iFashion Magazine

09/19/2022

Now that we have seemed to "normalize" ourselves and gotten back to business, I want to take the time and thank everyone that helped put together this issue. Al the advertisers and sponsors that see the benefit of supporting small businesses.

I want to thank my i-Fashion family for holding things down and sharing the special personal moments that occurred this year. I want to thank my wife for having those hard conversations and bringing truth, reality, and clarity to things I was not seeing clearly.
This issue feels like the birth of a new era.
Thank you Malena & David for allowing your daughter to share her story and what it is to be the granddaughter of one of the most iconic figures in American History.

Thanks to all the modes that waited patiently to be featured on our pages. It truly is an honor to us.
Thanks to the designers, Hair & MUA, and stylist for sharing your passion and allowing i-Fashion Magazine to be one of many platforms to achieve your goals.

…And to my photographers, both i-Fashion and not. I have learned to surround myself with people who understand the art of photography and not people holding cameras and faking the funk. You understand how to take an image and put together all the pieces that make that image timeless. I couldn’t do this without you.
For those who purchase this issue, you’re in for a real treat.
I thank you for your continued support.

Lloyd Crawford
Editor-n-Chief
i-Fashion Magazine

Purchase your Copy Here: https://i-fashionmag.com/magazine-2/

11/23/2021

10/03/2021

Fashion Week! This season felt a little strange going to indoor shows and mingling with so many “unmasked” and/or “supposedly” vaccinated people. There is so much desperation for us to get back to the Norm, people are doing anything within their power to get there.

It was great hearing from so many close friends that have recreated themselves in the fashion business. Coming out with new garments and looking at methods that did not necessarily work before and now, with much time to rethink old ways, are taking their talents and skills down a new path.

We started getting calls about two months prior to Fashion Week, asking us to cover shows and guaranteeing us that all safety protocols were being taken to protect all involved. My team of photographers hit the pavement and covered as many events as possible and most importantly, that they felt safe.

One of these events was the Edwig D‘Angelo show which took place outdoors in Harlem. I’ve known Edwig for years, and he is one of the most creative designers I know. Not only are his garments unique, but his show presentations were remarkable and totally unforgettable. He totally understands the art of showmanship. This year was somewhat different. Since the sidewalk was literally the runway, there was no room to get creative with post-production. However, Edwig still rocked the streets. Showing for a full audience, in true D’Angelo style, his creations were nothing more than incredible.

My good friend Clavon Leonard sent me some images and asked if I could use them in the magazine. It was his new collection which he called “Transformation”. You’ll have to look inside to understand and read why. The ideas that came to life in those images, was absolutely cover-worthy. Shot on location in Rustenburg, South Africa, his team of models, photographer, MUA, and all involved, bought life to the images you are about to view.


Back to the streets of New York. Fashion week shows were a great distraction from what was happening in the world. New Shows like Runway 7 Fashion bought additional spotlight to new and emerging designers. Vanny Tousignant International Fashion & Arts show featured designers Sake Made, Jonipermana featuring Kampoeng Tjibarani, Marry Indo Salon by Merry Salmeri, and many others, were done with excellence and stellar production. William Michael Reid’s NYC live was at a phenomenal new location downtown Manhattan with designers such as Malcolm Staples, Laqman Haskett, and a cast of local and international designers.


In support of my Latin brothers and sisters, we were able to publish shows from F.D.L.A. and a special editorial from designers like VENTURINI Couture.


Hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Thank you so much for all your support and stay safe.

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08/15/2021

Long days, fun in the pools and beaches, BBQ’s and lifted Covid restrictions…There are only a couple weeks left until the summer season comes to a close. I hope that everyone had the opportunity to make this summer memorable after a long and difficult 2020.

We decide to showcase the swim and resort wear issue during these final days of summer because we wanted the season in the Northeast to last a little longer and it's always beach weather somewhere so why not celebrate it and live in it as long as we can.

The editorials we featured were designed to give you the feel of what summer designs can be. Yes, there are some that may be out of your comfort zone, but hey… life is too short to not experiment and experience things that you are not used to.

If there was anything special about putting together this publication, it was that it was done without stress, and we were blessed to once again offer the fashion community, and designers, in particular, the opportunity to express themselves in whichever manner they choose.

There has always been a significant amount of feedback from the i-Fashion Team as to what should be published on the pages of the magazine when it comes to swimwear. The main goal is to make sure the images are not too provocative, about the clothing and feel of the environment surrounding the clothing. Also, resort wear is not only about a swimsuit. It’s the complete aesthetic surrounding the environment that was created when you set out to feel nothing more than free.

Thanks to all the wonderful submissions and hope you enjoy the rest of this wonderful season.

Lloyd Crawford
Editor-n-Chief
i-Fashion Magazine
www.i-fashionmag.com

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06/13/2021

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A TRUE GIFT

Here we are, June 2021, on the road to recovery and emerging from what has to be one of the most difficult times in American history. NO, world history. I took the responsibility and got the vaccine, BUT by no means am I living under any false security that I am thoroughly safe. Yes, it is scary being injected with a substance that we are not sure of the long-term effects, but the same was said of the Spanish flu, polio, chickenpox, and many other diseases that ended so many lives.

Normalcy is what we are trying to achieve. It won’t be the same as before for many instances, but as I mentioned before, attaining the freedom to do as we please is a true gift.

The art of fashion is also a gift. Better yet, the art of creating fashion is the true gift. A gift that is driven by a creative vision and having the skill and mindset to execute and bring those creative ideas to fruition. I particularly had fun putting together this issue because we received so many great submissions that were so enthusiastic to show off their many talents.

Readers and friends always ask, “what’s the theme of your upcoming issues?” My answer is always “ART & FASHION.” Whether coming from the view of a photographer, designer, actor, or musician, the passion to create ART through FASHION always comes together as the theme.

And what an incredible issue this is. I want to thank my dear friend Claudinette Jean for sharing her new collection with i-Fashion, and her husband Wyclef for his 100% support modeling for the feature. Creative director Tyrone Mitchell, photographer Gregory Maxx, and their team deliver a classy editorial for Puerto Rican designer Orlando Caquias. Eyewear designer Corey Woods would not let COVID-19 restrictions get in the way of putting on a safe runway show. Ethiopian Model Menal GK, shot with i-Fashion photographer Frank Rivers, showcasing several different casual styles for summer. New to our pages, Avant Protege Photographer Benjamin Huynh created some stunning images which portrayed a sensual summer feel.

There is so much more, once you have this issue in your hands, you will understand why 13 years and counting, we are still going strong.
I am so glad we are getting back to where we left off and will continue to grow our brand, readership, and exceptional content.

As always, thanks for your continued support and Stay Safe.

04/18/2021

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So here we are. 2021. Living the post-pandemic life with new vaccines, new attitudes, a new appreciation of life. Is that true for you also? Do you appreciate the fact that you were given a second chance to do things that you weren’t able to do before or maybe do things differently?

It’s hard to say “Let’s get back to normal” after knowing more than ½ a million people in the US have died and over 3 million worldwide have lost their lives from Covid. Do we really want to get back to normal or do we want to have the freedom to do things as we were before, but differently? I believe the latter of that statement is what we are striving for. I’ll get back to this shortly.

We lost two legends in the fashion world. Rocky Gathercole came from nothing and made a name for himself as the celebrities go do designer. If you needed a standout piece, Rocky was the designer of choice. His garments graced the pages of so many magazines including i-Fashion and his shows covered internationally and were talked about for weeks.

The loss of “Happy Couture” hit close to home. We became acquainted right before her passing, but she made such an impact on us, it was like we knew her for years. “Strong” is an understatement for what this woman was. Battling cancer, she took it head-on and literally designed ‘till the very end. Our photographer, Karl M. Lee, was granted prime access to her studio and became close friends. The loss was hard. Like losing family… The family who had so much more to share and wished we kept in contact more.

So, as I was saying before…What do we want NORMAL to be? We have been forced to move into spaces where we must learn to do things differently. We have learned to communicate with each other in ways that were not common and have made it the norm. We have seen that not conducting the “normal” structure of socializing and shaking hands or hugging a loved one can now be a good thing. We have also learned that we have been given a new form or “NORMAL” whether we like it or not. It’s just a matter of asking… Are we going to adjust or look to continue with ways that may or may not really have been working for us?

As always, please stay safe and do your part to live the new “NORMAL”.

Lloyd A Crawford
Editor-n-Chief
i-Fashion Magazine

11/15/2020

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How will you remember 2020?

For me, it will be remembered as the year of challenges & rethinking priorities. A year of trying to navigate through a world battling a pandemic that has killed over 240 thousand Americans and 1.3 million around the world. We were all trying to cope with the passing of family members, loved ones, and friends. It was the ending of one of the most controversial presidential terms we have ever experienced and watched an industry that I support and grew up in, fall to its knees and struggle to generate dreams, revenue & jobs. So, what exactly do we do now? Do we persevere and move on with the hope that life gets back to normal, or do we shift our thinking and realize that at this point...I must create or reinvent the new normal, not through someone else’s lens or ideals, but my own.

I believe both can be valid outcomes and must be done effectively and in conjunction with your own values. Don’t say fashion is not important and that the world has other things to think about, yet hypocritically, you take the time to look good in-front your Zoom meetings or try to look good while attending “socially distant” gatherings.

What this pandemic did for the world was amplify all our issues and threw them in our faces and said, “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?” Are exactly are you going to wait for? Things to be “Normal” again?...And was normal working for you before or were you just comfortable in that space because you were scared to venture out of your comfort zone?

Yes, I agree, the world does and will always have “More important” issues than models walking the catwalk or what the latest Gucci design is, but fashion and its subset “style” is what evokes our individuality as well as communicates to your colleagues, business associates, friends and family that this is the many faces of “ME” and until you get a grasp of who you are and what you want to portray to the world, you would be living in a shell that no one will notice. Yes, believe it or not, fashion is part of what gives you the confidence to do the work that you find “More important.”

The i-Fashion platform was created as a space to better ourselves, better our communities, and hopefully give allow us to contribute to something bigger than us.

This will be our last issue for 2020 and looking back, it will be hard to forget the microorganism that brought us to our knees but hopefully opened our eyes to new beginnings.

We urge you to stay safe, stay strong, and continue to help one another.

08/03/2020

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For starters, I hope that everyone continues to be safe not only to keep your loved ones safe, but also to keep those safe around you. To those who have lost family, friends and loved ones, our hearts and prayers continue to go out to you.

In these trying times, it is most evident that the George Floyd murder has sparked a nation to come together and protest against the injustice in our American system. The fight is hard, complex and it requires focus, understanding and leadership. In the past few months, I can’t help but reflect on my past and present.

I remember growing as a kid not having a clue what prejudice was until I experienced it in high school. Growing up, we lived in a very diverse area of Brooklyn. We had a family from Greece a couple houses down, Jewish identified family around the corner and a Chinese identified family up the block. My best friend lived right next door, an Italian American, and for all of us race was never an issue. We were all on the same block; we ate together and played stick ball and hide-n-seek without any issue.

Even when some of those families moved, we stayed in touch. It wasn’t until late in junior high school that I experienced the hate some had for the color of my skin. I was spit on, called ni**er and made to think that I wasn’t good or smart enough as my white counter parts. I was arrested for standing on school property when my white classmates were told to go home. The murder of George Floyd brought this all back.

I am a Black man in America; a father to four very diverse children, a partner to a diverse woman and I have the privilege of this platform as the CEO and EIC of i-Fashion magazine. I have pain from my past and I have a responsibility to elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous, People Of Color designers, MUA’s, models, photographers and friends in the fashion industry.

The journey to fix systemic racism is a long one. And I have to believe that if we all continue to do our parts incremental change is possible. Take time to reflect on where you can make that change.

05/03/2020

As of this month, May 2020, Covid-19 has caused over 240 thousand deaths worldwide, the unemployment rate is higher than it’s ever been, businesses are struggling or have closed, social distancing is now a “Thing” and the fashion world as we know it, is at a complete standstill.

But there is hope.

The number of new cases are dropping, the number of reported deaths per day is lessening and society…well society is doing what it can to get back to a sense of normalcy. A new form of normalcy. So what does this look like for the fashion business?

I believe it’s going to be a slow comeback not only for the fashion world, but for society as a whole. THIS NEW REALITY has us second-guessing our interaction with people. In the fashion business, the interaction amongst the different groups to collectively present the final product is so critical; it’s very hard to imagine doing the simplest photoshoot via social distancing. Unlike Corporate-America, where zoom or GoTo meeting has aided us with communicating with one another, it’s just not viable with various aspects of fashion.

But again…There is hope.

Many of my colleagues from different aspects of the fashion world have been taking this downtime to perfect their craft. I hear they are digging deeper into their selected professions and not only finding out how they can perfect their art, but how they can perfect themselves. I encourage all to keep your craft alive within yourselves and come back stronger than you were before this pandemic. Now is the time to figure out what was lacking and have a plan to execute when time permits.

My friends, this is no longer a ME world. If you think that the new normalcy is only about what you can do for self, think again. We are going to have to operate more with each other now than ever before if we want to get close to the life we use to have and if that means to continue social distancing so it strengthens the possibility of enjoying a future summer concert or a dinner with close friends, then let’s operate through a lens of hope rather than haste.

Thank you so much for your support through these unprecedented times and STAY SAFE.

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