A special thanks to Red Light PR, VPR-NYC, Showroom 212 NYC, Tara, Ink., Ford, Chicago, all of our models, AIM, Root Management and Commence Quest who introduce a swimwear segment styled by celebrity stylist and E! Network Host Marcellas Reynolds for Defining Diva: Sexy is Smart. This live streamed celebration and fashion gala highlighted leading ladies in business and included a charity handbag drive sponsored by The World C.L.A.S.S. with proceeds going to Dress for Success. Kaftans by BlacMera and Ramona Larue. Women’s swimwear by Agua De Coco, shoes by Fergie and Carlos by Carlos Santana. Men’s swimwear by Andrew Christian. Hats by Christy’s. My turn to be styled next, Marcellas!
To say that I journeyed to the center of an incredible annual design incubator doesn’t begin to describe the sense of excitement that penetrated every ounce of myself as I strolled through with artist Christopher Thomas Trujillo who also created an original sustainable chandelier made especially for the event. I already felt like I was gliding, cloaked in an original design by Michael Jerome Francis…it was like channeling a private etiquette lesson - the history is just in the pieces. If the stroll through the City’s most popular interior benefit event at the Metropolitan Pavillion in Chelsea wasn’t enough being endowed with the vintage jumble of beads made by Christopher and the hand made leather and snakeskin flower really put me into eu-fashion-foria. ‘Now, that’s how it should be done’…one onlooker commented his approval. We strolled passed the booth Christopher’s sustainable lamp cluster was nestled in. It was sold and, finally, we were spent. We headed out into the drizzly Manhattan spring night to hail a cab. No one was going our way so we took a train. NYC, that was one for the books.
he added jumble of vintage beads Housing Works will present New York City’s most popular interior design benefit event at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.
The invitation to walk for The Links, Inc. 2012 Annual luncheon and fashion event was a precious way to enter Spring. In the photo from left: Mica Hughes of 2M model management, two Chandra’s…one with an ‘O’ and one with an ‘A’ and a runway diva sparkle in their runway Sunday-best.
Andre J. Cohen of ThreeCohen’s Construction is supporting families in need through the Shields for Families organization who are recent grant recipients. Bound by a common vision of helping keep families that are working through crisis together, Mr. Cohen joined forces with Kathy Icenhower, who developed a work incentive program designed to focus on integrating Shields families into the workforce who have completed the rehabilitation program.
Once applicants complete the program requirements, Shields then recommends qualified applicants to ThreeCohens Construction,.a Los Angeles based family owned construction company that manages, develops and designs for new construction, remodeling and fire restoration. Applicants are screened and placed in job training. The ultimate goal is to hire these training recipients and give them a permanent skill set for career re-entry with a positive, lasting impact.
Shield’s vision of a work re-integration project was the focus of a recent visit from Assistant Secretary of Policy at the Los Angeles Department of Labor, Dr. William Spriggs. Icenhower and Cohen spoke in front of Dr. Spriggs and the Shields for Families founding team and associates about their approach to hiring those who chose to make a life change and rehabilitate themselves to have a better life with their families.
Shields for Families is in a position to further propel the community work they already offer to ensure families receive the type of support that allows them to address child protection, addiction intervention and staying together through tough times. “Having a job gives people confidence. Knowing they are needed and have to be somewhere can be huge for a persons’ morale which will in turn effect their attitude at home” states Cohen. “We can’t afford, as a community, to think we can just rehabilitate people and move on to the next family”. “While people are dealing with real life struggles, the work place may be entirely different when they are ready to develop skills again and join the workforce. We aim to make that transition smoother”.
ThreeCohen’s Construction will continue developing and implementing to empower their community and support Shields. For them, Construction is a labor of love.
I sat beaming with excitement barely able to stay in my skin as the inventor of PhytoPods told me about how his garden is a resource that solves the urban agriculture issue on a large scale while offering an invaluable resource to people interested in growing their own food. Sipping on my decaf Earl Grey in anticipation of my soup, Cousin, as he is nicknamed by our common friend, further described how this simple invention of a vertical garden has a design that is perfect for disaster relief, the original designs offer a soil prototype and a hydroponic prototype. My soup arrived and on the first sip from the miso spoon I had the impulse to replace the ‘p’ in soup to ‘l’. What is this, I asked, not minding that I eat like a caveman when I am excited and single for the um-teenth year. It wasn’t just ‘soup’. It was like drinking liquid Earth. Wild mushroom stalks, shiitake and wakame inoki mushrooms. There were murmurs of black sesame paste and Yuchoi young mustard greens but by then I was talking with my mouth full as if I’d just entered the world of solid food from having my jaw wired shut. I hadn’t, thank God I am shameless when I have good food, it was so good. Thankfully, Cousin was forgiving of my fight-or-flight method of dining and educated me about his design. You can use the liquid from compost in the internal watering system. This is the way I prefer my education, over good food at a friend’s restaurant and great company. We spoke about the possibilities of sustaining ourselves and how that could build community. Right when relief and composure were fully rooted the chef bought out the braised short ribs, which Cousin had previously tasted and raved about. Out comes our braised short ribs, glistening on a rectangular plate drizzled with edemame puree, herb goat yogurt, grated Dikon, bonito and makrel with micro scallions. More heaven and groans of enjoyment. I am counting the days to get my PhytoPod and to have more food that moves me.
Where were you last moon? It’s time to make wishes, ten of them. For the rational types feel free to argue why connecting to dreams can and should be explained or taken apart. There is a commonality in the doing part weather the preferred word is ‘dream’ or ‘goal’…they both reference the destination that connects to a sense of self and pleasure…and who could argue with that.
Humans have woven such a story around fashion only to find no one really owns beauty or defiance. We can believe others, shrinking away from what is truly original or striking. That is our right, to understand, believe and decipher for ourselves according to our own journey with how we put ourselves together and how we take ourselves apart.
I see a striking yet shy woman, bold and compassionate. At a first glimpse the red hit me as if someone splashed it right into my eyes, on my face. I don’t want reminders that all we see in others is in our imagination. Please, just let me have this…feel this contagious power that does not have gravity; just invisible radiance that for some reason makes me feel soothed.
As it turns out, MAD Free was mad informative. A much needed dialogue continued in the heart of Manhattan with the Second Annual State of Our Style Address at the NYU Department of Cultural Analysis. With this group, freedom was the statement expressed through writing, the arts, fashion and fros. The overall tone denoted a need to make collective progress with empowered action when the media teeters in favor of it’s famed negative sensationalism and targets peacemakers, leaders and beloved fashion icons in our community. Hear, here. I will certainly drink to that.
