Meet Our 2023-2024 All-Star Mentors
CaSandra Diggs
Roger Mckenzie
Roger A. McKenzie understands how to take a production from good to incredible, an outfit from fine to fabulous, and a style from low-budget to high-fashion.
Having worked and trained with the best, McKenzie’s high energy, natural ability, and incredible versatility is what brings producers, photographers, music execs, and his impressive list of celebrity clientele back time and time again.
His career as an independent stylist started as a member of June Ambrose styling troupe, The Mode Squad, known for introducing high fashion into urban music videos. McKenzie became Ambrose’s right-hand, and was soon swathing the likes of Lil’ Kim in Gucci and Chanel, Foxy in furs and Dior, and Ghostface in custom fur robes and his signature jewel-encrusted boxing championship belts.
McKenzie quickly gained a reputation for his own unique brand of styling. Today, Roger partners with brands, film directors, and advertising agencies as well as continues to work alongside his longtime colleagues on a variety of productions.
Kesha Mcleod
Driven by her love of design and the power of telling stories through fashion, Visual Architect, Brand Consultant & Author, Kesha McLeod has made a name for herself in the music, sports and film industries by working with high-profile clientele. Attracting an array of notable names such as, Serena Williams, Chris Bosh, James Harden, PJ Tucker, Ne-Yo, LaLa Anthony, Andre Iguodala, Jordyn Woods, Karl-Antony Towns, Rosie O’ Donnell, Candace Parker, Matthew Tkachuk, Joel Embiid and more.
While taking a holistic approach to her work, Kesha is known for her ability to incorporate client’s diverse tastes while moving fluidly through the fashion, music, sports and film industries.
With years of experience and success Kesha has added “Author” to her resume with her new book titled,THE ESSENTIAL”HOW TO” GUIDE: STYLING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR BUSINESS. A handbook designed to help future creatives identify and develop the best practices needed to successfully grow their brand & business. Kesha shares proven tips, resources and insight that has helped her flourish, gain success and create her career. She gives you an in-depth look into the world of Fashion Styling by detailing the steps one needs to take to have a career in this profession. In her own words Kesha shares her vision for her book. “My mission is simple; I want my readers to be successful and understand that your creative ideas can also be lucrative.”
With a unique ability to problem solve, while bringing creativity and individuality to the forefront, Kesha has been appointed to serve as Fashion Director by brands such as GSTQ and Sherwood Hockey. In these critical roles, Kesha has been instrumental in merging fashion and style into the company culture.
Kesha’s work can be spotted in multiple Nike, Adidas, Google, New Era, Michelob Ultra (Super Bowl), and Apple campaigns to brand partnerships with Vogue, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Advertising Week, NBA, NFL, MLB, international brands, and events. Various programs and panels also note her expertise through personal speaking engagements. Kesha sits on the board as a Brand Ambassador for NBPA (National Basketball Players Association), The Floorr Fashion, and consults for S by Serena, Sports Illustrated & various client endeavors.
Sharifa Murdock
Sharifa is an American fashion, business, and lifestyle expert. She currently serves as Chief of Impact at Kith, where she spearheads the brand’s diversity and social impact initiatives. She also serves as Chief Executive Officer at ENVSN, where she aims to bring the next generation together through robust and interactive female-driven networks while providing greater access to experiences that will help shape our next generations’ futures.
Sharifa previously served as co-founder of premier fashion trade shows Liberty Fairs and the PROJECT alongside her mentor, Sam Ben-Avraham. Her philanthropic work includes The Brooklyn Intern and The Kin Foundation – which provide opportunities within the fashion industry to young creatives – and sitting on the boards of Africa Health Now and the Black Fashion Council.
Sakina Pitts
Sakina Pitts is a fearless, thoughtful, and bold leader. She learned these very principles growing up in Newark, NJ and being educated by the Newark Board of Education’s public schools. Sakina has been the proud appointed Principal of Chancellor Avenue School located in the South Ward of Newark “Brick City” for five years prior to her becoming the appointed Principal of Newark School of Fashion and Design in 2021.
She is an active member of the Educational Coalition “Off School Grounds” (OSG) since its inception and collaborates weekly with like-minded School Leaders around the country who are dedicated to closing equity gaps and creating real change in the school-wide communities they are servant leaders of across the nation.
Principal Pitts is also an engaging public speaker who is passionate about infusing Hip Hop culture into education. She uses rap as an art form to connect the learning to the students’ sensibilities. She can be seen around her school building, in her educational leadership forums, leading administrative meetings and connecting with her community dropping lines. Any chance she gets, she is quick to “spit barrrrzzzz,” especially in the name of education… “ergo” Principal Barrrrzzzz.”
Lana Rae
Lana Rae is a multi-hyphenate industry professional with more than 20 years of experience and a passion for all things fashion. Known for her attention to detail and ability to adapt, her areas of expertise can be found both behind and in front of the camera.
From fashion show production and wardrobe styling to model & talent casting, event hosting, television newscast segment production, modeling, creative direction, on-air commentating, photoshoot production & and more, there is almost no stone left unturned when it comes to her variety of accomplishments.
Lana has shared countless opportunities and experiences and has helped mold the careers of many models, actors, and industry professionals. Though her work has been displayed and recognized everywhere in the world- Baltimore will always be the place where her passion blossomed and gave her the inspiration to continue to grow.
Corey Smith
Corey Smith is currently Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at LVMH Inc. As such, Mr. Smith leads all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives for North America for the LVMH portfolio of luxury brands. Prior to joining LVMH in September of 2020, Corey was Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Major League Baseball. With over 20 years in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), Corey has worked in several industries including manufacturing ,technology, education, consumer products, entertainment, media and sports.
Mr. Smith’s overall D&I experience includes creating inclusive hiring programs designed to recruit more diverse talent, as well as implementing workforce initiatives for the equitable growth and advancement of internal talent. Corey has also led external D&I strategies focused on diversifying customer engagement, growth marketing strategies and experiential activations focused on inclusion. Finally, Corey has also created Supplier Diversity initiatives around inclusion in corporate supply chain resulting in economic impact for diverse businesses.
Mr. Smith has served on several boards including Diversity Information Resources (DIR) and served as Board Chair for the NY/NJ Minority Supplier Development Council. Mr. Smith holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MBA, both from Columbia University.
Claire Sulmers
Claire Siobhan Sulmers is CEO and Founder of Fashion Bomb Daily, a direct-to-consumer fashion company that leverages content and community to power a multicultural shopping experience. Her pioneering work ushered in a new wave of digital journalism and e-commerce that fed and fueled an under-served community of African-American and Latino style lovers wanting to know more about brand from the culture.
Beyond developing and directing content for FashionBomb Daily and its affiliate sites, Sulmers has done extensive style writing for other platforms including Vogue Italia , Vogue Paris , and ESSENCE Magazine. Her body of work and online following – now numbered above one million – has made Ms. Sulmers the influencer of choice for major corporate brands who want to reach her audience including Camry, Verizon and others.
Ms. Sulmers, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, holds a degree in French and African American studies from Harvard University. In 15 years, Claire has accumulated over 1.6 million followers, written a book “The Bomb Life”, and now Leads a Team of 20 for Fashion Bomb Daily’s media, e-commerce, marketing, and event platforms.
Ouigi Theodore
Ouigi Theodore is a Haitian immigrant who was raised in Brooklyn that has developed a detailed 100-Year Plan in order to solidify The Brooklyn Circus’ legacy and authentically drive culture forward with The Global Village. Members of this group include multi-faceted creatives who think in and out of the box while working to enrich the collective community wealth. Through the 100-Year Plan and The Brooklyn Circus’ style releases, Theodore aims to tell untold stories and inform the future by incorporating elements of the past. The preliminary opening of The Space is just one of the many items that The Brooklyn Circus seeks to accomplish as part of this plan. Cultivating a unique style that has garnered recognition not only among the fashion pundits of New York but also from streetwise fans as far away as Europe, South Africa, Japan, Korea, and the UK. He has become a recognizable figure and has established himself as a trend forecaster for advertising and marketing agencies looking to get an edge in the market. He has consulted on campaigns for Hennessy/LVMH, Sean John Vote or Dies, Toyota, Casio G-Shock, American Express, PF Flyers, Liberty Fairs, ENVSN FEST, New Balance, Reebok, Deutsch Advertising, Sennheiser Audio. As founder of The Brooklyn Circus, one of the most influential retail concepts in the USA, he travels extensively sharing The Brooklyn Circus/BKc perspective and the 100-Year plan of Style + Character. Most recently, The Brooklyn Circus has collaborated with GAP, Macy’s, Jack Daniels, and Todd Snyder.
Tiffany Williams
Tiffany Williams is the creator and owner of one of the largest streetwear brands coming out of Philadelphia PA: Bellargo Piarge. Tiffany launched the brand in 2003, beginning with one simple t-shirt logo, and selling shirts from the trunk of her vehicle. Through drive, determination and consistency, Bellargo soon became a city favorite and household name! With the opening of her first Philadelphia boutique location in 2012, Tiffany was able to take Bellargo from a T-shirt line, to a mega brand and established business.
After five retail locations and major distribution, as well as a strong online presence, Bellargo has generated multi-million dollars in sales, and has become a recognized Brand in the Streetwear industry. Spotted on influencers from Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, 50 Cent, Karen Civil to Nicki Minaj, just to name a few; as well as prominent placements in motion pictures, indie films, reality television and music videos.
Now with almost 18 years in business, Tiffany is paying it forward! Her resume now includes “Adjunct Professor” by way of the MIsa Hylton Fashion Academy, and “Entrepreneurship Instructor” in the Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey School Districts. Last but not least, she’s developed her own business and branding platform for entrepreneurs: Bellargo Consulting.
“During my years of entrepreneurship, one might say that I’ve learned a thing or two (ok I’m being modest, I’ve learned a lot lol). My mission is to now help as many entrepreneurs reach success – minus all the bumps and bruises I’ve endured along the way.”
Tamiko White
Tamiko White is a fashion entrepreneur, author, media personality and producer. With a career spanning over 30 years, she is the founder of White Noise Consulting and the creator of #NOWTrending. Tamiko’s expertise lies in marketing and branding and she has collaborated with an impressive roster of clients, both in front of and behind the camera, to help them establish indelible and profitable brands.
Throughout her professional journey, Tamiko has held diverse roles in the fashion industry including working as a model, actress, wholesale showroom owner, tv style segment host, adjunct professor at FIT and global marketing director. Her skill set encompasses marketing, branding, creative direction and production.
Adding author to her CV, Tamiko’s first published book, “CAREERS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY,” is a comprehensive glossary guide to the jobs in the fashion industry. Additionally, she shares her valued industry expertise through her widely read quarterly publication, “Trend Statements by Tamiko White”, which educates fashion creatives on the impact of trends on their businesses. Tamiko’s weekly “Accessories are Punctuation” edits for the Accessory Council shed light on brands in the accessory industry.
With a passion for empowering creative entrepreneurs, Tamiko has authored over 15 e-books that provide proven strategies for brand building. As a lifelong fashion entrepreneur, she hosts lifestyle segments on national television, conducts virtual fashion business courses, and keeps her community informed about the latest fashion business trends and noteworthy brands. Her role as a creative producer has allowed her to collaborate with some of the most influential culture creators in the industry.
Currently, Tamiko is a sought after speaker and host, consults brands, produces fashion media, and contributes her profound fashion insight to television and media. She remains committed to sharing her extensive knowledge and keeping the fashion community informed about the ever-evolving business landscape. As a contributing writer, she offers valuable insights into the dynamic world of the fashion industry.
Wouri Vice
As a fashion stylist, the New York native, has run the gamut from editorials, music videos, and advertising. Anyone, anywhere can effortlessly relate to the down-to-earth way Wouri parlays the latest fashions and beauty tricks into realistic, wearable looks. His adeptness to recognize trends and convey style from inexpensive to luxurious, makes Wouri an informative and accessible source of fashion guidance.
Wouri’s work as a fashion stylist has graced the covers and layouts of such publications as Essence, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, In Style, Harpers Bazaar,Glamour, Allure, Cosmopolitan, SOMA Seventeen, and People. As an image consultant he has worked with celebrities across the board from Kerry Washington to H.E.R and Tika Sumpter to Andra Day. His status as a stylist to the stars has provided him the opportunity to broaden his resume as an on-air television/radio fashion expert.