Tag: Black Design Collective

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Woodbury University Honors Black Design Collective Founders Kevan Hall and TJ Walker at Spectacular Fashion Showcase

Woodbury University presented an incredible evening of fashion on May 9, 2024, at the Alex Theater in Glendale, CA, honoring the Black Design Collective and its founders, Kevan Hall and TJ Walker. The evening was hosted by Dean Jeff Bellantoni and Fashion Design Chair Anna Leiker.

“Our students and faculty admire Kevan Hall and TJ Walker’s brand identities, awareness, and contemporary approach to glamour and menswear. We also appreciate their work with the Black Design Collective Foundation, which supports independent professionals-of-color and the fashion community, creating opportunities for emerging generations of Black design talent. Their representation of Black designers inspires students and gives them hope for support within Los Angeles’s diverse fashion community. The university is thrilled to honor Kevan Hall and TJ Walker’s life and work at the Woodbury University 2024 Fashion Runway Benefit,” said Jeff Bellantoni, Dean, Woodbury University.

LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 9: 2024 Woodbury University 59th Annual Fashion runway Benefit honoring BDC Co-founders Kevan Hall and TJ Walker on May 9, 2024 at the Alex Theater in Glendale, CA (Photo by Karim Saafir)

Founded in 2018, the Black Design Collective (BDC) comprises accomplished fashion industry professionals of color who amplify the influence and create opportunities for Black designers in the US and abroad. Hall and Walker’s speeches were a highlight of the evening, emphasizing their commitment to bridging the gap between established brands and emerging designers and inspiring the next generation of fashion leaders.

Kevan Hall

Kevan Hall’s fashion creativity embraces couture as an interpretive art form. Following his tenure as Design & Creative Director at Halston, where he revived the dormant iconic brand to its former glory, he launched his signature Kevan Hall Collection in 2001, with a fashion philosophy that emphasizes purity of style. Mr. Hall’s sleek evening wear is worn by a distinguished coterie of celebrated artists and appears on legendary red-carpet moments at Oscar and Golden Globe Awards. Hall has won the 47th Annual Gold Coast Fashion Award in Chicago as “Designer of the Year” and was awarded “Stylemaker of the Year” by Life & Style Magazine. He has given lectures at USC Norman Lear Center, LACMA, Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco)—where he discussed fashion’s current trends on and off the red carpet, as well as appearing in many TV shows.

Kevan Hall’s signature pieces graced the runway that evening, dripping with elegance and luxury. His collection, titled “Faceted,” featured metallic tweed separates, pink guipure lace dresses, and diamanté crystal gowns, which showcased his exemplary artistry. Hall’s creations emphasize purity of style, impeccable tailoring, and sensuous silhouettes, earning him a distinguished place in fashion.

Models walk the runway in Kevan Hall during the 59th Annual Woodbury University Awards featuring Black Design Collective Founders TJ Walker & Kevin Hall

“I am thrilled to be honored by Woodbury University and grateful that they acknowledge the work that TJ Walker and I have done to amplify the impact of Black designers and prepare the next generation for greatness!” —Kevan Hall 

TJ Walker

TJ Walker’s influence in fashion began with Cross Colours in 1998, a collection known for its bold designs and positive messaging around African American culture. The brand quickly achieved global recognition, amassing over $80 million in sales within its first two years. Walker has received numerous accolades, including the Rising Star Award from the MFA and the Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design. He has also been a featured member of the President’s Commission on the NAFTRA agreement and has spoken at the White House on behalf of the fashion sportswear industry.

Models walk the runway in Cross Colours during the 59th Annual Woodbury University Awards featuring Black Design Collective Founders TJ Walker & Kevin Hall

TJ Walker presented the latest collection from Cross Colours, featuring hip apparel for the new generation. The collection included colorful garments, bold statements, and edgy pieces such as baggy pants, hoodies, sweatshirts, and vivid hooded jackets. Camouflage patterns broadcasted an urban message of style, power, and community. Cross Colours continues to hold its title as pioneer of urban fashion trends.

“As a college professor and fashion designer, I know the importance of a solid education. Woodbury University has provided that platform for many years to promising talent, and I applaud them for their work!” –TJ Walker

 

Woodbury University’s “Parallel Universes” was a diverse assemblage of runway shows that honored the exceptional talents and creativity of the sophomore, junior, and senior class in fashion design.  And the evening featured collections that boasted a diverse array of fashion from Woodbury University’s graduating class. The fashions were bold explorations of forward-thinking design, featuring Kassidy Hayslett’s “Green Grass Grows All Around the World,” Nanor Petrosdian’s award-winning “Something Borrowed, Something New,” and Angelica Torres’s “Enchanted Garden Collection.” One particularly heartwarming presentation featured a graduating designer who made prom dresses and prom suits for high school seniors. Around 12 or 13 non-models walked the runway in these dynamic pieces made with love, creating a moving segment that highlighted the range of design motivations and the impact of thoughtful fashion. These are just some of the curations that demonstrated ingenuity, style, and inspiration that captivated the audience. These are just some of the curations that demonstrated ingenuity, style, and inspiration that captivated the audience. Highlights included Alumni Inspiration Award recipients Brittney Diego (Class of 2016 Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year); Brea Holmes (Class of 2016 Costume Designer of the Year); and Black Design Collective member Donny White (Class of 2022 Emerging Fashion Designer of the Year). White launched his label, Donny White Designs, LLC.

“Parallel Universes” was a tribute to the vibrant future of fashion, highlighting the incredible talent of Woodbury University’s graduating class’s 59th Annual Fashion Runway Benefit, celebrating the profound influence of the Black Design Collective. With trailblazers like TJ Walker and Kevan Hall leading the way, the fashion industry is poised for a future where diversity, creativity, and innovation continue to thrive.

About Woodbury University:

Founded in 1884 and located in Burbank, California, Woodbury University is a private, four-year, nonprofit, Minority-Serving Institution in Southern California. The federal government designates the university as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). Woodbury’s Fashion design program has had a long association with Hollywood designers. Howard Greer was instrumental in creating the first professional costume design training, offered by Woodbury in 1931. William Travilla, famous for his Marilyn Monroe designs, was a Woodbury graduate. The program has a storied and long tradition of fashion runway events for over half a century. The university’s past honorees include Sue Wong, Albert Wolsky, Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Gustave Tassell, James Galanos, Jennifer Nicholson, and Lisa Kline. Visit: Woodbury University

About Black Design Collective:

The Black Design Collective (BDC) is comprised of accomplished fashion industry professionals of color, dedicated to amplifying the influence and creating opportunities for Black apparel, costume, and accessory designers. Their mission focuses on promoting scholarship, education, mentorship, and entrepreneurship among emerging Black fashion design talent. The BDC aims to increase the number of designers of color who start, maintain, and scale their businesses, provide a pipeline of highly trained potential employees to industry businesses, and train more designers in the latest fashion technology and manufacturing systems. The BDC is a federally registered tax-exempt organization. Visit: Black Design Collective

(Original Source: https://www.prunderground.com/woodbury-university-honors-black-design-collective-founders-kevan-hall-and-tj-walker-at-spectacular-fashion-showcase/00336163/

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Black Design Collective Community Meeting Presents Bishme Cromartie

BLACK DESIGN COLLECTIVE: Community Meeting October 29th

The monthly Black Design Collective members community meeting will be held October 29th at 3pm PST/6pm via Zoom and in person at the Black Design Collective Creative Center.

Located at 127 E. 9th Street Los Angeles, California
Featuring Bishme Cromartie, born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Cromartie’s work is confident, sexy, and architecturally captivating. His garments reflect characteristics of the art that inspires him. His work has been published in Elle, Essence, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, The Washington Times, and WWD, as well as shown on Bravo.

The Black Design Collective – Where Fashion Meets Progress

Since its founding in 2018, the Black Design Collective has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the fashion industry. We are a dynamic group of accomplished fashion professionals of color, passionately committed to amplifying the influence and creating opportunities for Black apparel and accessory designers and costume designers, both in the United States and around the globe.Our mission is grounded in the three pillars of Scholarship, Mentorship, and Entrepreneurship.

“We believe in fostering the next generation of Black fashion design talent through educational support, mentorship programs, and business opportunities. Our aim is to build a self-sustaining Black fashion community that empowers creativity, innovation, and success.Become a BDC member to be a part of these incredible, exclusive events.” -Black Design Collective

To sign up, Visit: https://tinyurl.com/BDCOct29 #BlackDesignCollective #bishmecromartie #ProjectRunway #firsttakepr

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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

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BDC Pull Back the Curtain: Conversation with Bethann Hardison

This year’s NAACP Vanguard Award recipient, Bethann Hardison shares her incredible life accomplishments in the fashion world.

The event will be held in the breathtaking Black Design Collective Creative Center in the heart of Downtown LA’s Fashion District. Designer/Influencer Goo Goo Atkins hosts this once in a lifetime conversation with Bethann Hardison, followed by an audience Q&A. (The event will also be live streamed.)

“THOMASINA “GOO GOO” ATKINS HAS BEEN A CELEBRITY STYLIST FOR OVER A DECADE, SO IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT SHE’S A MASTER AT CREATING AMAZING LOOKS FROM HEAD TO TOE. 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 WE TV WEB SERIES, GOO RU STYLE. HERE ARE 12 LOOKS GOO GOO ROCKED THAT TRULY GAVE US CURVY GIRL STYLE GOALS.” – Essence Magazine

About Bethann: Advocate, model, muse—with a career spanning over five decades, Bethann 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; to creative director and producer; to founding 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’s 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, and in 2019 became an inaugural member of Gucci’s Changemakers Council. Bethann currently serves on the CFDA’s Board of Directors and as Gucci’s Executive Advisor for Global Equity and Cultural Engagement.

For Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bdc-pull-back-the-curtain-conversation-with-bethann-hardison-tickets-541827168647

#fashionevent #blackdesigncollective #bethannhardison #firsttakepr #fashioninterview #googooatkins #designers #models #fundraiser

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“Black Design Collective” Is the Focus of AGENDA Magazine, Issue 18!

AGENDA Issue #18 "Black Design Collective" Highights

AGENDA features Black fashion designers, NAACP Image Awards “Colors Behind the Look,” and more in this exciting issue of AGENDA. Melanie Wise, Udo Spreitzenbarth; cover models Coco Mitchell and AGENDA’s Fashion Whisperer Ty-Ron Mayes; SHROOMS the cookbook; Aaron Walton, AMATO Couture Menswear runway; Jurassic World Dominion, The 355; and Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk complete the story of this 151-page book periodical!

Los Angeles, August 26, 2022

AGENDA has been putting a spotlight on Black design talent since their first feature with Black Design Collective’s Co-Founder, TJ Walker of Cross Colours in Issue 10.  What followed was Geoff Duran (Issue 11), BDC Founder Angela Dean of Deanzign (Issue 12), Sergio Hudson (Issue 13), OTG Essentials by Okera Banks (Issue 14), Apotts and Epperson (Issue 15), Agnes Bethel Shoes (Issue 16), Renaldo Barnette (Issue 17); and Byron Lars, Octavius Terry-Sims of Groom, and Kevan Hall were all featured in AGENDA Collector’s Issue 3: Changemakers.  The world was informed that there is a kaleidoscope of “all” colors that make up the artisans behind the clothes we love.  After a long hiatus following the release of Issue 17, Couture Paper Doll’s, AGENDA’s contributing staff helped to create another packed issue, appropriately titled, “Black Design Collective,” a nod to this pioneering nonprofit, created to bring awareness, mentor, aid and elevate Black design talent.

Catching up to Issue 18, Black Design Collective, the 151-page book periodical heavily features Black designers, a milliner, beauty brands, and pop-up shops. On the cover is supermodel Coco Mitchell who helped usher in a new generation of Black American models. And on the back cover is celebrity stylist Ty-Ron Mayes, AGENDA’s Fashion Whisperer and America’s Next Top Model Wardrobe Stylist. Mitchell and Mayes are featured in breathtaking editorials shot by photographers Ezequiel de la Rosa and Udo Spreitzenbarth.

AGENDA interviews Tori Nichel (NBC Fashion Star) of Maison Black, Lisa McFadden Millinery, Byron Lars (Barbie) on his new collection by In Earnest, EPPERSON (Project Runway) and his latest fashion editorial EVOLUTION; and a recap of the NAACP Image Awards fashion event “Colors Behind the Look,” headlining with Kevan Hall (president of the Black Design Collective) and BDC designers EPPERSON, Byron Lars, BDC Co-Founder TJ Walker’s Cross Colours, and menswear designer Isaiah Hemmingway. Also featured this issue is “Emerge in Color,” a curated pop-up store headed by the Black Fashion Movement and Maison Black. This one-of-a-kind shopping event successfully launched at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.

This intensely diverse issue also includes New York celebrity photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth and his traveling photo exhibition titled “Between Light & Dark”; The Swedish brand, Dagmar’s S/S 2022 sustainable collection; and AMATO Couture Menswear collection.

“Immune System Maintenance? Ain’t No Such a Thing!” is an article by wellness expert Melanie Wise of Wise Remedies.  Sheryl Aronson (Arting Around) interviews Aaron Walton in “From Fashion Icon to Advertising Mogul, the CEO and Co-Founder of Walton Isaacson.” Fashion Archives presents a blast from the past with vintage Oscar de la Renta, photographed by Arun Nevader. And book reviewer Zac Baldwin critiques movies made from books, ranging from authors Stephen King to Dean Koontz. Universal Pictures and Amblin Productions presents Jurassic World Dominion and the backstory to the end of an era; and Universal Pictures in Association with FilmNation Entertainment presents The 355, an action film starring Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, and Lupita Nyong’o, now streaming on Prime.

Beauty editor Shahada Karim reviews the products Beautystat, Mented Cosmetics, and Oui the People.  And Karim gushes about her new cookbook, SHROOMS, a book filled with “healing” recipes, based on the medicinal qualities of mushrooms.

Fashion Talk was inspired by the film, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

“I just saw the film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.  The film was set in 1957, about a maid who wants an haute couture dress.  The movie triggered so many things in me.  I would see a dress on the runway and covet it.  Once, I attended a Carolina Herrera fashion show, and I saw this model in a gown that I had to have.  To this day, I want that dress!  Needless to say, it was way out of my budget.  But I got how Mrs. Harris felt.  Many of us are Mrs. Harris.  That’s what high fashion is all about.  Giving the fantasy that an outfit could change our lives.  And creating a story with clothing, clothing that encompasses all the accessories, much like a finished painting.  If Oscar de la Renta was alive today, I’d love to ask what inspired him when he created the perfect dress!” – “The Art of Dressing” by Kaylene Peoples, Fashion Talk

AGENDA Issue 18, “Black Design Collective” is sure to enlighten and entertain.  You might heal an ailment, find a cute dress, or even buy a hat and a pair of gloves.  But one thing is certain, you’re sure to enjoy the read . . . and don’t forget to shop Black! (@agendamag).  Visit Agendamag.com/shop to purchase the digital magazine. AGENDA is published by klpublishinggroup.com.

Get your copy today of AGENDA Issue 18: “Black Design Collective.” Purchase Link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBXSTVGR

 

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Agenda Collector’s Issue 2021: “Changemakers” Shines A Floodlight On Women And People Of Color

Mar 15, 2021 (AB Digital via COMTEX) — The multicultural fashion and lifestyle magazine makes a statement as its editorial team incorporates Women’s History Month and Black History Month together in Agenda magazine’s “Changemakers,” featuring WITH HER FIST RAISED (the biography of Dorothy Pitman Hughes) as the lead story. Other features include the first Black male supermodel Renauld White, the first Black supermodel with albinism Diandra Forrest, playwright/actor Levy Lee Simon, women’s suffrage activist Susan B. Anthony; the work of celebrity photographer Michael Benabib, and the Black Design Collective’s Kevan Hall, Byron Lars, and Octavius Terry-Sims.

This is a world that has created holidays for every month and nearly every one of the 365 days in the Gregorian calendar. And based on each individual’s preferences, choosing which holidays are the most meaningful, and keeping them all “straight” can be daunting. However, two very significant months are very near and dear to Agenda magazine’s heart — February for African Americans and March for Women. In “A Letter from Your Editor,” Kaylene Peoples gives us insight on what sparked the idea for “Changemakers.”

“We’ve come a long way … or have we?  That is a question that is always up for debate.  As a woman in a man’s world, this saying is useful. Women have made strides over time, and particularly in the early 20th century. We won the right to vote. Then we won seats in Congress, and now we are the Vice President of the United States. A victory is a victory, right? However, as a nation, America is coming to the equal rights game a little late. Other countries have had women as chief executives for a while. Then there is another little problem:  Race, and why do we still have the divide. 

I started working on this collector’s issue with the thought of focusing on Black History Month. Then, I thought again. Oddly the two “minority” celebrations in our Jim Crow nation just happen to be adjacent: February (the short month) reserved for African Americans and March (on its tail) for women. Aren’t we fortunate to have our own month! All sarcasm aside, focusing on race and focusing on gender should be a moot point by now, yet it isn’t. The decision to combine the two months made more sense to me. And instead of calling it “Black this” and “Women that,” the title, ‘Changemakers,’ made the cut. Agenda Collector’s Issue 2021: ‘Changemakers’ is here to celebrate the achievements and ongoing pioneering of trailblazers, who just happen to be women and people of color!” – Kaylene Peoples, Editor-in-Chief of Agenda Magazine

“Changemakers” is filled with great stories and interviews, beautiful fashion editorials, and some surprises. From two “firsts” in the world of supermodels to activists, playwrights, book reviews, photography; beauty, health, and humanitarianism, the 2021 collector’s issue is not only exciting but interesting and informative.

Here’s what’s in the issue:

With Her Fist Raised: Dorothy Pitman Hughes and the Transformative Power of Black Community Activism

This biography was written by Professor Laura LeeAnn Lovett, a historian and author of other relevant books on women and race issues. Lovett talks about the process of completing her book about the life of Dorothy Pitman Hughes who is the co-founder of Ms. Magazine with Gloria Steinem, an effective civil and women’s rights activist, the first to start a child daycare center, and a former Miss America Franchise owner. Here’s what Laura had to say in this interview.

“I’m really hoping that we go back and rethink what we know about history and reassess our assumptions about African American women and feminism. Dorothy is somebody who is self-made, who figures out what she needs to do, and figures out community needs and does it; she created the childcare office and program for the whole city. I think that understanding that the importance of that message of ‘you can do it, that what is possible comes from the community’ is really the most important part of this book, about her life, and what I take away from learning about her. — Laura L. Lovett, Author

An Unexpected Advocate: Susan B. Anthony Is Still Relevant Today

Susan B. Anthony is a well-known historical figure that fought her entire life for the suffrage movement, as well as being an abolitionist who played her own part in the civil rights movement. This article is a historical retrospective on this Quaker-turned-activist.

“We might question why a woman who was born in 1820, and a Quaker nonetheless, would champion such a dangerous cause, bound to deliver reverberating backlashes.  We might even consider the fact that she had no real resources other than the support of her parents; exampled by them removing her from the school that wouldn’t teach girls math and placing her in an educational program that offered her equal learning.

In 1863, together Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the Women’s Loyal National League, which orchestrated the largest petition drive in United States history up to that time; they collected close to 400,000 signatures in support of abolishing slavery. In 1866, they initiated the American Equal Rights Association, which campaigned for equal rights for both women and African Americans. This is what led to them publishing [the newspaper] The Revolution.” – Kaylene Peoples, Agenda

The Black Design Collective’s new president Kevan Hall, and new BDC members Byron Lars and Octavius Terry-Sims inspire us to consider buying Black. The Nielson Ratings reported that Blacks spend annually upwards of 1.7 trillion dollars, buying clothes and accessories. This piece of information has spurred a community of designers that promote, market, educate, mentor, and raise money for this nonprofit and fashion collective.

 

 

 

Agenda interviews the three designers:

Kevan Hall – Changing the Face of Fashion Retail with the Black Design Collective

“Who knew that when 2020 came around, a pandemic would hit like it did? We immediately shifted into gear as to what we could do to help our designers sustain their businesses, so we started doing a series of workshops. And these workshops were to help our folks figure out how to get a PPP Loan, Unemployment Insurance as an independent designer or contractor eligible for unemployment, where usually self-employed people couldn’t get it. They needed to know how they could get grants.” – Kevan Hall, President & Celebrity Designer

Getting to Know Byron Lars as he talks Barbie and Celebrities

Byron Lars prior to designing Black Barbie collectibles for Mattel,“I was on a very shallow level with Barbie and not on a soapbox about inclusion, but I learned it was really meaningful.  All those white dolls all those years, and the ones they just copied on a Black doll with none of the colors and sensibilities really had nothing to do with us.”

On designing for celebrities,“I don’t really put the celebrity moment ahead of my average customer, because it really does come back to the experience that you’re having. It just so happens that it’s their job to be public luminaries. And other peoples’ jobs are more about putting this dress on and crushing that meeting, because mama’s looking good! You know what I mean?  It really is pretty much the same charge, whether in the public eye or not.” — Byron Lars, Fashion Designer & Barbie Collectibles

There’s more than meets the eye with designer and CEO of GROOM.

“I am currently writing an autobiographical self-help memoir, detailing all my different lives from Olympic hopeful; getting married on the 2014 Grammy Awards; being a singer songwriter with two albums; and now a celebrity fashion designer.” – Octavius Terry-Sims, Designer

Levy Lee Simon:  Odyssey of a Harlem Artist

Award-winning playwright, actor, and director Levy Lee Simon talks about his three pandemic-related projects in his ‘Arting Around’ interview with Sheryl Aronson.

“I would like for people to support live theater during these difficult times, and have a different kind of experience in addition to watching Netflix and Amazon Prime. It is very interesting watching plays on Zoom and seeing the actors in these little boxes. And very soon the audience is caught up in the drama of the play. The solo performance was my debut, and I promise … I hoped I didn’t bore the audience.  The response overwhelmingly has been that I didn’t.” – Levy Lee Simon

Book Reviews

Milk Run is a novel by Zac Baldwin that is thrilling, has fast-paced fiction with not one, but two female leads; and Passing Myself Down to the Grave: A Woman’s Rise from Darkness is a memoir by Sheryl Aronson — an exposing personal journey through breast cancer, surviving, and coming out on the other side.

Looking at Music Royalty Through the Lens of Michael Benabib

Michael Benabib is a celebrity photographer who has photographed the most iconic musical artists in the world, including Michael Jackson, The Fugees, Miles Davis, and more. Agenda highlights some of those rare, captured moments.

“I set up my lights, and I tried to take a picture that told a story by showing the board in the studio. Miles [Davis] was great, and was really interested in what I was doing. He asked about my technique, the camera I was using, and he wanted to see all the Polaroids. He was just totally involved. It was a great experience for me.” – Michael Benabib, Re-quoted from Thelastmiles.com

Beauty by Shahada Karim

It’s all about self-care with reviews of products by African American female business owners in the following reviews. “Danessa Myricks and the Beauty of Color,” “Gavin Luxe and the Sensual Sense,” and “EPARA: The Science of Beautiful Skin.”

Getting Back to Basics with Regards to Women’s Health

When it comes to health, Agenda has a discussion about women’s wellness with Melanie Wise of Wise Remedies in this candid conversation …

“When I train people for injury rehab or other reasons, I’m not looking for lifetime clients. I want to teach them what they need to know and get them out the door.  I want people to be in the driver’s seat of their own health. I don’t want to be their cheerleader, and they don’t need a cheerleader, what they need is good health.” — Melanie Wise, Wise Remedies

Fashion Whisperer Ty-Ron Mayes produces three timeless editorials

“Celebrating Renauld White, a Living Legend and Stylish Trailblazer”; “The Nomadian,” featuring model Jean-Mary Aubourg; and Diandra Forrest’s “Blonde Noir, the First Black Supermodel with Albinism.”  Included in Forrest’s editorial is an eye-opening and consciousness-raising interview.

“I think it’s been long overdue for us to be looked at as the unique beauties that we are. A lot of the times in the entertainment business, people with albinism have been portrayed as something supernatural or odd or freakish-looking, and I love that we are being seen in a different light.” — Diandra Forrest

Agenda pays tribute to those who’ve been the first to achieve or those who’ve changed history. Throughout the entire magazine, Agenda magazine spotlights Kamala Harris, Angela Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Halle Barry, Sidney Poitier, Tuskegee Airmen, Toni Morrison; Donyale Luna, Harriet Quimby, Shirley Chisolm, Ruby Bridges, Lauryn Hill, Marguerite Higgins, Sandra Day O’Conner, Barack Obama, Kathryn Bigelow, The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight, Angela Davis, and honoring those anonymous activists who did their part to help bring forth equality!” A changemaker, simply put, is anyone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem—first, by actively tackling that social problem demonstrates they are motivated to act!

“There is no going back, there is only moving forward.” – Melinda May, S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agenda Collector’s Issue 2021: Changemakers is available in print and digital.

Featured on Talk Agenda Podcast are interviews with Black Design Collective president Kevan Hall, Byron Lars, and author of With Her Fist Raised Laura L. Lovett.

To Listen to Talk Agenda

Agenda Collector’s Issue 2021: “Changemakers” is sponsored by Bella Composers.

ABOUT AGENDA:

Agenda is the fashion and lifestyle magazine that has been telling the story behind the story since 2004. 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. Since the very first Special Edition “Fall Is Fascinating,” in 2014, the magazine has consistently put out breathtaking coffee table keepsakes with content, including fashion, beauty, articles, photography, interviews, reviews, historical retrospectives, commentary, entertainment, and more. Agenda magazine is published by KL Publishing Group and is available worldwide!

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Carol Alt Turns Sixty & Turns Heads on the Cover of AGENDA Magazine!

Carol Alt on AGENDA Issue 14 Covers

Agenda magazine announces “Comfy Cozy,” the Winter 2021, Issue #14 with supermodel/actress Carol Alt on the cover.

This issue celebrates Alt’s milestone birthday as she arrives at 60 years old. Being that the Agenda reader is a diverse group of people, and catering to a mostly female demographic with varying age-ranges (from 25-65 and beyond), this issue speaks to ageism and demonstrates that age is really just a number.

Ty-Ron Mayes, the fashion editor and wardrobe stylist for Agenda’s featured editorial, is responsible for orchestrating many of Alt’s covers in her modeling career.  And now as the Fashion Whisperer, Mayes has curated a beautiful, “ageless” fashion editorial “The Carol Alt Factor: Sensational at Sixty,” featuring looks by Versace as one of the many designers featured in the spread.  The Fashion Whisperer Podcast, Episode 3 is an engaging interview led by Ty-Ron Mayes as he speaks candidly with Carol Alt about her career, her loves, and how she gives back.  They also delve into the changing world of modeling and social media. To listen to the podcast, visit: https://www.agendamag.com/fashion-whisperer-carol-alt-factor/

Kaylene Peoples Agenda Editor-in-ChiefAgenda Editor-in-Chief’s Kaylene Peoples titled the issue “Comfy Cozy,” based on the current pandemic and stay-at-home orders.  Issue 14 is filled with pajama-inspired runway, and winter-appropriate designs with designers Major Minor, NEONYT, and Rachel Mills. Peoples’s Fashion Talk column sets the tone for the entire issue with her historical retrospective: “Pyjama to Pajamas: The History of Sleepwear.”

“Since most people I know are on lockdown, I am sure that I am not the only house-bound person existing in her loungewear.  It only seemed fitting to title this issue “Comfy Cozy,” and create the aesthetic to match its theme.” – Kaylene Peoples, Agenda Editor-in-Chief

Even Black Design Collective designer Okera Banks furthers the point with OTG Essentials’ convertible yet comfortable garments.” Beauty by Shahada Karim has the following articles: “Cold Weather Care,” The pandemic Files, Maskne,” and “Beauty and the Pandemic: Zoom-Ready!”  Karim also interviews Susannah Sprague-Lerma in “The ‘Joyfull’ Way to Go Vegan.”

Agenda has always had great content, and during COVID 19, finding topics that will resonate during these challenging times has been the number one goal.  Within these 137 pages are articles, interviews, and reviews about overcoming challenges, helping people, lifting spirits, and more.  Sheryl Aronson (Arting Around) interviews (Ovation Award-winner) choreographer Janet Roston about her wildly trending video (over 2.2 million views and growing), You Can’t Stop the Beat – Hairspray Finale Spectacular.  Roston’s video was created to raise money for The Actor’s Fund – COVID19; and actor J.D. Lewis talks about The Actors Lab forging ahead with the use of Zoom.

AGENDA-ISSUE-WINTER-2021-#14-Comfy-Cozy-Masthead

Melanie Wise (Wise Remedies) interviews Dr. William Gibbs, who has cured those people suffering from chronic pain. Nichole Galicia (Defiance, Django Unchained) is interviewed by Ty-Ron Mayes about her career and her charity, The Orchid Foundation; Nichole has been changing the lives of young ladies by teaching them valuable life skills. Zac Baldwin reviews New York Times Bestseller Home by Harlen Coben; and the nonfiction novel about one man’s journey on the quest for spiritual understanding, The Solo Traveler by George Harris. Baldwin reviews classic films made into book series in his article “Binge-Reading:  When Binge-Watching Is Not Enough.”  Other features include an interview with podcaster Hammond Chamberlain of Beyond the Playlist and the Universal Studios film News of the World, starring Tom hanks.

Ash Gupta’s Face of the Season puts a spotlight on Russian-born model Elizabeth Rush. Runway Competitions include L’Oreal Professionnel “Style & Color Trophy” in collaboration with Rinda Salmun; and ESNE Designer Showcase.  In closing, Fashion Archives, features classic designs from the not-too-distant past (Olympus Fashion Week 2007 in New York).

To learn more about the Agenda Winter 2021 issue 14, “Comfy Cozy,” visit www.agendamag.com/product/agenda-winter-2021-issue-14-comfy-cozy/

Agenda is published by KL Publishing Group.

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