The Creative Cookie

Fashion is Self Care with Mark E. Menzie

For many, personal expression is the best way to treat fashion as self-care. Mark E. Menzie, a New York-based fashion designer, not only believes in this himself but he also offers that expression to young girls of color. Mark is the creative director and designer for Menzie by Design, a brand of Black-oriented and age-appropriate clothing for young girls. Mark has accomplished so many things during his time in the fashion industry and is humbled by his work. He said, “What makes me passionate about it is getting up every morning to do what I love.” Mark has dedicated his life to sharing his love for self-expression with Generation Z and hopes to continue to do it until his brand is known by everyone. Read below to hear Mark’s story and his idea of fashion as self-care and don’t forget to check him out on Instagram: @markemenzie.

Photo by: Mark E. Menzie

 

CC: Tell me a bit about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do?

MM: I am a New York-based, tech-savvy, girls fashion designer skilled in branding, digital marketing, and styling. I’ve directed and assisted on various photoshoots for brands and companies such as Armani, LVMH, and Vogue. I also serve as creative director and designer for a girls fashion line I started called Menzie by Design. This month mark’s our two-year anniversary! You can view the collection on www.markemenzie.com/shop All U.S. orders get free shipping! 

 

CC: What are some of your greatest accomplishments in your work?

MM: Some of my greatest accomplishments in my work are booking my first celebrity job in 2017; Franky Valley and The Four Seasons - as a wardrobe stylist. I’ve always loved the music that he created for the iconic film, Grease. Working with Vogue  [China] magazine on an editorial shoot in 2016 for the second time was also a great accomplishment and very rewarding. The first time was the September issue in 2015. Lastly, doing a custom order for a girl’s birthday party was really fun. It was a high, low, ombre tulle skirt with a train. Really elaborate and very cute.

 

CC: What do you love most about your work and the fashion industry? What makes you passionate about it?

MM: What I love most about my work and the fashion industry is that I get to do what I love every day. It can range from sketching the next collection and choosing fabrics to casting models for photoshoots or even managing the website www.markemenzie.com. I’m just thankful that the fashion industry is where I am because that’s exactly where I’ve always wanted to be. What makes me passionate about it is getting up every morning to do what I love.

 

CC: Tell me a bit about Menzie by Design. How did you get started with the brand and what are your goals for the future of the brand? 

MM: After noticing a void in the market for age-appropriate clothing and Black-oriented fashion news that really spoke to Millennials as well as the Generation Z audience, Menzie by Design was created. We provide dresses for her first date as well as jeans to wear on the last day of school. Turn to us to keep your closet stocked with cool clothes and awesome accessories that express your individual style. That is what makes Menzie by Design #MadeByMeJustForYou. My goals for the future of the brand are to have it be so culturally relevant that I can overhear girls talking about it on the street or better yet, wearing it everywhere!

 

CC: What does Menzie by Design offer the Gen Z audience?

MM: What Menzie by Design offers the Gen Z audience is a magic portal into a world where clothes are cute and times, but still make you feel like that princess that you are. I design a lot of dresses and offer education in a way that encourages Gen Z to ask questions and shift the cultural narrative in a way that is empowering. If you want to be treated like a princess, then just dress like one. And who can deny the power of a smart girl?

 

CC: How did you find out about The Creative Cookie? How long have you been partnering/working with Lesley? 

MM: I found out about The Creative Cookie through Instagram. I’ve always been a fan of the books they produce on fashion design and recently shared it with my niece who is a creative type herself. It’s a great way to share the arts, design, and fashion with a younger audience. I’ve also talked with Lesley in passing and liked her ideas as well as point of view.

 

CC: What is your idea of “fashion as self-care” and why?

MM: My idea of “fashion as self-care” is really holistic because for me it begins with getting dressed. By expressing myself through fashion and showing the world that this is who I truly am, my confidence, peace of mind, and overall well-being are brought full circle. All because I chose to wear something that makes me happy or that I think might bring a smile to someone’s face.

Fashion Fridays with Joanna featuring Dapper Dan

In this week's post on Fashion Fridays With Joanna, we will be taking a look at the life of none other than Daniel Day, better known as Dapper Dan. Daniel’s store, Dapper Dan's Boutique, operated from 1982 through 1992 and is most associated with introducing high fashion to the hip-hop world. Daniel went from elevating fashion in the Black community to working and becoming an influential style icon.   

Image Detroit Metro Times

RAGS

Daniel Day was born in Harlem, New York in 1944. He grew up with three brothers and three sisters on 129th and Lexington Avenue. Robert, his dad, was a civil servant and his mother, Lily, a homemaker. His family was a part of the lower class. The neighborhood he was raised in was very rough. It was known for violence, drugs, and a lot of harsh living situations. Throughout Dapper’s life he learned different ways to make money. By age 13, he was a skilled gambler. He has been very open about having to steal and sell drugs. Being from the neighborhood that he was from, it's not far-fetched to be involved in these types of activities, especially at a young age. In an article with Vogue, he said, “I was born and raised in the poorest section of Harlem. My first experience was with crime. I became a professional gambler, and to be a professional gambler, you have to be a professional conman.” Daniel mentioned in an interview with The New York Times that he gained the name Dapper Dan from his days of being a professional gambler. In the article, he goes on to say, “The name was a combination of two things. I was the flyest young guy in my neighborhood. But there was also an older guy, a gambler, and his name was Dapper Dan. When I started beating this guy in the crap games, he said, ‘You are the new Dapper Dan.’ He was also a really great tenor saxophonist. He told me: ‘Just call me Tenor Man Dan. Now, you’re Dapper Dan.’” Daniel's dream was to actually become a writer and he even worked in journalism for a bit for a Harlem newspaper called Forty Acres and a Mule in the ’60s. In 1968 Daniel was chosen by the Columbia University-Urban League program to travel with them as a student on a tour in Africa which they returned from in 1974. In an interview with The New York Times, he expresses that that trip changed his life. 

Source CBS News

TO RICHES

After Daniel’s return to Harlem he was back to finding creative ways to make money. He began selling shoplifted items out of the back of his car. He turned an illegal hustle into a legitimate business when he opened his boutique. Dapper Dan's Boutique opened in 1982 and was  located on 125th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue. In the ’80s, he had enough capital to get serious about fur and leather, but many would not sell to him because he was Black and the location. Daniel was very observant of what people in his community found fashionable and, at that time, uncommon designer items were the trend. When he noticed that he could create costume pieces, he hired a group of tailors, including Africans he had met in Midtown, family members, and a friend from the Nation of Islam. From then on, his boutique was known for selling customized GUCCI, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and MCM clothing which he referred to as “knock up opposed to knock offs”. Day clothing was often referred to as streetwear which set him apart from his competitors.  His main clientele were "hustlers and street people". His boutique was successful because not only could you get original costume pieces, but it offered his clients room to be comfortable and not fearful of being profiled as they shop for high-end brands. Around 1985, Dapper ventured into hip-hop fashion. One of his very first clients in the industry was, none other than, LL Cool J. From that very moment he became associated with hip-hop royalty. He also began working with boxers and athletes. Though his clientele was growing and his work was being noticed by people outside of just his city, his boutique was on the verge of being closed down; his illegal use of logos in his custom-made designs led to counterfeiting raids and litigation. In 1992, after legal action by Fendi and then-U.S. Attorney Sonia Sotomayor, Dapper Dan's was shut down for good. It is rumored that in conjunction to the lawsuits, he experienced an attempted kidnapping that sent him to the hospital with a gunshot wound, which is what eventually led him to shut down his boutique. Though his designs were everywhere for years, Daniel was not respected in the fashion world. That did not stop his love for what he did as he continued working underground and still styling celebrities such as Floyd Mayweather. This continued on for years until 2017. Dapper’s work, though it never slowed down, became mainstream. In mid-2017, in a homage to Dapper Dan, Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele designed a jacket based on a well-known Dapper Dan design for Diane Dixon in 1989. This caused an uproar because many believed that Gucci had stolen the Dapper Dan design, especially due to Gucci not stating it to be a homage until after they drew criticism. He gained a lot of opportunities with his mainstream fame, with the support of Michele and Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri; Day and the Italian brand partnered for a line of menswear. His success streak didn't stop there. In 2018, Day opened a new shop on Lenox Avenue in partnership with Gucci, Dapper Dan of Harlem, the first luxury house fashion store in Harlem. In an interview with Vogue he talks about his deal with Gucci and about his plans and aspirations. He said, "Gucci allowed for me to break Jim Crow barriers in fashion. So, now my real freedom is coming. This is going to be the biggest stage of my life. My plan is to try to work with young designers and show them how everything I did was connected to the culture and how to translate culture because that's the key to what I do." 

Dapper Dan in the 80s from The New York Times

 

BEING AN ICON

All in all, it's fair to say that Daniel, or as many would say, Dapper Dan, is an icon that brought luxury to the Black community and, not only did he bring it into the culture in the most unique way, but he was able to make his own table when he was unable to get a seat at the table in the fashion world. He soon earned the respect he deserved from those same people that shunned him. Daniel's story is a story of rags to riches. Even though he started off with a rough background and constantly  seeing things around him that offered a negative influence and caused him to slip off track, he was able to find a way to put himself in the right track. He's not only a legend in Harlem, or even just New York, but he's a legend and an icon to people in and outside of the Black community. He once had his designs on the runway, but now he is walking those same runways. Dan is still working at the age of 76. He has eight children with seven women: William Long, Daniel Day Jr., Danique Day, Aisha Day, Danielle Day, Malik Day, Tiffany White, and Jelani Day who is the brand manager for his father.

“I went from selling clothes on a table on the sidewalks of Harlem, now I'm on my own giant billboard on a rooftop in Harlem. l went from having holes in my shoes as a child, now l wear Gucci loafers. l came from the poorest neighborhood in Harlem, now l have a brownstone in Harlem. l never had a desire to move away and be by the rich people, now they are moving by me. l always believed in me and I always believed in Harlem—and l thank GOD for that.”- Dapper Dan

Gucci Dapper Dan Partnership today image from High Snobity

Ella Emhoff and Her Show Stopping Entrance into the Fashion world

Photo by: @ellaemhoff on Instagram

I’m sure you all remember the exquisite Miu Miu coat that Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris’s step-daughter, exhibited on inauguration day, but the up-and-coming fashion star has so much more to offer the world than just one stunning look. 

 

Underneath the Miu Miu coat that for many people was the highlight of the day, Ella rocked a Batsheva Hay dress that gave off prairie-girl vibes to the max. Ella told Vogue, “I was going for something girlier, to embrace my feminine side.” 

 

Ella, a 21-year-old senior at Parsons School of Design, creates knitwear unlike any other. Her striped pants and flower pasties tops are well-structured, colorful, and overall fabulous. Although she’s not currently accepting commissions, you can see her amazing knit creations on her Instagram: @ellaemhoff.  

 

Of course, Ella is on to bigger and better things as the step-daughter of Madam Vice President. Just days after the inauguration, Ella was signed to IMG Models where she will be joining Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, and more in the ranks of the top supermodels in the world.

 

Ella is someone we should all be paying attention to as she works her way up in the fashion world from a small-business knitwear designer to a supermodel who we will likely be talking about for years to come. 

 

This will be an ongoing piece to follow Ella through her rapidly changing career, so stay tuned to learn more!

Fashion Fridays with Joanna featuring Madame N.A. Franklin

This week on Fashion Friday’s with Joanna I’m going to introduce you to Madame Nobia A. Franklin, a Texas beautician and entrepreneur who became a Black History figure. She made it her mission to market her products towards Black women of all shades, but her life began long before her mission took hold.

 

EARLY LIFE
Nobia A. Franklin was born in Cuero, Texas in 1892. Her life before becoming an entrepreneur remains  a mystery. It is rumored that  her father was Ira Franklin, but the identity of her mother remains unknown. It is said that Nobia was known at a young age for being engrossed in hair. She experimented with different hair products and styles on friends and neighbors in the rural cotton farmland. Nobia got engaged to  W.L McCoy and they were married on June 7, 1907. Her husband was precinct chairman for the Fifth Ward’s Black and Tan Republican Party.  Even after marrying her husband,Nobia made the decision to keep her maiden name. Not long after getting married, Nobia had her first child, Abbie, whom she passed her maiden name onto. Sometime in the 1910s, she and her family moved from their rural community to nearby San Antonio, Texas.

 

ROAD TO SUCCESS 

In the years after moving to San Antonio, Madame Nobia owned a hair salon  and  she sold her hair products door-to-door. To some, it may not have been a huge success to have a thriving at-home-salon, but Madame Nobia worked hard to gain a loyal clientele. Along with styling hair she found ways to develop specific cosmetics for her clients. It’s said that she sold self-manufactured hair tonics, creams, oils, bleaching agents, straightening combs, shampoos, powders, rouges, and lipsticks. 

It’s important to note  that in the 1900s Black beauticians and investors were really starting to experiment with chemicals and creams that would modify textured hair in different ways. Black Afro-centric hair care and cosmetics was becoming a multimillion-dollar arena. This gave way for a young Nobia to be successful. She marketed her products to attract new residents which allowed her to expand her fledgling operations.

 

In 1916, she opened a beauty shop in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1917, she moved to Houston where she opened The Franklin School of Beauty Culture and a manufacturing plant for her hair products. She also offered women a chance to own their own businesses. In 1927, Nobia and her daughter, Abbie, became business partners and they formed the N.A Franklin Association of Beauty Culture to institutionalize her product line among nascent sales agents. The association trained women in hair styling and management techniques.

The Franklin Beauty School

END OF THE ROAD

In the early 1930s, Nobia signed over her business to her daughter and her son-in-law, James H. Jemison. It is said that she proceeded to give up her business because she was battling with health issues and it seems as though her health was only declining. In 1934, Madame Nobia A. Franklin unfortunately passed away in Chicago. Her family honored her by burying her in her small hometown of Cuero. After Nobia’s death, Abbie and James Jemison relocated the business to Houston. The Franklin Beauty School grew to become the largest in the South by World War II. Thousands of graduates opened salons to serve hundreds of thousands of African American women. She is written down in history as a very successful Black woman who followed her dreams and was able to provide what we all want to leave behind - a legacy. 

 

Madame N.A Franklin advertisement from 1921

 

Link to The Franklin Beauty Institute:

Official website-https://www.franklininstitute.net/

 

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/franklinbeautyinstitute/

Introducing Fashion Fridays with Joanna

My name is Joanna Etienne and I’m from Brooklyn, New York. I'm a High school senior at New Visions AIM I Charter High School. I've always had a passion for writing of all sorts including poetry, informative pieces, excerpts, etc. which is why  I'm so proud to share  - Fashion Fridays with Joanna! I will be posting about create-at-home DIYs and giving you some insight about creative people that you may not know or simply forgot about. My goal is for you to leave knowing more than before. I’m here to offer you a teenage perspective on fun fashion topics!

 

Look for my first Fashion Fridays with Joanna post tomorrow (2/12/21)!