Media, Model and More at New York Fashion Week

Photo credits www.nyfw.com

For the Spring/Summer 2016 show, #NYFW introduced fashionistas to a  new look, new venues and a new automotive sponsor.  Lexus secured one of the most coveted spots in sponsorship glory that had been held by Mercedes Benz since 2009.
The beauty of Fashion Week is the number of shows throughout the city highlighting the well known designers and the emerging designers claiming their spot in this world of fashion.

September 10th - 17th for many is like opening presents on Christmas morning. The excitement of ripping the wrapping paper off.  The anticipation knowing there is something waiting to be presented to you that you can't see until mom or dad decide its time. Yes, its  definitely like Christmas.  For me it was like ...

Christmas before I realized who Santa Claus was because this was my first year attending!

After landing I ran through the airport excited to drop my bags off at the hotel, freshen up and hit the scene. 

First up for me and Alea (my fashion partner in crime for the weekend) was the fashion lounge hosted by NOLCHA fashions. 

It's A Deep Wine

For this segment I decided to pull a couple of my favorite looks and trends from our 2014 segments. Why? It's my birthday (January 8th) and I want to share my favorite beauty and fashion trends for 2015.

 

2014 Segment Features

Holiday Style Segment

 

Summer Beach Style Segment

 

Dapper Dads Segment

What was your favorite look?  What would you like to see more of?

 

SHOP TODAYS LOOK

Julian Chang is a designer based in Miami, Florida that has created custom designs for celebrities Britney Spears and Gloria Estefan.  I am absolutely thrilled and honored to showcase this piece from his collection.

Wardrobe Julian Chang

Makeup by Gregory Lawrence
Hair by Steven Duliepre



Be sure to tune in February 3 for our next segment featuring date night looks for Valentine's Day with two of Charlotte's power couples.



 

Watch Now

 

 

 

Hot Holiday Styles

It's starting to look like Christmas, especially my social calendar. I have three events on one night and have to find the perfect look to carry me through the night.

HOLIDAYS no longer mean getting together with family and enjoying a great meal.  For the socialite, it means juggling the task of securing a babysitter, packing the perfect lip stick and selecting the right tie.

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

SHOP THE LOOKS

(L to R)
 Tarsha Hamilton Styled by Saks Off 5th Concord Mills
Jennifer Michelle Styled by Five 13 Studio
Victoria Renee Styled by Five 13 Studio

Carlo Wilkes Styled by DW Designs

Special Thanks to the Glam Squad for this segment!
LaShanda, DW Designs
Jekia, Five 13 Studio
Sara, Saks Off 5th Ave
Gregory Lawrence (not pictured)

Make A Statement

On this segment of Everyday Runway I was honored to work with two Charlotte entrepreneurs who specialized in making statements with their wardrobe and accessories.

Jekia Benson, owner of Five 13 Studio and Chanel Murphy, owner of All Things Fabulous put together five statement looks for the fashion goddess we all are.

For The Man on The Move

I love a well dressed man!

Excitement actually takes over me as I watch a man enter the room and walk with confidence to his seat, date, or group of friends. Whether it is a man in a suit or a man dressed in jeans, if he is owning it I am giving him the seal of approval. Take for instance the handsome young man pictured here.

On the last segment of Everyday Runway, I had the privilege to work with SilverFly men's boutique for my first men's segment. I wanted to show a complete men's look for day and night. With the holiday season upon us Christmas parties will become a part of Everyday life.

I'M PROTESTING!

Boutique owners (l to r) Majesty, Jennifer, TaQue, and Renita

On the last segment of Everyday Runway I invited three very chic e-boutiques to join me. Why? I refuse to participate in Black Friday and wanted to give some options for looking fabulous without getting trampled in the process. 

Black Friday sales are taking over Thanksgiving Holiday! Businesses are opening earlier every year and some crazy people are already camping out on sidewalks for the anticipated savings. I don't get it and probably never will because I enjoy the warmth of my home, good food and family too much to sleep in a tent on the sidewalk for a discount.

Models (l to r) Infinite Style, Blake Riley, & Born Majestic

Lucky for me and anybody else that cringes at the idea of shopping on Black Friday, boutiques like Born Majestic, Blake Riley and Co, and Infinite Style exist. Offering stylish clothing for women of all sizes, these three boutiques have grown from e-boutiques to being housed in local boutiques in the Charlotte area as well. This makes them the perfect fit for my fashion fix during the holidays.

Make sure to check out their websites for great deals and unique finds for the holidays or "everyday".

To purchase Black Olivia Body Con dress modeled for Infinite Style visit www.shopinfinitestyle.com

To purchase BoHo Chic look (tie dyed skirt, shag vest, pussy bow blouse) modeled for Blake Riley & Co visit www.blakerileyandco.com

To purchase Plum maxi dress or Sequin party dress modeled for Born Majestic visit www.bornmajestic.com

Greg & Jennifer before going live!

Oh and let me not forget to mention that my fabulous makeup artist worked it out yet again for this segment.

I honestly needed somewhere to go because I didn't want to wash my face.
Gregory Lawrence is MY makeup artist and he beats my face like no other!

We have to start doing photo shoots after the segments to make the most of our fabulous styling and makeup creations. Interested photographers please email me.

If you'd like to book Greg for an upcoming event or makeup lesson email him. I promise you wont be disappointed.

To view more behind the scenes photos, click here. 

Special thanks again to Majesty Timberlake of Born Majestic, TaQue Thomas of Black Riley and Co., and Renita Martin of Infinite Style for providing the looks for my Anti Black Friday segment.


TUNE IN

Tuesday, December 3 with the gorgeous men modeling for SilverFly. Only on WCCB News Rising during the 8am hour. #EverydayRunway

Follow Jennifer on these social media sites for the complete "More Than A Mannequin" experience.
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Jennifer Michelle, MTAM

www.jmichellemtam.com

80's Flashback Friday

The Carrie Diaries.

I have to admit I have never watched this show until presented with the opportunity to do a fashion segment for it. I am absolutely hating that I never watched this show before.

I loved many things about the 80s and this show definitely took me back to the good ole days. Worthy of its own mention is the music for the show. Bananarama Cruel Summer, Madonna Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and The Bird and The Bee Material Girl are just a few songs you can expect to hear.

Since this is a fashion segment lets travel back to the world of 80's fashion and give it a modern makeover.

All looks are provided in its entirety from Saks 5th Ave Off 5th located in Concord Mills. Make sure to ask for "my people" Jameka, Alyssa, Enjaneek or Sara when you visit.

View the segment Everyday Runway, The Carrie Diaries

Model Looks in order of appearance

Model 1 Jacie

Chanel Sweater
5/48 Leather Skirt
Tory Burch Handbag
 Kate Spade Pumps


Special love for Jacie! I had the pleasure of teaching her during a runway modeling workshop at Carolina Talent!! 










Model 2 Alyssa

Rag & Bone Blazer
Citizens Of Humanity Denim
DeLuxe Handbag
Edmundo Costillo Pumps
Saks 5th Avenue Necklace

Model 3 Enjaneek

Collective Concepts Dress
Jenn Handbag
Boutique 9 Neon Pumps
Saks 5th Necklace












and of course ME!

Inspiration for my look!

Chanel Jumper
Boutique 9 Wine Stilettos
Saks 5th Avenue Bib Collar Necklace and bracelet












I think we look totally awesome dude!

Pictured left to right:  Kristen Zell  Jennifer Michelle, Enjaneek, Alyssa, Jacie

Be sure to tune in November 19 as we share holiday ensembles for Thanksgiving Day festivities.

Follow Jennifer on these social media sites for the complete "More Than A Mannequin" experience.

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Do the Right Thing

My new issue of EW (Entertainment Weekly) arrived this morning and I noticed two stars and a catch line, The Reunions Issue. 

My eyes quickly scanned the cover to see if there would be anything for "me" and to my surprise there was one movie I wasn't expecting to see listed. 

The cultural mega hit from 1989, Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was featured!

Yes I'm aging myself here but I don't care. This movie introduced me to Radio Raheem and the biggest boom box ever!

Spike Lee as Mookie did this with a cast of allstars, some being the classy Ruby Dee, loud Samuel L Jackson, feisty Rosie Perez and comedic icon Robin Harris (RIP).  

The six page spread with a major centerfold of the cast made me want to turn on Netflix and take a trip back down memory lane. 

If you've never watched it, now would be a great time. You'll see Martin skinny Lawrence in a role that probably birth his Rosco character. Giancarlo Esposito as Buggin Out was classic. Everybody has a friend like Buggin Out. Trust me, you won't be disappointed with this movie. 

If you've watched it before just enjoy the smooth sounds of the five second jazz intro that transitions to Public Enemy's Fight the Power with Rosie Perez doing all the dances I will be doing at GHOE next month. 

Kudos to EW for including this movie as a part of your reunion issue. 24 years later and I still love watching it! 

Gotta go, the movies starting. 

Quick fashion notes:

Ruby Dee is gorgeous as ever. She will always be a classy woman with impeccable style and grace. 

Rosie Perez poses in a white jumper with a clean, natural look. From the look of things, she's still dancing and keeping her arms in "running man" shape. It's a dance for those who don't know. 

The men and their fedoras showcasing their individual style was a very nice touch. Men and hats are nice but my favorite accessory of all was the boom box sitting by Radio Raheem. 

This is a big change from our fashion and style back in 1989.








Ok, I'm gone for real. Watch it and tell me what you think. I would love to hear your favorite one liners or scenes from the movie.

Jennifer Michelle, MTAM

For the complete "More Than A Mannequin" experience connect with me on these social media sites. 

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Be sure to tune into Everyday Runway this Tuesday morning on WCCB News Rising as we support Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

Transformation Tuesday with Ebby K

Transformation Tuesday. Its the hash tag that gets people on social media sites posting pictures to show their progress from one stage of life to the next. Not all are good but some show pretty amazing transformations. Whether its a high school geek that's now an adult stud or braces wearer showcasing a beautiful smile, transformation Tuesday gives them the platform to show off.

For this edition of Everyday Runway, I worked with Ms. Ebone Kittles aka Ebby K for a fun makeover. 

Ebby is the owner of Classy Fit Gals, a business designed to give women the opportunity to share their journey and words of encouragement towards a healthy, fit life. 

See what we did with Ebby for this hair, makeup and styling transformation. 

The hair. 

The makeup.

The styling. 
All dresses available at Off 5th in Concord Mills

The REVEAL

Congratulations again Ebby on your success thus far. Know that I will be cheering for you as you continue your journey to living a classy fit fashionable life!

Raw footage:  Here's a fun recap taken behind the scenes.

SPECIAL THANKS
Off 5th Avenue of Concord Mills for providing the attire for the day. Jameka Haynes, Store Manager, can be reached at (704) 979-6000 if you would like to schedule a styling appointment. Shop online.

Group photo of the glam squad  (Tara not pictured)

Glam Squads

Jennifer Michelle
Styling:  Alyssa, Off 5th Avenue
Hair: Jennifer Keen
Makeup:  Gregory Lawrence

Ebby K
Styling:  Enjaneek, Off 5th Avenue
Hair: Tara, Salon Transitions
Makeup: Laron, Elle So Beautiful

Jennifer Michelle, MTAM

For the complete "More Than A Mannequin" experience connect with me on these social media sites. 

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Be sure to tune in to our next segment on October 22 as we support Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

Style Night Out

Style Night Out with Effie Loukas for Carolina Breast Friends.

For the newbies, Style Night Out is an annual event hosted by Effie Loukas where you can expect to see at least 30 designers or boutiques and 140 models on the runway in one night. To add more intensity to the production of a show this magnitude, each designer is assigned a makeup artist and hair stylist. Managing a show this size requires time, patience and a great team.  Making my way to my seat I ran into Joy Randall, Beauty Director. She had this to say about her experience managing the back of the house.

"I (Joy) asked Effie last year what I could do to help her and ease the load of producing the show. After we talked, I made sure to do what was necessary to ensure we had a great show so she could actually enjoy it this year. I don't mind helping out with hair and makeup and models. I don't even mind that I'm not able to wear my dress for tonight. It's all a part of making sure the show goes on seamlessly."







SHOWTIME
As soon as the show started I was impressed with the mixture of trends that graced the runway. In step with the trends, leather made many appearances throughout the night. 

In case you missed it, Everyday Runway debuted "Leather Is My Pleasure" as one of the top trends for the fall on September 10 (shameless plug for you to watch the segment if you haven't).

LEATHER Jacket

Chocolate LEATHER pants

LEATHER Dress

Another one of my favorite looks and trend is sequins! Give me sequins and let me sparkle.

TREND:  SEQUINS 

SEQUIN pants and jacket. ROCKER look

SEQUIN & Leather paired with this colorful coat!

Not to forget about the men because they were absolutely lovely to look at and did an awesome job on the runway.

Ah yes, Vladimir and this classic grey ensemble!

Thank you SILVER FLY for this denim look!

This duo deserves honorable mention! One is never to young for fashion or the runway.

Tara Davis of Flow By Tara Davis always impresses me. Tara is a talented designer here in Charlotte, NC. She had this to say about her line when I asked what inspires her.

  "The words fluid and structure was my inspiration for this line. I wanted clean lines that flowed and tailored the figure at the same time."

Models for Flow by Tara Davis

                         





To purchase items from Flow by Tara Davis visit the website.

Models for Flow by Tara Davis

Photos provided by Josh Sherrill of J.O.S. Photography.

To view the entire Style Night Out photo gallery click here.

Special thanks to Alea Sherrill of My Style Daily for styling me and Gregory Lawrence for a serious makeup beating.

Jennifer Michelle, MTAM.
For the complete "More Than A Mannequin" experience lets connect on these social media sites.
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Be sure to tune in October 8 at 8:35 am to WCCB News Rising for "Everyday Runway"

Diva and a Dime

If you are anything like me the idea of thrifting completely shuts you down!

20% of Americans thrift and maybe you want to give it a try but just don't know how. Today we are talking about thrifting and the methods that come with this madness I am trying to understand.

Last Wednesday I got a chance to spend the day with "The Fashion Connoisseur"  Ryan Jor El, who took me through his three step process. Yes he has a process and its known as The Three F's.  The Find. The Fury. The Finish. 



The Find. The find is the fun part (another F for me). Finding items takes a lot of time and patience and for a non shopper like me that can prove to be a major test. Wednesday was our shopping day at the Salvation Army because clothing is half priced. We spent a few minutes waiting for a good parking spot and then another 20 minutes combing through the racks. Ryan found some pieces I liked and some I would have never given a second glance. 

Tip: When trying your finds on, don't try to match them up with other things you find. Just try them on for fit, to look for tears, spots or other things that could put them in the toss pile. 

The Fury. Ah yes, the fury. The moment I became all flustered. (Yes, I am going to keep working with the F's). I returned home with my finds and remembered that Ryan said the key would be to confidante my finds with items I already owned. I proceeded to get everything cleaned, altered one and studied another. What was I going to wear for the segment? What would deliver the perfect fun, flirty look we were trying to accomplish? Using Ryan's process was great for the find but this fury process caused me to revert to my process...start with the shoes. 

How would I describe look one? Cute and corporate not fun and flirty. Immediately tossed to the side along with the gold Jessica Simpson platform stilettos. 

Now for look two. Fun. Flirty. Feminine. Fit was fabulous! Shoes looked amazing with the skirt and I was able to find a shirt in my closet. 

The Finish.  Finally the finish! My look was almost complete on Monday night. Designer skirt and shirt, an amazing pair of stilettos and accessories were the perfect compliment.  The process is now finished as Greg beats my face for an fun flirty finish. 

Tip: When completing your look make sure to go with what works for you and is a true showcase of "your style, your fashion" 

Now I understand and appreciate Ryan's process, THE THREE F'S!

Here is the finished look I modeled on Everyday Runway.

Jennifer after today's segment on WCCB News Rising.

Jennifer's Look
J. Crew 100% silk pocketed skirt ($2.00 from Salvation Army)
The Limited floral blouse 
Silver accessories
Grey and purple stilettos

Makeup by Gregory Lawrence. View his profile. 


View today's segment on WCCB News Rising. 

You can connect with Ryan on Twitter and Nakisha our corporate model from today's segment on Instagram. She is doing great work with the Goodwill and is a thriting guru. 

Follow Jennifer on these social media sites for the complete "More Than A Mannequin" experience.

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Leather Is My Pleasure

Everyday Runway, Segment 1. 

Fall Fashion Finds with JC Penney

On September 10 my fashion segment "Everyday Runway" made its debut. All the excitement, nerves and adrenaline leading up to this day were put to good use.

Be sure to leave us your comments after watching the segment and tweet your fashion or beauty questions to us. Official hastag #JennOnRising

Heather 

Jacket: Black faux leather moto jacket by A.N.A.,
Blouse:  Rose colored Swiss Dot hi low top by MNG by Mango
Pants: Paisley print denim pants by MNG by Mango.
Shoes: Black wedge by Olsenbeye (the Olsen sisters)
Accessories: Two multicolored bead necklaces by Rosary
Price for this look $215.00

Julie 

Jacket: Orange jacket with black detail by Worthington Career
Dress: Leopard print dress by Mango Hey European
Shoes: Black suede peep toe bootie by Cosmopolitan
Accessories: Black faux leather cummerbund bow accent belt
Price for this look $175.00



Jennifer

Blouse: Faux leather yoke top with gold zipper back detail by Bisou Bisou
Pants: Black knit pant with faux leather Chevron print detail down side by Bisou Bisou
Shoes: Black faux leather over the knee boot by Cosmopolitan
Accessories: Silver bracelet, Oxblood bracelet, black and silver bangle set, silver earrings
Price for this look $250.00

Makeup provided by Gregory Lawrence. Greg keeping up with the beauty trends of the season decided to give me a dark lip. It was great choice as it completed my look for the morning.  Details below.

Primer: Givenchy

Foundation: Eve Pearl High Definition Cream Foundation; shades tan 1 & tan 2
Concealer: Eve Pearl High Definition Concealer; shade medium
Highlight Powder: Ben Nye; shade banana
Contour Powder: Sephora 8hr mattifying compact; shade dark ebony
Finishing Powder: MAC mineralized skin finish natural; shade medium deep
Blush: MAC Raisin & Lorac Petal Pink
Bronzer: Lorac Tantalizer
Eyeshadow base: Chanel ilusion d'ombre; shade ebloui
Eyeshadow: Lorac Pro Palette; shades: deep purple, pewter
Brow: MAC pencil; shade spiked
Lashes: Red Cherry
Lipliner: MAC; shade Nightmoth
Lipstick: Smashbox Be Legendary; shade vivid violet

To learn more about Jennifer Michelle the runway model, coach and speaker visit her website. 
To learn more about the show "Everyday Runway" read the recent interview by fashion blogger Alea Sherrill of My Style Daily.

Jennifer Michelle, MTAM
"More Than A Mannequin"

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