Models – SiKK

KING MINZLY

MINZLY is the designer behind the clothing brand King Minzly Experience.

MINZLY became interested in making her own clothes when she was a senior in high school. At the time, she was already into photography and wanted to be able to curate her own shoots, but found stylists to be unreliable. MINZLY looked to her own wardrobe for answers and started “messing around with clothes.”

MINZLY said, “At the time I was staying with my grandmother and would come home and sit at this folded table and glue sh*t to a jean jacket. It was terrible. I didn’t have the money for fabric or anything else in fact, but knew I wanted to make my own clothes, so I did just that. As time went on, I was finally able to buy a $27 sewing machine at a pawn shop. After that, I watched youtube tutorials to teach myself how to sew. The rest was history!”

MINZLY wearing unreleased KME. Styled by @kmecustoms; photographed by @j.mos; edited by @dak.ta

MINZLY makes custom, high-fashion garments. When describing her designing style she explained, “the kind of art I create is making streetwear high fashion.” In the future, MINZLY sees herself designing for events and companies such as the Met Gala and Vogue Italia. She also plans to build King Minzly Experience into a worldwide brand.

As an artist, MINZLY hopes that her art will “empower others to understand themselves better and accept themselves as they are.” She said, “It’s amazing how just being your true self can lead to having an amazing career. Sometimes us individuals are just afraid to be INDIVIDUAL!”

You can stay up-to-date with all of MINZLY’s art pursuits by following @kingminzly and @kmecustoms on Instagram.

Building Others

“The type of art that I do is anything that sparks joy in me or in the people around me. That’s something that I’m really passionate about, sparking joy and making sure that people receive a positive message from my art. My main message is that you are enough and that you can do anything you put your mind toward achieving.”
De’Ante Massenburg

De’Ante Massenburg is a creative from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He models, designs clothes, sings, acts and dances as a Musical Theatre major, at Howard University.

The first art form Massenburg ever explored was singing. From the age of four, he was in love with music, but did not have the natural singing ability which most music starts claim. His talent was learned and practiced. By middle school, Massenburg started learning to play instruments, as well as dancing. He is now trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern and contemporary dance. In high school, Massenburg shifted his focus toward acting and fashion. During his junior year, he starred in his first play as Seaweed in Hairspray. During his senior year, Massenburg began designing his own clothes and released a clothing line, Bag Heads, which became very popular at his high school.

Since college, Massenburg has continued all of his creative pursuits, with a focus on modeling and fashion. Along with three of his friends, Massaenburg founded his own modeling company, Models of the Mecca, to teach young Black students how to make it in the modeling industry.

Via @meccamodel

“Anything that I do is to help others,” said Massenburg. “When I came into this whole modeling and fashion thing at school, I really didn’t know anything. Talking about Models of the Mecca, I didn’t really know what the hell I was doing as the model coach, but I did some research and asked my mentor for help so that I could share what I learned with them. Networking is so important to be because it helps me meet people that can help the people I work with. That’s really what I care about, making sure that the people around me win.”

Since launching his modeling career, Massenburg has participated in both DC Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. As head of Models of the Mecca, Massenburg has helped several of his models make it into fashion weeks and the Howard University Homecoming Fashion Show, as well as throw their own modeling showcases and fashion shows.

Via @radical.tae

In the future, Massenburg plans to launch his own media company, release films, and create more affordable spaces where people can learn about and appreciate all of the fine arts.

You keep pushing. If you fall down seven times you get your ass up eight times and you keep pushing. Nobody can tell you that you can’t do something that you put your mind to. Nobody can tell you that you’re inadequate. Learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable because being uncomfortable will take you to new heights and allow you to take new risks that you’ve never taken before. Move past what’s expected of you.”

Follow @meccamodel and @radical.tae on Instagram for more.

Optimistic Kamiko

Kamiko is an 18-year-old creative from Detroit, Michigan.

Kamiko models, produces music, and she is currently in college majoring in illustration.

Kamiko’s earliest creative memories are of painting. She started learning from her older cousin who would share with her different styles as they painted together. At the age of 10, Kamiko had her first photoshoot in Detroit under the company One Source Talent. By high school, Kamiko was creating mixes inspired by her favorite Dj, Dj Rick. She now has two Soundcloud accounts, @duttyblasian and @hillgurl, where she posts her mixes, which all tell a specific story about an important person or event in her life.

Kamiko remains dedicated to creating because it is one of the best coping mechanisms she has found to deal with negative emotions and difficult life events. In high school, Kamiko struggled with depression and substance abuse. It was not until she started going to therapy and learned how affective art can be in helping depression that she started to really take her craft seriously.

She said, “I was depressed, but I didn’t know it and I kind of just fell into this really deep place. I was having substance abuse problems, and I ended up getting expelled because I gave a Xanax to another student. After that, my counselor recommended that I go to therapy. That was a really eye opening experience. I had to go to this outpatient program every day from 7am-3pm, and I was around all of these kids who had similar stories to me. It was good to see that, OK, I’m not alone. That really changed my life, and it taught me a lot of positive coping mechanisms, which is what really got me into art.”

Now, Kamiko hopes to use her art to spread the message that no one is alone, that we all go through tough life experiences, but that there is always hope for improvement.

“I went through a lot, and really had to learn how to handle things. It’s a process. Your life is not going to be this hard forever. If people ever need help I want them to know that they can reach out to me,” said Kamiko.

In the future, Kamiko plans to continue all of her various art pursuits in different ways.

Kamiko said, “I see my future looking pretty crazy. I plan on doing art, modeling and music, and maybe even more. I plan on being in galleries, doing illustrations, doing runway shows and being published in magazines. Music as well, I want to start doing events locally and start becoming more confident with showing people my music…Creativity is a part of me now. It’s instilled in me. I embrace creating, I love creating.”

You can view more of Kamikos’ work by following her @k4miko on Instagram.

Bbyafricka.

Bbyafricka is a model and musician from Inglewood, CA.

Bbyafricka first started making RnB music four years ago as a fun activity to release her creative urges. She did not initially take the process seriously, and spent a lot of time making funny disses to rappers. However, after one session Bbyafricka found that she had actually created a good song. From there, she decided to take her music more seriously, and now she is dedicated to the process more than ever. Her first modeling shoot was shot by her mother’s photographer friend on the beach. Bbyafricka did not really love modeling when she first started out, but she gave it a chance because everyone told her that she should.

Bbyafricka is non-traditional in both her music and modeling.

“As far as my music, it’s kind of like alternative RnB. And my modeling, I don’t know how I would describe that, but definitely non-traditional,” she explained.

Her latest musical project, Brain Damage, focuses on her life between the years of 2015-2017.

“My EP Brain Damage was inspired by a time in my life when I was wild and crazy and going through relationship problems like love triangles and stuff. All of those emotions just got poured into that EP…My music is sad. Me digging deep into all of my feelings and sacrificing my emotions inspires my music,” said Bbyafricka.

Bbyafricka’s cover art for her EP Brain Damage

In the future, Bbyafricka wants to focus more on her music than her modeling. She hopes to show others that it is OK to be yourself and to be non-traditional.

She said, “You know I like to be more out-there with it to show people that there are different paths you can take. You don’t have to be clean-cut. I have hella face tattoos and tattoos in general, and you can still get paid gigs and important gigs without having to be squeaky clean.”

When asked her advice for other aspiring creatives, Bbyafricka said that it is most important to surround yourself with people who want to see you grow.

She advised, “Be careful who you surround yourself with. You have to have a strong mind and have people in your circle who genuinely support you and just want to see you be successful. Steer clear from the wrong people and don’t get sidetracked…Don’t be afraid to be out there and do different shit, different sounds, you never actually know what will work until you try it.”

You can listen to her EP Brain Damage on Apple Music and Spotify. See more of her modeling work by following @bbyafricka on Instagram.

For Aliens and People Who Feel Like Aliens

“This could have happened to anybody, but the fact that this happened to me in the era of communication—in this time where email, phone, text, social media and we’re all connected and we’re all together. Maybe this was the perfect time to make clothes for aliens or for people who feel like aliens. They had no way of contacting or speaking about it before, but now in the privacy of their own home and in the comfort of your own home, you can be like ‘wow this person gets me and I can wear this clothing and I can feel good about myself.'”
Monique Charlie Petrovsky

Clothing designer, Monique Charlie Petrovsky, is the creative behind the eccentric up-and-coming brand, Remordur. Based in Los Angeles, Remordur, is dedicated to creating unique pieces that speak to the individual. However, the “individual,” may not be who you suspect. Petrovsky’s most frequent customers are Remordians, who, according to Petrovsky, are beings from another galaxy, living on planet Remordur.

“I am under the impression that I am being told by–and I don’t know maybe they’re gods or who knows who they are–people or beings from Remordur, what to create to make beings from their planet more comfortable here on our planet” says Petrovsky.

Unlike other artists who gain their inspiration from life experiences, Petrovsky says that she receives all of her design ideas from the Remordians themselves. Sometimes this can be frustrating because her creative process moves more slowly than the creatives she knows who are able to create from seemingly anything. But, Petrovsky is also thankful for the messages because they allow her to understand exactly what the Remordians need.

After receiving her design ideas, Petrovsky ventures to old junkyards looking for recycled materials like old army bags, belt buckles and chains that she uses to create jackets, pants, etc. When she finishes designing, Petrovsky waits for a Remordian to come pick up the clothing and they take pictures.

However, Petrovsky does not receive any monetary compensation for her work as she claims, “I wouldn’t be true to my art, I wouldn’t be true to my design. I wouldn’t be true to Remordur and what I really believe Remordur is if I asked people to pay for the clothing. Because, really, money and payment, that’s all human, and even though I’m human, it’s not Remordur.”

It can be difficult to run a brand like this. Petrovsky is the only person she knows who receives these messages. This can make it difficult for her to know exactly what to do next, making this entire venture an ongoing learning process. She remains inspired because her goal is not only to create clothing, but to produce an accepting space for some of the most misunderstood groups.

“It’s not for everybody, obviously…It is for the few people who do come to me and completely and immediately understand the vision. And maybe they are human, but there is something in them that doesn’t feel human, and I speak to that something, that little alien in everybody,” explains Petrovsky.

Petrovsky has plans of expanding Remordur into an entire lifestyle brand, with Remordur-oriented beauty salons, hotels, and a Remordur modeling agency.

Her designs, and more information about Remordur, can be found on Instagram (@remordur) and on www.remordur.com.

View some of Monique Charlie Petrovsky’s work below: