WOMEN IN TRANSIT: Dani Brown

    words by Marco Smith                                                                                                                                                photo by Emily McCartney

Dani Brown is one of those individuals whose youth doesn't match her experience.  As a matter of fact if you were to sum her just based on her appearance you'd be missing out on a lot.   She's tall, slender, stylish, and doe-eyed gorgeous with just enough melanin to give her skin that cocoa finish.  So you're thinking to yourself "she's a model", and you'd be right.  But you'd be wrong too.  This is where she fools you.  She's only 25 but Dani is a vetran of the fashion industry here in Dallas.  As a model, stylist, and now with her own agency Artisan By Trade where she reps Hair and make up artists, illustrators, sylists and photographers.  This Dallas native by way of Pleasant Grove has been a staple on the creative scene in her city for a long time.  You'd be hard pressed to find a model, director, designer, or photographer who she hasn't crossed paths with.  She played an integral part in helping this series come together so it was only right that we sit down and pick her brain a little

IT: What led you to do what you do now or how did you get started?

I've always had a creative background.  I went to the Booker T. Washington School for visual arts and did a lot of painting, drawing, and mixed media.  From there I studied fashion design.  I've always loved it.  My dad was one of those people who would dress up just to go to Walmart, so presentation was always key growing up.  He would say you never know who you're going to meet so you have to prepare to do so.  From there I started modeling and I did my first photo shoot my freshman year of college.  A photographer friend of mine told me how much he liked my style and suggested that I be a stylist. So then I started styling all of his photo shoots and from there it blossomed.  I started reaching out to other photographers and then they would hire me and I've been busy ever since.

What is your opinion of the art scene here in Dallas?

It's growing!  It's had its ups and downs.  We've been more buyers in the past without actually having our own thing but with so many people moving here I think its becoming what we always knew it could be.

photo by Emily McCartney

What were your earliest influences artistically?

I would have to say Van Gough honestly.  I was really inspired by his use of colors and the medium over all.  And his story, it's kind of heart breaking if you look him up.  It's really sad and to think he didn't become famous until after his death.  Syle-wise I would say Edward Enninful over there at W Magazine in New York.  He's definitely someone I look up to as far as aesthetics and just his approach to style.

What has been you experience being a woman in this industry positive or negative?

I thinks its been pretty positive.  In the industry it is kind of ruled by  men as far as who is creating the fashion. A lot of your main designers of all the big fashion lines are designed by men.  The ironic thing is that they are women's wear designers.  I'm glad there is an interest and growth of women trying to take more of a lead in this industry but I will say that as an African American woman I am one of a very few who are stylists.

photo by Emily McCartney

What inspires you?

What doesn't inspire me is the real question.  I get inspired by a lot.  Sometimes it's the model herself.  It can even be someone's photography.  It's everything around me.  You got to be able to find it.  Like some people struggle with inspiration, I struggle with not to be so inspired by everything.

What gives you the most joy doing what you do?

Finishing it and seeing the reaction from people.  The excitement as it builds throughout the shoot.  Knowing that I was able to get one of my artistic visions out in a way that can be shown visually.  That's what brings me a lot of joy.

photo by Emily McCartney

What is that you bring to the table artistically that is unique to you?

My vision.  The way I look at things and how I approach the subject I would say is different.  The way I look at fashion and the way I look at my work, I look at it as an art form.  I put a lot of passion into it.

What's next?

My agency Artisan By Trade is my main priority right now.  I definitely looking to expand my clientele.  So watch out!

Kit and Ace Speaker Series

By Brittani Batts

Conversation, clothes and cocktails can basically sum of this great night. The amazingly chic couple Eddie and Angelee Fortuna, creators of HIS + HER style blog, hosted a ‘Curating the Perfect Shot’ event at Kit and Ace.  The invitation said it would be a fit and style session, where guests would be broken up into groups for fashion tips.  However, it turned out being a great social among great people. Few people knew each other coming in, but everyone knew each other once it was time to leave.  One of the other things on the agenda for the night was to learn to create the perfect ‘Old-Fashioned’ Cocktail.

Eddie  started the drink-making, making sure to explain what he was using and why, however, once the great conversations started, it was every man for himself.  Guests used bitters, Bourbon, orange peels and simple syrup to make their own interpretation of the signature cocktail of the night.  “But do not forget to add the great Luxardo Maraschino cherries.  They truly give it that extra great taste.  Within the drink and also eaten afterwards.  Even though they are $20 a jar, they are definitely worth it for the perfect Old-Fashioned.” And of course by his side was his beautiful wife and partner, Angelee, both wearing Kit and Ace from head to toe. Eddie wore the Cowan Crew pullover sweater and Trouser, while Angelee wore their signature Page Blouse and Bartlett Trouser.  “These are my favorite pants, “ Angelee proudly shared.  “On the back, at the ankle there is a clip that adjusts from loose to tight, from loose trouser feel to like the skinny leg pant, possibly for heels or boots.  Easy transition from work to night.”

New to Dallas, Kit and Ace is based out of Vancouver so not only are they a step ahead of the seasons, but also they receive new fashions every Tuesday.  Their store is already full of beautiful sweaters, scarves, and trench coats all made from their signature ‘Technical Cashmere’ from Mongolia, China.  “Our Motto is ‘Time is Precious’ and all of our items look good and feel amazing,” says Travis Miller, shop director. “We are also big on showcasing local talent and fun.” On their walls, they have paintings from local artists and they proudly rotate artists’ work as well to show support.  “We will also have a Pop Up shop soon where local artists can display their work for the night and sell items as well.”  With such warm vibes from both Kit and Ace and the HIS+HER blog, I look forward to any event either one have in the future.

Who’s In Transit: His + Her

Photo Credit | Danielle M. Sabol

By Tamara Devers

It was like watching two best friends when I sat down for a chat with the fabulously chic Eddie and Angelee Fortuna of the Dallas style blog, HIS + HER. Their love affair began ten years ago in college when Eddie walked into the shoe store where Angelee worked, pretending to buy sneakers. They were immediately smitten and have been practically inseparable ever since. This dynamic duo recently celebrated their 1^st blogiversary and got me up to speed on how HIS + HER was born.

Photo Credit | Yesi Fortuna

Eddie explains, “We had a Tumblr blog that we dubbed His and Her blog and we put a bunch of fashion, home, architecture, design stuff that we were inspired by. We started it when we were wedding planning. We wanted to brand us becoming one through the wedding process. We developed the name and the idea of HIS + HER, together.” And even in its infancy, HIS + HER is getting noticed. Eddie and Angelee have been featured on the GQ website, the winter issue of Bungalow Magazine and on InstaDFW.

Photo Credit | Angelee Bravo Fortuna

For the pair who share a love of fashion, working on the blog together adds a deepening layer to their relationship. "Reaching outside my comfort zone, as far as styling goes, is what's exciting to me," says Angelee. "By collaborating certain pieces with one another, I'm being not only pushed by myself but also by him."

Photo Credit | Eddie Fortuna

Raised in a small rural town outside of Lubbock, Texas, Angelee always dreamed of trading the town’s one flashing yellow light for the flashing lights of D-Town. With Eddie’s Master’s in Architecture and Angelee’s Bachelor’s in Retail Merchandising they felt Dallas was big enough for both of them to grow in their respective fields. As they grow, they’re excited to see the cultural and artistic community blossom here, as well.

Photo Credit | Yesi Fortuna

“There’s definitely a hunger here. Because Dallas is a smaller city, it’s not L.A., it’s not New York, it’s not Chicago. So there’s a hunger here that is unique for Dallas because we are trying to make our way toward the top and be a global city."

Photo Credit | Yesi Fortuna

As surprising as it seems, Eddie and Angelee don’t have an ultimate goal for HIS + HER blog. “Obviously we have the dreams and visions of where it could be, but again, we just want to be part of the conversation. It’s vague, but I think it’s vague by design. We don’t want anything specific, we just want to be there.”  If being a part of the conversation was their aim, Eddie and Angelee have gone above and beyond that. They’re not just a part of the conversation, they’re the subject of it.

Who’s In Transit: M Knight

By Tamara Devers

M Knight wants to be clear.  He does not do booty photography. Period. “I like racy shit. I’m not a booty photographer. You can take a selfie for that. Do I love shooting women? Yes. Do I love shooting nude stuff? Yes. Do I want to push myself into the booty realm? No. It’s a fine line. I’ve crossed the line, I mean everybody has, but I think it’s a matter of where you want to set yourself. What is your marker for taste? Some people shoot booty really well. I like their booty shots, I just don’t want to be that guy.”

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about what guy M Knight is. Born and raised in a serious church-going family in Jackson, Mississippi, he had a conservative upbringing. But M Knight craved what every young person craves. Freedom and money. So, when he got out of high school, he made his way to Mississippi State University where he majored in Computer Science but graduated with a B.A. in Partying.

Photo Credit | M. KNIGHT

Despite not having a college degree, M Knight moved to Dallas where he started doing IT  work and after years of working for local companies, he went independent. These days M Knight splits his time between being a self-proclaimed IT nerd, a party pumping DJ and a no holds barred photographer. He’s always been fascinated by cool imagery and has trunks of magazines to prove it.  Surprisingly enough, M Knight’s interest in photography grew from the shadow of his DJ career and now is surpassing it.

Photo Credit | M. KNIGHT

“I like being an opening DJ. I can rock a party. When you’re opening DJ you always have that two hours to kill at the end. Either I can sit there and drink myself stupid or I can put something in my hands,” says Chris.  “I decided to put something in my hands. Plus, I was going to parties and all the pictures I saw were horrible. There were a couple of photographers that took great party pictures and we were all friends. I said ‘Hey, let me pick up a camera.’ So, I would pick up a camera and I would take pictures of my friends in low light without using flashes. So, I would kind of catch pictures of them. And I would just run around and I learned how to be real sneaky with a camera. People kept telling me I was good so I just eventually tried something else.”

That “something else” has since evolved into the racy, funky, sexy, crazy, stylish, fun, simple, erotic, complicated and sometimes nude images that populates M Knight’s world. He names German-Australian photographer, Helmut Newton as one of the main influences in his photography career. “His book sits at the front of my house. I don’t know how he did it. I wish I could have sat in on that man’s shoots. His stuff was classy as hell and yet racy as hell. And I don’t know how he thought up all these situations but he did. And the stuff that isn’t racy at all, it’s beautiful. It’s art.”

Photo Credit | M. KNIGHT

The craziest thing about M Knight is that despite being published in magazines and online publications practically every month, he considers his photography good, but not great. Humble to the extreme. If this is M Knight’s version of good, I can’t wait to see what great will be.

WHO'S IN TRANSIT: EPOCHA

photo credit | Simon Pheonix

"You know DeepEllum is rich in African American history.  It was a place where people were free to enjoy themselves without having to adhere to any laws that were being enforced by Jim Crow.  It actually was a red light district. After work many African Americans would catch the train on central track down to Deep Ellum to eat, drink, shop, and listen to blues amongst other things.  It was one of Bonnie and Clyde's favorite hangouts, because no one would think to look for them in the Negro part of town.  It's from this that the name Deep Ellum was actually derived.  

WHO'S IN TRANSIT: Verum Clothing

One of the world's most prominent intellectuals once said "If you're out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor".  Now as smart as Albert Einstein was, he wasn't particularly known for his sense of style and fashion.  Not unless you consider wild hair, bushy mustaches, and matted up grey sweaters fashionable.  

My Forward Life: Style of Life Event

So what do you get when you combine style, beauty, fashion, food, signature cocktails and 100 of the most gorgeous, intelligent, and ambitious women in Dallas under the roof of one fantastic venue? Well for one you get one very happy male blogger who was lucky enough to take in the scenery in all it's splendor. But you also get a convergence of the many different elements that make up the topic of style and how it relates to women in their everyday living. Well known experts from the fields of beauty, fashion, food and home were invited for an interactive and innovative discussion and experience with the women in attendance. And that's what the My Forward Life: The Style of Life was all about.

 It was an evening where guest were able to network and share experiences and ideas with each other while empowering one another in their own individual endeavors. Led by My Forward Life's founder Jasmin Brand who is the walking embodiment of "girl power" and women who just kick ass in general. The event's timing could not have come more perfectly as they were also celebrating the launch of their new online magazine. Sponsors included Windsor Communities who provided goodie bags for the guests and there to promote their charity date and silent auction for breast cancer awareness, Love Cures All.  With bites from Urban Taco and a delicious signature cocktail that included vanilla ice cream and marshmallow vodka, it was an occasion enjoyed by all, even myself.

 As one of the handful of gentlemen who were lucky enough to attend, obviously being in a room full of beautiful women has it's advantages but more than that I got the opportunity to be a fly on the wall and really watch how they relate to one another. It was a breath of fresh air to see women empowering one another instead of tearing each other down as it can be portrayed in the media and reality shows. They were open minded, supportive and encouraging of each other. And while discussing how style fits into their everyday lives might have been what brought them there I think that the relationships and bonds formed might be the biggest accomplishment of the night. Did I mention that there were lots of pretty girls there?

BLOG ABOUT TOWN: "What To Wear Fashion Show: Style Lab"

So while Fashion Week was in full swing in New York City last week, Dallas had it's own version happening in the metroplex in various locations. Right on the Mezzanine of Mockingbird Station just outside the Angelika Theater the "What To Wear Fashion Show: Style Lab" took place showcasing the latest and greatest in today's fashion. It was just as much an education as it was an experience with a panel of individuals with an extraordinary eye for fashion sharing their fashion expertise with the audience as the models walked up and down the runway. With Casa Noble providing libations for the evening, an A+ roster of gorgeous models, and first class music by DJ Blake Ward it was definitely the place to be. Check out the photos below.