraced in front of cameras and posed together too.

Ye seemed to be upset that Virgil had taken the Louis job at the time, as opposed to perhaps working exclusively with him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... he and Virgil remained close in recent years, and VA even attended one of Kanye's 'DONDA' listening events in Chicago this year. Not just that -- but we're told Kanye was also one of those close to Virgil who was aware of his illness.

Their relationship goes back years ... all the way to 2009 when Virgil was interning for Fendi, where he first rubbed shoulders with the rapper/producer. He went on to start Off-White ... which took off as a major success.

Virgil's meteoric rise is unlike any other ... and his talents did not go unrecognized, especially among the rich and famous. He had many, many admirers and friends in Hollywood -- including models, actors, singers, rappers, musicians, athletes, traditional artists, fellow designers and, of course, business executives from multiple different industries. He is also a fixture in the media.

One of the last times VA was seen out in public was a full month ago, toward the end of October ... when he was photographed walking the streets of NYC with a snowboard in hand. Looks like this might've been a collab he was working on, which he was handing off to vet shredder Russell Winfield ... who held on to what Virgil had apparently made for him.

Just goes to show ... the guy was a designer in every sense of the word, even beyond just wardrobe and apparel.

Virgil leaves behind his wife, Shannon, and his 2 children. He was just 41.

RIP

A group of thieves rushed a Home Depot in SoCal for what may lead to more looting and robberies -- making off with hammers and crowbars in what's becoming an alarming trend.

Cops say about 10 individuals hit up a HD in Lakewood, CA -- just outside of Long Beach -- Friday night ... going directly to the aisles that had large wrenches, crowbars and sledgehammers, as that appeared to be the only items they were interested in.

Somebody got video of the alleged suspects escaping through the front doors, pushing past people. One employee claims as many as 20 people ransacked the place, and were allegedly threatening to hit people with said stolen goods if they attempted to stop them.

While most got away ... the police say they've nabbed 4 people they believe were involved.

On the opposite side of town -- in ritzy Beverly Grove on Melrose -- a luxury retailer called Bottega Veneta was also raided by an unidentified group of people ... who allegedly stormed in, grabbed purses and other goods and then fled before cops could arrive.

These are just the latest of a string of smash-and-grab/flash mob-style robberies that have not only hit the Los Angeles area ... but elsewhere in California, and well beyond our state lines.

There have been reports of similar types of crimes happening in Illinois, Minnesota and other states -- and cops have gone on high alert to try and curb the brazen attacks on stores and businesses.

It's hard to tell to what extent this spree is, and among who -- although in some cases (like in Walnut Creek) it's quite obvious there's some coordination going on ... as many as 25 cars reportedly blocked off a street and lined up side by side as passengers exited and cleaned out a Nordstrom.

Of course, there's not much citizens -- let alone employees -- can do to stop this. Reports say anyone who's attempted to get in the way has risked getting attacked with pepper spray or being swung on ... and workers are usually told not to try and play Batman for this scenario.

Indianapolis Colts DB Isaiah Rodgers LOVES himself some Thanksgiving ... 'cause he just copped a pair of Turkey-inspired cleats -- with feathers too!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... artist Rodney Jackson hooked up the NFLer with some new cleats ... with the theme being centered around the annual Fall holiday.

They're pretty dope -- they feature a design of a turkey on the toe of both cleats ... and are decorated with Fall leaves on both sides with brown laces to match.

Of course, the highlight of the shoes is the touch of brown feathers Jackson added to the back of each cleat ... almost guaranteeing that all cameras will be pointed at the dude's feet when he rocks 'em.

Rodgers' Thanksgiving cleats mark the latest time he and Jackson have connected this season to produce some heat -- Jackson blessed Rodgers with some Terminator cleats earlier this year.

The Colts play Tom Brady and the high-powered Bucs offense this Sunday ... and the dudes gotta at least wear these things for warmups, right?!?

Britney Spears is getting the jump on some Black Friday shopping ... hitting up a mall near her crib the day before Thanksgiving.

The singer ventured out Wednesday for some retail therapy at The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks, CA ... and she definitely stood out.

As you see, Britney wore some bright red boots and showed off her legs ... keeping warm with a puffy white jacket, and rocking sunglasses inside.

We've been seeing Britney out in public more and more since her conservatorship came to an end after 13 years ... she recently hit up WeHo hot spot Catch with her fiancé Sam Asghari.

The shopping trip is definitely a welcome sight for Lance Bass ... remember, he recently told us he wants to see more of Britney enjoying her life in the open.

Kyle Kuzma's pregame outfit Monday night featured an oversized sweater that looked more like a damn blanket  ... and naturally, he got roasted like a marshmallow over it.

The 26-year-old showed off his Raf Simons oversized-sleeve virgin wool jumper -- which comes with a $1,659 price tag and sleeves that almost reach the floor -- on his way into the locker room before Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets ... and the dude's NBA buddies had a blast at his expense.

"Cmon bro 😂," DeMarcus Cousins commented on Kuz's IG pic showing off the 'fit. "S*** getting outta hand now."

Isaiah Thomas added ... "Come on killa… lol that one ain’t it haha."

J.R. Smith even took a break from class to get in on the clowning sesh ... saying, "Man hellll nawwwwwww 😂😂😂"

Not everyone hated it, though -- WNBA player Liz Cambage praised the interesting wardrobe choice ... saying, "he went and done did it 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽."

Influencer Zack Bia had a simple reaction, adding, "Yes."

LeBron James even went in on his old teammate ... saying, "Ain’t no f***ing way you wore that!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. I’m not pressing the like button cause this is outrageous Kuz! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"

Jennifer Lopez was in bridal mode this weekend, and although it was probably more PR than where her heart is at the moment -- it had to get Ben Affleck's attention!!!

J Lo was one of several solo acts Sunday at the American Music Awards, and her wardrobe choice was interesting ... opting for a full-on wedding dress, complete with an elaborate veil.

She did a quick outfit change while singing "On My Way" from her new feature film, "Marry Me" -- which is all about her getting hitched to Owen Wilson -- so, the dress was clearly intended to plug the upcoming movie.

Still, it could be seen in another light ... especially considering how well things are going between her and Ben. They've been public for about 6 months now, and are never too far apart from each other for too long.

With that in mind -- you could totally see this bride's showcase as a hint to something more. And, when you consider what Jen told the Today Show just last week about the possibility of getting hitched again ... all the more reason to believe she's ready for marriage #4.

She told Carson Daly -- when asked about the prospect of walking down the aisle anew -- that she wouldn't rule it out, y'know ... seeing how she's a classic romantic and all.

Bay Area looters have coordinated by the dozens and descended upon high-end retail stores ... and on Saturday, Walnut Creek's number was called.

Check out this footage that was captured last night by NBC reporter Jodi Hernandez, who filmed a surreal scene at a Nordstrom store in the mostly upscale East Bay city. As she describes ... it looks like scores of people pulled up to the curb in a concerted effort.

She writes, "About 25 cars just blocked the street and rushed into the Walnut Creek Nordstrom making off with goods before getting in cars snd speeding away. At least two people arrested at gunpoint."

Indeed ... her video shows multiple individuals fleeing from inside, running out with several items in hand and throwing them into the line of waiting cars -- and then speeding off.

She captured more footage of Walnut PD officers arriving on the scene and apprehending a few of the thieves -- but by all accounts, a majority of them got away ... with only 3 arrests being made that night. Three out of about a reported 80 people -- so not even close.

It's a deeply troubling trend that started to make itself known in San Francisco just the night before, only a stone's throw away from Walnut Creek, where tons of people broke into a Louis Vuitton store and ransacked the place there as well.

It looks like the cops in that scenario were able to apprehend a few more suspects than here in Walnut -- but the fact that so many people showed up to do the same thing really makes ya wonder to what degree this was all planned. In the WC case, it's quite obvious.

BTW, this is far from a California-only problem ... there have been reports of mass looting all over the country for the past several days now, including another hit near Chicago -- where another LV store was cleaned out.

Some are tying all this to the Rittenhouse verdict, but it seems clear these folks had these plans well before his fate was read aloud. And besides, there's been virtually little to no unrest in the wake of him being found not guilty -- not like 2020, anyway -- so the protest angle just doesn't make sense.

A smash-and-grab heist of a Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco ended up looking like an action movie when the police showed up -- and it was all captured on crazy video.

Check out this wild scene of people ransacking the luxury retailer in Union Square Friday, with a ton of people flocking in and raiding the place for most everything it had. Bystanders caught tons of bodies storming into the front doors once the windows were busted.

It doesn't appear to be tied to any type of demonstration or anything like that -- so far, this seems to have been a random act of looting ... that folks happily took advantage of once it was underway.

As you can see ... folks helped themselves to a number of items inside, walking out with armfuls of products (big and small) and casually -- albeit somewhat briskly -- walked away from all the action -- trying to get the hell outta there before the police arrived.

Word is ... the people that stormed the store actually pushed over a security guard who was standing watch inside -- this LV was closed at the time of the incident -- and they had their run of the place. That is, until the cavalry got called in ... and, boy, did they come in blazing.

Watch this video of an SFPD squad car roaring up to the chaos and peeling in front of a parked convertible Mustang that, for whatever reason, was just chillin' there ... and which the cops apparently thought might've had something to do with the break-in.

Three officers surround the vehicle and start pulverizing it with their batons ... breaking in the windows and smashing up anything they can as they demand the driver get out of the vehicle. Eventually, they detain him and get him in cuffs -- but it's unclear what involvement, if any, this person may have had with what was happening just feet away.

In any case, it would seem the cops had reason to believe this car was carrying would-be culprits inside -- because the ferocity with which they pounced is pretty shocking.

Anyway, the aftermath of it all made for quite a mess ... glass scattered everywhere, as witnesses milled about and took video of everything. As for the police, they told local media they've already apprehended several suspects they believe were involved in the theft.

Members of the Afghan women's youth soccer team and their families reached safety in the UK on Thursday -- and Kim Kardashian played a huge role in the efforts.

TMZ Sports has confirmed -- Kim and her SKIMS brand shelled out the money to charter a plane for 130 people from Pakistan to the Stansted Airport in London ... after the founder of the Tzedek Association reached out and asked for help in getting the group to safety.

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten -- who's worked with Kim in the past on criminal justice reform -- says the businesswoman was quick to assist after speaking over a video chat.

"Maybe an hour later, after the Zoom call, I got a text message that Kim wants to fund the entire flight," Margaretten told the AP.

Thousands have been fleeing Kabul after the Taliban took over in August ... and members of the developmental soccer team were able to make it to Pakistan and get visas, but could not get a flight until Kim and SKIMS stepped up.

The team was especially in danger ... as the Taliban sees women involved in sports as rebellious.

On top of Kim and SKIMS' help, the EPL's Leeds United has offered to support the team.

It's been six years since Kanye West dropped his famous "Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman" lyrics -- but the rapper says it STILL has Michael Jordan furious with him.

Ye made the revelation on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs" this month ... saying MJ had big beef with him after he released "Facts" in 2015 -- and is still holding a grudge over it all.

"Jordan still won't meet with me," Kanye said. "I'm trying to meet with Michael Jordan. I'm like, 'Man! It's a song, man!'"

Ye's '15 hit is filled with Swoosh disses -- West raps over and over again in the song, "Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman." -- and, of course, Jordan took exception to it.

West, though, tried to apologize to His Airness in 2016 ... writing in a tweet that it wasn't meant at all as a shot at MJ -- but rather a top Nike exec Mark Parker, who Kanye had issues with stemming from their previous collabs.

"I'm sorry Michael Jordan," Ye wrote in the tweet. "I love and respect you. My beef was with Mark Parker. I respect you so much."

Kanye, though, says the apology still hasn't been accepted all these years later.

"Michael Jordan said this thing like, 'Why y'all acting like Virgil made me hot? These shoes is hot!'" West said. "This is from somebody that met with Michael Jordan that used to work with me."

West, who clearly wants to repair things with the NBA legend, still continued to take shots at Nike nonetheless ... saying, "Nike really ain't had s*** since the Yeezys."

Travis Scott's latest Nike collab won't be hitting the shelves anytime soon -- the Swoosh has decided to postpone the "Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack" release due to the Astroworld festival tragedy.

The Baroque Brown kicks were slated to go live on December 16 at 7 AM ... but just minutes ago, Nike announced it will not go through with the drop.

"Out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival, we are postponing the launch of the Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack," Nike said Monday.

The decision comes as 9-year-old Ezra Blount became the 10th concertgoer to lose their life as a result of the chaos at Astroworld.

As we previously reported, the Houston Rockets also scrapped a promotional event featuring Scott last week -- replacing "Travis Scott Night" with a moment of silence for the victims.

On top of that, Fortnite elected to remove the Travis Scott emote from its game.

Lamar Jackson was Gucci for his Louisville jersey retirement ceremony -- literally -- pullin' up in an $8,000 fit from the luxury line!

The 24-year-old QB was at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday to celebrate the retirement of his No. 8 jersey during the Louisville vs. Syracuse game ... and he clearly had his drip together.

LJ was Gucci-ed out head-to-toe -- you can see the Baltimore Ravens star was wearing a huge, green nylon vest with a GG jacket and Gucci t-shirt underneath. He also had matching GG canvas jogging pants.

The quarterback made sure his kicks matched his Gucci theme too ... rockin' green and red White Tiger Ace sneakers.

In total, the whole fit cost over $8k!!

Here's a breakdown (per the Gucci site):

-Down padded nylon vest -- $2,500
-GG canvas jogging pants -- $1,020
-Music shirt -- $650

The GG jacket is listed for $3,405 elsewhere ... and the sneakers have been known to carry a price tag of $690 too.

Don't worry, the 2019 NFL MVP can splurge on the outfit since he's made over $9 million in his 4-year career ... and he's expected to ink a massive new contract soon.