Level up magazine Aug/Sept The Art Issue by Level 21 Magazine

MBM

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T h e Ar t Is s u e

Fashion Illustration was a commodity, like fashion journalism,It was for hire and often done for entirely commercial purposes - plenty of advertisements used fashion illustration. Any reader with even a cursory interest in clothes would have instantly recognized the style of RenĂŠ Gruau or Eric Erickson, but more than likely they wouldn't have known their names. For years, it was not respected as an art form.We Believe it is, and have put together some the best fashion Illustrations we could find.Art by Hayden Williams and Mr. Birth Mark.Hope you love this Issue as much as we do! Tempestt Harris, Maresa Scott

Editor's Note

Cont enT On t heCov er

pg.

Phar r el l Wil l iams Char l ot t e Model cal l DCFashion Week

10 St ar r 's St or y- Up next 35 Mar y Kat eand Ashl ey

Feat ur es 28

Digit al ar t by "mbm"

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ciar a Phot o sneak peek Cont r ibut or s Spacial Thanks! f r om Lev el Up Magazine

N 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) Rayyne Phillips(M usic Cam p for Kids) Kal Dawson (Kal Dawson M anagem ent)

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24 t y st at z "so what s new?"

Char l ot t e Model Cal l 2015 Fall/Winter Multicultur al Show (Please wear heels.) WHEN: Satur day, August 1, 2015 fr om 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (EDT) WHERE: Ballantyne - 15720 Br ixham Hill Ave Char lotte, NC 28277

Model Make Up Lessons Flawless Face Makeup with Kilpr ity Sunday, August 16, 2015 fr om 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (EDT)

CHARLOTTE NC Holiday Inn Char lotte Center City 230 N College St, Char lotte, NC 28202

Lear n to per fect your makeup skills with Pr ofessional Makeup Ar tist Kilpr ity, as he demo's a daytime wear able look to a dr amatic smoky eye look. He will be showing you how to pr oper ly Pr ep & Pr ime the face befor e makeup application.

Photo Credits:The TZ studio Hair and Make up: Shajarzade Rodiguez Model: Emma Vaughn

Mor e inf o on t hese ev ent s Visit www.Ev ent br it e.com 4

Laurence Logan - Artistic Engineer/ Owner +1.312.574.0692 admin@thetzstudio.com www.thetzstudio.com Photo Credits: Styling: Derria Underwood www.stylemederria.com Hair and Make Up: Shaunisa T. Styles Models: Shania Bronokowski Brittany Linder

model spread

"You ar e r epr esented by the company y ou keep"

The.TZ.Studio

FASHIONWEEK

LEVEL UP COVERS DC M A GA ZINE FA SHION W EEK

COM E JOIN US! Event Name: DC Fashion Week Model Auditions

Designer fashion show and live entertainment. Free Admission.

Event Name: Fashion Industry Networking Party featuring a Jewelry & Pl ace: Double Tree by Hilton Washington Accessory Fashion Show. DC ? Crystal City, 300 Army Navy Drive, Dat e: Thursday, September 24, 2015 Arlington, VA 22202 @6:00 PM to 10:00 PM Inf o: The official open model call for DC Pl ace: Dirty Martini at 1223 Connecticut Fashion Week Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC Event Name: H Street Festival Fashion 20036. Show Inf o: Largest fashion industry mixer in Dat e: Saturday, September 19, 2015 @ DC with a special jewelry and accessory 3PM fashion show. Free Admission. Fashion show at 7:00 PM. Pl ace: H Street NE (10 blocks for the festival) Event Name: Haute & Modesty Fashion Event Name: DC Fashion Week Opening Show Night. Dat e: Friday, September 25, 2015 Dat e: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Pl ace: National Press Club @ 6 PM to 9 PM Inf o: Modesty Fashions from around the Pl ace: TBD globe hit the runways of DC Fashion Week. Fashion Show at 8:00 PM.* Tickets Inf o: DC Fashion Week Opening Night Required with Pop-Up Retail Shops, NEXT/ GEN Dat e: Sunday, August 23, 2015 @ 12 PM

Event Name: M.E.D.I.A (Metropolitan Emerging Designers & Indie Artists Showcase) Pl ace: TBD Dat e: Saturday, September 26, 2015 @ 6 PM to 9 PM Inf o: Emerging fashion designers from United States showcase together at fashion week. Special music guests perform. Doors open at 6 PM. Fashion show is at 7:00 PM. Event Name: International Couture Collections Show Dat e: Sunday, September 27, 2015 @5:00 PM to 8 PM. Inf o: International designers present their latest collections at DC Fashion Week?s finale event. Pl ace : Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon, 801 k St NW, Washington, DC 20001 Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Fashion Show @ 6:00 PM* Tickets Required VIP Admission (includes front row, deluxe gift bag, champagne toast, and VIP pre-show reception at 5:00 PM while supplies last.) Cocktail attire is requested.

mary kate

M ary Kate & A shley

10Photo 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 swath.

"Stay

Dapper My Friend

The House of LeMond 512 East 15th St. 704- 712- 9531

phar r el l Wil l iams t he80 Mil l ion Dol l ar Man Shar es wit h us his v iews on fashion and st y l e. No t el l ing wher ehe may end up Next !

What is fashion t o you? Fashi on has t o ref l ect who you are and what you feel at t he moment .

What s Next f or you Car eer

Do You Consider 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 encourages you for bei ng di f ferent .They f ree you f rom t he ubi qui t ous nat ure of opi ni on.

Chi l drens Book s.A col l aborat i on wi t h Penqui n wi l l al l ow me Is it t r ue you wear a t 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.

" 16

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(l aughs) 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 .

The80 Mil l ion

Dol l ar man

Pri de your sel f on i ndi vi dual i t y, t hat i s what makes you who you are.

harrell has been amassing his fortune since the ?90s, when he and childhood friend Chad Hugo began producing hits as the Neptunes. The duo had been making music since they met in the seventh grade in their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and after signing a major-label deal, they produced hits for the likes of Blackstreet, Mase, and N.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 major star, setting the stage for a solo career that would peak in 2013, when he sang on two of the 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 richest musicians in the game ? he?s not sitting on P. Diddy or Dr. Dre money ? but he?s doing A-OK for himself. He?s collaborated with just about anyone who?s anyone, and his list of studio 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 two solo 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 Sim m ons "Don't ignor e y our ideas. God placed them in y ou for a r eason"

OnyxMoore

booking Email: Onyxmoore093@gmail.com FB: Onyxmoore Phone: 704-390-3280

about onyx From: Philadelphia Age: 21 Height: 5'3 Hobbies: " I live for color,crazy make-up, and helping people feel loved. I like to watch basketball and paint my nails."

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THE BEST FORM OF APPRECIATION OF A JOB WELL DONE, IS TO REFER OUR SERVICES TO OTHERS. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED DAYS-EVENINGS-WEEKENDS SAVE THE EARTH FOR OUR CHILDREN GO GREEN

COM M UNI TY EV ENTS COMMUNITY DREAM BUILDERS, INC. SPONSORS 6 t h ANNUAL NC MUSIC FACTORY 5K ROCK AND RUN/ WALK EVENT

August 8t h 2015

ommunity Dream Builders, Inc. (CDB) is proud to present the 6th Annual NC Music Factory 5K Rock N Run/ Walk event on Saturday, August 8, 2015. The family-friendly event has become a signature event in Mecklenburg County, promoting community health and wellness and creating community synergies. Over the years, the event has welcomed over 2,500 participants and has become a signature event here in Charlotte.

COM E JOI N US! activities, including: Kids Rock ?N Run 4 Fun Corner, Health & Wellness Pavilion,Massages ,and 5K Awards Presentation.Nettie Reeves, creator of Funky Fit and owner of N?Shape With ?N LLC, will join the Rock ?N Run team this year with an exhilarating pre-race warm-up. Reeves is winner of the President Obama Council on Fitness,

This year CDB will present, Activate the Route, which will encourage healthy lifestyles within low income communities by sponsoring group walking/ running activities leading up to race day. Race founder, Christopher Dennis says, "This program is truly at the core of our mission within Community Dream Builders. We want to provide communities with opportunities to thrive and good health is at the core. We are taking on the challenge to help fight obesity and diabetes."

engages individuals from all walks of life, builds partnerships and promotes inclusiveness within traditionally under-served neighborhoods." For more information, please visit www.ncrockandrun.com About Leaving IT Behind Leaving It Behind (LIB) is a premier non-profit, volunteer driven organization committed to planting seeds of hope and possibility in the minds of at-risk youth. Originating out of the need to address the challenges seen in fragile communities, the organization leads the charge to inspire positive outcomes and empower youth to leave their IT (Inner Troubles) behind, therefore setting the path to accomplish their fullest potential. For volunteer opportunities, please email info@communitydreambuilders.org

Community Dream Builders has also partnered with Label Fitness to sponsor monthly fitness events. These are HIGH energy boot camps and workouts to be held at Label or 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.

Sports & Nutrition Award, Steve Harvey Hoodie Award, among many other accolades. Groups can participate by walking with their children, friends, colleagues, and organizations. Early registration is $25 by August 1; $30 by August 7; $35 on Race Day; registration for kids 14 years and under is $5. Race Day registration begins at 6:30 am and the race at 8:00 am.

The mission of the NC Music Factory 5K Rock ?N Run/ Walk is to promote a positive social and economic impact for the North End corridor. Approximately 1000 residents are expected to attend this year?s event, along with 800+ runners. The event

All proceeds will benefit CDB?s youth program, Leaving It Behind (LIB). LIB was designed to build bridges for at-risk youth by providing constructive community enrichment experiences to foster empowerment to reach lifelong goals. Dennis reflects, "The Rock ?N Run

NCROCKANDRUN

ty St at z b

orn and raised in Charlotte NC, originally bread as a battle rapper. He started out crushing opponents at school lunchroom tables then terrorizing hip-hop lounge lyricist. Eventually elevating to ghostwriting and recording as an independent artist knowing minimum aspects of ??The Game." Years of learning and writing graduated Statz to the title most know him now as ??The Hitmaker??after mastering the art of creating creative hooks and lyrics and putting them both together generating songs that many would call ??Hits." Already talented in the fields of graphic design, video editing & studio engineering, Ty Statz was on his way to success in many fields. Becoming Co-Founder of Chillz Entertainment stabilized a home base which allowed the future and vision to open for the bringing back of good music and creativity once more. Being formerly known as the ??Punchline King??for his battle rapping, he met up with 3 other battle rappers around 2007 & 2008. Naming their group

??S.O.N.S??consisting of Ty Statz, Conceited, Brixx Belvedere and J.Fox, the small group influenced many on the battle ground by stirring up a buzz in demonstrating their battle ability on "letsbeef.com", live battles then graduating to "grindtime' and "smack dvd", battles which are documented on footage on many websites and Dvd?s throughout the United States

and Canada. Ty Statz, also the outcast, grew more interested in songwriting than battle rapping as he did not follow the others but still sticks with them to this day. He sees himself as one of the members and creators of the group. The young Hitmaker worked on his local buzz first and eventually you could find him on flyers ranging from an opening act to head-lining many events in

So What 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. What is the biggest problem that you see in the community today?

continued the city. Winning many events,hosting,video shoots, cameos, interviews and guest appearances, Ty Statz got on the grind to become a better known entity, and is still in the process of growth in the community.

Ty Statz: Police brutality, and black on black crime. Do you think music has an impact on some the problems? Ty Statz: I think music plays a small part. I feel that you don?t have to live a crazy lifestyle to be an artist. Most people think you do. We do need more positive music.

Have you ever met a Hitmaker ? How would you know if you were in the presence of one? After everything is said and done the only thing that really stands is the music.

Where can people find out more about you? Ty Statz: You already know man, www.tystatz.com Source Article (GrindingGearclothing.com)

By:Col in McDowel l

F a s h io n I llu s tra tio n I have, for many years, collected drawings of fashionable clothes from many periods, whenever opportunity and funds have made it possible. They hang in my home and always attract attention and admiration. I also have a collection of fashion magazines going back to the 1920s and when friends are looking at them, it?s always the early ones, with pages of fashion drawings, that grab their attention. In fact, collectors of fashion magazines pay serious money for issues of Vogue and Harper?s Bazaar up to the 1950s ? that is, before fashion illustrations began to disappear from editorial pages. Indeed, as improved colour reproduction and cheap flights to exotic locations for fashion shoots subsidized by tourist boards made photographs of fashion seem more exciting and, more importantly, very much more modern, fashion drawing was deemed unable to compete. As proprietor and editor in chief of Women?s Wear Daily, John Fairchild, in many respects a visionary but in others the Genghis Khan of the fashion world, oversaw a stable of amazing fashion illustrators that included Steven Stipelman, Kenneth Paul Block (referred to by Galanos, Mrs Reagan?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 CondĂŠ 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 naĂŻve 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'

Fam ed Fash i o n Ph o t o g r ap h er Set t o Sh o o t New Co l l ect i o n o f Jesu s i n 2 1 st Cen t u r y W o r l d

By: JESSICA MARTINEZ

amed fashion photographer Michael Belk used to shoot designer ad campaigns that appeared in high-end magazines including Vogue, Elle and Vanity Fair among others, but after much soul searching, he began to use his talent to focus on faith-based photography instead. Now, Belk is gearing up to shoot a second installment of images that feature Jesus living in modern times as an extension to his 2009 project, "Journey with the Messiah." The former project began after what Belk says was a visit from God during his darkest hour. Upon getting past the religious aspect of finding Him, he found that Jesus was not only relevant 2,000 years ago, but also in the modern world, which was a realization that he translated into his work. Belk's compelling photographs captured "first century Jesus" interacting with 21st century Wall Street executives, high rollers, Nazis and people of questionable character; and the second volume of images, (which has yet to be photographed) will embrace a similar theme. "Based on the image concepts that have been developed to date, the 'modern-day relevance' element will be even more obvious than it is in volume one," said Belk to The Christian Post. "As in volume one, I do not sit around thinking up images. Ideas for explaining the messages of Jesus come to me and usually the concept for the image to depict that message follows. I pretty much know when God is sending an idea." The initial project that Belk took on, without a salary, cost $600,000 from his own funding. However, with revenue from those images that have been interpreted into a coffee table book, posters and a DVD, along with donations from the "Journeys with the Messiah Foundation," he hopes to fund the second series of photos, set to be taken in the Summer of 2015.

"Although 'Journeys with the Messiah' has now sold over 12,000 books, thousands of DVDs, posters and is nearing 200 pieces of the original fine art collection, all of that money has been poured back into the project's inventory and marketing," said Belk. "I like to think that we have a well-designed race car that has been around the tracks a few times and is now poised to race into the future. We just need a tank of gas to move on." After taking a hiatus from the first installment of images, Belk says he decided to pick up the project again because he did not want to hold off any longer. "We have had our [Jesus] actor on retainer since the first shoot. He is now 38, and we would like to get the second volume in the can now. Of course, there is never a guarantee that he or I will be around. So, I just feel the need to move forward," said Belk. Once the photographs are published, they will be sold but the foundation will also give them to hospices, hospitals, counseling centers, and prison and youth ministries and other organizations "where having a visual connecting to Jesus will be relevant in someone's life," said Belk.

In the past, his Jesus photography has also been gifted to chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan. He will also tour more than 500 churches in the country to present the images in an audio and visual presentation. Now that Jesus photography is Belkin's new found passion, he is embracing his projects as opportunities to present God to people, which he initially did not expect to be the case. "It was always my plan to produce this project and return to the fashion world. That did not happen. First, the project took so much more time and money than planned. The housing and stock markets crashed in the midst of creating it," said Belkin's. He added, "So, even if I had wanted to go straight back into the fashion world, many clients went out of business during that time and others drastically cut their ad budgets. Ultimately, however, I believe that I was created and trained for this moment in time and I love traveling and speaking to audiences about Jesus through these images."

Ciara

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

To view more from the gorgeous shoot visit www.style.com

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 www.levelupmagazinenc.com Photo Credit:TZ studio Model:Fan-Yun Hsu

up Next issue: St ar r 's St or y: "your j ust a poor bl ack gir l and you ar e ly ing" Fr om Homel ess t o Hopef ul

"Where Faith ,Fashion, and Community Collide"