Alas! I can safely check off a near disaster parade experience in New York City off my bucketlist. I often hear from friends about how dangerous the Labor Day parade could be. Often times, I let it fall on deaf ears, always optimistic and glass half full. Well, today begged to differ. What started off with politicians and dignitaries making their customary walk down the parade… luckily long after their departure, soon turned soar. It proceeded with the usual hard thumping, bumper grinding, dance hall style march down Eastern Parkway. Suddenly, what felt like an avalanche, a stampede of paraders started running upwards the parkway, while shouting at onlookers yet to catch on to what was happening, to RUN! The nosy journalistic instinct in me wanted to run towards the mayhem. A lady running towards me, involuntarily grabbed me to run away from the chaos. The moment I broke free, I couldn’t help myself but to wander towards it. I soon learned later that 6 individuals had been shot and in critical condition, and one unluckily person with gunshot to the head. As the saying goes, the show must go on. The parade resumed to regular programing like nothing happened. Only in New York!

How did it come to this?! I’m still puzzled! The parade itself is starting to take on a more commercial atmosphere with TV stations, banks and insurance companies, et.al, now staging floats of their own to march down the parade route. Just about facing the same fate as the Pride March.

Needless to say, will security be stepped up next year? The NYPD is already breaking at the seams with what looks like excessive presence of police at this particular parade. I now totally understand and appreciate the reason why. I just wonder how much more security would be needed to prevent the unthinkable from repeating itself. Whew! God help us all.

For video reel of the parade, please see it on Instagram .

Mayor Eric Adams

Gunshot aftermath

There’s nothing more rewarding in life than giving as supposed to receiving. A handful of media, fashion and social media personalities from various fields took to the catwalk, flurry little fellas in tow, to strut for a great cause. A benefit spearheaded by Rescue Dogs Rock NYC to aid in the rescue of dogs in need of extra love and care, and could also offer the same to potential new owners in need of.

I came out of modeling retirement, joined by my beloved 6 year old daughter Noa, who to my surprise held her own pretty well doing her solo and first ever catwalk opening the show with her assigned flurry little glammed up diva Paige! I never felt more proud as her mama. I was praying she wouldn’t succumb to stage fright! Noa handled it like a professional. I sashayed out, fan in hand with Cleo dressed as Lana Del Ray in her Met Gala ensemble.

Personalities who walked for the cause, also included multi talented Ty Hunter, Avalon Ashley Bellos, Rachel Pizzolato, Richie Rich, Tania Rubis, Evelyn Sato, Lara Eurdolian, to name a few.
I’m very grateful to many of my dear friends who answered my call, bought their tickets and came out to support! I’ll never forget their generosity to the cause. My beloved tribe Ty-Ron Mayes and Mica Hughes did not let me down either, they certainly brought in the party vibe! 🎊🥳🥂😄

Multiple gratitudes to Chance Spiessbach and his production team for putting this fabulous event together. I think their hardwork paid off, despite the heat! And to all the Sponsors who made it possible as well.

Yours truly included complimentary copies of “The Shoeholic” book in the gift bags. 😎
A great time certainly was had by all.

Be sure to watch the event video reel on instagram!

Avalon Ashley Bellos and Ty Hunter

Lara Eurdolian and her dog Charlie Pompom

Celebrity stylist Ty-Ron Mayes and actress Mica Hughes

“Lady Noa”

Richie Rich

2024 ushered in another successful and trauma free Pride March down 5th Avenue in New York City, considering the current political climate dividing the nation. Opinions, religious beliefs, political alliances, et.al, were all kept at bay for a common cause. Everyone, collectively, subconsciously decided to have one of the best Pride March the city has ever seen! Well… not until the nature up in the sky literally rained on the parade. Luckily, it was towards the end of the festivities. Nevertheless, Revelers didn’t let that dampen the mood. Many came prepared with umbrellas and plastic covers.

The march had a steller of Grandmarshalls which included Michelle Visage, Dashawn Usher, Raquel Willis and Miss Major.

It’s important to point out the very obvious extra security measures the city took in ensuring the event wasn’t interrupted. The usual single lined barricades were doubled up! This hindered a lot of corporate parade participants, who would normally hand out free merchants to onlookers, from reaching their target audience. Many of such merchandise littered the inner barricades placed between them. That was a bit of a downer, especially for young kids who had to struggle in grabbing the items.

Hopefully, a better measure could be in place going forward. Better yet, we hope things would return to the normal and more familiar protocol.

Click on images to enlarge.

The video from the pride march is on instagram.

Juneteenth kicked off without a hitch at the New York City Eric Adams’ humble abode, the Gracie Mansion on the Upper East. The people’s Mayor stood proudly on stage to address the eager guests, who had been pre-selected and pre-screened. He spoke intensely and passionately about the current mayhem disrupting the city, endless crime and protest stemming from migrant housing, unemployment, et.al. Mr. Adams made sure to highlight the main importance of the day, the true meaning and historical significance of Juneteenth. A much needed reminder in today’s grim political climate, if I may say so.

The festivities took place outside on the landmark Mansion’s lawn and a makeshift huge tent, which housed black owned business on the premises as sponsors, ample catered sumptuous feast and libations. Guests were clad in their best looks, many dressed in black owned designers. Yours truly was clad in South African fashion of Indebele print maxi skirt and beaded neck ring with matching bag and finished off with blackamoor pin in the turban.

It was rather disappointing not to see the Mayor mingling with the guests, especially after delivering a state of the union worthy speech. He was whisked away through a secluded black curtained section and was out of sight for the remainder of the event. Many guests were not too pleased about it. Needless to say, with the ongoing unrest happening in the city, it’s understandable why he might have been hesitant. Security was paramount.

Nevertheless, a great time was had by all. Happy Juneteenth! Freedom at last! 🥂🎊

Video from the event can be seen on facebook and Instagram.

Mayor Eric Adams’ full speech is here.

About last night… EPIC! If you could ever identify a flamboyant and vibrant pride soiree as what I’d like to call “Pride Gala”, then Alice and Olivia’s extravagant fête last night would be a proper candidate. The Flag Day event was proudly sponsored by the fun and ever so colorful designer of the brand, Stacey Bendet spared no expense in hosting the annual party. Only this time, she enlisted her beloved friend Paris Hilton to perform her latest single to her esteemed guests. Some of the guests included Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Cuba Gooding Jr., Maia Reficco, et.al. Stacey and Nicky, both made it a family affair with their respective daughters in tow to join in the celebration.

The excitement I felt walking into the vast space of Terminal 5 in NYC and seeing a room full of many people i know as friends and acquaintances, I knew instantly it was going to be a fabulous night. It felt almost like a family reunion, if I dare say so myself. Furthermore, I never felt more proud to be an ally of the LGBTQ community. There’s no better time than now to show our love and support for our queer fellow human beings and beloved friends and families. Yours truly, of course me, wore Alice and Olivia sparkly rainbow sequin cropped jacket and matching pants, complete with my afro combed out. I was indeed in my element! 😄😎

A party wouldn’t be complete without swags and delectable grubs and bottomless libations. Stacey made it even more interesting by including beauty and candy station. Sheer heaven on earth! I haven’t been to a party in a long time where guests get to walk into a makeshift pop up store on site and fill up their swag bags to their hearts content. You can see mine in the video reel posted at the link below. I intend to re-gift most of mine to friends who couldn’t be there. Spread the wealth, spread the love. Happy Pride! 🌈😎❤️🙌🏽

Video reel from the event can be seen on facebook and Instagram.

May 20, 2024, I proudly checked having dinner and a dance on the iconic Met Opera stage off my bucket list! My beloved friend BarbaraTober was honored at the legendary instituion for her unwavering dedication and generous philantropic work, and a well deserving celebration of her 90th year. Meanwhile, she doesn’t look a day over 70 with her youthful and vibrant persona! I’m so blessed and honored to have been able to celebrate this great milestone with her, on stage at the Met Opera with the Turandot set as a backdrop! She’s truly a living legend and an inspiration.

To mark such a remarkable occasion, a ball gown simply won’t do. For her, I did what we Nigerians do best, by donning one of my traditional attire & fineries, a sign of respect and admiration.

I had to dig into my wardrobe to unearth one of the 3 outfits I wore on my wedding day for this special night. A Yoruba evening attire made of Swiss lace with gold embroidery, matched with gold jewelry by the iconic Kenneth Jay Lane and finished off with my vintage brown satin gold crocodile bejeweled sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti.
A full Yoruba attire ensemble wouldn’t be complete without the traditional royal sceptre regularly worn by my royal family members back home for centuries. My cousins spared no expense in ensuring I had it readily available, all the way from Nigeria, my beautiful home country. 4 different color variations arrived just in time a week earlier! So expect to see me carrying them about in NYC! 😃
I’m sooo proud of my rich heritage and culture. See the inspiration behind the look, an interview with Joshua Kamei on instagram. #Nigeria #naijawoman

Watch the event video reel on facebook or Instagram.

Barbara Tober

Harry Benson and Barbara Tober

Nikki Haskell

Cece Cord

Dennis Basso

Huguens Noel

I had the honor of attending my very first Nowruz celebration today. I was elated upon getting an invitation via email from the Mayor’s office. Mayor Eric Adams, never one to miss an opportunity to put a much needed stamp on the ever expanding diversity dna of New York City, hosted the 2nd annual Nowruz at the Gracie Mansion earlier today. The official date of the Persian New Year was on March 19, but that didn’t deter the Mayor from hosting the sumptous feast at the people’s house.

Betty Emamian, an avid champion of Iranian culture and traditions in NYC, an active board member and Director of Communications for the annual Nowruz NY Persian Parade, was crucial in organizing what would be the second ever Nowruz celebration, in collaboration with the Mayor at the Gracie Mansion. NYC is home to a vast number of Iranian community. It’s only befitting to have such an event in honor of the community and also to highlight the diverse fabric of the city. Guests from all sectors of religion, such as Persian Christian, Jews, Muslims, non Persians from far flung regions, et.al were all present! The soirée was complete with live Persian band, entertainment, sumptous tasty meals and a prominently displayed Haft Sin, a traditional Nowruz table featuring 7 items of various representation.

It was a very well thought out affair. Prior Mayors before Eric Adams never hosted the feast nor participated in the annual parades! Hopefully this would be a step in the right direction for all future high city officials.

The annual parade is expected to take place on April 21 on Madison Avenue, rain or shine.

A video reel from the event is on Facebook and Instagram.

Eyd e Shoma Mobarak! 🎊🥂🥳

Betty Emamian and Mayor Eric Adams

The Haft Sin

Consulate General, Raushan Yesbulatova, Ambassador of Kazakhstan

I had the honor and privilege of becoming a teacher at the High School of Fashion Industries… just for a day! You can imagine my excitement upon getting the invitation, an opportunity to check “high school teacher” off my bucketlist! I’ve always wanted the opportunity to share my career path in life with young minds, the future leaders of business, politics, fashion and like minded individuals, besides my own young kids of course.

When a board member, Robert Di Mauro reached out to me about participating in the 38th Annual J.J. Thomas Career Day program sponsored by the NYC Mayor and Department of Education at the High School of Fashion Industries, I was in heaven! Teaching others has always been high on my list. Our day began with a mix-and-mingle, breakfast with other guest teachers, faculty members, and Advisory Board, spearheaded by school Principal Daryl Blank.

Other notable industry leaders on hand to share their expertise in various fields such fashion design, fashion marketing & management, art & design, visual communication, photography, and software development, were Constance White, Epperson, Harriette Cole, Patti Carpenter, Deborah Hughes, Keli Goff, et.al. Each of us were assigned individual classrooms. Some came with props, samples of their trades and crafts, etc. I brought along with me one of my coveted shoe shaped handbags, to use in teaching the students the art of craftsmanship, fashion business and protecting their creations using intellectual property. I also focused on fashion publishing and what goes into brand promotion and marketing using my own personal experiences and the valuable results attained.

My assigned class was filled with engaged and like minded students who were eager to learn from my world of business school to banking, music and fashion modeling & publishing. When a faculty member annouced through the building’s speaker to start wrapping up the session, the students asked their homeroom teacher to block out the noise, declaring they weren’t ready to end the class! I felt very touched! Who knew teaching could be so much fun! The whole experience gave me so much joy. The reaction and enthusiasm of the students made it all seem like a dream job. Perhaps, I did miss my calling of being a high school teacher. 😃

High School Principal Daryl Blank

Robert Di Mauro, Epperson, Keli Goff, Harriette Cole and Tinu

Constance White

Deborah Hughes

Some of my classroom students

It’s not everyday one gets a chance to meet a living legend with talents for keen details through a lense! Such was the case last night at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC where a private screening of famed photographer Harry Benson’s documentary was held. The gracious hostess Barbara Tober and Harry’s friendship goes back decades. To watch both trailblazers reunite and share the stories of their early days was beautiful and inspiring.

The documentary “Harry Benson: Shoot First” detailed Harry Benson’s extraordinary journey with The Beatles from the very start to his remarkable presence at groundbreaking historical moments. Such as Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. While some people may have regarded his presence at such incidences as detached from humanity, his photography gave the world a bird’s eye view into those landmark historical moments. The pictures told a thousand words that can not be disputed. Most of his iconic snaps are forever etched in our memories.

Armed with my cell phone camera, in true Harry style, he didn’t miss a beat to direct our selfie with great sense of humor. I’ll forever cherish the experience.

The video reel of the party and Harry Benson’s heartfelt speech can be seen on Facebook and instagram.

Harry Benson

Barbara Tober

Anthony Haden-Guest

Greg Grimes, Jonathan Marder, Gigi Benson

The Blue Jacket Show’s 8th time around the sun was another smashing success last night. A fashionable runway affair staged to combat the devastating existence of Prostate Cancer. New York based celebrated fashion designer Frederick Anderson collaborates each year with Zero Cancer organization to help raise awareness and encourage men of all ages to get tested. Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson was a proud sponsor this year once again, along with Fashion Group International.

The event for the first time was televised via streaming platforms to various major metropolis to viewers around the country. Several public figures such as Billy Porter, who opened the show sashaying down the runway to his widely successful single. Other luminaries included Luis A. Miranda, Jr., J. Harrison Ghee, Marcus Samuelsson, Nigel Barker, Don Lemon, Rodney Peete, whose wife actress Holly Robinson Peete watched proudly from a front row seat. She was later pulled onto the runway by Don Lemon for a proper introduction to the cheering audience.

The energy in the room was electrifying! The turn out was remarkable! It just keeps getting better with each passing year! Bravo to all the participants! For more info on getting tested please check zerocancer.org

Video footage from the runway show can be viewed on instagram.

Tinu with Frederick Anderson and his family.