Cocktails & Conversation with Cynthia Bailey

Well family, I think I told you all in an earlier blog that I ran into top model Cynthia Bailey at Deborah Gregory's Catwalk Book Launch party and that she invited me to a very special dinner party she was having the next day....

I was introduced to Miss Cynthia by our mutual friend Plus Model Angellika as we decided to have some munchies after the "Cover Girl Queen Collection Model Search" at BB King's a few years back. After listening to me run my mouth for a while she looked over at me and said "I really like your energy and your vibe...what sign are you?" I told her I was born on the cusp of Aquarius & Pisces but I consider myself to be a Pisces and she asked me my birth date...which I told her was February 19th...lol...she said "I KNEW it was something....that's my birthday too!!!"... and we have been "kewl" ever since ya'll!!

As it turned out tonight was to be a VERY busy night for The Runway Diva....with Cynthia's invitation....I wound up with a total of 4 events that I was scheduled to make....I decided to start with Cynthia's Party first - mainly because it was over on the East Side and the rest of the events were on the West Side - the invitation I got from Cynthia said that we would start PROMPTLY at 7pm, which was the SAME time that the next event (The Bleu Magazine 2nd Anniversary Party at The Time Warner Ctr) AND it was a Dinner Party/Interview/Photo Shoot - I figured I could duck out at around 8:15 and jump in a taxi and catch the tail end of the Bleu party.......

But alas, it was not meant to be - I arrived at around 7:10pm and as luck would have it - several of the other participants arrived late, so everything was thrown off schedule.

The event was called "Cocktails & Conversation With Cynthia Bailey" (Sounds like a talk show doesn't it?) and it was held at her home on the East Side of Manhattan and it was being photographed for fall 2008 issue of Uptown Magazine (http://www.uptown-magazine.com/),
as I said earlier I arrived at around 7:10pm all dolled up in a Douglas Says wrap dress (because the dress looks great on AND it was just too damn hot for anything else...lol). When I arrived the first familiar face I saw was that of Menswear Designer Renaldo Barnette (I met him at the Catwalk party the night before) he greeted me just as warmly as he had done the night before and I gave him a big ol' hug in true "Runway Diva Style..lol" As I looked to my left and I recognized designer Epperson immediately and I noticed that he was talking to an EXTREMELY HANDSOME Chocolate colored man - I found him and his beautiful gap-toothed smile most captivating, so YOU KNOW I walked over and introduced myself (Cuz, that's just how I do!!!)...he told me is name was Omar and he was also a menswear designer (http://www.omarxomar.com/) former Brooklyn resident but currently residing in Harlem (which...lol...he hates, we're gonna work on that though!)....the four us began chatting as the remaining guests began to arrive and I began to have MEAN hot flash...lol.

Cynthia, who was absolutely breathtaking in a white dress and was styled by another fabulous brother (who joined us for dinner but I didn't get his business card and his name escapes me...forgive love), suggested that I move my position closer to the air conditioner (which I normally HATE but really needed at that moment!) to try and cool off....at that moment the servers (yup! There were servers there too!) began to bring out the featured cocktails of the evening....chocolate & vanilla martinis....both were WAY too sweet for me so I opted for a glass of white wine and took a seat near the air conditioning vent.

Omar & Epperson were kind enough to join me and we got into a lively conversation about the pros & cons of Project Runway...as we talked delicious trays of appetizers (Beef Negamaki, Coconut Shrimp & something on an Endive leaf...lol..that I politely passed on) began to circulate around the room....meanwhile the photographer, who was there when arrived...was busily taking photographs of the entire scene.

As I was chatting I looked up and saw my girl, former fashion editor of VIBE magazine & Style Maven Beverly Smith
walk through the doors all done up in a sexy red dress with some red/leopard printed cha-cha pumps that were absolutely TO DIE FOR!!!! (Miss Bevy has a WICKED shoe game ya'll!)...She was followed by beautiful top model Janine Green (also at the Catwalk party!) and her handsome husband Phillipe K. Doh (who is the President of MAKE Creative Talent Advisors http://www.make-cta.com/)



the centerpiece of the shoot was the beautifully set dining room table where we'd be having dinner. As the "Cocktails, Appetizers & Conversation" began to flow...the remaining guests arrived and Cynthia made an announcement to all take our seats as dinner was about to begin. I found out that Norma Jean Darden (former Wilhelmina Model & Owner of the Spoonbread Restaurants in NYC) was responsible for catering the event. The Chef...(Unfortunately I cannot remember his name at the moment) emerged from the briefly to tell us about the dinner that was about to be served....

The first course was a mixed salad with goat cheese rounds, fresh pears & a light vinaigrette (it was delicious....lol...EXCEPT for the goat cheese....yuck! not a personal favorite of mine). More wine was served with dinner and the conversation turned to the topic of the evening.....FASHION of course! I found myself seated between Kyle Hagler (Mgr, Women's Division IMG Models)


Kyle is the brother in the middle of the above photo and legendary fashion photographer Keith Major ......(Uh...Keith is on the right in the photo below...lol...like you didn't know that already)We talked all through that salad about the disappearance of er...."Color" on 7th Avenue and all through the fashion industry. Of course I continuously interjected about the total omission of plus sized women on 7th Avenue....the salad plates were cleared as the convo continued the main course, grilled sea bass atop a mound of mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus and some sort of sauce on top....absolutely yummy!!! We went around the table and introduced ourselves to the table and briefly explained what we did for living and what our plans were for the future....lol...of course as I got to MY story....folks got a little sidetracked as Miss Norma Jean was leaving and I had to (in my own special way of course...lol) bring the focus back to the table...

The photographer was shooting away and a writer for Uptown Magazine was doing one on one interviews in another room.....

As the dessert was served (a beautiful strawberry tart) the conversations had gotten really lively and we were quickly running out of time....as the event was scheduled to end at 9pm and I looked at my watch and it was already AFTER 9pm...

As my cell phone began to buzz....I went to another room to take Jacqueline's phone call because I had already missed one event and after I finished the phone call...I realized I was well on my way to missing another (Jacqueline was already there and said not to worry...there was nothing happening there....lol)...when I emerged from taking my phone call I saw that Cynthia's young daughter had come home and as I introduced myself we sat for a moment and waxed poetic about the game of Jacks.....okay, okay...so I waxed poetic....she pretty much just listened..lol.

Anyway, as the dinner and the photo shoot wrapped, I said my goodbyes exchanged phone numbers and business cards and headed out the door with Miss Bevy, Omar & Epperson and we decided to share a cab up to Harlem, since we all lived uptown. We dropped off Epperson 1st and Omar second and then headed crosstown...Bev and I began to talk about me and my lil' career and she suggested we stop off and have a nightcap so that she could talk to me further.

We had the cab drop us off at Revival but found that it was closed so we decided to walk a few blocks over to Perk's. Of course as soon as we walked through the doors Bev saw some brothers that she knew (I SWEAR that girl knows some of everyone...lol) Gary & Zachary (who I stopped talking to once he said he felt like I was "Interviewing" him...lol...as if?). I got up and headed downstairs to the bathroom and when I returned a woman and her male companion (who were seated next to me stopped me and asked me where she knew me from....(lol...people ask me that ALL the time now...)

It was funny because the moment, I looked at her...I felt she looked familiar to me to but I couldn't really place her....she introduced herself...she said her name was Hope and then I remembered that I had seen her on TV....she is currently on TV Land's new show for aspiring models over 30 called "She's Got The Look"!!!! Then she realized where SHE knew me from...lol

Well not only is Miss Hope beautiful she is an absolute doll!!! We talked for a long while and we exchanged information and promised to keep in touch! That child has enough energy for three people....I think she's gonna do well in this business....You GO Girl!!!!


Finally after one last glass of wine (now you just KNOW a sista was a lil tipsy at this point) we decided to head on home it was very late and I had missed ALL of the other events that I was scheduled to attend that evening...Gary was kind enough to drop me off at home and I said my farewells and headed upstairs to my apartment.

I KNOW that I am missing a few names from this blog...in particular the staff of Uptown Magazine and I do apologize for that.

Make sure you keep a look out for the Fall 2008 Issue of Uptown Magazine Family!

Thanks Cynthia for thinking of me....I had a really great time!

And Miss Bevy??? You KNOW we must TOTALLY do it again real soon! I learned so much from you in the short amount of time we spent together.....thank you!

And one more thing....the ONLY reason there is no slide show to accompany this post is because for whatever reason....my camera absolutely refused to work...lol...I couldn't even turn it on...but it worked JUST FINE the next day!!

"With every new step I create a new me."