Essence First-Ever Street Style Block Party & Awards Celebrates Real Women With Great Style During New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ESSENCE today announced its first-ever Street Style Block Party & Awards; celebrating real women with great style during New York Fashion Week.  The day-long extravaganza--fusing music, fashion, art, shopping and food--will take place on September 7, 2014 in Brooklyn, NY, at The Dumbo Archway Under the Manhattan Bridge at Water Bridge and Anchorage Place from Noon to 5:00 pm, followed by a private Street Style Awards dinner honoring four female innovators in fashion: celebrity stylist June Ambrose, actress Tracee Ellis Ross, designer Azede Jean-Pierre, and photographer/fashion blogger Tamu McPherson. During the block party, there will also be special guest appearances by TV personality, fashion designer and ESSENCE Street Style Fashion Show co-host Vanessa Simmons, and multi-Grammy nominated singer Jazmine Sullivan.

"As one of the most popular editorial franchises within ESSENCE magazine and on Essence.com, Street Style applauds real women and fashion taste-makers who are setting the trends and bringing inspiration from the catwalk to the sidewalk," said ESSENCE editor-in-chief Vanessa K. Bush. "The ESSENCE Street Style Block Party & Awards not only puts real women front and center with a unique celebration of self-expression, but adds a fresh, fierce element to New York Fashion Week for fans and influencers alike."

Throughout the day, the ESSENCE Street Style Block Party will feature a mix of music, fashion, art and culture:

• DJs and a live musical performance
• Runway shows showcasing the best of street style, co-hosted by Vanessa Simmons, host of Lifetime's new fashion competition series Threads
• Art installations and curated shopping and eating experiences with local designers and vendors
• Style tips and beauty zone offering makeovers and consultations
• Plus, face painting and fun for the kids!

Partners for the ESSENCE Street Style Block Party & Awards include Chevrolet, SheaMoisture and the City of New York.  An exclusive Chevrolet art installation by designers Kimberly Goldson, Ron Bass, and Melody Ehsani will showcase custom-wrapped 2015 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles--on display leading up to and during the Street Style Block Party.   In addition, attendees can experience SheaMoisture's A Better Way To Beautiful Cosmetics Collection at the Street Style Block Party with trend-setting eye and lip makeup applications.  SheaMoisture will also provide mini massages and hair styling.

Later that evening, a private dinner will salute the ESSENCE Street Style Awards honorees who weigh-in with their personal interpretation of street style:

• Celebrity Stylist June Ambrose as 'Style Disrupter': "My street style is fun & flirty, it says I don't take myself too seriously and style is about expression! I'm happy & when I hit the street I want people to feel what I feel from first glance!"
• Actress Tracee Ellis Ross as 'Closet Crush': "Sometimes I let my clothes do the talking. The theme changes with my mood and my intention, which ranges from bold to understated and sincere, but always expresses my energy. I use clothes to shine or hide. Overall I'm guided by comfort and ease with some flair."
• Designer Azede Jean-Pierre as 'Designer to Watch': "The goal of each collection is to design cool & innovative clothes that our woman can live in. We're always debating whether a garment is both visually interesting as well as practical. The easiest way to discern this is by looking to the street and dissecting the current street style."
• Fashion Blogger/Photographer Tamu McPherson as 'Curator of Cool': "I love observing stylish people. My subjects are an endless source of inspiration for myself and for my readers - Plus it's pretty incredible that I get to fall "in love" over and over again through my street style photography."
• Cast your vote here to select one winner of the ESSENCE 'Street Style Maven' Award from among the 10 chic finalists chosen by ESSENCE editors from previous ESSENCE Street Style galleries and photo submissions from around the country

For more information, visit Essence.com/streetstyle. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essencemag, Essence Online on Facebook and #ESSENCEstyle to see Street Style Block Party looks and photos. 

About Essence Communications Inc.:
Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online.  The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the ESSENCE  Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, the ESSENCE Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 44 years, ESSENCE, which has a brand reach of nearly 11 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African-American women's lives.  Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.essence.com.

SOURCE ESSENCE Magazine