A BlackFashionDude News Brief

One of my favorite lines from the movie Up Close & Personal, a love story between 2 network news journalists, is "If it bleeds it leads." Robert Redford's character is referring to the practice on the local news level of opening the program with the most horrific and gruesome, oftentimes fatal stories that cause us to shake our heads or gasp. Thankfully, I do not have those kind of details to share with you, so I am just going to report my story chronologically.

Late Monday afternoon, I received a call from Dorothea, the church's administrative assistant. She and I have forged quite a bond since I accepted the invitation to produce the church's fashion extravaganza. "I've got bad news," she conveyed in a hushed tone that instantly distressed me. "Okay, what's wrong," I responded almost not wanting to know. Apparently, the church fashion show has been postponed until 2010 due to calendar conflicts. This news is a blessing in disguise. I wondered how I was going to stage the most awe-inspiring fashion show Mount Moriah had ever witnessed and simultaneously launch the Wilbur collection over the next few months without compromising the integrity of either endeavor. And now I won't have to. But stay tuned, I am hoping to resuscitate the church's event possibly for Black History Month in February.

Last night, my business partners and I met with James C. He responded to our item for a sales rep that we posted on craigslist. After speaking with him last week over the phone, I immediately got a sense that James is straightforward and polished. He knows how to engage you - which was obvious when I realized that we clocked almost 45 minutes for our first phone chat. Initially I had reservations about his ability to get the line into stores as he is fairly new to the New York fashion scene. As a Brit, however, James sparkles with determination and an elegance that will bring a new level of panache to the line. As the three of us asked questions and listened intently, we learned that James, caught up in a whirlwind romance, followed his sweetheart, who happens to be American, to the States. The newlyweds tied the knot only four months ago. A romantic at heart, I found the story very Lifetime Television. We think he is especially charming and will be able to get my frocks into stores. We just have to iron out the details of the contract and then we can hit the ground running.

Tonight, I met with a furniture store that is hosting a cross-marketing event that will include visual artists as well as fashion designers. On Friday, September 25 invited guests will have the opportunity to enjoy cocktails, fine art, and a runway presentation featuring the work of some talented emerging designers. The organizers are still nailing down how many and whom, but if I am a part of it, I will definitely keep you posted.

That's it for now. This is BlackFashionDude signing off.

Peace & Fashion!

The Juggling Act

Last night I had a meeting with the pastor of my church. No, I was not having a spiritual crisis. Several months ago, I had been asked by one of the members, who is affectionately referred to as Mama Brown, to assist her with a fashion show for the church. In the black community, church fashion shows are a common way to raise money for the ministry. And they are usually, how can I put this delicately, very CHEESY. In fact, when I became a member of Mount Moriah almost 3 years ago, I declared to my mother that under no uncertain terms would I ever be involved with a fashion show at the church. What if it had been discovered by the fashion elite that I was entangled in a church fashion show? This kind of felony would appear on my record for the rest of my life! Yet, last night there I was face-to-face with my pastor, Mama Brown, and one of the other members of the clergy to nail down details for our November 21 fashion extravaganza. I just find it funny how the universe will set you on a path that you've already decided is not right for you. And you've just got to surrender and learn the lesson that comes with it. But now I am wondering how I am going to find the energy and time and emotional fortitude to take on another project.

Ashanti, Serosh, and I (The 3 Musketeers of Fashion) have been brainstorming on how we are going to move into the next phase of our plan with hiring an independent sales rep and finding a space to have appointments with buyers. Ashanti suggested our old reliable, craigslist, as a possible resource for locating a sales rep. Since nothing beats a failure but a try, we went for it. And I still find it amazing how some people will apply for a job without dotting their Is or crossing their Ts. Our posting reads:

Looking for independent fashion sales representative to sell a line of cocktail dresses. This position is commission only. Must have strong relationships with specialty stores. If you're interested, please contact Wilbur at 917.520.4615

This was one of the responses that was emailed to us:

Have 25 years in evenwear dresses, us too own( after dark). if you are looking for a pro please feel free to cll me.Will not work commission Only.

That's just all wrong! So we keep pressing forward. Serosh has reached out to some of his associates who have been in sales and I've tried reaching out to mine. And we even got a bite from someone who sounds interesting. But we have not met with any candidates just yet. But time marches on and we need to have someone in place for market week next month when all the buyers descend on New York to look at what's new and has value for their stores. So as I field responses to our posting and begin work on my first stab at the world of church fashion shows and strive to remain positive about the possibilities of this inaugural collection, I realize that in this juggling act I've got to keep all my plates in the air. I cannot let one drop and shatter to pieces.

Peace & Fashion!