eLIFE 242 Magazine ::: Ahead of the Curve

Music, FASHION Culture the 242

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Editor eLIFE 242 Magazine

eLIFE M

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AHEADOF THECURVE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY FARRENO FERGUSON FEATURING RYAN LIGHTBOURN & LAVADO STUBBS LOCATION: THE HILL

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So you’ve made it through the first month of the NEW YEAR! How many resolutions have you broken so far? No worries, though. With each new day we are given an opportunity to make positive changes towards a better life. Challenge yourself to be the best in whatever area you choose to operate. Don’t settle for the status quo; instead strive to be ahead of the pack.

It is with great pleasure, that in this first issue of the New Year, we present young movers and shakers, who are creating and striving in the areas of their passion.

They are talented, driven and unique. They are ahead of the pack. They are making waves locally and internationally…

They are ahead of the curve.

WHAT’S

GETTING UP !

COVERSTORY

THE FILM MAKERS 08

242 E

CONTRIBUTERS Traceyann Perpall - Managing Editor Carissa Rho - Staff Writer Aneka Stewart - Staff Writer James Weech - Staff Writer Chet Kincaid - Staff Writer Vuitton Bain - Staff Writer Uri J. B - Staff Writer Shaniece Pinder - Staff Writer Shandia Mackey - Staff Writer Carissa Rho - Staff Writer Ianthia Smith - Contributing Writer Lamon Bethel - Photographer

12 MAN-UP A ‘Converse’-ation Our Male Fashion Team brings you the latest in foot wear that are sure to fit your daily needs.

SCAN THE BARCODE Using any barcode scanning app on your iPhone or Blackberry .

Welcome to the Future

Dahar Butler - Graphic Artist Eddie Brown -Marketing/Sales (359-2589) Donald Knowles - CEO/Managing Editor To join the team email - info@islandikonz.net FOR MORE INFO 242.454.0264 Copyright © 2010 iKonz Media All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher,nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

The beliefs and opinions of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of eLIFE 242 Magazine or any of its affiliates.

Kastachia STUART

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THE REAL WORLD STILL

EXISTS! WORDS BY

Uri J. B

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now let’s get straight to business, because in 2010 most of us have just been parading around here just looking like mistakes. So before we go

any further into a New Year and new era, there’ll be no time for any ERRORS! Texts, tweets, and Facebook messages have recently become a convenience for us to remain close with distant friends and family. It’s good until we lose its true purpose and decide to live our whole lives publicly behind digital radio waves. Don’t we believe in privacy anymore?

How serious can you be to go and exploit your personal and intimate lives on Facebook and getting involved in pointless beefs?

ERROR! I don’t need to log into Facebook and read this nonsense in my news feed: “ShawnaRaquanda EmpressBossChick Major is in a relationship with Reynardo BossMan MyMoneyTalksForMe Rolle “.

Then to refresh fifteen minutes later it already transitions to: “ShawnaRaquanda EmpressBossChick Major is no longer in a relationship with Reynardo BossMan MyMoneyTalksForMe Rolle “.

Wait; let’s not forget the one that keeps all of us wondering: “ShawnaRaquanda EmpressBossChick Major is in a relationship with Reynardo BossMan MyMoneyTalksForMe Rolle and it’s COMPLICATED “.

Be informed that in a relationship, it’s no one else’s business but yours. Stop posting pictures of you in the bedroom cuddling, because I could only imagine what happens when you log off.

Too late, thanks to Marquinn Carey for that traumatizing experience after he posted pics of his ex-girlfriend’s not so private parts. You might as well post up a video one time! Consequently, you’ll be busy spending your time fighting for your freedom in court, Good Luck !

In all, let’s just downsize digitization to a minimum or where it’s only necessary.

Take a look, walk the streets and it’s obvious that most of us have become addicted to the digital lifestyle. There’s

always a cell phone attached to one’s ear, or an iPod plugged in. If not mobile, we’re just stationary in front of the computer blurting out our private lives and getting into meaningless “beefs” on these addicting social networks. This year, how about we take more time out to actually communicate with our friends and loved ones face on.

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Take a look, walk the streets and it’s obvious that most of us have become addicted to the digital lifestyle.

THE RUNDOWN

WWW.THECSPERSPECTIVE.COM CSPERSPECTIVE

2011 ARTIST FORECAST

WORDS BY

Shandia Mackey & Chet Kincaid

OTHER HOT 242 ARTISTS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

R.A.P.P. Quelle TAP • Sakinah

Bodine • Sosa Man

Dromomania

DASH

SHOWTIME SHADDY

“The Greatest Show” This electro/pop artist is one to keep a hard eye on in 2011. This single, produced by “Sketch” is sure to burn radio stations and I pods alike.

“House Of Parliament” Although he’s made beats for the best of them, it’s been three years since he’s released his own. It’s been a long time coming but this mixtape is more than worth the wait.

One Alliance As exciting a year we had in 2010, we have nothing but high hopes for the music sector in 2011. Amongst the return of powerhouses Beyonce and Lady Gaga, we also await the return of artists like Lupe, Missy and Amy Winehouse.

2011 AT THE MOVIES In 2011, Action movies and Sequels are going to take center stage with movies like, Pirates of the Caribbean, Furious Five and Harry Potter and Twilight expecting to take the box office by storm.

I AM NUMBER FOUR

ACTION

KUNG FU PANDA 2

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Drive Angry : 3D, Furious Five, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Cowboys and Aliens, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, I am Number Four, Sucker Punch The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn; Part 1

DRAMA VANISHING ON 7TH STREET

Unknown, Red Riding Hood, Rum Diary, Thor

ANIMATED

Rango, Kung Fu Panda 2, Gnomeo and Juliet

COMEDY

The Hangover 2 , Hall Pass , Just Go with it, Your Highness Take Me Home Tonight

HORROR

The Roommate, Vanishing on 7th Street, Scream 4,

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INVASION of the

TECH REPORT

WHAT’S IT ABOUT • 2.4” QVGA • High Resolution Screen • QWERTY keypad • 3.5mm earphone jack • 2mp camera • MP3 Player • WiFi enabled

SMART PHONES NOKIA C3 brings news style to the smart phone arena.

When you first take the Nokia C3 out of its box you could be forgiven for thinking that you’ve been sent the wrong device – it looks expensive, has a beautiful metallic finish and a full BlackBerry-esque Qwerty keyboard.

And this is something of an aberration from Nokia, albeit a pleasant one, as its low-end devices usually look, well, just that: lowly, plastic and cheap.

The Nokia C3 is none of these things. The device is beautifully crafted featuring a metal back plate and high-shine plastic on the front, which looks, at first glance like its metal.

The device is also well proportioned, although is marginally bigger than the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and will fit into your pocket snugly. Interestingly, though, the Nokia C3 is actually lighter than the Bold 9700.

Unfortunately, this is where the BlackBerry comparisons end and, because the Nokia C3 is aimed at the “less fussy” mobile user, Nokia has scrimped on both the hardware and software in order to get the price down to a ridiculously low $120.

For instance, the camera, which is 2-megapixels, doesn’t have a flash and while it’s okay in well-lit environments, it’s pretty useless after dark or in poorly lit rooms. n terms of storage, the Nokia C3 has a lot. The device comes with a 2GB microSD card and can handle up to 16GB, so you’ve got more than enough room for your music. It also supports practically every form of audio – MP3/ WAV/WMA/eAAC – under the sun, so there should be no issues with playback.

Possibly the most impressive aspect of the Nokia C3 is its Qwerty keyboard, which is, literally, amazing to type on.

The keys are perfectly spaced and the material is soft to the touch, which means typing long emails and texts is an absolute breeze.

As we said, this phone isn’t especially powerful and Nokia have really scrimped on the both the hardware and software to get the price down to a more than competitive $120, but this really doesn’t matter, as the phone is so good and such a pleasure to use that you really just forget about everything else and simply get on with your day.

This is easily one of our favourite budget phones from Nokia.

We love the price, the keyboard and its looks.

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for breakfast lunch ... or dinner.

Great Food | Great People | Good Times West Bay Street | Nassau, Bahamas | ph. 242.363.3508 www.compasspointbeachresort.com

MAN UP WORDS BY

A

MALE FASHION REPORT

A LOOK AT WHAT’S COOL FOR MEN

James Weech

Chuck Taylor

‘Converse’-ation

Let’s talk about the Taylor Gang I’ve said time and time again, circles and history is doomed to This current blast from the past is “doomed” though.

invasion. As trends go in repeat itself. anything but

While the former preferred basketball tennis were once used (quite successfully) as the premier kicks for hooping, our generation has found even greater use in the fashion world. I mean let’s face it, if you tried ballin’ in a pair of Chucks today, you’re gonna end up retiring your own ankles early.

But humans are resourceful and now we rock ‘em as proudly as Gucci slippers! Partly due to the heavy influence from Hip-Hop allstar “Taylors” such as Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y, to name a few.

The excessively simple design that the Converse brand manufactured has allowed many artists to display their creativity using the shoes as their canvas, and it’s this point that I think make their allure irresistible even in this day and age.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

242 MUSIC

Willis

Lead Vocals

Words by eLIFE 242 Staff Writer | Image by Jay Arie Forbes Young artist VOYCE has been making moves in the local and international music scene in a major way in the past 3 years. As a CEO and an artist on his record label White House-Sagini he has released a number of records to radio and most recently released his first music video. We sat down with VOYCE to find out a little more about his past and where he sees himself in the future.

Tell us about VOYCE.

I’m a guy of different nationalities, born in Jamaica December 19, 1984 to an American mother and a Jamaican father, raised in Florida, The Cayman Islands and then later moved to the beautiful islands of The Bahamas. I’m currently 26 and the CEO of White House Sagini along with my partner Mark Johnson. In addition to me being a singer I also play the piano, any percussion instruments and was taught the guitar by my father and I’m still learning on my own. In my spare time I enjoy relaxing, catching a late night movie or just dinner at any far away spot I dont drink or smoke , not into clubs, because I hate tight spaces.

When did you first become interested in music?

Music became an interest of mine back in 1997 when my choir director found out I had the ability to sing at a different octave and arrange.

So I was placed to lead the church’s senior choir as a junior I was only 12, and thats how I got the name ‘VOICE’, which I then changed the spelling to ‘VOYCE’.

Describe your style of music in one sentence.

Easy Listening music is what I would call it, but it’s a little bit of everything. It’s just awesome music...I hope lol.

What have been some of your best experiences in the music business ?

for me was meeting Virgo aka ‘Doctor Dizzle’, who produced artist like Shaggy, Jah Cure, D-Angel, CeCile, Mr Lynx and more, the dude is super cool.

You released a few projects in 2010, and a music video, how is that going ?

The songs are now available on TuneCore and can be requested on local radio stations from “I Can Feel ft Mr lynx”, “Ooh Dont Give Up” with Nadine Brown and “Jus Can’t Wait” with Ncity’s Believe. As for the video it will be released in 54 different countries and you will be able to now buy and download my music as off February 2011. The video is on YouTube and Garth International Tour, a New York website. [Shout Out to my lovely Publicist Heike Wollenweber]

The music video for the song “Ohh Don’t Give Up” has gotten a lot of attention. Tell us about the process?

Well the song was written as a hip hop song from the yearr before but Mark and I decided to do an Hispanic/Hip Hop version. After that I connected with my home boy Ryan Lightbourn to fly over to shoot the video. He was busy at the time doing Kanye West’s , GOOD MUSIC artist BIG SEAN’S video ‘BULL SH*TING’, but took the time to fly over during the editing process to begin mine. He wrote a script for the video but it was changed after my co star Nadine took ill...so my make up artist ended up playing a role she wasn’t ready for but she did great. The concept of the video changed from a rags to riches concept to a boy meets girl concept.

What is on the agenda for Voyce in 2011?

To create more music and to share my blessings with the world. I have already started on the videos and have a tour coming up soon so do stay tuned.

Producing and working with well known and talented writers , artists and producers all make for a good experience, but what stands out

www.twitter.com/svoyce | www.facebook.com/Julio.voyce.Hall

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FEATURE STORY

242 ARTS

Cur

< LAVADO STUBBS

AHEA THE

Bahamian Film Makers Lavado Stubbs & Ryan Lightbourn take The Bahamas to the world via the medium of film !

One of my all-time favorite movies, Titanic, grossed $1,843,202,268 since it debuted at the box office in 1997. In 2010, the Queen Bee of Pop and the Queen of Weird, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, teamed up to give the public a masterful music video filled with over the top acting, the awkward biting of honey buns and of course leotard onesies in their music video “Telephone” that caught the eyes of 103,210,743 viewers to date on Youtube. Everyday many of us partake in the enjoyment of watching movies, our favorite sitcoms and of course music videos. But we rarely stop to think, what if it were someone just yelling “LIGHTS! ACTION!” Without the “CAMERA!” part, there would be no capturing or bringing to life the many shows and videos that we 10 www.elife242.com

enjoy today. Without cinematographers and directors like Hype Williams and Spike Lee, without the men behind the camera, there would be nothing worth seeing in front of the camera.

A

t first glance, what sets Ryan Lightbourn apart may seem to be his appearance. “Bahamians always ask me where I’m from. They’re always thinking I’m from the states. Bahamians usually don’t think I’m Bahamian, and then Americans don’t think I’m Bahamian.” says Ryan with a small chuckle. His sometimes laidback manner is an interesting match for his offbeat and slightly dark and sometimes outlandish comedic sensibility. This would explain his latest personal creation; a short film called Roid Rage. “Roid Rage is something that I definitely wanted to stand out. I try to come up with the craziest, just most f**ked up thing I could possibly imagine and it’s about a guy with killer hemorrhoids, who goes around sitting on hookers faces and he has to feed them to stop the

itching…” He continues by imitating an announcer’s voice “…and the tagline is ‘Roid Rage: This is one salad you don’t wanna toss’, which kind of just assumes that everyone likes tossing salad.”

Yes. Ryan is quite the character, but don’t be fooled by his comedic antics, he has a serious passion for cinematography and seriously good rap sheet to show for it. Besides the amazing videos he’s done for local artists such as David Hanna and Big AC. He’s also worked with international artists. Does the name Plies ring a bell? Ryan brought his cinematography skills to the aid of the rapper that brought you the hit songs “Bust It Baby” and “She Got It Made” for his recent “Me Ho” video. He is also responsible for the visuals in the “What Ya Doin?” video by Kanye West’s G.O.O.D label artist Big Sean. And it doesn’t stop there…He’s also responsible for breathtaking scenic videos such as “Bahamas In Technicolor” that got over 100,000 views of its first two weeks of posting on VIMEO. True to his lighthearted nature Ryan says with confused laughter, “I literally had people sending me emails that said I made them cry, which I was

rve

AD OF

RYAN LIGHTBOURN >

WORDS - TraceyAnn Perpall PHOTOS - Farreno Ferguson

kinda like ‘What the F**k? How did I make you cry?’ I don’t know…I guess some people are really emotional?”

Equally as talented, but maybe a little less quirky, habitual adder of “know what I’m saying?” to questions is Lavado Stubbs, the director of the duo. Recently, his documentary “After: The Kelly Green Story”, the profile of rape victim Kelly Green, won first place at a Enzian Film Slam festival in Florida. “I was very happy to tell her story and Kelly Green herself; she has so much energy she has a natural glow when you meet her so that was one of the main reasons why we went on to do a documentary.” And like Ryan, he is no stranger to the music video scene either, with his work with Canadian Artist KJ‘s “Repeat” Video being played on Much Music in Canada. “It also got a nomination at the AmericanFree.Tv. One of the goals I wanted to achieve was getting a video on Much Music. Every other video that’s on Much Music is either you know label based, huge label based etc.

So it was a good accomplishment. Know what I’m saying?”

Ryan and Lavado share the common

thread of undeniable talent, creativity and drive. So of course, it is no surprise that these two are constantly collaborating. They crossed paths in Orlando, Florida and worked together on one of Orlando’s buzzing artists, West Fif’s, music video…and the rest is history. Ryan adds, “We work well together. He trusts my vision and with his scripts and treatments I know exactly what he wants shot wise and it is great working with him. It’s like carefree, I always trust that everything is gonna be organized and he knows what he’s doing.”

With their increasingly impressive repertoire, it makes sense that these guys may attract some “bandwagon-ers” or a weird proposal or two. Lavado interjects, “A lot of people I’ve come across are people that ask advice and stuff like that. Because the innovation of DSLR’s , a lot of people, a lot of artists they’re buying their own cameras and attempting to shoot on their own cameras, you know what I mean? This is a whole different issue….” An issue that Ryan is very familiar with. Although he is very happy to help and give advice to aspiring film

makers and artists he adds as he shakes his head that there are some that take it too far, “They think that all of a sudden they can shoot great videos just because they own the same camera as me, but there is so much more involved, you have to know cinematography, you have to know lighting. It takes years of experience before you can be a talented director or cinematographer and make your stuff look professional.”

He continues, “So these guys who were originally supposed to hire me for something start calling me and asking me questions, “Oh why can’t I get it to look like yours?” Blah, Blah, Blah and it’s like… cause you’re a f*****g idiot.”

Ryan holds no punches when it comes to his art and makes no apologies for it.

“I don’t play by the books, I do everything the opposite way that they taught me in film school. I have my own unique techniques, and I don’t think they would work if someone tried to do it exactly the way that I do it.”

Similarly, Lavado shares the same gusto when it comes to getting things done.

Recalling the shooting of the KJ “Repeat”

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ALSO AHEAD OF THE CURVE

AQUEELYAH THOMPSON

Straw Couture! Aqueelyah Thompson makes wearing our native straw bags fashionable with her creative twist on this traditional Bahamian art work.

The line, ISLANTICITY is the fusion of Paris meets Long Island featuring stylish clutches, messenger bags, belts, hats and purses with detailed shell embellishment and lush androsia lining that are the perfect blend of fashion and function. At only 21 years old, Aqueelyah and those gifted hands of hers are set to create pieces that the ladies will stylishly and patriotically wear at their sides. Gucci what? Coach who?

video in Toronto he admits, “We did it in like one long take which is like not much video do it in one continuous take. The funny thing about that too, like when you shoot downtown Toronto you need permits. You need like a million dollars insurance permit.” They got no permit, but they got their shot, almost by a hair though. Lavado exclaims, “Like about 20 minutes after we’d done everything a police car came through the alleyway. I was like wow if you came 20 minutes earlier; shut down…BUH BYE! Everything I’ve done so far I call it Guerilla film making with Ryan it’s the same way its Guerilla film making, really we go on the fly…no permit.”

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COLLAGE

The pet peeve list continues as Ryan and Lavado dish about working with artists who try to haggle or compromise their creative process and integrity. Explaining that many artists try to beat down prices or persuade them to work for dirt cheap, Ryan scoffs, “It’s funny when these guys try to make it seems like they’re giving me a favor by letting me shoot their video, when it’s really vice versa, because they’re gonna get something that looks like it costs ten times what it’s actually gonna cost.”

Lavado chimes in about dealing with artists that try to stifle his creativity saying that Rap artists in particular tend to play it safe with their videos in fear of al-

They made dudes everywhere take a second thought before they rocked tags on their gear.

They made some of us take a second look at our not-so-cool behavior and they definitely made ALL of us let out belly busting laughs!

The members of Collage responsible for the Ò Stop Likin ManÓ viral vid that got over 200,000 views within days of it premiering on youtube are actually not new to the scene.

These guys have been hard at work for years, producing many mini dramas, movies and stage productions. With one of the largest Bahamian viral videos to date, there is no question that this group, founded by Tyrone Burrows and Glenn Sherman, are taking the internet and the dramatic arts by storm.

tering their desired image. But to that Lavado admits, “No matter how you put it.

I tell them straight up, if you working with me, we going creative. We’re not going straight up club, girl shaking a** and all of that, know what I’m saying?”

This creative director has also directed his attention to the world of fashion. Along with business partners from Tanzania, Canada and England he has formed MALKYA a visionary clothing brand that started in 2005 “We just started this line we tried to creatively put together our culture and make sort of a world brand.”

He says.

And he’s not stopping there. Working with more Bahamian artists and with

ADRIAN WILDGOOSE

ItÕ s safe to say Adrian Wildgoose is a pretty darn comfortable with the title of Ò PlaywrightÓ . He started writing in high school, and at 25 years old, his most recent production Ò The RecessionÓ , the gripping tale of a family and nation in crisis due to a great economic crisis, was well received by critics and audience members alike. He is set the premiere the sequel to Ò The RecessionÓ in 2011, that is sure to entertain and grip the attention of the public.

various negotiations with partners in New York and Canada, Lavado plans to stay ahead of the pack.

“I love creativity. I don’t want to be boxed into one category I don’t want people to look at me as a hip hop music video director I want to do country, rock, pop, reggae rap, everything.”

He adds with a laugh, “Know what I saying?”

Yes. We know exactly what you’re saying.

Ryan intends to follow his passion for making feature films although he admits it may not be most profitable, he hopes that his work gets in the hand of the right producers and investors. “Roid Rage” is set to be submitted to film festivals in the U.S, as there may not yet be a market for

If you have what it takes to be UPNEXT send us an email to upnext@elife242.com

and tell us your story !

a Horror Hemorrhoid Film Genre in Nassau…not quite. Work is also being started on his feature length film “Sleepwalkers”.

Additionally, he plans to continue producing videos for Plies’ “Big Gates” label, Big Sean’s upcoming mixtape and hopefully even some videos for the ministry of tourism. “I would like to do some stuff for the Ministry of Tourism; I could definitely provide the ministry with the most cost effective videos that they could ever get their hands on so hopefully some day they get in touch with me.”

For those behind the curve hoping to catch up with these creative and progressive film artists, Ryan adds “If you wanna do anything, you gotta 24 hours a day…”

He pauses and lets out a low laugh, “Well not 24 hours a day, cause you sleep.

At all waking hours where you have any free time you wanna go at it. You gotta just go at it, balls to the wall, you gotta think, sleep, eat and s**t film. You can’t have any distractions. You can’t be going out and party every weekend” Ryan and Lavado gather their bags and head for the door. Replaying his parting words in his head, Ryan stops with a grin on his face and adds, “Wait, it’s terrible my wording there, it’s all over the place….S**T!” The room erupts in laughter and they’re gone…down the steps, around the gate and ahead of the curve.

See RyanÕ s Work @

www.ryanlightbourn.com See LavadoÕ s Work @

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Organizing your CLOSET

The 3 things you should know !

Ask yourself these 3 questions when attempting to organize your closet:

hardly wear. But consider giving them as gifts to a cousin, uncle or even a close friend that they may be better suited for.

1. CAN IT FIT? If you have articles of clothing in your closet that no longer zip, button and/or buckle, its time to say ‘bye bye’. Squeezing into tight clothing will not make you appear slimmer but will do the exact opposite by highlighting unflattering curves and despite popular belief hoarding these items will not help you reach your ideal weight.

Remember ,not because it zips means it fits.

3. IS IT STYLISH? Fads come and go, remember bellbottoms midriff

2. HAVE YOU WORN IT IN 6 MONTHS? This is one of the best assess-

ments on what to get rid of in your closet. Chances are, if you have not worn an article of clothing within the past 6 months you will not wear it in the upcoming 6 months. We have all bought items that we absolutely had to have and when we got it we didn’t know what we were thinking. Whether the sales agent seduced you with luscious compliments or your girlfriend convinced you that the muscle shirt flattered your nonexisting biceps, it almost seems like a waste to get rid of something you

shirts, acid wash jeans and loud graphic tees? Yes, and now lets forget about them. If you’ve gotten your fair wear out of a $25 blouse throughout the 90’s maybe its time to throw it away. Update your girlish or boyish look for a more modern sophisticated you. A good tip to avoid continuously throwing away garments is to buy quality and classics – yes they may be a bit pricier but true value stands the tests of time. Cheaper, ‘fashionable’ clothes last for a season and are quickly replaced. Build a wardrobe reflective of style not fashion.

Give back to your community. Charitable organizations such as the Red Cross, The Salvation Army and The Great Commission are always in need of attire. Encourage your children, family and friends to follow the 3 steps and remember that giving is a reward within itself.

www.phoebeeonline.com | Twitter - @phoebeeonline 16 www.elife242.com

fashionPolice AHEAD OF THE

FASHION CURVE

STYLED & WRITTEN BY

FOR THE LADIES

Vuitton Bain

One year ends, and another begins. We’ve all made our resolutions and goals for the new year, and more than half of us have broken them. But fear not. 2011 has just started so there is ample time to get you on track with the season to come, well…sartorially anyway. With a number of trends about to hit the masses in due course, one may find some difficulty in keeping up. Don’t you fret. We have you covered from perfectly tousled hair to polished toe.

WIDE LEG TROUSERS

Skinny jeans may have to take a backseat this season as wide-leg trousers make a strong comeback. The silhouette is classic, but still offers a bold and sophisticated sexiness to complete an outfit.

CROPPED BANDEAU TOPS

For the first time in forever, you don’t have to feel guilty about wearing such a micro-sized top. Not the best choice for full-chested ladies, but for those who aren’t as “blessed” as others, this is the top for you this coming season. With or without straps and in an array of colors and patterns, it’s the perfect thing to throw on whenever in doubt.

RED SUEDE SHOES

Elvis Presley may have had the one up on blue suede shoes, but Spring 2011 knows a thing or two about red suede shoes. A pair can bring just the right amount of pop to an outfit without attracting too much unwarranted attention.

ROSETTE DETAILS

Though floral prints have been exhausting to look at every spring, a new trend has been emerging paying homage to flora. The three dimensional details offer a fresh new spin on such an age old trend, and you’ll be sure to turn a few heads.

CHAIN LINK JEWELRY

You won’t be added to any chain of fools with these statement pieces. Add a little glamour meets tough girl to your summer wardrobe with chain linked necklaces and bracelets.

NEON LIPS SKINNY BELTS

Big belts are a thing of the past. In fact, they need to become lost in the pages of obscurity.

Skinny is inny and these belts are testament to that. Cinch your waist with something understated and chic.

With an emergence into a season that prides itself on all things sunny and colorful, why not have a smile that reflects that? Put those matte red and deep plum shades on the backburner and welcome neon lips. They’re the next best thing to happen to beauty products and will have a huge resurgence at makeup stands everywhere.

There you all have it. All the trends necessary to make sure you keep abreast of everything you need to stay ahead of the curve this season. It’s 2011! Start the year off on the right foot…just make sure that foot is adorned with the season’s perfect shoe.

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PAID FEATURE

SPECIAL FEATURE

FASHION

Essence of J | Co-Owner Allison Rolle e pieces. of her signatur e 6 on ing ar we priced at $4 t” Se e lac d Neck “The Bejewele

Essence of J

Just recently co-owner of Ô Essence of J Shoes & Accessories LoftÕ , Allison Rolle came into the eLIFE 242 magazine offices to introduce us to her new business in her own words ...

Many ask the question what does the “J” in Essence of J stand for? It is in memory of my sister Jillian who lost her battle to cancer 11 years ago.

She was the epitome of a diva and it was only fitting to establish a business in her memory. It is a family oriented business and it is a brain child of my sister and I. We decided that we wanted to offer a fresh, unique, retro blend of accessories to our clients and as our motto states we offer the most “exquisite selections with affordable prices.” In our world, fashion does not have to come with a high price tag. At Essence of J, we have accessories that cater to every woman’s inner “fashionista.” We carry everything from earrings, rings, bracelets to the widely coveted decorative headpieces. In the months to come we will be introducing trendy hoisery, bags and every women’s weakness...SHOES !!!

A fashion oriented business has always been a dream of ours as we come from a family of entrepreneurs We started the business in November of last year and we are grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to us.

We enjoy catering to our clients so we have developed a special order option which a few designers and some of our clientele have taken advantage of.

We are centrally located in the hub of Jerome Avenue next to the Sign King and our telephone contact is 456-6983. As we have embraced the new age of technology, we are can also be located on face book under the page “Essence of J Shoes and Accessories Loft.”

For more info on Essence of J - Call 242.456.6983 or essenceofjillian@yahoo.com

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To have your business featured email us at info@elife242.com for details

Tips for Setting

Ò

Ò

Yeah baby! that’s what its all about. For me, this is a ton of fun. It’s hardly ever work. This is why I am successful at this.

and Achieving

GOALS

WORDS BY

Shannon Evans

Every year we make resolutions to do better and be better in various aspects of our lives; however, many times we fail to bring those resolutions to pass. So here are a few tips that may help you stick to your resolutions this year!

• Write them down- It sounds simple enough but saying them, tweeting them or facebooking them aren’t enough…put them up somewhere visible to remind you and make sure they’re realistic.

• Pace yourself and know your limits - If you don’t have a significant other now, please don’t look to be married with children in six months.

• Be persistent in the midst of failure - Not everything will work the way you want it to but you can brush yourself off and try again…don’t stop until you get it.

• Track your progress Make a note of what you’ve done so far so that you know what you still need to do and you can differentiate between what’s working and what’s not.

• Reward your progress - Treat yourself to a night out or a new outfit!

Keep yourself motivated after every victory…no matter how small.

• Have an accountability partner Get someone that you trust to hold you responsible for your actions pertaining to your goals • Take it one day at a time - Your plans may not come happen overnight…break the plan up with reasonable deadlines.

They may sound simple but they definitely make a difference. It’ll just take discipline and a desire to get things done. You need that gogetter mindset. You can make it happen!

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KastachiaStuart

is the

brought to you by THE BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB

AGE: 23 • SIGN: SAGITTARIUS MEASUREMENTS: 25-34-37 HOMTOWN: EIGHT MILE ROCK, GB So, tell us about Kastachia.

A faithful friend once described me as an “upright and honorable young lady, whose honesty, consideration, and respect for everyone despite her own circumstances.

Does your name have a meaning? ( It’s different, so we thought we should ask ) Well it doesnt exactly have a meaning but it is a German name.

My mother has a friend by the name of Nastachia I guess she liked the name so she changed the N into a K and came up with Kastachia.

(LOL) That’s the story on my name.

Do you get treated differently for being the pretty girl/model type?

When I was a size 8 I was kind of unseen, people didn’t observe me, and so I just merged into my backdrop. I’m down to a size 5, despite that’s not where I want to be, I’ve detected a noticeable difference in how I am treated. Guys are continuously trying to get at me like am piece of meat (LOL) or talking to me as if I never heard those same lines before “Ey pretty girl, you new around here a, cause I never saw this beautiful face before”, or you have the upscale guys who just want you to be their trophy girl who isn’t allowed to have valid views or ideas.

So if a guy makes a move on you, what should he expect?

If there’s a guy that says hello or smiles at me, being who I am I’ll do the same, but the only problem is it happens at the wrong place and the wrong time sometimes, so they take me as a FLIRT. I guess most guys take it as a flirt because most pretty girls have this stuck up stereotype, but it’s not true. We (well me) are really down to earth and very cultured individuals.

You got the looks, so are we going to see you in more pageants or are you going to pursue a more traditional modelling career ?

I’m a print model so you’ll be seeing more and more of me, but as for pageants...I think the door is almost closed, but not quite (LOL). I’m really not sure, I know I’ll have the support of my family and friends; but a pageant is something one really has to work at. Most people look at the end result which is the show and the crown, but they never take into consideration the months of spending money, traveling, dieting, exercising, practice and HUSTLING FOR A SPONSOR. It’s really not easy it takes plenty hard work and dedication, that being said I’m weighing my options, seeing if I’ll be up to the challenge and to see if it’s all worth it.

Kastachia’s TOP 2

• TOP 2 FOODS: Chocolate cake and Pizza • TOP 2 ARTISTS: John Legend, Mary J. Blige

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• TOP 2 PLACES TO TRAVEL: I would love to one day travel to South Africa and China.

• TOP 2 CLOTHING BRANDS: ASOS and H&M

Photo by Farreno Ferguson (FDOT) Want to be featured ? Submit full body shot and short bio to [ digitalgirl@elife242.com ]

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