Swagga Digital Magazine Fall Issue #18

LOOK GREAT ❇ DRESS SHARP ❇ LIVE WELL

FALL’S FLYEST FASHION ISSUE

SWAGGA DIGITAL MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE 2016

18

ELEVATE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE WITH LEATHER

GET YOUR JACKET ON IN EAST LONDON THE END OF SUMMER

5

INTRODUCING

TruBLU DOWN UNDER

❋ FASHION NOVEMBER-JANUARY 2017

PAGES OF REAL PEOPLE WEARING THE FLYEST COATS FOR FALL WHAT TO WEAR NOW

Culture

LIFESTYLES

USD:$16.00

GROUP FAMILY HOME A COLLABORATION OF VISIONARIES

ISSUE NO. 18/VOL 5 DISPLAY UNTIL JANUARY 2017

Music&Art

02 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

BEHIND THE PAGES

M D WWW.SWAGGADIGITALMAGAZINE.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE

This publication is dedicated to my mom whose courage, strength, tenacity and love has been a rock for me in the production of this magazine. There are so many people who are instrumental in the production of this publication, and I could not possibly name them all in this writing but I just want to thank all of you and you know who you are for assisting me with this issue. Many thanks to all of the wonderful and talented models, photographers, MUA’s, and Hair Stylists.

Reproduction of any material within this publication in whole or in part is, prohibted without expressed consent of publisher.

The publisher assumes no responsibility to any party of the information, claims or ads herein to include errors, inaccuracies or omissions. By advertising the advertisers agree to indemnify the Publisher against all claims relating to or resulting from said advertisements and or promotional material.

Ron Fulcher Editor-In-Chief

COPYRIGHT ©2009-2016 SDM PUBLISHING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of SDM The Magazine is prohibited. SDM The Magazine does not accept and cannot be held responsible for any kind of unsolicted materials. Published Quarterly, Four (4) Times a year. Available in Print, Mobile, and available for download to Apple, Android, Ipad and Tablets. Visit our website at www.swaggadigitalmagazine.com Need to send a email to the EDITOR: sdm_magazine@yahoo.com. For subscription information email us at: sdm_magazine@yahoo.com Printed in the USA, MAIL P.O. Box 3138 Oakland, California 94609 CALL 1.415.591.8681 CUSTOMER SERVICE: sdm_magazine@yahoo.com CONNECT WITH US EMAIL SDM_MAGAZINE@YAHOO.COM SOCIAL MEDIA: facebook/swaggadigitalmagazine, instagram/@swaggadigitalmag twitter/@blackberryron snapchat/@keepitrealfilms Visit Issuu.Com,Blur.com and Magcloud.com Digital Newstands to download our digital version to IPAD, TABLET, IPHONE or your Andriod Device

03 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

M D EDITOR’S NOTE

VOLUME V, NO. 18 | FALL ISSUE



WWW.SWAGGADIGITALMAGAZINE.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | RON FULCHER

BRANDING & STRATEGY

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY | ARCHIE BRUMFIELD GRAPHIC DESIGN ~ CREATIVE SERVICES | SDM PUBLISHING PHOTO EDITOR ~ ART DIRECTOR | RON FULCHER ADVERTISING MANAGER | ARCHIE BRUMFIELD

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK | SWAGGADIGITALMAG INSTAGRAM | @SWAGGADIGITALMAG SNAPCHAT | @KEEPITREALFILMS

CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHER | RON FULCHER PHOTOGRAPHER | ALAHN BREZAN PHOTOSPHERESTUDIOS PHOTOGRAPHER | VINCENT GOTTI DESIGN SERVICES | REMOTE FACE GRAPHICS PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE | SDM PUBLISHING SERVICES PUBLICITY | BEFORE ROYALTY MANAGEMENT GROUP STYLIST | MARIO B PRODUCTIONS PHOTOGRAPHER | STEVEN LANG PHOTOGRAPHER | CARL FISHER MOONSHINE STUDIOS LONDON UK

SPECIAL THANKS

SEE EYEWEAR FIRST MODEL MANAGEMENT WESTCOAST LEATHER FORD MODELS H&M CLOTHIERS JCREW MACY’S SAN FRANCISCO UNION SQUARE RCA RECORDS, NYC FAB STUDIOS, OAKLAND CA LIONSGATE PUBLICITY RCA RECORDS UBER RIDE SERVICES JOE PICKERING MAKEUP SMART MODEL MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL CRYSTAL CLEAR PHOTOGRAPHY ROC RIO DESIGNS BEASTMODE FASHIONS FASHION ON THE SQUARE

04 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

SDM

It’s more than just a magazine it’s a lifestyle

05 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

06 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

Style matters rocrio designs

07 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

CONNECT WITH SDM. PRINT . MOBILE . SOCIAL . ONLINE . TABLET

Twitter is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc. Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc., Pinterest is a registered trademark of Pinterest, Inc., Tumblr is a registered trademark of Yahoo, Inc., All Instragram logos and trademarks are property of Instagram LLC. All Rights Reserved

08 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

TRUbLU ON THE COVER Photography by Vincent Gotti

09 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

10 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

11 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

12 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

13 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

14 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

15 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

16 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

17 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

18 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

19 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

20 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

INTRODUCING HAYDEN SMITH TRU-BLU DOWN UNDER

I

ntroducing Hayden Smith, our first double issue cover model for the Fall Issue #18. Hayden hails from Auckland, New Zealand.

Hayden says finding a place to start is hard when writing about yourself. It all started in 1995, Hayden was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He says, “I grew up like every other child and played sports like most kids. Hayden had a strong passion for the game of rugby league. He says, “I chased the sport trying to get to the higher levels of the game, playing alongside some of the country’s top players in representative teams”.

“Like most things though the higher up you get the harder it gets, I started committing a lot of time outside of school and training to become a better league player, then after a serious injury at a young age I had to call it quits on my passion, it sucked but I knew I had to continue to strive to be better”.

Hayden decided to let go of the dream playing for the Kiwis and representing his country for sport and chose another path, the military! At the age of 15 Hayden enrolled and got told he was to young. Once he turned 17, he was accepted and was taken to a place south of Auckland for basic training.

“Spending the next few years of my life travelling and serving in the army, I decided it was time to get out and see the world for myself! After running into a model scout in NZ I decided to give modelling a go everybody said go to Sydney, so I did I saved up and left”!

Now that Hayden’s military career, had ended. He has decided he wants to model. Stephen James was an inspiration, who is a tattooed model travelling and getting paid for it. Hayden says with confidence, “I look and feel comfortable behind the lens because the photographers are generally very supportive and easy to work with. I have already dealt with a lot of rejection and a lot of hardships just through modelling but I have also had a lot of amazing fun times”! “It's been an amazing journey so far! I am 6'1, 186cm tall and I listen to all sorts of music, hip hop, rock anything that I can vibe with. I have plans to move to the USA, that's where I want to be in the next few years, if modelling does not work out I have a few things to fall back on, I could go back to the military or I can continue to be a personal trainer and grow my own business!

Now I am an aspiring full time model working with talented photographers and companies around the globe. It has taken a lot of effort to get my name out there but it is working slowly and surely and I could not be happier!

21 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PHOTO BY: VINCENT GOTTI

22 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

23 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

D

24 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

What We Have to Lose – From a African-American Prospective

onald Trump’s recent remarks to the African-American Community in late August of this year ring hollow to most, black parent’s concerned about their children” He asks, “What have you got to lose?” suggesting that his “Make America Great Again”, campaign responds to centuries of injustice.

However, what comes to my mind is where was the greatness of America in the 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries, when African families were stolen from their homes, transported as cargo, separated and sold to white slave-owners in America?

Maybe in 1776 there was an illusion of greatness for the rich, white men who proclaimed “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” However, the only people who really were entitled to enjoy those words were rich, white men like themselves, not women, not slaves, not African-American free men, not the Native Americans whose land was stolen.

“Moving forward to the Civil War, when African-Americans were pressed into service to fight for the Confederate Army. The irony of their servitude, was they were forced to fight against their children’s freedom. Let’s move past the sharecropping system that swapped slavery for servitude for generations. The lynching’s, and mobs that served to terrify children and families into submission once their “freedom” was won. In the 1940s when the United States was fresh from its victories in Europe and Asia. African-Americans were systematically redlined out of the neighborhoods they wanted for their children, wouldn’t call that a time of greatness. State sanctioned discrimination in housing, education, employment, welfare benefits or healthcare are instead the ugly shadows of U.S. history, times that should evoke in all of us a sense of shame – not nostalgia.”

In the 50s which was known as the “golden decade”, gasoline was 18 cents a gallon, but how was that great when an African-American family had to carry extra gallons of gas, along with food for lunch and a makeshift chamber pot, because gas stations were often unwelcoming to these consumers? Under the G.I. Bill, young adults were gaining access to higher education in unparalleled numbers, but more than 95 percent of African-American youth enrolled in

25 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE numbers, but more than 95 percent of African-American youth enrolled in college were limited to black-only institutions. They were not welcome in the universities we now open to all. Surely, America was not great in 1960s when our streets were roiled by rioting and violence. When communities of color, left out of the American dream for too long, and suffering the relentless abuses of strongarm police tactics, exploded in frustration and demanded that we right our historic wrongs.

In the 80s, about 1 in 10 white children were living in poverty, the rate was almost 4 times greater for African-Americans. The disparities persist today.

Nearly 2 in 5 black children live in poverty, and those born poor typically remain poor; income mobility in the U.S. is a greater party myth than it is fact. Today, a black baby is two times more likely to die in the first year of life than a white infant. An African-American child is two times more likely to be maltreated than a white child. A black youth is five times more likely to be killed by gun violence that a white youth. American can be great, but making it so means creating equal opportunities for all children to get a healthy start in life, to live in safe neighborhoods, to access high quality child care, to go to strong schools, and to see their parents working in good-paying jobs.

“What have we got to lose” is hardly the political platform of inspiration. America will be great when children’s life outcomes are determined by their hard work, their determination or perhaps their generosity to others. America will be great when we realize the potential of “justice for all.”

PROMOTION

“The Get Down: Original Soundtrack To The Netflix Original Series” Now Available At All Digital Music Providers – Deluxe Physical Version Available

26 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS QUICK READS 24 WHAT WE HAVE TO LOSE FROM AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN PROSPECTIVE WRITTEN BY: RON FULCHER 28 RAMEKON OʼARWISTERS MAKING ART EXPRESSION A MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCE WRITTEN WORDS: RON FULCHER ART: RAMEKON OʼARWISTERS 74 ON THE CATWALK 11TH ANNUAL FASHION ON THE SQUARE INTER-CONTINENTAL HOTEL OUT AN ABOUT SDM LIVE PHOTOGRAPHER: RON FULCHER

FEATURES 20 ON THE COVER TRUBLU - DOWN UNDER MODEL: HAYDEN SMITH HMUA: KERRIE JANE BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT: PAUL FIORETTO ART DIRECTOR: ALEJO ANTONIO MONDEJAR PHOTOGRAPHER: VINCENT GOTTI 36 BEHIND THE LENS IN FASHION INTRODUCING CARLOS VONTEEʼAGO MARIO B COLLECTION STYLIST: MARIO B PRODUCTIONS PHOTOGRAPHER: RON FULCHER

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 18

27 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

EDITORIAL 64 GET YOUR JACKET ON WHEN SUMMER IS GONE MODEL: ALDONA MIETTIEN MAKEUP: JOE PICKERING STYLIST: ASHLEY JOHNSON ON LOCATION: EAST LONDON, UK PHOTOGRAPHER: CARL FISHER 70 FLYEST COATS FOR FALL URBAN FASHIONS FOR FALL ART DIRECTOR: RON FULCHER PHOTOGRAPHER: RON FULCHER

FEATURES 48 BEFORE ROYALTY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP HOME FAMILY A COLLABORATION OF YOUNG VISIONARIES WORDS BY: GROUP HOME $NOOK & GROUP HOME CHRIS GROUP HOME FAMILY 56 ELEVATE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE WITH LEATHER WITH WESTCOAST LEATHER FALL COAT FASHIONS PHOTOGRAPHER: RON FULCHER MODEL: KHALID ARRAMDANI

28 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

W

MAKING ART EXPRESSION A MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCE

! hat would you call your a ? Ramekon, says his a is called social a prac ce. I ask, what does e mean? My a engages e public in an a ac vity done in co unity. “In my case I use e folk a tradi on, and rag rug making.” The pa icipants use rips of fabric to fo er social interac on, crea vity and libera on.

at are you libera ng people from? In croque­e jam, he tea es single i croque­e, and once e pa icipant learns he or she are free to select any color or pa­ern of fabric ey want to use.

Ramekon, as e event leader, gives up his au ority and by not dicta ng e crea ve process. The udent can u lize any color, fabric, etc. The libera on comes from not being dictated to on at to use. In is society we are con antly told at to do, Ramekon says very passionately. One of e major components is having an experience in i you are not being told at to do and he feels is is libera ng for e pa icipant. The second component is not being judged. “I am perceived as e leader or au ority of e event.” People are expec ng me to say croquette four rolls of red or blue, I tell my udents select any fabric or color you like! The main concept of e second component is atever you create you don't judge! “It’s not beau ful it’s not ugly it’s not right or wrong it's as it is.” So, erefore accept it! “Calmly and pa ently wi a smile. Ramekon resses, its ok not being told at to do and not being judged by e finished product. He encourages pa icipants to allow e materials and eir a i ic in incts on at it wants to become. You have to let go, of e rules. He says, wi all sincerity it is a medita ve experience.

I asked at is e origin, and how you plan for your audience to be engaged wi your work? For decades, he has been trying his be to be a tradi onal, use a i canvas, showings in galleries, and trying to fit e rela onal modes of at an a i should be. But, is was not working so he decided to ep ba and reflect on his a . “ at am I asking of galleries en I bring my hat in my hand?” Beyond, e financial rewards. He says it's a rela onship, I was asking to be under ¢d, to be heard, to be embraced, to be respected in his a i ic vision. To be included, and

29 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

en he had e revela on, at now it’s me to give to o ers at he needs and let go of trying to seek at he needs from o ers. As I pause, and reflect on at was ju said Ramekon, a s to remember ings at correlate is concept. He speaks of memories of his grandmo er allowing him to ange e pa­erns of her quilts during e 60s and 70s during e Jim Crow era in e sou and e civil rights movement, en bla men were expected to be passive, and at e same me ey needed to be very masculine. He admits he was having a difficult me of naviga ng ese feelings. His grandmo er said one day, “come here boy and help me wi is quilt.” “She said at color do you like, and I will show you how to add it to e quilt.” He was so excited! He knew his was safe in his grandmo ers’ house despite all at was happening around him and wi in. ”Ramekon says, my grandmo er had e wise intui on ju to allow any event to happen and not say any ing about o he should be or shouldn't be.” “And she never told anyone in his family, ey quilted toge er because she didn't want any misconcep ons by family or anyone to que ion his masculinity especially during ose turbulent racial and sexual mes. He says, during his early years, at at me in is country, race, sexuality, and violence was e very founda on of e sou .”

Ramekon, ates If he, was feeling excluded, fearful, and angry he was not by himself, everyone is feeling is in some way or ano er at any me in eir lives. To accept his a as it is, to give to o ers at he needs and rough croque­e jam.

Ramekon, says he believes it is his responsibility as an a i to fo er, an oppo unity for individuals, in a safe calm environment to experience libera on, social interac on, and crea vity. Through ese concepts, Ramekon’s a is embraced. He is not trying to sell em any ing, he is only trying provide an experience by i people aren’t told at to do and ey are not being judged.

Ramekon has been an a i for 30 years, a gallery director, a museum curator, an a tea er and now wi croque­e jam, he is e mo fulfilled. We go rough life always rea ing for some ing and riving to always get at bite of e apple. The only impo ant ing is fulfillment he says wi a gleam in e eye. !

ART

30 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

Tim Man of the Cloth 2011-16 Crocheted Fabric

31 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

Continuous Flow 2011-13 Crocheted Fabric Safety Pins

32 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

04 With the Wind 2011–13 crocheted fabric

33 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

03 Where We Are 2013 crocheted fabric, vintage family photographs, wood, paper

34 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

02 The Trinity 2011–13 crocheted fabric, ceramic, glass, metal

35 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

01 Have You a Little Fairy in Your Home? 2013 crocheted fabric, mixed media

36 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

BEHIND THE LENS WITH CARLOS VONTEE’ago

Behind the Lens in ON THE RADAR.. introducing Carlos Vontee’ago

C

arlos Vonteego, was born in Georgia. He graduated from Morris Brown College, Atlanta, Georgia, with a Bachelor of Art Degree in Art with a concentration in Architecture. He received his Master of Architecture Degree in 2008 from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. “Art & Designing has always been his first love”, says Collins. “My grandmother would give me newspapers at the age of 6 and I would sit in the middle of the floor and deconstruct the newspaper and make objects out of it. It was at those moments when my grandmother helped me discover my passion for design and the arts”. Since that very day, Collins has developed a passion for Fashion, Design, Architecture, and Graphic Design. Collins never stopped believing in his dreams and he continued to work hard and strive for the best. He is what we call, the first generation for his family.

In 2009, he attended the Black Engineering Conference. It was there where he found the opportunity to go and work in Germany. This was his changing point and the beginning of his career. While in Germany, Carlo Vontee' Augo was born. The name is his birth name and he came up with "Augo" based on life situation. HE WAS ALWAYS THE FIRST TO "GO". With three years of professional experience in the discipline of Architecture and a great variety of expertise to his career, he began to diligently design a fashion line inspired by the class of the grandmothers of Collins with a high fashion kick. After returning back to the United States, Collins continued to work on expanding his Carlo Vontee' Augo brand. Recently, his line was featured in Berlin, Tulsa, Sacramento Fashion Week and other parts of California. Collins goal is to someday see his line in stores nationwide and to open his own shop in Atlanta Georgia. In addition, to start his own clothing manufacture back in his hometown and create jobs for people in the area. Collins, is all about inspiring, helping, giving back and seeing dreams come true.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON FULCHER STYIST MARIO B PRODUCTIONS

n Fashion

37 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

38 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

FASHION

39 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

40 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

41 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

42 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

43 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

44 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

45 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

46 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

47 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

P

48 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

GROUP HOME FAMILY “A COLLABORATION OF YOUNG VISIONARIES”

roudly, rooted in Oakland, California the Group Home Family is a collaboration of young visionaries, with a focus on uplifting impoverished inner city communities. We are a lifestyle brand that expresses our aesthetics through music, art, merchandise, entertainment and community outreach. Using our experience and unique raw knowledge to empower our people. Our story was born and bred on the streets of East Oakland. We are the voice a nation with small means hungry for something greater. The Group Home Family is a movement and we are in this together.

1. When you say it’s a lifestyle and a brand, can you expand on that?

When we say it's a lifestyle brand we mean overall Group Home family is a brand, everything attached to the name means something. It's a lifestyle because everything about our brand is based on our actual lifestyle, where we come from, and how we grew up battling the hardships within impoverished communities. if a person can relate to such circumstances then that will make it easier for someone to understand.

We create music, merchandise, art, entertainment, and we host nonprofit community based events giving back to youth and those in need so people who come from similar circumstances to what we come from and seen can see there are ways to overcome and use their struggle to do something positive. !

CULTURE

49 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

2. Who if anybody was or is your inspiration to continue your work?

First and foremost, God, we are spiritual people and believe, though we have been through a lot we have been blessed in many ways and we have to show love and help others in need. 2nd my grandparents, the hard work and love they distributed throughout our community was always so prevalent it inspired us to continue that tradition, the house we grew up in (their house) is the inspiration for our Logo.

Musically, we were influenced

by TOO SHORT because of the reality of the content of his work, it was raw, relatable and it was from Oakland, everything he did was a reflection of things he did and saw in the environment he was from. MASTER P, his music presence was heavy where we grew up, he influenced us a lot, his entrepreneurship, we learned that you have to know the business side of music if you want to do the kind of things we are going to do. CASH MONEY/HOT BOYS played a big influence on our whole generation, growing up in the 90s everybody wanted to be a hot boy, as far as hip hop culture goes their music, their flamboyant lifestyle, the jewelry, and they showed us people who come from the same struggle can make it. Of course, 2 PAC, for ability to deliver his lyrics with such pain and substance and his overall ambition and leadership qualities also his knowledge and use of his voice to inspire change for people.

And last but certainly not least, WIZ KHALIFA, his branding and promoting style with being marketable and promote people being themselves. Merchandise, the all black uniform was inspired by The Black Panthers of the 60s-70s (from Oakland), being from Oakland watching the Oakland Raiders, black is synonymous with Oakland, and NWA of the late 80s-90s. Community Outreach was inspired by the black panthers and their inner city programs uplifting the livelihood and well-being of the in the ghetto. Also, rapper MISTAH FAB for hosting his annual backpack giveaways over the last decade in Oakland, California. !

50 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

3. What is the long-term ultimate goal and or vision for your organization?

Our long term ultimate goals for Group Home Family is to house a successful record label, a nonprofit organization specializing in building programs and hosting events for the advancement of urban communities, (with numerous branches of entertainment and other business ventures.)

4. Who are your stakeholders, and how do they benefit from your organization?

We are, $NOOK AND CHRIS. We own Group Home Family, we oversee everything that's done from the finances, music, art/graphics, visuals, bookings, events, nonprofit events. And everybody we love benefits, everyone affiliated, either you're benefitting from the music/visuals and however that may touch you or you may reap the benefits of our community programs and events.

5. What or who has been the greatest impact on or in your life?

Struggling, growing up less fortunate in impoverished communities, the drive to overcome, and the want for the bettering of people.

6. Who are or were some of your musical influences that shape or help you to write produce and define your musical messages?

TOO $HORT, too $hort, because the reality of the content of his work, it was raw, relatable and it was from Oakland, everything he was reflecting on the thing he experienced throughout his environment.

2Pac- For his delivery with such substance and pain, and overall ambition and leadership.

Lil Wayne- For his drive, work ethic, and dedication to his craft.

Curren$y the Hot Spitta, for his laid back style, flow and demeanor.

Wiz Khalifa, for his marketable branding and promoting style. !

“ROOTED IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA THE GROUP HOME FAMILY IS A COLLABORATION OF YOUNG VISIONARIES WITH A FOCUS ON UPLIFITING IMPOVERISHED INNER CITY COMMUNITIES�

51 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

MUSIC LIFESTYLE ART FASHION CULTURE

7. Do you have fashion inspirations, that help to define and or produce your merchandise?

The all black uniform was inspired by The Black Panthers of the 60s-70s (from Oakland), being from Oakland watching the Oakland Raiders, black is synonymous with Oakland, and NWA of the late 80s-90s. The all black uniform symbolizes independence, loyalty and power. As far as designs, $nook does the designing of all of the art, and merchandise, most ideas are original, but credit is given when inspired.

Finally, when it is all said and done, what lasting impressions would you want for our readers to know about GHF that we have not covered?

The main thing, is Group Home Family is a brand and a lifestyle, not just a record label, not just a nonprofit organization. Also we would like for the readers to understand we are not just about empowering and uplifting only African-American people, but all people who come from lower class, impoverished communities and circumstances no matter the ethnicity.

Group Home $nook & Group Home Chris Group Home Family !

“WE ARE A LIFESTYLE BRAND THAT EXPRESSES OUR AESTHETICS THROUGH MUSIC, ART, MERCHANDISE, ENTERTAINMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. USING OUR EXPERIENCE AND UNIQUE RAW KNOWLEDGE TO EMPOWER OUR PEOPLE.”

52 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

53 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTION

54 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

55 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

WESTCOAST LEATHER

56 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

SEE EYEWEAR

57 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

58 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

59 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

60 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTIONAL

PROMOTIONAL

61 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PROMOTIONAL

PROMOTIONAL

62 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PHOTO: ALAN BREZAN

LIFESTYLE

63 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

PHOTO: CRYSTAL CLEAR PHOTOGRAPHY

64 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

GET YOUR JACKET ON

When the summer has gone and

you just can’t let go. Be fearless in your garments…There’s still a chance someone will have a swimming pool open.

Photographer: Carl Fisher Make up: Joe Pickering Styling: Ashley Johnson Model: Aldona Miettinen First Model Management Shoot location: East London Make Up Credits: Mac and NARS EndFragment Carl Fisher Photographer & Artist www.moonshinestudio.london

COAT BIBA, BRA AND KNICKERS AGENT PROVOCATEUR. SHOES MODELS OWN

65 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

COAT STOYKA BY MILLA TERZZIE, SWIMSUIT ROKIT, BEADED CUFF ABSOLUTE VINTAGE , SHOES J CREW.

66 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

Look 3: Coat Vintage Furs New York, Shows J Crew

67 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

68 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

Coat Stoyka by Milla Terzzie, Bikini top and bottoms Rokit, Shoes Gina.

69 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

Coat Stoyka by Milla Terzzie, Swimsuit Rokit, Shoes J Crew, Beaded cuff and necklace (just seen ) Absolute Vintage

70 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

71 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

72 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

73 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

74 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

75 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

76 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

SDM LIVE 11TH ANNUAL FASHION ON THE SQUARE

77 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

78 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

SDM LIVE

79 SDM MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE

SWAGGA DIGITAL MAGAZINE

LOOK GREAT ❇ DRESS SHARP ❇ LIVE WELL A SDM PUBLISHING COMPANY PUBLICATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (C) 2016 VOL. 5 ISSUE NO. 18