The Great Gateway AKA turnup. When I tell you that we are only five weeks into the new year and the AKAs are already a shoe-in for my best of 2026! The Central and Mid-West regions tag teamed their Founder’s Day celebration in the STL last weekend and their Welcome to the Gateway City set was litty, lit lit!!! Y’all, the biggest ballroom that the Marriott Grand had to offer had AKAS from the windows to the wall. Okay, so there were no windows, but please appreciate my Lil Jon reference to set the scene for how crunk it was up in there. I almost froze to death walking from my car to the hotel. But I instantly melted from the body heat that all those strolls were generating. Everybody up in there nailed their Fitbit step goals for the week in one night. And that goes for the Alphas too! By the time they got to “Wipe Me Down,” I know some of them had to go wipe off. When I tell you, those AKAs of a certain age were giving their younger sorors a run for their money…Understand it was not a game to them. Did anyone see the amped up silver-haired soror who looked like she could be the taller little sister of Ruby Dee. And yes, I know Ms. Ruby Dee was a Delta. But this isn’t about Ruby Dee the Delta, this is about Reba Dee (not her real name) the AKA. Y’all! She looked like somebody’s school district’s Deputy Superintendent. But her tun-up game was unmatched. When the “Swag Surf” hit, I was like, “y’all can go on ahead and tell this hypeman/DJ to just stick to the music. Reba Dee was so lit, I don’t even have the words to express how hard in the paint she went. After she fired them up, the Swag surf went so hard that I almost got knocked over! Oh, and shout out to the lovely senior soror who hit the Bankhead Bounce so hard with her blinged out 08 jersey on that it looked like she spun herself into a pink and green disco ball. The turn up was legendary from start to finish. But the gag is that I heard that these same ladies were sitting pretty in pink for the Founder’s Day luncheon on Saturday, looking like they called it a night right after the credits rolled on “Wheel of Fortune.”
The style of Black History. Y’all, Yoro and some of the best style stars of St. Louis put their whole foot into the Black Creatives in the Lou opening reception Saturday evening at Neiman Marcus. The people watching alone made it worth it, but it was so much more! Brock Seals was giving me a high fashion Professor Griff and loved every second of it! And let me show some love to the look Brandin Vaughn was serving up. He’s transitioned from cowboy to frontiersman with that Davy Crockett coon hat! I got my whole life. Please understand if Beyonce pops out in the rock era she’s been threatening us with on Instagram looking like Daniel Boone, know that Brandin had a hand in it. But let’s get back to BCL. I ran into my sister from another mister Afton Johnson. Her Young Addy Co was one of the featured lines that was part of the mini fashion show. Listen, I’m not promoting that she turns to a life of crime, but if she did, she could hide in plain sight. Or she could be one of those masters of disguise spies. I’ve known Afton the better part of 20 years. I looked her in her whole face and had a whole conversation without recognizing her. It wasn’t until she presented that glorious soft salmon colored leather and feather mini-dress gown. Girl, can you make that in a 1X for me in time for Salute? That’s a real question. I got my life from all of the looks. That white tux jacket ate down to the gristle. And speaking of leaving not a single crumb, can we please take a moment to bow down to Brian Cain? When I tell you that he is a guaranteed gag! Folks should hire him just to show up in one of his looks. He was a guest, but if he had walked down the runway in that black double breasted coat with the black and white print ensemble and the “Little Red Corvette” gloves like he was part of the show, I would have been none the wiser. But my faves were all up and through there. Leslie Christian, Lance Omar, Dr. Tracy Reed and LaRhonda Wilson to name a few. And I know he might not want to be mentioned because he is no longer in the world, Larry Rodgers is still one of faves – and so is his lovely family. I really loved how Yoro encouraged the creatives – and paid tribute to the creative force that was Tai Davis. The exhibition will be at Neiman Marcus for the rest of the month. Be sure to check it out.
Cajunitis. My “new year, new me” diet is officially off the rails thanks to the Cajun cookoff that went down at the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten Saturday afternoon. And y’all already know that I usually can at least make it until Valentine’s Day. The way I cut up, I’m gonna need to do two-a-days to get into the gown I’m begging Afton to make for me. But it was worth it y’all. Kym Benning, girl…you laid me out with that catfish etouffee! Congrats on the third place, but it belonged in the top spot! I was ready to crash on somebody’s twin-sized bed before the competition was even close to being over after the way I devoured my plate! I’m so glad that they didn’t have a New Orleans second line. I would have had to tap my feet and bop to the music while waving my parasol (New Orleans umbrella) from the comfort of my motorized cart. For real, I thought I was gonna have to valet and get a wheelchair assist at Neiman Marcus. But I made it through!