ESSENCE kicked off New York Fashion Week right with its first-ever Street Style Block Party & Awards, at DUMBO in Brooklyn, NY. Not one, not two but three Caribbean style mavens were honored! Amongst the honorees were celebrity stylist June Ambrose (Antigua), fashion designer Azede Jean-Pierre (Haiti) and fashion blogger/photographer Tamu McPherson (Jamaica). Actress Tracee Ellis Ross was also honored at the day-long extravaganza-fusing music, fashion, art, shopping and food.
The block party took place on September 7, 2014 in Brooklyn and was followed by a private Street Style Awards dinner honoring the women Essence rightly describes as “four female innovators in fashion.” During the block party, there were also special guest appearances by TV personality, fashion designer and ESSENCE Street Style Fashion Show co-host Vanessa Simmons, and multi-Grammy nominated singer Jazmine Sullivan.
“As one of the most popular editorial franchises within ESSENCE magazine and on Essence.com, Street Style applauds real women and fashion taste-makers who are setting the trends and bringing inspiration from the catwalk to the sidewalk,” said ESSENCE editor-in-chief Vanessa K. Bush. “The ESSENCE Street Style Block Party & Awards not only puts real women front and center with a unique celebration of self-expression, but adds a fresh, fierce element to New York Fashion Week for fans and influencers alike.”
The private dinner held that evening saluted the ESSENCE Street Style Awards honorees for their personal interpretation of street style:
Celebrity Stylist June Ambrose as ‘Style Disrupter’: “My street style is fun & flirty, it says I don’t take myself too seriously and style is about expression! I’m happy & when I hit the street I want people to feel what I feel from first glance!”
Actress Tracee Ellis Ross as ‘Closet Crush’: “Sometimes I let my clothes do the talking. The theme changes with my mood and my intention, which ranges from bold to understated and sincere, but always expresses my energy. I use clothes to shine or hide. Overall I’m guided by comfort and ease with some flair.”
Designer Azede Jean-Pierre as ‘Designer to Watch’: “The goal of each collection is to design cool & innovative clothes that our woman can live in. We’re always debating whether a garment is both visually interesting as well as practical. The easiest way to discern this is by looking to the street and dissecting the current street style.”
Fashion Blogger/Photographer Tamu McPherson as ‘Curator of Cool’: “I love observing stylish people. My subjects are an endless source of inspiration for myself and for my readers – Plus it’s pretty incredible that I get to fall “in love” over and over again through my street style photography.”
Kudos and biggups to these Caribbean style mavens. It is certainly an honor to be recognized by the likes of ESSENCE Magazine. I love that ESSENCE not only thought outside the box in creating this originally themed awards presentation but they though outside the box in terms of who should be honored. Luv dat!
