FERN MALLIS interview: NY Fashion Week 2/12/09-2/20/09

LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER NY FASHION WEEK

Ever wondered what life was like before NY Fashion Week?

On Tuesday, February 16, 2009, we caught up with FERN MALLIS, Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion. Ms. Mallis not only coordinates Fashion Weeks around the world, but successfully organized 7th on 6th, the first NY Fashion Week event held at the Tents in Bryant Park. Life before Fern Mallis was hectic! Before 1993, New York City designers actually produced their own fashion presentations in about 50 separate locations throughout New York City! Whew.



Simone Butterfly (SB): Reading about your career in fashion gives me goose bumps. It is very hard to imagine that New York Fashion Week is only about 15 yeas old. For those that don’t know, how did 7th on 6th get her start?

Fern Mallis (FM): Well it was an accident. There was a ceiling crash at Michael Kors’ loft space in 1991. The models [Linda, Naomi, Cindy] came down the runway just as pieces of plaster started to fall.

The foreign journalists wrote the next day “We live for fashion; we don’t die for it.” The director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) said, we better get this organized!

SB: We consider you to be the Fashion Ambassador. How many cities around the world are hosting Fashion Week a la IMG?

FM: Well IMG does a number of Fashion Week events around the world. Some are a little more marginal and regional and local to their markets. But, we do Mercedes Benz Fashion Week here in New York [twice a year]. We produce Fashion Week in Miami and Berlin. We do Fashion Fringe in London. We have Rosemont Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia. We do Luxury Week for Hong Kong. We also do [an event in] Kuala Lumpur. We are adding Istanbul Fashion Week and we do a Fashion Week in Moscow.

SB: Do you think the Fashion Week concept can work anywhere?

FM: Well apparently the answer is …yes. (smile)

SB: What about the Washington, DC market?

FM: Well, [Fashion Week for] DC would not be an industry tradeshow. But, I mean Cleveland has [a Fashion Week]! And if Cleveland can have a Fashion Week anybody can. The Cleveland Fashion Week is really more of a consumer event with shows for customers. This is a good concept for some cities.

SB: I remember a Press Release about a year or two ago announcing the launch of a Consumer Fashion Week…

FM: We did something for a couple of seasons in San Francisco and Houston called Fashion Week Live.

SB: How did it do?

FM: It did very well. But it was a very expensive proposition. We are going to look at some new models for this event going forward.

SB: Mayor Bloomberg seems to be very supportive of Fashion Week and the new move to take Fashion Week from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center. Was it difficult to get New York government officials to support the Fashion Week concept?

FM: No this event brings in about four hundred thirty five (435) million dollars a season in related spending. It brings in over a billion and a half dollars in tax revenue and salaries for the fashion industry in the garment center here. Annually it brings in close to nine hundred (900) million dollars. This is an economic engine for one of New York’s most important industries. So, the city, very smartly, is supportive. But, [the city] also needed us to be out of Bryant Park and they wanted to make sure that Fashion Week found a new home and did not just fold up its tent and move on.

SB: Well Darling, there you have it!

Not only can fashion generate GOOGABS of money for our beleaguered cities, it can bring fashion mavens from competing houses together under one roof!

FEEL THE LOVE,

Simone.

Simone Interviews Bethann Hardison

Everybody loves Bethann Hardison former international model and founder of Bethann Hardison modeling agency. Ms. Hardision is credited with discovering the first black male supermodel, TYSON BECKFORD and remains our favorite tireless fashion activist. Lately, she has been hosting Town Hall meetings around the nation to discuss the shameless lack of diversity in the fashion world!

On February 13, 2009, Bethann Hardison was presented with the first Arise/ThisDay Icon of Style Award by Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of THISDAY Newspapers! BRAVO!

In celebration of this stellar achievement, we decided to visit to the VAULT in search of an interview with Bethann Hardision conducted in March 2004 at her beautiful home in NYC.

Bethann Hardison was presented with the first annual Style Maven Award in 2004 at the Washington, DC Capital Catwalk event held at the Four Seasons Georgetown to benefit the High Tea Society mentoring program for girls.

Photo from 2007 Capital Catwalk Event featuring Stephen Burrows, Bethann Hardison and Andre Leon Talley.

EXCERPT FROM 2004 BETHANN INTERVIEW

Simone Butterfly (SB): Growing up in Brooklyn, what impact did fashion have on you as a child?

Bethann Hardision (BH): Style had an enormous impact…fashion is a word it is a way to make planned industry have purpose…style is natural especially for people of color because it existed in exuberant people, whether blacks or latinos…everyone has a certain passion for culture and for how they express themselves; surely in the black community you always have women around you who exhibit natural style like my – like my mother had natural style. She was a jitterbugger and so that alone is style. Anyone who can have a man throw you over their head and through their legs and catch you at the other side …that takes style. Her and my father both…they were jitterbug partners and they went to all the balls Savoy ball room and all around them I always saw a lot of things around me too-people you know….you notice, even when you are a kid the shoe that a man has on even when you are seven years old you notice what a woman is wearing; someone wears a glove…someone else wears a jewel over her glove…it’s the details. IT’s the The layers within yourself.

SB: What about the magazines, did they have an impact on you?

BH: When I was nine years old, what I considered to be truly a fashion magazine was Seventeen Magazine. There was a model named Carol Langley, white girl, round face, long straight blond hair…She was my favorite, She was everyone’s favorite at that moment. She was beautiful. Each time I would tell my mother, I have to get the magazine. My mother would look at me and say to me..you’re only nine? And I would look at her like she was witless…I always thought of my mother like she was my little sister. I always though I was smarter than her…and in many ways I was…but in many ways of course I wasn’t. But I wanted it. And I’d get it because I was an only child and a latch key kid too, so she’d get the magazine. But she never understood why I had such a passion for it. And it was immediate and I remember 9, 10, 11 I got every issue of Seventeen. There are Fashion Mag, eve mom the ear;u days that give you entertainment…don’t dictate how you dress…just entertain you.

SB: Do you think the magazines had an impact on your self esteem….the fact that the images did not look like you?

BH: I never had a problem with that-but you have to remember too, coming up in the 50’s and 60’s, there was less media exposure. I come from Bed Stuy. And what’s interesting, coming from a place like that you have so much blackness around you, you have a community that even if there’s media exposure, you look at it like well, that’s them and this is us. SO it is much easier for us to have come from a time period where there was so much layer of culture than there is now. Now there is a bleed and it is very difficult for young people. But for me, I could look at Carol Lindley and think that she was truly an extraordinary girl having nothing to affect my own self esteem. My inspiration were performers like Gene Kelly and Fred Estaire. So for me, every dance that they did, every performance I watched…every film. I saw every musical …everything that came on television and I was completely inspired and I knew I could do that! I was a child tap dancer and was quite well known and by seeing white magazines, white perfomers…what white did for me and my background…it allowed me to believe that I could do. It never made me think I was less than. It was inspiration.

It never made me think…let me get this fixed up…or get that pushed up…

When women are in the neighborhood it is much easier to see your own self progression. You have less worries about…wanting to look like some other person because the only other person is looking very much like you. So anything outside your neighborhood.

SB: What were you like in high school?

BH: I was something else. I accomplished great things, first of all I was supposed to go to a performing arts school. But a man, George Wyngate came from a school called George Wyngate in Brooklyn. He came to talk about the Banjo School and that we should consider coming. This was the same time as busing, only I did not know. For some reason the school sounded really interesting to me. It seemed like it was the place I was supposed should go. So I cancelled going into the Performing Arts (even though it was really a big thing to get into the Performing Arts school) and I go to this regular high school with all of these white kids and a few black kids from PS 35. I get into the school for my sophomore year. By my junior year, I made the cheerleading squad, the first black girl on the cheerleading. I got elected to organize the spring festival…Then I was in the choir and chorus. I had a great time. It was wonderful. We left there so much better all of us white and blacks.

Some black kids would say, Oh she thinks she’s white….

You can see already how if you begin to achieve and you become a bit exceptional all of a sudden you are not apart of the cool norm. If you are true about yourself you may have to straighten people out because you can see how that opportunity is so much greater than where you come from. It is the ride…the ride of life…it’s the beginning.

I am glad you asked that.

SB: Coming out of HS Did you think that you would have a career in fashion?

BH: No not at all- I think from HS …18 up until the age I am now, I never really knew what I was going to do. I didn’t think that. I thought I would go to college because everyone said that you have to go. And I was on my way to do that but I wound up not finishing college (I went to FIT for 1 year; NYU Art school for 6 mos) but at the end of the day I took a job in the garment district. It seemed more natural. But, I didn’t think about it because I needed a job.

SB: Tell me about the first job.

BH: The first woman I worked for Ruth Manchester. She was a Jewish woman. and Sylvia, her sister. (I have to be very specific about cultures, etc. because it helps to define your expression and your understanding ...it is very important to me I always speak black white because I like to distinguish. It helps because it is all about relationships and how those relationships work together. When my grandmother and my mother were domestics and they worked for Jewish families that was my exposure to them.

But these [jewish] women really helped me in my career and really helped set me on the road. They believed in me, especially Sylvia. She let me work as an assistant. She taught me how to sell. I was one of the first blacks ever in a showroom to sell to whites in the garment district. And when I would go out to talk to him they would say…OH NO go get Sylvia. At that time I thought it was because I was black and young. Now I know it was the combination they would rather deal with who they know. But, Sylvia would say…Well I am not going out there…they better deal with you.

And that is a big thing! She would risk the loss of a sale because so they would have to deal with me. So I could have that experience and so I could become better at my job. I went back out there and they had to deal with me. And that was a great thing and that’s how I started modeling coming out of that same showroom. They sent me to take sample garments to Bernie Older who used to head Federated Junior Department. And he would put on a fashion show to show all of the buyers things that would become very important in the season from the different manufactures.

I saw they were putting on a show. I gave him the garments and I said you should put me in the show, I am a great performer….He said yeah really. Why should I put you in my show. I said, I’m telling you, I am a great perfomer. See, he really put on a show. He had actors from Broadway. And I was like a kid in a candy store. I could dance, I do shows. So I went back and I got to my office and Sylvia and Ruth said, What did you say to Bernie? He just called up here. And I said, Oh I’m Sorry. Tell us what you said. Well he called you and he wanted you to be in the show. And they let me be in the show. That was nice because you know they could have said, No you can’t do that…you’re working. It was like I was there daughter and they wanted me to achieve this.

Everything turned very nicely in my life. The garment district taught me well.

SB: How did you meet Willie Smith?

BH: Willie used to see me always going into 1407 Broadway and he thought I was a designer. He was always attracted to my style and my look. And one day, one of the junior buyer’s assistant came into the showroom (they used to come in to drop off garments) she said I need to talk to you- there is a guy Willie Smith who is a designer who is asking about you. He wants to meet you. He called me and I met with him. He thought I was a designer. HE asked me if I would consider being his model. Because he had no one

Many people in the garment district used to confuse us the way we both dressed.
Unbeknownst to each other sometimes I would walk by and people would say, hello Willy. The way I dressed and the way he dressed…

He was just starting to come up just getting press in WWD. And they were so proud of me.

SB: What was your style like?

BH: I don’t know. I see pictures of myself and I say ooh I sure had style. Now…people get lazy when they get old. Maybe some people don’t. I looked at bag women. And I think to myself, I could be that woman. Some of the bag women looked so chic to me. Yeah, the first time I went to the Commes de Garcoin fashion show in Paris I thought that ____ really to me designed like she was designing for bag women. Because everything seemed not together but together. The way they wore hats, sitting on the ground especially before NYC got rid of the homeless. I always gave great kudos to them. Because in a snap you could be homeless. And that was the reason why we formed Black Girls Coalition. We wanted to get these girls together…but it was about the coalition helping…we were having a crisis but those women on the streets had such style. For me, what I wore them…may be moment in time, you don’t remember what you wore but for someone to recognize it and say you have great style. You had it and when I look back in pictures, I see it. And now, you could care less. Your life is always constantly about the quality of your life. Everything is too designer anyway. You have to look through too many stores. SO much to look for. Etc.

SB: Tell me about modeling abroad.

BH: Walking down the runway…I will always remember that moment…because the runways in Paris were so very long. And when you get to the very end. All the cameramen would click their cameras at the same time. All the lights would hit. It was the most exhilarating moment. It was more than anything I have ever felt in my life. You just think, God, You are right there at the end of that runway and at that moment when all the lights hit you think…woah.

SB: How did you get into fashion show production?

BH: Issey Miyake saw such strength in me. I worked with him for so many years. And I helped produce his shows in Japan and America.

SB: How did you start working with Calvin Klein?

BH: Calvin would call when Stephen [Burrows] and I were working on our collection. He loved my style so he would ask me what I thought.

I was the one who told Calvin…and this is the factual truth…I am going to lead my own parade on this one…because if I don’t no one will ever know. Wearing high heels with jeans was me. Calvin was basically sitting around and coming out with a jeans line. And my idea was, “Why don’t you put it with a pair of high heels?” And I talked him into it. And it was the biggest thing. In every mall..every crazy little girl was walking around in jeans and heels and they still are. No one ever did that before.

SB: Gong back a step..to ‘70’s ….to the Battle of Versailles…I read so much about it. How did it come about?

BH: Francois de la Renta, who is now the former wife of Oscar de la Renta, had an idea to create this union—the French designers with the American designers, to benefit the Marie Antoinette theater, a very small little theater. They wanted to raise money for construction. It was a benefit show.

It was only supposed to be a friendly benefit but it turned into a Battle. The French press kept going on about the Americans, saying, “they don’t design clothing they create sportswear.” And instead of the American press defending their designers, they began repeating what the French said. Soon, the American press were no longer enthusiastic about the show. Only a few American press attended. The one person who was there was Bill Cunningham with his camera. Only about 3 or 4 editors from newspapers wound up attending because everyone thought we were going to embarrass ourselves.

Of course the designers fought and hated each other. Poor Anne Klein would talk to me all the time saying that she was having the hardest time because she was the only woman. Anne Klein never used black people, but then she went and got me because her whole collection was based on scenes from Africa. So she got me to help her find black girls. Black girls were really popular then because the black girls were the ones that made the fashion shows something to go look at. They were very, very successful. The black models were….Pat Cleveland, Billie Blair, Bethann Hardison Alva Chin, Norma Jean Darden. They called us the “strutting stallions.” We really were something. They really had to incorporate us in the Versailles show because the black models really made you feel like you were having a show.

We went over there and we changed Europe. We changed how French designers thought. Besides that, “We Won!” Josephine Baker was there and she was so proud of us. She came backstage (she was performing for the French.)

It was my moment, too…They kept saying..“You do it for us!”….They kept getting me so pumped up…and everytime, I would do rehearsals…they’d say that was good, but they could tell…they did not see the Bethann they wanted. But, when that moment came, when I had to deliver..and I only had that one dress..Man, I came down there and all Bill Cunningham said…IT WAS WATTS IN THE HOUSE! IT WAS WATTS IN THE HOUSE!

According to Tracy Cooper of TEENS COUNT, DC Youth Want More Fashion

Mayor Fenty's Passport to Work Summer Program for DC children starts on Monday, June 16, 2008. Many DC youth have expressed an interest in working in the WDC fashion arts industries. Ms. Tracey Cooper is Founder and President of Teens Count, a non-profit in WDC with a special affinity for inspiring youth to pursue careers in fashion. Tracey knows first hand that DC youth are talented, creative and spirited. It's up to us to help our youth channel their interests into productive activities!


Mariessa (M): What sets your non-profit apart from other youth groups?

Tracy Cooper (T): Our non profit is provides rewarding experiences for youth interested in the performing arts ages 12-19. We focus on building character and self esteem.

M: When we think about performing arts, we don’t always think of fashion or fashion careers. How does fashion fit into your curriculum?

T: I think that fashion is art. It is creative. Our program fuses fashion and theater. Students learn theatrical techniques such as improvisation, runway techniques and auditioning techniques. These techniques translate into interviewing skills. They also learn how to build props and staging, set-up lighting, etc. I think this definitely translates into fashion and the arts.

M: Tell us about your annual youth program, the School Fashion Battle.

T: Ten metropolitan area high schools competing in the battle, a fusion of fashion and theater. The students have worked for four months on this program. It is an extra-curricular in school activity. The students select themes, choreograph and execute an 8 minute scene idea. The culminating event is January 19.

M: What I found to be interesting is that today, fashion is helping to spur a renaissance in DC. Why do you think your event resonates with so many youth in this area?

T: I think they see it as an opportunity to “represent” their school. This is our fifth year hosting the event. In 2004, the Battle was held at Bowie State University. The capacity was 999. The next year we held the production at the University of Maryland theater which holds 1250. The next year, Then we moved to the Camelot of Upper Marlboro. Their ballroom holds 1875 people. We sold out that venue. Then, we moved it to Constitution Hall in 2007 and 2008.

M: That is amazing. That really shows that you are not only doing a wonderful job but it shows that the DC students are really fascinated with fashion and showcasing their creativity!

T: I think the interest in creative programs has grown. It has blossomed in the past seven years. We live in a creative culture now. We have a huge creative side that we need to address. It is critical that we massage their interests and provide programming that can hold the attention of our students. That has been a blessing to me.

M: Have any of your students pursued careers in the fashion industry?

T: We have several students at the Fashion Institute of TEchnoligy in NY. One of my students s attending a design school in California. Last year, the winning team went up to NYC to meet Russell Simmons and one of my students got an internship with Russ Philanthropic. We have several students with great success stories. We find that this program inspires them to pursue an eduation!

In order to participate, students have to come to school and have to have at least a 2.5 grade point average. This is higher than the DC Public School requirement which is 2.0 (a D average). The program motivates students to do better in school.
In addition, we surround our student participants with role models. Additionally, we create programming that is not only fun but helps to build strong characters and better values.

M: Exactly and I would add that Teen Count is an in-school program. So the students are in a controlled positive environment between 3pm and 7 pm.

T: This is critical. I think that this is a critical hour because a lot of our parents are at work and we have a lot of latch key kids. Unfortunately, our teens are falling prey to drug addition, gang violence, alcohol addition , teen age pregancy. This is a positive activity a safe place for our youth.

M: You were kind enough to testify on June 15, in support of the legislation to create a Fashion Commission in DC. Do you think the F Commission will help?

T: It will help our non-profit organization and our mission because we have applied for several grants with the Commission on the Arts and Humanities and we have been told that fashion does not fit into ther criteria that they are looking to support. I find it challenging to get grants that support fashion programs even though I think fashion is a form of art. I am hoping that the Commission can help.
Fashion is a viable and marketable subject matter. A lot of our kids are interested in it. It also builds character and self esteem.

M: If you have an opportunity to have an audience with the Mayor or the Office of Economic Development is there anything specific that you’d like to tell them about your needs?

T: Needs-the students participate in this particular program and there is no funding provided for their participation. They create their own costumes, build and develop their own sets and props. Yet there is absolutely no funding and no support for that development. It is a four month extracurricular in school activity that has absolutely no funding. So often times these kids have to come out of their own pockets to find money to build sets, create their costumes, etc. Teens Count goes into the school and provides workshops. People volunteer their time and teach the students proper technique. Often times, it is challenging for me to find people with the proper skill sets to teach these classes for free.
In addition to funding, we would ask the Administration to attend the events. Hopefully this year, we will have Council Members to attend.

M: On a different note, I am proud to say that DC is on the move. There are tons of new boutiques cropping up in WDC. What are you favorite shops?

T: There are so many but my favorites are Wild Women Wear Red and Pink November.

M: Thanks Tracey!

February 2008 NY Fashion Week (published 2.2008 by WTTG Fox 5)

Teri Agins Comments on Hervé Leger by Max Azria

Fashion Week-Bryant Park, New York City: On February 3, 2008 at 2:00 pm, exiting the Hervé Leger runway presentation, we spent a few minutes talking to Teri Agins, a Fashion Writer for the Wall Street Journal and Author of The End of Fashion.

Mariessa (M): It is so great to see you! What is the buzz about the Hervé Leger line?

Teri Agins (TA): Hervé Leroux was the original designer of the Hervé Leger brand. But, there was some dispute and he sold the trademark. Max Azria from BCBG bought it and has worked to revive the brand. There was a lot of excitement in the room today because people wanted to see the brand come back. Other than Dolce and Gabbana and maybe Roberto Cavalli, this kind of tight sexy look is virtually missing in stores. I thought it was cool…on the front row they had all of the girls lined up in their dresses. It was a nice photo opportunity. Azria definitely knows what he is doing with regard to the re-launch of this brand.

M: Which designer do you look forward to seeing every year?

TA: Tracy Reese (tracyreese.com) is one of the designers I look forward to each season. I have been wearing her designs for years. Tracy makes dresses and uses a lot of color; two things that I like. I also look forward to Oscar de la Renta because you know his shows are always going to be magnificent and well done. I enjoy Carolina Herrera, too. I also look for Proenza Schouler, Zac Posen, Derek Lam, Richard Chai & Philip Lim.

M: WDC recently introduced legislation to create a Fashion Commission. Do you think that fashion can spur economic development?

TA: I don’t know. But the thing is…I can understand why DC might want to get in on this. Fashion is a big part of pop culture and people are interested in following it. Dallas has a market week. Chicago and Los Angeles do, too. The stereotype of Washington is that the people are very staid. But, I do not think this is necessarily true. I think that Washington, DC has enthusiastic consumers. Why not? Especially, if you can get the retail community behind it! The one thing that I like about the DC Fashion Commission is the development of a Fashion Incubator. Today, schools are not teaching art and music. Therefore the kids do not get exposed to the design industry. I like the fact that you are making an education effort. That is really important. When people get exposed to fashion, then they become consumers with an interest in the industry, the clothes, design and creativity. This is all a part of the art world. That is great!

M: Thank you Ms. Agins!



FYI, darling: WHO IS HERVÈ LEGER? Leger is a Parisian designer who began his career in fashion as a hair dresser and milliner (www.herveleroux.com). After working as Karl Lagerfeld’s assistant at Fendi and Chanel, Léger opened up his own atelier in Paris in 1985. Léger perfected the bandage dress made of bands of stretch fabrics, wool, or silk woven with Lycra or Elastene, wound around the body for a tight fit. Max Azria bought the brand in 1998 and hired Jerome Dreyfuss to take over. Leger left the brand he created soon there after suing for breach of contract and trademark infringement among other things. Leger renamed his line Hervé L. Leroux (Hervé the Red). He continues to design elegant, body conscious gowns at his boutique located on 32 rue Jacob in Paris.

Interview with Paul Wharton (published 1.2008 by WTTG Fox 5)

PAUL WHARTON, WDC’S OWN FULL TIME FASHION CELEBRITY

It’s 3pm on a fashionable Tuesday in the District. Armed with Ruby Woo lipstick, metallic 4-inch steel gray boots a la Wild Women Wear Red and a hot pink Olympus digital recorder, we approach the door of Paul Wharton’s Capitol Hill loft. Within minutes we are ushered into an urbane, spacious studio where we are treated to champagne and freshly popped corn.

Enter Paul Wharton: Paul Wharton is the popular modeling and style coach from MTV’s hit model series MADE and VH1s hot new series The Agency. In November 2007, Washington Life magazine named him one of Washington, DC’s most fashionable celebrities. Paul has been training models in DC ever since he was 12 years old!

Mariessa (M): How did you break into the Fashion/Style Arena?

Paul Wharton (PW): My mother was a model. When I was a kid, I started to model for New Model Agency owned by Cynthia Wilson located in Crystal City, Virginia. I went on a lot of castings and I did well. When I was about 12 years old though, I decided that I needed to make more money so I could purchase a jaguar when I got a little older. I decided to offer workshops for other kids who wanted to model. We [my mom and I] put an ad in the Washington Post; added a business line in the house and hosted seminars for kids who wanted to model. I made up a three-fold brochure. My workshop cost $99 dollars for unlimited sessions. I worked all through my teenage years from aged 12 to 18. When I was 18 I moved to New York City.

M: What happened when you arrived in New York City (NYC)?

PW: My intent at first was to move to NYC to attend New York University (NYU). My uncle owned a great brownstone in Harlem. I spent a year in New York just exploring the city and learning about people. Harlem was a great experience. I loved it. A year later, I was accepted into NYU and got signed to Wilhelmina Models. I started meeting a lot of different people. I met the people at Elite [modeling agency] and Ford [modeling agency]. Soon thereafter, I started training their new models. A couple of years passed and I moved over to the television section of Wilhelmina.

I started booking television commercials then. One particular audition stands out in my mind. It was for a MTV show. I remember it because it was a turning point for me. I went on a casting and there was a long line of 300 people wrapped around the block. It was on 26th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. I saw the line and I told the cab driver to, “Drive!” We got to the corner and the light turns red and I start thinking, “What have I done in this city, really? Why shouldn’t I have to wait?” So, I got in line.

My mom always thought that I would be on television. She thought I would be doing something notable. I thought so too. Then I got to New York and realized that everyone that had that dream is converging in NYC. In NYC, there are so few opportunities for so many people. This sudden realization makes everyone nervous even desperate. I wasn’t desperate yet, because I had been able to land a few jobs soon after I got to NYC. But, it was an epiphany. This dream was not just mine but it was a dream for a lot of people.

NYC was a great. It was the place where I was able to get the experience and the visibility that I needed in order for people to take me seriously. But, I am glad to be back in Washington.

M: Well, WDC is glad to have you back! Tell me about your television projects.

PW: I was the first model coach on MTV’s highest rated original serious at the time, Made. It was aired in 2003. I produced and co-created the entire show. The show was in 38 countries. From that I moved on to become a makeup expert for Ricki Lake. Then I started doing VHI and E! Then I did Style Court for the Style Network. This year I did The Agency on VHI, which was a show about the inner workings of the modeling industry. It was aired in Europe first.
My new shows include, Top Model Make Over that will be shot in December 2007 and Make Over Manor that will be aired in the spring 2008. I just finished shooting a great new show on TV Land called, She’s Got the Look. I am the model coach and for the competition that will identify the best sophisticated models over 35.

M: You also founded a modeling agency called Evolution Look. What distinguishes your agency from others?

PW: We do informals and a new kind of promotional modeling. Historically, promotional modeling has involved passing out food samples. But, my agency takes a different approach. We typically partner with a boutique or designer who will in turn help us to promote our client’s goods and services at special events. We typically promote restaurant launches, clothing lines, store openings, new products, etc.

M: Do you think it is difficult to run a fashion business in Washington, DC?

PW: Actually running a fashion business in DC is difficult. In this town, people are not used to paying others for fashion, beauty or lifestyle advice. They say, “Let’s just pull together and do this thing.” But no one gets paid. In an effort to keep my business running and to keep myself running (which can be a job all its own), I have to be mindful of where the income stream is coming from. I am constantly reminding other people trying to create fashion initiatives in DC that fashion takes money. If you are saying that DC is a place where we can create a great fashion community, we have to keep that cycle going around. Otherwise, the message that we are sending is that fashion in the city is a “hobby.” I think everyone should be paid for what they do. I am hoping that the Fashion Commission will help.

M: Thank you for speaking with us today, Paul!

PW: Thank you!

ARE YOU MODELESQUE? CHECK OUT PAUL WHARTON’S BRAND NEW MODELING WEBSITE LAUNCHED IN DECEMBER 2007. www.evolutionlook.com

Interview with Councilmember Kwame Brown (published on 11.20.07 by WTTG Fox 5)

CAN FASHION REALLY JUMP START ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

Mariessa Terrell talks fashion with Council Member Kwame Brown, Chairman of Committee on Economic Development (www. kwamebrowndc.com). Interview conducted Nov. 19, 2007.

Mariessa (MRT): Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Council Member Kwame Brown, the Chairman of the Committee on Economic Development at the DC City Council. Good Morning, Council Member Brown

Council Member Brown (KB): Good Morning.

MRT: On June 15, 2007 you joined Council Member Harry Thomas, Jr. and Council Member Marion Barry to co-sponsor Bill 17-173 to create a Fashion Commission in Washington, DC.

MRT: Can you tell us about the Bill and why you think that it is important?

KB: When people think of Washington, DC they think of a stuffy place. They think of politics, museums, non-profits…not necessarily fashion. DC is a fashion town and [the Council Members who sponsored the Bill to create a Fashion Commission] sought to model [the District after] other cities like Chicago and New York that have created a way for fashion to thrive in the city.

MRT: Right now, the Bill is in your Committee and is on its way to mark up. What is the current status of the Bill?

KB: The Bill was introduced...and we had a hearing right away on the Bill. But, right now in the District, there are just so many different things going on [including issues dealing with] the CFO’s office and the schools that have taken precedence over the Fashion Bill. But we hope to get it marked up before year’s end.

MRT: What role do you think fashion retail development plays in Washington?

KB: To have a Fashion Corridor in the city, a place just for fashion where you can have local designers and local businesses partnering together to showcase the work of local designers would be phenomenal! We can’t just put franchises throughout the District of Columbia. Fashion should be a part of the culture and the diversity of the city. The Fashion Incubator will allow our young folks in High School or who have graduated from High School to pursue their dreams. Their dreams may not be a regular 9 to 5 [job] and may include fashion. You never know. We could have the next Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Phat Farm or Sean John right here in the District of Columbia. Would n’t that be a great thing? Hopefully they will open up a facility here. Vocational education is not just about the construction trade or sciences or the computer industry. Fashion is one of those areas that could thrive [here].

MRT: How do we ensure that our neighborhoods will benefit from the development taking place in Washington, DC?

KB: Clearly local residents and local business owners should be able to participate and that is why I have created an atmosphere that will allow for local ownership on development projects [and will] make sure that 50% of the projects will go towards local businesses. But more importantly we need to try to help define what should be [in the neighborhoods]. If we are going to build a new community, what will that new community look like? Clearly residents who don’t have sit down restaurants in [their neighborhoods] want [and deserve] those things. But, they also want [and deserve] to shop! You don’t want to have to go to Tyson’s Corner, Pentagon City or New York City to shop. You should be able to have some places [in the District] that you can go to and “buy local, stay local.”

MRT: I am so glad that you said that, because that is one thing that Simone’s Washington is very interested in -recapturing the millions of dollars that residents spend at shops located outside of the District. What are some of your favorite local boutiques? I don’t have time to shop…but….my wife loves to shop. [One of her favorite boutiques] is Wild Women Wear Red [located at 1512 U Street, NW- www.wildwomenwearred.com]. There is nothing like taking visitors from out of town to our local boutiques. When people come to Washington, they don’t want to see…franchises. They need to see some of the local flavor and local boutiques….That’s what it’s all about, showcasing our own talent. I do know a [designer] who is really wonderful…I met him at your fashion event, The Capital Catwalk (www.capitalcatwalk.com) put on by the High Tea Society (www.highteasociety.org). It was phenomenal! I would never even have thought that you could have an event like that in Washington, DC. When I walked into the [Andrew Mellon] Museum (www.mellonauditorium.com) I swore I was somewhere else, outside of Washington, DC. It just shows that if we think outside of the box, we can create something! There were some fabulous fashions showcased at the event. But you know some people may have to leave the city because we are not giving them the exposure that they need. My job is to figure out how we can do that.

MRT: Well thank you Council Member for speaking with us today.

KB: Thank you, and let me also thank you for all the time that you have spent…being an advisor to this Bill that was introduced…to create a Fashion Commission. It is your vision that has caused us to push the envelope and think differently.

Reminiscing about Fashion in Washington (published WTTG Fox 5 on 11.6.2007)

On Saturday, November 3, 2007, the Historical Society of Washington, DC held its 34th Annual Washington Studies Reception at the Carnegie Library. Session 33 entitled, DC Style: A Salute to the Reporters Who Chronicled Real Washington Society & Fashion featured panelists Roscoe Dellums, Eve Ferguson, Allie Latimer and Helen Moody who reminisenced about fashion and society in WDC from 1960-1990.

Attorney Roscoe Dellums, one of the original creators of the famed Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) fashion show recalled the glory days when the CBC Spouses produced elaborate fashion presentations during Caucus weekend that featured the top African American models of the day, including Naomi Sims, Beverly Johnson and Audrey Smaltz.

In the 1960’s, Washington was a very different city than it is today. Brown v. Board of Education had yet to be fully enforced so many African American women still lived and worked in two separated and segregated worlds: one white and one black. Fashion for these women was, according to Attorney Allie Latimer, dictated by occupation. Because black women were seen before they were heard, fashion and impeccable dressing, became the great equalizer. The right suit from Garkinkel’s, hair coiffure from the Cardozo Sisters and shoes from Landsburgh helped to level the playing field.

But, even after integration, blacks were not always welcome in the Washington area department stores. Helen Moody, personal shopper extraordinaire and former Saks Fifth Avenue model retold how Saks department store was duped into hosting a fashion show for black women featuring black models in 1973. It happened during a store transition. One manager who was leaving Saks Fifth Avenue signed off on the event without much scrutiny. The new manager decided to “make it work” and spent a considerable amount of money producing a spirited and energetic show that resonated with the black shoppers. After the event, Saks Fifth Avenue merchandise and charge cards flew out of the store making the black women a much sought after customer.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s students at Howard University, aka Saw U continued to use fashion to signify a state of mind. Fashion Journalist Eve Ferguson recollected her time spent preparing to make a daily appearance on the Yard. Her attire, largely dictated by each day’s scheduled activities, consisted of either Sassoon or Guess jeans with sequined tube tops or Dashikis and kente cloth. Black power and disco fever each had a uniform that were unmistakable and rarely interchangeable.

But regardless of the era-from Black Broadway to the elegant parties held in private homes of the black bourgeoisie, “black folks know how to put it together” and continue to use fashion to make statements about their community and themselves.