FASHION MUSIC LIFESTYLE
DEC. 2019 EDITION
ROXXIE WILLIAMS Rasheema Lois Williams was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, in 1981. She was raised by her mother, Andrea, who was a hard-working single mother of two.
Photographer: Zakiyah Caldwell @kiacaldwellphotography MUA: Corrinn Chishimba @beautyboxstyle
“My mother taught me that a woman’s mind should be the most beautiful part of her. I’d often ask, ‘Mom, What about the rest of me?’ ‘You’ll get there’ She’d say in response. “From that moment, I began my search to find my Self. But where would a plus size girl like me fit in? Because basically, up until that point in my life, I had often felt as if I didn’t really “fit” into anything. Even as a little girl I’ve always been chunky, or “thick” as the saying goes. I would always ask so many questions: Why am I so big? Why are my feet so big? Why am I so tall? Why are my cheeks so chubby? Why am I “the fat girl”... Why me? “The truth is: you sacrifice a bit of your life, and your peace, attempting to be a part of something Bigger than yourself. But who knew that I would eventually play a significant role in the “Thick Chick Hottie Revolution”? “I think that we’ve already established that plus size women can do just about anything. Splits and backflips, dance, yoga, wearing sexy clothes, becoming super models, and winning Oscars... but never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would become a model. At one time in my life I wanted to be an actress, but body consciousness and self-doubt kept me from my pursuits. I was always a Nerd (a.k.a. an Intellectual Bad-Ass), even as a popular and celebrated volleyball champ. I was voted “Future Teacher” In my high school yearbook, (go check!), ...But at that point in my life, a Modeling career had never crossed my mind. “They say that God puts you in the right place at the right time. I was at a job that I loved, my son was graduating high school and joining the army, and my daughters grades were getting progressively better. I was back in school getting my own degree in early childhood education. Things were just fine to me, especially having had no seizures in two years. I was happy... or at least, I thought I was. “Something was missing. I knew that I was meant to do something with more purpose, that there was still something that I was meant to do. “Two years ago I met a young lady named Ivy who, with one phrase, changed my life forever. ‘You’re beautiful, you should try out to be a model!’ No way in the world, I thought to myself. I’m old, I have stretch marks, I’ve got two kids, and I’m a Grandma (to the Cutest baby in the world, for the official record). And just... “no”. But somehow, some way, she eventually convinced me to go with her to a casting.
ROXXIE WILLIAMS
Photographer: Zakiyah Caldwell @kiacaldwellphotography MUA: Corrinn Chishimba @beautyboxstyle
ROXXIE WILLIAMS
“My first casting experience was the Casting for the “I am Ashleyâ€? contest in 2018. No, I wasn’t chosen, no I wasn’t picked... but after I saw myself on the Ashley Stewart website, chosen out of all the women there walking the runway... to be displayed on the actual web page?? I couldn’t believe my eyes. On that day, I fell deeply in love with being a Plus-Size/Curves Model.â€? “If you can’t figure out your Purpose, figure out your Passion; For your Passion will lead you to your Purposeâ€? --( T D Jakes). “The Plus-Size Modeling Industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the modeling industry. Never before have people been so accepting, loving, and supportive: people are demanding the Girls with the Curves. We are taking this industry by storm. Come Hell or high water we will be seen and we will be heard. My Chosen Goal, and maybe even my Purpose, is to be one of the ambassadors of the Curve Industry. I was once told: “Passion is energy; feel the power that comes from focusing on what Excites youâ€?. When I get in front of the camera, I get excited. That’s when the music in my head starts. All I hear Is Drakes voice: đ&#x;Žśâ€œ You got iT girl, You got it girlâ€?!(No Guidance).đ&#x;Žś “I’m so blessed. I thank God for my family: my two children, my best friend, my new best friend, my beautiful aunts, my uncles, My brother, and my church family. Roxxie Williams: the East Coast Curves Model, Artist, singer, and elementary school teacher whose Family-inherited hips were once thought (by her) to be a curse. Now, those thighs are known as ‘the (T)highways to success’! --Roxxie loves you baby! IG: @roxxieplusmodel
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Accessories can be real statement pieces and a way to show your personality in an otherwise classic outfit. Fashion accessories are a great way to spice up any wardrobe, especially one that could use an updating. Are you interested in updating your appearance, at least in terms of your fashion? If you are, you may not only want to examine the latest in clothing fashion trends, but also the latest trends in fashion accessories. Fashion accessories are rapidly increasing in popularity, particularly in our celebrity-obsessed culture. But many of us still do not know exactly how to use them to our best advantage. The term “fashion accessories� is very broad and includes a number of products. Just like fashion clothing pieces, accessories come in virtually every size, shape and style under the sun. There are fashion accessories that are designed for children, teens, men, women, petite sized, and plus sized individuals. Below are a few of the major fashion accessory items you might want consider in order to keep your look current and expand your coordination options.
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The most well known fashion accessory is of course, jewellery. For teenagers and children, fashion jewelry pieces that are popular often include colourful, oversized pieces, as well as charm necklaces or charm bracelets. For men, a popular piece of jewellery often includes large pendant necklaces, many of which display a cross or another popular or meaningful symbol. As for women, popular pieces of fashion jewelry include watches, earnings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, and so forth. Another major fashion accessory that you might want to look at is a new handbag. While purses can also be trendy, it is the handbag that has become a real status symbol and major fashion accessory. They come in a huge array of different styles so it is common to own more than one if your budget allows. In fact, many women out there like to match their fashion accessories, including their purses and handbags, with the clothing that they wear. [Continue on Page 24] Updating your handbag every season can be an easy and relatively inexpensive way to update your whole look.
Think mistletoe is all about holiday romance? Think again. The festive plant -- which also goes by the name devil’s fuge -- holds some sinister secrets. 1. Mistletoe is a parasite Mistletoe is an evergreen pest that attaches itself to trees, plants and shrubs, stealing their nutrients and water. This can weaken or disfigure the host plant, and eventually even kill it. “When you get a heavy infestation, it keeps sucking strength away from the plant,” according to Rick Gibson, a plant expert at the University of Arizona. “It’s almost like a cancerous type of growth.” 2. Mistletoe is really hard to get rid of Once it infects a tree, mistletoe is difficult to remove. When its seeds sprout, they grow through the bark of trees and into their tissues, extending up and down within the branches. Even if you cut off the visible portion of the invader, new plants often grow from inside the host. The most effective way to fight it is to remove an infected branch or limb entirely. 3. Mistletoe is poisonous Eating any part of the plant can cause drowsiness, blurred vision, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weakness and seizures. The symptoms are caused by a poisonous ingredient called phoratoxin, which is found in all parts of the plant, including the berries, and is especially concentrated in the leaves. Eating the plant raw or drinking it in tea can cause poisoning. 4. But it also has medicinal properties Despite its dangers, mistletoe has a history of medicinal use. The European varieties have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat seizures, headaches, infertility, hypertension and arthritis. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, mistletoe injections are available only in clinical trials in the U.S., but are available by prescription in Europe, where the plant is used as a treatment for cancer. 5. Mistletoe is also a desert plant European mistletoe grows in temperate regions all over the world. There are also several species in America that thrive in the deserts in the Southwest, where they live on palo verde, mesquite, juniper, pine and other trees. 6. Mistletoe comes in different forms Not all mistletoe has the festive holiday look most of us are used to. Some broadleaf mistletoes have green stems with oval-shaped leaves and small, sticky, whitish berries. Dwarf misteltoes are smaller, with scaly yellow or orange leaves. Some have no leaves at all and some look like a dense bundle of twigs stuck in the branches of another tree. 7. And goes by many different names Mistletoe is also known as birdlime, all-heal, golden bough, drudenfuss, iscador and devil’s fuge. cbsnews.com
BRANDI Brandi Marie is a Independent Plus Size Published Model residing in Charlotte NC experienced in print, runway, and branding. More than a model, she’s an entrepreneur offers plus size mentoring workshops. She also is a Designer Fashion Stylist and Owner of Vintage Brats Boutique. PHOTOGRAPHER: Wink by Hunter FASHION STYLIST: Vintage Brats Boutique
NE-YO’S FIRST HOLIDAY ALBUM, ANOTHER KIND OF CHRISTMAS, IS OUT TODAY GRAMMY®-Winning Artist Celebrates The Season With Five Newly-Penned Songs, Including “Just Ain’t Christmas” Album Also Includes Christmas Standards Made Famous By Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Nat King Cole And Others Collaborators Include Candice Boyd, Satori, Dre Island, And RaVaughn
Today, NE-YO released Another Kind Of Christmas (Motown Records/Compound Entertainment), his first-ever holiday album. The three-time GRAMMY® winner brings his own unique point-of-view to the season with five newly-penned tracks and reimagined versions of thoughtfully-selected Christmas classics – including “Someday At Christmas,” a plea for peace written by Motown songwriters Ron Miller and Bryan Wells for Stevie Wonder during the Vietnam War, and Marvin Gaye’s “I Want To Come Home For Christmas,” inspired by the plight of prisoners of war. “NE-YO says, of the album “see you this Holiday season and every holiday season after! Think you’re gonna love it that much!” “Just Ain’t Christmas” candidly captures the pain of a Christmas Eve break-up while the playful double entendres of “Open Mine Tonight” celebrate what goes down after the kids go to bed. “Talk About It” evokes childhood Christmas memories, complete with the inevitable family dramas that unfold – “somebody gon’ fight, somebody gon’ cry, somebody gon’ try to leave/Then they gon’ squash it all right before it’s time to eat.” NE-YO, Satori and Dre Island each take a verse on the reggae-influenced “Christmas Vibez,” which imagines a tropical holiday getaway for two. Other guest artists include Candice Boyd on “Carol Of The Bells” and RaVaughn on “Someday At Christmas.” NE-YO puts his stamp on such standards as Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” “Merry Christmas Baby,” originally recorded by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers, and “The Christmas Song,” which was written by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé and first recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio. He recorded Another Kind Of Christmas in Montego Bay, Jamaica with longtime collaborator Curtis “Sauce” Wilson producing many of the tracks. NE-YO has sold a cumulative 20+ million adjusted albums worldwide. He has won three GRAMMY® awards and been honored with a total of 14 nominations, His first single, 2005’s “So Sick,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified quadruple Platinum. Since then, he has racked up a collection of hit singles – including “Sexy Love,” “Closer,” “Because of You,” “Miss Independent” and “Push Back” featuring Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don. Three of his albums have entered SoundScan’s Top Current Albums chart at No. 1. He has proven to be as powerful with his pen as he is in the recording studio and on stage. The Las Vegas native quickly became known as a go-to hitmaker, penning bangers like Rihanna’s “Unfaithful,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Take a Bow,” along with Beyoncé’s 2006 breakup anthem “Irreplaceable” and songs for such artists as Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, among others. NE-YO’s film and television credits include “Save the Last Dance,” “World of Dance,” “Battle: Los Angeles,” “Stomp the Yard,” George Lucas’ “Red Tails,” “Empire,” “The Wiz Live!” and “Step Up: High Water.” Track Listing – Another Kind Of Christmas 1. This Christmas 2. Talk About It 3. Carol Of The Bells feat. Candice Boyd 4. Open Mine Tonight 5. Just Ain’t Christmas 6. Christmas Vibez feat. Satori and Dre Island 7. Merry Christmas Baby 8. I Want To Come Home For Christmas 9. The Christmas Song 10. Someday At Christmas feat. RaVaughn 11. It’s For Everybody
WHY WE NEVER TALK ABOUT BLACK ON BLACK CRIME
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You’ve heard it before. It is the most frequent response to any accusation of police brutality. It is the repeated sleight of hand used to distract and drown out the voices of Black Lives Matter. It is an oft-used “alt-right” refrain and a sincere query from curious white questioners. It is the weapon of choice for the black practitioners of respectability politics and the favorite follow-up for people who frame their arguments with the preamble, “Not all white people ... ” Why don’t black people ever talk about black-on-black crime? Instead of rejecting the entire notion as a method of deflection and privilege, we will attempt to formally dismiss the conversation forever by laying out the facts about why white America never hears us talk about black-on-black crime. It’s not a thing. According to the FBI’s uniform crime-reporting data for 2016, 90.1 percent of black victims of homicide were killed by other blacks, while 83.5 percent of whites were killed by other whites. While no life is inconsequential, the statistical evidence shows that—just as for blacks when it comes to black-on-black crime—whites are mostly victimized by other whites, with the vast majority of white murders committed by whites. This is because most victims of crime personally know their assailants. And while this is a truth across racial boundaries, no one ever talks about “whiteon-white crime.” Furthermore, the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ arrest data analysis tool shows that less than 1 percent of blacks overall (about 2 percent of black men) commit a violent crime in any given year. This means, factoring in interracial violent offenses, 99 percent of black men do not commit black-onblack crime. It has nothing to do with what we are talking about. Imagine the head of Homeland Security walking up to the microphone to hold a press conference after a horrific terrorist attack, but when reporters start asking him about stopping terrorism and catching the culprits, he begins talking about texting and driving. Sounds stupid, right? But distracted driving kills more Americans each year than terrorism (and black-on-black crime), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, so, according to the advocates of conversations about black-on-black crime, we should be discussing this first.
LinToi Bailey’s (S.T.R.U.T. Clothing) Model/designer Bio I am LinToi Bailey, aka “Toi Cheree”, plus-size model and fashion designer/owner of S.T.R.U.T clothing and Apparel. My journey to fashion design simply started with my love of “getting dressed”. I have always had a love for putting clothing together to make a statement and presenting myself as a package. Through that I developed a love for fashion. I began modeling others designs (runway “my strong suit” and commercial), but always making every outfit my “own”. I have done fashion shows in NT fashion week, Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, IL., NC, TN, KY, OH, and AL. through this, I started to notice that others would often come to me for fashion/styling advice. This led to my true passion of styling and designing clothes for other people. I am all about making people look and feel their best in their own style. I was questioned by a fellow designer/friend, that if I were to start my own brand, “what would it be called”? I immediately came up with the mane STRUT because of my love for the runway, nut just as my clothing I wanted to give it meaning. So, I turned S.T.R.U.T. into an acronym that means STRENGHT. TALENT. REFINED. UNIQUE. TENACITY. These are characteristics that I try to display daily and that I believe every woman should aim to embody. I started the brand with the goal of making affordable, fashionable, readyto-wear clothing to suit women of all different sizes, ages, and styles, with specific interest in plus-size fashion forward clothing. Fashion to me goes way beyond outward appearance, it is about empowering women to look and feel their best in all aspects of their lives. I am a mom, nurse, fashion designer/stylist, entrepreneur and networker to the heart. I never meet a “stranger”. On this journey, I have met so many influential people in the fashion industry that have inspired me to0 go after my passion for fashion. As I continue to grow my brand, S.T.R.U.T., I will continue to look to others for inspiration and I look forward to the relationships I will build along the way. Check out the STRUT Models in this edition of iconique magazine from page 12 to 48. All the clothes in this shoot was provided by CDenim & STRUT Brands. I can be contacted on social media sites: Facebook- Toi Cheree, FB page- https:// www.facebook.com/modellintoicheree, Instagram- @S.T.R.U.T.byToi, and check out my website to purchase items at www.strutbytoi.com .
TOI CHEREE