inspiration: THE FALL 2001 SEAN JOHN SHOW

The Fall 2001 Sean John fashion show changed everything for me. It was the very first time I really felt like their was a specific place for me (the young black man). I remember watching it on E! Entertainment television.This was the  first fashion show to be broadcasted live on national television.  It was an exciting  fashion show with clothes inspired by my life and i wanted to wear them. The model roster was a diverse mix of guys who looked like the casting director just went to Union Square and grabbed every tall guy they saw.  It was like watching  The Source, Vibe, and Spin magazine come to life. This has the be the one of the best men's fashion shows ever.

Sean John Fall 2001 Fashion Show @ Bryant Park from Sean John on Vimeo.

(Sean John was the wardrobe, Badboy made the soundtrack for the movie that was my life)

The one thing I try to tell young people who are trying to get into the fashion industry is the reason you don't see a strong presence of black people in the industry is that we don't own anything to include us. Back in the day, Sean John was one of those black owned labels that represented the guy on the street.....and catered to the everyday young urban man lifestyle. Sean John, like most of the urban labels, are no longer black owned. The are now owned by big corporations who do connect or relate to black culture.

Fashion is still created by artists. The results are a reflection of artist lifestyle or the lifestyle they desire. If the artists are white people, the corporation who owns the fashion house are compiled of mostly white people....you really can't expect to see a genuine representation of colored people and their cultural lifestyle.  

STEPHAN HOFFMAN @ Ford Direct NYC

 

Stephan Hoffman stopped thru for a quick photoshoot to update his book for the upcoming season. He was the first model to pull up on bicycle to my studio in Brooklyn. With a few major campaigns, like D&G and Lucky Jeans , under his belt - he performed like a season pro. Look forward to seeing an amazing collaboration from both of us soon. :)

 

 

thanks Dorian @ Ford Direct for sending me  amazing guys to work with. :)

IT'S JUST TOO HOT IN BROOKLYN feat. OMAR KENNEDY

For the past few weeks its been rediculously hot everywhere. Some cities reached record temperatures. People think because I'm from the south I should be use to the heat but New York heat is waaaay different from any hot weather I have experienced. Its combinded with  nasty think humidity. It's like wrapping your face in plastic and sticking your head in the microwave on high.

Temperatures rose to a sweltering 104 degrees in Brooklyn. My non air conditioned studio was even hotter. I live on the top floor where all the heat in the building is trapped. My actual room doesn't even have windows. With the heat index, it was probably 110-115 degrees in my place. It was to the point where i started taking cold showers while fully dressed.....yes I was walking around in soaking wet clothes. You haveta find creative ways to cool off.

PAPER CHASE! feat. photographer/ model JUBEI RAZIEL

I was shooting some updated images of a good friend model/ photographer Jubei Raziel and I noticed the scripted tattoo on his hip. As soon as I saw it , the idea with paper popped into my mind.

Check out my sit down chat with model/ photographer Jubei Raziel. We talk about his career as a model and photographer and the modeling industry. 

view his work : www.DevilMayCryInRain.com

check his blog: http://devilmaycryinrain.blogspot.com/

GRABBING THE BULL BY THE HORNS feat. KAHARI MAYS @ Soul Artist Mgmt.

I was very nervous and excited to work with the amazingly gorgeous Kahari Mays. Amongst the  many campaigns  he's been featured in, the Ralph Lauren Fall 2010 is the most recent one to use his flawless face as one of their brand ambassadors. 

I have followed his career for a very long time and was a little intimidated. I didn't really know what to do with  him. I don't have access to a lot of clothing to do fashion images nor do I feel comfortable to ask a stylist to haul a bunch of showroom clothes to my studio space in Brooklyn...for free. So I decided to use the bull skull that my friend, photographer James K. Holder, gave me. That thing has sat on a little table in the middle of my living room for months. Kahari kept staring at it with that "ooh, I want to shoot with it..." look on his face. Most of the guys who come in want to shoot with it as soon as they walk thru the door.  I decided to use it with Kahari because his face is a-maz-ing and strong enought to over-power it. I wanted us to create images that were lasting and impactful. I wanted these images  to be something that Kahari would want to hang on his wall at his home.

I was so intrigued by how flawless his skin is. I didn't haveta do anything to his photos but clean up the background and adjust the color tones. He is stunning and complete class act. 

Special thanks to Jason and Andrew @ Soul Artist Mgmt for making this happen. 

inspiration: THE EYES OF LAURA MARS

Not many movies have been able to capture the essence of the fashion industry like The Eyes of Laura Mars. The oh so chic days of New York's fashion industry in 1978 is the backdrop for this jem of a movie.

The fabulous Faye Dunaway plays a top fashion photographer, Laura Mars. Her images are more than just your average pretty picture. They are filled with sex and death and when her models begin turning up murdered in the most unsavory of ways, it becomes apparent that this is more than a case of life imitating art.

The visuals were overdosing on couture  fashions from Halston and Valentino with imagery influenced by one of my favorite photographers...Helmut Newton. When I saw this movie as an adult, I almost creamed myself. Before you watch that clip below, I would suggest you get one of your good towels to wipe yourself.

MICHAEL PRESS - BEYONCE'S PROM DATE FROM HELL

Congrats to my boy Michael Press, co-starring of Beyonce's latest video Best Thing I Never Had . He portrays the prom date  from hell, lol. That's  funny to me  because Michael is one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to  meet. I have known him for about 3 years now. He is a recent graduate at Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, NC. He successfully took advantage of local modeling opportuntities and is now in NYC trying to make it happen.

I was going to post the video presenting him upon my return from my trip to Memphis. Within the 9 days I was gone, Michael signed to Mint Model Mgmt. in NYC and booked Beyonce's video ...

Right before he graduated from college, he stopped by my studio in Brooklyn to do a video for my blog. I wanted to do something different with the videos for  the models who didn't have representation.  So we did the video in the style of agency digitals. I wanted it to be like those natural light digitals coming to life. I walso wanted to show a bit of  his personality. ( see below)

Michael Press - currently represented by MINT Model Mgmt. NYC

I am so excited for Michael Press and I look forward t o seeing what is next in the cards for him.

CONGRATS ROBERT EVANS @ Major NYC

Coming off the international campaign for CK One, I'm proud to see Robert Evans @ Major along side supermodels Naomi Campbell and Natalia Vodianova . I remember  when his booker first called me asking me to do a test shoot with him. Many photographers were reluctant to work with him in the beginning because he's not the industry standard size. I didn't care about that industry standard shit, I saw a star in the making. If I never get the opportunity to work with him again, I'm happy to know that I was one the first photographers in NY  that helped show that he doesn't haveta be the usual industry standard  to be a superstar in this industry. I am so happy for him...he's shutting the naysayers down with one fashion moment at a time. :)

check  the behind the scenes for the Givenchy Fall 2011 Campaign at STYLE.COM