C
assidy Dixion(@workthatcass): a creative director, producer, photographer, director, and Youtber created PREMIERE in 2016. The instagram was created the shoots were shot and PREMIERE did its thing. The uniqueness of the PREMIERE layout of the instagram and the unique models made the group gain traction and a little following.
In 2018 Cassidy wanted to step back from running PREMIERE and focus on her own projects such as CASS Production a video production company that specializes in web series, short film, advertisement, music videos, and youtube productions. The baton of Premiere was passed on to the current president of PREMIERE Chris Williamson, one of the Head Creative Directors Nadirah Alford , and the Editor-in-chief Kyle Mells. They then put together a leadership team of driven creatives.
MEET THE PREMIERE LEADERSHIP TEAM
My name is Christopher Mikhail Williamson, I am a Sophomore International Business Major from Los Angeles, California and I am the President of US Premiere Creative Collective. Premiere is an outlet for self expression for me and hundreds of other young people just like me, so I plan to use Premiere as a megaphone to show the world what a group of creative black kids can do.
Nadirah, Sophomore Fashion Design major from Bridgeport, CT. I am one of the head creative directors as well as project manager for PREMIERE. And I chose to pursue a leadership position because I have a passion for anything that allows creative expression and I believe that same passion can contribute to the success of PREMIERE in the creative industry. With these upcoming months I hope to bring an energy and drive that pushes PREMIERE to be the best it possibly can.
My name is Akil Cooper, a sophomore information systems major, design minor from San Bernardino, California. I serve as the Co-Head Creative Director for Premiere as well as the official DJ. To me, Premiere is a stepping stone; a platform. It provides an avenue for each and every one of us to find, cultivate, and express our creativity to its maximum potential. For many of us, we are at a point in our lives where we can clearly see where we want to end up, however, the method to attain this vision of success is still blurry. Premiere serves as just one outlet to make this process easier and more defined. While we are a group based at Howard, I plan to take Premiere worldwide, spreading our unique culture across the globe. You can not find a group that can offer what we provide anywhere else. We truly are building something special and to be able to have a leadership role in it is a blessing. I look forward to the relationships we build, the work we create, and the lives we change
Hey, my name is Maia Pina and I’m a fashion design major from Los Angeles, California. In Premiere, I serve as Cheif Stylist, a position that goes hand in hand with my major. For me, Premiere not only serves as a creative outlet, but also allows me to network with other artists and creators at Howard U. I hope to expand and take premiere national at some point, allowing us to connect with artists across the country.
My name is Kyle Mells I’m a sophomore Design student from757 VA and I am the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIERE. Ive always wanted to be apart of a group that was made up of creatives so Premiere was the perfect fit for me. I plan to use premiere to showcase the art and projects all our creatives make. I wanted to be a leader for premiere because I wanted to be able to curate greatness and be apart of a movement that will ultimately shift culture.
My name is Meagan Forney. I’m a sophomore music composition major from Chicago, Illinois. Premiere is something so much more than anyone can see with the naked eye. It’s a stepping stone into an artist’s craft. It’s a resource opportunity given to young black artists with the soul purpose to create. And the potential Premiere has is infinite. To be completely honest, I don’t have any strict plans for Premiere. However, my vision for this collective is simply to become a household name at Howard, in DC, and beyond. I want the reputation of Premiere to be able to offer artists a sense of credibility no matter the art form.
My name is Taylor Crosby. I am a sophomore Music Business Major with a focus in Jazz Voice, from Houston, Texas. I am currently the treasurer and one of the modeling coaches for PREMIERE. I decided to be apart of the leadership team, because I am in with love fashion and all facets of art, and what better way to explore and collaborate than PREMIERE, especially with some of the most creative and inspirational people I know.
My name is Tahj Chisolm I am a sophomore computer science major from 757 VA & I’m the head director of the modeling team. I Joined premiere because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. I want to help creatives be able to freely express themselves and potentially collaborate with one another.
C
olumbus, Ohio in a somewhat gentrified and segregated neighborhood, where it costs money to ride your bike in certain parts of a local park, an artist emerges; Joelius Dubois Porter. A digital and fine artist whose talents gave him a 10.8k fanbase on instagram but also admirers from all over. He currently attends Howard University where he studies biology, surprisingly. He currently has over thirty works of art on display via his social media accounts, four of which can be purchased as prints on his website. When meeting this larger than life artist he came off as authentic, genuine, and friendly. His distinguished Ralph Lauren style and Spike Lee-like glasses gives him a classy demeanor that makes him respectably approachable. His gentleman- like style, looks, and digital talents landed him a place in a modeling organization at Howard, Models of The Mecca. While on the model team for MOTM, he has done many shoots and designed their logo, shirts, and countless of posters for the prestigious organization. His work is one of a kind and can be easily noticed as his if seen: colorful, abstract, and detailed. I myself fell in love with his work and purchased a print, in which I have hanging in my room. It was a no question to have him as PREMIERE’s first creative highlight of the month. No doubt he is the Little Columbus Angel.
Why Graphic art? Why not other forms of art? Initially because of the pricing because I couldn’t really get all the art materials, I had a tablet, and my dad came home from work one day and he had this digital pen that he got from this guy from work because he was an artist and because he wasn’t using the pen anymore I just started using the pen and that’s really how i got into digital art. Explain your art in one sentence? My art is surrealism realism. How has your Art changed over time? My art at first was really abstract cubic like, very abstract, but now it’s more detailed. It has more of a concept behind it and not just me going on a canvas and just drawing. What themes do you pursue in your art? Weather its pro black political statements on the political climate of today or just abstract thinking. I like to involving the youth into my art. I like different topics whether it being things impacting world society or just common themes like route 66 or something like that, I would do a play off that. I like twisting things and have people think about it. So like a catalyst for change. Whos your favorite artist?
Who are you, Where are you from, And what form of art do you do? My name is Joelius Dubois Porter I am from Columbus, Ohio and I do Digital art but i’m also a fine artist .
Dolly
On Joelius
Image above: ‘Ghetto Vogue’ Image on left page: ‘Fleeting Youth’
Top: POLO RALPH LAUREN The Iconic Flag Sweater $225.00 POLO RALPH LAUREN Striped Jersey Polo Shirt $89.50 Bottoms: Blue Trousers Shoes: Chelsea Boots
Who are you listening to, musically, right now? Mick Jenkins and Joey BadA$$. I liked the Waters, by Mick Jenkins, his last album wasn’t sonically pleasing to me through the later half of the album but i loved it nonetheless because it was still well produced. Kaytranada is dope. But its alot. What memorable responses have you had to your work? I know as a creative myself getting compliments about my work is one reason I love creating. It was from when I was in highschool one of my cousins friends told me “ You really inspired me to pursue poetry even though you do art, your work inspired me to do a lot through your work please keep it going” That’s all I need I don’t need a lot of validation but its comments like this that are the cherry on top.
Dale are crying, and everyone is just going through it. They are slaves for Walt Disney.
Part One
Part Two
What was the inspiration behind Spent a Lifetime Making Your Dreams Come True, It Drove Us Nuts parts one through four and Stay in your bubble? Oh my gosh oh that one man. I was thinking about the play on Disney characters I did when I was in highschool I did these things called roseboys. Where I would draw Winnie the Pooh when just a whole bunch of roses around him and I don’t even know where the piece is right now not even gonna hold you. I wanted these pieces to basically be a play on Disney characters as if they are real people. Basically they are slaving away for Walt Disney in a sense and making all these cartoons and not getting paid. And that was the motive behind the pieces that’s why Pluto is going crazy with blood in his mouth, Mickey is crying all the time, Chip and
Part Three
Part Four
Right now i’m working on my own manga Glass Tent i’m still working out the details for that. But Stay in Your Bubble was inspired by a picture i saw in tokyo with a bunch of dudes standing around but it just seemed calm and they were all in their own zone even though they were all together, everybody was just themselves in that picture. It wasn’t like everyone was interacting with each other, even if they were they were still distant. And that really what i wanted to show in that piese even with the tiger in the picture for my piese. I just wanted to show each person as an individual. That’s why i wanted people to pay attention to the details in the piece. How did the collab with Raaziq come about and the inspiration behind that? That’s my dude. It started last year. He was my RA so I kind of knew him throughout the year. Then we just started talking and it was more of a “I would send him a piece so he can put his twist on it”. And it was more of a back and forth thing. I would say it was ill do this here and you do this for the concepts and we come up with the title together. It was just a nice process i would say.
What do you dislike about the art world? Its alot I’m not gonna lie. People get too passionate about people or their work, sometimes they put their “views” on thing when they really don’t have any say in the matter. It’s ok to be subjective with your art but when someone comes to critique it it’s “oh they are a hater” but that’s not being a hater. But there is a lot of negative energy in the art world, and people hate things just to hate things. There is to much anti and hating. What do you dislike about your work? Uhhhhhhh i would just say I wasn’t pushing myself with my pieces in the past. Like I can see some mistakes in my pieces that others can’t see. I just try to get better and that’s all it is. What do you like about your work? Oh man there’s a lot. But I love bringing out colors in my work. I just got better mixing colors digitally, I feel like if you can do it digitally you can definitely do it on canvas. Also detail. Pay attention to the details in my work because there are alot of hidden messages but it’s also free for interpretations . Left image: ‘Can You Smile Through the Heartbreak’ By Joelius and Raziq Image below: ‘What Happens When You Hang A Butterfly?’ by Joelius
What is your dream project?
What would you do without art?
What I want to do is go back home and open a creative museum for youth, specifically black youth. For ages 12-25 because I feel in that age group you see a lot of talent, but it can be overshadowed by older artist. I don’t want to be successful when I’m 60, I want to be famous now. I want to do classes, art shows, and everything to help the youth grow as artists.
Nothing i mean life would just be hard because art is all i have passion for I see you wear a lot of Ralph Lauren, Describe your style dressing wise ? What impact has he had on your style or who inspired your style? Classy with a touch of funk.
Name three artists you’d like to be compared to. None. But if any I would say maybe…….. Dolly, Monne, Jacob Lawrence
‘Speaking Tongues’ Make sure to check him out on Instagram @joeliusdubois
‘ I Lost My Soul On Route 66
“Love Horizon’
‘
‘Feline Sensez’
SkullCandy’
‘ Fortune Comes To The Bold”
Christian DIOR Maria Grazia Chiuri is changing the way a fashion show can be by bringing in dancers that interacted with the models. The dancers were modern dancers of the Pina Bausch, Martha Graham, and Isadora Duncan variety, which is different from anything a fashion show as such a high caliber has ever seen.
Gucci Alessandro Michele brought Gucci to Paris Fashion Week with fabulous clothes but also a performance by Jane Birkin, the English singer and actor, who performed her song Baby Alone in Babylon.
Saint Laurent Anthoney Vaccarello, creative director of Saint Laurent, had one of the most entuned to current society shows at Paris Fashion Week. With the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in the United States over shadowed the week of fashion it was a breath of fresh air to watch and see the showcasing Saint Laurent’s collection. Vaccarello’s collection showed women empowerment and put an emphasis on “what do women want, how they want to dress, and how they want to express themselves”-Anthoney Vaccarello
OFF WHITE Maison Margiela John Galliano, Creative Director at Margiela since 2014, has changed fashion with the 2019 spring collection and show. The collection showcased Freedom of expression and gender Fluidity with women in suits and men were in skirts. This will forever change Menswear and Womenswear and how we separate them, or don’t. “There are no rulesyou write the book”- John Galliano.
Virgil Abloh, head of Off White and Head designer at house of Vuitton, the man of many talents and also one of the most celebrated designers this year gave a collection that was a win for women in sports. This collection, named Track and Field, had lots of active wear that were modeled by female athletes like the sprinter English Gardner, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and high jumper Cecilia Yeung. The collection was colorful and had Nike collaborations throughout the collection.
Givenchy This show was very important to Clare Waight Keller, head designer of Givenchy. She just designed Meghan Markle’s dress for the Royal wedding. This show showed her personality and understanding of the fashion industry of today. She really stuck to her own and keyed in on women power. The show had strong women pieces with menswear in the minority. One of the most impowering collections of Givenchy.
Celine Hedi Silmone’s first collection with Celine took an entirely different direction from previous Celine collection, and for the better. His outlook on the new wave of acceptance of fluid sexuality is shown in this collection with models being man or female wearing unisex clothing. “The entire wardrobe worn by the male models are unisex, and therefore will be available for women.”- Hedi Silmone. This show showed Silmone being genuine and staying true to self.
Alexander McQueen Sarah Burton shows more of the crafting of fashion to Paris Fashion Week, by having more details with the embroidering, the handwork, and other hidden details. Burton states “this collection was about sisterhood, about women’s milestones and rituals.” This McQueen collection followed the theme of women empowerment like many other collections at Paris Fashion week.
