Level Up Magazine

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Th e Ar t Editor's Note Issu eFashion Illustration was a commodity, likefashion journalism,It was for hire and often donefor entirely commercial purposes - plenty ofadvertisements used fashion illustration. Anyreader with even a cursory interest in clotheswould have instantly recognized the style ofRené Gruau or Eric Erickson, but more than likelythey wouldn't have known their names. Foryears, it was not respected as an art form.WeBelieve it is, and have put together some thebest fashion Illustrations we could find.Art byHayden Williams and Mr. Birth Mark.Hope youlove this Issue as much as we do! Tempestt Harris, Maresa Scott

Cont enTOn t heCov er pg.16Phar r el l Wil l iams 4Char l ot t eModel cal l 9DCFas hion Week10Mar y Kat eandAshl ey35St ar r 's St or y- UpnextFeat ur es28Digit al ar t by \"mbm\" p g . pg.32ciar a Phot o sneak peekCont r ibut or s 24Spacial Thanks! f r omLev el Up MagazineN athan S. Sm alls (R&B Live,M anagem ent Consultant)Chr istopher Dennis (Dr eam Builder s/ 5kRockandRun)Ter ika M oser (S.U.E Recycling) t y st at z\"sowhat s new?\"Rayyne Phillips(M usic Cam p for Kids)Kal Dawson (Kal Dawson M anagem ent)

Char l ot t e ModelCal l2015 Photo Credits:The TZ studio Hair and Make up: Shajarzade RodiguezFall/Winter Model: Emma VaughnMulticultur al Mor e inf o ont hese ev ent s VisitShow www.Ev ent br it e.com(Please wear heels.) 4WHEN:Satur day, August 1, 2015fr om 12:00 PM to 2:00PM (EDT) -WHERE:Ballantyne - 15720Br ixham Hill AveChar lotte, NC 28277Model Make UpLessonsFlawless Face Makeup withKilpr itySunday, August 16, 2015 fr om1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (EDT)CHARLOTTE NCHoliday Inn Char lotte Center City230 N College St, Char lotte, NC 28202Lear n to per fect your makeupskills with Pr ofessional MakeupAr tist Kilpr ity, as he demo's adaytime wear able look to adr amatic smoky eye look. Hewill be showing you how topr oper ly Pr ep & Pr ime the facebefor e makeup application.



Laurence Logan - Artistic model spread Engineer/ Owner +1.312.574.0692admi n@t het zst udi o.com w w w .t het zst udi o.com Photo Credits: St yl i ng: Derria Underwoodw w w .st yl emederri a.com Hair and Make Up: Shaunisa T. Styles Model s: Shania Bronokowski Brittany Linder

\"You ar e r epr esented by the company y ou keep\" Th e.TZ.St u d i o



DCFASHIONWEEK LEVEL UP COVERS DC EEK M A GA ZINE FA SHION W COM E JOIN US! Event Name: M.E.D.I.A (Metropolitan Emerging Designers & Indie ArtistsEvent Name: DC Fashion Week Model Designer fashion show and live Showcase)Audi t i ons entertainment. Free Admission. Pl ace: TBDDat e: Sunday, August 23, 2015 @ 12 PM Event Name: Fashion Industry Dat e: Saturday, September 26, 2015 @ 6 PM to 9 PM Networking Party featuring a Jewelry &Pl ace: Double Tree by Hilton Washington Accessory Fashion Show. Inf o: Emerging fashion designers fromDC ? Crystal City, 300 Army Navy Drive, United States showcase together at fashion week. Special music guests perform. DoorsArlington, VA 22202 Dat e: Thursday, September 24, 2015 open at 6 PM. Fashion @6:00 PM to 10:00 PM show is at 7:00 PM.Inf o: The official open model call for DC Event Name: International CoutureFashion Week Pl ace: Dirty Martini at 1223 Connecticut Collections ShowEvent Name: H Street Festival Fashion Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC Dat e: Sunday, September 27, 2015 @5:00Show 20036. PM to 8 PM.Dat e: Saturday, September 19, 2015 @ Inf o: Largest fashion industry mixer in Inf o: International designers present their3PM DC with a special jewelry and accessory latest collections at DC Fashion Week?s fashion show. Free Admission. Fashion finale event.Pl ace: H Street NE (10 blocks for the show at 7:00 PM. Pl ace : Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon, 801 k St NW, Washington, DC 20001f est i val ) Event Name: Haute & Modesty Fashion Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Fashion Show @Event Name: DC Fashion Week Opening Show 6:00 PM* Tickets RequiredNi ght . Dat e: Friday, September 25, 2015Dat e: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Pl ace: National Press Club@ 6 PM to 9 PM Inf o: Modesty Fashions from around thePl ace: TBD globe hit the runways of DC FashionInf o: DC Fashion Week Opening Night Week. Fashion Show at 8:00 PM.* Tickets VIP Admission (includes front row, deluxe gift bag, champagnewith Pop-Up Retail Shops, NEXT/ GEN Required toast, and VIP pre-show reception at 5:00 PM while supplies last.) Cocktail attire is requested. 9

mary kateM ary Kate &A shley10Photo Credit :Amy Troot

Fashion I cons Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have managed to leverage child stardom into a legitimate career in fashion. Despite having no formal design education, the 29-year-old twins now preside over a veritable fashion empire and have transformed into style icons themselves.During a stint at New York University, the twins popularized the \"boho chic\" look with a layered mix of high- and low-end clothes, chunky jewelry and oversized sunglasses. Though it has sometimes been derided as \"homeless chic,\" much of the fashion world jumped ? and remains ? on board. Whether it's through the contemporaries who emulate their personal style or more-mature women who favor their high-end labels, Ashley and Mary-Kate's influence cuts a wide sw at h.







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phar r el lWil l iams t he80Mil l ion Dol l ar Man Shar es wit h us his v iews on fashionand st y l e. Not el l ingwher ehe may end upNext !What is fashiont oyou? DoYouConsider Fashi on has t o ref l ect who you are and what\" Wh\"at s Nex t \" \"you feel at the moment. your sel f a st y l eIcon? I 'm not a st yl e I con. I 'm just I nspi red.W henever someone encouragesf or you you for bei ng di f ferent .They f reeCar eer you f rom t he ubi qui t ous nat ure ofChi l drens Book s.A opi ni on.\" \"collaboration with Penqui n wi l l al l ow me Is it t r ue you wear at o hel p my young mi nds woman's cl ot hing br and t o use t hei r cal l ed Cel ine? i magi nat i ons. \" \"(laughs) I mean A dress i s di f ferent , heel s ,nah. But A hot pi nk jacket , I wi l l do t hat .16

Dol l arThe80Mil l ion man \"Pri de yoursel f on i ndi vi dual i t y, t hat i s what makes youp w ho you ar e. \"harrell has been amassing his fortune since the ?90s, when he and childhood friendChad Hugo began producing hits as the Neptunes. The duo had been making music sincethey met in the seventh grade in their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and aftersigning a major-label deal, they produced hits for the likes of Blackstreet, Mase, andN.O.R.E. Their big break came in 2001, when they helmed Britney Spears?chart-topping?I?m a Slave For You.? The song put the Neptunes on the map and made Pharrell a majorstar, setting the stage for a solo career that would peak in 2013, when he sang on two ofthe year?s biggest hits: Daft Punk?s ?Get Lucky? and Robin Thicke?s ?Blurred Lines.?Pharrell Williams?net worth of $80 million doesn?t make him one of the richestmusicians in the game ? he?s not sitting on P. Diddy or Dr. Dre money ? but he?s doingA-OK for himself. He?s collaborated with just about anyone who?s anyone, and his list ofstudio pals includes Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Solange, Madonna, Twista, Common, 2 Chainz,Daft Punk, and Gwen Stefani. And that?s only scratching the surface. In addition to his twosolo albums ? 2006?s ?In My Mind? and 2014?s ?Girl? ? he?s released four with N.E.R.D.,a genre-blurring group that?s shown his versatility as a musician.source (Urban Daily)



Angela Simmons \"Don't ignorey our ideas. God placed them in you for a r eason\"



OnyxMoorebook ingEmail: [email protected]: OnyxmoorePhone: 704-390-3280about onyxFrom: PhiladelphiaAge: 21Height: 5'3Hobbies: \" I live for color,crazymake-up, and helping people feelloved. I like to watch basketball andpaint my nails.\"

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COM M UNI TY EV ENTSCOMMUNITY DREAM BUILDERS,INC. SPONSORS 6th ANNUAL NCMUSIC FACTORY 5K ROCK AND RUN/ WALK EVENT COM E JOI N US!C August 8th 2015 ommunity Dream Builders, activities, including: Kids Rock ?N Run 4 engages individuals from all walks of Inc. (CDB) is proud to present the 6th Fun Corner, Health & Wellness life, builds partnerships and promotes Annual NC Music Factory 5K Rock N Pavilion,Massages ,and 5K Awards inclusiveness within traditionally Run/ Walk event on Saturday, August Presentation.Nettie Reeves, creator of under-served neighborhoods.\" For 8, 2015. The family-friendly event Funky Fit and owner of N?Shape With ?N more information, please visit has become a signature event in LLC, will join the Rock ?N Run team this www.ncrockandrun.com Mecklenburg County, promoting year with an exhilarating pre-race community health and wellness and warm-up. Reeves is winner of the creating community synergies. Over President Obama Council on Fitness, the years, the event has welcomed over 2,500 participants and has About Leaving IT Behind become a signature event here in Charl ot t e. Leaving It Behind (LIB) is a premier non-profit, volunteer driven This year CDB will present, Activate organization committed to planting the Route, which will encourage seeds of hope and possibility in the healthy lifestyles within low income minds of at-risk youth. Originating out communities by sponsoring group of the need to address the challenges walking/ running activities leading up seen in fragile communities, the to race day. Race founder, organization leads the charge to inspire Christopher Dennis says, \"This positive outcomes and empower youth program is truly at the core of our to leave their IT (Inner Troubles) mission within Community Dream behind, therefore setting the path to Builders. We want to provide accomplish their fullest potential. For communities with opportunities to volunteer opportunities, please email thrive and good health is at the core. Sports & Nutrition Award, Steve Harvey [email protected] We are taking on the challenge to Hoodie Award, among many other accolades. help fight obesity and diabetes.\" Groups can participate by walking with their children, friends, colleagues, and Community Dream Builders has also organizations. Early registration is $25 by partnered with Label Fitness to August 1; $30 by August 7; $35 on Race Day; sponsor monthly fitness events. registration for kids 14 years and under is These are HIGH energy boot camps $5. Race Day registration begins at 6:30 am and workouts to be held at Label or and the race at 8:00 am. other locations in and around the NC Music Factory. The goal in this partnership is to continue to empower the community to MOVE and live healthy lifestyles.The mission of the NC Music Factory All proceeds will benefit CDB?s youth NCROCKANDRUN5K Rock ?N Run/ Walk is to promote a program, Leaving It Behind (LIB). LIB waspositive social and economic impact designed to build bridges for at-risk youthfor the North End corridor. by providing constructive communityApproximately 1000 residents are enrichment experiences to fosterexpected to attend this year?s event, empowerment to reach lifelong goals.along with 800+ runners. The event Dennis reflects, \"The Rock ?N Run

tySt at zborn and raised in Charlotte ??S.O.N.S??consisting of Ty and Canada. Ty Statz, alsoNC, originally bread as a battle Statz, Conceited, Brixx the outcast, grew morerapper. He started out crushing Belvedere and J.Fox, the interested in songwritingopponents at school lunchroom small group influenced many than battle rapping as he didtables then terrorizing hip-hop on the battle ground by not follow the others but stilllounge lyricist. Eventually stirring up a buzz in sticks with them to this day.elevating to ghostwriting and demonstrating their battle He sees himself as one of therecording as an independent ability on \"letsbeef.com\", members and creators of theartist knowing minimum live battles then graduating group. The young Hitmakeraspects of ??The Game.\" Years to \"grindtime' and \"smack worked on his local buzz firstof learning and writing dvd\", battles which are and eventually you couldgraduated Statz to the title documented on footage on find him on flyers rangingmost know him now as ??The many websites and Dvd?s from an opening act toHitmaker??after mastering the throughout the United States head-lining many events inart of creating creative hooksand lyrics and putting themboth together generating songsthat many would call ??Hits.\"Already talented in the fields ofgraphic design, video editing &studio engineering, Ty Statzwas on his way to success inmany fields. BecomingCo-Founder of ChillzEntertainment stabilized ahome base which allowed thefuture and vision to open forthe bringing back of goodmusic and creativity once more.Being formerly known as the??Punchline King??for his battlerapping, he met up with 3 otherbattle rappers around 2007 &2008. Naming their group24

SoWhat s New t y? How did You End Up with your own clothing store? TyStatz: We heard a friend of ours was selling the store, We bought it from him, and we decided to turn it into a one stop shop. I took all my studio equipment from home and put in in the back. I have a bachelors in Graphic design. So we do posters, album covers, flyers. Whatever you need. Tattoos, fronts, clothes, Whatever, man we got it here. Do you sell a lot of clothing In your store? TyStatz: Oh yea man, everything we get we sell out of. We go to fashion shows in new York, Vegas, all over and pick up merchandise Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Ty Statz: Hopefully a platinum selling artist, Performing at Big Awards shows. Making Hits. All that.continued What is the biggest problem that youthe city. Winning many see in the community today?events,hosting,video shoots,cameos, interviews and Ty Statz: Police brutality, and black onguest appearances, Ty Statz black crime.got on the grind to become abetter known entity, and is Do you think music has an impact onstill in the process of growth some the problems?in the community. Ty Statz: I think music plays a smallHave you ever met a part. I feel that you don?t have to liveHitmaker ? How would you a crazy lifestyle to be an artist. Mostknow if you were in the people think you do. We do needpresence of one? After more positive music.everything is said and donethe only thing that really Where can people find out more aboutstands is the music. you? Ty Statz: You already know man, w w w .t yst at z.com Source Article (GrindingGearclothing.com)

By:Col in McDowel lI Fashion I llustrationhave,for many years,collected drawingsof fashionableclothes from many periods, whenever opportunity and fundshave made it possible. They hang in my home and always attractattention and admiration. I also have a collection of fashionmagazines going back to the 1920s and when friends are lookingat them, it?s always the early ones, with pages of fashiondrawings, that grab their attention. In fact, collectors of fashionmagazines pay serious money for issues of Vogue and Harper?sBazaar up to the 1950s ? that is, before fashion illustrationsbegan to disappear from editorial pages.Indeed, as improved colour reproduction and cheap flights toexotic locations for fashion shoots subsidized by tourist boardsmade photographs of fashion seem more exciting and, moreimportantly, very much more modern, fashion drawing wasdeemed unable to compete. As proprietor and editor in chief ofWomen?s Wear Daily, John Fairchild, in many respects a visionarybut in others the Genghis Khan of the fashion world, oversaw astable of amazing fashion illustrators that included StevenStipelman, Kenneth Paul Block (referred to by Galanos, MrsReagan?s favourite designer, as ?the Belenciaga of drawing?) and Steven Meisel, who was to change tack and become one of our greatest fashion photographers. But, one day, Fairchild sacked them all, having decided quixotically that photography was the only modern way to show clothes. In my opinion, the demise of the brush and pencil as the primary tools of fashion documentation was a disaster not only for the artists, but also for fashion reporting in general. It has certainly affected the editorial quality of most fashion magazines. I can think of only two mainstream titles that have bucked the trend toward total editorial banality that seems to be an unfortunate bi-product of having editorial pages full of photographs: Carine Roitfeld?s French Vogue and Franca Sozzani?s Italian Vogue. And even those have used fewer and fewer illustrations, except for special editions. But there was one brave, inspired attempt to keep fashion illustration alive 20-odd years after it virtual collapse in the 1950s. Published in Italy by Condé Nast in the early 1980s and edited by Anna Piaggi, the magazine Vanity gave considerable prominence to fashion illustration and especially the work of Antonio Lopez. But it was a short-lived publication, because advertisers considered it too specialist to be a vehicle for them. Photography had won. I want to make it clear that I am absolutely not denigrating fashion photography. All of the truly great fashion images of the last 100 years have been photographic and many have crossed over into general culture, typifying a particular time and social attitude. But so have certain iconic drawings from

Conti nued the 1940s and 1950s by artists like Rene Gruau and Christian Berard (the man claimed by some to have given Christian Dior the template drawing for the New Look). I have to admit, however, that a modern fashion drawing of a top model or star, no matter how flashily handled or flattering it may be, will never sum up a current period or attitude in the way a Herb Ritts photograph of a male model on Muscle Beach or a Mario Testino photograph of Kate Moss does. Their value to us and future generations arises from the fact that their creative DNA is contemporary, whereas too many of today?s fashion illustrations copy the techniques and poses of 60 years ago. We expect a lot from the very top world class photographers ? and they deliver. They constantly question and advance the medium; they challenge us. If we take the example of Knick Knight breaking the barriers of image making, and look for a broad equivalent amongst fashion illustrators we find only one: Francois Berthoud who, like Knight, is constantly experimenting with exciting new ways to represent clothes ? and indeed modern femininity. For the rest, their work is too often a trip down memory lane, copying the techniques but not quite reaching the skill levels of the great illustrators of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, like the perennially popular Eric, Bouche and Bouet-Willaumez ? men who knew that a line, no matter how perfectly executed in pen or brush, is just a line if it fails to suggest that it is not only encompassing shape and volume, but also representing a flesh and blood body. In most cases these artists were, like their predecessors for centuries, working with a live model, a luxury few magazines would afford today, and yet undoubtedly the secret to the vibrancy of the image. Like their successors, Antonio Lopez and Tony Viramontes, they were fashion people. They loved the fashion world, they enjoyed its wildness: they were part of ?the scene.?And they were confident because they knew how much they were valued and paid, confident enough to appreciate and value their predecessors and their work, without copying their techniques or emulating their viewpoints. This confidence is what we must recapture and offer to young illustrators today. And I don?t mean by that a little line drawing in the up-front pages of a Vogue or Elle, but full spreads in the main body of the magazine, even a cover. But not a cover ? and there have been some ? that makes the magazine look like one from the 1950s. Although there are worrying examples of drawing being removed from fashion courses at art colleges, it cannot be denied that there is still a valuable place in fashion for good modern fashion drawings. The proof, refreshingly, is the work of young artists from places as far afield as Slovenia, Australia and Japan. And perhaps the most exciting ones are those that use illustration alongside mixed-media, digital tricks and even, like Miquel Villalobos, photography. The faux naïve sketches of Leo Greenfield, the semi abstract lines of Helen Bullock, Laura Laine, Gary Fernandez, Masaki Mizumo ? the list of quality young illustrators is growing, yet it is strange how few have been given prime space in mainstream magazines. They need work and we need their vision. Where's the problem? Mainstream fashion magazines have, over time, become more and more formulaic. Indeed, we are virtually drowning in look-alike fashion imagery.Perhaps it?s time for some bold measures using illustration. Just imagine an inspired editor-in-chief commissioning the infamous Chapman Brothers to cover menswear, or sending Grayson Perry to the Paris couture shows. Whilst we wait, there is currently an exhibition of drawings by Howard Tangye ? who teaches illustration at Central Saint Martins and is the man of whom John Galiano said, ?He made me understand line, on the page and on the human body? ? which shows us what contemporary fashion illustration can still achieve.

A RTIST WORK BY :MBM aka \"Mr. Bi rt hMark\" 'PU SHA T'28





Fam ed Fash i o n Ph o t o g r ap h er Set t o Sh o o t NewCo l l ect i o n o f Jesu s i n 2 1 st Cen t u r y W o r l dFBy: JESSICA MARTINEZamed fashion photographer \"Although 'Journeys with the Messiah'Michael Belk used to shootdesigner ad campaigns that appeared has now sold over 12,000 books, thousands of DVDs, posters and isin high-end magazines including nearing 200 pieces of the original fineVogue, Elle and Vanity Fair amongothers, but after much soul searching, art collection, all of that money hashe began to use his talent to focus on been poured back into the project's inventory and marketing,\" said Belk. \"Ifaith-based photography instead. like to think that we have aNow, Belk is gearing up to shoot a well-designed race car that has beensecond installment of images that around the tracks a few times and isfeature Jesus living in modern times now poised to race into the future. Weas an extension to his 2009 project, just need a tank of gas to move on.\"\"Journey with the Messiah.\"The former project began after what After taking a hiatus from the firstBelk says was a visit from God during installment of images, Belk says hehis darkest hour. Upon getting past decided to pick up the project againthe religious aspect of finding Him, he because he did not want to hold offfound that Jesus was not only relevant any longer.2,000 years ago, but also in the \"We have had our [Jesus] actor onmodern world, which was a realization retainer since the first shoot. He is nowthat he translated into his work. 38, and we would like to get theBelk's compelling photographs second volume in the can now. Of In the past, his Jesus photography has alsocaptured \"first century Jesus\" course, there is never a guarantee that been gifted to chaplains in Iraq andinteracting with 21st century Wall he or I will be around. So, I just feel the Afghanistan. He will also tour more thanStreet executives, high rollers, Nazis need to move forward,\" said Belk. 500 churches in the country to present the images in an audio and visual presentation.and people of questionable character; Once the photographs are published, Now that Jesus photography is Belkin'sand the second volume of images, they will be sold but the foundation new found passion, he is embracing his projects as opportunities to present God to(which has yet to be photographed) will also give them to hospices, people, which he initially did not expect to be the case.will embrace a similar theme. hospitals, counseling centers, and \"It was always my plan to produce this\"Based on the image concepts that prison and youth ministries and other project and return to the fashion world.have been developed to date, the organizations \"where having a visual That did not happen. First, the project took'modern-day relevance' element will connecting to Jesus will be relevant in so much more time and money thanbe even more obvious than it is in someone's life,\" said Belk. planned. The housing and stock markets crashed in the midst of creating it,\" saidvolume one,\" said Belk to The Bel ki n's.Christian Post. \"As in volume one, I do He added, \"So, even if I had wanted to go straight back into the fashion world, manynot sit around thinking up images. clients went out of business during that time and others drastically cut their adIdeas for explaining the messages of budgets. Ultimately, however, I believe that I was created and trained for this momentJesus come to me and usually the in time and I love traveling and speaking to audiences about Jesus through theseconcept for the image to depict that images.\"message follows. I pretty much knowwhen God is sending an idea.\"The initial project that Belk took on,without a salary, cost $600,000 fromhis own funding. However, withrevenue from those images that havebeen interpreted into a coffee tablebook, posters and a DVD, along withdonations from the \"Journeys with theMessiah Foundation,\" he hopes tofund the second series of photos, setto be taken in the Summer of 2015.

Ciara Your Sneak Peek look at Ciara's Photo Shoot for Roberto Cavalli's new Ad campaign.32

To view more from the gorgeous shoot visitw w w .style.c o m



About t he Lev el Up f oundat ion The Level Up Organization was founded by Tempestt Harris and Maresa Scott.This is a move in the right direction for young girls between the ages of 10-17 years old. The purpose of this organization is to encourage them morally, and give them an outlet from the stress or pressure they may be experiencing in their lives.We will provide them with mentors that can guide them as they come into woman hood. With this nonprofit organization we plan on taking trips throughout the summer, offering sports, step team, dance groups, and other activities to help them bond and learn the value of team work and friendship.For more information visit w w w .l evel upmagazi nenc.com Photo Credit:TZ studio Model:Fan-Yun Hsu up Next issue: 35 St ar r 's St or y: \"your j ust a poor bl ack gir l andyou ar e ly ing\"Fr omHomel ess t o Hopef ul

\"Where Faith ,Fashion, and Community Collide\" www.Levelupmagazinenc.com