....ITS ALL ABOUT VW (Veronica Webb@ Elite)

When I was about 8-9 years old i was watching this Dateline-type news program called 48 hours. They were doing a special on NY fashion week. They spotlighted a newcomer who had recently graduated from Parsons School of Design and unveiling his first big show....that newcomer was Marc Jacobs. During this time many of the top models would select a new talent to lend their modeling services to for free...this season they were lining up to be a part of Marc Jacobs show. One of the models was Veronica Webb. I was lying on the floor in front of the tv watching ( and video taping) amazed..... "Wow, a black person speaking French." At that moment she had me. Fashion and Veronica Webb showed a little kid from Memphis, Tn that the world was bigger than my hometown and I wanted to be apart of it.

While my friends were plastering posters of rappers, actors, actresses and athletes on their walls, I had an extensive collection of tearsheets of VW on my wall. I would walk 3 hours to the library almost everyday and plant myself in the magazine section. I read every book and fashion magazine that was available Memphis Public Library. I would rip out every tearsheet that had VW in it....and yes i still have them. My best friend would call me every time she saw her on tv.... our household came to a screeching halt just so i could adsorb another glimpse of VW.

In 1992 Revlon chose her to represent its new Colourstyle line of cosmetics for ethnic women. With this campaign, VW made history as the first black woman to be signed to an exclusive contract with a major cosmetics line. They later replaced her with Halle Berry. :(

When Veronica Webb started writing for The Paper and Interview magazine...I started actually buying the magazines. I remember when she published her book, Veronica Webb Sight: Adventures in the Big City. It was a reflection on her life. It features a collection of her essays, reprinted journalism works and her 106-page biography ... she was doing a chat online supporting the book. At the time I had dial-up and it took hours for that shit to upload on my old ass computer....but it did and me and my granny sat there chatting with her back and forth on the computer. I remember being sooooo starstruck actually communicating with her via computer. I told her I was an aspiring photographer and that I hoped to one day work with her and my other favorite model, Jason Olive....I recalled her response being ..."hmmmm, good choice". I was soooo hyped.

above: my drawing of supermodels Veronica Webb and Jason Olive

When I was studying fashion design, all my sketches body types were super versions of Veronica Webb with amazing long legs that stretched across my sketchbooks.

left: one of my many design sketches. my asymetric b-ball dress. (far left is Georgianna Roberston in the Dennis Rodman dress, Veronica Webb and Naomi Campbell in the hardaway #1 dress, and Trya on the end in the Michael Jordan joint.)

I don't think people, including myself, realize what kind of affect they have on people. Veronica Webb had a big effect on my involvement with fashion and shaped and molded my way of thinking on a major level. If the opportunity presented itself for me to get the chance to work with her.... i think would pass out.

I AM THE NEW BLACK 2009

model: harold shores@ la models

When i first came to NYC i started "I AM THE NEW BLACK" movement to encourage diversity in fashion campaigns and runway shows. During NY fashion week I asked all of my friends on Myspace to change their display name to I AM THE NEW BLACK during the month of February. That was back in 2006. Its now 2009 and America is in full swing with a social climate screaming for change.

With the men's shows just passing in Europe, Milan designers pretty much stuck to their guns with keeping their show and campaign presentations mostly white. Paris took us back to the late 80's and early 90's when runways were more diverse. NY Fashion week is around the corner and let's hope they reflect the nation's air of change and start showing some diversity on the runways and in the campaigns.

Last season Darrell Walden was one of the few black guys to stomp the international runways and here's what he had to say:

(Darrell Walden Jr is nolonger with Fusion. He is currently represented by Re:Quest Model Mgmt.)

Black is a reoccurring staple in everyone's wardrobe... that is why I call the movement I AM THE NEW BLACK. Fashion is always proclaiming a different color the "new" black. This season, "we" all are the staple of our existence... Black, White, Spanish, Asian ect.....WE ARE THE NEW BLACK . These images are dedicate to all of "us" during this upcoming fashion week.

model: dominique miller

hair &makeup by dante blandshaw

model: joseph daniels - vicc@boss models

models: dominique miller & lawrence annunziata@identities nyc

model: michael seals - daniel blalock @ identities nyc

model: corey reese

model: jahdal houston

FIRST SATURDAYS @ THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Every first saturday of the month, photographer Ron Arrindell had been inviting me to attend the Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays and I always had a reason to not go. This time I wasn't gonna past it up. THe weather was nice and I was on vacation from my job at FedEx. I need to take a break from retouching and shit and experience some culture.

First Saturdays is an event of free music on the 3rd floor of the Brooklyn Museum sponsored by Target that's held on the first saturday of the month. They were having two popular deejays playing music - one playing afrobeat artist Fela Kuti and the other played James Brown. The Blacklist Project was showing on the 1st floor...I had to go check that out.....


the Blacklist Project is an exhibition of twenty-five portraits by internationally renowned photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and a documentary project that explores being Black in America. Sanders also directed a series of filmed interviews conducted by noted film critic Elvis Mitchell that showed along with the photographs. Serena Williams, Chris Rock, Colin Powell, Toni Morrison, Russell Simmons, Al Sharpton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Sean Combs are among the many African Americans whose faces are seen and voices heard in The Black List Project.

The images, photographic and filmed, are the core of the collaboration between Greenfield-Sanders and Mitchell that has resulted in The Black List: Volume One, an HBO documentary that you can buy exclusively at Target.

I was so blown away by the Avedonesque way the photographs were shot....it was very inspiring for me. The atomosphere of the Brooklyn Museum felt like I was at the Southland Mall in Memphis...uck! It was so crowded and loud, you couldn't even hear the film. I wished the people would give the museum the same respect you give libraries and churches. I had to sit thru the film twice to hear it. The interviews I enjoyed the most and felt related directly to me were Toni Morrison, Al Sharpton, and Chris Rock. This exhibit parallels the 2 art projects I am working on.


I never seen so many people at the museum in my life. There had to be at least 3 thousand people up in there. The coolest part was being at a event where you were in the company of men, women, and children of all denomination, social backgrounds, and ages.

from left to right - model/ friend Rumando Kelly - me - photographer/model Ron Arrindell
I really did enjoy myself and i look forward to next month's first saturday....i'll definitely be there.

pictorial #3 - SHOW ME THE LIGHT - black angels in brooklyn

photographed by Tarrice Love
featuring Lawrence Annunziata @ Identities, Lamar James@ Wilhemina Miami,
Shawn Sutton @ Red Models, Christian Dubosse @ Basic Model mgmt.,
Darrell Walden Jr @ Next Model mgmt. and Sidney Etienne-unsigned
styled by Tarrice Love

I wanted to start doing editorial submission so I started putting this project together of black guys as angels dressed in all white. God threw them down from heaven to do his work in Bedstuy Brooklyn.

model-lawrence annunziata @ identities nyc

I tried to find a stylist but that really didn't work out, so i ended up going to H&M, Zara's, and Daffy's to get things to put together looks that were funky and interesting. The models helped me out as well by bringing white things they had from their own closets.

model-lamar james @ identities nyc

Each guy was shot on a different day thru the course of the summer of 2008. I am impressed that it still flows as a consistant story.

model-shawn sutton @ red models nyc



model-christian dubosse @ basic model mgmt

I enjoyed working with all the guys for this shoot. Each one brought a different attitude and personality to their "character". Lamar James was my favorite to work with . He gave me everything I needed in less than 20 minutes. Darrell Walden Jr. was the hardest worker. He was hanging from fire escapes, jumping, falling and manage to keep the white clothes clean. The Muslims own the fire escape and threaten to call the police because we didn't have permits....it also happened when again when I shot Shawn Sutton. It turns out that Malcolm X's name is on the deed of the buildings across the street from my apartment ( aka studio 12x12) and they are some kind of historical landmark or something like that and they didn't want me taking pictures of it. Despite them making it difficult to shoot in my neighborhood, I still manage to get some really great shots.

model-darrell walden jr. @ next model mgmt



model-sidney etienne - unsigned

I held off showing these images sooner because i was trying to find a magazine to submit them to. I never anticipated how difficult it was going to be to find an outlet that would publish an all black male fashion story. I was also afraid magazine would be "inspired" by my submission and re do it with their team. Since I have started using my blog to showcase my work I decided now was a good time to share this fashion story. I would have loved to have access to stronger clothing , but I think I did a respectable job with the minimum access I had.

I continue to evolve and develope work that is reflective of my true visions. I consider myself an artist first and strive to do work that remains true to that aspect of my being.

THE NAKED TRUTH....spoken word artist Paul M. Harris

Stylist Dave Dela Cruz and myself collaborated on the photoshoot of spoken word artist Paul M. Harris. After one year off from the scene, Paul wanted to come back hard and full strength. We all merged minds and talents to create images for Paul's new music, new energy and new personality.





New cd "A Waste Of Talent" coming this spring... I'm trying to create my own sound for 09... Spoken word with a lil RnB and Hip Hop with a lot of Chi-Town Swag...You can go to his myspace to hear a sample of what he do.... www.myspace.com/paulmharris30

one to watch: MAKIN CURRY @ red models nyc

from the moment he arrived on my doorstep Makin (pronounced ma-keen) Curry was a presence to remembered. Initially I thought he bared a striking resemblance to Pierre Woods @ NY models, but he definitely has something all his own.

He definitely possess the kind of beauty thats almost otherworldly. His vibe is definitely not that of your typical 19 year old. He comes off very intelligent and educated....i definitely like that about him.  

I really didn't have a set plan for my test shoot with him so we sat down and chit chatted a bit while browsing thru his model portfolio. His book is nice. It seemed he's shot with some really good photographers like William Lords, Joseph Bleu, and Jon Malinowski, just to name a few. I was trying to figure out what my contribution to his book would be. I wanted my work with Makin to show a side of him that his agency, casting agents, and clients hadn't seen yet... What we did was pretended I was shooting him for a sexy classic jean campaign... i wanted to create images that showed him in a sexy- manstream way. 



I enjoyed working with Makin Curry alot and I cain't wait to see how he progresses in this industry. He has a good team at Red Models behind him and I'll be rooting for him as well. I look forward to working with him some more he was amazing.

YES WE CAN.....and there's more to come.....

Recently someone told me that I can't change the world and I was naive to believe i can. Everytime i look at one of my photographs, especially those of black models, I know that I already have changed the world...their worlds forever. Now if the rest of y'all believed....

this is a collage of photos i created from my experience at The Million Man March

PUTTING IT ON PAPER.....

His name is Kaliq Omar; is artistic moniker, hesreallythabusiness™. He is a talented young artist from Columbus, Ohio who has taken an interest in translating my photos in to amazing pencil sketches......

twice @ boss models nyc

marcus lloyd @ red models nyc

you can see more of this young talent's work on his modelmayhem page @ http://www.modelmayhem.com/hesreallythabusiness
and his myspace page @ www.myspace.com/hesreallythabusiness

if you want him to draw you don't think you can sucker him into drawing for free...he charges and he's worth. :)

tarrice and brandon check out the "Birth of Cool"

Brandon Parker invited me to The Studio Museum in Harlem to check out the Birth of Cool exhibit. This was my first chance to start doing somethings that are fun . I useta go to museums with my boy Arick Elion at home all the time.



The Birth of Cool exhibit was a retrospective of the paintings of Barkley L. Hendricks. He is best know for his life-sized paintings of black folks in the 60's and 70's and his self-portraits. He also included Jamaican landscape paintings and a set of painted shoes. This exhibit made me feel like i was looking thru my family photo album and 70's fashion magazines. It was very inspiring. Me and Brandon both agreed that every stylist should see this exhibit.


this was my favorite painting intitled "Sweet Thang"



I was getting flashbacks of Good Times, Sanford and Son, The Jefferson and What's Happening. Most of all I was taken back to episodes of the popular sitcom Julia starring Diahann Carroll. I had to go home and watch her and James Earl Jones in "Claudine"


Afterwards we took our hungry asses to Sylvia's, a popular soul food restaurant in Harlem. I had eaten there once before and hated it, but I decided to give it a second chance especially since Brandon loves that shit. Well I was disappointed once again. New York hype at its finest. My BBQ ribs were salty and the sauce tasted like cheap hotsauce poured over my ribs. The mac and cheese was dry and my garlic potatoes were light on the garlic....very light ( i made my mind think i tasted the garlic). The worse part is that our food was waaay over priced. I hate ny hype....it just keeps leaving me missing home. As long as I get to experience Brandon's momma's mac and cheese when she comes up for a visit- it more than makes up for the wack food in NYC.

NEW YEAR.....NEW BEGINNING...ITS MY TIME!!!

I haven't posted in a while. The holidays kinda had me feeling kinda down. Another holiday season in New York City without my family or my closest friends. With it being Fedex's busiest time of the year, I had to work at fed on the days before and following the holidays and I couldn't take off work. I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with Brandon Parker, his momma - Felicia, Brandon's friend Perryn who is a fashion design student at the prestigious Parson's School of Design, and my favorite makeup artist, Crystal Clark. It was nice being with new friends, eating great food prepared by "momma Parker" and chillin with them, but nothing compares to my Granny and her sisters arguing about who has gained the most weight, my momma acting all antisocial and crazy, and my uncle Junebug staggering all over everybody and talking shit. I miss my friends coming thru to rescue me from my ghetto family antics and us going to see dumb movies and eating at Rafferty's. (boy am I feening for that potato soup and croissants with that honey butter, mmmmm)

I spent New Year's eve alone at home in my 12x12 room lying on my floor missing my family reflecting on being in NY and feeling alone for another year. Thinking about all the people I have extended myself beyond what I had to do to help them get to a better place for their goals and careers.
My Grandmother raised me to be generous and helping. She always say help as many people you can as long as it doesn't put you out. So I do and will continue to, but what started to bother me was that I felt like no one was reaching out their hand to help me. I have never felt more alone then what I feel here in NYC. So for the New Year I ask God to surround me with people who will have my back like I have got theirs. Most of the people in NYC are in my life no because they genuinely like me and want to be around me but because of what I can do for them and what they can get from me. I have decided to look out more for myself because I can do more for others if I am in a better place for myself. I have made the decision to do the kind of work I want to do regardless of what agents want from me, models want from me, stylist, makeup artist want from me......its 2009 and it's time for me to take mines....especially since noone is trying to give it to me.
No more free rides in 2009 pimpin. You wanna ride, then give me somethin on the gas, lol.

I am in what's supose to be the greatest city in the world and I haven't really experienced it. I spent so much time shooting and retouching and sitting in front of this crappy computer in this 12x12 room ----I have let what I love to do become some kind of prison punishment. I have allowed people to pressure me about what they want and what they need from me to keep me in this hole........ no more. I have made a personal promise to myself to go to events, art museums, fashion stuff, and take advantage of what being here in New York City has to offer. These people and what they want from me can wait or get someone else to do it. Its time for me to get crunk up in this bitch....lol and have some fun.

BRIAN PETERS AND BO-BO the teddybear

This is Brian Peters @ Ford models talking about castings and how important Bo-bo is to him booking jobs...LOL