Yolanda Newson, veteran fashion stylist, jewelry designer, and owner of Yoro Style & Creations showcased her first-ever solo fashion art exhibit, Art’E Facts on Sunday. It’s something she’s always dreamed of and finally mustered up the courage to do.
“She had imaginary pompoms bigger than earth and made me feel like I could do it all.”
A couple of years ago she and some friends had a powwow discussing different dreams, goals, and aspirations. Having supported many fashion designers and events throughout the years, Newson realized it was time to have her own event. That’s how Art’E Facts came to fruition.
“Art’E Facts is an object made by a human with cultural or historic interest,” Newson said at the event. “I wanted to tie in the fact it’s Black History Month, American Heart Month, and the Month of Love.”
She didn’t want to host an event just to be doing it or just have a fashion show with models walking up and down a runway.
She envisioned an event with a purpose, and it was.
“I wanted to bring awareness to heart disease because I lost my father in 2005 from a heart attack and my mother in 2016 from a massive heart attack,” Newson said. “In 2008, I had pericarditis [inflammation around the heart], landing me in the hospital for four days. It made me think about life because it was a really scary time and I didn’t know why my body did that.”
Handmade jewelry items and custom mannequin pieces including a mesh dress made out of backrests and a trash bag gown with a floor-length train were front-and-center. All the items had QR codes on them with a description or a link for guests to donate to the American Heart Association in honor of Newson’s late mother, Dorothy Harris.
“I appreciate the work, studies and everything the American Heart Association does concerning heart disease in the African American community,” Newson said. “It’s important for me to give back because my mother always gave back to PETA and other different organizations all her life.”
In a touching tribute, she spoke highly of her parents, especially her mother, who encouraged her creativity at a young age.
Newson would graffiti the walls with spray paint unaware of the safety hazard for the household and would dye her hair with kool-aid.
“My mother was my first and best cheerleader,” Newson said. “She had imaginary pompoms bigger than earth and made me feel like I could do it all.”
Her father, Willie Harris, inspired her to become an entrepreneur. She said she remembered him making fishing sinkers and her going down the fishing bank at 8 years old to sell them.
“He’d say baby make sure you make some money, make sure you do this, do that,” Newson said. “I’d sell the fishing sinkers for 50 cents and give him a quarter.”
The sold-out event hosted by media personality Sinita Wells of https://www.sinitawells.com/ included carpet interviews by her, massages by Amanda Bogan of Massage Nirvana, and a selfie station with plush Willy Robes by Ruddy Phresh. It was held at Styletaneous Events in Ferguson.
Newson said she wants to make Art’E Facts an annual event. All proceeds collected from it will go directly to the American Heart Association.
Donations still can be made toward the cause. A heart walk also will be held in Newson’s mother’s honor in May. She hopes to receive $1,000 in donations.
To donate and find more information about the walk, visit https://www2.heart.org/site/TR/HeartWalk/MWA-MidWestAffiliate?px=22433583&pg=personal&fr_id=6439.
