It Takes A Village To Raise A Fashionista

Today, I will share with you all another title that I am very proud to finally wear – MENTOR.

Originally this was a role that I was very reluctant to take on as I believed that I had not yet reached the level of success which would inspire anyone to emulate - let alone consider a mentor. Not to mention when you consider that my goal in life is to be perfectly flawed. Then I started to realize that maybe this was simply a cop-out... It was only recently when a reporter asked me, “How does it feel to be a mentor and role model to so many aspiring designers and future fashionistas?”, did I realize that in fact I was already mentoring without even knowing it…

Therefore, please allow me to introduce you all to a few youngsters I personally mentor, encourage and support on a regular basis. However, I will need the assistance of all of you to keep them on the right path as we all know - "It takes a village to raise a fashionista!"

First up is Taylor:

Taylor is perhaps the most recent youngster to come under my tutelage. Taylor is a hard core New Yorker; grew up the East Hamptons, daughter of a former fashion model, friends with all the right families and social sets, and currently resides in trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Having said that, Taylor has decided to make her own way through life and not conform to any of the stereotypical expectations that a life of access and privilege has set up for her. From the day Taylor walked into my studio decked out in her most recent Derek Lam find (a navy pleated chiffon dress - www.dereklam.com), a vintage classic Chanel bag, a pair of classic pumps and the vocabulary of a truck driver – I knew that we would get on swimmingly. Taylor’s talent really shines in her illustrations and the maturity of her design sensibility. Something tells me that she learned a great deal whilst sitting backstage as her mother twirled the runways of Stephen Burrows, Halston, Fernando Sanchez and many others. What I love about Taylor the most is that she is very much like me in the sense that we have always dreamed of working in the fashion industry. I still pinch myself everyday that I have been able to make this dream come true… One day soon Taylor will share this same excitement and dream…

Taylor's Illustration of Mal Sirrah S/S 2008

Next on the list is my dear sweet Jerome:

I have been mentoring Jerome now for almost three years and he is perhaps one the most talented and confident 22 year old men that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Currently Jerome’s talents can be viewed on a weekly basis as the "head designer" of Kimora Lee’s KLS line which is featured on the reality television show “Kimora’s Life in the Fab Lane.” You would think that all of this would have gone to his tiny little head, but I can assure that it hasn’t… If anything, it has made him even more committed to mastering the craft of fashion design and it is my pleasure to encourage him every step of the way…

Clip from "Kimora's Life In the Fab Lane (I must admit this show is one of my favorite guilty pleasures... No judgment please)

Jerome's Illustration of a Mal Sirrah Spring/Summer 2006

Just the other day we all had a family day out before sending Chanel off for Milan Fashion Week… Chanel of course decided to drag us all to Cold Stone’s Ice Cream for perhaps the sweetest ice cream I’ve ever had in my entire life… What a perfect segue to my next little darling: Chanel Iman

Chanel, Malcolm, and Jerome

Chanel, Jerome, and Tyson P(aka my gorgeous man)

I almost feel as if I don’t even need to go there with you all after my post from last week, but as any proud PaPa would do… Here's Chanel !!!

Firstly, my role as mentor to Chanel is coupled by the fact that she has one of the most amazing women in the world supporting her; her mother – China… Their relationship reminds me very much of Tyra Banks and her mother, Caroline. (By the way, Chanel will be appearing on the Tyra show one day next week so check your listings). Now I know to a lot of outsiders looking in you might expect that the mothers of most under-aged models would always be on the scene… But this is really not the case. A great number of these young models are hand delivered into the mouths of the wolves in this business and this is part of the industry that still gets me in the gut… But I can guarantee you that the support system which surrounds Chanel Iman is impenetrable (this includes China Robinson, Tyra Banks, Jay Alexander, Tyson Perez, Andre Leon Talley, Anna Wintour, and of course yours truly). We can smell a predator a mile away – so if anyone ever gets any ideas – they had better be ready to take on an entire village…

The one thing that I love about my relationship with Chanel is that is not a typical designer / model relationship. To be quite honest, I have only dressed Chanel once and it was for a Yale Award presentation. When Chanel is with my boyfriend (Tyson P) and I, it is never about work for us – it’s our Fashion Free Zone. I don’t want or need her to be Chanel Iman the model… When she is with us it is about Chanel the sweet and well mannered 16 year old girl that has the spunk, energy and liveliness of a whirling dervish. But what she also has is a gentle spirit, a smile and a trademark wink that will melt your heart…

Last on today’s list is my little Jorge:

My little Jorge… I actually met Jorge last summer whilst he was interning for another designer, Alvin Valley (http://www.alvinvalley.com/)… Well Jorge just happened to be at one of my favorite silk suppliers (C & J Textiles) located in the Garment District and he was just beaming with excitement. Jorge has such a sense of joy and adventure that it immediately draws you in… As I am always interested in what gets the next generation excited I immediately started chatting with Jorge… During the course of our chat, Jorge made one reference that solidified that I wanted to be a part of this young man’s journey… At the tender age of 19 he uttered the Gotham City Password – “Andy Warhol”… It turned out that Jorge was a sophomore at Vassar College and majoring in Fine Arts. Jorge had also recently written a paper that was later published entitled: “Andy Warhol & the Psychology of Pop, Psychology 106: Experiencing Art”. Jorge has now transferred to Parsons here in New York and continues to make me extremely proud by pursuing his education and following his dreams…

Jorge's illustration of Mal Sirrah Spring/Summer 2007

Recently Jorge bestowed upon me perhaps the greatest gift a kid can present to a proud parent – A LOGO!!! When I saw it for the first time I cried… I knew that this kid understood every emotion that had ever passed through my body as I continue my journey towards enlightenment… He understood the power of – Red, Gold and Green…