On Tuesday at Harlem Stage in NYC, American fashion designer B Michael held his Spring/Summer?2016 Designer Collection showing during?New York Fashion Week.
With front row guests that included Ashford & Simpson’s?Valerie Simpson, Henni Kessler, Tamara Tunie, Phylicia Rashad, Karen Phillips, Mark-Anthony Edwards, Pamela Newkirk,?Sharon Bowen, Amelia Ogunlesi, ?Jean Shafiroff, Flo Anthony, Myrna Colley-Lee?amongst others, the show was dedicated to E?dena Hines, Morgan Freeman?s granddaughter who was recently killed.
SonEdna Foundation,?a non profit organization that?celebrates and promotes the literary arts and writers of all genres and backgrounds in the Delta, in Mississippi, and the world, was also saluted. The foundation?s? programs and residencies support the development and creativity of diverse, divergent, and emerging writers. They champion the essential value of literature by providing a rich artistic and stimulating intellectual environment for writers and the public.??B Michael and CEO Mark-Anthony Edwards honored both Hines and SonEdna for their efforts to promote the literary arts and writers of all genres and background in the Delta, in Mississippi. ?
B Michael and Edwards are no strangers to promoting causes. In December, they were named one of New York’s “New Abolitionists” by the Sanctuary for Families and the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition. And in 2013, B Michael was recognized for his philanthropic efforts when the non-profit educational organization Figure Skating in Harlem honored him at its annual Skating with the Stars Gala.??
Here, in his own words, B. Michael shares notes about this year?s collection:
“New York Fashion Week at the historic Harlem Stage.? The venue, a registered landmark and former water-pumping station, provided a romantic backdrop for the Spring 2016 designer collection.? Beneath an arch of softly glowing tiles, the audience of devoted clients and noted members of the press assembled to see the collection a blend of uptown glamour and downtown whimsy, with silhouettes that meet at the intersection of ballet and hip-hop, reflective of the bon vivant culture of Harlem.? The color palette evokes urban flower boxes, where impressionism converges with urban graffiti, designed for women and men in the present tense.? Cascades of Italian Silk Gabardine, Spanish Lace, and French Silk Cloqu? in Spring hues of gardenia, midnight orchid, blue hydrangea, and bronze spider mum danced from one spotlight to the next.? Empire-waisted sweep dresses underneath wide brimmed hats, trapeze boleros over v-necked sheaths, fluted cuffs, petal trains, and box pleat ball gowns were among the silhouettes that graced the stage to honor a dear spirit E’dena Hines taken from us too soon.” – B. Michael
(CLICK HERE to view B Michael’s designs from the show.)
