March Issue 2020

march issue

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8 Editors letter 10 Rihanna, the Renaissance Woman 20 Come Tu 28 I hope this message finds you well

BYKD 38 Noname Reads 44 ELIVISUALS 50 Linestrak Lookbook 58 Last Look:Kennis Skate Film 64

Cover photo by Kofi Young, Photography on this page by @elivisuals

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Kyle Mells

Editor in Chief

Asha Alaji-Sharif Vice Editor in Chief

Arielle Williams Managing Editor

Deni Dedmon Executive Editor

Laura Richmond Fashion News Editor

Jean Jackson

Culture News Editor

Shainya Frazier Beauty News Editor

Kayla McSwain Creative Director

Nkiru Emelle Creative Director

Amber Paige Visual Editor

Kyrstain Green Visual Editor

Sashanie Keise Copy Editor

Sarah Swint Copy Editor

Maia Pina Head Stylist

Nadirah Alford

Head Creative Director

Christopher Williamson Executive

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Letter from the editor

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arch was a movie. A comedy.

A romance. An action film.

A musical. Then all of a sudden, a horror movie. For creatives and the world as we know it. We all know the situation we are in. Covid-19, a highly contagious virus, has swept the world into disarray. This is a time where we are all stuck with ourselves. During this time,I urge all of my fellow creatives to delve deep into themselves for that inspiration, that ambition, and that hope and come out with art, music, fashion, photos, videos, and anything you put your mind to, and make something beautiful and impactful.

My observations from during this time has led to one conclusion— Mediocracy. Content wise, it’s been mediocre. We turn to mediocracy in the boredom we all share. I refuse to sit here and play along like everything is fire and good. As a leader in this field, I am obligated to speak up. Even I have fallen victim to mediocracy.

I wanted to post many times but I stopped myself, because I don’t want to stay “relevant” and feed into this wave of nonentity. So my message I want you to take away, is take your time with anything you are working on, dont rush anything, please focus and make things that will change minds not get likes. With that being said, this will be the last issue of The Premiere Magazine until this pandemic is over. I don’t want the 8 Premiere

magazine to become mediocre with the content we put out so we will be doing some rebranding and personnel changes. Thank you for a good year of art and fashion.

DON’T STOP CREATING. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED. THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS LONG DARK TUNNEL. Be the light this dark world needs.

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Rihanna, The Ren

By Ahnayah Hughes

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naissance

Woman

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t’s been 15 years since Rihanna signed her first recording contract with Def Jam Records, and in that time the self-proclaimed bad girl has evolved into one of the most powerful creative forces of the 21st century. Whether she’s sitting on unreleased albums, managing her Fortune 500 beauty and fashion lines, or walking through NYC in an outfit others wouldn’t dare step out in, Rihanna proves over and over again that she just can’t miss.

Like a true Pisces, the artist has had her hand in various creative fields: She’s been a singer, actor, a dancer, a humanitarian, a stylist, magazine curator, and an all-around fashion icon, but the source of her power derives from something far greater than her talents.

Since the beginning of her career, the artist has always shared her most authentic self whether it be through her songs, social media, or personal style. No matter the method, Rihanna has consistently demonstrated that her values lie in creative self-expression, confidence, and having fun. It is this ability to transform herself into a brand that encompasses all of these principles that makes her such a force within the various industries she inhabits. It is more than just the 12 Premiere

quality of gloss bombs or Puma slides, but the ways in which she enters these spaces and defines her own terms.

Rihanna is not just an artist: she is a character, a concept, and an inspiration to creative people everywhere. Her tendency to prosper in any field she inhabits proves to artists of all mediums that they can elevate themselves and their art far beyond the traditional standards. Rihanna’s revolutionary success prompts reflection: Instead of mastering one creative form, why not be the jack of all trades? Why not create your own brand that reflects you and your values? Why not define yourself, your projects, and the world on your own terms?

As we ponder the answers to these questions, here are merely a few of the various sides of Rihanna, The Brand.

“The artist has always shared her most authentic self”

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Rihanna, The Popstar any argue that in the frenzy of her many business ventures, Rihanna has forgotten her music career; however, it does not seem feasible to overlook nearly two decades of platinum albums and best selling singles.

Rihanna’s deal with Def Jam spawned a few moderately successful hits before the release of “Umbrella” in 2008 launched her career to the next level. It was in these formative years of her career that the iconic “Bad Gal” persona was conceived. Her glittery, mainstream pop girl image was replaced with leather bras, thigh high boots, and explicit lyrical content to match. As her album title suggested, she was a “Good Girl Gone Bad” and became a stable influencer of the music industry from then on out.

Although the Bad Gal image proved to be a lifestyle, not just a phase, Rihanna has constantly reinvented her image and sound as a musical artist.

Her music videos and live performances demonstrate her creative genius, as they often contain captivating images, intricate choreography, detailed set designs, and striking vocals.

Whether it be dancehall or soulful R&B, Rihanna’s music has remained at the top of the charts and in the headphones

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of many. In addition to being the youngest artist to have 14 number one Hot 100 songs, she is the only solo artist to have number one singles from seven consecutive albums.

The artist teased fans with the release of her ninth studio album, R9, throughout 2019, but never delivered. As the first music release since the star transitioned from her primary role as a popstar to a businesswoman, the world is desperate to see what Rihanna comes up with. It seems as though no amount of memes, Instagram comments, or tweets begging the singer for at least a single, will convince Rihanna to drop, but the people won’t stop trying until they get it.

“Bad Gal image proved to be a lifestyle, not just a phase”

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Rihanna, The Beauty Mogul IME Magazine listed Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty as one of 2017’s greatest inventions — right alongside the iPhone X and glasses that actually help the blind see . Awarded not even three months after products hit Sephora’s shelves, this accolade has proven itself as a fact. With over 90 products, 40 shades, and countless paying consumers Fenty Beauty has become one of the beauty industry’s leading cosmetics lines.

The buzz surrounding the beauty line is not just a result of the array of products offered, but the groundbreaking inclusivity in which they are presented. From the beginning, Rihanna has expressed that Fenty Beauty was created for all people to enjoy, with specific attention to those who have been repeatedly snubbed by the beauty industry. This emphasis on diversity is demonstrated in nearly every ad campaign, as models in an array of body types, ethnicities, and complexions smize into the camera — highlight popping and all.

Rihanna’s values of individuality and confidence are undoubtedly apparent in this venture. Besides supplying the world with dazzling highlighters and buildable foundations, Fenty Beauty attempts to fill a gap

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that has so long been left within the beauty industry. She has taken the most dazzling parts of her brand --- her creativity, her confidence, her glamour — and packaged it into lip gloss tubes for everyone to enjoy

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Rihanna, The Fashion Icon mbrella may have shot Rihanna into superstardom, but it was her impeccable sense of personal style that elevated her to It Girl status. Since the beginning of her career, Rihanna has never shied from letting her outfits show a lot of personality and a lot of skin. (“Why my tits bother you? they’re covered in Swarovski crystals, girl!”) The world is still swooning over her yellow, fur-trimmed cape at the 2015 Met Gala and her sheer, Swarovski-crystal-encrusted gown and matching headpiece, among other memorable looks; proving Rihanna is It, has It, and will probably never lose It.

Her daring and unique sense of style has gathered her an almost cult-like following. As shown through the rise of slip dresses and pajamas as street clothes, Rihanna is a trendsetter.

This ability to set the tone for fashion was recognized by the world’s largest luxury group, Louis Vuitton Monet Hennesy (LVMH), and in 2017 the two partnered to create Fenty, the fashion label. Under this partnership, Rihanna has not only become the first woman to create an original brand at LVMH, but the first woman of color to have her own fashion house since the group’s inception in 1984. Joining legendary

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brands such as Givenchy, Fendi, and Dior, this move by the label proves Rihanna has the status, influence, and global currency as some of the most well-established designers in the world.

Prior to Fenty’s launch last May, Rihanna was already establishing herself as a designer. Various collaborations with brands such as Armani, Puma, and Dior showcased the artist’s design chops, but it was the release of her very own lingerie line, Savage X Fenty. Much like Fenty Beauty, Savage X has been lauded for its inclusion and promotion of body positivity. The Savage X Fenty groundbreaking fashion shows serve as a visual representation of the brand’s diversity; the shows often highlight bodies of all different shapes and sizes, gender identities, as well as people living with disabilities.

What’s next for the multi-hyphenate pop star/beauty mogul/fashion icon/businesswoman? Fenty Living? Fenty Cars? Rihanna has built her own Fenty world — and we’re all just living it.

It is apparent through these multiple business ventures that the artist deserves another title: Rihanna, The Renaissance Woman. Rihanna doesn’t just enter these different creative fields; she domi-

nates them and makes them her own; she challenges them and changes them for the better.

Artists everywhere, regardless of medium, should find inspiration in her drive and feel encouraged to act the same. Rihana proves that there are no bounds to what one can do with their own artistry and creativity.

“As shown through the rise of slip dresses and pajamas as street clothes, Rihanna is a trendsetter.�

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Creative Direction/Photography by Daudi Masale

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I hope this message finds you well

By Laura Richmond the Fashion News Editor

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eels like quite the morbid thing to say in times like these. But it’s true. I do hope this message finds you all well amidst all of this madness. I don’t think any of us saw this coming; saw life coming to a stop the way that it has.

As a society we’re seeing the effects, not of what a virus can do to a nation or a civilization, but what the systems set in place that do not and have not worked from the moment they’ve been implemented can do to the people of that nation. It’s no secret that COVID-19 has flipped everyone’s world upside down, from business owners to small businesses to employees and everyone in between—that includes the fashion industry and everything tied to it. The smaller boutiques were some of the first to physically shut down once the outbreak reached the major cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles), and shortly after major brands and labels followed. As of March 30th, brands like Net-a-Porter, Reformation,

Urban Outfitters, Nike, Gucci, Chanel and many more have completely shut down. This includes offices, factory production, warehouses and retail spaces. Worldnet International, the FedEx of fashion, with offices all throughout Eastern Europe and two major cities in the US, have no shipments due to the fact all of their clients have temporarily closed, not to mention the travel bans that we can expect to be set in place very soon.

The MET Gala has been postponed until further notice, which means every designer that was set to make anything custom will be placed on hold. Those who were set to host or livestream—any photographers, news reporters, and journalists will not be working that event or any like it that were to follow. With no events being hosted, celebrities have nothing to be dressed for, therefore stylists are then out of work. Creatives that were just making it out—they have had to stop their hustle toward their dreams. If life hadn’t been about

“Our passion is the thing that pushes us”

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survival before it for sure is now and not everyone’s dreams provide them financial stability.

The pressure is intensified, and so naturally, we are scared. I don’t write this to push further the fear, but to remind all of the reality of what is going on. It is bigger than any of us can even see. This is not the time to give up, it’s the time to support and come together.

This has been hard for everyone, but I feel especially for my creatives. Anyone who had important meetings and deals lined up, major opportunities they’d fought endlessly for, internships that are no longer secure, projects that are delayed, and anyone without access to their craft right now. I don’t believe I would be wrong to speak for the majority of us when I say our craft is what keeps us sane.

The network we’ve sculpted and our ability to create is, for many of us, the reason we get out of bed. Our passion is the thing that pushes us, so I can only imagine how everyone is coping.

If I can offer anything, I want it to be this: a reminder that this is our time to hone in and, even for those who lack access, do something creative everyday.

Speaking from personal experience, it’s easy to feel trapped with your thoughts, emotions, and stay in bed all day. Fight as

hard as possible to stay out of that. Organize your ideas, put them down on paper, create a home studio, write everyday if you have to; but don’t let this be the thing that dwindles you.

Talk to your people, indulge in inspiring and fulfilling conversations, but don’t let this be the thing that puts out your fire.

Let it be the fuel to your flame.

When you love what you do, you don’t go down without a fight.

Thinking of you all.

Always, Laura O.

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by Kofi Young

“WHERE THERE IS ROOM FOR PERSPECTIVE, THERE IS ROOM FOR BYKD”

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Noname Reads And So Should You

By Ahnayah Hughes

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f Noname didn’t establish herself as one of rap’s most authentic storytellers with the release of her Telefone mixtape in 2016, her debut studio album Room 25 cemented it as a fact.

Her spoken word like flow centers around the joy and devastations of Blackness, Chicago, womanhood, and the rapper’s journey of self discovery. When she’s not working on music or tweeting anti-capitalist rhetoric, the rapper is selecting book titles or holding chapter meetups for her latest venture, Nonames Book Club.

Noname’s Book Club is an online and in real life community dedicated to providing “reading materials for the homies” by familiarizing them with books written for and by other people of color. For decades, white fear of Black thought has cultivated the misconception that Black people don’t care to read. With six official chapters, nearly 65,000 subscriptions, and over 100,000 followers on Instagram (@nonamereads) and Twitter (@ nonamesbookclub) combined,

the book club disproves the stereotype. Niggas read too.

A central part of the club’s mission is to encourage book readers everywhere to pick up titles from their local bookstores and libraries.

Noname’s own mother, Desiree Sanders, owned an Afro-centric bookstore in Chicago for nearly twenty years before corporations like Amazon made it increasingly difficult for small establishments to compete in book distribution. January 11, 2020, was the first-ever National Fuck Amazon Day, a holiday founded by the rapper in which she asked people to reject the privitzaed nature of knowledge and consumer manipulation by registering for library cards.

This aim to promote knowledge and literary works by authors of color doesn’t just stop at the club’s members.

Since its inception, Noname has expressed her desire to bring the book club to prisons in order to grant incarcerated individuals the opportunity to read,

“Niggas read, Noname reads, and so should you.”

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as a majority of the books read by the club are banned. Using the funds raised through online subscriptions and merchandise profits, Nonames Book Club launched its first official prison chapter last month.

The club selects two books each month that somehow speak to the human condition --- one through a creative lense, and the other informative.

In the spirit of Noname’s collectivist nature, “Let the Homie Pick” allows club members, including celebrity subscribers like Kehlani and Earl Sweatshirt to suggest the monthly reads. The books authors range from prominent figures such as Audre Lorde, Paulo Freire, and Octavia E. Spencer, to emerging writers of colors like poets, Fariha Róisín and Danez Smith. You can often find people discussing titles in Twitter threads or instagram comments, or attending the in-person meet ups hosted at local bookstores.

You don’t have to be an official member to participate either. Anyone, regardless of membership, is able to access the monthly titles and join in on online discourse. The widespread acclaim and popularity of the book club is, in part, due to its ability to access and relate to people. Seeing Noname’s Book Club on the timeline is a 46 Premiere

welcomed addition to the sea of internet content. Often feauring information regarding chapter meet ups or selfies from members in their book club hoodies, the official instagram page is littered with photos of Black icons from Muhammad Ali to Nipsey Hussle reading various texts, demonstrating that our faves read too. Interactions with members online, celebrity’s endorsements, in person meet ups, and the content of the book’s themselves, make people want to join in on the conversation.

Noname has made reading cool again. part of the book club’s success lies in the same quality that makes Noname a great rapper --- her sincerity. It is clear from the rapper’s social media presence and interviews that she really is doing all of this for the community, rather than profits or applause. She once stated in a now deleted tweet that she wouldn’t mind if her success as an artist declined as long as people were reading nonetheless. Her authenticity makes her the ideal person to spearhead this reclamation of literature for people of color.

Books have always held a critical role in the distribution of knowledge and the formation of opinions. For centuries, works of literature have been a

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tool for oppressed communities to highlight, comprehend, and validate their existence in society.

Noname’s Book Club has opened the floor for young people of color to not only understand their reality through poems, prose, and manifestos, but to critique it as well.

Niggas read, Noname reads, and so should you.

“Since its inception, Noname has expressed her desire to bring the book club to prisons”

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ELIVIS Photograghy by Rashad Oliver

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SUALS

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Linestrax LookBook Photogaphy by mal.bravo

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last look: Kenn Skate Film

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