Jessie From The Block

So, my 48 hour stint in New York got off to a less than glamorous start. I arrived at my cousin Julia’s Brooklyn apartment to find she wasn’t yet home from work. I spent 45 minutes curled up on my case and examining the abuse the ankle deep snow had already subjected on my Sergio Rossi boots. She finally arrived home from her new role as Editor of Jamrock magazine, and we barely caught up before I was fast asleep on the sofa bed.

Things improved substantially the next day when alongside the ‘Above and Beyond’ team, I had a brilliant meeting with Violater (the management company headed up by Chris Lighty and famed for securing multi million pound deals for the client roster which includes Puffy, 50 Cent and Macy Gray amongst others). It was clear that Lighty partially owes his success to the stellar team of strong, focussed women who head up the company. Women rock! I’m totally grateful God made me one, a life without 3 inch heels would be a grim existence indeed.

Me with 50cent and Akon. I was handling the PR for Medfest, a music festival in Cyprus and the two stars were headlining!

An evening meeting in a hotel by the Hudson ensued, and it was on the drive home that I made the fateful decision to buy a septic cheeseburger. It could have been the burger, it could have been the Bubba Gump shrimp I ate for lunch, but the next morning I was as sick as a dog.

Me outside Bubba Gump shrimp Co!

4 vomits later and I’d managed to get blow-dried and manicured up for my meeting with Kelly Ripa’s TV production company in Manhattan. They came across some Youtube footage of a talk I gave at the British Library and my appearance on ‘You’re Fired’ they were interested in developing a TV format for me.
Right after I’d done the last handshake I collapsed into a taxi, conscious that I had not bought Monet Vanessa Hudgen’s new album as promised. But my forehead was clammy now and everything became a blur. I even thought I saw Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte waving to me from the doorway of Saks, and then I fell asleep.

“You arrive!” whispered the kindly Indian taxi cab dude; he’d been sweet enough to stop for some water for me in transit to Newark airport. He even kept smiling while I was distressed in the back of the taxi (got to the plastic bag too late). I had thought he might waive the $90 taxi fare for the vulnerable, lone, sick traveller, but no.

By the time I got to check in, I was in tears, feeling seriously sick and highly emotional. I just wanted to be picked up and carried on to the plane, but there was no-one to carry me. 4 hours later and I was spread eagled on the floor of departures, my New York blow-dry now tousled (not in a sexy bedroom way) and unkempt. Somebody called an ambulance, and the next thing I knew they were testing my blood sugar levels in the middle of the airport and running police checks (which I took offence to and wondered if the time Julia and I were arrested for hair pulling (each other) in the middle of Notting Hill Carnival fifteen years ago, would come up.)

This sort of crazy event is not uncommon in my life, madness is standard, and in fact normality would be surreal. I was made to sign a form which basically said if I died in the air it wasn’t their fault, I obliged and was on my way home. The journey as you can imagine, was perilous. I detected a distinct lack of TLC as I clung on to consciousness from my seat, images of my life flashing before me as a series of pictures (ok that bit isn’t true) and then we landed. My request for a wheelchair was denied but I managed to hail an airport buggy which was only carrying 3 elderly people. ‘The man’ picked me up, and I spent the day hooked up to a drip in St Mary’s hospital. My blood showed a simple virus and 2 days later I was modelling a gorgeous number for the Ghana Black Stars event at Porchester Hall.

Me modelling at the Black stars event!

A brilliant feature written by Joseph Harker of Guardian online, went live this week, about the lack of diversity in greeting cards on the high-street (aside from Colorblind cards: www.colorblindcards.com) I was quoted in the article and the last time I checked 161 people had commented! Several comments had been removed which means it was probably some NF supporters. I love that Colorblind provokes debate though, who was it that said: “It’s when they stop talking about you that you have to worry.”

Here is the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/20/mothers-day-race

At least this week I had a breakthrough with Clintons, the chain who stock Colorblind. There has long been an issue around the visibility of my range in their stores as they jostle for shelf space with the teddy bears. For some bizarre reason the stuffed toys reign supreme. So I have agreed to insert spinners into my top stores so that the discerning customer, who wants more than fur and ribbons, can actually find them.

I’m exhausted, but it’s been a brilliantly productive week. Next week I get to be styled by Ruki Garuba (super stylist to Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, and Trevor Nelson) for my ‘Start your business Magazine’ cover shoot. It means I get to file Laboutins under business expenses.Genius-everybody should start a business!

GQ’s article on Turks and Caicos Prime Minister Michael Missick struck me as a little sensational. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, PM Mike has stepped down from his position amidst scandal around alleged dodgy deals and of course the widely reported divorce from Hollywood’s Lisa Raye. (Mike has been rumoured to have an affair with BET presenter Rocsi).

Having been invited out to Turks in November by Rich Kit Internationals Vanessa Emilien, my family  and I got to hang out with the PM. Mike invited us all over to his stunning pad complete with infinity pool and jet skis. He had a DJ and he was a totally fabulous, cigar smoking, hip hop pumping PM. I actually think Gordon could benefit from hanging with Mike, might relax him a little.

Wonderful; Sun, Sea and Champagne!

Me and Monet at Mike PM's house!

We had the most wonderful week and PM Mike had a boat take us to neighbouring island Parrot Cay where Monet spotted the resident dolphin, and we even saw the James Bond premiere on the island. Whatever the facts behind the reports, Mike sure knows how to throw a party!

Jessie From The Block

xxx