original photograph by Barnaby Roper

Issue 10

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marleighculver/

http://theophiluslondon.net/

theophiluslondon.netwww.myspace.com/theophiluslondontheophiluslondon.wordpress.comtwitter.com/THEOPHILUSL

theophiluslondon.netwww.myspace.com/theophiluslondontheophiluslondon.wordpress.comtwitter.com/THEOPHILUSL

get-dizzy.com

roxygrey.com

needsupply.com

1 Lose the white socks. Black socks are OK, but are still boring. Id suggest having more fun with socks. Check out Happy Feet socks as starters. AND if youre going to wear vans, buy some VANS socks. You may also try going sockless with Vans Authentic and Era styles. 2 SALES arent bad; dont be afraid to stay within a budget. There are always promotions for 20%-30% off, so think twice before you pay full retail for a shirt or jeans. (...Unless its an item that doesnt go on sale i.e. sneakers) 3 There has been an increase in purchases from stores like H&M and forever21. In my honest opinion, you get what you paid for. Youre shirt was 24.99? Youll be able to wash it 2 times before it ends up in the back of your closet. Ive always enjoyed what J.Crew has to offer - and they always have sales also. 4 Back on sales: If youre doing a lot of online shopping, I suggest you check out retailmenot.com before making a purchase. Who knows, there might be a coupon for 40% off your purchase. 5 Invest in some quality sunglasses. Im not saying go out and buy a pair of shades that has the companys logo all over, but something that will be timeless. Id say check out Super by Retrosuperfuture. Rayban also produces timeless classics.

6 Dont be afraid to invest in a good pair of jeans. I mean, you can spend $200 on shoes right? I have a pair that Ive been wearing almost everyday for 3 years. (Needsupply.com is a good place to get jeans) ;) 7 Check out GILT.com There are always good sales. 8 When shopping, GO TO THE FITTING ROOM, and try your clothes on. Nothing is worse than buying clothes that dont fit properly. 9 Marshalls/TJ Maxx = Win. These places are hit or miss, but when you hit you really save yourself a lot of money.

Sneaker buying tips10 Ive learned after many releases, leaving empty handed must suck. (Only struck out once) Make calls before going to the store, and dont be afraid to make a drive to a store that wont be as busy. 11 CRAIGSLIST. Ive found plenty of deals on craigslist; check it once in awhile for a shoe you missed out on release day. (Avoid fakes!) 12 NIKE OUTLETS. Nike outlets are hit or miss, so check often. (Found Pearl Foamposites for $100 recently)

Womens fashion (Things I dont agree with)Ive learned some women just have no interest in what clothes they wear, which is fine. However, there are women out there who TRY too much, and US guys can tell. I understand some women want to be very fashion forward, but sometimes...you are trying TOO HARD. Black shoes, black belt. Brown shoes, brown belt. Easy right? YUP. Fitted hats are a NO-NO. Fitting room: purchase clothes that fit. Overall, instead of trying to be a trendsetter, why dont you start by being inspired? From there, see what works for you. Compliments will come if it works. Signing off,

dk Fashion

enthusiast

roxygrey.com

Spry Lee Scott stands in the doorway of an 8th Avenue studio, hanging up gowns for the Harpers Bazaar Brazil test shoot taking place in just a few minutes. I should have you over here doing this; youre the assistant, he jokes, sorting out the pieces of fabric to begin steaming the first of four dresses. In the fashion industry since he was 17 years old, Sprys eagerness to do the grunt work of an employee when he is actually the boss is extremely commendable. A Norfolk, Virginia native and Brooklyn, New York resident, Spry is no stranger to manual labor. Over the years, he has obtained the drive and go-getter mentality that not only helped him break into the fashion industry, but also catapulted his career as an established celebrity stylist. Starting out as a runway model and breaking off into a career in styling, Spry prides himself in being able to successfully run his styling company, Milado, Inc. while also running the philanthropic organization, HYPE (Helping Young People Excel).As Spry alternates between steaming dresses and putting together outfits for the 8-hour photo shoot, I decide to switch roles from assistant to interviewer. Finally, Spry will have to answer to me.

JANNA HALL: OK, so the most obvious question. Why styling?SPRY LEE SCOTT: I dont freakin know. No, Im joking. But really, I was bored with modeling. I had a 2-year contract with Identies, Inc., and I woke up one day and decided that I wanted to get out of it. A friend suggested I try styling, and that was something Id never even considered at the time. I talked to the head of the agency because he was a stylist, and he hired me as a styling assistant for Todays Black Woman Magazine. He eventually quit, and I got promoted to head stylist. I was very lucky to have my first job working for a publication.

JH: Thats an incredible starting point. But what were your immediate challenges as a stylist?SLS: Well, because I got out of my modeling contract, the company I began styling through didnt really represent me. They werent representing any stylists at the time, only models, and they werent prepared to start doing it. But for me, it was all about breaking barriers and realizing how cutthroat the styling industry is; its similar to modeling in that sense. You need a lot of contacts, and its all about networking. If youre a makeup artist, you just show up with your tools. If youre a hairstylist, you just show up with your hair products. But with being a fashion stylist, its harder because my job depends on other people. I have to get

clothes from somebody else. And when youre starting out, no designer wants to give you clothes if they dont know who you are. I wasnt booking celebrity jobs yet, and you cant test [shoot] with no clothes. It got to a point where I was using my mothers jewelry to do shoots and borrowed things from friendswhatever I had to do to make it work. Luckily, now [that Im established], I can go to showrooms and pull whatever I need because Im credible.

JH: So at what point did it really start paying off? When did you really start to make solid connects? SLS: I did an assistant job with my first celebrity, Montel Jordan. I assisted on that job and was approached by the editor of Hype Hair magazine. She came to the shoot and asked me to start working with them, which opened the door for me to start working with a lot of celebrities. That was the start of the celebrity portion of my career. The payoff really comes when youre hired as a stylist and not as an assistant.

JH: Right. So what celebrities have you worked with from then to now?SLS: Ive worked with Ciara, Mya, Musiq Soulchild and Bow Wow. Ive appeared on an episode of MTVs Runs House styling Angela and Vanessa Simmons; Ive styled Deborah Cox, Brian McKnight, 112, Remy Ma, Ne-Yo, Pepa, Jacque Reid for Lets Talk About Pep, and I have a few clients from BET. Alesha Renee is my client, and so is April Woodard from BET News and Inside Edition. Ive styled Trey Songz, Chris Brown, and Mandy Moore. I dont feel like naming them all, so you can just go on my website for the client list. www.ohmyspry.com

JH: Nothing wrong with a shameless plug! So how do you go about getting celebrity clients?SLS: Again, through networking-- word of mouth. You see a celebrity and you know what you can do for them, and sometimes you just have to go and reach out to them.

JH: What do you find to be one of the more challenging aspects of being a stylist, even after youre established?SLS: You still have to be on a daily grind; work tomorrow is not guaranteed. And because Ive been in the industry for so long, you see a lot of younger stylists coming in. You have stuff like reality TV exposing people to the career, and everyone starts to think they can do it. I lose work sometimes to up-and-coming stylists who will do the job for little to nothing, and as an established

World Politics by Christin Johnson

stylist, I cant compromise my day rate (to a certain extent). Most new faces cant afford your rate. But what people fail to realize is, you get what you pay for, especially in the music industry. So its really like a daily grind, like youre starting over everyday.

JH: I can imagine how stressful that can get. Do you ever get annoyed when you see any and everyone claiming to be stylists? SLS: No. Theyre on their grind, and it reminds me of me when I was coming up. I was calling myself a celebrity stylist before I even styled a celebrity. You have to speak it into existence. And part of my vision is bringing people up with me. Im not gonna be around forever, so I need to teach others to be great. And even though I did a lot of my stuff on my own, there were still other people who helped me out and helped me become who I am. I cant just have this knowledge that Ive gained over the years and sit on it.

JH: Do you think everyone who likes fashion is qualified to be a stylist? SLS: Not at all! Its more than just knowing about fashion. Its about having style. Ive had [styling] assistants who have loved fashion, but werent cut out for styling. Theres a lot of footwork in styling. People look at it and think OMG Celebrities, but theres so much more involved than working with a celebrity. I know a lot of fashionable people that dont have style.

Fashionable people can go into a store, see something nice, and look good in it. Stylish people can take something thats not so nice and make it look fabulous. And that, my dear, is the difference. Spry Lee Scott JH: So what advice would you offer someone trying to break into the world of styling?SLS: Do your research. And not just about styling. Research the fashion industry to see what other jobs there are out there, because styling may not be what you really want. Once you do your research and you know its for you, then get a job as someones styling assistant. Connect yourself with other people on your level who are also trying to come up in the game. Hairstylists, makeup artists, photographers, models-- get together and start producing shoots. Cuz at the end of the day, you can say how fabulous you are, but the proof is in the pudding. [Clients] want to see your actual work. Talk is cheap; a picture is worth a thousand words. I mean, I could do beautiful makeup on myself, but could I do it on someone else? I could do my own hair, but can I make your hair look good? Same with styling; I can dress myself, but can I dress somebody else? Thats something you need to ask yourself.

JH: So, where do you see yourself in 5 years?SLS: Definitely doing more stuff in front of the camera. I want to do more hosting gigs. I want to get into doing more makeovers and working with real people, teaching real people how to dress themselves. I want to be to new designers what Oprah is to her Favorite Things. What Oprah says is hot, everyone believes is hot. There are so many designers that Ive seen come and go. They were extremely talented, but didnt have the exposure, so they werent able to maximize their potential because nobody knew who they were. I want to be able to say so and sos clothing line is hot, and really have people wanting to go out and buy from it.

JH: So were at this shoot today, and its pretty much an all day thing. You probably wont get even a quick second to sit down. Through all of the tiring aspects of your job, what keeps you going? What makes all of the hard work, early mornings, late nights, and stressful moments all worth it?SLS: My family. They are who I do it for. I do it to be able to afford to give my family opportunities that we didnt have growing up. I grew up poor in Norfolk, VA, but I never really felt poor. I was always taught that I could do whatever I wanted to do. I have 8 Godchildren, and its really about teaching them that they can do whatever they want. I have HYPE, my nonprofit, and Im working with kids that are growing up in Brooklyn. Ive seen so many of my friends go to jail or get strung out on drugs, and I ask myself what the difference was between them and me. I realized the difference was that Ive always been a dreamer. When other people see that my dream has come and is still coming true, it will inspire them to dream as well.

World Politics by Christin Johnson

*Oxfords matched with cropped tops an boyfriends Jeans Oxfords paired with socks *Bow blouses: "blush" sheer, black sheer, nude sheer *Maxi dresses, skirts,: matched with gold statement accessories, stacked bangles leather skinny belts or leather jackets (to go with the maxi) *Neutral colors: Nude, white, mixed with bold accessories: mustard yellow, red, indigo, hot pinks, and greens. (bags, belts, necklaces, shoes) *loafers: glossy patent, leather with fringe, matched with demin shorts an tailored blazers *turbans *wedges, platforms *stripes

Spring trends & must haves

I don't normally like sending shots but this one time I don't mind. It's a certain magazine that has great intentions on getting underground hiphop to the masses and I tilt my hat to them for trying to do so BUT.... Every single year they're late. I'm not here to go through every list they made so I won't. Myself (RBj) and a fellow staff member (Henry Soza) came up with our own list. You probably haven't heard of most of the rappers that we picked but that's a great things. We like to believe that we can predict the future and in time we will see if we were correct. This list is simply 10 rappers that we think will have a major buzz in the near future... Enjoy

Formed in 2006, Black Cherry are a four piece from Hackney, East London. "With the singular stage presence of front woman Megane Quashie, Black Cherry weaves sparkling melodies with aggressive noise into a formidable musical force. Having secured management and signing with one of the UKs top booking agencies in just 18 short months, the band have built up a loyal fan base and continue to build on their enigmatic live show. The bands energy and enthusiasm for what they do is mirrored by crowds across the U.K and Europe. Bio from Last.fm

I first discovered the band Black Cherry a few weeks back at Girls Rock! RVA + Tom Tom Magazine Sessions, a Benefit House Party not too far from my apartment.

CMAG:What is Black Cherry?Black Cherry is Megane Quashie & Gui Fraisse CMAG:What are some of the bands musical inspirations?BC: we write with feelings, whenever going in the world or in our heart we tend to write about..but sometimes we simply just write about fun things like kissing boys & girlsdrinking

and generally being youngnot whenever - whatever

CMAG: How long has the band been together, and how did the connections come about?

BC: oh good questionthe band has been together for around 6 yearsnot really a bandbut a fab two piece..we meet at music college, we must both be around 20we started making music together straight

CMAG:You guys just clicked like that?BC: yeahvery different peoplevery much ying and yanghe's quiet and I am loud.he is from paris and i am from londonhe's whiteand i am black.

but colour doesnt matter, we just make good musicafter a few beers, we knew we could work together

CMAG:I know that Black Cherry started touring around mid 2007what projects were you working on before Black Cherry?BC: i did a lot of solo stuff, and was trying to get signed this way. Mainly acoustic songs, similair style to morcheeba

CMAG:Would you say that your previous experiences have better prepared you or given you a better focus for Black Cherry?

BC: i think everything I was doing before was rubbish... i needed a another mind/person to nature my songwriting skills.

CMAG:So is it safe to say that Gui has helped you grow?BC: we both help each other grow musically and emotionally. We have grown up together, we are like family.

CMAG:I read that your father exposed you to a lot of good music early ondid you have any favorites?BC: yes, my earliest memory is sitting in the back of my dad car while be blasted Purple rain

CMAG:How have these musical inspirations changed today?BC: nothing has really changed, it just got a bit more broader..my taste has become more expermintal if anythingI am more open to all the genres now

CMAG: I first heard of you guys through the benefit show a few weeks ago, but I really enjoyed your performance. What do you think makes your sound so unique?BC: something quite special about two people making a lot of noise

we simply love playing and theres nothing better then playing to a crowd that are willing to get involved in the show. wheather it is clapping, dancing or singing along

we are not unique, we are just good fun to watch, to hear etc

nothing more unique then watching two people that really love what they do

CMAG: How would you describe your creative process for making new songs? How do you find your sound and lyrics?BC: The writing process changes with every song to be honest, sometimes Gui will write a backing track or keyboard bass part and I will come up with the vocal melody and lyrics.other times I will write a guitar/bass riff with a vocal hook and we will work the track around this.

Black Cherry style is definitely down to Gui production skills and my vocal melody

CMAG: Could you tell us about your most recent EP the Preface?BC: the recently ep was tribute to our dear friend and 3rd member of Black cherry Rob Moorethe cd featured two tracks from our forthcoming album and two really great remixesplease keep on buying it

all the artwork on the vinyl is based around rob moore face and was design by Kate Moroos

CMAG:I take it Moore had a large impact on Black CherryBC: very large impact on us, he was like a brother

we are still heart broken and always will be

CMAG: Im truly sorry for your lossBC: Thank you

CMAG: ..stepping back a bit, I enjoyed your performance of "fake blood" ..was there a story behind that track?BC: fake blood is about our we all walking around like robots and not trying to speak up or stand outit's about government control

CMAG: do you feel like government control is a big issue in our generation? have the youth become sheep?BC: Yes, we have a lot of control apply on us from the governmenttoo many desicisions made without our consent

and that because we are numb by television and computer games

CMAG: Youve been touring like mad latelywhere exactly have you been?/Where there any crazy experiences from touring that stick out in your head?BC: on tour .... we started at sxsw, austin, dallas, arkansas, nashville, knoxville, asheville, richmond, pittburgh, new york, los angeles, orange county

..being pulled over by the police for doing 85 in 55 zone, we honestly didn't see any signs..being turned down from a strip club in Knoxville

playing a gig in someone house in richmond

running around the hotel room drunk, knocking on people rooms asking for more beers in asheville

roller skating in bill clinton school in arkansasthere are so many good experiences

CMAG: How was your time at SXSW? Where there any memorable connections made?BC: SXSW was amazing, we made a lot connections and sold a lot of cds. We definetly got noticed and made a difference this year

CMAG: Any upcoming projects or shows we should keep an eye out for?BC: We will be back in states around October to do a W.Coast tour in fall, and we will be alot more work with Tom Tom Magazinein meantime we will be back in europe from 25th aprilplaying dates in Europe most of the summer and finishing touches to debut album

CMAG: Could you tell us more about White Gold?BC: White Gold will be our first officially release LP from Black Cherry, we are planning to release this in September. We will start working on finishing this off for the end of summer.

so keep your eyes open for this release!

UK Band Black Cherry...share link to their soundcloud page: http://soundcloud.com/blackcherrymusic

ellemaxwell.com

intalek.bandcamp.com

SUPREME is defined as the greatest in power, authority, rank or character. This twenty-one year old bombshell hailing from the home of the greats, South Side Jamaica Queens, is ready to shake up the rap game. Please throw away your preconceived notions of all female rappers. Supreme is ready to bring change, turn heads, captivate minds and hypnotize souls with positive lyrics that show the new age of up-and-coming versatile women. Her inspirations include Salt and Pepper, Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Lauren Hill, Jay-z, Biggie, Run DMC, G-Unit & Dipset.

She lives by the motto "just go for it" and hopes that her lyrics will inspire not just women but all people to go against the grain and challenge stereotypes of society. When listening to her music you are sure to feel the vibe of positive, new energy. You may not be ready for change but Supreme is ready to bring it to you from every angle. So be ready to listen and capture what Supreme is bringing to the game. http://supremele.tumblr.com/

Bio: Nikki Ntu by RBj Photos by Terence Thomas

As the debut artist from Melo-Xs imprint, Galaxy, we are proud to present Ntu Fara. Her undeniable Hip Hop style is infused with political fervor and a spiritual self -expression heard from very few artists today. Faras music is the reection of a creative and ambitious generation of artists coming out of the Brooklyn renaissance. Working with longtime friend and fellow Brooklyn native Melo-X as her producer, Fara hopes to deliver a new sound imbued with a new feeling to the people. With strong themes of healing, revolution and love, Fara is birthing new concepts of female empowerment but moreover people empowerment. My music breaks down a lot of barriers in people. The rhythms bring out emotion and the lyrics stimulate the mind as well as the heart. Those simple things have a great impact on inspiring and informing folks. And when you have a safe space to put everything on the table, healing is the only outcome. Her debut EP A History of Dreams will drop in the spring of this year. A conceptual project entirely produced by Melo-X, it features 7 cinematic tracks of futuristic, yet nostalgic, rhythm and lyricism coupled in powerful emotions. Her songs take listeners on a voyage into the soul of Ntu Fara..

Bio: Nikki Ntu by RBj

http://www.reverbnation.com/Facil

jferb.com

gilbereforte.com

myspace.com/itsdicap

imjusttheo.com

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