Michael Kors first introduced us to the Empire Print for their Fall ‘23 collection.

It entwines the brand’s iconic Signature logo with the architecturally-inspired Empire motif.

Add to that Kors new spring color ‘Spiced Coral’ and you have some pretty irritable pieces.

How gorgeous is this color??

From clothing pieces, bags, wristlets and these adorable shoe options, Spring will definitely help you to build your own empire.

This title has several meanings.

It’s originally referring to Bra Fittings. But it evolved into so much more.

This week I hosted a Galentines Influencer Event at the luxurious I.C. London lingerie store in the Southpark area.

I invited some of my favorite influencers to talk about bra fittings and the Give From The Heart charity event.

Shelly, the incredible owner, is so generous with the community all year. During this month, she’s kicking it up a notch.

When you bring in donations for the local women’s shelter you receive 40% off a full priced item!

Well my Girls showed up and showed out!

Everyone donated or posted about the charity event.

We all had bra fittings and our ‘Girls’ were lifted up better than they ever have before.

Shelly explained exactly how a bra should fit and we were all provided various comfortable, sexy and functional options.

After having horrible fitting experiences from other stores before, several of us had similar stories and fears about the process.

After my fitting a few weeks back I assured the ladies their experience will be nothing but relaxing, informative and wonderful.

She carries sizes from A to P!!

In addition to bras, there’s several things we never knew we needed. Bra strap converters, nip covers and laundry necessities are also available.

There are so many brands from all over the world sold here.

And the store is always neat and in order.

Now let’s talk about the food!

This charcuterie board form locally owned Babe & Butcher was almost too pretty to eat!

Along with the sweet treats! Shelly went all out for us.

Which brings me to the next meaning of the title.

The group of ladies I selected to attend all came together and bonded. Some knew each other, but by the end of the night we all were lifting each other up, networking, posting about each other and planning get togethers in the future.

We lifted up the woman in the local shelters with donations and talking to others about the charity.

And Shelly was Queen of the night!

I’m so happy everyone loved her the way I do! And I’m happy they had such a great time and are telling their followers about this spectacular female owned business.

We left with some sexy swag.

And a generous gift from Commando that found out about our event and wanted to be involved!

If you want relaxing, lux experience check out I.C. London

When I say we Lifted Up The Girls I mean it in so many ways.

Love them or hate them, heart shaped bags are in!

I’m a fan of heart shaped anything. Despite alot of people thinking it’s childish, I love LOVE!

So I’ve gathered a selection of bags at various price points.

This one from Target is around $10. I love the O ring and the wristlet design.

Forever 21 has this cute crossbody on sale right now for under $8.

As well as this unique design coming in at just under $18.

This Lauren Conrad bag from Kohls comes in three colors and is priced at around $42.

I adore this Karl Lagerfeld bag with some of my favorite things embellished on it. At $145 it’s the perfect mid range bag.

Doc Marten, yes Doc Marten, puts an edgy twist on his bags.

At $130, you can add some romance to your cool girl outfit.

Now let’s get real. Check out this realistic version by JW PEI for only $169!

Kurt Geiger joined the heart trend with his signature rainbow stripped bag at $200.

These Kate Spade versions are around $200 and scream romance.

Coach has some options priced $170-$200. Another great mid range option.

Tiffany’s is synonymous with the heart shape. This $600 bag is a leather version of the Return To Tiffany’s keychain and jewelry.

Louis Vuitton steps outside their norm with these cute bags for a little over $2000.

Of course Chanel tops out the heart shape game with bags starting at $5000!

My favorite, however, is this $40 bag from Target. It’s from their Emily In Paris collection. I love the show so much that I would rock this bag proudly!

What’s your take on the heart bag? Is it for the young? Or can it be for those of us young at heart?

Pharrell secured his spot amongst top designers with his sophomore collection with Louis Vuitton.

Dubbed the Wild West meets Native American, as Williams sets the trend for the 2024 season.

Several designs stand out to me.

Embroidered:

Turquoise:

Small accents such as the turquoise buttons and random studding pay homage to the western jewel.

The Speedy is a standout favorite.

Earth tones:

Rich dessert clay tones were evident in several pieces.

Animal prints:

Pixilated cow print adorns these pieces.

As well as cowhide bags.

Timberland:

Who can resist a pair of LV Timbs?

Models rocked the runway in cowboy hats, cowhide valises, denim jackets adorned with bull badges and cowboy boots with shiny metal points.

Oversized jackets, including a statement-making gangster-style fur coat, in bold reinterpretations of traditional Western wear.

The soul of the collection is its collaboration with Dakota and Lakota nation artists, a partnership that could be seen in intricate designs on scarves, bags, and blankets with floral and geometric patterns telling stories of heritage and identity.

“Pharrell wanted to bring out the Native American spirit, he wanted to showcase we’re still here, we’re still resilient,” Rebecca Brady, 54, a Native American from New Town, North Dakota, told The Associated Press.

Pharrell’s second show was definitely as jaw dropping as his first.

When I first saw Leon Parham on the runway at Charlotte Seen Charlotte Fashion Week in 2017 I was hooked.

I’ve followed his career ever since.

Recently I had the opportunity to see him at the I’m Possible Inclusion Fest Show and gathered every ounce of courage I had in me to approach him.

I’ve been working on not missing opportunities and I wasn’t letting this chance pass me by.

Surprisingly, Parham didn’t set out to be a fashion designer.

As a teen, he was more interested in writing, singing and acting in plays.

He began a designing his own costumes and eventually opened his own Tailoring Shop.

Being in the small southern town of Petersburg Virginia was an obstacle he quickly overcame.

This is where our similarities begin.

I too escaped my small Tennessee hometown to chase my dreams of writing and fashion.

He studied at SCAD and the Art Institute Of Atlanta.

Let’s go back about 20 yeas to a fashion moment that’s permanently imbedded in my mind.

This Rolling Stone cover featuring André 3000 from 2004 in an outfit left quite an impression on me.

Little did I know, I’d be meeting the designer of it one day.

Yes, Leon Parham is that designer!

I asked how this happened.

He had moved to Atlanta and manifested designing for the Outkast singer.

He had seen André on TV wearing a lime green fedora.

One day, while working at his Salon, he spotted that green hat.

Just as I did with him, he gathered his courage and approached the singer.

He brought him over to look at his portfolio and the rest is history.

We discussed our favorite designers. We share a love of Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler.

And we share an appreciation of the impact of hip hop on fashion.

So what’s up next for Parham?

He’s working on a Fashion Film that I cannot wait to see!!!

And he will be working André 3000 again in the near future.

I’m so happy I made the attempt to connect with him. He’s truly an inspiration to me. We’ve had some of the same experiences and seeing his success fuels my desire to succeed.

And all of this, was purely accidental. Or was it simply meant to be?

Contact Leon Parham here for custom made pieces or tailoring.

Special thanks to photographer Craig Muzse for the amazing photos.

What a way to start 2024!!!

I’m pleased to announce that I am now an Express Style Editor!

I will be putting together styles for all of my social media platforms along with direct links to the items.

These will be affiliate links and will provide me with a small percentage of the sales.

I will also be offering styling sessions.

These can be done online, via zoom or in person.

I’m super thrilled to start the new year with an exciting new chapter of my influencing/ content creating career.

Allow me to help pick out some pieces for you! Contact me with any questions or if you’d like personal styling. Men and women are welcome!

Links will be provided soon once I complete all my courses!

You can find me Here on the blog, on Instagram Facebook YouTube and TikTok

Last Weekends Fashion Extravaganza, presented by Face The Magazine, introduced me to a designer I’d never seen before.

Montreal designer Luko Marion’s designs really stood out to me.

His pieces were just as elaborate on the back as they were on the front.

I spoke with him this week and had to know more about them.

“I really like to do a good first impression look from the front but, also when you walk away and people are still looking at you and you give them an element of surprise.” Marion said.

“I’ve been a Visual Specialist for many years at a big retail store in Montreal and was always on a special project or window displays dressing mannequins.”

He went on to add “I really appreciate details and finishing that balance with clothing in a way that makes it different, fun to wear and beautiful to look at.”

Originally from Montreal, Luko Marion been doing Fashion for quite awhile now. Specializing in Powermesh, buttons and metals, this collection is mainly power mesh, neoprene and Athletic Mesh, a bit of leather and suede for jacket and skirt.

A variation of dark shades of blues and black mixed with deep pink and purple, Dark Excellence is inspiring dark shades and texture combinations.

He featured exceptional tops, all hand made from buttons and metals rings.

Luko Marion presented other collections at Montreal Fashion Week and had been doing many projects in the past for breast cancer foundation or prostate cancer foundation.

Truly unique pieces that you will enjoy seeing coming or going!

He credits Woven with helping him grow his brand.

Woven Fashion Incubator is a co-workspace, fashion design classes and apparel manufacturer for underserved students, entrepreneurs and fashion careerists.

Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the mission of Woven is to create attainable
pathways into the fashion industry. They help the youth, emerging designers, and developed business owners who are passionate about creating with a purpose.

For More Info on Luko Marion

Woven

If you’re searching for some Glam pieces to add to your wardrobe, look no further.

Primark has a collab with singer Rita Ora that fits the bill.

Primark, the Irish clothing store, recently opened up a store in Charlotte. So I finally got to check them out in person.

I was immediately drawn to the Rita Ora pieces.

You can clearly see why.

Our Rita Ora x Primark collection brings you fabulous clothing, footwear and accessories, from faux leather biker jackets and lace slip dresses to denim.

Black and silver make for an eclectic look.

So many of the pieces can mix or match.

The differentiator for this partnership is in the alignment between Ora’s own kind of philanthropic efforts, her own values and how she grew up, and her empowering women – and what Primark stands for.

Edgy Glam is the term that comes to mind.

From Business to ‘I mean business’ the Primark X Rita Ora collab has something for every occasion.

Oh how I love the Kendall Bag from Michael Kors!

Simple yet glamorous, their metallic Kendall shoulder bag is made to stand out.

Compact in size but still big enough to store night-out essentials, it features a gold-tone chain strap that incorporates their iconic Empire logo. Throw it over your shoulder or carry it in hand, depending on what the occasion calls for.

Create multiple looks with this chic pouchette by Michael Michael Kors.

Crafted in leather, it offers a chain strap and interchangeable logo handle for an iconic finish.

The only problem is deciding which color!!

So far the red is in the lead!!

The Kerwin Frost Artist Box from McDonald’s launched this week causing a lot of people to ask “who is he?”.

Being a writer of both food and fashion, I’m here with some answers.

Kerwin Frost is an artist from Harlem, most well known for his work within fashion and music. He is a creative director, a DJ, street style icon and host of his own interview series.

As a lifelong fan of McDonald’s and the McNugget Buddies, Kerwin is proud to team up and bring “The Kerwin Frost Box” to life. His Frost Way collectible designs marry a vivid fashion style with a respect for the enduring iconography of the McDonald’s brand.

“People in Harlem always did have a different outlook on doing things,” Frost has stated.

When Frost was growing up there in the early ’00s, drug dealers were still as influential as rappers when it came to serving the most outlandishly flamboyant looks.

“I remember seeing one of the local drug dealers in Harlem wearing the Moncler X Pharrell jacket that had all the little trees on it, but with a tank top and some fur Ugg boots.”

The Harlem-born entrepreneur has hustled his way to hosting an annual film festival, an Apple Music radio show, and Kerwin Frost Talks, his popular YouTube talk show.

Adidas fans go wild over his sneaker collabs.

“I’m the king of self promotion. I’m the loudest, proudest zad of my own work. I won’t let you not know it happened.”

Now when you open up that Artist box meal, and unbox the collectible toy, know you now own an iconic piece of fashion history.