Amelian models Jeremy Scott for Adidas Collection.

The modeling industry is not an easy beast to slay. You are constantly scrutinized for your looks and always in competition  with the next hot pretty thing. One day you may be a household name, the next  last year’s “it girl”.  Amelian, an Anchorage, Alaska native  won’t be in that crowd. This multi-hyphenate phenom (model/stylist/ graphic designer)  is more than just a pretty face.   You may have seen her recently in the Jeremy Scott For Adidas Collection or read her  blog the Kashiro Collective, which she updates frequently.  Amelian is also a budding artist and has lent her graphic design skills to create   fashion stylist Monica Rose’s blog. See how Amelian has turned her beauty into business.

 1.       Style & Substance: How did you break in to the modeling  industry?
Amelian: At first I started modeling for a girlfriend who was a photography major while at the same college and I loved it! After that I got opportunities to model for my friends clothing store, and more work started trickling in.  Then Jeremy Scott asked me to model for his Originals By Originals collection and it’s incredible!

2.      Style & Substance: What is the best part of being a model and fashion stylist?
Amelian: They both help me out immensely! When I style, I understand what it’s like to be in front of the camera – poses, angles, facial features, expressions,  what works on camera, keeping the body shape flattering and I can give direction to a model when need be. When I model, I am SUPER aware of my  clothing, how to make things look great and what poses work. They go hand in hand!

3.      Style & Substance: You also have a background in advertising and graphic design, how do you marry all your loves into one career?
Amelian: My initial goal was to be a Art Director but I discovered styling in college. After graduating I was like “Shit, what do I do now!?” I just followed my path and took the opportunities that were in front of me. I now  feel like I am on the path to that but in a way I didn’t expect – which is wonderful! I use my graphic design skills to Photoshop shoots I style, create my own logos and art, design web sites. I am fully aware of how to market my creations and myself! As well it all involves fashion and my  styling. My goal is to be more than just a stylist, I want to be a creator  of beautiful art like media with a wonderful aesthetic – like a Art Director.  It is important to understand all aspects so I educate myself and learn from those I meet along the way.

4.      Style & Substance: What is next on your agenda?
Amelian: Right now I am organizing ideas I have for some really creative photo shoots. I am very intrigued by African culture and the work of Kara Walker, a very poignant and amazing storyteller artist who utilizes black paper  cutouts in her work. I love exotic patterns and colors and the striking silhouettes of Walker’s work. I love the unexpected and color. I am also working on samples for a accessory line I hope to introduce before the year  is over. Styling shoots, travel and modeling of course too. I just focus on being inspired, creating and staying proactive.

5. Style & Substance: What do you think about all the model reality shows that have saturated TV and are promising instant fame as a “super model” but  thus far it hasn’t happened yet to winners?
Amelian: I have seen some beautiful girls on those shows but I don’t think the way to find the next “super model” is through silly “challenges” etc – real life is far from that! A super model is a SUPERB type of model – who will be discovered one way or another as they were before the swarm of reality shows that drowns our T.V sets every waking moment. I think the shows are wonderful for exposing the different types of beauty (and REAL PEOPLE!!) that are models in their own right even though they are not conventional. Opportunity is in those shows for the young ladies who choose to participate so I think it’s up to them to take that platform and work it.

6.      Style & Substance: What keeps you sane in the competitive and fast-paced modeling world?
Amelian: I just always remember that I’m just a girl from Anchorage, Alaska! It’s important to stay true to your self and be REAL! I just stay down to earth and make the best of every situation. I talk to my loving boyfriend (he keeps me sane!), my family. I think about my next move and I don’t focus on the drama.

7.      Style & Substance: Describe your Style and Substance?
 Amelian: Savvy, always evolving, genuine and true to self!

To learn more about Amelian head over to her site, The Kashiro Collective.

Photographer Ashley Sky Walker is capturing moments in real time. His unique style of painting a scene with his lens is rugged and abstract. His portfolio is oozing with works used in magazines and advertisements.  High fashion. Candid Shots. Runway. The Street.  Fashion Week.  Everything around him is used as inspiration for future projects. Walker honed his skills abroad at Central Saint Martins after graduating from Howard University and has never looked back.  He lives and breathes the NYC culture and has gained a following as he continues to breathe a fresh air into the industry.  Remember his name.

To see more of his work and to contact him, click here.

Educated. Black. Men. This should not be a rarity in this day in age. We have a black president and not every young person should strive to be a ballplayer, hustler, or a rapper. Demetrius  Walker, a Vanderbilt University alum and co-creator of DangerousNEGRO.com  with his impressive team, is cultivating  a new way to empower the youth of today to realize that  being smart is cool.  Using fashion as a platform,  to reach the  masses, they have created, this site to not only spread the message but also invoke a conversation. The line is not just about graphic tees and catchy logos. Ten years ago the urban apparel market was the toast of the town. It became the accessible mascot for young kids  wanting to “keep it real” mimicking the style of their music idols and fake street thugs. Kids today are not buying into the  façade. Now is the time raise the bar.

 STYLE & SUBSTANCE: Who are the creators of Dangerousnegro.com?
dangerousNEGRO is myself, Demetrius Walker (Marketing Director), Tre Baker (Chairman), Sebastine Ujereh Jr. (President), Justin Giboney (Attorney), Tracy Holmes (Customer Service Director), Gary Mavindidze (Community Relations Specialist), and Frank Robinson (Technology Specialist).  Six out of the seven of us went to Vanderbilt University, where we were friends with similar interests in Black empowerment. From there we all furthered our education in different ways.  I’m proud to say we boast amongst our ranks an MBA, an MBA candidate, a PhD candidate, a JD., a Master of Engineering, and 2 Bachelor of Arts scholars. Justin and myself (Demetrius Walker) are also public speakers that travel around the country lecturing.

 STYLE & SUBSTANCE: What is the meaning and goal behind your site Dangerousnegro.com?
dangerousNEGRO arose from the minds of Black men united in a quest to deliver consciousness to a lost generation. Point blank there is way too much coonin and way too much glorification of ignorant behavior going on these days. So we decided to take a stand by giving the world a positive visual representation of Black culture. Our goal was to start not just an innovative clothing line, but a movement that could branch out into every major avenue of influence in the Black community. We firmly believe that through our products we can increase the number of socially conscious individuals around the world, and, in turn, increase their impact on the community. By serving as a visual representation of the Black Empowerment Movement, our brand can help to inspire action and combat the apathy that has taken over many aspects of the Hip Hop culture and Black society.

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: How long did it take you to get your ideas and thoughts together to launch this exciting movement?
Well Vanderbilt was really the incubator for most of our ideas.  So debates amongst ourselves in undergrad laid the foundation for what would become a dynamic movement.  After our Chairman, Tre Baker, learned about the remarkable work of A. Philip Randolph, and him being labeled “the most dangerous Negro in America” by President Woodrow Wilson, we found a name to place on top of our thoughts. The FBI also called MLK a ‘dangerous Negro’ after the March on Washington. There was pretty much a trend used by the Federal government in labeling Black leaders with organizational skills “dangerous Negroes”. We felt like those are the cats we needed to emulate. Those are the people that put fear into the powers that be…. not these fake want to be gang bangers on TV and the radio. We noticed there was nothing out there as far as fashion that portrayed what we stood for… The Stop Snitching shirt movement was going hard in the streets.  Dope Boy tees was popular.  We wanted a visual representation of a new way of thinking… hence the clothing line. So to answer your question directly, it took a couple of months to officially launch the business, though our thoughts and beliefs had been constructed year’s prior.  We started selling t-shirts in December of 2005 and officially became an LLC in February of 2006.

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: One of your hot sellers, the “Young.Gifted.Black.” tee was banned in a school in South Georgia, why do you think one tee shirt could cause such a negative reaction?
Taking pride in ones Blackness is often construed as being ultra radical, super militant, or as history tells us – dangerous.  For a shirt like “Young.Gifted.Black” to scare the mess out of a public school in the 21st Century, it just proves we still have a long way to go in terms of American race relations.  Everyone needs to understand that loving your ethnicity and taking pride in which you are does not mean you are racist.  Racist people take pride in their race, but also go out of their way to degrade other races.  There’s a huge difference.   

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: The urban apparel market has become saturated with a lot of clothing that may be branded as trendy and “overnight sensations” what will make your brand stand the test of time?
dangerousNEGRO will be here forever because it goes way beyond just clothing. It’s a mentality, a lifestyle, and a way of thinking.  We’re taking the fashion industry by storm because we’ve been so shut out that it’s only sharpened our swords… People’s ignorance has only made us stronger and helped us build more character, confidence, and competitive spirit…Not to mention, it has forced us to cut out middle men and make ourselves much more profitable.  

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: Are you surprised about the success of the site?
 As far as success is concerned, we’re happy that people have embraced our message.  However, we still have not reached the extremely high goals that we set for ourselves back in 2005.  Honestly, we feel like we’re just getting started.  There’s so much more to accomplish.  Until we can clearly see a paradigm shift in the mentalities of our people, we really haven’t accomplished anything.  Every household in the Black Diaspora needs to be familiar with the concept of dangerousNEGRO.  

 STYLE & SUBSTANCE: What is next for dN|Be Apparel and dangerousNEGRO.com?
dN|Be will be branching into every major avenue of influence in the Black community.  TV is not out of the question. Political engagement is in the works.  We have books coming out. As far as the clothing line, people will notice more attention to detail, quality, and creativity in our designs and concepts.  Stay tuned for dope hats, more women’s selections, and premium/limited edition items in the near future.

 STYLE & SUBSTANCE: What is your Style & Substance?
Our company’s tag line is “The Style’s In The Message!” Therefore, what gives dangerousNEGRO substance is the principle of Black Empowerment that goes into every decision we make.  That puts us in our own lane.  Show me another clothing line that inspires so much thought and action in the minds of its followers.  We own social media… look at how large our following is on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Youtube.  There’s simply nobody on the Planet Earth doing what we’re doing right now.  We’re in a league of our own.

 For more information  please check out this site.

Style & Substance: The transition from college life to real world is tough, how have you continued to get your name out in the industry?
Networking and continuing to be hungry! Each time I meet someone in the industry exchanging contacts and actually following up with friendly emails that aren’t necessarily asking for anything. You really have to “stay humble stay low and blow like hootie”! Each job you do you have to act like your life depends on it whether it’s paid or not. Internships can lead to jobs if you play your cards correctly and you have good timing!

Style & Substance:What are your upcoming goals?
My next goals are to get into some teleprompting classes because I eventually see myself as a TV personality. I also am looking to get into a full-time job IN the industry.

 Style & Substance: Any new projects on the horizon?
Right now my biggest project is getting settled in Los Angeles – I’m investing some time in myself. I excel most when I have a stable home life so that’s my immediate focus! I also have a project called, Close to the Bottom. It’s a compilation of interviews with cool people who are doing their thing in creative fields.

Style & Substance:Your resume is full of experience from Essence Magazine, In Style Magazine, and BET what is one of your best memories on the job?
Oh man! I have a lot of great memories. Some of them include BET Awards 07 when I worked the red carpet. I hadn’t ever been around that many celebrities at once so it was cool to see some of my favorite artists up close. I also loved working as a direct intern for Stephen Hill during the first BET Honors. That man is such a visionary. Essence was also great! I loved working all the photo shoots and going on market appointments – I had a lot of Devil Wears Prada moments there. I learned so much at Essence and at In Style I worked for a fabulous editor, Sydney Bolden-Long. She consistently gave me words of wisdom.

Style & Substance: Describe a day in the life at your job?
Well, I’m a bridal specialist right now at a well-known shop in Beverly Hills so my job is to help brides find the gown of their dreams and to help with other aspects of their wedding parties needs. If you’ve seen “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC then that’s pretty much what I do. Its fun and a nice environment most days so I like it but I’m definitely looking to get a full-time job in the industry but this works for the moment. 

Style &  Substance: Finding a job in the age of a bad recession can really dampen a recent grad’s spirit, how do you maintain such a positive outlook?
I’ve definitely had some post grad depression. I was in Atlanta for 9 months after I left NYC and had the hardest time finding a job! It was so bad my mom suggested I go to nursing school. But I just kept focused on getting to LA. I aligned my path to get here. I got into FIDM and got a job the first day I got here so I know that LA is where God wants me to be. The piece of hope that I keep is that my break will come. I’ve already planted the seeds through my work ethic and am watering them through my diligence and faith. So one of these days I’m going to see the fruits of my labor!

Style & Substance: What is your Style & Substance?
My Style & Substance is knowing that having style without any substance is worthless. I pride myself on knowing that fashion and entertainment doesn’t make the world go round but it is something that I’m passionate about. I make sure I volunteer my time with noble causes like Girl Scouts of America. I’m currently training to be a troop leader in Girl Scouts of Greater LA. At the end of the day it’s bigger than me!