00:00All right.
00:29All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're about to start the show.
00:32Welcome to Essence Fashion House.
00:35Coming to the stage, your master of ceremonies for the evening.
00:40She is a model.
00:41She is a maven.
00:42She is a personality chastity.
00:45Saunders, come on up.
00:48And chief of staff and diasporic engagement, Barku Tubman.
00:58Hey, y'all.
00:59Hello.
01:00Can y'all hear us?
01:01What's up?
01:01What's up?
01:02What's up?
01:03Y'all look good.
01:05Hi, Tracy.
01:07Okay, I can see a little bit.
01:09I'm trying to see everybody.
01:10If you know me, I'm just kidding.
01:13Welcome.
01:13Good afternoon, everybody.
01:14And welcome to the 2023 Essence Fashion House,
01:18where creativity redefines fashion.
01:22And it's all black, and it's excellent.
01:28Yes, yes, yes.
01:30It's not just black creativity.
01:31It's just creativity, because that's what we do, right?
01:34I am Barku.
01:35I am the chief of staff and diasporic engagement here at Essence Ventures,
01:39and I am super excited to be here, and I'm glad that you guys are here with us.
01:43Yes, yes, yes, yes.
01:45Give it up for Barku, everybody.
01:46I am a model and actress, and my name is Chasity Saunders,
01:52and I'm so excited to be here today as your Essence Fashion House host.
01:56We have so many amazing things planned for you guys today throughout the entire day,
02:01because we're going to be celebrating all things that are excellent in fashion.
02:05Are you guys ready for that?
02:07So we've got our amazing fashion talks,
02:10where you hear from some of the leading professionals and the voices in the industry
02:13that are going to be weighing in on all things that are happening in the industry
02:16and the trending topics.
02:18Then we've also got the Soho Market,
02:20where you can shop some of the most amazing black-owned brands.
02:23You guys ready for that?
02:25Yeah, Soho Market is where it's at.
02:27We can't wait for you guys to shop it and try out some new products.
02:30And then we've also got a beautiful art installation.
02:32Has anybody seen the art installation yet?
02:34We've got this gorgeous art installation
02:36where you can learn all about sustainable fashion and why that's so important.
02:40What else do we have, Barku?
02:41So first of all, you've got to find the art installation.
02:45Okay, you've got to take pictures.
02:46And then you've got to use the hashtags.
02:47But Chastity will get to that.
02:48But I always give instructions.
02:51I can't help it.
02:53But there is a lot more.
02:55Because we're excited that there's also our JCPenney Style Suite
02:59where you can get your personalized one-on-one styling tip
03:04courtesy of our fabulous style concierge.
03:07Who's ever done that before?
03:09Exactly.
03:10So you need to do it.
03:11That's my point.
03:13You've got to do it.
03:14Right?
03:14And then we've also got the Strut Virtual Catwalk.
03:18Photo booth courtesy of our partners at Diet Coke.
03:21Give it up for Diet Coke.
03:22Give it up for Diet Coke.
03:24Give it up for JCPenney.
03:25Where you can go and grab the perfect pick.
03:29We all like that.
03:29Plus, a little later on, our partners at Smart Water Alkaline will be teaming up
03:35with one of our favorite style influencers to show us a few fashion hacks for every occasion.
03:40So, are you guys ready?
03:43Yeah.
03:43Let's do it.
03:45And we've got our Style Connect.
03:47So, it's like it's non-stop.
03:49Yeah.
03:49So many things to do.
03:50We're not stopping.
03:51This is an interactive day.
03:52You guys know that, right?
03:53Yes.
03:53Yes.
03:54And the pictures and the socials and all the things that y'all do.
03:57Us Jenzenials that we do.
03:58Like, we want to see them.
04:00Style Connect.
04:01Where you can link up with other fashion creatives to network.
04:05You know, you're growing your network is growing your net worth.
04:08So, you've got to make sure that you do that.
04:09Then all of it makes you thirsty.
04:11So, you can go grab some refreshments from the bar.
04:15And, I mean, I think the better question might be, Chasity, what don't we have?
04:19I mean, did y'all hear all that?
04:21There's so many things that we have going on today.
04:23So many interactive things that you'll be able to get into.
04:26So, we want you guys to really fully take advantage of that.
04:29Here at Essence, we're all about you guys actually connecting with one another.
04:32Getting those photos and making sure that you guys are having a good time New York Fashion Week.
04:36You guys ready?
04:38Awesome.
04:39So, I think you're right.
04:40We definitely have all the things.
04:41But, before we get started, I want to make sure that everyone knows the hashtag for today.
04:45Because you guys are definitely going to be posting, yes?
04:48So, it's Essence Fashion House 2023.
04:50That's Essence F-H-2-0-2-3.
04:54You guys, please make sure to go ahead and hashtag every time that you're posting.
04:59Because we have an amazing social media team here.
05:01And they'll be reposting you guys today.
05:03So, do not forget to use the hashtag, okay?
05:06So, they can find you.
05:07Are you going to use the hashtag?
05:07Y'all want to be found, don't you?
05:08Okay.
05:09You know what?
05:09We are at Essence Fashion House.
05:11And I'm loud.
05:12And I'm proud.
05:13And I'm black.
05:14And I'm beautiful.
05:14And I need y'all to be loud and proud and black and beautiful with me.
05:18So, get loud.
05:19Right.
05:21Yes.
05:22I got dressed up to come here.
05:24Look at Chastity.
05:26I mean.
05:26We put on good clothes.
05:29We did.
05:30Y'all know what it is.
05:31You got to put on good clothes to come out.
05:32Like, it's Fashion Week, right?
05:33So, and you guys look beautiful.
05:35So, give it up for yourselves.
05:36Please give it up for yourselves.
05:38I'm looking out into the audience.
05:39And you guys really do look really gorgeous.
05:41You guys do look amazing.
05:42So, again, we're not stopping.
05:44We want to send a huge thank you to our partners, Diet Coke, JCPenney, Smart Water Alkaline, for their support and partnerships.
05:52At Essence, we always say the revolution must be financed.
05:54And we need friends and partners that are aligned with our mission to be able to do that.
05:58Because we are mission first.
06:00And that's why we highlight all that's excellent and happens to also be black.
06:04And that's just really what it is.
06:05And so, did you guys also, did you all know that JCPenney partners with black stylists and brands like Jason Bolden, Michael Strahan, and 13 Loon?
06:16They've really made it a point to focus on meaningful partnerships with the black fashion community and create a fashion experience for black consumers.
06:25So, shout out to them for doing that work.
06:27And let's make sure they keep doing more.
06:29Yes.
06:30We love our partners that are actually doing that work, okay?
06:33Because not everybody is, and we definitely love partnering with brands that actually are and that invest in our community.
06:38So, definitely give it up for JCPenney one more time.
06:42And, of course, Diet Coke.
06:45It always about thinking about pride and taking pride in your personal style and having your own vibe.
06:51You know, love what you love.
06:53Stay fresh.
06:55Stay fly.
06:56Stay black.
06:58That's all I'm going to say.
06:59I love that.
07:00And you guys know that Smart Water is also having an alkaline water, right?
07:05Y'all know they got the alkaline water?
07:06I actually drank that today, which I needed because we had an event last night.
07:09So, it's keeping me super hydrated.
07:11You guys, make sure that you check out that as well.
07:14Take some waters with you today.
07:15They're always encouraging us, you know, my wear.
07:19So, not just dress well because, as you guys can see, we are all dressed well today.
07:23We got that covered, right?
07:24Y'all got that part covered?
07:25So, it's all about feeling well on the inside as well.
07:28And we know that that gallon of water a day, it can sometimes be a little tricky, but I try to get my gallon of water a day in.
07:33So, make sure when you are doing that, you're doing it with Smart Water and Smart Water Alkaline.
07:38You know, because they're always encouraging us to live well and to stay hydrated and take care of ourselves from the inside out.
07:43So, that's so important so that you have your peak performance, right?
07:46You know, this is New York City.
07:48I live in Los Angeles now, but I'm realizing, like, I got my energy from New York City.
07:53Being back here, I've had to, like, step it up a notch.
07:55So, I love that with Smart Water.
07:57But we also want to just make sure that we're not just posting what we're doing, posting that we're in the gym, posting that we're drinking our water, but we're actually living it in real life.
08:05So, you guys make that pact with me.
08:08We're going to get more water into our system, and it's going to be Smart Water, right?
08:11Yeah.
08:11Okay.
08:12Got to love it.
08:13Well, we're going to be taking just, like, a 60-second break.
08:16We're going to go off and get you guys ready for your first panel.
08:19You guys ready for that?
08:20You guys ready?
08:21You are in for a treat.
08:22You guys are definitely a first treat.
08:23We got some legends coming out here.
08:25Literally legends.
08:26So, you guys get ready.
08:39All right.
08:40Don't move.
08:41We said 60 seconds.
08:43You don't want to miss this next conversation.
08:46Stand by.
08:47Stand by.
08:48We run together like sandbill and lobster.
08:51I feel smart, too.
09:00I feel smart.
09:00All right.
09:02I'm moving, man.
09:02All right.
09:03Let's go.
09:04All right, ladies and gentlemen.
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