Fashion All Day

You're dying to find out, aren't you? Don't act like you could care less about knowing the details of Saturday's photo shoot. It was in one word - MAGNIFICENT! The day could not have gone any smoothly. Originally, I wanted to shoot outside the United Nations. I had even acquired all the necessary permits weeks in advance. But after Mother Nature ordered the heavens to rain down on me, we moved the shooting location inside to a dear friend's apartment. His elegant home was to be our base where we only did outfit changes and made adjustments to hair and make up. But it instead became the backdrop - an instant photo set for the ladies readying themselves for a swanky evening on the town. New York, New York!

The day began with a very early 9:00 a.m. call and ended after several hours at approximately 7:00 p.m. But time did not drag and all of us merrily got along as if we were old friends. Monique coiffed the hair into modern masterpieces - a la Mary J. Blige circa The Breakthrough with a mishmash of Angela Davis & Funny Girl thrown in for good measure. Then there was Alexandra, a wizard with the makeup brush, who painted Vanessa & Valencia as if she were working on great works of art. My sister, Ashanti, is my go to manicurist and she lacquered the models' talons a candy apple red. I love red! My brother, N'Gai, and his comrade Spencer were on hand for security while my sister-in-law, Rebecca, was busy behind the lens. Having borrowed over $12,000 worth of lovely gold baubles for the shoot from my dear friend Camilla Bergeron who is a purveyor of fine estate jewelry, I thought having security was the smart thing to do. And since my baby brother is bigger than me, he was more than up for the task. Luckily, he and Spencer didn't have to let out their inner guard dog! The 2 V girls (Valencia & Vanessa) were not just gorgeous, but professional and divatude-free for the duration of the day. I really cannot express enough gratitude to all of the players. And it was extra special and reassuring having my family there.

Now that this part of the journey is over, it is time to move onto the next phase of the plan. Once I've selected the photos that best show the garments, I've got to hire a showroom to rep my line and get it onto store racks. But as I turn the page to the next chapter, I look back satisfyingly at the fun that we had with fashion all day.

Peace & Fashion!

Goddess #2 Discovered

After searching far and wide, I am happy to report that I have come face-to-face with Goddess #2. After posting another call for a model with the same measurements as Valencia, we were inundated with prospects. And although we needed our goddess to be at least 5'10", we got responses from young women as short as 5'1". Ashanti diligently combed through the heap of emails and started scheduling the ladies for a meet and greet with me. Out of 8 scheduled appointments, 4 candidates showed up. Later on I would read excuses varying from the simple "I cannot make it" to the ridiculous "I did not check my email and I went to the wrong location." But the young woman who stood out the most for us is 25 year old beauty, Vanessa. She is shapely, has a lovely disposition, and, most importantly, looks dynamite in my dresses. Now it's on and poppin' as we anxiously await for the fun to begin on Saturday. Pray that it doesn't rain. . .

Peace & Fashion!

WANTED: A Model Citizen

I thought I'd have photos to share of the fruitful and wonderful casting I was conducting today. I thought you would be able to see the other model who, along with Valencia, will be posing and cavorting in front of the camera on June 20. Not. This time craigslist let me down. None of the candidates worked. They were either not camera ready or did not match Valencia's measurements. And since all the pieces were made to fit Valencia's body, that's just not going to work. But there was one glimmer of hope. Her photos were playful, yet sophisticated. Sexy, yet appropriate. She is lovely to look at possessing a beauty that is accessible. And best yet, her measurements matched Valencia's. I knew, looking at her images online, that I'd found my other goddess. So this morning I packed up all the denim pieces and shoes and jewelry and trudged into Manhattan. That bag was heavy. By mid morning I received word from my sister that our goddess was filming a movie starring Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep. She was not available, but wished us luck. That stinks. But the show must go on, so we have rescheduled the casting for this Monday. These photos have got to be magical and my dresses have got to POP. And we're hoping that we find that model citizen who has all the snap and crackle to do just that.

Peace & Fashion!

All That Glitters Is Not Fashion Gold

How many times have you invested in something or someone only later to find out that he/she/it was not what you expected? You had, in fact, been bamboozled - hoodwinked - misled. Well, my fashion followers, that recently happened to me. One of the seamstresses that I hired for my biggest project ever swears that she is the product of a couturier from Thailand and blessed with a gift for clothing construction. She also claims to have worked closely with Marc Bouwer, a designer known for his clingy, sensuous gowns that have graced the backs of R-n-B divas like Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, and Patti LaBelle. Her expertise clearly went out the window while working with me because I got shoddy, unfinished workmanship and a poor fit. But thankfully I quickly recovered after realizing that I had been handed a chunk of fashion fool's gold. I called on some of my trusted tailors that I have been able to forge strong working relationships with and they went to work immediately and aborted a major disaster from happening. What has resulted is cocktail dresses that are as pristine on the inside as they are on the outside. And I am just blessed to be in the esteemed company of such gentlemen. Today was one of the last fittings with Valencia, the goddess. This journey has been a revelation and a lesson in resilience. And it has also provided me with a great opportunity to meet some really gifted and talented dressmakers. I look forward to working on many projects with the quiet dynamo, Alaina. And my Hispanic posse of tailors whom Valencia has dubbed The 252 Crew has been patient and proven themselves time and time again. I can forge ahead next season knowing that these people have got my back creatively. Sometimes you can make the wrong turn and discover that you've actually struck pure gold.

Peace & Fashion!

My Fashion Saga Continues. . .

I've been crazy busy working with my tailors and seamstresses to fine tune the cocktail dress collection I will be launching in stores (God willing) for Spring 2010. So please forgive my absence. I have christened the line Wilbur. Simple, short, sweet, and totally me! And I am calling this collection Just Zip! Years ago when my sister Ashanti was a child and my father was still alive, she ordered him to "JUST ZIP" her jacket so she could go outside to play with her friends. And since my embellishment of choice for my fierce collection of frocks is zippers, the phrase just seemed perfect. Creatively, I am inspired by music. And I have a weakness for black women with big voices. During this process my ears were attuned to Ms. Whitney Houston, so each style is named after one of her recordings. So you might find yourself in the store asking to try on the "How Will I Know" or the "I'm Every Woman". Clever, right?! Last week I received my clothing labels that I had ordered online. Exciting. And tomorrow afternoon, I have another scheduled fitting with all my dressmakers, my fit model Valencia, aka The Goddess, and myself. Last week the fit was a little off, but my team has vowed to fix the problem and promises magic this week. I am not looking for any rabbit-in-the-hat tricks just my vision come to life. After all, this is only the beginning. My fashion saga continues. . .

Peace & Fashion!

Fashion Trials

It has been 11 days since I posted something new. And I hope that there are people out there still interested in traveling with me as I navigate the road to fashion superstardom.

This was a trying week that ended in triumph. No, I did not win Lotto. But I did start Monday in panic mode when I had to dismiss yet another tailor. When they say that good help is hard to find, they aren't kidding. My tailor, apparently, entered into a subcontract with a woman who was to sew my pieces. And initially, everything was fine. She created the muslin (a version of the dress in a cotton fabric that is used for fitting purposes before rendering it in the actual material) for two of the looks and we had a first fitting with my model, Valencia. But then two weeks passed without further progress. In fact, she was supposed to be on site to have more fittings and discuss any issues about the design details, but she never showed up. So when I met with my tailor and the seamstress at 1 p.m. this Monday past, I was not a happy camper. Long story short, after a nasty confrontation, I left panic-stricken with all my fabric, my $300 deposit, and nothing to show for that month of work. I scrambled to a nearby internet cafe struggling to carry the bolts of fabric so I could log onto my email. I had the forethought to place an ad on craigslist for a freelance tailor/seamstress when things started going downhill with my longtime dressmaker. Having already received responses from the posting, it was imperative to parcel the work out immediately. After all, I am on a deadline. What ensued that Monday afternoon was sheer craziness. I was shuttled by NYC taxis and subways from 57th street and 8th avenue down to 11th street and 2nd avenue back up to 37th street and 8th avenue and back down to 11th street and 2nd avenue and onto the theatre at 59th street between Park & Madison avenues in time for a 6 o'clock dramatic reading. Wheww! You know it's hard out here for a pimp! On Wednesday afternoon, I met with Evan, who hails from Louisville, KY, at the Starbucks at Atlantic Avenue mall in downtown Brooklyn. He will be completing the last look for me. He is the fourth and final clothier in my menagerie of freelance seamstresses and tailors. At least, that is what I hope.

On Thursday afternoon during a 4 hour period, Valencia and I raced from 37th street and 8th avenue to 11th and 2nd avenue and then up to 135th street off Lenox Avenue in Harlem. Each stop consisted of a quick strip down of her clothes and a slip on of my pieces where she was pinned, marked, and ordered to sashay in sky-high platform sandals. And I am pleased so far with the workmanship and the look of each piece and each muslin. I know this collection is going to knock 'em dead. I am triumphant.

Peace & Fashion!

If The Shoe Fits. . .

I have not designed a collection of tailored clothes for a minute now, but it is almost like riding a bike. I really enjoy the creative process and mapping out the details of each look. But I become anxious sometimes when I think about the cost of putting a collection together. How will I be able to afford this latest endeavor? But I just push on through because I know I am just following my destiny. My friend Sheila Rule says that I am "walking my prayer". Buying the fabrics and trims and then taking it all to the seamstress who will bring my illustrations to life is probably the first step after sketching. But I must also employ a fit model. This will allow us to refine the pattern of each piece so that we know my dresses are actually wearable on a live person. The task of finding someone who fits the bill wears me out. Of course, I could go to an agency, but I am trying to keep my costs down. So I let my fingers do the walking to craigslist.com - the new yellow pages - where I place an ad for a fit model. This Friday past my posting went up live and read like this:

Immediate hire for a fit model for the launch of a new line of cocktail dresses. Please be professional and punctual. You must have the following measurements - Bust - 34", Waist - 26", Hips - 37". Please be 5'9" or taller.

I got several responses from a gaggle of models and model wannabes. All of the women were lovely, but some didn't quite have the measurement requirements and others didn't quite have the height. But I was able to set up 5 appointments for the following Saturday afternoon at my local Starbucks. At 2:30 p.m. a call comes in from one of the candidates, "Hi Wilbur. I am here." To which I replied, "So am I. Please come on upstairs." Up the stairs comes the very statuesque goddess Valencia. She hails from Virginia and oozes Southern charm and grace. We talk like old friends. I am almost certain that the job is hers. But I must see all the ladies first. Fair is fair. Although I have scheduled each candidate 30 minutes apart, no one else has shown up. My watch is fast approaching 4:00 and I am about to hit it when another candidate calls. "Wilbur, I am only a few blocks away. Please wait for me." I am fine with that. The lovely and buxom Daniela and I are talking less than 10 minutes later. She, too, is very personable, but I think her bust measurement may be a little too large. We end our meet and greet and I tell her that even if she is not chosen to work with me on this project, there are certain to be other projects in the future. I am convinced that I have found my Cinderella. And her name is Valencia. After all, she is wearing the shoe so it must fit.

Peace & Fashion!