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Welcome To The BIPOC Wall of Fame!
Audrey Smaltz
In the fast-paced world of fashion, few have the power to adapt to meet the ever-changing trends. Yet, with remarkable foresight and inventiveness, Audrey Smaltz has not only endured but thrived. After more than 60 years in the fashion industry, she has created a niche that secures her place as one of fashion’s most innovative entrepreneurs.
A proud New York native, Smaltz was born in 1937 and grew up in Harlem River Houses, a promising urban enclave that was also the childhood residence of the prominent psychiatrist Dr. Alvin Poussaint and the civil right leader Bob Moses. After attending the Harriet Beecher Stowe Girls Junior High School, Smaltz entered New York City’s High School of Music and Art. At age 16, she was offered her first modeling job with the then- New York Giants as one of Willie Mays’s “Say Hey” girls, booked by the late Mrs. Ophelia Devore of the Del Marco Model Agency. She later earned her B.A. from City College of New York and worked for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, she but continued to pursue her career as a model and fashion commentator.
Smaltz began to find her true footing in the fashion world when she was hired as a model and salesperson at Bloomingdale’s in 1962, and then two years later became an assistant fashion coordinator. In 1965, she accepted a position with Lane Bryant Tall Gals, working as a model, buyer, and fashion coordinator.
In 1970 Smaltz was hired as the Fashion Editor for the Ebony Magazine and commentator at the Ebony Fashion Fair in Chicago. Her exquisite style, irresistible charm, and down- to earth humor made her an instant hit on the fashion show circuit. Furthermore, Smaltz had a keen eye for clothes, something she honed on her trips to Europe with Fashion Fair’s founder, Eunice Johnson.
She also had a knack for turning adversity into opportunity. As Ebony magazine’s fashion reporter, she was often stuck in bad seats- or offered no seat at all- at European fashion shows. Undaunted, she went backstage to inspect the clothes and seeing the chaos behind the scenes, she recognized an immediate need in the fashion industry. In 1977 she started The Ground Crew, a management team that handles every detail of backstage operations, including dressing the models to perfection. The name, “The Ground Crew®, is inspired by a 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech from Martin Luther King in which he states
“Every time I take a flight, I am always reminded of the people who make a successful journey possible- the known pilots and the unknown ground crew. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jets flights to freedom could never have left the earth.”
Since 1982, The Ground Crew has worked for some of fashion’s top designers, including Giorgio Armani, Jason Wu, Donna Karan, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Michael Kors, Kanye West, Stephen Burrows, and Vera Wang, among others. Celebrities such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Jackie Joyner Kersey have also enlisted the outfit’s talents.
Smaltz herself has worked with numerous major corporations, among them Macy’s, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Vogue, Black Entertainment Television, Kmart. She was a contributing editor to Vogue, Mirabella, and Mode magazines and a board member of the Black Fashion Museum, Dress for Success Worldwide, the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, and Fashion Group International, and BRAG. She has also appeared on QVC, Oprah Winfrey, and the Today Show, just to name a few.
In the fickle world of fashion, Smaltz has proven her staying power time and time again. More than a polished fashionista, she possesses business acumen and adaptability that are as sharp as her style. Her revolutionary approach paves the way for other enterprising fashion entrepreneurs, as well as giving inspiring makeup artists and stylists invaluable exposure. Equally important, it brings much–needed order and grace to an often- chaotic industry. After all, as Smaltz and her indispensable Ground Crew have demonstrated, beauty begins “behind the seams.”
A proud New York native, Smaltz was born in 1937 and grew up in Harlem River Houses, a promising urban enclave that was also the childhood residence of the prominent psychiatrist Dr. Alvin Poussaint and the civil right leader Bob Moses. After attending the Harriet Beecher Stowe Girls Junior High School, Smaltz entered New York City’s High School of Music and Art. At age 16, she was offered her first modeling job with the then- New York Giants as one of Willie Mays’s “Say Hey” girls, booked by the late Mrs. Ophelia Devore of the Del Marco Model Agency. She later earned her B.A. from City College of New York and worked for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, she but continued to pursue her career as a model and fashion commentator.
Smaltz began to find her true footing in the fashion world when she was hired as a model and salesperson at Bloomingdale’s in 1962, and then two years later became an assistant fashion coordinator. In 1965, she accepted a position with Lane Bryant Tall Gals, working as a model, buyer, and fashion coordinator.
In 1970 Smaltz was hired as the Fashion Editor for the Ebony Magazine and commentator at the Ebony Fashion Fair in Chicago. Her exquisite style, irresistible charm, and down- to earth humor made her an instant hit on the fashion show circuit. Furthermore, Smaltz had a keen eye for clothes, something she honed on her trips to Europe with Fashion Fair’s founder, Eunice Johnson.
She also had a knack for turning adversity into opportunity. As Ebony magazine’s fashion reporter, she was often stuck in bad seats- or offered no seat at all- at European fashion shows. Undaunted, she went backstage to inspect the clothes and seeing the chaos behind the scenes, she recognized an immediate need in the fashion industry. In 1977 she started The Ground Crew, a management team that handles every detail of backstage operations, including dressing the models to perfection. The name, “The Ground Crew®, is inspired by a 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech from Martin Luther King in which he states
“Every time I take a flight, I am always reminded of the people who make a successful journey possible- the known pilots and the unknown ground crew. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jets flights to freedom could never have left the earth.”
Since 1982, The Ground Crew has worked for some of fashion’s top designers, including Giorgio Armani, Jason Wu, Donna Karan, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Michael Kors, Kanye West, Stephen Burrows, and Vera Wang, among others. Celebrities such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Jackie Joyner Kersey have also enlisted the outfit’s talents.
Smaltz herself has worked with numerous major corporations, among them Macy’s, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Vogue, Black Entertainment Television, Kmart. She was a contributing editor to Vogue, Mirabella, and Mode magazines and a board member of the Black Fashion Museum, Dress for Success Worldwide, the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, and Fashion Group International, and BRAG. She has also appeared on QVC, Oprah Winfrey, and the Today Show, just to name a few.
In the fickle world of fashion, Smaltz has proven her staying power time and time again. More than a polished fashionista, she possesses business acumen and adaptability that are as sharp as her style. Her revolutionary approach paves the way for other enterprising fashion entrepreneurs, as well as giving inspiring makeup artists and stylists invaluable exposure. Equally important, it brings much–needed order and grace to an often- chaotic industry. After all, as Smaltz and her indispensable Ground Crew have demonstrated, beauty begins “behind the seams.”
A-Game
Hailing from Saint Louis, MO A-Game represents the hustle and grit of the notoriously violent city, while maintaining a level of professionalism fit for boardroom offices. In a very short time A-Game has managed to share a stage with all of your favorite artists including J.Cole, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Ty Dolla $ign, Jhene Aiko, and more. On top of that he recently won Revolt TV's "$5000 Be Heard" competition, before Andre Harrell passed he posted A-Game on his IG page deeming him a "Star." All of these recent accolades speak volumes on A-Game's work ethic and dedication to the craft. He recently moved to LA to give himself the best shot at success in the entertainment industry, and so far so good. A-Game continues to separate himself from the pack by using his street savvy and business acumen to lead him and his team to new heights. "5 or 5000," is a mantra he frequently uses and adapts to his lifestyle, which means no matter how big or small the crowd or opportunity, bring your A-Game. It's safe to say the best is yet to come.
Kimberley Ann Surin
Based in Montreal, Kimberley Ann is a Haitian-Canadian emerging filmmaker. She graduated in 2016 from Pennsylvania State University in Communications - Media Studies, Film and Television, where she was also a member of the tennis team (team captain) and a student-teacher in the film and television department.
Kimberley Ann has gained experience working for several production companies, including Warner Brothers, Reel FX, Sphère Média Productions, Halo Création, and Aetios Productions. She had the chance to work on a variety of interesting and different projects, from fiction to documentary, advertising and promotional commercials to publicity as well as animation.
In 2020, she directed and wrote her first documentary, Against All Odds, a short film about the lack of diversity in professional and junior field hockey (currently in post-production) with the main protagonist, retired NHL player, Georges Laraque. Kimberley Ann is also in development on a feature-length documentary.
Kimberley Ann has gained experience working for several production companies, including Warner Brothers, Reel FX, Sphère Média Productions, Halo Création, and Aetios Productions. She had the chance to work on a variety of interesting and different projects, from fiction to documentary, advertising and promotional commercials to publicity as well as animation.
In 2020, she directed and wrote her first documentary, Against All Odds, a short film about the lack of diversity in professional and junior field hockey (currently in post-production) with the main protagonist, retired NHL player, Georges Laraque. Kimberley Ann is also in development on a feature-length documentary.
Rachel Williams Shaw
Since reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” at age 10, Rachel Williams Shaw knew she wanted to be an attorney. Now a kickass real estate lawyer at top-ranked firm Pryor Cashman, she is heading up the firm’s diversity committee and was recently named a 2020 “One to Watch” by the New York Real Estate Journal. She is also a beloved, loyal friend, - wife, a fashionista, a dedicated yoga practitioner, and a mother to three gorgeous and wild children.
Crystal Cortez
Crystal Cortez is a sound & installation artist based out of Portland Oregon. She is also a professor of Creative Coding and Sonic arts at Portland Community College. As someone who never saw herself represented in computer music or creative tech her work focuses on the empowerment of underserved populations gaining access and knowledge around technology. In 2019 she co founded whateverSpace, a maker space offering free and sliding scale workshops and technology rentals with priority going to the BIPOC community. Most recently she has been working with a team that has developed 1500 watt solar rechargeable generators to provide free power to the Portland Black Lives Matter movement with goals to provide them across the country.
Chadwick Boseman
To say that Chadwick Boseman was a beloved Black superhero would be selling his legacy short. The actor, who recently passed away at 43, was a walking example of Black excellence and a reminder to never give up. Boseman was what many considered a “late bloomer” in Hollywood, casting his first major role as Jackie Robinson in the film 42 when he was already 35 years old. His determination, work ethic and unrelenting commitment led him to score many other major roles in films like Marshall, Get On Up and of course, the box-office hit Black Panther. He made being the good guy look cool not only because of his roles, but also because of how he inspired others in real life.
Haifaa
A picture is worth a thousand words. This filmmaker makes that quote very true time and time again.
Ava
Talk about women kicking down doors, laying down tracks, fighting injustice with a camera, and so much more. Yup, this lady right here needs no introduction.
Janet
When it comes to setting meaningful trends and sustaining them, this woman is at the top of the game. Learn more about her!
Kamala
That girl was her.
Toni
What words are there to describe the queen of wordsmithing...? There're none.
Oprah
Need anything be said...?
Frida
An incredible artist and voice of her time and beyond.
Patsy
What can we say about Patsy, except that she was one heck of a trailblazer!
Josephine
Oh, to be lucky to haved watch Ms. Baker break boundaries with such grace... I wish, I wish, I wish. What a woman, what an artist, what a performer.
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