CHAPTER 24: YEAR OF CONFIDENCE
(a creative direction project)
Creative Director & Curator | Travon Bracey
Muse | VON MARKIE
Photographer(s) | Sunni Xolani Ankh & Tray Latimore
Co-Creative Director | Magic Monroe
Wardrobe Styling | Travon Bracey
Assistant Wardrobe | Tray Latimore
Hair | Magic Monroe
Photo Editing | Travon Bracey
Date of Project: July 18th, 2018
Location(s): 997 Brady Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA (in the area of the Westside Community Art Center (WCAC), 2057 Hollywood Road NW, Atlanta GA (Abandoned Food Market), 2066 Hollywood Road NW, Atlanta, GA (Abandoned Shack), 3353 Klondike Road, Lithonia, GA (near Arabia Mountain National Park Area)
(Sunni Xolani Ankh & Tray Latimore are courtesy of ArtREV: The Hub. Magic Monroe is courtesy of iMAGICMONROE. All rights reserved.)
A Letter From The Muse
I am completely honored to present this independent project to the world. This is a creative direction project that I curated to focus on my current artistic vision as I am growing in the fashion and art industries. I decided to identify the photo shoot as my 'birthday shoot' because I wanted to be a shoot that recognizes my birthday as a new year of building confidence, embracing colors, observing nature, inspiring architecture and redefining my sexuality. I want to thank my photographers, Sunni Xolani Ankh, the Art Director of ArtREV: The Hub, Tray Latimore, my assistant of ArtREV: The Hub and Magic Monroe, Artist/Entertainer of I AM MAGIC MONROE, for putting this incredible project together for me.
Please take a look of Chapter 24: Year of Confidence, along with reading my interview with my dear friend of mines and contributor of ArtREV: The Hub, Cierra Moodly, a native writer of creative arts in Washington, D.C.
I am completely honored to present this independent project to the world. This is a creative direction project that I curated to focus on my current artistic vision as I am growing in the fashion and art industries. I decided to identify the photo shoot as my 'birthday shoot' because I wanted to be a shoot that recognizes my birthday as a new year of building confidence, embracing colors, observing nature, inspiring architecture and redefining my sexuality. I want to thank my photographers, Sunni Xolani Ankh, the Art Director of ArtREV: The Hub, Tray Latimore, my assistant of ArtREV: The Hub and Magic Monroe, Artist/Entertainer of I AM MAGIC MONROE, for putting this incredible project together for me.
Please take a look of Chapter 24: Year of Confidence, along with reading my interview with my dear friend of mines and contributor of ArtREV: The Hub, Cierra Moodly, a native writer of creative arts in Washington, D.C.
What is confidence to you?
Confidence to me is a direction of androgyny. It's a way of telling people that you are bold and bright and no one can't take that from you. All my life I've built confidence in myself but each age I turn, I got more and more confident in my own skin.
I really love this shoot that you produced. Why was it important for you to release this to the world?
I recently got signed to management and I just wanted to release an independent project that my management wasn't involved in to give people an understanding of where my creativity stands. If I was to have my management produced the plan for me, I don't think it would have come out the way that I wanted it to. Not to tear them down because I have fantastic management, but I've been independent for ten years now, and I needed a celebration for it with my name within all over it. So, before the shoot, I told my team to study my craft because it was imperative to be original and create these images. I also wanted to show people that I am comfortable in my own skin.
In the shoot, you showcased this building of steps. What direction were you leaning to when shooting there?
To be honest, that location plus two others weren't part of the original plan to shoot. My team was driving in West Midtown looking for places, and we came across this building and stopped in the middle of the street, and we all were like "Yes, let's shoot there," but the gag is I was scared of heights when I got to the top of the staircase. They were so motivating because had they not been there for me while I was up that high, I don't think those shoots would have ever existed (laughs). But, I think the purpose of that building was confidence. It's the location that we shot the project at the most that day because the building had such a unique structure of color and architecture to it.
How was it like working with Magic?
At first, I was skeptical. Magic is an artist and entertainer, so I knew he had creativity all along, but it is always hard for me to trust someone when it comes to my vision and I was really giving him a hard time during this shoot. However, I am glad that he was there. He did 10x better than I thought he would have. He studied my work and knew what I wanted to look like. That's why I made him the co-creative director of the shoot. I needed him to be my eyes. Looking back, I would work with him again because he's a creative genius. So, I guess it wasn't too bad.
Your assistant also took part in your photo shoot, along with assisting with your wardrobe? What did he bring to the table for you?
I didn't know how creative Tray was until the day of the shoot. In fact, Sunni was the only photographer assigned for this shoot, but it was Tray that shoots the close up photos and the shoot at Arabia Mountain. Once again, I was skeptical, but he shocked me with his talents.
You've been working with Sunni for a while now but been friends with him for several years. Did you see his growth in this project?
Absolutely! Sunni and I already know each other so I didn't fear what he could bring to the table. Sunni is a brilliant person, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. Most of the creativity is under me since I make him take pictures of me all the time and since he's my art director but outside of ArtREV, Sunni is an entrepreneurial breast and had surrounded himself in the creative arts world for a very long time. His growth is beautiful.
You have such an impeccable style about yourself. How did the style come into existence for this shoot?
Initially, the style for the shoot was supposed to have been wardrobe that I bought, but because of last minute stuff, I decided to use some of my stuff from my wardrobe and the leopard print draped-vintage cardigan is actually from Magic's wardrobe. I move by organic measures, so whatever caught my eye, I just decided to use some of those pieces for the shoot. The shades aren't mines either; they're Tray's. But, I feel that my style has grown, but it's kind of still the same as I have always dressed for many years now. Sex appeal was important for me in this shoot because I don't get to show how sexual I am in photos. I don't do it too much, and I think that's a good thing but for this project, it was perfect to showcase the sex appeal look. That morning, I was showing Tray some of the looks, and with the black jeans, I showed him how I was going to wear them, but it crosses my mind until we got to the abandoned shack where I was wearing a crop top hoodie which was already showing my skin. It just worked out at the end of the day. This shoot is so unorganized because I didn't plan what to wear correctly, yet so organic because it all worked out in the end.
What was your favorite location to shoot?
That would be the abandoned shack because of the detailed background and the overall look. But, it wasn't my favorite to shoot at the same time because there were so many fucking flies there (laughs). I preferred the Westside Cultural Art Center because all of the car horns that were passing by as we were taking pictures. It was like I had an audience.
Ok. So I want to go into more details about your career. As you said before, you've been working your career for ten years now, what are some of your proudest accomplishments?
I would have to say my company and the fact that I am now signed is the biggest so far. Before that was showcasing as a stylist in New York Fashion Week back in 2013. I am much proud of myself for that, but I think my most significant accomplishment is my talent overall. I don't know where I got my creativity from, but I feel that I would be nothing without it. It's part of who I am, and that is an accomplishment itself. Ten years seem so long ago, but they went by so quick that it feels like you just got started a year ago because you love it so much, you think is just passing by.
Who are you inspired by right now?
I love Solange, so she always inspires me, but I am mostly inspired by a lot of my colleagues like Demariyon Futch, B Hawk, Curtis Bryant, some of my close friends here in Atlanta that work in the creative fields. I feel like we all can be an inspiration to someone in our lives that isn't wholly famous but their work is widely known.
Confidence to me is a direction of androgyny. It's a way of telling people that you are bold and bright and no one can't take that from you. All my life I've built confidence in myself but each age I turn, I got more and more confident in my own skin.
I really love this shoot that you produced. Why was it important for you to release this to the world?
I recently got signed to management and I just wanted to release an independent project that my management wasn't involved in to give people an understanding of where my creativity stands. If I was to have my management produced the plan for me, I don't think it would have come out the way that I wanted it to. Not to tear them down because I have fantastic management, but I've been independent for ten years now, and I needed a celebration for it with my name within all over it. So, before the shoot, I told my team to study my craft because it was imperative to be original and create these images. I also wanted to show people that I am comfortable in my own skin.
In the shoot, you showcased this building of steps. What direction were you leaning to when shooting there?
To be honest, that location plus two others weren't part of the original plan to shoot. My team was driving in West Midtown looking for places, and we came across this building and stopped in the middle of the street, and we all were like "Yes, let's shoot there," but the gag is I was scared of heights when I got to the top of the staircase. They were so motivating because had they not been there for me while I was up that high, I don't think those shoots would have ever existed (laughs). But, I think the purpose of that building was confidence. It's the location that we shot the project at the most that day because the building had such a unique structure of color and architecture to it.
How was it like working with Magic?
At first, I was skeptical. Magic is an artist and entertainer, so I knew he had creativity all along, but it is always hard for me to trust someone when it comes to my vision and I was really giving him a hard time during this shoot. However, I am glad that he was there. He did 10x better than I thought he would have. He studied my work and knew what I wanted to look like. That's why I made him the co-creative director of the shoot. I needed him to be my eyes. Looking back, I would work with him again because he's a creative genius. So, I guess it wasn't too bad.
Your assistant also took part in your photo shoot, along with assisting with your wardrobe? What did he bring to the table for you?
I didn't know how creative Tray was until the day of the shoot. In fact, Sunni was the only photographer assigned for this shoot, but it was Tray that shoots the close up photos and the shoot at Arabia Mountain. Once again, I was skeptical, but he shocked me with his talents.
You've been working with Sunni for a while now but been friends with him for several years. Did you see his growth in this project?
Absolutely! Sunni and I already know each other so I didn't fear what he could bring to the table. Sunni is a brilliant person, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. Most of the creativity is under me since I make him take pictures of me all the time and since he's my art director but outside of ArtREV, Sunni is an entrepreneurial breast and had surrounded himself in the creative arts world for a very long time. His growth is beautiful.
You have such an impeccable style about yourself. How did the style come into existence for this shoot?
Initially, the style for the shoot was supposed to have been wardrobe that I bought, but because of last minute stuff, I decided to use some of my stuff from my wardrobe and the leopard print draped-vintage cardigan is actually from Magic's wardrobe. I move by organic measures, so whatever caught my eye, I just decided to use some of those pieces for the shoot. The shades aren't mines either; they're Tray's. But, I feel that my style has grown, but it's kind of still the same as I have always dressed for many years now. Sex appeal was important for me in this shoot because I don't get to show how sexual I am in photos. I don't do it too much, and I think that's a good thing but for this project, it was perfect to showcase the sex appeal look. That morning, I was showing Tray some of the looks, and with the black jeans, I showed him how I was going to wear them, but it crosses my mind until we got to the abandoned shack where I was wearing a crop top hoodie which was already showing my skin. It just worked out at the end of the day. This shoot is so unorganized because I didn't plan what to wear correctly, yet so organic because it all worked out in the end.
What was your favorite location to shoot?
That would be the abandoned shack because of the detailed background and the overall look. But, it wasn't my favorite to shoot at the same time because there were so many fucking flies there (laughs). I preferred the Westside Cultural Art Center because all of the car horns that were passing by as we were taking pictures. It was like I had an audience.
Ok. So I want to go into more details about your career. As you said before, you've been working your career for ten years now, what are some of your proudest accomplishments?
I would have to say my company and the fact that I am now signed is the biggest so far. Before that was showcasing as a stylist in New York Fashion Week back in 2013. I am much proud of myself for that, but I think my most significant accomplishment is my talent overall. I don't know where I got my creativity from, but I feel that I would be nothing without it. It's part of who I am, and that is an accomplishment itself. Ten years seem so long ago, but they went by so quick that it feels like you just got started a year ago because you love it so much, you think is just passing by.
Who are you inspired by right now?
I love Solange, so she always inspires me, but I am mostly inspired by a lot of my colleagues like Demariyon Futch, B Hawk, Curtis Bryant, some of my close friends here in Atlanta that work in the creative fields. I feel like we all can be an inspiration to someone in our lives that isn't wholly famous but their work is widely known.