My-Cherie

My-Cherie

Due to the great feedback from my column last month, I’ve decided to pick up where I left off.

I made it to the inaugural festivities in Washington, DC, and it was an AMAZING experience. I definitely felt like I was on another planet, hence the name Obamania.

Everyone on Planet Obamania carried an uplifting spirit. The positive energy soared to great heights. It felt like Christmas at the North Pole with Santa and his little multicultural elves. About 2 million followers gathered at our capitol in the little District of Columbia — every race, culture and religion from every state, meshing and mingling together. There were gay, straight, young and old —all sizes and shapes. There were many in wheelchairs and I even saw a blind man making his way through the crowds. It was all for the love of one man — President Barack Obama. With all those people around me, I could have sworn I was experiencing the second coming of Christ — seriously. There was no violence, no crimes and no arrests the entire time. Yep, I was definitely on a different planet. I can only compare it to the words of Louis Armstrong’s song, “What a Wonderful World::

“The colors of a rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands sayin’ how do you do
They’re really sayin’ I love you.”

The city of D.C. may not have been prepared for the overflow of crowds, but vendors were prepared with plenty of Obama memorabilia, and everyone was buying. There were Obama blankets, tees, sweaters. water, hats, buttons, socks, coats, wristbands, scarves, towels, mugs, shot glasses, notebooks, purses, action figures, pens, pencils and the list goes on and on. Obama’s face was on everything- everywhere. Someone even tried to sell me some Obama cheese. How crazy is that? This is only my guess, but with all the money that was made from the inauguration I’m sure D.C.’s economy will thrive for at least the next 5 years. You do the math.

I got to attend some fun music parties and balls, but my favorite activity was going to Manifest Art: DC, an art exhibition that opened only for the week of the inauguration. There was a wonderful display of Obama art by artists from all over America. The art was a true indication of how much our President is loved. Some depicted President Obama as a sports star, a sex symbol and a hippie. Many say President Obama is the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln and there was a painting there to prove it. It was such a pleasure to see happiness and joy fill the rooms of every place I went.

President Obama was not the only popular face on Planet Obamania. Our First Lady was right by his side with a presence of strength and beauty that makes me proud be an American, a woman, but most of all it makes me proud to be black. During the inauguration I only caught a glimpse of Michelle Obama’s dress from afar, but I think she chose well. It was so cool that the “no name” designers she picked found out the same time as the rest of the world. Isabel Toledo, a Cuban-born American who designed Michelle Obama’s lemongrass-yellow inaugural outfit describes her moment of bliss: “There is nothing that comes close to this moment. It’s not just my moment and hers, but it’s the world’s.” True, indeed. Even though I didn’t get the accessories part of the outfit — green Jimmy Choo shoes with green gloves to match — I admire Mrs. Obama for being bold. You go girl!

Our first lady looked stunning in the fairytale ball gown designed by Jason Wu. She definitely picked the right dress for her skin tone and body type. Ivory looks amazing on dark brown skin and it showed, because she glowed. I was glad she decided to go with new Twainese designer and young prodigy, Jason Wu. Wu describes his feeling of seeing the First Lady with his design on in the New York Times: “I was over the moon. It’s priceless to be a part of history.” Well, I, too, would be over the moon, sun and stars if Michelle Obama picked a design of mine. Wu was definitely worthy of the inaugural ball gown prize, especially after spending many late nights in his studio, with a crew of four, hand-sewing thousands of organza flowers and crystals to Obama’s dress. Wow, the things we do for the love of the Obamas.

It’s great to know that Michelle Obama is a trendsetter and a classy lady who realizes that everything does not have to have a big designer on the label to have quality, style and beauty. My heart fluttered with delight when I saw our President and First Lady dancing together at the inaugural balls — absolutely beautiful!

I can’t forget about the superstar kids, Malia and Sasha. They looked ultra chic at the inauguration with their colorful J. Crew jackets with matching scarves, ribbons and shoes. America loves those girls and I can wait to watch them grow up. Malia is well poised, mature and attentive. Sasha is bright-eyed and full of curiosity and playfulness.

It was truly enlightening to be surrounded by so many people of different cultures, backgrounds and circumstances. Our world is changing and everyone that made the effort to come to Planet Obamania made a choice to come in peace and be a part of history. The Obamas obviously have a knack for bringing people together. Our charismatic president has a lot of responsibility on his plate, though. Our economy is shaky, our country is at war and people are in an anxious state of mind. Not only America, but the world as well, is looking for solutions. It’s going to take lots of time and effort to get things back in order. With the support of each and every one of us, President Obama can make this country and world a better place. In the words of Armstrong, “I think to myself what a wonderful world” it will be.

Email your questions/comments to My-Cherie.

My-Cherie

Now that President-elect Barack Obama will be taking over the White House, we have a new fashion plate in America — Michelle Obama. Many top designers vie for her attention, especially for the inaugural balls on January 20, 2009.

Women’s Wear Daily commissioned top designers to “dress” Michelle Obama in her role as First Lady. Many of these top designers created beautiful dresses for her, but I think they forgot that she was black and weighed a little more than 100 lbs. Surprised? I’m not. I can get over the fact that many designers sketched her extremely paper thin, but I can’t get over them not adding color to her skin. I mean she is black, right? I know it’s hard for many to believe that we will actually have an African-American family in the White House in less than one month, but it’s a fact. So why would top designers like Marc Jacobs and Rodarte spend all this time sketching elaborate designs for our future First Lady, but not take into consideration the color of her skin? What were they thinking? Hello! She is dark brown, not albino.

The clothes that you wear should be based on the color of your skin and your body type. You are not going to wear something that doesn’t look right on your skin tone. Your skin color, make-up, body and hairdo can make or break an outfit. Everyone in the fashion industry knows that. You don’t even have to be in fashion to know. It’s common sense.

Debra Dickerson of Mother Jones magazine boldly comments on the drawings: “I get that these drawings are stylizations, but to design for someone individually sorta requires you to deal with their skin tone, right? Would they drape a ‘winter’ in ‘summer’ colors? Are these artists ‘helping’ her by making her whiter (and thus ‘capable’ of beauty) or are they so squeamish in imagining a sister in couture that they have to whitewash her to make her ‘worthy’ of high fashion?”

These are truly legitimate questions that have yet to be answered. The fashion industry is practically my life right now, but sometimes I have no idea why people do the things that they do. I do know one thing. The last time I checked, black was beautiful, and that was about 10 seconds ago when I looked in the mirror.

Honestly, I can’t be mad.

Tickets to the inauguration were a birthday present from my man to me that I will be grateful for eternally. This is a historical landmark of my generation in our nation, and I get to be a part of it. What better way to kick off the New Year than celebrating the inauguration of our first black president!

P.S: I can’t wait to see what Michelle will wear to the Inaugural Ball. I hope she goes with Christian Lacroix or Betsey Johnson, since they were about the only designers that got it right. Yes, Michelle Obama is Black.

My-Cherie

Silk is the incomparable queen of textiles, once made only for royalty and the most powerful rulers. I’ve been intrigued by silk for as long as I can remember. Well, not just silk — silk scarves. There’s so much you can do with a silk scarf.

When I was a little girl, my mom would wrap my hair every night with a silk scarf. It was a comforting family tradition, and to this day, I don’t go to sleep without wrapping my hair. It’s important, especially if you have 4b hair like I do. Silk keeps your hair from breaking and prevents split ends. It also keeps the moisture in your hair while allowing your hair to breathe. Silk keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. How could you not love this versatile fabric?

Before I relaxed my afro, I would wrap my hair before yoga class or my workout. It was great because my hair was up and out of my face. Silk is perfect when you don’t feel like doing anything with your hair. I’ve gone out many times with my hair wrapped and received many compliments. It frames the face so nicely; it’s like having a temporary face lift without the surgery.

Now that my hair is relaxed I still enjoy wearing my silk scarves. I like to wrap the silk around my hair as a headband after a rod and wet set. It’s really cool because I can make my hair big in the back and I’m getting another temporary face lift!

My love for silk inspired me to create my own accessories line with silk scarves and many other unique creations. My business partner and I hand paint and hand dye our silk scarves individually. Each piece is unique and one of a kind, just like you. What’s so special about these products is the versatility. You can wear it as a scarf, a headband, dress or belt.

The possibilities are endless.

There are so many wonderful ways to adorn yourself with silk. I can go on and on with ideas, but I suggest you try some of your own.

To find out more about how to wear silk scarves check out my website.

Love, Peace and Happy Holidays!

Email your questions/comments to My-Cherie

My-Cherie

I’ve received some interesting feedback from readers since perming my hair. I had a chance to chat with my fellow sister, Mosetta, founder of A Nappy Hair Affair. One of her napfirmations is: “My hair my be straight, but I have a nappy mind.”

I love it! I told Mosetta that since her last email to me, I made the decision to relax my hair, despite resistance from the curly community. She gave me some great advice that I will continue to apply whether my hair is kinky or straight:

“It all depends on where your mind is. If you love your black self and don’t want to be anybody else but your black self then you don’t suck. You ROCK!” Thank goodness for Mosetta.

I’ve been out and about for the last couple of months in Austin and other cities with my hair relaxed in a variety of styles. I still get the same positive comments about my hair that I did when it was in an Afro. This affirms to me that it’s not about whether or not I have straight or kinky hair. It’s about the inner qualities that I project that shine on the outside. My hair may be straight, but I have a nappy frame of mind. I am still a strong black woman with Jamaican and Cuban roots. I’m still an ambitious entrepreneur. I still love to model and act. I am still a poet. I am still a sister, an auntie and a friend. I still love myself, and my wonderful husband loves me too.

I look in the mirror every morning and say, “I am beautiful.” You should try it. Not because of the texture of your hair, but because of what dwells inside the curly, straight, kinky or nappy you.

Email your questions/comments to My-Cherie.

My-Cherie

Since I permed my hair two months ago, I’ve gone from poofy to flat.

Seriously y’all, I miss my wild hair. Straight hair can really be boring, so I have to constantly think of creative ways to jazz it up.

Last weekend I took a trip to Las Vegas for my best friend’s Desert Fiesta wedding. I decided to wear my hair like a señorita princess, with two twists on each side of my head going back. I pinned the back with bobby pins and adorned my coif with flowers. It was super cute. I got a lot of compliments; but, after a couple of days, I was totally over it.

My Cherie’s wild Vegas hair.

I was determined to get my hair wild again. On my last night out in the city of Lost Wages, I decided that I was going to dare to be bold and try a new style. It was my friend’s birthday, and I wanted to do something fabulous with my hair. I didn’t have much to work with, but I did have Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding, mousse and hair spray. I deep conditioned my hair in the steam room (still works wonders for curly or straight hair). Then, I towel-dried my hair. While my hair was still wet, I took a dab of the curly pudding along with some mousse and proceeded to braid all my hair in little tiny plaits. After braiding all my hair, I blow-dried it. Then, I took the curling iron and curled the tips of my hair. I know this seems like a lot of steps, but I was in the zone. My vision was very clear: WILD HAIR! After hot curling, I bobby-pinned the braids to my hair as if I had a ’30s finger-wave style. I let it sit for 30 minutes while I got dressed and all made up. Then I took the bobby pins and braids out.

Voila! I got my wild hair back! As I styled it in the mirror, it kind of reminded me of the ’80′s crinkled look, reinvented by me. I loved it, and so did my friends. It was wild. I was free. I couldn’t wait for the birthday celebration of dancing and espresso martinis.

It’s funny how my hair is an extension of who I am. Sometimes I want to be calm and tamed. Sometimes I want to be wild and crazy. I love going with the flow and coming up with new styles for my hair. It’s all about being innovative and creative.

Hmm…I wonder what I’ll come up with next.

Email your questions/comments to My-Cherie.

My-Cherie

Two weeks ago, on a whim, I decided to perm my hair. It’s been seven years since I straightened my hair.

Before you hit me over the head with a book, please let me explain. I’ve been extremely frustrated with my hair in this summer Texas heat. It’s been brutal. A couple of Sundays ago, my kinky-haired model friend, Zion, and I decided to go shopping for wigs and ponytails at the local wig shop. The experience was unbearable. The hair was cheap and the customer service was bad. Zion and I looked at each other in disgust over the whole situation. Why is it so hard for a kinky girl to get some decent hair in this town?

Frustration sometimes leads to desperation. Zion and I decided that at that very moment we were not going to think twice about it. We were going to take the plunge and perm our hair. We knew that we didn’t want our hair too straight — just more manageable. We also wanted to maintain our kinkiness. We had to find the best salon in town that could make this happen. I told her that I was not going to do it unless she did it and she said that she was not going to do it unless I did it. So we both took a chance and did it! We made an appointment that day for the transformation. The sisters’ pact was sealed.

Zion, the hairstylist and My-Cherie, post perm.

The salon service was fabulous. I had a great hand massage while sipping on herbal tea. I hadn’t been “hair” pampered like that in so long that I didn’t know what to do with myself. Then reality began to set in. Less than five minutes after my stylist started to put the perm on my head, my ears began to tingle and then it started burning all over. I began to have flashbacks of when I was a little girl and my mom would perm my hair. I would jump around frantically saying, “Please mommy, take it out! It burns!”

My stylist rushed to the sink to wash it out. The wash out was torture. It felt like little prickly pine cones stabbing me all over. After thorough rinsing, my stylist noticed that my hair was still in a fro. The problem is, my hair is thick but my scalp is so sensitive I can’t leave a perm on long enough to actually straighten my hair. My stylist said, in the most peculiar way, “It seems like your hair rejected the relaxer. It’s just as thick as it was before we permed it. Girl, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Oh, gee that’s great. Of course this would happen to me. Look where spontaneity got me.

My life has taken a twist. I know I always talk about the pressures of conforming to straight hair in the modeling industry, while fighting to stay true to myself and everything I believe in. It sounds crazy, but I had to see for myself how my life would change with a perm. Now I realize why I hadn’t permed my hair in seven years:

1. No one can ever seem to get it right.
2. I hate the way a perm makes my hair smell.
3. My scalp cannot handle it.
4. My hair is supposed to be kinky!

There are some benefits, though. I can style my own hair for modeling work — no weave wig or press necessary. I can wet set my hair with rods and still use naturally curly products like Curl Junkie Curl Fuel Enhancing Spray. My hair is still kinky with more bounce. My curls are big and loose.

Maybe it’s spontaneity gone right. I still haven’t figured it all out yet. It’s a work in progress.

Email questions or comments to My-Cherie.

My-Cherie

Last weekend, I arrived at Hotel Alden in Houston, TX, for my fall season photo shoot. I walked into the hotel room, confident and kinky. The stylist, who will remain unnamed, gave me one stern look with a pointy finger and said, “You are not going to keep your hair like that, right? You know you can’t make any money with your hair like that. I mean, you do want to work in this fashion industry, right?”

I got called out! How did I get myself in this complicated situation?

For every season in the fashion industry, there are new photos to be taken and new looks to be achieved. For this fall, I was in desperate need of new photos. My agency in Houston set me up with an internationally known stylist and photographer. I was very excited about getting new photos, especially because clients like to see fresh faces and new looks.

My-Cherie wearing her hair straight at the Houston photo shoot.

Living in Austin, I can walk into a room with my kinky hair and get nothing but love. So what was I to do with this blunt stylist, who took it upon himself to call me out. This stylist has been in the industry for 18 years, and has worked with everyone from Tyra Banks to Heidi Klum to Iman, and the list goes on and on.

He broke it down for me like this: “In the fashion industry, if you want to make REAL money, you wear your hair straight. It doesn’t matter how you do it. Whether it’s weave, wigs, perm or press, the straight look is high fashion.” He then professed, “Tyra Banks is the biggest money maker right now. She may wear her straight weave, but she is going to let you know that she has corn-rolls up under all that hair. Now that’s a strong black women. You can still be nappy, black and beautiful when you are at home, but when you are working in this industry, it’s a totally different story. Beautiful to ‘them’ is a white girl with a tan and straight hair, which equals an African-American. You are not African, like supermodel, Alec. You are African-American. If ‘they’ want African, they will get a real African. Girl, take it from me, it does not pay to be stubborn in this industry. It is what it is.”

Wow! Hmmm . . . I had to pause for a minute and really ponder all this information that had been bestowed upon me. Boy, did I get a reality check. I was heartbroken. My kinky hair is so endearing to me. But when it comes down to it, I know that I am cheating myself by refusing to wear my hair straight. I’ve gotten a lot of work with my kinky hair, but I’ve also missed out on a lot of work. I hear it from my agents all the time, “Can’t you straighten your hair, please. The client really likes you but won’t book you unless your hair is straight.”

My-Cherie wearing her hair kinky at the Houston photo shoot.

Why do I always feel like I’m in a Catch 22? I want to stay true to me. But does it mean that if I wear my hair straight I will be losing my identity. Or is it an honest compromise? I mean, isn’t that what life is all about — compromise and sacrifice for the good of all? I don’t want to sacrifice my hair for more money, do I?

There aren’t that many guarantees in life, but one thing is for sure — change. Change is inevitable. So after heartfelt prayer and mediation, I’ve decided that I’m going to bring change into my life. The straight wig has retired, but that doesn’t mean I can’t invest in some “Tyra” hair. I can wear my straight look whenever I’m doing high fashion work.

For my commercial look, clients are all about the natural these days, so I can sport my kinky hair. That’s the best of both worlds. I’m still being true to myself; I’m just adapting to the situation.

No matter what, I’m still My-Cherie — natural, truthful, strong and free; full of life for all to see.

My-Cherie

My-Cherie in Dizzy Gillespie Park

This summer, I had the opportunity to take an amazing road trip back to my hometown, Cheraw, S.C. I also exercised my naturally curly ambassador skills.

This was a special trip for me because my little brother was graduating from high school. I hadn’t been home in three years

Most people know nothing about Cheraw, so I always make it a point to give a little history lesson.. Cheraw is the prettiest town in Dixie. Cheraw is hometown of legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Our state bird is the Carolina Wren and our flag is the sweetest of all — a Palmetto tree with a crescent moon.

My trip back to South Carolina was remarkable. You really don’t get to appreciate a place until you leave and come back. From the moment I arrived in Cheraw I felt like I was in a time warp. Everything and everyone was the same, down to the magnets on my parent’s refrigerator. The people all looked the same besides some gray hair and few extra pounds. You know people in the South can cook, so the food festivities were my favorite. Everyone kept looking at me saying, “ You need to eat. You’re looking so skinny.” I gently replied, “No, I eat healthy now. What you are witnessing is what a healthy body should look like.”

The good thing about it was that I truly felt like I was at home. The pine trees were green and the smell was crisp. The humidity was at an all time sticky high. The Wal-Mart and Micky Dee’s were still major landmarks. My best friend in grade school’s parents still lived in the pretty blue house on Campbell road. Not much had changed!

After my brother’s graduation, my parents had a pool party at their house. There were lots of folks there from the where church I grew up. I got a lot of funny stares because of my wild hair. I was surrounded by quite a conservative group of people. I arrived with my hair naturally free so that everyone could see how comfortable I am with my life right now.

My-Cherie and her aunt.

One of my favorite Aunties, Yvonne, was quite intrigued by my hair style. She sat beside me on the couch and said: “I want to talk to you about your hair. How did you get it like that? Did you use some sort of machine? I love it so much.” I began to laugh and I said: “Thank you and no this was not done by a machine. I twist my hair myself. It takes about three hours, but it is so worth it.” She said: “My hair could never look like that, plus I’m scared to wear it like that. What will the other sisters at church say? I always wear a hat when I don’t have time to straighten it.” I replied, “First of all, why are you worrying about what other people say about your hair? Do what makes you feel good. In fact, you have an amazing grade of hair. Why the heck are you straightening it?”

After talking for two hours with my Aunt Yvonne, I realized that because naturally curly hair is not considered mainstream, she had lost the confidence to just go for it! She expressed that she always wanted to wear her hair naturally curly and envied the women on TV and in the magazines who wore their hair this way. Since my Auntie was so curious, I encouraged her to use the Jane Carter products she already had in her house. She was very fond of The Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine because it helped with her heat-damaged hair. She said, “I love that it makes my hair so soft.” I talked her through the process of twisting her hair with a little help from Jane Carter Solution Natural Hold Spray Gel. I even wrote down all the details, step by step, on a sheet of paper. I also expressed to her the value of NaturallyCurly.com as a one-stop-shop to naturally curly hair. She couldn’t wait to go back to North Carolina and try it out. She was happy.

At the end of our conversation, I told her: “Be brave. The next time I see you I want to see you naturally curly and free.”

I felt all grown up giving advice to someone who always gave me advice. I’m delighted to be a naturally curly Ambassador. I feel like I am changing lives, one curl and kink at a time. Dizzy Gillespie would be proud of me for being a naturally curly activist in our little Dixie town.

My-Cherie

I am currently taking acting classes, and one of my homework assignments was to sing a song that made me feel vulnerable. This song was to be performed a capella in front of a class with 12 fellow students. Of course me and the rest of the class looked at my acting coach like he was crazy when he told us this. I said, “You’re joking right?” No. He was not.

Now, I can carry a tune, but I am not known for singing, other than the occasional karaoke party adventures and some spontaneous birthday shout-outs. It’s funny because people have this misconception that because I have big hair, I can sing. Not true. Sometimes at home, I will blurt out and start singing whatever is playing in my head while I pick my fro, but then my man will say, “Hey, can you shut up in there? I’m trying to think.” So, no, I am not a singer, but that’s ok because the homework assignment was to come in and sing a song that made me feel vulnerable. I don’t have be a singer to do this. I just have to be confident.

I thought of many songs that I felt touched by and songs that I knew the lyrics to like “Always and Forever,” “Love is a Battlefield” and “Man in the Mirror.” They were great songs, and inspired me in a vulnerable way, but it was not what I was looking for. Then it hit me — “The Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston. I remember lying in my bed as a teenager and listening to my radio when this song came on. I’d get up, put on a little lipstick, look in the mirror and sing my heart out. This song was a very special song to me. I was enamored with Whitney Houston.

Now in my adulthood, I realize not only was this song beautiful but it was also powerful and inspirational. I decided I needed to Google the words and learn every lyric. It was magical. These are the rules I go by. This is how I live my life. I had to watch the video again, so I found it on You Tube. Watching the video gave me chills to see her sing so passionately. It was the same feeling I felt when I heard it for the first time back in 1991. Whitney Houston was a naturally curly diva. She rocked her curls! She wasn’t afraid to embrace her ethnicity. She was a such a role model for young girls and women at that time.

I stayed up late the night before class and practiced the song. The next day, with wardrobe, make-up and all, I confidently got up in front of the class and shared my vulnerability with everyone present. I made it through the entire song smiling and then crying as I got to the end. Not everyone completed the assignment that day, but I did it. I think my strength came from Whitney’s lyrics, “The greatest love of all is easy to achieve. Learning to love yourself — it is the greatest love of all.”

Check out Whitney’s You Tube video.

My-Cherie

The craziest thing happened to me today. I drove from Austin to Houston for informal modeling work with a designer who was introducing her new spring collection. I was very excited to be working today, mostly because the event was at a wine bar. The thought of working at a wine bar on a Sunday afternoon just sounds relaxing. Before walking in, I threw on my straight wig and brushed it down nice and smooth. I walked in confidently and introduced myself to the designer, her seamstress, two other models and the event coordinator. I was excited for the new experience until the designer gave me a sudden reality check. She took one long strange look at me and said, “I’m not feeling that wig you have on. What do you look like without it?”

I was afraid that this would happen one day. I was so embarrassed. How did she know I was wearing a wig and why did she say it so bluntly in front of everyone? Instead of being upset, I looked at her and said, “My hair is naturally curly, but I was told by my agent to come with my hair straight.”

She said, “Well take that wig off and let me see how your hair looks.” I took off my wig reluctantly, while all eyes were focused on me. I ran my fingers through my hair to fluff it out a bit. I waited for the designer’s response. She said, “Now that’s more like it. I can actually see your face. You are beautiful. Your hair is beautiful.Don’t ever wear that wig again!”

Thank goodness I had a few beauty supplies in my shoe bag. I grabbed my Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercreme and my Oyin Frank Juice and ran to the bathroom to touch things up before the show.

Despite the weirdness of it all, I worked the show fabulously with my super kinky hair. Everyone loved my look with the designer’s clothes. After it was all said and done, the designer, the two other models, the seamstress, the event coordinator and I all had a champagne toast in celebration of a successful show.

I’ve decided that it’s time for me to retire my straight wig. It just doesn’t represent me and who I am always striving to be, naturally, curly and free.