Agenda Magazine – First Take PR

September 30, 2023September 30, 2023

Ty-Ron Mayes: From Magazine Covers to Charity, a “Super Stylist” Pioneering Fashion’s Future

With an astounding portfolio boasting over 150 magazine covers, all impeccably styled, Ty-Ron Mayes has recently graced the covers of three distinct publications in an astonishingly short span of time. He is captivating as he appears on the covers of Agenda, Gurus Magazine, and, most recently, Red: The Luxury Life.

For Immediate Release: October 1, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA

Ty-Ron Mayes, celebrated as the stylist of choice for a plethora of A-list celebrities, has emerged as a leading figure in the world of fashion and philanthropy. Among his illustrious clientele are luminaries such as Shark Tank’s Daymond John and superstars Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum, to name just a few. However, Mayes’s influence extends far beyond the fashion realm, as he passionately serves as an advisory board member for The Orchid Foundation and actively champions the fight against prostate cancer through his annual appearances on the Blue Jacket Fashion Show runway.

When asked about his work ethic during a shoot, Ty-Ron Mayes shared his philosophy with Gurus Magazine, stating, “I need to check everything off my to-do list. When you’re styling and designing high-concept shoots, it’s the little details that make a difference. The devil is in the details.”

Ty-Ron Mayes Styles Tyson Beckford and Model Thanyà Santos — Two Fashion Editorials by Ty-Ron Mayes (Photos: Ron Contarsy and Fabio Paparelli)

In his role as the Fashion Whisperer for Agenda, Mayes has not only penned informative articles on styling but has also produced and styled celebrity photoshoots. Additionally, he’s conducted interviews with and styled Agenda cover models, including icons such as Carol Alt and Tyson Beckford. Since joining the prestigious fashion and lifestyle magazine in 2020, Mayes has made a substantial impact.

Kaylene Peoples, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Agenda, expressed her admiration for Ty-Ron Mayes, stating, “In his three-year tenure with us, Ty-Ron Mayes has been an integral force behind elevating the Agenda brand. His articles transcend mere words, offering immersive experiences that entertain and inform our readers. His masterful styling, characterized by a captivating blend of creativity and allure, has earned our utmost admiration. And his modeling skills? Simply unparalleled.”

In a striking display of style and influence, Ty-Ron Mayes’s most recent cover story in Red: The Luxury Life not only showcases his remarkable biography but also highlights his prowess as a “Super Stylist,” solidifying his position as a top figure in the fashion world.

Reflecting on this achievement, Ty-Ron Mayes remarked, “As a behind-the-scenes stylist, this opportunity advances my journey as a celebrity stylist, enabling me to amplify my creativity and deep passion for fashion. I am profoundly honored to be the first African American and Black male to grace the cover of Red: The Luxury Life. And I don’t take any of this lightly; to be featured on the cover of any prominent publication is an immense honor.”

Ty-Ron Mayes Cover Model and Feature in "Red: The Luxury Life" — Ty-Ron Mayes poses for the cover of “Red: The Luxury Life” wearing designs by Frederick Anderson, & Shoes by Florsheim (Photo: Ron Contarsy for Highmark Studios) & Makeup by Dermablend Cosmetics

Despite his numerous accomplishments, Ty-Ron Mayes continues to maintain a significant presence at New York Fashion Week, where his distinctive style consistently captivates audiences.

Beyond the world of fashion, Mayes is a devoted advocate for men’s health and educational empowerment for underserved Black girls in New York City. He is set to participate in the February 2024 Blue Jacket Fashion Show, further supporting prostate cancer awareness.

Ty-Ron Mayes featured in "Red The Luxury Life" Magazine — Ty-Ron walks the Runway for The Blue Jacket Fashion Show (Photo: Courtesy of Blue Jacket Fashion Show)

As an Advisory Board member of The Orchid Foundation, Mayes played a pivotal role in introducing the foundation to Macy’s executives and their Give Back Program. This collaboration resulted in Macy’s wholeheartedly embracing The Orchid Foundation and generously supporting its cause. Beginning in October 2023, Macy’s Department stores in Brooklyn and Staten Island added The Orchid Foundation to their “Round Up Program.” Customers can now round up their purchases, with proceeds directly benefiting The Orchid Foundation. This support enables the foundation to bolster the self-esteem of young Black girls and provide tutoring services to help them graduate from high school and college.

In addition to his current achievements, Ty-Ron Mayes is currently working on an exciting project—a book on fashion, beauty, and style. This forthcoming book promises to be a captivating and insightful guide, offering readers a unique glimpse into the world of fashion from the perspective of a true industry icon.

Tr-Ron Mayes Magazine Feature — Ty-Ron Mayes Editorial Spread for Red: The Luxury Life

About Ty-Ron Mayes:

Ty-Ron Mayes Celebrity Stylist — Ty-Ron Mayes with his 150-Plus Magazine Covers

Launched into the fashion world by the legendary photographer Francesco Scavullo, Ty-Ron Mayes, affectionately known as “The Super Stylist,” has left an indelible mark in the realms of styling and beautifying luminaries. His clientele includes the likes of Carol Alt, Tyson Beckford, Mariah Carey, Eminem, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Maria Borges, Precious, Michelle Rodriguez, and countless others. Mayes’s work has graced over 150 covers of renowned publications, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire, Untitled, and Agenda.

Stay updated with Ty-Ron Mayes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stylisttyronmayes/

Written by Sean McKenzie for First Take PR

March 31, 2023September 28, 2023

Model/Activist Bethann Hardison Talks About Her Career in an Explosive Interview for BDC’s Pull Back the Curtain Series.

Held at the Black Design Collective Creative Center in Downtown LA, with model/activist Bethann Hardison, Goo Goo Atkins hosts a once-in-a-lifetime conversation, followed by an audience Q& A.

Los Angeles, CA – March 31, 2023

On March 18, 2023, the Black Design Collective presented an intimate conversation with Bethann Hardison, the first Vanguard recipient for the 54th NAACP Image Awards. The event was hosted by celebrity stylist and influencer Goo Goo Atkins (Goo Ru Style). This conversation is part of an ongoing series titled “Pull Back the Curtain.” After Atkins and Hardison took their seats, the audience focused their attention on the stage with quiet anticipation.

FIDM Founder/President Tonian Hohberg attends Black Design Collective Pull Back The Curtain: A Conversation with Bethann Hardison. (Photo by Karim Saafir)

“Bethann Hardison was engaging and entertaining. ‘The Oracle’ shared that throughout her life, she always spoke her mind, fearlessly seizing every career-changing moment. Goo Goo Atkins’s questions were so well researched, they caught Bethann by surprise on more than one occasion. And her witty, well-timed responses had us in stitches so much throughout the discussion, Ms. Hardison could add comedienne to her impressive lists of credits. Black Design Collective’s Pull Back the Curtain provided something that was very special and exclusive. It was a rare honor to witness this living legend in such an intimate setting!” –Kaylene Peoples, Agenda Founder & Editor-in-Chief

AGENDA Founder/EIC Kaylene Peoples and Grammy-Nominated Bassist Bunny Brunel as part of the audience attend at the BDC Creative Center Stage in Downtown LA on March 18th, 2023

Goo Goo Atkins introduced Bethann Hardison, deeming her “The Godmother of Fashion,” informing the audience that she is “affectionately called ‘The Oracle.’” Atkins opened dialogue with Bethann by asking her about her outspokenness and if that came with maturity.

Host/Influencer Goo Goo Atkins at the BDC Creative Center Stage in Downtown LA on March 18th, 2023

Bethann responds, “It’s funny, I’m writing a book now, so you do go back and you start realizing who you were. I started saying that I was always successful from the time I was 12 years old. I was a leader. Outspoken? Maybe to get some things done.” Hardison continues, “I was lucky to grow up in the garment business. It’s not a corporate world, so it was much easier to be who I was.” Atkins talks about the very few Blacks who were involved in the fashion industry in the 1960s. Bethann reveals that there was no real fashion industry; it was the garment industry during that period. “It was just getting garments made, designers were there, racks of clothes were across the street. It was quite different, and I just wanted to be in the industry. I just needed a job. Back then you could go into the New York Times and look for employment. And they gave me a position in sales.”

Black Design Collective Pull Back The Curtain: A Conversation with Bethann Hardison. Photo by Karim Saafir

Goo Goo Atkins surprises Hardison with her next question, “Bethann, you walked up to the head of the Junior dress department and said, ‘if you want this to sell, then you need to put me in it.’” Shocked, Hardison replies, “How do you know all of this?” The audience bursts out laughing. Hardison continues, “It’s so funny when people interview you and they really do research. They had a Federated store with Junior dresses. It was Bernie Ozer of Federated Department stores, who was quite well-known in our industry,” Bethann goes on to say that when she was a child, she was a tap dancer, even on the radio. Bernie Ozer loved Broadway, so when Bethann saw him, she leaned in and said, “if you really want to have a great show, you should have me in it.” Hardison was scared that Ozer would be upset and tell her boss. Ozer said, “thank you.” By the time she got back to the office, they were so excited to tell her that Bernie wanted her in the show. She adds, “and that was the first time I actually did a runway show.”

The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show

Goo Goo Atkins: “In 1973, things changed one night in Paris when five American designers showed their collections along with five French designers. That became known as the Battle of Versailles. Tell us how you and the 10 other Black models changed fashion that night.”

Bethann responds, “We didn’t change fashion that night, we educated the European designers (the French) about who we were. Also, the American designers lost their set; they thought the set specs given were in inches, not centimeters. We were devastated. By the end of the day, we had music . . . and the French never used music. We had Barry White. They had never seen anything like it, and the show gave us an opportunity to be seen in that way. And that was ALL the girls (of all races).”

General Atmosphere – at the BDC Creative Center in Downtown LA on March 18th, 2023

Hardison shocks with facts, as she talks about how within the industry, people embellish moments. She educates that much of this information about the Battle of Versailles [Fashion Show] wasn’t known until as recent as eight years ago when the diversity department of the Metropolitan Museum learned about the event and decided to give the models a citation, subsequently featuring the 11 girls of color from that show. “When we were there, it was a collection of many: the dancers, the models, all of us coming together. It was diverse. And it was all because of the great choreographer Kay Thompson (American in Paris), not ‘Black girl magic.’ We were scared to death, the French and American designers were fighting among each other, Anne Klein was so put upon, and as much as I was first Steven Burrows’s assistant, I was still a model. I had to talk a lot with Anne who was the only female . . . and it was such a controversy. But when showtime came, everyone came together. That’s what was American. That’s what really impressed me. We won, and it was a brilliant moment. At the end of the day, it was just a gig!”

Atkins and Hardison continued their conversation with topics about Bethann’s diverse modeling agency, why she founded Black Girls Coalition, and her being instrumental in managing and launching the careers of Kimora Lee Simmons, Veronica Webb, Brandy, and her son Kadeem Hardison (A Different World). They spoke about her agency’s involvement with model Tyson Beckford and their deal with Ralph Lauren and Polo, her role with Gucci Changemakers, and her collaborative film, Invisible Beauty, that was selected for the Sundance Film festival.

Goo Goo Atkins asks Bethann a final question: “Will you continue to fight?”

Black Design Collective Pull Back The Curtain: A Conversation with Bethann Hardison.

Bethann Hardison: “I talk about diversity, and because I come from the garment district, I want to focus on the designer—a lot of them don’t have the background to succeed. I want them to have a business that they can pass down to their children. I got so tired of hearing people ask, ‘Where are the Black designers?’ I said, ‘Just because you don’t hear about them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.’ Collectively, the CFDA and I brought designers together who already had a brand, and I was able to educate them about retail. That started February 2018. So now, I would like to diversify it racially. But that’s not interesting to them because they’re too comfortable within their community. So, when you talk about fighting the fight, or ask if my advocacy will still support diversity . . . [the answer is] yes, it always will. But when I talk about racial diversity, I mean ‘Racial Diversity!’ And sometimes people think this means all Black. But I think that we do better if we integrate.”

Emmy-winning designer Brenda Cooper attends Bethann Hardison’s interview at the BDC Creative Center in Downtown LA on March 18th, 2023 (Photo: Karim Saafir)

Bethann Hardison was surprisingly transparent in her responses while Goo Goo dug deep with her questions. Many of Ms. Hardison’s responses were pearls of wisdom for anyone wanting to pursue a career in fashion.

Notable attendees who were present at the talk were FIDM founder & president Tonian Hohberg; AGENDA founder and editor-in-chief Kaylene Peoples, Grammy-nominated bassist Bunny Brunel; Robin Harrison (VP of Hollywood Bureau, NAACP); multi-award-winning actor multi-award-winning Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis; Emmy Award-winning costume designer Brenda Cooper; and fashion designers Kenneth Nicholson, Okera Banks, and Dena Burton. Guests that evening enjoyed drinks that were provided by Melody Murphy of Mixed Bar Services.

BDC Co-Founders/Designers: President Kevan Hall, Former President Angela Dean (Deanzign), and TJ Walker (Cross Colours) attend Pull Back the Curtain event at the BDC Creative Center in Downtown LA on March 18th, 2023

About . . . Pull Back the Curtain (A Black Design Collective Series): A Conversation with Bethann Hardison

Bethann Hardison is an advocate, model, and muse with a career spanning over five decades. Hardison has gone from working in NYC’s Garment District to becoming one of the first Black models favored by European and New York designers. She’s been a creative director and producer, and founded her namesake agency where she guided the careers of some of the most prominent models. In 1988, she founded the Black Girls Coalition, and in 2013, she spearheaded the launch of the Diversity Coalition, sparking an industry-wide movement for diversity and inclusion. In recognition of her decades of advocacy work, Bethann received the CFDA Founder’s Award in 2014. In 2018, with the support of the CFDA, she founded The Designer’s Hub to guide and empower Black designers. In 2019, Hardison became an inaugural member of Gucci’s Changemakers Council. Bethann currently serves on CFDA’s Board of Directors and as Gucci’s Executive Advisor for Global Equity and Cultural Engagement. (bethannhardison.com)

Goo Goo Atkins has impeccable style and an audacious personality that depicts her dynamic portfolio as a designer, celebrity wardrobe stylist, creative director, actress, host, TV/radio personality, fashion columnist, and social media influencer. Atkins has worked, lived the fashion community, and more specifically, the plus-size community. You may remember her as the younger sister of Erica and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary, but she’s since made a name for herself with her own spinoff WEtv web series, Goo Ru Style.

Black Design Collective was founded in 2018, and is comprised of accomplished fashion industry professionals of color who seek to amplify the influence of and create opportunities for the community of Black apparel and accessory designers and costume designers within the U.S. and abroad. The BDC mission is rooted in the promotion of scholarship, mentorship, and entrepreneurship within emerging generations of Black fashion design talent. Through this work, the BDC aims at ultimately fostering an independent and self-sustaining Black fashion community. Proceeds from this event go to the Black Design Collective, a 501 c 3, to mentor, educate, and equip Black designers with the essential tools to create generational companies and level the playing field in the competitive fashion industry. Founders of the BDC are president & designer Kevan Hall, designer TJ Walker of Cross Colours, Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther, Wakanda Forever), and designer Angela Dean of Deanzign

(blackdesigncollective.com)

Release by First Take PR

September 14, 2022September 19, 2022

AGENDA Cover Models Coco Mitchell & Ty-Ron Mayes Talk “Career” on the Fashion Whisperer Podcast!

Coco Mitchell (Front) and Ty-Ron Mayes (Back) Cover Models

Supermodel Coco Mitchell dazzles on the front cover and celebrity stylist Ty-Ron Mayes shines on the flip cover of AGENDA magazine Issue 18. Both are mavericks in the world of fashion, gaining endless exposure and worldwide recognition. These fashion trailblazers have an engaging dialogue, offering hidden gems of knowledge, including how to thrive as people of color in a competitive industry. Coco Mitchell talks about her early beginnings as a model during her interview, and AGENDA’s editor-in-chief Kaylene Peoples shares how the Fashion Whisperer became a part of the magazine.

September 14, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA

“Coco Mitchell was part of that first wave of Black models who came onto the fashion industry, mainstream, and at a top level. We were all just making it up as we went along, fighting for contracts, fighting to be on the runway, fighting to be in ads, fighting for covers. It was a movement for visibility [and] for representation, because Black people were spending a lot of money buying the top designer labels [including] Calvin Klein jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and still to this day, Gucci. There was an unwritten call to start having Black people in some of these ads and some of these covers, and more representation that would match the dollars that were coming out of the fashion industry.”–Ty-Ron Mayes

It all started with a fortuitous encounter with Eileen Ford who planted a seed in the mind of the young unassuming school teacher Coco Mitchell. And after one year of teaching at a Catholic school, Coco followed Eileen’s suggestion and made a call to destiny. “I got discovered by Eileen Ford [of Ford Models] on the streets of New York City. She walked up to me and asked me if I had a book. I replied, ‘I have lots of books.’” Mitchell continues, “I just graduated from college, and I’m going to be a teacher. I start in two months.” During the course of this conversation, Eileen informed her that what she’d be making every two weeks as a teacher, she could make every 20-30 minutes as a model. And the “book” Ford was referring to, she explained to Mitchell that it was a book with her pictures in it—a model’s portfolio. –Fashion Whisperer Podcast

Since that phone call, Coco Mitchell has been on a continuous, lucrative adventure as a model, working with some of the most iconic designers and campaigns around the world in the last four decades. From being a Kelly Girl to walking the runway for the biggest fashion brands, the former elementary school teacher was featured in MADEMOISELLE, GLAMOUR, Italian and French VOGUE. Coco was one of the first African American models to be in THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT ISSUE and has worked with Francesco Scavullo, Herb Ritts, Armani, Versace, Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, just to touch the surface of her illustrious career. And after her first modeling assignment in the late 70s, she hasn’t missed a beat and shares the title as one of the hardest working supermodels in the industry.

Coco Mitchell talks about the fit model:

“I was still so new to modeling that I didn’t know before I met Ralph Rucci that models did fittings. Ralph approached me at a restaurant, ‘Coco Mitchell, I would love for you to do my fittings.’ When I did a fitting, I fit my clothes for what I’m wearing in the show, not do fittings. I said to him, ‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about?’ He said, ‘I want you to fit my whole collection.’” Mitchell talks about how she expanded her career as a fit model for Badgley Mischka, Chado Ralph Rucci, Donna Karan, and others. She added, “You could make a quarter of a million dollars just doing fittings!”—Fashion Whisperer Podcast

Ty-Ron Mayes has styled over 150 magazine covers and countless celebrities, including Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Carol Alt, Iman, Adriana Lima, Tyson Beckford, Megan Fox, Eminem, Daymond John, Leelee Sobieski, Renauld White, M.J. Rodriguez, Ron Carter, Halle Berry, Michelle Rodriguez, Mariah Carey, Lauren Hutton, and others. He was the fashion consultant to Tyra Banks for America’s Next Top Model Cycle 20, and was not only on Cycle 21, but was appointed by Tyra as ANTM’s first Lead Wardrobe Stylist. His career as a celebrity stylist was officially launched by Francesco Scavullo and Sean Byrnes, where he styled Oprah Winfrey on several magazine covers. Mayes has styled international editions of VOGUE, HARPER’S BAZAAR, ELLE, MARIE CLAIRE, and COSMOPOLITAN magazines. He has works with many prestigious photographers, including David LaChapelle, Sante D’Orazio, Anne Menke, Udo Spreitzenbarth, Antoine Verglas, Mike Ruiz, Marlena Bielinska, Emin Kadi, Matthew Jordan Smith, Mark Borthwick, Marc Baptiste, Yu Tsai, Ezequiel de la Rosa, and Greg Gorman. Some of Mayes’s advertising clients are Stila Cosmetics, Maybelline, Miss Clairol, Clairol Beauty Collection, Iman Cosmetics, FUBU, and the Guess campaign. Designers with whom Ty-Ron has cultivated relationships include Custo Barcelona, Carmen Marc Valvo, The Blonds, Nicole Miller, Zang Toi, and Lie Sang Bong. And Ty-Ron Mayes was given the name, “The Super Stylist.”

AGENDA’s editor-in-chief, Kaylene Peoples, approached Mayes about his being on the flip cover of issue 18. Ty-Ron was initially featured in the magazine years ago when AGENDA (agendamag.com) was exclusively online. Peoples later featured Rick Genest (Zombie Boy), an editorial styled by Mayes, which appeared in the 2014 inaugural “print” issue of AGENDA Special Edition I: “Fall Is Fascinating.” In 2018, print issue 6, Mayes was featured in Fashion Trailblazers, a 14-page retrospective, titled, “Ty-Ron Mayes: An Inside View of His Fabulous, Fashionable Court.” Also, in that issue, Ty-Ron styled Supermodel Maria Borges for the cover story, as well as the fashion spreads with Kelly LeBrock and Phil Sullivan.

“Ty-Ron and I discussed his being a part of AGENDA’s team in 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. We had a great synergy and tended to think alike when it came to fashion stories. I was delighted when he agreed to come on board. The Fashion Whisperer made its debut, and issue 12, ‘Generation Quarantine – Pandemic 2020 the Fashionable Response’ was our PSA, becoming the holy grail of that perilous epoch and now part of AGENDA’s time capsule. AGENDA was one of the pandemic’s first responders for the written word in a fashion and lifestyle print magazine, and helped to open dialogue for other fashion periodicals; and the fashion story, ‘Generation Quarantine,’ was pivotal during that time.”—Kaylene Peoples, AGENDA Editor-in-Chief

Mitchell and Mayes star in their own stunning fashion editorials. Ty-Ron styles both spreads, featuring clothes and accessories (for Coco Mitchell) by Versus by Versace, Zang Toi, Donna Karan, Salvatore Ferragamo, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Sam’s Army & Navy, photographed by Ezequiel de la Rosa; and (for Ty-Ron Mayes) with Roberto Cavalli, Alessandro Gherardeschi, Tahari, vintage Jean-Paul Gaultier, Eliza J., Christian Louboutin, Zars London, Tiffany & Co., Salvatore Ferragamo, and Versace, photographed by Udo Spreitzenbarth with makeup, hair, and grooming by Ty-Ron Mayes for Paper Faces.

“The fashion stories, ‘In Love with the Coco’ and ‘Ty-Ron Mayes – Fashion Whisperer’ are both compelling and wonderfully styled editorials that are beautiful additions to this highly curated issue of AGENDA, which is all about inclusion. Coco Mitchell has been on our radar for some time, her being our cover model is not only thrilling, but beyond ideal as we approached the current fashion season; and Ty-Ron Mayes living on AGENDA’s flip cover has been a long time coming . . . and way overdue!”–Kaylene Peoples

With prestigious campaigns with Thierry Mugler’s “White Sands,” Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, and countless television commercials, Coco Mitchell has spoken at FIT, Pratt, and the Phoenix Art Museum in conjunction with PAM’s “Chado Ralph Rucci” exhibit. Coco Mitchell is now consulting, coaching, casting, directing editorial shoots, and assisting those both established and emerging in their modeling careers, and continues to give back to the very community that has enriched her life in countless ways!

Ty-Ron Mayes is one of New York’s most sought-after celebrity stylists who not only dresses his famous clientele, but also models. Mayes has walked in the highly touted Blue Jacket Fashion Show for three years in a row.

“When I was asked by founder Frederick Anderson to be part of The Blue Jacket Fashion Show, I was super excited, because the charity itself brings awareness to the prevention of prostate cancer. This was an opportunity for me to join the men’s health movement. The Blue Jacket Show brings together celebrities from the fashion, sports, news, and entertainment industries to have a national conversation about the risks of this disease. This year the focus was on African American & Latin men in America who statistically are the highest documented incidence rates of prostate cancer in the world.” – Ty-Ron Mayes

Check out Ty-Ron Mayes and Coco Mitchell’s cover stories in AGENDA Issue 18: “Black Design Collective” (Digital & Print). To listen to Ty-Ron’s interview with Coco Mitchell, visit The Fashion Whisperer Podcast at agendamag.com. AGENDA is published by KL Publishing Group. (@agendamag)

Written by Sean McKenzie
E: firsttakepr@aol.com
First Take PR (https://www.firsttakepr.com)

January 10, 2022September 28, 2023

Agenda Magazine Introduces Lita Cline as the Face of Their Paper Doll-Themed Issue, Styled by Ty-Ron Mayes and Photographed by Udo Spreitzenbarth.

AGENDA’s Editor in Chief Kaylene Peoples teams up with celebrity stylist Ty-Ron Mayes (Fashion Whisperer) and Photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth for this eye-popping New Years issue, featuring model Lita Cline, wearing the hats of Anat Fritz! Also featured are designers Victor (Vivi) Bellaish, Shai Shalom, Kobi Halperin; and the backstories of the paper dolls BrookLynn and the new collectible, Couture Paper Dolls by Glenna Gaffney.

January 10, 2022, Los Angeles, CA

Agenda, the multicultural fashion and lifestyle magazine, does it again with another packed issue. Inside the 147 pages includes viscerally beautiful photography by Udo Spreitzenbarth in the Queen’s Gambit-themed fashion editorial titled “Queen of the Night,” styled by Agenda’s Fashion Whisperer Ty-Ron Mayes. The unique beauty of Lita Cline is captured wonderfully as she models the crocheted hats from designer Anat Fritz. Fritz’s crocheted collection had long been in luxury boutiques and department stores throughout Europe well before the costume designer for Queen’s Gambit used her green hat to “. . . crown Anya Taylor-Joy’s head in that pivotal scene.”

Kaylene Peoples, AGENDA Magazine's Fashion Whisperer Ty-Ron-Mayes — AGENDA Magazine’s Fashion Whisperer Ty-Ron-Mayes

Ty-Ron Mayes styled the shoot with designs & accessories from Calvin Klein, Rachel Zoe, Marc Jacobs, DKNY; and cosmetics by L’Oréal. Lita Cline’s eyes were made bigger than life with L’Oréal’s Infallible Eye Liner and Air Volume Mega Mascara. Ty-Ron Mayes also served as the editor on the shoot and did hair and makeup via Paper Faces, using Derma Blend Cosmetics.

Lita Cline - Queen of the Night in Agenda Magazine — Cover Model Lita Cline stars in “The Queen of the Night” editorial, photographed by Udo Spreitzenbarth and styled by Ty-Ron Mayes

Agenda’s January 2022 Issue #17, titled Couture Paper Dolls features Designer/illustrator Renaldo Barnette (by Black Design Collective), the creator of BrookLynn Paper Doll and comic book.

As a young child, Renaldo read every fashion publication he could get his hands on, but as early as he can remember, his first love was comic books and comic strips. As he pored through Millie The Model, Patsy & Hedy, Katy Keene, Betty & Veronica; Brenda Starr, Mary Perkins, Friday Foster, and Winnie Winkle, he was amazed by the illustrations. He credits these comics for showing him how to draw fashion. And in the case of Millie The Model and Winnie Winkle, he discovered that fashion was a real business.

Renaldo Barnette of BrookLynn Paper Dolls is featured in Issue 17 of Agenda Magazine

“I always wanted to see a comic book about a Black fashion model. I remember seeing Millie the Model’s friend Jill in 1966. She was one of the first Black characters in the Marvel Universe. And she was a Black fashion model from England. When I saw model Gayle O’Neil [in the mid-late 80s], I thought she looked like a doll, thinking she could be like a comic book. I had been toying with that idea for decades, and ten years ago, I gave her the name ‘BrookLynn’.”

“I am a recent collector of paper dolls. When I first moved to New York I had one paper doll book and the other a paper doll set. I had two published through Western. One was a bridal paper doll set, like a box set, and the other one was called Rock Stars. Those were two freelance jobs that my friend, the late great Bob Rausch, got me when I was in between jobs back in the late 80s.

Barnette talks about his favorite concept for his first BrookLynn Paper Doll book:

“It’s the makeover concept of how this plain school girl can be made over, like the way Audrey Hepburn was made over in Funny Face or Sabrina. Or the way Bette Davis was made over in Now Voyager. I don’t care about the height or size, if you find clothes, a great hairdo, and nice makeup, it can turn an ordinary person into the best-looking person they can be. And I’ve always liked that. It’s not just about being pretty, it’s about looking better.” —Agenda, Renaldo Barnette – Designer, Illustrator, & Creator of the BrookLynn Paper Dolls and Comics @itsallaboutbrookLynn

Artist Glenna Gaffney has created a new style of paper doll that she calls “Couture Paper Dolls.” Her collection ranges from “Fly Mom,” her Mewsick line with Prince/ Michael Jackson Inspired to her latest collection spurred by the 2021 MET Gala. What’s different about these dolls? They are not the traditional paper doll. Housed in a shadowbox, these dolls are dressed in Swarovsky crystals, sequin, feathers with intense bejeweling and meticulous hand-crafting right down to the hair, which is deceptively made from paper bags. Gaffney crafts her dolls to be one of a kind, and they are definitely couture-like. Each doll comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, and no two dolls are identical. Here she talks about one of her Couture Paper Dolls

Glenna Gaffney’s Couture Paper Dolls is featured in Issue 17 of Agenda Magazine

“Emerald Faye –Inspired by the girl who appreciates a long gown, dressing up elegantly and going to a social event. She strolls into her event with Swarovski crystal “blinging,” long hair flowing, making a gem of an entrance. The clothing is designed by Isaac Pineda. My desire is to work with different designers. I love collaborations, and Isaac Pineda is my first CPD collaboration. Isaac created the pattern and selected the fabric. I incorporated his vision with mine . . . and Emerald Faye was birthed from this process.” Agenda, Couture Paper Dolls by Glenna Gaffney – A Fashionable Collectible for the ‘Grown Up’ Little Girl! (couturepaperdolls.com)

Kaylene Peoples AGENDA Editor in Chief and Fashion Talk Journalist — Kaylene Peoples, AGENDA Magazine Editor in Chief and Fashion Talk Journalist

In the column, Fashion Talk, Kaylene Peoples does a historical retrospective of the history of the paper doll . . .

“One of the first instances of a doll made of paper was a Jumping Jack or a Pantin, where it originated in France in the 1700s. These dolls wore the high fashion of that time with only one outfit. So no changing the clothes. Like puppets or marionettes, they were created originally to mock the rich. At the end of the 1700s, fashion companies in Europe, particularly Paris, saw a huge opportunity to advertise their fashion through paper dolls, which started the practice of changing these dolls’ outfits. During this period, there were major advancements in printing technology, making mass production of these “newer” paper dolls accessible to more people at an affordable cost.

Peoples continues…

I am a grown woman, but I guess I will always have inside me that little girl who loves to play with dolls. As a Barbie collector, I have a new (micro) collection of paper dolls, and I want to explore more vintage paper dolls and cutouts. I discovered there are countless books with paper dolls available today that are very recent publications with fashion throughout history: First Ladies with Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy, Nancy Reagan; famous designers from Christian Dior to Valentino; Royal Brides from Meghan Markle to Kate The Duchess of Sussex; dancers, iconic celebrities, even torch singers. There were not as many superhero paper dolls as I had expected, but they do exist, mostly as collectibles . . . and trading paper doll cutout comics is a really big thing I learned. Comic Cons and various conventions around the world are where one can find these rare vestiges.”—Agenda, The Evolving Paper Doll, Proving that Everything Comes Back in Style

Highlights from Kornit Fashion Week LA 2021 #KornitDigital

Kobi Halperin:

Born and raised in Israel, Kobi studied and received his B.F.A from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. Upon graduating, Kobi moved to New York where he became the Executive Creative Director at Elie Tahari for 13 years and the Executive Creative Director at Kenneth Cole Productions for 3 years. Inspired by his Eastern European roots and heritage, Kobi’s collections are marked by a warm feeling and handcrafted touch and workmanship that create a distinguished yet welcoming style aimed at “elevating the everyday”.

Shai Shalom:

A graduate of the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Shalom’s apparel is marked by meticulous tailoring and a keen eye for combining bright colors and materials. His designs cross a wide range of fine knitwear, sophisticated, slim-cut suits, cropped trousers and modern boat jackets.

Victor VIVI Bellaish:

The inspiration of the collection was tropical birds, mainly the Hoopoe, Israel’s national bird. Bellaish is fascinated by the bird’s feathers as a design element: the shape and structure composing a spectacular visual performance, which, accompanied by the silhouette, provides a feeling of uplifting flight. The collection stems from his journey researching textile history. Spirits of feminine strength and liberation beat at the heart of the collection, which is the product of a unique collaboration of the designer with Kornit Digital, which specializes in developing and creating systems for textile digital print.

Agenda magazine (agendamag.com) has been telling the story behind the story since 2004, continuing that dialog in its 17th year. And after 7½ years in print, the luxury magazine continues to publish coffee table keepsakes with engaging content and breathtaking photography. The January 2022-Issue #17, “Couture Paper Dolls,” is a 147-page glossy, and is available digitally and in print worldwide. Agenda is a KL Publishing Group publication. Visit agendamag.com/shop for more information. Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

February 9, 2021September 28, 2023

Artemis Women In Action Film Festival Honors “The Artist” for their Sixth Edition, April 22nd-25th, 2021

Announcing the Sixth Edition’s Official Selections with a solid focus on the artist for the 2021 film festival. The edition will be screened virtually; and joining sponsors AGENDA Magazine and Bella composers is Presenting Sponsor Wise Remedies and Prize Sponsor.

The excitement is brewing as filmmakers and musicians prepare to see their works stream live virtually for the sixth edition of the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival (AWIAFF). Every edition, the momentum builds, and despite 2020 events, Artemis approaches the finish line with some of the strongest talent on the independent playing field. Artemis is a festival that has been associated with industry luminaries such as actors Tom Cruise, Melissa McCarthy, actor/producer/festival sponsor Paul Feig, director Kimberly Pierce, and many in the stunt/action design community. Artemis will be offering an exciting and interactive celebration. Festival-goers will enjoy well-scripted storylines with powerful characters in narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and more. AWIAFF offers affordable, all-access tickets that include all events, including screenings, panel discussions, Q and A’s, award presentations, and networking opportunities, available from the comfort of your home (or viewing party) to imbibe and experience all of the excitement for which this festival is known.

Melanie Wise, Founder/Director of AWIAFF states,

“We’ve always done live events, brick and mortar. Observing 2020, what really stood out to the Artemis team was the need for this edition to focus on celebrating the talent of our filmmakers, musician/composers, and screenwriters.” – Quoted from Agenda, “Artemis Women In Action Film Festival Goes Virtual and More for 2021”

Melanie Wise continues,

“We are going to securely stream all of the official selections. We won’t be selling individual tickets, but rather, we will be selling very reasonably priced all-access passes. We will have some interactive panels and other cyber events, and do an online greeting, so everyone can get together in cyber space and toast one another. That will be open to all the official selections and any of the Artemis fans and supporters who would like to participate. Artemis has built its own streaming platform, [as well as] partnering on a platform or two. Last year, festivals came to the table doing their virtual events, making it a highly adaptable, highly designable way of doing a festival.”

This Sixth Edition continues with the tradition of strong women characters, announcing its official selections for narrative features, documentaries, shorts, screenplays, songs and compositions with a landscape of artistic work that continues in the form of independent and unconstrained creativity. Past festivals have brought incredible talent to the table with the diversity of topics and indomitable strength of characters and physicality being consistently represented in this year’s official selections. The 2021 edition focuses on the “creatives,” making this year’s festival all about the talent!

Melanie Wise talks about this year’s entries.

“As with every year, we always get an extraordinary variety, in terms of narrative, documentary, feature, shorts, but also we have an amazing range, from comedy action to drama. There’s just absolutely thigh-slapping stuff to serious stuff to some really cool pieces of history. We have a film about the old USO tours, and the women who’ve traveled overseas for US Troops—really great pieces of history. This is the part of the festival that always makes me very excited, very pleased, and very proud, because we are showing pieces of history that really shouldn’t be unknown. We also will have amazing films that challenge social issues. Amazing stories of people positively reshaping perceptions of self-value, stepping outside comfort zones to redefine the human condition in ways that do leave “the place” more beautiful. Wise adds, “We work really hard to come to the table and offer a program where we’re not pushing agendas, except that of showcasing positive, powerful women… we always have. And this year is one where it is completely about the talent because it’s virtual. We will be stripping some aspects of the festival, and we are going to work very hard to make every creator shine.”

Bella Composer’s Kaylene Peoples talks about the music part of the festival. “Women Powered Music” is about female intention and inclusion. Women have been composing and going unrecognized or ignored forever, really before the last century. And even then when you consider the number of studio films that have been produced, won Oscars, how many of those movies hired a female score writer. I applaud those women who broke through and actually have that career. There are female orchestrators, even some conductors, but we are definitely in the minority.” Peoples goes on to say, “The Fifth Edition in 2019, was astronomical and even more eye-opening. For our inaugural music competition, there was an overwhelming response with composers from all over the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia, who not only had scores in studio films, but symphonies performed and recorded with world class orchestras in many styles, including neo-classical, jazz, and more. What made this moment even more eye opening was the women that traveled to the festival last edition from Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, and from all across America just for the chance to be recognized. And wow, they are the most phenomenally talented composers and musical artists I had the honor to meet. Peoples Concludes, “This music competition is so needed. The world is filled with incredibly talented women composers and it’s about time we paid attention. If you are a female composer, please consider submitting your scores. It’s time for the world to know you exist!”

Bella Composer – AWIAFF Sponsor of Women Powered Music

Here are the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival’s Sixth Edition Official Selections:

FEATURES

A Deadly Place

All Earthly Constraints

Beyond Driven

Christmas in Baghdad

Firewoman

Intercessors

The Broker

The Meeting

Uprooted

Where We Disappear

SHORTS

10 Minutes For A Pound

A Blossom in the Night

A Girl from Parsian

A Woman’s Touch

Ally 3000

America

Bagheera

Barbell Snatch

Blessing

Boy Eats Girl

EmBlem

Fast and Faster

Fayettenam

Fellowship

Glass Darkly

Gozde The Fighter

Have It All

Hunted

If I Rise

Inner Self

Kara the Invincible

Life, Boat, Home

Moment

Naretoi

Now You See Us

One Moment(s)

Pure

Resurfacing

Rose & Raven

Rueful Warrior

SADAF

Scenic Fights Presents: My Fight Tresa Man

Sensei Fran Kicks Ass

Seven: The Short Film Combating Domestic Violence

She Who Wasn’t Tamed

The Fastest Woman of All Time

The Suicide of Lillian Sellers

Therese

Twin Turbo

Violin Scratches

Warriors of Education

What Didn’t Kill Me

You Too

SCREENPLAYS

Bells on Wheels by Thomas Heinonen

Between the Flames by Tishia Malone

Feather by Johanna Juntunen

Girl Hunters by John Saunders

Heard by Maureen Sasscer

Private Thompson’s Secret War by Gina DeAngelis

Ripley of Valor by Thoren Syndergaard

Roses and Rattlesnakes by Colin Simpson

The Hardest Hit by Sam Jeurgens

The Reckoning by Neil Marshall

Then and There, Here and Where by Esabella Strickland

Undercard by Dylan Kilgour

Warpaint by Helen Taylor

SONG FINALISTS

“Alleluia” | Erin Beute

“Alone with Bees” | Connie Lansberg

“Body Communion” | Toni Short

“Fade” | Fay Gauthier

“Fear, I Got Nothing for You” | Toni Short

“Make It Better” | Deborah Hurwitz

“My Amazing Grace” | Debra Gussin

“No Fight” | Elizmi Haze

“What Do You Say” | Floyd Music

COMPOSITION/SCORE FINALISTS

“40 Years One Night” | Giya Rushidat

“Boy Eats Girl” | Christy Carew

“Cowboy Boots” | Nikki Morgan

“Farewell” | Jaime Pangan

“Ganna Sorbat” | Ganna Sorbat

“In Trouble” | Monica Hodnett, Callie Day

“Molecules” | Maria Rago

“Piano Fantasy” | Deborah Offenhauser

“Spirit Vision” | Margaret Brandman

“Streetlight Dancers” | Kasey Crawford

“You know, I get the view from the moon every year. A lot of people show up, and they just watch a few things or they have a film in the festival. But when you get to see a broad field of content, and when you get to see the gravity of the stuff that’s presented, that’s where I think it gets very interesting. The most common compliment we get at the festival where people literally walk up to me is “I’m so inspired.” I think that’s my favorite compliment of the festival, because I think the whole point of it is to inspire people. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman, a man, or a dog. We all need to be able to look out through life with a lighter lens.” – Melanie Wise, Founder/Director (Quoted from Agenda, “Artemis Women In Action Film Festival Goes Virtual and More for 2021”)

The Artemis Women In Action Film Festival is happy to announce the following sponsors: Wise Remedies, Agenda Magazine, Bella Composers, Keslow Camera, and others.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS

WISE REMEDIES:

Premium quality, handcrafted herbal remedies now available online. Committed to creating unadulterated, effective products, boosting natural defenses and addressing foundational issues. All plant materials are either certified organic or custom wild crafted, never altered with heat, radiation or freezing temperatures; liquid extracts are made with Non-GMO alcohol, processed to remove gluten, using dried herbs and distillation, spanning six weeks to six months. All teas and powdered formulations are excipient-free (filler free). For two decades, Wise Remedies has taken great pride in creating products that are the purest and most powerful they can offer!

Visit the Wise Remedies website to see their complete catalog of products.

AGENDA Magazine:

The fashion and lifestyle magazine that has been telling the story behind the story since 2004 is in its third year as a lead sponsor for the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival. A print and online magazine, Agenda has a diverse readership, consisting mostly of women from various backgrounds, ranging from college age to 65 years old and beyond. Touted as “the intelligent read,” Agenda is credited for being the first online magazine to stream video and documentary-style interviews. In print since 2014, the magazine has consistently put out breathtaking coffee table keepsakes with content including fashion, beauty, photography, interviews, entertainment, and more. For AWIAFF Fifth Edition, Agenda Collector’s Issue titled “Artemis Women Kick Ass!” featured honorees Jeannie Epper, Daniela Ruah, and Dot-Marie Jones on the cover and chronicled that year’s festival’s events. Agenda magazine is available in print worldwide!

Visit Agendamag.com for details.

BELLA COMPOSERS:

Created by Kaylene Peoples, an award-winner singer/instrumentalist, composer/arranger, and conductor, Bella Composers offers women new opportunities, self-expression, empowerment, and employment in the world of classical, neoclassical, and other traditional musical genres by showcasing their compositions through live performance, film, new media, and more. The Bella Composers Women Powered Music Competition is the first of its kind, representing women composers from across the globe. Participating for a second term as the curator of the music portion of Artemis, Bella Composers continues its mission for inclusion by celebrating the talents of this underserved demographic.

Visit Bella Composers to learn more.

KESLOW CAMERA: Keslow Camera houses the Industry’s finest technicians and continues to design and inspire unique high-quality accessories that are unmatched by its peers. This pioneering atmosphere creates an energetic and positive employee environment, fostering unparalleled customer service and experience, providing the best service and ensures unparalleled product quality in the Industry: https://www.keslowcamera.com/

ABOUT Artemis Women In Action Film Festival:

Artemis Women In Action Film Festival was founded by Melanie Wise and Zac Baldwin, two filmmakers with a long time love of female-driven action films. Wise and Baldwin have produced shorts and features, focusing on female action projects. They saw that the genre was loved by audiences around the world, despite the fact that studios for many years claimed female action films were box office poison. In 2014, the idea of Artemis was born with the intent to create a space where these types of films could play for audiences with an unsatisfied hunger of female-driven action films. And for the Sixth Edition, Artemis is proud to include for the second year women-powered music: AWIAFF 6th Editon, Bella Composers

August 16, 2017September 28, 2023

Interview with Bobby Lyle at the 30th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival

(Featured Photo of Bobby Lyle by Sheryl Aronson)

By Sheryl Aronson | August 15, 2017 | Arting Around – Agenda Magazine

Bobby Lyle presented a powerful presence on the keys during his set with Ndugu Chancler, Alphonso Johnson, and Craig T. Cooper at the 30^th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival on Saturday, August 12, 2017. One could see the joy and passion on Lyle’s face during performance. He tickled the ivory of the electric keyboard, then switched over to the acoustic piano and maintaining a masterful technique on both.

A veteran of the music industry for 40 years, Bobby Lyle has amassed a prolific discography of jazz music. He has traveled all over the world performing musical directing for legends Bette Midler, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, and more. He now heads his own ensembles and plans to head up his own jazz series in Houston titled Bobby Lyle Presents.

I caught up with Bobby Lyle backstage of the Long Beach Jazz Festival just after his performance.

March 13, 2017September 28, 2023

Agenda Publisher Kaylene Peoples Guest on GetPublished! Radio Show March 12, 2017

Get Published! radio show | March 12, 2017

get-published-radio-team — GetPublished! radio show hosts

First segment, we interview Georja Umano of Splash Magazines Worldwide, who writes reviews for opera, theater, and travel, as well as coverage of charities and events dealing with animal welfare. #getpubradio #trypod

GetPublished! second segment [start – 00:09:49], Kaylene Peoples, publisher of Agenda Magazine, tells us about her coverage of fashion, culture, and trends.

And, as ever, there’s lots of advice on how to get published, including the support resources at our website getpublishedradio.com.

This episode aired on Hella Radio, KNNN-FM 87.7 Redding, Calif. on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at Noon Pacific.

Original Source: http://getpublishedradio.libsyn.com/gp-211-writing-for-ezines-with-splash-and-agenda#uYXAv4xGZKr8OmSb.99