NOVEMBER 2009

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In this MPPN:
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"WHY NOT MEMPHIS?"
Urban Fashion Week by Benqq

models or runway

J
ames Davis has a mission. A mission of style. A mission of excitement. And, for Memphis, perhaps a mission of mercy.

Call it a mission to reduce the instances of trauma when one rounds a corner to encounter headon a duck hunting bill cap cocked atop an unkempt dome perched over a watermellon torso stretching out a dirty T. And all overdue for the rag pile anyway. Your basic walk around look in Memphis.

No wonder a couple of years ago when I passed a Memphis high school where everyone had been driven out by a fire drill, bomb scare, book or something, telling teacher from student was nearly impossible amid casual at home (not even "street") clothes. (Maybe that's the real reason some schools are going to uniforms--to tell teacher from student.)

And maybe that's why James Davis, not connected to the clothing store by the same name, is on a mission, a mission to make Memphis more attractive. And like a kind of missionary from a sartorial planet, he has produced Memphis Fashion Week events, delivering them like crates of food seemingly air-dropped to a needy populace--for the past three years.

Now with a staff of five, a handful of volunteers, and participation of an increasing number of players in the fashion scene in (yes, there are designers in Memphis) and out, Davis has nurtured his annual Urban Fashion Week to a level of recognizability that gets a little ink in slow to notice local media. But it hasn't yet risen, with the exception of a post event four column story by staff writer Barbara Bradley about Dana Kimbrough, a young Memphis designer who prevailed over devastating personal health issues to be on the runway (her designs in picture below).

Davis also did an interview with ABC 24 morning anchor Terence Bates and appeared on Good Morning Memphis with Ernie Freeman and Valerie Calhoun. Next year he's confident the event will begin to garner recognition as a home grown Memphis event. (If that happens, not a small feat for something that has nothing to do with BBQ, blues, Elvis, fairs and retiring preachers, if we may be satirical.)

Hey, news guys, like news flash: UFW was a cultural, creative and artistic event. How come you missed it? Why keep it a secret? Why your ho-hum attitude? Especially you television people. You had a great opportunity to get standups from local designers and pictures of knockout models seldom seen on local TV. Think anybody would be channel flipping on that?

Or maybe you think such an event is not as cool and therefore doesn't "look like" Chicago, New York, Milan and even in Beijing, but, hey, if they don't like what your wearing in the latter they just send you to the State Sartorial Re-education Camp. (Perhaps we should do that in Memphis. The city could set it up somewhere out in Shelby Forest. This might be a great new department for AC, who I hear wears a fresh suit every day.)

This year's participating designers were the Anthony Lawrence Collection, Louisiana, House of Bidall'e, Chicago, EyeKon Klothing, St. Louis and Romas Designs, Little Rock, in addition to Sneek-Peek, L-R Clothiers as well as X-Pressions by DaKimbro and Jacqueline Cole Fashions, all of Memphis. Says Davis, "It blew me away to see that Memphis would be attracting interest from other cities in just it's 3rd year!"

Featured as Celebrity Host were Brian White, of the Tyler Perry TV and movie venues and performing with crowd pleasing fun and style was Miss B Hollywood from Memphis, picture inour event gallery.

The event has steadily become more impressive, according to Memphis designer Jacqueline Cole of J. Cole Fashions and veteran participant of Davis' Fashion Week. She said this year's show in mid October was bigger, "surprisingly" attracting designers from out of state and better attended. model
Styles by Dana Kimbrough, X-Pressions by DaKimbro

Even though called "urban," designs at the show ranged from casual to dress flash. "This was not all urban, not all formal, but a little bit of everything," said Cole, who also acknowledged the show is a great way to show work as well as pick up private design accounts.

But Davis' rationale for calling it "urban" goes beyond a particular style of clothes. Rather, "urban" is about the broad differences and diversity found, as Wikipedia defines it, in an urban area, "characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it." Expanding his marketing theory, Davis goes to the Wiki-pedia meaning of "town" and sites the difference between "town" and "city" in that "...Usually, a "town" is thought of as larger than a village but smaller than a "city", though there are exceptions to this rule."

"SEE!" he emailed us later. "We HAVE to change our thinking. People don't refer to Chicago, LA, New York or Atlanta as a town. So why do we do that in Memphis? There needs to be a BIG campaign to show Memphis IS a BIG city!" declaring he will be launching Memphis' only fashion guild-the Fashion Alliance Network-in the spring.

Davis takes the long view of growing the event, which was cosponsored by Coors Light, Memphis Live! Entertainment, which he owns, and Vann Agency International, which provided the models. "It's kinda like you remember when AM went to FM, when CD went to Ipod, it takes time to for people to catch on." And this year with an estimated 450 attending the runway show, Davis senses its starting to catch on. "Look, I visited other Fashion Weeks around the country and they were surprised Memphis would have a show. They'd say, 'Really?' I say, 'Why not Memphis?'

But this year the market resisted paying $30 for the full four day event, which consisted of separate events devoted to different parts of the industry from networking to the runway show, he admitted. And the new economy bites on both ends. As a producer, Davis had to bring in a cadre of personnel from models to makeup artists for pay, while selling the event to designers at still new show rates. In addition, paid staff handle such duties as volunteer coordinating, PR, designer recruitment and models.

"Designers pay $2,000 in New York to get their work on the runway, but one from New York even resisted at our rate of a few hundred." As in all hungrier markets, Davis says Memphis Urban Fashion Week provided more benefits than the big market venues for way less. model
James Davis, producer and organizer of Urban Fashion Week waves to the audience with Deandre Jones, an EyeKon Klothing designer

Like a ship captain leaning forward in the crow's nest to peer through the fog, Davis looks to the future and sees the first outlines of land. "I love this city for what it can become," he says and with that, said the dates for next year's event will be October 14-17.
From Memphis Real Estate Appraiser X
With this issue, we introduce "Memphis Appraiser X," a licensed appraiser for 15 years

Hello homeowners! Let's start with Ten Things the Homeowner Can Do to Impress the Appraiser (without violating any public ethics or laws).

Simply put, there are some basic steps the homeowner can take to ensure all parties are happy with the final appraisal report.
1. Clean up the home inside and out. A neat and clean property makes the process of inspection faster and smoother so the appraiser doesn't have to look past any poor housekeeping.
2. Remove any obstacles that would block the inspection.
3. Put your pets in safe secure place.
4. Discuss the items of improvement made to property recently so that the appraiser is aware of these improvements and costs. Prepare a list of items and their costs.
5. Freely discuss your neighborhood and what you know about the qualities—the schools, public attributes, etc.
6. If you are aware of recent sales you feel are relevant to the value of your home, do provide a list of such properties to the appraiser.
7. Be courteous but please don't follow the appraiser around while the inspection is conducted. You wouldn't follow the plumber around while he is doing his work would you? 8. If for some reason you need to reschedule your appointment day or time give the appraiser a courtesy call even if you called the lender who acknowledged the appraiser would be notified. I can't tell you the times I have not been notified when I arrived at an appointment and the lender had not bothered to even email.
9. If your home is located is difficult to locate let the appraiser know in advance and provide directions. Even in a world of GPS, newer streets are frequently not picked up on the GPS system.
10. Remember don't ask the appraiser at the conclusion of the Inspection what your home is worth because not only is that a violation of law but the appraiser will not know the answer until the full report is developed.
Finally, don,t be intimidated the processs. Be polite and timely. If you want a copy of the appraisal report, ask for one from your lender, who is the legal owner of the report, (if you are working with a lender and you have not hired the appraiser yourself). Have a question about real estate appraising? Write me!
Next time: What's Going on With Lenders? The relationship of lender, borrower and appraiser in a falling market.

For hanging in homes and offices, waiting areas, restaurants or hotels--sales or consignment, a 25x37 black framed print of photographer Ben Harrison's "Waiting for Spring." Businesses can also visually brand further by placing this image on their customized art magnets as described in the next paragraph. To see more photo art images that can be made into art magnets, click here for details and pricing
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