A Black History Moment Brought to You by Living Single

A few days ago, while on Facebook I came across a post that was very interesting, and made a whole lot of sense. A woman named Kiesha Preston, who is an actress, blogger, public speaker and lived experience consultant from Virginia (she wears many hats…like me!!), shared that the clothing used to style Fran Drescher’s character, Fran Fine, for the TV show, “The Nanny” were actually borrowed from the closet of Kim Fields’ character, Regine Hunter, on “Living Single.”

https://www.facebook.com/KieshaNPreston

Now, I’m a huge fan of both Living Single and The Nanny, and as a lover of both TV shows, as well as their fashion pieces, even I was blown away by this information. I have always looked at Living Single as the blueprint of everything on TV, and although I watched “Friends,” my favorite will always be Living Single.

I hope you enjoyed this Black History moment as much as I did!!

Until Next Time!!

Evolution of Blog and 2024 so far

Hello All,

If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I’ve been blogging on here for a minute (probably since 2016). What you may not know is that this website/blog was started on Blogspot (https://irrhoplaceable.blogspot.com/). When I started blogging, I was looking for different ways to keep myself connected to the fashion industry while securing employment. It was a way for me to share fashion news, whether it was design, marketing, fashion shows, or things that I felt were worthy of a discussion.

When I started my website, I continued to blog, but it ended up going in a different direction. I continued to promote myself, but strangely, I stopped sharing fashion news. I find and share funny videos on Instagram, but honestly, that’s about it. I’m going to have to go back to the old ways of finding content to share with you all. I also realize I’ve been talking about the same personal things since 2013. It is definitely time for a change.

My 2024

As for the new year, my 2024 is going very well. I may have three potential clients, I’m teaching at Texas Woman’s University again, and I received an email from my online gig (I’m praying that is starting again). There are still some things I will be working on personally, but it’s going good. I’ve been writing in my manifestation journal, and I’m working on my positivity as well.

I’m determined get out of this negative mindset. Stay tuned for the fashion news, updates, and life changes. If you would like to donate to my tip jar, you may do so on the top right side

When you click, the donation link will pop up

Any amount will be greatly appreciated.

Until Next Time!!

Leave it in 2023

Hello Everyone,

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of posts on social media about what we need to leave in 2023. I have to admit some of the stuff is funny, yet true.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/churchfunny/?mibextid=oMANbw

Found on Facebook (search)

Of course there are more, but I’m going to create my own list.

Things to leave in 2023:

  • Not accepting accountability for your actions

  • Not bragging about yourself

  • Explaining yourself to people who do not even matter

  • Holding yourself back from doing what you want

  • Fear (this is a personal one)

  • Generational curses

  • Worrying (another personal one)

As stated in the last post, I’m working on my New Year’s Resolution early. I’m doing a lot of reflecting, action, consistency, and manifesting.

Happy New Year!! See you all in 2024!!

Updates and progress

Hello Everyone,

It has been a few weeks since I’ve been on. Before my website was down, I really enjoyed looking at how many people from other countries used to look at my page and follow my content. Now, I will have to build my following again. I know it will take time, but I’m prepared for it.

It has been almost two weeks since the school has been shut down. There have been times where I’ve driven in the areas close to the school, and I’ve gotten emotional, but I have been feeling much better. I have to say that I haven’t been stresing out over small stuff like I used to. When the school was open, I used to worry about my finances all the time, and I used to always think about how I was going to pay my bills. It used to stress me out because I didn’t know how I was going to make ends meet with a job. I also had to work other jobs while I still had that job, which is why I always freelanced. I’m still freelancing and doing other things, but I’m not as stressed as I was, and I have the freedom to do what I want, and I’m very excited about it.

Perfect example of my happiness!!!

Besides feeling like I’m being led to work for myself, I also feel this is happening so I can work on my faith and trust in God. For the longest, I’ve relied and prepared to do things my own way for the longest time. Now, I’m praying about everything and putting my trust in God. This is also a work in progress, but I’m getting there.

As for freelancing and my content, I’m still putting myself out there. I’m also thinking of creating digital courses, but I’m also figuring out what platform to use. There are a lot of things I want to do, but in certain areas, I’m stuck. I also need to put my trust in God in this area of my life and career as well.

Yep!! Perfect example of me making decisions!

I’ve also made some changes to my website to make it more organized. Hopefully, this will help me get more clients as well.

Well, that is all for right now. Until Next Time!!

Life Has Been LIFE-ING!!!!! Also, updates!!!!!

Hello Everyone!

It is so great to be back online!! These past few years has really been my season for change and clarity! So much personal stuff has been going on! Going to get personal right now, I was let go from my full-time position in May, which was devastating because I had been going through a rough financial period. Although I have been continuing to work for myself, I was still applying for positions in my field, plus I was still teaching college courses. Although things have been rough, I was getting by. Then….another bombshell happened!!

On September 22, I found out the college where I had been teaching for over 9 years was shutting down!!

I found out when I received the Notice of Termination letter. I have been feeling lost and confused, but at the same time, I feel this situation is the push for me to fully work on my own. I have been wrestling with this for a minute, and honestly I have been feeling led to do that.

Although life has been “life-ing”, I have still been keeping busy. I created a sketch of Cardi B: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1032282074579338

Because I’ve started to really concentrate on being a professional freelancer, I’ve created two flyers to put on social media for my services:

I still may need to add more things to it. I still feel uncertain, but I’m slowly getting back to my entrepreneur spirit. I’m so happy to talk to you all again. There are still some things I want to do, but I’m putting it in God’s hands.

Until Next Time!!

Updates

Usually, I will come on here and write something, but tonight, I think I’m going to give you all a video.

Enjoy!!



Collection with Shein

Hello Everyone,

It has been a minute since I’ve talked to you all. I’ve been very busy. I’ve had some good and bad days, but I have to say everything is getting better. To catch you all up, I’ve had several interviews with local magazines, and I’ve been freelancing again (working on two projects). I was also commissioned to create artwork for afghans. They are still selling.

So, the reason for this post. Yesterday, I received the best news ever! My collection for Shein X was live! I had been working on this collection with them since May, and I’m so excited that it is available for you all to purchase. Here is the link: https://us.shein.com/designer/10000178.

I was scrolling through Facebook earlier today and saw the Shein-sponsored ad on my feed. I was so happy when I saw this in the feed

I’ve been getting great reviews on it, and people have been purchasing. I really hope you all love this collection as much as I loved creating it. I’m so happy about this accomplishment.


Until Next Time!

Cartier and Islamic Art

Hello All,

On Thursday (September 8) , I took my class to the Dallas Museum of Art to see the Cartier and Islamic Art exhibition. As a lover of art and jewelry, this caught my attention. In addition, I’m also inspired by the art and patterns of other cultures, so I really wanted to see this exhibition.

I was very impressed with this exhibition. The jewelry was beautiful, the artwork and garments were gorgeous, and I loved how they showed the concepts of each piece. Here are some of the pieces.

One thing I found hilarous was how fast my fashion merchandising students were looking at the pieces, and how my fashion design students were studying each piece. Everything was beautiful. Afterwards, we saw the Keir Collection of Islamic Art.

After viewing the collection, I can say that a lot of dinnerware was inspired by Islamic Art because a lot of these pieces were on our tables!

Afterwards, I toured some of the other artwork, like the American artwork collections. My favorite was the silver.

Then, I toured the African Art collection (I was excited to tour this collection).

The last collection I toured was the China Art.

I really enjoyed my time at the Dallas Museum of Art. The pieces at Cartier and Islamic Art were impeccable, and I enjoyed seeing how Islamic Art is a big influence on a lot of things. I will definitely visit more exhibits there.

Until Next Time…..

Creativity and Jealousy

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all are doing well. I’m excited to see the number of people checking out my website and blog, especially those from different parts of the world. It makes me happy! So…..the title……I hope you all don’t find it to be strange, but believe it or not, there is jealousy in the art/fashion world, between non-creatives and creatives.

I can’t speak for all creatives (nor would I want to), but I can say that I have experienced people being jealous of me because I’m an artist. I didn’t know it existed until the person(s) disclosed that information to me. The first time I experienced this was in 2010 or 2011 when my cousin told me her feelings about my talent. My cousin and I are close. Grew up together, close in age, went to school together, went to church together, etc. I never thought she would be jealous of me. In high school, my mom used to tell me to watch out for her because she saw the jealousy in her. I thought my mom was just saying something. After we graduated, I went to college and she went to the military. 2010-2011- I was in grad school, and we talked for the first time in a long time. We were catching up on everything. I started talking about my projects, and she said “well, I know that you are going to do great. I was always amazed by your talent. I don’t know how you will feel about this, but I was always jealous of you because you could draw and I couldn’t.” I was stunned! She even told me that she used to talk to her mother (my aunt) about her jealousy of me because of my talent. She also told me that although she had other talents, it still hurt that she couldn’t draw. We talked things over, but I still feel a way about her jealousy.

The second person to tell me they were envious (his words) of my talent was a former friend. We had known each other since we were children and dated in the past. I always found it weird that he would try to do art projects when I was in undergrad…..that is until he moved to fashion when I started graduate school! Even though he knew nothing about managing models, he became a modeling manager. He also tried to set up photoshoots with the intention of using my collections, but didn’t want to pay anyone. It was weird!! We both moved to Texas around the same time, and he would call me with suggestions for us to go into business together. Everyone who knows me knows that I like to work by myself. He would suggest that I create stuff he saw on YouTube that I was not interested in. Again, weird!! If his friends wanted me to design something, and I told them my price, they would vent to him, and he would call me trying to figure out why I was charging what I charge! I would go off on him because his actions were strange. It was to the point where I didn’t even want to have a conversation with him because it would make my blood boil. Well, one day he called me to talk to me, and instead of him talking to me, he started fussing like a parent. When I asked who in TF he was talking to, we started arguing…..again! Then, he had the audacity to tell me that I was sleeping on my talent! Wrong thing to say to me! I went off! Then, he spoke his truth. He said, “do you know why I have always been envious of you?!” This was the first time I’ve ever heard him say that because I didn’t even know he was envious of me! After I tell him I didn’t know he was envious, he then says, “the reason I’m so envious of you is because you have a talent that I always wanted. You have the talent and you’re not even using it!” Again, wrong thing to say to me. Not only did I let him know he didn’t know what he was talking about, but I also ended the friendship. Haven’t talked to him since.

In graduate school, I had another student badmouth my work to other students because of her jealousy of me. That was weird to me. During undergrad, I was used to everyone in the art department encouraging each other and giving constructive criticism, so when I saw the backhanded and shady comments regarding others’ works, I was stunned. There are also people out there who would purposely try to destroy others’ work because of their feelings about them. So, for all of the creatives out there, please be careful with who you have in your circle, and please make sure you do not have any jealous/envious people around you. When that jealousy/envy is unleashed, it can be brutal.

Until Next Time…

Scammers Posing as Potential Employers

Hello everyone,

I was trying to figure out if I was going to post this. After thinking about it, I’ve decided I’m going to share it. On June 29th, I experienced the most awful thing ever! I was scammed for a job. So, here is how this happened. On June 22, 2022, I received an email from someone claiming to be a Human Resources Business Partner (not going to put the person’s name on here) from Fanatics. This person claimed to have seen my profile on Indeed and told me about an open position for an Illustrator with the company. The person gave me her work hours and her contact information on Skype for the “interview process.” I didn’t think anyone still used Skype, but we’re still in a pandemic, so I didn’t think anything of it. I contacted the person, and they told me the following about this Illustrator position:

  • Remote position

  • Pay was $60/hr, $25/hr for training

  • Excellent benefits

    • Health, dental, and visual insurance

    • Shares with the company

    • Maternity and Paternity leave

    • Life insurance

    • Short-term and long-term disability

    • Tuition reimbursement

    • Tuition discounts with the University of Phoenix

    • Employee discounts on auto, banking, etc.

Those are some of the things I remember about this position, and I was so happy about it. This was a text interview (no videos). I asked if this type of interview was normal, and the HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) stated that it was. I had to answer several questions (I think it was 10 questions) about my experience, as well as why I felt I was the best candidate for this position. Now, as this “interview” was going on, I went on the Fanatics site and filled out the General Inquiry asking if there was someone with this person’s name who worked for the company. I was told there was. I also found the person’s LinkedIn page and sent a connection. I have yet to receive a connection from that person.

The next day, I was told that I had the job. Told my family and friends. Everyone was excited because I had been looking for a second job to keep myself afloat. Then, the onboarding process started. I had to sign the offer letter, and give my name, address, phone number, and the name of my emergency contact. All of this was in my offer letter. In addition to that, I also had to fill out my W-4 Form. I also had to attach a copy of either my driver’s license or my passport, social security card, ID card, etc. After I sent the information, I was told that I was going to be provided a MacBook Pro with the training software installed, a phone line, and a strong internet connection. Then, the HRBP told me they were emailing a check with my sign-on bonus and funds for me to deposit so I can get the supplies needed for my mini office. I asked if it was normal to email a check. Again, they said yes. Sadly, when I received the email with the copy of the check, I did an online deposit and received the message of a hold on the check. The next day, I saw the hold was going to be until July 7th. I called my bank to see what was going on, and they told me they were verifying to see if the funds are there. They also told me they are taking extra precautions to make sure the check was not fraudulent. This is where I became nervous. Nervous because I wanted this check to be real, and because I thought my offer letter was going to be rescinded (I was doing a lot of overthinking and worrying).

On June 30th, I checked my bank account and saw that my account had a negative balance in the same amount as the check. I washed my face/brushed my teeth, threw on clothes and a cap, and went to the bank. By the time I arrived, my account was back to normal. I spoke to a customer service representative who told me the check was returned for fraudulent activity. The customer service representative asked me if I had given my social security number and bank account number, and I told him I didn’t give that information. After speaking with the customer service representative, he assured me that I did the right thing and that as long as I didn’t give any important information, I was okay. I also contacted Fanatics and Indeed to let them know of this situation. Both companies have responded to me, and Indeed let me know that there was nothing on my account where someone from Fanatics tried to contact me regarding employment. I also researched and contacted a site where you can report job scams, so I reported everything that happened.

A friend of mine sent me a screenshot of a thread from Reddit where someone was almost scammed out of $3000 because of a job scam.

There are several scams, but these job scams are ridiculous! I was feeling so low because this happened to me, but now I see this is becoming a common thing. I’m sharing this because if this can happen to me, an adjunct professor and freelance fashion designer with years of experience, this can happen to anyone. Just imagine if a recent graduate was contacted by someone pretending to be an employer when the “employer” was a scammer. So, here are some things to look out for:

  • Look at the email address

    • make sure it has gmail.com, yahoo.com, or it is the email of an official website or company

  • Do not click on unfamiliar links

    • Scammers are known for sending phishing emails with links to try to get your personal information

  • If someone sent you an email from an unfamiliar address, you can report emails for phishing with Gmail. With Yahoo, you can put it in Spam and block the sender

  • If a potential job tries to get you to deposit a check into your account, or tries to get you to send money to them, don’t!

  • Look beyond just researching on LinkedIn. Find a way to see if a potential company is real. You may have to contact the future employer to see if everything is legit.

As for this situation, I’ve reported the person’s profile on Skype and reported the emails for phishing. They’ve been flagged. I’m very cautious when it comes to these things, but now I’m being extremely cautious because of this situation. As of 7/3/2022, my checking account is restricted because of all of this. Please be careful.

Until Next Time.

Thank You!!

Hello Everyone,

I just want to thank you all for your views on my site!

I’ve been checking, and most of my views have been from USA, United Kingdom, and Canada. I see that everyone has been reading the #LividLiv post. I still find that post to be hilarious.

Thank you for all of the views and the love. I really appreciate it, and will continue give educational information regarding the fashion industry, as well as show my work.

Until Next Time!

Pay Creative People Their Worth

Hello,

So, I saw something on social media that made my blood boil. It was a post that was shared on Reddit between a tattoo artist (who goes by the name of u/rockpaperpowerfist) and a potential client. This was based in the UK. The potential client sent the tattoo artist a message asking if they were “really” a tattoo artist, and the tattoo artist told the person to check out his FB page. Well, this potential client not only said they were lazy, but also wanted the tattoo artist to “give” them a tattoo. When the tattoo artist said something about cost, the potential client had the TEMERITY to say “you lost me at money!” Not only that, the person said they looked at tattooing as a hobby! (If you want to read the whole exchange, here is the link https://www.boredpanda.com/tattoo-artist-rejects-customer-free-hobby/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic)

First, I read this whole article like

Second, I commend the tattoo artist for entertaining this ridiculous person for this long. If it was me, I would've responded with “K” and they would’ve been blocked, especially after they said, “you lost me at money!”

Third, when I discuss how people play with creatives’ time, THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!!! How dare you inbox someone asking for them to tattoo you for free, and then insult them by saying their career choice is a hobby!!

Sadly, these things happen to creatives all the time! Anyone with a creative background probably has countless stories about people either wanting something for free or pretending like they are going to order something when they want to waste time. Here are a few of the stories:

  • A person contacted a patternmaker for a custom garment. After telling everything they wanted on this garment, the patternmaker asked the person what was in their budget, and telling her what she was asking for was going to be expensive, the person said, “why are you asking about money when you are doing this for free?” When the patternmaker said they don’t work for free, the person then said, “Yes you do! You’re a freelancer, which means you do everything for free!”

  • A person contacted a pastry chef for a cake for her birthday. Gave the pastry chef a detailed list of everything she wanted on the cake. When the cake was done and the pastry chef contacted her, she wouldn’t answer the phone. The person’s boyfriend told the pastry chef to bring the cake. When the pastry chef brought the cake, the person only had $5 and asked the pastry chef to leave the cake with her, and she would pay her the next day. When the pastry chef told her that was unacceptable, the person had the pastry chef take her to the store to see if any money was on her “Walmart card.” Said Walmart card was a gift card that had no money on it.

  • There was a post on FB from a professional hairstylist. A client contacted her because she was in a financial bind. She had $100, but she still had a balance and needed her hair done. She suggested having sex with the hairstylist to pay for the balance, and the hairstylist to not tell the husband about it.

  • A person contacted a fashion designer/fashion illustrator for an illustration of her silhouette. She wanted to have it put on a t-shirt. She first contacted the fashion designer/fashion illustrator in 2018 for two sketches at first, but never signed the contract or paid the invoice. The fashion designer/fashion illustrator canceled the invoice. The person called her back explaining her situation. Fashion designer/fashion illustrator tried to work with her. Gave specific dates for the drawing + created another invoice for her to pay (that was in 2019). Years had passed, and after cleaning apps, the fashion illustrator realized the person never paid, so the invoice was canceled again. The person called the fashion designer/fashion illustrator again to explain her situation. This time, the fashion designer/fashion illustrator didn’t even bother to create anything because she knows the person only wants to waste her time.

  • A person contacted a fashion designer/fashion illustrator to create a book cover for her. The person gave details of the sketch she wanted for the book cover. Fashion Designer/Fashion Illustrator gave the person a contract and an invoice to pay. The person dared to tell the fashion designer/fashion illustrator that the contract would not be signed and the invoice would not be paid until she sees the work first. Fashion designer/fashion illustrator explained that she doesn’t work like that. After talking to other entrepreneurs, the fashion designer/illustrator decided to take a picture of sketch with a signature all over it. The person loved it at first, but then tried to negotiate the contract and invoice by saying she wanted more renditions. After not signing the contract and not paying the invoice, the fashion designer/fashion illustrator voided everything. The person had the nerve to have an attitude about it.

These are just a few stories of what creatives go through with people. We love what we do, but at the same time, we do not work for free. It is an insult to tell creatives to do the following:

  • Give you something for free

  • Give you a discount

  • Tell us to lower our prices because you can’t afford it

  • Play with our time by contacting us for a project, only for you to become ghost when it’s time to pay

For the last time, PAY CREATIVES THEIR WORTH, AND STOP WASTING CREATIVES’ TIME!!!!!!!!

Until Next Time!

Workplace Practices in Creative Fields

Hello Everyone,

I was browsing LinkedIn earlier today while doing household chores. LinkedIn has started to do polls regarding workplace practices, and I’m happy that some of these polls are being created because it is bringing a lot of things to light, especially in creative fields.

Creative Circle made a post on LinkedIn with the following:

‘Sometimes professional creatives are asked to perform assessments, complete assignments, or create deliverables during the interview process.

How do you feel about this practice?

Is it acceptable or is it a scam? We'll meet you in the comments!’

Below is the poll:

Has a potential employer ever asked you to perform an assessment, test, or create deliverables during the interview process?


The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Yes 87%

No 13%

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6943188300631351297/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(ugcPost%3A6943188299742134272%2C6944515054155313152)&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A(6944515054155313152%2Curn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A6943188299742134272)

This question made me think of a conversation I had with a friend. This friend and I are in the same industry, and we are both fashion professors and freelancers. We were discussing our experiences with interview processes in the fashion industry, and I brought up creating projects during some of my past interviews. My friend looked at me and said, “Ummmm……a project?!” I explained that every fashion position I interviewed for, I had a project to complete, whether it was a fashion flat or a capsule collection. I also explained it’s been like that since I’ve been in Texas. My friend had this confused look on her face like

She then said, “Ummmm……..Ashley…….Uhhhhh…….I’ve been in the fashion industry for a long time, and I’ve NEVER had to do a project for any company during the interview process! If anyone asked me to do that, I would’ve left the interview.” I was dumbfounded! I thought this process was common in the fashion industry. She was like, “No! This is not common at all!” When I saw this post on LinkedIn and the comments on the thread, it showed me that it was definitely not common. From what everyone on the thread stated, companies who had interviewees to do projects didn’t offer them the position, but used their ideas within the company.

Another workplace practice that no one wants to talk about? Companies offering freelance jobs that are not really freelance jobs.

Example of someone working freelance

The true definition of freelance is to work with different companies according to your own schedule! Remote work on your own terms! If you want to work while on vacation, you can do that. If you want to work at home, you can do that. Work while at a coffee shop? You can do that! It’s freelance! I’ve seen companies offer freelance positions, but you have to work on-site (go to the office and work). So, here is why this is a problem. This is not really freelance. This is a way for companies to hire you to work full-time without offering any benefits (no insurance, no 401 K, no retirement, no nothing).

Of course, no one thinks of these things when looking for work (especially if you’re unemployed), but these things shouldn't happen. I’m sharing this because these things really happen in creative fields. I don’t understand why people feel creatives love to create for free and we’re supposed to be okay with it. So, here are some suggestions:

  • If a company asks for you to do a project during a job interview, if you are not hired, ask them to pay you a certain amount for the work you did on the project. Your work is not free, and your time is valuable.

  • If a position is supposed to be freelance, negotiate with them to do the work off-site. Besides, freelance does not mean to come on-site and work full-time hours with no benefits.

  • Explain that even though you love what you do, your work and expertise are not free (I feel this should be another post)

I hope this helps someone.

Until Next Time!

Busy

Hello Everyone,

So I’ve been busy! I’ve been commissioned to do the artwork for afghans for my sorority. This was truly a blessing. In addition to being commissioned to do the artwork for afghans, I’ve also been sketching a lot. Not only am I working to put myself out there to get clients for my tech pack services, but I’m also sketching so I can get live fashion illustration work.

I’ve discussed how much fun I’m having drawing on my tablet. I’ve also started working on hairstyle details. Here are a couple that I’ve done.

Sketch of locs

Large afro

I usually don’t render evening gowns, but I’ve actually rendered and shared a mermaid gown I rendered. I had so much fun creating this sketch.

Hot Pink Mermaid Gown

I’ve also been recreating some of the looks from the Autumn/Winter fashion shows from Vogue.com. One of the looks I’ve recreated is Schiaparelli’s long sleeve sheath dress.

https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2022-ready-to-wear/schiaparelli/slideshow/collection#36

I will be posting more of my artwork on here.

Until Next Time!!

Black Art and Black Artists

Hello Everyone,

I watch black documentaries all the time, and because it’s Black History Month, a lot of black movies and documentaries are being shown. Two nights ago, I was watching “Black Art: In the Absence of Light” on HBO Max, and it discussed how there were so many black artists who had not gotten recognition for their work.

https://www.kanopy.com/product/black-art-absence-light

Many artists had not only reflected on their works, but also reflect how some of their works are still unknown. One artist, Faith Ringgold (who I had the pleasure of talking to while in graduate school) discussed her boldness with her artwork, and how she became more of a feminist because of the discrimination she faced from the American public and other well-known black artists. One thing that was said at the beginning of the documentary that is still true to this day is that Black artists have to prove they are artists AND individuals.

This documentary made me think of my career as an artist and a fashion designer/fashion illustrator, and how the discussion and works of Black artists were almost non-existent. I attended a predominately white university with an excellent art department, and I couldn’t help but notice that besides Jean-Michel Basquiat (who I don’t even consider an influential artist, but for some reason, others do), no other black artists and their works were being discussed during lectures. The only reason Basquiat was even discussed was because he worked with Andy Warhol. Luckily, I grew up reading Ebony and Jet Magazine where several articles were written about black artists and their works, as well as watching “Good Times”, where the artworks from Ernie Barnes were routinely shown. When I would bring up different black artists during lecture discussions, the professors and students would look at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. What ticked me off the most was that a lot of black students didn’t even know about black artists. It was even worse in graduate school. Although everyone knew of Andre Leon Talley, no other black artists or fashion designers were discussed. I remember when Stephen Burrows, a world-renowned fashion designer from the 60s and 70s, came to visit and critique our work, I was the only student who knew about him. When it came to my fashion illustrations, I had to change some of the features of my fashion figures and not make them brown-skinned or dark-skinned, basically “white-washing” my figures (I changed some of the features, but I did not change the skin color). Another thing I noticed was that the Caucasian figures were always on display at the school.

As for the documentary, it is a very great documentary, and it shows the works of several artists from different eras. It delves into the creative and political side of black art and black artists, and how in this present day, black artists are still fighting for recognition. As for my career, I’ve been an artist for over 21 years, a fashion designer/fashion illustrator for over 14 years, and a fashion professor for over seven years. I find myself doing a lot of research on different styles of fashion illustration, and I’ve noticed that Caucasian fashion illustrators’ works are always mainstream, except for minority fashion illustrator, Hayden Williams. I honestly feel the reason my work has not gone mainstream is that I’m quick to create black fashion figures. I’ve always felt that black women are the most beautiful and fashionable people in this world, and we are not celebrated enough. I still create original garments and fashion illustrations, and I will continue to do so. I will also continue to celebrate black women, no matter the creative element.

Until Next Time…

The Malcolm X Suit and How it Became a Part of My Black History

Hello Everyone,

So, it is February, which means it is Black History Month. Now usually, I would start with different black fashion designers who have made an impact in the fashion industry, but this year, I want to do things a little differently. So, I just finished watching “Soul of a Nation: X/onerated- The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice” on Hulu, and this specific memory kept coming to me.

It was summer 1992, and Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” was in theaters. Malcolm X baseball suits were very popular during this time, and you could purchase them from anywhere.

https://webuyblack.com/malcolm-x-black-and-white-baseball-jersey.html

https://webuyblack.com/malcolm-x-color-block-baseball-jersey.html

They were seen on TV, in magazines, on the news, etc.

Jada Pinkett Smith in “A Different World”

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/14003448830748269/

Michael Jordan wearing a Malcolm X baseball hat

http://www.themonarchreview.org/mr/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7072.jpg

There was a summer event going on in my hometown at the local park (formerly Westside Park, now J.L. King Memorial Park) and there were Malcolm X baseball suits everywhere. I begged my mom to get me one of those suits, and when she did, you couldn’t tell me anything! Everything was great until the start of my fourth-grade year. I was at a new school, and there was a new principal. Now, let me give you a historical background about this school. It was one of three schools in our area that was not only founded and named after a local black educator, but it was one of the three schools that black students attended during the Jim Crow era. This information is very important because the new principal was Caucasian.

I didn’t wear my Malcolm X baseball suit on the first day of school, but I knew I was going to wear it during that week. We all went to our classrooms and were greeted by our teacher. My teacher was African-American, and her mother was my head start teacher years ago (Head Start is funded by the federal government and is available free of charge to low-income families who have 3- to 5-year-old children. https://www.theclassroom.com/differences-between-head-start-preschool-7893034.html). She started to teach, and then, a voice came on the intercom. It’s the new principal. She’s greeting everyone and going over the morning announcements. When we thought she was finished, she said, “🔊 Oh, and by the way, STUDENTS CAN NOT WEAR MALCOLM X SUITS!!” I didn’t hear anything else she said after that because I was stuck on the fact that she said loudly over the intercom that we couldn’t wear these suits. There was nothing in the handbook that stated these suits couldn’t be worn so why would she say this? My teacher kind of shrugged it off and continued teaching. When I came home from school, I didn’t think about anything the principal said. Everything was a blur. Before bed, my mom asked if I wanted to wear my Malcolm X baseball suit to school the next day, and I said yes. She ironed it, and I went to bed.

The next day, I wore my Malcolm X baseball suit to school, and everyone looked at me with this worried look on their faces. One of my friends came to me and said, “you really wore your Malcolm X suit to school?” I said yes. When I came into the classroom, my teacher smiled at me, greeted everyone, and started teaching. It was now recess time, and I’m playing outside with my friends. We walked into the building, and all of a sudden, I felt someone forcefully grab my arm. I look, and it was a teacher that I’d never seen before. She was Caucasian and her hair looked like the Jan Brady wig.

https://michaelstvtray.com/2013/05/24/jan-brady-wig/

(please watch the clip. It’s hilarious)

I gave her a look like

She asked me for my name, and I asked for hers so I can report her for forcefully grabbing my arm. She wouldn’t tell me her name, but I have an excellent photographic memory, so I knew how to describe her. She asked for my name again; I tell her, then asked for hers again. Not only did she not tell me her name, but she asked, “Didn’t the principal tell you not to wear Malcolm X suits? I told her that the principal didn’t buy any of my clothing, and it did not state in the handbook that these suits are not supposed to be worn. She then let my arm go, and there was a red mark on my arm. By the time I came into my classroom, my classmates had told my teacher what happened. My teacher questioned me, then asked for the other teacher’s name, and because she never told me, I had to describe her. When I started describing her horrible hair hat, she knew immediately who I was talking about. When I came home, I told my mom what happened, and she was furious. When I told her the principal told us this, she then asked “What does she have against Malcolm X for her not to want any children to wear these suits?!” She then said, “Don’t worry because you will be able to wear that suit.”

The next day, after lunch, the principal gets on the intercom and says, “🔊Students. I want to tell you all that I was wrong for telling you all that you cannot wear Malcolm X suits. I shouldn’t have said that, and I want to apologize to you all. Also, I want to tell you all that you can wear Malcolm X suits.” My teacher and I looked at each other, and she smiled at me. When I came home and told my mom what happened, she said “I know because I had a talk with her about how wrong she was for not allowing you all to wear those suits.” What I did not know until later that day was that my mom went to the school, and schooled the principal on who Malcolm X was, why he was important in Black History, and why she was wrong for saying these suits couldn’t be worn in school. She and the principal had a heated debate, and she found out the reason the principal didn’t want the suits worn at the school was because he was…………….mean to white people! My mom asked if she remembered how mean white people were to everyone else around the time he was alive, and she had nothing to say. So, because of my mom, we were able to wear Malcolm X suits to school again.

Although it has been a long time since I’ve worn a Malcolm X suit, I still have that memory of my mom as the reason that we could wear Malcolm X suits to school when I was in the fourth grade. So, in honor of Black History Month, not only do I want to continue to celebrate and discuss black designers and how black people influenced fashion, but I also want to celebrate my mom and the Malcolm X suit for being a part of my personal black history moment.

Until Next Time…….