The Efforts of a Rising Star

The best advice that he was given was: “Don’t stop no matter what from my AMAZING friend Joy!”

At thirteen years old Rashawn Leary from Poughkeepsie, NY an up and coming intricate lyricist wrote his first song, with big aspirations and looking to rise to the top quickly, he’s a force to consider. Don’t sleep, because he’s ready to take over!  

The first time anyone ever heard his work was when he was with his family in the car. His gift for writing music is a natural one. His first performance was 5 years ago at a nightclub at Above and Beyond  in Raleigh NC.  

He hasn’t written for any popular Artists yet, but if he could he would write for Sam Smith and John Legend. He likes the way their voices flow and sound. His favorite genre would be more of like a combination of R&B and pop so he calls it “BOP”

      

This young man is multi-faceted. He owns a business. He considers himself an international toast master.  He can rap, sing, model, act, writes comics and little books.

 If he could change one thing about the music industry it would be the talent scouts who find some of the new talent. A lot of new music today literally has no meaning in his opinion and is done to promote the wrong things, but in his good humor he says “guess in reality to each their own!”

He believes that his Vocal range, Vocal tempo and his natural tenacity to accomplish projects are his strengths.

In the next five years he hopefully sees himself performing at more venues, traveling a lot more and also writing for amazing ARTISTS.

He’s in a line up for a major film that he and the executive director will be shooting in October and they are looking for actors and anyone who wants to lend a hand on the crew!

His fans and followers can get in touch with him through: 

Instagram-@electin 

Facebook-@electin Lect

Twitter-@electin

Snapchat-@electin

YouTube-@tyreece50 

Plus Size Modeling In NC

Jonice Cromartie is from Fayetteville NC. She loves her family. They are the ones that inspired her to be serious about her modeling career. She has been in numerous fashion shows. She started as a model performing in hair shows. Yet, the hair shows she enjoyed the most because they were different and exciting! The hairstylists and designers would see her on the runway and ask her to be in their shows. She doesn't just enjoy modeling but she also likes to sing and dance too. 

 

She received a lot of her professional training from John Casablanca, the modeling school in Raleigh NC. But she also believed that modeling has always been a gift that was given to her by God. So, she already knew how to walk and pose long before she went to school. But, while in school she accomplished a lot and received the award for best runway in class. 

In her free time she reflected on her experiences and if asked to share any words of wisdom the advice she would give to any other model is to "never give up on your dreams and go for what you love to do." 

As the fashion industry transforms she also shares her opinion saying that if she could change anything in the fashion world she would change how BBW Models are treated in the industry. If she were ever to be a designer she says she would use plus models more on the runway. 

She has plenty of experiene being on the runway but if she could improve on any area as a model it would be learning how to apply her own makeup for runway and fashion shows.

If she could work with any Supermodel it would be Naomi Campbell she states excitedly! When asked why that particular model she responses with "because she has class, attitude and confidence on the runway like me." 

She can be found and reached at the following: 

Facebook- Jonice Cromartie,  

Instagram- Jonice 22 jonicecromartie@yahoo.com

Handmade Fashions By Elegant Evenings

Michelle Ragland is the owner and founder of the company Elegant Evenings Boutique. She has been in business for four years. In conversation she reflects on when she was a little girl and how she use to dress her dolls up and have "fashion shows" and from there, at the age of nine she discovered fashion was her passion.  


The first design she did was a dress that her cousin wore to a formal event. She showed it to one of her seamstresses that she currently works with; she was so proud of herself, and excited because her cousin looked absolutely gorgeous.

The person who inspired her to start her brand was Monif C, and God. She always prayed and listened to what God was telling her before she took a leap into anything. Her brand caters to all types of audience from bridal, elegant events, pageants, kids, and couture clothing. Her latest fall fashion style are designs with a lot of orange and browns incorporated in her designs. She has attended 20 shows since her brand has been out.

I asked if there were any major setbacks and, yes there where some major setbacks. One of her major setbacks' was trying to get her brand out to the world and while not having enough family and close friends believe in her vision. It was only her mom and herself financing her vision and the cost of getting her brand out to the world was really expensive. But, with the help of God and the determination of herself and her mother, together they made Elegant Evenings come to life. 

During her time as a Fashion Designer, the best advice she was given was: "You must crawl before you walk. She uses that advice to inspire other models and during her selection process. She does have a method of choosing models. She loves to chose models who are passionate and serious about their career. She knows with those models they will be loyal, and will make her designs look more beautiful. She also uses models that are given to her. But, she prefers to do casting calls, and speak with the models.

If she could design for any supermodel it would be a mixture of these amazing models: Kimora Lee Simmons, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, and Roshumba Williams. She sees these ladies as powerful and independent women. And to represent power If she could do a photo shoot anywhere in the world she would do the shoot in Africa.

She would love to thank everyone who has believed in her and her brand. She would love to thank her mom Josephine Brodie, her son Javon, her auntie and assistant Beatrice Gill, best friend Tracy Andrews, and Antoinne Duane Williams for the amazing networking and shoes they have done together. She would also like to thank Aly Camara, and Alvin AJR Imagery for the amazing photo shoots that they have done together over the years. She would also like to give a thank you all the beautiful and dedicated  models she has met over the years.   

So, Everyone can get in contact with her through facebook Elegant Evenings Boutique. She can also be found on instagram at: it's a couture thing, or on her website at: aelegantevenings.com.

Gospel Knowledge: Six:10 Clothing Brand

The name of her company is called Six:10 Clothing Brand. It's inspired from the book of Ephesians 6:10-20. The Armor of God. And I have been in business for about 3 years now. She discovered fashion was her passion around middle school when she couldn’t really find clothes she wanted that complemented her style.

For Trendsetters: Thorough Breed Apparel

Shayla Cobb is a dynamic and versatile designer. The name of her company is Thorough Breed Apparel which she started in 2006. 

The Biggest Move: Things to Do, Places to See, People to Meet

I have a dream: To get out of North Carolina.

I have been here way too long. Everyone that I meet is starting to sound the same and look the same.

I'm ready to move, but the trouble is that if I make the wrong move I could invite trouble into my life.

I like the peace that I have. Yet, I wish I could travel and still maintain the peace.

I feel like I keep trying everything that I can think of and nothing is working. I swear that the entire NC has seen my resume and no one seems to want to hire me for anything, not even washing dishes. It can't be anything that I have said or done because all they know of me is by my resume. So, I nit picked my resume and even had a few friends review to make sure that it was presentable... but still no change.

The other thing the modeling thing hasn't moved much. The last major thing I was in was women's empowerment. I poured my heart and soul into doing that show only to find that I was only given 15 seconds on the stage and I still didn't get any photos back, because I have to pay for them.... (even though I didn't get paid for doing the show in the first place....see how NC works?)

I need a job. I need a place to live and a need another car, it doesn't have to be fancy just something that actually starts when you put the key in the ignition the first time.

I had a few people claim that they would help me get this modeling and singing thing off the ground, but for some reason either they only committed to one task and then disappeared or they got distracted and forgot about me.... that seems to be the case, the latter of the two. I'm always being forgotten.

I'm tired of people not knowing my name or comparing me with other people.

I'm tired of sitting in NC wasting my life, when everyone else is moving forward.

I'm tired of people telling me to be patient when they are driving in a new car, have their own bed to sleep in and have all the things that they need and want.

I'm tired of being at the bottom, when I know that I know, that I KNOW that my place is at the top.

I'm thinking of switching the game entirely and really shocking people, not because I want to but because I need to make money to support myself. It's not like I have a husband or even a dad that helps me full time or any parents at all for that matter so I'm pretty much on my own....

If it wasn't for my grandmother I would really be in trouble because she is the only one (out of my biologically family) besides my step dad once in a blue moon that helps me do anything. My aunts have given up on me. They (like I always knew they felt) see me as a burden "another mouth to feed" and don't care if I make it in life or not....

I know that I have to make a choice soon and get my life started. I thought about going into the military. I have said this so many times now that I'm really considering it because it seems to be my option left other than going to the "dark side" and degrading myself which breaks my heart just to think about even doing....

I want to go where the beautiful people are. People who look like me. People who take care of themselves and hold themselves to a higher standard. I want to be in every magazine, commercial, billboard, runway, tv show that there is and I want people to know who I am. I want to sing and make music that people fall in love with. I want to go where people are friendly, talk and have conversations with you because they want to get to know you. I want to go where things happen. Where people appreciate, respect and admire the beautiful people that God created....  

Where change happens every day. I feel like NC is a hole in the wall. A waste land for people who have either given up on life or have travelled all over the world and are ready to settle down and reflect on their memories...



Although, many people have said many encouraging words they are really helping that much (right now) because what I need is a job that I can do with full quality, so I can save up money to travel to some of the places below:

*New York*

 

 

 

Miami, Florida

 

 

LA, California

 

 

Virgin Islands

 

 

Tokyo, Japan

 

 

 

Greece

 

Spain

 

 

These are only a few places that I hope to travel to one day... but either way if I can just get out of North Carolina then I will be happy.