Anniversary issue Feb/Mar 2017

T HE 

ANNIVERSARY 

ISSUE 

| ISSUE no 6

Adele, winner of Album Of The 

Year,Best Pop Vocal Album for 

'25' and Song Of The Year. 

Record Of The Year and Best 

Pop Solo Performance for 

'Hello,' poses in the press 

room during The 59th 

GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES 

Center. 

Givenchy 

Red Carpet 

Dress 

Adele looked to Riccardo 

Tisci and Givenchy for this 

look!

Claudette Ortiz 

Life After City High 

Page 29 

Photographer: Antoinne Jones 

Creative Director: Michael Lopez 

Stylist: Jerry Thompson 

Designer: Five 13 Studio 

Hair: Terrence Davidson 

Hair Asst. Sweetstyles by Kai & 

Tamora Patrice 

Nail Tech: Redd Flythe 

Location: ATL GA Weldon Bond 

Studios Jewelry: The Vintage Bar

CONTENT 

29 

49 

CLAUDET TE ORTIZ 


INSPIRATION 

With Latise M. Howie 

36 

Contributors 

Anitra Scott- Operations Manager/ Stephanie 

Majewski~(Marketing)~Shartiera 

Wilkerson~(Journalist/Event Coordinator)~Marage 

Blakeney (Journalist)~Shannon 

Rawley~(Co-Editor)~Desiree Helm~(Writer)~Monica 

Jones~(NYC Contributor) Jerry Thompson~(Executive 

Assistant) 

Cover Art: Ty Statz 

Photographer: Laurence Logan (The.TZ.Studio) 

Photographer/Video: Emmanuel Toussaint 

(Toussaint Studios) 

Writers: Tasha McClarrin~(Writer/Contributor)~Davita 

Collins~Writer)~Administrative Assistant: Maranda Moore 

Creative Director: Michael Lopez-Bond 

Public Relations: Pac PR 

Tempestt Harris: CEO 

Maresa Scott: COO/Editor Chief 

37 

42. 

8

The Anniver sar y 

A NOTE FROM THE CEO 

Tempestt Harris 

Issue 

It seems like we were introducing our end of year kids issue just a few 

weeks ago, but now spring is at our door! In my family? as I?m sure is 

the case in yours? the season is a time for sports, spring break and 

beaches. But for me it is all about the FASHION! I enjoy the vibrant 

colors, loose sundresses, skin, and bare feet. Whether you fashionistas 

enjoy layering your favorite winter/fall trends or are just ready to break 

out for spring, this issue will give you the tools you need to step out in 

style. 

This Issue is our Anniversary issue. This is our official 2 year 

anniversary as LEVEL21 MAGAZINE. We are so excited about the growth 

and the amazing new partners and associates we have come to meet 

and love. I hope that you all continue to challenge us and support us as 

we step into new and exciting heights! The Goal is GREATER and we will 

get there together! 

XOXO, Tempestt Harris 

M aresa Scott- NOTE FROM THE 

COO/ Editor & Chief 

Now that the holidays have come to a slower pace, we can begin to focus and prepare 

ourselves for better weather, additional outdoor activities and even more luminous 

colors! I am sure that most people will agree with the fact that spring is a time for 

transition. Not only is it a transition in the weather, but it is also a time for a transition 

in style. I am super excited to be putting away my warm neutral wardrobe colors and 

stepping out in bright vibrant colors this Spring! Who cannot be excited about the fresh 

air, cherry blossoms, day parties and barbeques?! I know I am fully prepared for this 

Spring Fashion Issue, and we hope that through this editorial we help you to transition 

in style too. 

This issue is a very special edition for the Level21 Team. We have made several 

modifications, we have come into contact with various partners, and have vastly grown 

as a company. We have been working on this publication for roughly 7 years, but we 

are enthusiastic to be celebrating our 2nd Year Anniversary of becoming Level21 

Magazine! I hope that our readers have grown to love and appreciate the dedication 

and time we put into providing you with current, trendy and accurate communications. 

Our hope is that you all continue to grow with us, continue to challenge us and 

continue to soar with us to new avenues that we may have never envisioned reaching! 

This issue is for you! We hope that you enjoy reading it. 

Sincerely,M aresa Scott

Al anl ux st udios 

& 

The Fashion 

Mobst er

Alan Lux Studios is a creative, 

unique and bold studio that 

focuses on sports, 

commercial and portrait 

photography. We take great 

pride in delivering a personal 

approach to your 

photography needs.

8 

Meet The Inventor 

Of The Smart Pillow 

Shelton McCoy 

A 

fter a hard day?s work, you 

pull up to your driveway, anxiously 

pressing the garage door remote 

control so you can dash into the 

house to begin the first night of a 

long weekend. Once inside, you 

have managed to eat, take a hot, 

steaming shower and you are ready 

to hit your high-thread count cotton 

sheets. Because your alert mind 

prevents you from immediately 

falling asleep, you decide to lay 

down to relax with some soothing 

music. Imagine if these wonderful 

sounds echoing about your room 

were actually coming from your 

pillow? Is that even possible? Yes it 

is, thanks to the brilliant mind of 

Shelton McCoy, Founder and 

Inventor of The SmartPillo Company 

LLC. 

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Where are you from ? 

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, 

NY. I am the middle child of five. I 

am the left handed middle child, 

which is why I think that ventured 

out into extreme things to get 

attention; the middle child is the 

?invisible child?. 

You have a background as an 

art ist . Tell us a bit about t hat ? 

I entered the music industry, and 

the first time going for it, I became a 

platinum recording Hip Hop artist 

with a group called Divine Sounds. 

?What People Do for Money?, is a 

record that is still being played 

today. 

So you collaborat ed on a song 

w it h Not orious BIG, can you 

elaborat e on t his? How did t his 

affect your m usic career? 

I paid and requested reference 

vocals from the Notorious B.I.G., on 

a song I wrote called ?Macks N?nor 

Dons?, which eventually became 

part of the soundtrack to his biopic. 

But, I never received credit, nor 

funds for, even to this day. His 

mother insisted that it was his song, 

but I have proof that the song 

belonged to me. After his untimely 

death, I lost my taste for the 

industry and left the music scene. 

Then, I packed my things, and 

moved to L.A. without knowing 

anyone. 

Event ually, w hat led t o your 

career in celebrit y securit y? 

Six months after moving to L.A., I 

was hanging out with some guys, 

and I just bumped into a really cool 

guy, who approached me, handing 

me a business card. Because of my 

size, he said I should join the 

security team for American Idol, and 

I worked there for three years. Next, 

I toured with Carrie (Underwood) for 

two-and-a-half years. The year I 

joined American Idol, was the same 

year she won, and because she 

remembered me during the 

competition, she asked me to join 

her on tour as head of security. I 

traveled all over with Carrie, and 

met all kinds of high-end people, so 

that is when I began submitting 

patents because of my exposure to 

the world, and my mind was just 

running crazy and I realized I had an 

invention. 

You m ent ioned t hat you had 

subm it t ed pat ent s before. Were 

t hey prot ot ypes of t he Pillo? 

I had a prior invention before the 

SmartPillo. It was a dual-screen net 

book, which was before there ever 

was a tablet, kindle, or an iPad. It 

was insane, I still have it. Because I 

was ahead of my time, I was told 

that people wouldn?t want to give up 

their books, because they like the 

feel of paper. Now, look at 

everybody; they are on their tablets. 

I lived in L.A. for eleven years, and 

after I had that experience, I moved 

to Fargo, North Dakota, just for a 

year. I was put into a technology 

incubator at NDSU (North Dakota 

State University). I met some cool 

people in North Dakota who 

believed I had more to offer than 

working security. I told them that I 

do have some great ideas, and that I 

am working on this patent, which 

was the net book at the time. So, I 

took my earnings from working with 

Carrie and started The SmartPillo 

Company. 

What concerns did you have t hat 

led t o your invent ion? What 

personal healt h issues did you 

have t hat cont ribut ed t o t he 

Sm art Pillo?s creat ion? 

As a protector and someone who is 

protective by nature, I saw my 

daughter, who was fifteen at the 

time, stick her iPhone inside of her 

head wrap so she would be hands 

free. Prior to that, I saw a segment 

on CNN about cell phone radiation, 

and I even got a tumor on my ear 

due to cell phone radiation. This is 

why I don?t put a cell phone to my 

ear anymore. I knew that it was 

dangerous so I told my daughter to 

stop putting the phone to her ear.

That night, I went to bed and as 

clear as day, had a vision for a 

Bluetooth Pillo, through which she 

could talk to her friends, and even 

listen to music. I put it all on the 

line. I took my patent and went to 

China alone. I even shared my idea 

with my barber, Damian Johnson, 

Owner of No Grease Barber Shop. 

Barbers are also great therapists, so 

I told him, and he is one of the first 

people to tell me that it was a great 

idea. That gave me the fuel to 

pursue my dream. Three months 

later, I had a working prototype for 

the Pillo. If you ever want to pursue 

something, write it down, so you can 

see it everyday. So I sketched what I 

wanted it to look like on paper, and I 

looked at that paper everyday. The 

paper now is talking to me. It is 

indicating that ?Shelton, you need 

speakers, because it is enabled by 

Bluetooth technology.? I am now 

looking at the paper for further 

inspiration, and it says ?it is a Pillo, 

now you need foam to hold the 

speakers.? So I had to cut the foam 

so all the components could fit 

perfectly. Now, I needed a 

seamstress to put the cover 

together. And that is how I 

accomplished this by the paper 

telling me what to do. And here we 

are, five years later, that The 

SmartPillo Company has now 

turned into Kushion, the world?s first 

Bluetooth Pillo. 

Did you know it w ould go t his 

far? 

No I didn?t know my invention 

would go this far, but I knew I had 

something. Everyone I met and let 

test the Pillo were in awe. I would let 

them connect their phone to the 

Pillo and they would be so 

impressed with it. But, I didn't know 

I would ever partner up with a 

business tycoon! I called it a divine 

connection, that I had nothing to do 

with. Here I came from a group 

called Divine Sound, and now here it 

is I am having a divine connection 

with a mogul like Michael Fux 

(pronounced Fewks), who is the 

inventor of the memory foam 

pillow. I could have never 

orchestrated this myself. I do not 

even have an engineering 

background. Sealy Corporation also 

has a headquarters in Charlotte so 

we met there. And, the CEO of Sealy 

was even impressed with how I met 

Michael Fux, asking ?how did you two 

guys meet?? The Pillo is so amazing 

and ahead of its time. So, if anyone 

asks who the inventor of the Kushion 

is, I can say, ?Shelton McCoy is the 

inventor if the Kushion Pillo?. 

We saw you on Good Morning 

Am erica, feat uring som e 

celebrit ies t est ing t he pillow s. 

What w as t heir feedback on t he 

product ? How did you land a 

license agreem ent w it h 

dist ribut ion com pany Com fort 

Revolut ion? 

I was on Good Morning America, 

during Cyber Monday, where I 

received great feedback from many 

celebrities, who thought the idea was 

dope. The bodyguard for Randy 

Jackson (American Idol Judge) wanted 

me to show Randy the Pillo, because 

he thought Randy may want to 

partner with me. So, he sent me to 

meet Randy, who was at the race 

track at Concord Mills in Concord, NC. 

So I had in my mind that I would 

partner with Randy Jackson, as I grab 

my Pillo and head over to meet with 

him. Twenty minutes later, I get a 

phone call from Randy, who tells me 

that everyone headed back to the Ritz 

Carlton! I told him, ?I am twenty 

minutes away, I will meet you guys 

tomorrow.? And Randy said ?No, no, 

no, we want to meet with you now?, 

so I decided to head over to the hotel 

after all since I haven?t seen him in 

awhile. So, once I got there, I walked 

up to Randy, who was in the lobby. 

and he said ?Dude what are you 

doing in Charlotte, Man? What 

woman brought you to Charlotte? We 

missed you man, everyone would 

love to talk to you and meet with you 

about the Pillo?. I laughed and said 

?No, I am here because I started a 

new company, called The SmartPillo 

Company?. As he was checking out 

my Pillo, I got a tap on the shoulder 

from behind. I turned around to see 

David, the nephew of Michael Fux, 

who asked me about the pillow 

because he thought the Pillo was 

awesome. So I began pitching the 

Pillo to David, who was intrigued by it. 

So, now he wanted to show his Uncle 

the pillow, and asked me if I had 

some time. So, what I thought was 

supposed to be a meeting with Randy 

Jackson was really God setting up a 

meeting with Michael Fux, a 

successful owner of a pillow 

company! So Michael Fux and his 

team came down after receiving a call 

from David to meet me. After 

pitching to Michael, he said ?This is 

the future guys, pay attention. The 

betting industry never changes. 

Putting this type of technology into 

the industry is looking into the future. 

This young man is onto something. If 

you stick with me, you are going to 

make a lot of money?. I told him I 

didn?t know who he was, but I told 

him I would Google him once I got 

home, and I did! Fux is also a 

world-famous car collector, which he 

purchased with earnings from his 

successful pillow empire. If you go on 

Instagram, his name is spelled 

Michael F-U-X, and you will see his car 

collection. It is the sickest car 

collection ever. And that is whom I 

am partnered with.

What is t he next st ep for t he Pillo? 

If someone asked me, ?what else do 

you have going on?? I can show them 

these other great products I have. I 

have a bunch of deals in the works 

now. NFL Kushion Pillos are coming 

soon, as I have a licensing agreement 

with the National Football League to 

patent them for its individual teams. I 

also am working on another Kushion 

called the ?S1 Kushion?, (for now) that 

you can speak commands into. There 

are some smaller, more lightweight 

Kushions that I am also coming out 

invent ions and pat ent s? How m ust 

one rem ain fait hful w hen it 

appears t hat t hings aren?t 

m at erializing yet ? 

It is going to sound simple. Just do it. 

If you envision it, and believe it, you 

cannot see it on your own; it is 

coming from another place, deep 

down inside of you. God is saying, 

this is what I have for you. Don?t let 

your fear, because God did not give 

us the spirit of fear, distract you and 

keep you from seeing your next step. 

If you let fear dictate, fear will rob you 

Bird Man-Hip Hop 

Mogal 

piano. Because those two pianos are 

connected. God will connect you with 

someone who is praying to invest in 

your gift. That is how these marriages 

work. It has all been vision, and God 

has aligned me with the right people 

to help me on the journey of fulfilling 

my dream. These investors 

understand that they are not 

investing in my Pillo, they are 

investing in Shelton McCoy! This has all 

been a vision of people, tapping me 

on the shoulder and asking me about 

my invention. Also, be open to 

receiving those blessings from God 

when they come, and they will come 

Waka Flocka 

-Hiphop Artist 

are some smaller, more lightweight 

Kushions that I am also coming out 

with. What is great is that it only takes 

three weeks to produce the Pillows. 

What else are you w orking on? 

I am putting up an eco-friendly 

community with Darryl Williams, 

President and CEO of Neighboring 

Concepts, called Shelton Beach, 

which will be the world?s first 

eco-community. It has seven-acres, a 

salt-water swimming pool, imported 

white sand, and we are building 

thirty, 1-2 bedroom, bungalow-like 

homes surrounding it. It will give the 

appearance of being in a place like 

Bora Bora. The First Lady of Congo 

also wants me to travel there to 

invest in my eco-community, and I am 

not sure what will happen next. My 

end game is to become an investor. I 

have to be a blessing to others 

because none of this happened 

based on my credentials. I also want 

to hit the circuit and talk to our youth, 

and share my story. 

What advice w ould you give t o 

ot her business ow ners regarding 

of the gift God gave you. Step out on 

faith. God will put those 

opportunities in place for you. There 

is power in the unseen and 

unknown. If this is a pure vision that 

comes to you, you know it is from 

The Most High. You will have 

concerns but keep working at it 

everyday, and God is going to put 

those people you need in front of 

you. You will go see a Randy Jackson, 

who you think will be the face of 

your business, and you will get a tap 

on the back from behind, someone I 

did not see, and God will have the 

right person in place to assist you on 

your journey. Anything coming from 

lust, saying ?look at me, see what I 

drive?, materialistic thoughts are not 

of God. He will introduce you to 

someone; I call that person a 

crossroad. Everything has a 

crossroad. For every left there is a 

right; everything has an opposite. 

There is someone out there looking 

for something you can offer. For 

example, if you put two pianos in the 

room--- one all the way to the left 

and the other to the right--and play a 

chord on one, then walk to the other, 

that same note will resonate on that 

in ways that you won?t expect them. 

Where do w e find The Sm art Pillo 

or Kushion? 

Customers can go on my websites, 

www.kushion.com, and 

www.sheltonmccoy.com. 

For the readers, I have something for 

you; if you use my exclusive 

promotional code F1MCCOY, you will 

receive a $100 discount off of your 

order! 

Shelton McCoy?s dreams of having 

safe yet convenient technology has 

now become our reality. He is a 

shining example that faith, along with 

hard work and dedication will align us 

with divine opportunities to see our 

own ideas to fruition. Also, when that 

passion involves serving others, it is 

a guarantee that success will surely 

follow close behind. As technology 

advances forward, it is vital that we 

have someone like Shelton, who 

invents products that keep the health, 

safety, and comfort of the human 

race in mind. Take that discount code 

and ?Get a Pillo that could do both."

The Curvy Girl 

Four 

Ways to Fierce 

1. 

Make Sure You 

Know The Fit Of 

Each Retailer. 

Not every plus size brand will fit the 

same (just like straight sizes). While 

some brands DO have fit issues, 

knowing which brands are more 

junior cut, missy cut, or true to size 

is critical. This will help you 

navigate through the designers, 

retailers and boutiques! 

Pull Tears(Create A Pinterest 

Board) Of Your Personal Style 

I am currently obsessed with Carine 

Roitfeld. Like, I love that she has an 

edgy signature style. She slays the midi 

pencil skirt paired with daring blouses 

and killer heels. While I won?t copy her 

look head to toe, I remain inspired by it 

and am finding how this rocks out for 

me. I even have a Pinterest board of 

other?s whose looks have me thinking! 

4. 

2. 

Get Playful InColor 

SpringHighFashion 

Oooohhh I am sooo here for the 

intensity of color for spring. I am 

looking forward to rich blues, 

blinding yellows, juicy oranges. 

AND bold and bright prints of all 

scales! 

3. 

AnEye For Detail 

One way to add a bit more tude or interest 

to your look? The details and finishes of 

your look- whether it be the belt, jewels, or 

even the buttons on your jacket. Think the 

clutch, the shoe, and the glasses you rock. 

They are JUST as important to your overall 

look!

Tala Raassi grew up in suburban 

Washington, D.C. and then in Iran. 

She knows both cultures? but 

wasn?t ready for what happened to 

her one night in 1998. 

By: MIRANDA FRUM 

I met Tala Raassi at a nightclub in 

West Hollywood. She was a friend of 

a friend. At the same table sat 

Marilyn Manson. The alcohol was 

seemingly unlimited. The club?s strict 

no smoking policy rapidly began to 

be ignored as party goers clustered 

around the open windows as the 

night wore on. 

Within moments of meeting this 

charming, bubbly woman I learned 

that she had served time in an 

Iranian prison. Intrigued, I asked 

why. Her story is an inspiring 

one? and one that many young 

Iranians might find to be a common 

phenomenon. 

Tala Raassi was born in Silver Spring, 

Maryland. At the age of 2 her family 

decided to move back to Tehran. 

American culture was always 

something she enjoyed. ?I would 

watch illegal satellite TV? watching 

[shows like] Baywatch and 90210. I 

wanted to copy [their style].? 

The inevitable conflict of living in a 

state-run religious atmosphere and 

life within a less than religious family 

created an identity complex. ?I grew 

up in a post revolution-Iran,? she 

told me. ?There were so many 

restrictions imposed. We grew up 

with families who had [under the 

Shah] drunk alcohol and partied. 

Then, I also grew up in a society 

where I had to cover myself head to 

toe.? 

Growing up, Raassi had heard many 

stories of arrests. But like all 

strong-headed young people before 

her she believed herself immune. It 

could never happen to me. 

In Amer ica, She 

Designs Swimwear . 

In Ir an, She Got 40 

Lashes f or Being at 

a Par t y. 

One fateful evening this mantra was 

challenged. Raassi was attending a 

small co-ed party (very illegal in the 

Tehran of 1998). There were no 

drugs or alcohol, but there was 

American music (?illegal music?) and 

illegal male-female intermingling. An 

ex-boyfriend of the girl who 

organized the party called the 

notorious Basij? the ruthless 

military police? when he discovered 

he wasn?t invited. The Basij raided 

the party and began to make 

arrests. Raassi attempted to outrun 

the religious police guards, but she 

stopped when they managed to 

catch up to her and threatened to 

shoot her. 

?I never thought we would get 

lashes,? she confided to The Daily 

Beast. ?Normally, if you apologize, 

they will let you go. We were 

convinced we would never go to jail. 

In the car on our way [to jail], we 

weren?t taking it seriously. We were 

sort of laughing. I was convinced 

there was no way they would keep 

us there. Someone would pay for 

our release, and then we would 

leave.? 

The group was taken to Vozara 

Prison, where they were sentenced 

to 40 lashes for the girls, 50 lashes 

for the boys, and would spend the 

next five days. Rats, cockroaches, 

shared toilets. Drug dealers, thieves, 

prostitutes. Tala?s voice becomes an 

octave more emotional when she 

describes seeing a woman in her 

wedding dress. Her wedding had 

been busted for being coed. The 

woman spent the remainder of her 

wedding night in jail. 

Raassi?s group was kept in a small 

holding area in a narrow hallway in 

between the trash and the 

bathrooms. At the end of the 

hallway was a locked cell door with a 

small window? which they later 

discovered to be the torture room. 

?We would hear screams coming out 

of there all day. During the call to 

prayer, which happens five times a 

day, the guards would line us up. 

They would tell us we were about to 

be lashed and then make us sit 

down and wait. Then nothing would 

happen. It was mental torture. You 

had no idea what was going on. At 

night time you would hear the 

sounds of women getting raped. 

Sometimes they were raped with 

glass Coca Cola bottles.? 

At the end of Raassi?s jail time (five 

days), a guard approached her 

group. Her name was called. She 

was then transported to another 

detention center. Raassi was

ushered into a room where items 

from previous arrests were on 

display? evidence of indecency. A 

judge lectured Raassi?s group about 

how they had misbehaved, how they 

had broken the law. 

?I realized my parents were never 

strict with me to suppress my 

individuality and expression,? she 

said. ?They were strict with me to 

protect me from being in the 

situation I found myself in? arrested 

and lashed.? Outside of the 

courtroom, Raassi?s family waited. 

One by one, her friends were called 

forward to receive their punishment. 

?You see your friends leave the 

room with bloody backs, and you 

hear your friends shouting out in 

pain. Next thing I know,? she said, 

?I?m in the room myself.? Her family 

had to wait outside? and listen to 

her screams. 

?It?s not like getting punched or hit,? 

she said. ?It burns. For me, it was 

personally, so insulting and 

disrespectful. The mental part was 

just as bad as the physical agony.? A 

woman covered head to toe in a 

black chador waited for Raassi in a 

room with two beds. Raassi and her 

friend were strapped into the two 

beds. A leather rod with a braided 

whip was dipped into a bucket of 

water, which was then inflicted on 

their backs. ?There are different 

types of lashings,? she said. ?I 

learned this in court. And in our case 

we were allowed to keep our clothes 

on. In some cases, they make you 

take off your clothes.? 

Fashion was always a solace to 

Raassi. Despite the strict laws 

regarding chadors, she told me of 

how women of Tehran always had 

great clothes on underneath, the 

care and time women put to their 

hair and cosmetics. Despite the 

restrictions, women really do what 

they can to express themselves 

through their own personal style. 

And because one could be stopped 

and arrested at any moment for 

being ?indecent? it takes the young 

women?s expression of style to a 

completely new level. 

?Being a fashion designer is like 

being a drug dealer [in Tehran],? she 

said, ?Everything is word of mouth.? 

But fortunately now, she has 

returned to the United States, where 

she has her own design label. She 

has designed bikinis for the Miss 

Universe competition. She has 

written a book. The ordeal hasn?t 

embittered her. She?s bubbly, she?s 

fun and she?s fearless. I asked her 

about the restrictive dress laws in 

Tehran and if it creates an internal 

conflict regarding her own 

swimwear line. 

Raassi paused thoughtfully, and 

then responded, ?Freedom is not 

about the amount of clothing you 

put on or take off, but about having 

the choice to do either. The last time 

I went to a beach in France, I saw 

women who wore hijabs, covered 

from head to toe, walking on the 

same beaches as women in their 

European-cut bikinis. Their freedom 

of choice empowered me. I found a 

new respect for women who chose 

to cover themselves in accordance 

with their religious beliefs. I also 

respected those who fearlessly wore 

bikinis. All of these women had 

made a choice about how they 

wanted to present themselves.? 

?[I?ve navigated] two different 

worlds. From Iran to the fashion 

industry in America (as a swimsuit 

designer). To overcome the obvious 

differences was hard for me. I?ve 

fallen before. It was interesting to 

put it all in writing and get some 

form of closure.? Raassi?s book, 

Fashion is Freedom, was published in 

September. She said: ?As someone 

who came to this country not 

speaking a word of English, to have 

a book published in English is a big 

deal for me.? She laughed proudly. 

Source: The Daily Beast

www.cntraveller.com 

Cipriana (left) wears 

suede trench coat, Tod?s. 

Gold cosmic earrings, 

Coco?s Liberty. Gold hoop 

necklace, Pichulik. 

Flower-pattern 

sunglasses, Matthew 

Williamson for Linda 

Farrow. TK wears 

patterned coat, Miu Miu. 

Gold choker,Etro. Metal 

and stone choker,Marni . 

Leopard-print 

sunglasses, House of 

Holland. Chain earrings, 

Arme de L?Amour.

Make-up, Sophie 

Haig. Models, 

Cipriana 

Quann and TK 

Quann. Fashion 

coordinator, Vicki 

Wright. The Parker 

Hotel Palm Springs, 

California 

www.cntraveller.com

Claudette Ortiz 

Behind T he Scene 

Atlanta Shoot 

BEHIND 

T HE 

COVER 

Get the look. Specializing in 

Celebrity Hair Terrence Davidson 

and his team venture to give 

Claudette Volume and waves with 

this Spring time TOP PONY 

FIRST 

BEAUT Y 

T he Anniversary Issue 

Get T he Look!! 

BEHINID THE SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY BY: 

ALEXIS MARIE 

ITS ALL ABOUT 

BRIGHT COLORS 

THIS SPRING. 

GET HER LOOK 

FOR LESS! 

Kissed 

Get your own 

orange lip for a 

lower cost with 

"Color Pop Ultra 

Matte Lip" 

Claudette's Nails 

Shimmering pink 

Pop! 

Make your 

nails pop 

with shimmer 

using the 

"Color Club 

Brand." 

Editorial Photographer: Antoinne Jones-Atlanta G.A 

Based 

Creative Director: Michael Lopez, Stylist: Jerry 

Thompson,Designer: Five 13 Studio 

Jewelry: The Vintage Bar- Based in Charlotte NC 

M AKEU P BY @ST YL ESO SI CKK 

H AI R BY @D AREALT ERREN CED AVI D SO N 

NAI L S BY @NAI L ZBYREDD

Photography by: The.TZ.Studio

MEET 

LEVEL 21'S 

NEW 

CREATIVE 

DIRECTOR 

By: Davita Collins 

Innovative, Fashionable, & Inspiring 

A 

Michael 

Lopez-Bond 

s with most publications, Level 21 Magazine is 

forever evolving. While the brand expands, there are 

many aspects of the business that shift to accommodate 

operations, marketing and merchandising needs. In 

addition to Internet, social media, and their upcoming 

talk show Level 21 TV, it is vital that our branding 

stays consistent throughout each media channel. 

Recently, I sat down to talk with Michael Lopez, Level 

21 Magazine?s newly minted Creative Director, who 

will be the driving force behind the Level 21 vision. 

You can?t just say you want to be a 

designer, you have to be a designer. 

21

MEET MICHAEL 

Where are you f rom originally? 

I am originally from Brooklyn, NY, but I was 

raised in historic Coney Island. People do not 

know this, but I was initially born in Denver, 

Colorado. I moved from Denver to Brooklyn 

when I was two years old, so I do not really 

remember much about Denver. I pretty much 

stayed in Coney Island up until high school. 

What made you decide to get into the 

Fashion Industry? 

Tell us a bit about your background in 

Fashion. 

It was a series of events that lead up to my 

decision to go into Fashion. Initially in high 

school, my friends and I would airbrush, cut, 

and sew clothes because we wanted to create 

our own style. I really was focused on 

branding and marketing, and making sure 

that the business was legitimate. I appreciate 

how my friends pushed me in that direction; 

how they said ?we really need to have our 

own logo, our own style, and our own target 

audience.?I was more interested in the 

business aspect of things, not so much the 

artistry. 

I eventually grew a passion for Fashion. But 

at the time, my designs were more urban. 

Then, I began to hang around some friends 

who were into high fashion. I traveled 

around, and then moved to Tennessee. There 

I met some photographers and models, which 

have been on the high fashion scene as seen in 

Vogue or W magazines. And it opened my 

eyes, and revealed to me that this is attainable, 

especially coming from an ethnic background. 

So, we began putting together mood boards 

to get this collection done. 

Initially when I wanted to be a fashion 

designer, I was thinking ?cut, sew and 

painting?clothing. Until one day I just woke 

up and asked myself, what does the 

community have? The community did not 

have a ?preppy?line, a high-end line that is 

not Ralph Lauren, or Polo. Everyone that I 

knew locally made custom dresses, or if it 

were anything else the focus wasn?t on the 

brand. It was about creating whatever ?off the 

wall?garment that looked good. I wanted to 

create a brand where people recognized my 

logo, my editorials, my images and still 

associate them with high fashion. I?d still 

produce images that could go inside of a 

Vogue, WWD, or W type of magazine. 

I met with a friend, and he stated, ?you can?t 

just say you want to be a designer, you have to 

be a designer.?Then, he introduced me to a 

room full of amazing fashion people. And he 

said, ?When you go into this room, you will 

say you are a designer from now on, because 

whatever you tell them, they will believe what 

you say. Now that they believe you, you have 

to back it up.? He went on to say ?you have to 

to do your research, and find your features. I 

will help you do that?And that is how my 

business started. 

I was super nervous, but I went in there and 

said that ?I am a fashion designer, and I am 

launching my first collection soon?. The rest 

is history. There are things in my life that 

happened that I feel strengthened my 

emotional passion for fashion. To make a 

long story short, I had a friend who was a 

major fashion designer, who motivated me to 

launch World of Cashmir. He passed away. 

Right after his passing, his sister and I got 

together and worked on the collection. 

We decided what we were going to do, and 

what the collection was going to look like. 

And I haven?t slowed down since, and that 

has not even been an option to me. 

What challenges did you encounter along 

your journey, and how did you overcome? 

I have encountered insecurity, since I did not 

have the educational background, nor the 

financial backing that other brands had. 

Despite this I felt blessed to have the amount 

of support from people from the beginning. 

There are people I haven?t spoken to in about 

a year or so that I could instantly call and we 

can continue where we left off: making 

business decisions and closing deals, because 

we never lost communication. I traveled a 

lot! It was a gift and a curse. It was a gift, 

because I was able to reach out and network 

with so many cultural people. I was able to go 

back and forth to New York, go back to 

Tennessee and to Atlanta doing so many 

different things. But it hindered me because I 

did not have the foundation to say that 

someone knew me for an extended period of 

time. 

Every time I went to a different city, I would 

see what I call ?fashion juggernauts?, people 

who are in charge or have built their brand up 

in a specific area. I feel as though those 

platforms are not meant to allow others 

succeed past a certain level. They want to see 

people succeed, as long as they are not 

surpassing them. I have a business to build a 

platform for others, and I have ambitions to 

grow my following in so many areas and so 

many different cities. But I saw this as a 

struggle because I did not have the money to 

pay people what they wanted to get paid. See, 

I was used to getting paid a certain amount as 

a designer, but then I moved to the South 

where that?s not the norm. It was a huge 

struggle dealing with different cultures and 

different people, while being true to myself, 

my brand and elevating as a designer, before 

opening doors to everything else I do in the 

Fashion Industry. 

How did you come up with the name World 

of Cashmir, and tell us what is its 

signif icance? 

It is so much that goes into that name. 

Initially, the name of the brand was Cashmir, 

not World of Cashmir. I went into my closet 

thinking, what do I want my brand name to 

be? What will be my niche? And as I was 

going through my father?s closet, whom I was 

visiting with at the time, I noticed he had 

these vintage cashmere ?Cosby?sweaters. I 

thought that they were so cool, and that I had 

to borrow some of these sweaters. So, I was 

able to wear these sweaters, and my father 

was wearing them years before I was born! 

The quality was still good, and if you were to 

go out and buy cashmere sweaters today, you 

would pay hundreds, sometimes-even 

thousands of dollars for them! 

So I realized that the quality never changed, 

and it was an expensive, timeless brand. 

Actually, I asked myself what did I want my 

brand to represent? And it was everything 

that sweater represented. It was timeless, it 

would not lose its value over time, and it was 

detailed. And so I named my brand Cashmir. 

It was first an urban collection, based off the 

concept that ?it?s merely cash so go ahead and 

spend it?. 

As I grew, transitioned, and hung around 

different types of people with different 

audiences, I changed the brand name to 

Cashmir. ?MIR?is derived from the Kashmir 

goat reference in the Bible. So, it has a biblical 

meaning to the name. As I dug deeper into 

the meaning of ?MIR?the Russians were the 

first to attempt to land on the moon, and the 

name of their rocket ship was The Mir! 

Although they never made it, I believe they 

were the first to strive to attain greater at that 

time. That is what I strive to do as a creative. I 

also used MIR, because in Russian it means 

?peace?. That is the Cashmir brand. I take 

several different elements, and several 

different art pieces and put them all together 

under one brand. So MIR is a concept that I 

am creating with Level 21 Magazine that will 

also appear in other publications as well. 

Who would you consider a muse f or your 

designs? 

I don?t have one particular muse, because I get 

inspiration from so many different places. I 

feel as though where ever I travel, I get 

inspiration from people interacting in their 

own habitat. There is a collection that I am 

currently working on, that brings me to Soho, 

NY. I just go to Soho and just watch people. I 

had an important meeting at the Soho House, 

which I was early for, so I literally watched 

people my age come out of business meetings 

going back and forth. I just imagined them 

wearing my own designs, in that setting and 

what destination they would be going to. 

I may see someone who may say, ?OMG I

Every time I went to a different city, I would see 

what I call ?fashion juggernauts?, people who 

are in charge or have built their brand up in a 

specific area. I feel as though those platforms are 

not meant to allow others succeed past a certain 

level. They want to see people succeed, as long 

as they are not surpassing them. 

entrepreneurs. Another project I am working 

on is called Emerge, which is a model talent 

agency that is developmental. This agency 

was put in place to prevent models from 

going through the unnecessary challenges 

that other models have gone through. Some 

don't understand the marketing aspect of the 

industry. So, it will be more for consultation 

purposes. I have partnered with 

The.TZ.Studio , They have a passion for 

young models. 

love your look.?But I would not do too much 

to deviate from their personal style. So if I 

work with a model, I will style them based on 

what I have seen them wear already. I am the 

type of person who may not have consistent 

contact with a model for about a year, but 

then call them one day and say ?I came up 

with a collection that fits you. Let?s work.? 

You mentioned that you dressed clients. Can 

you tell us more about that?Any celebrity 

clients? 

I have been blessed with the opportunity to 

style people, but not as a stylist. People would 

approach me as a designer to style or create 

pieces for someone, not knowing the 

difference between a designer and stylist. For 

example, I have been asked to create custom 

pieces for different artists and celebrities for 

their events. It has been great, because it 

shifted me in the direction I wanted to go. I 

had the opportunity to design a piece for a 

collection for Sevyn Streeter when she signed 

her record deal, and promoted her first single 

with Chris Brown. I had an amazing piece 

that I had the opportunity to design for Bruno 

Mars. I love his image, and music so I 

designed a Hawaii-inspired piece. I also 

designed a piece for Elle Varner. I love her 

music. I was asked as Creative Director to 

come on set for certain projects and I am 

excited to say that those pieces I made were 

their brand and style, as well as, mines. 

How exciting it is to be the new Creative 

Director f or Level21Magazine!?How do you 

f eel about that?Can you tell us what you have 

accomplished so f ar in your new role? 

I am ecstatic. I was really familiar with the 

magazine prior to this. I never thought about 

the opportunity until it was presented to me. I 

met Tempestt, the CEO of Level 21 

Magazine, and we just ended up clicking in a 

meeting that we were both in for a client that 

I had. We really impressed each other with 

our talents, and I am really excited to be 

onboard. She gives me a lot of freedom and 

does not try to put me in a box, which I love 

about her. The whole team is amazing, and I 

am honored to have a team who supports me 

and admires my work. I hope that I have 

accomplished putting things in perspective. 

One thing I can say is that I am proud of my 

brand and everything that I have 

accomplished, so I could be a reference point 

for the magazine. I will focus on structure 

building and I look forward to accomplishing 

more. 

What do you hope to accomplish with the 

Level 21Brand? 

I want to take Level 21 to another level, even 

taking it to Level 22! I want to be able to 

break down barriers in the fashion and 

entertainment industry. So, with my 

background I would like to streamline that, 

on the PR level. Recently we worked with 

Claudette Ortiz (formerly of the group City 

High and R&B Divas LA). In the future, I 

would like to help with choosing the right 

photos, but selecting those that the magazine 

normally wouldn?t so Level 21 could be 

exposed to a different market. 

What should we look out f or this year?What 

f uture projects are you working on? 

Right now, the main thing is getting back to 

myself. I think last year, I took an entire year 

off my brand to help others, so I want to get 

back to my brand. I?d like to help other brands 

on a case-by-case basis. I want to create 

packages that are reasonable to 

We have a booking agent now, who is 

amazing and experienced. I am also very 

excited to get into more collection pieces. I 

am currently working on a collection using 

Black Diamond. So the theme is going to be 

anniversary pieces that will be black diamond. 

I am also working on a purse and wallet 

(accessories) collection, as well as, more 

Cashmir Designs. Those are the main things 

that have my primary attention right now. 

How do people contact you? 

I have a website, www.worldofcashmir.com. 

Also I am very personable. So for any major 

affairs, I can be contacted on Instagram 

@worldofcashmir FB: World of Cashmir. I 

am also a fan of video chatting. If someone 

wanted to reach me I would not mind 

exchanging numbers and video chatting, or if 

I am in the same city meeting with them. 

Sometimes when people try to reach me on 

the website, they have to go through several 

channels of communication with my team. I 

have a huge team based out of several 

different cities, so they help me to filter out 

what needs to be prioritized. Michael Lopez 

is quite accomplished! Having the vision and 

dedication, he was able to take a mere idea 

and catapult it into a successful career in 

Fashion. Taking personal tragedy and other 

life lessons and utilizing them as tools to 

guide him on his journey to 

entrepreneurship, Lopez has been able to 

launch several other businesses, and therefore 

able to penetrate many aspects of the 

industry. Lopez is both a style and 

entrepreneurial chameleon. With his 

extensive background with PR and branding, 

we are confident that he can catapult the 

Level 21 brand even further into the 

stratosphere. 

Welcome to the Level21 Family!

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Designer: Five 13 Studio 






Studios Jewelry: The Vintage Bar 

29

By Desiree Helm 

CLAUDETTE ORTIZ 

Looking over the reel of Claudette 

Ortiz, it?s easy to understand why she is 

making her mark on the entertainment 

industry. With her bright smile and 

incredible talents, she maneuvers the world 

between songstress and actress with ease. 

Riding the peaks and valleys of the road of 

life, to arrive at a destination of joy and 

peace with her life and career. From her 

early years as a teen pop star with the Hit 

Group City High and their Grammy 

nominated song ?What Would You Do?, to 

her current roles on TV, the road to 

becoming the star Claudette Ortiz has 


Strength.Triumph.Healing. 

?I was unf ortunate enough to have a f ew 

abusive times in my lif e. When I was going 

through the abuse I was young and really didn?t 

understand at the time the impact it would later 

have on my lif e. Looking back now I think 

surviving made me stronger. It has helped me 

become a better mother, and a better f riend. As a 

woman you have to continue on with your lif e. 

You have to f ind a way to move on. I could not 

have made it without the love and support of my 

f amily and f riends, without prayer or without 

God. I have put that part of my lif e behind me. 

Abuse can break down your spirit, your 

conf idence and your worth. You lose your sense of 

value. I lost my sense of value. I had to learn to love 

myself again. If you know anyone that is dealing 

with abuse you have to let them know they don?t 

have to accept it. They don?t have to stay in that 

situation. Let them know what they are worth. I 

realize now just how strong you have to be to 

survive and want to let others know they can make 

it to.? 

Having dealt with the pain of abuse, 

Claudette made a crucial decision to put the 

past behind her. She has truly healed and is 

strutting forward in her life with plans to 

embrace the stage. 

the screen today. Level21 sat down with 

Claudette Ortiz to learn how she turned tragedy 

into triumph while redefining her own version 

of fame. Looking at photos of Claudette, it?s 

hard to imagine that this beautiful and confident 

woman was once a victim of domestic violence 

and grappled with insecurity. But underneath 

the dark black curls and smooth brown skin is 

the heart of woman that has learned to love and 

experience hope again. In a voice that was as 

equally soft as it was resilient, Claudette went 

on to describe hard to talk about seasons in her 

life. 

Your past relationship with a former group 

member made headlines steaming from 

abuse. How have you dealt with that? 

"I LOSTMYSENSEOF 

VALUE"

What was it like coming back into 

the spotlight? 

When I was touring with City High, we 

were f amous but I still had a sense of 

privacy. I could walk into the grocery store 

and shop without people really recognizing 

me. We had f ans, but our f aces weren?t 

plastered everywhere. We could leave a show 

and then go on with our lives. The internet 

and reality TV have changed that. People 

recognize your f ace and that makes it hard 

sometimes. You have to always be on point 

where ever you go. I enjoy it, and I am not 

complaining, but f ame is just dif f erent now 

f or me. 

Speaking of Reality TV, do you 

regret your decision to do reality TV? 

No, I don?t regret it all. Being on R&B 

Divas was dif f erent than anything I thought 

it would be. I was surprised to f ind it was 

very structured. I was worried about 

having my lif e and my kids?lives exposed, 

but it was all very organized. (smiling she 

adds) We actually had a schedule. It was a 

blessing over all. It was so amazing to work 

with a group of talented women that I had 

admired. I didn?t really know the cast bef ore 

I joined the show and it was a great 

experience to get to know them. The show 

opened some great doors f or me. 

Since returning to the industry you 

have also had the chance to work with 

Tyler Perry. What was it like? 

I learned a lot while working with him. His 

team is very prof essional. He has really 

taught me how to be on point. (laughing she 

goes on) You can?t be a minute late. He really 

cares about his employees and his team does a 

great job of casting. They are not just talented 

people, but good hearted people. In all the 

hundreds of people that work f or him, I 

haven?t met one person that I didn?t like. There 

are always good people around. I?ve been 

f ortunate enough to work with them on plays, 

as well as, f ilm. Tyler makes sure his people 

are treated well so we can f ocus on the work at 

hand. 

On and off the screen, Claudette is a true 

hustler. After her divorce from Ryan 

Toby, a member of her former group City 

High, Claudette faced rough times as a 

single mom. Despite her previous fame, 

the divorce caused her to shift into a 

season of financial struggles; including 

dealing with foreclosure and being unable 

to provide for her kids. She ultimately 

found herself, like so many single moms, 

applying for social services. Down, but 

determined not to stay there, she began 

taking on new opportunities to get by. 

Claudette taught herself to be a chef and 

became a certified personal trainer. Taking 

care of her family was her top priority. She 

has always been willing to do whatever it 

took to provide for them. Her family is her 

place of peace and joy, and you can hear 

the cheer in her voice as the conversation 

deflects to her family and personal life. 

How did you get into cooking? 

I got into cooking because I enjoy cooking 

f or those I care about; to see the joy on their 

f aces. I have given some thought to having a 

cooking show. Maybe one day in the f uture. I 

just love to be busy. I could never just sit 

around. Being a single mom, you are the one 

that your kids depend on to provide f or them. I 

guess my f ervor comes f rom wanting to make 

sure my children have everything they need. 

My oldest is 12, and I also have an 11and 

8-year-old. They are my world, and I would do 

anything to make sure they have everything 

they need. (Happily, she adds) and a f ew 

things they want too!

STRENGTH 

HEALING 

TRIUMPH 

Is it hard to balance being a 

single mother in the 

entertainment industry? 

I couldn?t do it without my 

support system. It would be almost 

impossible without the help of my 

f riends and f amily. You have to 

have people you can trust. 

Do your kids want to follow 

in your footsteps? 

I think because they grew up 

around it, they know a lot more than 

other kids might. They are aware of 

what I do and understand how it?s 

done. They each have their own 

gif ts and talents. They are still so 

young. What I really want f or them 

is to be what God naturally has f or 

them. 

With her career reaching new 

heights, Claudette is happy 

about the journey life has taken 

her on. She has grown wiser 

and more mature with each new 

opportunity. Although her 

career is blooming, Claudette 

has managed to remain 

grounded. She doesn?t take 

anything for granted and refuses 

to let fame come at the cost of 

her family. 

Yes, I make all my decisions based 

on what?s best f or them. It has to be 

that way, they just simply come 

f irst. 

And what about marriage, do 

you see a future Mr. Ortiz in 

your family? 

Despite what others might say, I 

really enjoyed being married. There 

is a misconception that my last 

relationship was crazy and dif f icult 

and it wasn?t. Don?t believe what you 

read online. Our relationship ended, 

but it was good and we are still good 

f riends. I would love to get married 

again. What I won?t do is get 

divorced again. 

Claudette is extremely selective 

when it comes to choosing the 

next man she will share her life 

with. With good reason. The 

pain of the past is something she 

never plans on repeating. 

I would love a hardworking man. 

One that is both spiritual and 

passionate. He must be also be 

compassionate and love kids. Most 

importantly he will value f riendship 

rather than control. A man should be 

a man, but he should also be good 

with me pursuing my dreams. He 

won?t mind my schedule or my 

occasional need to build things. He 

DRESS DESIGNER MONIQUEA RENEE 

will be a balance to me. 

The conversation continues, 

and soon we find ourselves 

talking about Claudette?s first 

love, music. 

Are you working on an 

album now? 

I am always working on music. 

Music is in my heart. It is natural to 

me. I am always creating something. 

I was never looking to be a superstar 

in music. If that happens, if God 

wills it f or me, then I will take it. For 

me, it has always been about my love 

f or music. I am in a season of lif e 

now where I can make music because 

I enjoy it, and that?s nice. I will 

always release things f or my f ans. I 

don?t have a set date on the album, 

but it?s coming. 

What advice would you give to 

young girls dreaming of music 

careers? 

If I was talking to young girls 

coming up, I would tell them to 

watch their money. Learn to invest 

it, or get with people you can trust to 

help you manage it. I would also tell 

them to build a brand to create 

longevity f or themselves. Music




Designer: Moniquea Renee 






Studios Jewelry: The Vintage Bar 

Shoes: Blended Bartique

changes, and beauty f ades, but a brand, an 

image.. that?s something you can build a lif e 

on. I would tell them to have the heart to give 

back. It?s key to your success. My mother 

instilled in me that everyone deserves respect 

and should be treated with love no matter 

what their station in lif e. You never know 

who or what people will become. You can?t use 

your popularity as an excuse to treat others 

bad. I know what it?s like to need help. I have 

been in seasons when I had to rely on f riends 

and f amily to help me get by. I don?t want 

anyone else to experience what I f elt. Staying 

humble is important to me. In f act, I see any 

f ame I have as a tool. I am building a 

f oundation. Giving back is what it?s all about. 

My goal is to use my f ame as a vehicle to bless 

others. I want to leave this world better than I 

f ound it. 

At only 35, Claudette has ridden many 

waves as she has navigated her way 

through the seas of the entertainment 

industry. Steadfast in her commitment to 

never return to her season of lack, 

Claudette makes wise decisions with her 

finances and her brand. Enthusiastic with 

hope, and the new prospects before her, 

Claudette is redefining her career. From 

fame to surviving abuse, the heartache of 

divorce, and the hardships of poverty, 

Claudette has overcome all odds and has 

risen back to the heights of success. She 

has redefined what fame means for her 

life and is pushing away the boundaries 

that once lay before her. Claudette has 

come full circle and is owning every 

moment of it.

2017 

New Yor k 

Fashion Week Runway 

Recap 

Nicholas K - Runway - February 2017 - New York Fashion 

Week: The Shows 

A model walks the runway at the Nicholas K show during, 

New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Gallery 2, Skylight 

Clarkson Sq on February 9, 2017 in New York City. 

36 

In This Album: Christopher Kunz

Kylie Jenner and Sofia Richie attend the Jeremy Scott 

collection during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at 

Gallery 1, Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 10, 2017 in New 

York City. 

Model Gigi 

Hadid walks 

the runway 

for the 

Jeremy 

Scott 

collection 

during, New 

York 

Fashion 

week 

Jeremy Scott 

Jeremy Scott has always been a 

firecracker? unafraid to flaunt the 

most outlandish collections as the 

creative director of Moschino and 

his own eponymous line. But when 

he took his finale walk down the 

fur runway after showcasing his 

fall 2017 collection, the fire in his 

eyes was one ready to fight.

NEW YORK 

Fashion Week Runway 

Recap # YOUTH 

Photography by: Miranda Rivers 

Date: Feb. 10, 2017

Show Designers 

Alora Safari 

Angora Boutique 

Belle Threads 

D?Lora Moda 

Elizabeth Cordelia 

Jackie Tejada 

Jacquie Barbavian 

Janay Deann Designs 

Janelle Funari 

KK Swimwear 

Krissy King 

Lil Jewel?s Boutique 

Little Royals 

Mara Skye 

Pink Lemonade 

Sabrina Marie 

Talisha White 

The Porcelain Teacup 

TWT Design Wear 

Young Socialites

www.alicemccall.com

?L ove? 

I s 

Cr eati ve 

T ar r i ce L ove 

Ph 

otogr ap h er 

I 

By: Anitra Scott 

t was a chilly day in New York as 

snow added a hint of white to the 

limbs of leafless trees, cars, and those 

passing by. We sat down with Mr. 

Tarrice Love in his New York 

apartment to discuss his many works 

of art through photography. As I 

watched in preparation for his daily 

blog, I was able to see many works of 

photographed art as his décor. This 

Memphis, Tennessee native has so 

much talent that we can?t wait to see 

released. 

In the field of photography, an artist 

has a spectacular way of ?freeze 

framing? the actuality of a moment in 

time. Mr. Love has obtained many 

snap shots of images that most dare 

to capture. Tarrice Love?s collection 

includes: Fashion, Portrait, Still Life, 

Black and White; just to name a few. I 

enjoyed all of his artistry, which 

includes his works of art in nude 

photography. Mr. Love has captured 

many intriguing photos, in my opinion. 

His talent behind the lens attracts 

many. 

How did you get started in 

photography? 

Initially I was a fashion designer. I 

studied fashion at the University of 

Memphis in the 90?s. Surrounded by 

beautiful African American women in 

my hometown as a kid, I wanted to 

show the fashion world what they 

were missing. I never understood why 

the women I saw every day were 

missing in the industry. I mean, you 

couldn?t tell my mother that she was 

not beautiful. My granny and all her 

sisters were beautiful, and were not 

being represented. I noticed that if you 

don?t look like someone who came 

from an island or straight from Africa, 

42 

then you just weren?t in the industry. 

How long have you been a 

photographer? 

In 2001 I decided to become a 

photographer. 

What challenges do you feel you had 

to overcome in the industry to be as 

successful as you are? 

I came to New York in 2006 and the 

challenge I faced was being southern 

in New York. I had to overcome the 

fact that I was from the south, 

Memphis. Most people in the industry 

from the New York area had a 

preference to work with those from 

the northern states. 

There is a lot of black and white 

photography and nude art. What is it 

about this type of photography that 

intrigues your eye? 

I like to make people see themselves 

in a different way. Whether it is in 

fashion or as a body photographer, I 

capture many types of photography. I 

am not limited to black and white or 

nude. I still define myself as a fashion 

photographer, and a Fine Arts 

photographer. I will photograph any 

image. 

You shoot a lot of Celebrities and 

Actors. Who was one of your favorites 

to shoot and why? 

I like to work with new talent such as 

actors and actresses, singers, dancers, 

who are starting out in the industry. I 

like to see them develop and grow in 

the industry. I just recently shot Black 

Bird star, Julian Walker who is in this 

season of Being Mary Jane. Also, I have 

photographed Anthony Barrell, a 

choreographer who has 

choreographed for Beyonce, Rhianna, 

and Kate Perry. I have worked with a 

lot of dancers lately. 

What new projects do you have 

coming up? 

I am working on my book right now, 

trying to get my collection of images 

together and it?s a book of my 

creations and my works of art, my 

compilation. 

What advice would you give to 

upcoming photographers that want to 

be in the industry at a higher level? 

I would suggest always taking courses 

that can help build on to your talent. 

Actually taking one class can change 

the way your work will look forever. 

How do people get in contact with you for 

photography? 

Email: love.photographer@gmail.com 

Instagram: @bytarricelove 

Blog: www.loveismyrealname.blogspot.com 

Remain on the lookout for 

photographs captured by Mr. Tarrice 

Love. Remember a picture is truly 

worth a thousand words.

T ar r i ce L ove Ph otogr ap h y






"You have to 

recognize the bigger 

picture, the purpose 

of your travels is to 

build the Kingdom 

of God" 

Inspiration:With Latise M. Howie 

When Your life I s A Novel 

L 

istening to Latise speak, it is clear that 

she was purposed to be a writer. From the 

moment her voice resonated through the 

phone line, there was something about its 

confidently smooth tone that felt both 

familiar and comforting. Her words seemed 

to flow with ease, and with each story she 

imparted, seemed carefully selected to 

engage the mind as they painted a vivid 

picture of Latise?s life. Like her books, each 

word and phrase is precisely placed to 

invite you into a world she is delighted to 

share with you. 

Born and raised in North Carolina, author 

Latisse Howie is a writer to her core. 

Penning ink to paper comes as naturally to 

her as breathing. It sort of oozes from her 

and is apparent in everything she does. At 

45, Latise is loving herself, her life and is a 

poised and self-assured. It?s hard to 

imagine she didn?t always feel that way. 

Although her hometown was mostly black, 

Latise went to a predominately white high 

school. She was into cheerleading and 

being on the student council. As a teen, she 

struggled with self-identity. Her peers from 

home thought she behaved too white, and 

her white class members didn?t see her as 

?really? black, but still managed to treat her 

differently. She didn?t feel as if she had a 

place in either world and grappled with 

fitting in. Life began to look up for Latise 

when she made the decision to attend 

North Carolina Central University, a 

Historically Black College. 

Latise explains: 

By: Desiree Helm 

?There is nothing like a Central experience, or 

really an HBCU experience. North Carolina 

Central is always going to be extraordinarily 

special to me because that is where I came

50 

into my own. It was the best experience I 

could have embarked upon. I learned so 

much about Latise Howie, who I really was. 

That?s where I fell in love with myself, and 

with writing. It became part of who I am? 

Latise wrote her first book right out of 

college, but she never published it. She 

never really felt like it was ready. She didn?t 

think that she had lived enough, or had 

enough wisdom to put something out. 

Over the next few years, Latise endured 

two really poor relationships. At the time, 

the circumstances appeared unbearable. 

However, looking back, Latise is grateful for 

the experiences. 

Joyfully Latise expounds: 

?I thank God for the experiences now. Nothing 

is coincidental. Those things were supposed 

to happen. I learned a lot through the 

process. When I was writing the first book in 

the series, Elevator Silence, I realized that I 

was meant to write from my experiences. 

What I went through was meant to be a 

teaching tool for others. I originally began 

writing a book on celibacy. I had made a 

decision to be celibate and wanted to write a 

book to help others deal with the situation. I 

began to feel like my book was more 

condemning than helpful. When I made the 

decision to start writing about my 

experiences, I didn?t want it to sound preachy. 

I wasn?t sure what to do. One night I went to 

bed and was awakened with thoughts of 

different characters. I tried to go back to 

sleep, but I couldn?t. It was as if the characters 

wouldn?t let me sleep. I had to write their 

stories out. It was like that all the time. Once I 

was at a conference, but instead of paying 

attention to the keynote speaker I was writing 

the ending to my novel. It didn?t matter where 

I was, or what I was doing. I had to write. 

Sometimes I would wake up at 1, start writing 

and would still be writing when the kids got 

up at 5am. 

I believe God, or the Holy Spirit, was 

helping me write. 

I was getting idea after idea. I know my book 

was anointed and spirit driven. I could write 

about things I had never experienced, like 

drug addiction, but from a firsthand point of 

view. It was amazing. I have been able to 

reach people with my books and impact their 

lives. 

All 3 novels together are called 

the Chronicles Trilogy. The books 

are: Elevator Silence, The 

Chronicles Side Track, and The 

Chronicles Highways 

I ntersections and Exits. 

Giving birth to a vision often comes with 

labor pains. Although Latise knew that she 

was purposed to write the books, the 

process of birthing her novels came with 

its?s share of struggle and strife. As a 

self-publisher, she was confronted with 

many obstacles. Writing the books was 

never a burden. It was the easy part. Words 

always came easy to her. It was finding the 

time to write, financing the books on her 

own dime, and finding ways to market her 

books that obstructed her process. 

However, somehow God always seemed to 

provide provisions just when she needed it 

most. (She knew he had her back) Other 

ordeals, like editing and marketing were 

challenging too, but she kept pressing 

because she knew there was purpose in 

her trial. 

The depth of Latise?s voice changes as she 

describes how she made it through the 

hard times 

When God gives you a purpose and vision, he 

will also give you the provision to make them 

happen. Sometimes the thoughts of others 

can also get in your way. The fear of what 

others will say and the fear of failure can be 

overwhelming if you let it. 

Knowingly she admits that when she began 

writing the books she was sort of moseying 

along. She was working as a property 

manager and had saved up close to 

$40,000 to buy a house. Then one day, out 

of the blue, Latise was unexpectantly let go 

from a position she had gotten to

comfortable in. Instead of getting 

discouraged and giving up, Latise realized 

in that moment that God was releasing her 

to finish the books. She pushed on and 

used the money she was saving for her 

house to instead publish her book and pay 

for the marketing campaign. 

I didn?t know what was going to happen, but 

God knew. My favorite quote is ?Faith removes 

all limitations?by Napoleon Hill. Every time I 

felt doubt I knew it was fear based. I had to 

conquer fear to move forward. My children 

became my reason why. My book wasn?t just 

for me, it was for them. When I remembered 

that, everything else was easy. I could close 

my eyes and see the books on my coffee table 

even though they weren?t really there yet. I 

willed them into being, spoke them into 

existence. I would see them in the 

supernatural with my spirit eye. I knew that if 

I kept at it, they would manifest into reality. If 

we speak it we can have it. 

Since the release of her books, Latise is 

moving full steam ahead with life. She has 

been fortunate enough to see her books in 

the hands of major celebrities that helped 

to spark the initial popularity of the series. 

However, it has been the sustenance of the 

content in the books, and its?realistic 

portrayal of life that has kept people 

reading them. Her books have become so 

well loved that she is now working on 

converting her books to a stage play. 

Latise has won the Gospel Image Award for 

Best Inspirational Author, and Author of 

the Year from the Queen City Awards. 

In addition to writing, Latise is also using 

her talent for words to speak to other 

women. It can be hard to balance working 

on your goals with being a mother. It was 

something that she herself was challenged 

with when she first stepped out on her 

own. Latise knows that success would not 

have been possible without the help of 

family and friends encouraging and 

supporting her along the way. She desires 

to pay things forward by inspiring and 

empowering other women. She is working 

with a group to produce a Women?s 

Empowerment Forum. She desires to use 

this platform to equip other women to be 

successful and along the journey of life. 

?I named my last book ?Highways, 

Intersections and Exits?because life is 

journey. Every step, and every person you 

meet are part of your highway. Your 

interactions with other people are the 

intersections along the road. Going through 

life you realize that not every situation was 

meant to last and not every person was 

meant to stay. Those are your exits. Life itself 

is the journey. You have to recognize the 

bigger picture, the purpose of your travels is 

to build the Kingdom of God. Everything I do 

is to help others succeed in order to Glorify 

God. 

"Don?t let anything stop you 

from winning. Not your family, 

your life, your fear, your age, or 

your education. Nothing can stop 

you from doing the thing you 

were designed to do. " 

Latise believes that although writing and 

speaking comes naturally for her, it comes 

with great responsibility. She has been 

gifted the ability to capture an audience. 

Whether it?s her warm inviting voice, or her 

passionately told stories, people are drawn 

to her presence and will listen to her 

words. The gift of words is her superpower. 

But like any superpower, it can be used for 

good or evil. She understands the 

importance and power within her words 

and is determined to use them to the best 

of her ability as a positive force in the lives 

of others. She is unfaltering in her decision 

to live life to the fullest, and intends to 

leave a legacy of change and 

transformation to all she encounters. 

For more information on Latise Howie, or 

an autographed copy of her books you can 

visit her website www.latisemhowie.com.

Koko Nanga 

Design Label Koko Nanga's most recent collection was entitled 

Mwaleni- which is an African term in the "Bakweri" Culture in 

Cameroon, Africa. The term means "Warrior". 

The shoot model represents the characters in the Art of War. (See 

Below) 

Photographers include Karli Evans @KarliEvansPhoto, Model Leah 

Wright @MsLeahWright, MUA Carine Eyoum-Czubba and 

@NinaFly23 for this powerful presentation. 

Styled by @MagnoliaEmporium (A curated home decor and design 

service boutique based in Charlotte, NC.) 

Koko Nanga's collections and shop items can be seen on the website 

at www.kokonanga.com. 

Maryanne Enanga Mokoko ( The designer behind the brand) is 

based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She can also be contacted for 

custom or ready to wear looks. 

Instagram/Twitter @KokoNanga. 

If you find this exciting, look forward to greater things from KN in 

2017!

Lisa Bennett 

Charlotte, NC is distinctive for a 

plethora of reasons, from the famous 

Queen Charlotte,whom the city is named 

after, to becoming the mecca of the 

NASCAR Dynasty. The jewel that 

remains seemingly hidden is the nightlife 

here. Like other major cities, Charlotte has 

her own bevy of eateries, sports bars and 

nightclubs where the locals and visitors 

alike tend to frequent. But none have a 

presence like those at The Music Factory, 

home of upscale nightlife venue Label. I 

had the pleasure recently to talk with Lisa 

Bennett, Owner and Founder, about what 

makes Label cut from a different cloth from 

the rest of clubs on the scene, her future 

plans, and more. 

Tell us w ho you are, w here you are from , 

and w hat inspired you t o st art your 

business? 

Oh, it is an odd, roundabout story; I am 

originally from the New England area, 

specifically Connecticut. I attended 

University of Connecticut (UCONN), where I 

received my degree in Mechanical 

Engineering. I was in the industry for 22 

years, having owned a design and 

manufacturing business, which I dissolved 

in 2011. Later, I met my boyfriend and 

business partner, Robert, while attending 

for Ballroom and Latin dance classes at 

which he was the instructor. He had an 

appreciation for music and loved being on 

the dance scene. So, then we decided to 

join forces to open Label, in October 2012, 

which has a dual concept: both a club, and 

a separate venue where special events are 

held. 

By Davita Collins 

Do you have a specific t arget m arket ? 

How do you advert ise? 

Label typically attracts people at least 

25-years old and older. We advertise via 

social media and local radio. We also have 

a street team, called Label 4.0 who is also 

responsible for marketing. 

Do you have any fam ily m em bers or 

children involved w it h your business? 

Yes, my son, who is involved with the 

marketing aspect of the business. 

How did you creat e t he nam e Label? 

It took us 5 months to create the name, 

and prior to the name Label, we had 3 

other possible names. But, the concept of 

label came from ?designer labels?, as in the 

upscale clothing brands people like to 

associate themselves with. So when people 

think of Label, they think of exclusivity and 

luxury. 

What m akes Label different from ot her 

clubs? 

We have 32 VIP tables, which is more than 

typical clubs. Our customer service is #1, 

so we treat all of our guests like VIP. Also, 

we have been able to attract A-list 

celebrities and entertainers, such as David 

Guetta, Future, Drake, Calvin Harris, Tiesto 

& Hardwell, Trey Songz, and Young Dolph. 

They customarily request our services 

whenever they are in town. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

What ?s next for Label? How do you 

int end on helping art ist s in t he 

neighboring areas w ho are challenged 

The WOMANbehind 

Charlotte?s LABEL 

w it h finding places t o perform ? 

I envision Label showcasing more talent, 

and expanding laterally to offer more 

services, such as ?LABEL PRESENTS?, a 

concert series where there would be a 

platform for popular, as well as local artists 

to perform. So I definitely sympathize with 

a need for more places where Charlotte?s 

talent can showcase their music. Also, we 

plan to open a second club in Dallas, Texas. 

Is it t ough being a w om an in a 

m ale-dom inat ed indust ry? What advice 

w ould you give t o ot her business 

ow ners as far as how t o keep doors 

open w it h all t he com pet it ion? 

Although it is a challenging industry, aside 

from being male-dominated, I don?t see it 

as being tough because I am a woman. 

Many of my employees are women, and 

while there is a lot of labor we have fun 

along the way. When you are passionate 

about something and you are doing what 

you love, it does not feel like work. My 

advice to other business owners is to put 

your customer first. Customer service is 

the key to loyal clients, and continued 

business. 

Cent ral Int ercollegiat e At hlet ic 

Associat ion?s (CIAA) t ournam ent is 

around t he corner. Do you have anyone 

special locked in so far? 

Although I cannot disclose which 

performers we will feature, I can guarantee 

you it will be big! 

How do people get in t ouch w it h you? 

For inquiries, em ail info@labelcharlot t e.com , or go 

t o t he w ebsit e w w w.labelcharlot t e.com and click on 

t he ?cont act ? t ab, fill out t he form w it h your 

quest ions and cont act inform at ion t hen click 

?subm it ?. 

Label is undeniably a nightclub here to 

stay. We look forward to its long-term 

success! The verity of events, celebrities, 

and DJs there weekly, we knew all along it 

was a woman running the show! Hats off to 

you Lisa, and your awesome partner in 

greatness, Robert! 

Be sure to follow Label on social media! 

Twitter: @LABELCharlotte Instagram:

NOW YOU CAN STRUT 

YOUR STRUT EVERYDAY 

European Wax Center Launches Strut 365? , a New Collection of Skincare, 

Bath & Body, and Brow Care Products 

D 

avid Coba, CEO and co-founder of European 

Wax Center (EWC), the leader in the lifestyle 

beauty and waxing services categories, announced 

today the launch of Strut 365? , three collections 

of products designed to extend the EWC 

experience into your home. EWC?s mantra is 

Walk In, Strut Out? and now you can feel that 

way every day. 

While many brands claim they know waxing, and 

others claim they know beauty products, only 

European Wax Center understands both. Strut 

365 gives EWC guests the opportunity to really 

get gorgeous, every day, through their new 

collections; Strut Smoothly? , Strut Lavishly? , 

and Strut Boldly? . Whether you are searching 

for something to maintain gorgeous skin 

in-between waxes, something to seduce your 

senses while bringing out your skin?s natural 

radiance or something to achieve daily 

Browfection? with, there is something in it for 

everyone, every day, in every collection. We have 

got you covered; lavishly, boldly, and smoothly! 

?After years of intensive research and 

development, I?m beyond excited to see our vision 

for a beauty line come to fruition,?says Coba. ?We 

have leveraged our team's expertise in 

scientifically formulated skincare products with 

efficacious ingredients to design a comprehensive 

line of products that will enhance the services 

offered in our centers and inspire confidence and 

gorgeous skin. It will allow our guests to bring 

European Wax Center with them wherever they 

go.? 

Each Strut 365 product is formulated with its own 

key ingredient complex to produce results that 

will leave skin looking renewed and refreshed. 27 

luxurious products, all free of harmful parabens 

and mineral oil, make up the complete portfolio 

of Strut 365. Products are enriched with 

ingredients to keep skin nourished, retain 

moisture and protect your skin. 

The EXCLUSIVE Comfort Blend? , featured in 

eight products, is designed to help replenish the 

skin's natural moisture barrier. Infused with the 

highest grade roman chamomile, aloe vera, 

vitamin E, english cucumber and mediterranean 

sea kelp, this complex calms, nourishes and 

restores to reveal your most beautiful skin. Get 

ready to walk in, and strut out of the bathroom as 

you enjoy the confidence that luxuriously smooth 

skin can provide. 

EWC?s hair growth inhibitor (Narcissus Tazetta 

Bulb Extract), featured in four products, helps 

visibly slow hair regrowth between waxes and 

promotes hair to grow finer and softer than 

before. The bulb of this flowering plant has been 

shown to significantly reduce the length of the 

hair shaft while inducing the hair into the catagen 

stage of the hair cycle at which time the hair stops 

growing and gets ready to shed. In other words, 

Strut 365 continues to work for your skin 

in-between waxes to ensure visibly smooth and 

hair-free skin.

56

Anniversary issue Feb/Mar 2017

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