LA DETRA WHITE PUTTING HER MONEY WHERE HER HEART IS!
CURVES AHEAD! FASHION BLOGGER TAMI REED TALKS FASHION FOR THE CURVY GIRL
SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS 4 REASONS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY SMALL BUSSINESS
mychaelknight.com
by: LA DETRA WHITE
"A book of soulful affirmations inspired by daily living and hard knocks surviving."
PRE-ORDER THANKSGIVING DAY liveyourawesomelife.com
Lentheus Chaney EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ish Holmes CONTRIBUTOR Marc Parham CONTRIBUTOR Jerell Gant CONTRIBUTOR Juan Smalls CONTRIBUTOR Pia Forbes CONTRIBUTOR
FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE! @urbanluxmag Š Urban Luxury Media, LLC 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher Urban Luxury Media. The views expressed in Urban Lux Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. The registered office of Urban Luxury Media is 6040 Dawson Blvd., Suite F, Norcross, GA 30093. All information contained in the magazine is for information only and is as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Urban Luxury Media cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such format. Readers are advised to contact manufactures and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Urban Luxury Media a license to publish your submission in whole, or in part, in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Urban Luxury Media nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage. Published four times a year by Urban Luxury Media, LLC
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CONTENTS 08 STYLE
Curves Ahead: Fashion for the Curvy Girl
12 FASHION Inside The House Of GROOM
22 COMMUNITY FEATURE La Detra White
29 BUSINESS MATTERS 4 Reasons to Support Small Businesses
30 CULTURE Darcy Harris: Building a Villiage
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LA DETRA WHITE PUTTING HER MONEY WHERE HER HEART IS!
CURVES AHEAD! FASHION BLOGGER TAMI REED TALKS FASHION FOR THE CURVY GIRL
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SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS 4 REASONS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY SMALL BUSSINESS
ON THE COVER: LA DETRA WHITE Photography: Ish Holmes Hair & Makeup: Scoobie West Styling: Lentheus Chaney
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iMPRINTPROPERTIES URBAN LAND DEVELOPMENT | COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT | REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
IMPRINT.PROPERTIES
CURVES AHEAD!
FASHION BLOGGER TAMI REED TALKS FASHION FOR THE CURVY GIRL Story by Jerell Gantt
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Photography: Reggie Bramber Makeup/Hair: Brandy Wells Wardrobe: Jerell Gantt Models: Taylor Eve’, Keita Souckeihyna, Tami Reed & Robin Johnson
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left: Dress: Miss Avenue Necklace/Cuff: Alexus R Accessories
Right: Shirt: Fashion 2 Figure Skirt: Top Shop Shoes: Cathy Jean Bracelet: Alexus R Accessories
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INSIDE THE HOU by Bailey Brooks
You may know his mother Sheree Whitfield for her infamous words, “Who gon’ chech me boo?”, on the Bravo show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta. You may have even see his father Bob Whitfield puttin’ them paws on opposing teams in the NFL but Kairo Whitfield is making his own way and his own name outside his famous parents. Aside from being a collegiate athlete, Kairo is on the grind to make his mark in the highly competitive industry of modeling. Take a look at he establishes himself as a young man on the RISE?
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USE OF GROOM Story by Juan Smalls
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There’s a new ‘It Couple’ on the fashion scene and they invite you to GET GROOMED! Meet Octavius & Jamal Terry-Sims, modern-day renaissance men blazing a trail to sartorial dominance. Jamal is a dynamite Choreographer,
Director,
Dancer,
and
Producer;
Octavius, an accomplished Fashion Designer, Track & Field champion, Olympic hopeful and Recording Artist. The visionary husbands have conspired to merge their varied talents with the launch of GROOM Official, a full-service tuxedo lounge for grooms and groomsmen that offers a one-of-a-kind custom fitting and styling experience and boasts a full line of cutting-edge accessories for the modern fashionisto. The uniquely designed tuxedos gained worldwide attention after the couple debuted the original garments during the famous Grammy wedding where Queen Latifah officiated the nuptials. That momentous day embodied a simple but powerful notion—equality for all—exactly what GROOM Official endeavors to bring to the men’s formalwear and accessories marketplace. By virtue of their versatile talents and wealth of experience—a whopping combined half-century in both the fashion and entertainment industries— Octavius & Jamal provide the finest workmanship and construction of garments while simultaneously tailoring a brand presence that rivals any of the veteran houses. But don’t just take our word for it. Accept their invitation and GET GROOMED today by visiting groomofficial.com. You’ll be glad you did.
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Photo by Carlos Jones
The Thomas Clay Overall Slack
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The Armstrong
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The-Duke & GROOM Shawl Vestcoa
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The Keith
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The Grammy & GROOM Cumberbun
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Skirt: ZUVAA | zuvaa.com Nude rose skirt and top: Sanyae Demure @sanyaedemure Jewelry: @aeteedesigns @thearchshow Shoes: Melis yildiz IX.IV @melisyildizixiv
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LA DETRA WHITE
HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES BY PUTTING HER MONEY WHERE HER HEART IS!
Storyby by DEBRA Pia ForbesIVORY
With the full weight of parenting on her shoulders, La Detra White’s mom struggled to provide for her children, often leaving La Detra and her siblings to fend for themselves. La Detra adapted to survive, but she never accepted her circumstances as permanent, and she motivated herself to excel. She says, “I tested my own resolve so many times.”
Photography: ISH HOLMES Hair & Makeup: SCOOBIE WEST Styling: LENTHEUS CHANEY
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Dress: Natt Taylor | natttaylor.com 24
The first in her family to graduate from high school, La Detra – a Salt Lake City, Utah, native – won a scholarship to Howard University, graduated with high honors and later earned an MBA from Harvard. Asked what drove her, La Detra replies, “I wanted the good so much more than I wanted to experience the pain of the bad. And I’ve always believed that if I work hard enough, there will be a good outcome.” Years later, she was experiencing what she believed would come her way. A successful marketing consultant and a devoted wife and mother, La Detra had found her joy. But she recalls, “I was slipping emotionally and spending too much time in a dark, toxic place.” The deaths of her mother and oldest brother left a void. And being solely responsible for her remaining brother, who battled drug addiction and a debilitating illness, was overwhelming. Pretending everything was fine took its toll on La Detra, so in 2015, she decided to tell her truth, inviting 96 women to join her in sharing their stories of faith and redemption in a book. “I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I didn’t want to do it by myself.” Chuckling, she adds, “I didn’t know their stories, but I knew there was a story. People who are covering up something get pretty good at spotting other people who are covering up.” Thirty-two women accepted the invitation, and by early 2016, This Is My Story, But It Is Not My Life had been published and was striking a chord with readers throughout the country. From the beginning, La Detra, who lives in Decatur, Georgia, never felt she should benefit from the book’s success. Instead, she decided to use the proceeds to make an impact where she saw a need – in her words, putting her money where her heart is. So far, she has invested in 50 entrepreneurs who offer a variety of products and services, ranging from cupcakes and organic food to barber shops and natural hair care products. Eight ambushes have been captured on Facebook Live.
La Detra is inspired by the emotional reactions, but what spurs her to help is what she believes is the right thing to do. “To whom much is given,” she asserts, “much is required. I saw people on social media talking about problems, pointing fingers and doing nothing. I decided to go in, shine a light, sow a seed and ask for nothing – and, hopefully, inspire others to offer purposeful support.” Preparing to launch a fee-based mentorship program on entrepreneurship in 2017 and developing the infrastructure of Awesome Life Ministries, her nonprofit, La Detra has a full plate. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. Bob, La Detra’s husband of nearly 25 years, observes that his wife’s very survival depends on what she can do for others. She says, simply, “You know what? I like when people come to know me and figure out it’s OK to be authentic, transparent and loving out loud.” Visit liveanawesomelife.com to learn more about La Detra's mission and her new book entitled QUEEN, a book of soulful affirmations inspired by daily living and hard knocks surviving.
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SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS
4 Reasons to Support Community Small Business Story by Marc Parham, Small Business Expert
There was a time when all business was done at a community level.
In short, we must support the people that live and work in our
We did all of our shopping in the community. We shopped locally
community to keep the dollars circulating in the community.
to get everything we needed for our families. Remember the lady
There are many funding organizations that are working to
that made cakes for everyone’s events, or the guy you called to
provide funding for community economic development. Go to
repair anything that went wrong with your home or your car. The
the website of the county or city that you live in a search under
introduction of the big box stores changed this. We started shopping
economic development to find out the services and programs
more for perceived value.
that are available for those that decide to live, start and grow their businesses in their community.
Here are four reasons why you should support local small businesses: Supporting community small business is very important to the 1. Community Impact
stability and economic growth of our nation, one community at
Small business owners become a very integral part of the community
a time.
in which they live and work. They know what’s going on in the community and how their decisions may impact their neighbors. They are involved in the community. They may sponsor youth sports teams, donate to the city’s homeless shelter or participate in community charity events. They are the heartbeat of the community.
Marc E. Parham is a small business expert, professional speaker, radio host and author. His mission is to educate and coach people to start taking more control of their lives by learning how to start their own small business. capbuildernetwork.com
2. Tax Base If your dollars don’t circulate in your community, just like your blood circulating in your body, your community will die. When residents shop with small businesses within their community the tax dollars stay within the local economy. The tax dollars are used for education, road improvements and more. 3. Job Creation The government counts on the fact that if a small business stays in business for three years or more they will eventually employ at least three people. Therefore, small businesses are job creators and most of those jobs are local jobs. Rather than driving from city to city employees can work closer to home. 4. Entrepreneurship Starting a small business can change the financial profile of the entire community. Small businesses are started by people that have the entrepreneurial spirit. By starting a small business people begin to taking control of their future. Entrepreneurship fuels the growth of the community. This leads to sense of well-being for the family and the community.
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s i r ar ne
H cy
O e g e a l l Vi Tim a ta g in st a d il rti u B A
r a D
Story by Lentheus Chaney 30
STYLE, grace and determination are just a few words
that describe luxury interior designer and lifestyle maven extraordinaire, Darcy Harris. Darcy Harris has quickly gained industry recognition for her sophisticated palate and inherent style sense. Her design philosophy is based on her inimitable ability to blend fashionforward trends in residential and corporate spaces with flawless appeal. With her love of interior design, art, photography, architecture, travel, antiques, lifestyle events, jewelry, and fashion, Darcy has created a brand of all things fabulous and recently curated a retail space of her own named N' Your SPACE. N' Your SPACE offers customers the opportunity to purchase a bit of Darcy’s eclectic style for their own. Her boutique is located inside Interiors Market which is an awesome antiques market at 55 Bennet Street in Buckhead.
“I’m just a girl who decided to go for it,” Darcy asserts and admits, “lifestyle is very important to me and encompasses all that I do and how I live.” Beyond it all, Darcy’s heart is with helping other artists further their careers and pursue their dreams. She has taken on the representation of a group of eight talented men and women and has exposed them to her wealth of knowledge and the depth of her network. Darcy says that she entered this market because, “there is so much diversity and talent in art and I want the world to see what they have to offer.” Her artists represent a variety art forms such as photography, sculpture, body paint, wearable art, jewelry design and costume design. “The art has to move me to be able to represent an artist. I have to see it, love it and be spellbound and then I can truly stand behind and sell the work of artists I love.” Please visit darcyharrisdesign.com to learn more about Darcy Harris and the artist she represents.
Anderson Smith
Erica Elle
Jenine Cotrice Addison
Meredith Ochoa
Heather Manning
Alton Cooper
Jeremiah Turner
Sadiq Al' Aleem
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