Sex in New Jersey?

Before Sunday when the heatwave came crashing into the tri-state area like an uninvited barbecue guest, I visited the quaint resort town of Asbury Park, NJ for the opening of the eclectic art exhibit "Made Out Of Beautiful" at the Parlor Gallery.  I'd never been to the Jersey Shore despite the current rage in reality tv land and so my boyfriend and I piled into my friend Gillian's SUV along with my very dear model friend, Marcia and hit the GW Bridge.  I didn't really care if I saw any of those reality celebrities like The Situation or Snooki, I was going for purely personal reasons.  You see, my photographer friend Miles Ladin whom I've known for more years than I care to count was showing a batch of his vintage black & white prints at the gallery.  Miles has worked for The New York Times and turned his lens on everyone from Rihanna to Steven Spielberg.  He has also turned his lens on some of my career's biggest moments.  When I staged the unsanctioned renegade sidewalk fashion show using masks of the characters from Sex and the City during New York Fashion Week almost a decade ago, Miles was there documenting my watershed moment.  One of the photos that was on display was the image from that hot day in September 2000 that was published in Women's Wear Daily.  It was also the image used to promote the exhibit and I felt extremely honored.  Marcia is featured prominently in the foreground and was equally excited to join me on my trip down memory lane.  Sometimes I forget how important some of these moments have been to me and how they've validated my decision to pursue a career in fashion design.  And it was just a pleasant experience to recall how I skyrocketed from obscurity to become an ALMOST celebrity myself for just a little while.  Thank you Miles for showing the fashion world that a black man from humble beginnings has a voice.

Peace & Fashion!

Fear Of The Unknown

Tomorrow I meet with Victoria. She is my new seamstress. Oh, I will still be working with George. After the job he did, I would be a fool not to. But because I have more looks for Spring 2011, I need more manpower. Victoria was referred to me by another George who works at Mood Designer Fabrics. She hails from the Ukraine and after seeing some of her work, I think she is going to enrich the process. And she says she can sew a dress a day. Whoah! I won't be able to keep up with her! I've already discovered one fit model for my latest project. Her name is Alli McG. And she is GORGEOUS! I've only spoken to her over the phone, but she has a very professional and friendly tone. Today I picked up a pair of shoes that will be used for one group of looks for the collection. I had taken them to the shoe maker for adjustments. I really liked them before the adjustments, but now I LOVE them. It's like Mtv's Pimp My Ride, but for shoes. And they are sick! And I've already begun to compile a list from the google search I did on high end plus size boutiques from here to California. There are dozens of them! Who knew?! And I just met with my friend Ron Goldstein who was the brains behind my very first guerrilla show on the sidewalk outside of Bryant Park during NY Fashion Week when we used Sex and the City as inspiration. So everything is rolling right along. But I am a little nervous of what the future might hold. Although many people have applauded my decision to cater to the curvy woman, I am afraid of the new. I mean, that is to be expected. But I am also excited with the promise of possibilities that this new direction can have on my journey. So I am embracing the mixture of emotions that I am feeling right now. And I am so looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.

Peace & Fashion!

Let's Talk About Sex

When Sex and the City premiered on HBO June 6, 1998, I was eager to see what it was all about. An avid fan, I would watch religiously every Sunday. The show tapped into the cultural zeitgeist and became a phenomenon. When I spoke with Jeff Bewkes, then HBO head and person responsible for green-lighting the series, in retrospect he knew Sex and the City was a hit but could not have predicted its groundswell of support from HBO subscribers and the general public. So it made perfect sense for me to ride the show's proverbial coattails when I staged my "guerrilla" runway show. On the sidewalk outside of the Bryant Park tents one steamy September afternoon in 2000 during New York Fashion Week, my models strutted behind face masks of the characters from the series. I actually borrowed the idea to take my show to the streets from a designer named Lola Faturoti. She had garnered recognition just seven months earlier outside of Ralph Lauren's show. And since it had worked wonders for her, I figured it might do the same for me. But I could not do it alone. I had to assemble a team. I hired Ron Goldstein who has a company aptly named FreeMedia. He had done a lot in the political arena but wanted to apply his expertise to other industries as well. He convinced me that I needed a hook. Otherwise, I would be like any other young designer trying to get face time with the press. Jointly, we settled on the idea to extrapolate elements from Sex and the City. My sister, Ashanti, had been very supportive and she said she would be there for me again. She was in charge of the boom box which played a continuous loop of the music used to promote the new season. And there were people for hair and makeup as well. As soon as my models descended from their perches inside the SUV which had carried us from my office in the garment district to the park, they were bombarded by reporters and photographers and onlookers. Questions about who was responsible were hurled immediately and fervently. But when an employee of HBO who was present for the circus of which I was the ringleader threatened me with a lawsuit it really was too little too late. I'd already had the best Sex ever!

Peace & Fashion!