M a
          Na

              ZeRiNe

                                                            What is the origin? “Biblical.”
                                             Beautiful name. “Thank you.” She smiles.
                                                       She and her presence are beautiful as well.

      She stands a 1⁄2 inch over 5’8, chocolate brown skin, eyes to die for and a smile that is disarming. She arrives absent of makeup and yet without effort possesses a face you would see in front of the lens, not behind. Have you ever considered working in front of the camera? “I modeled when I was a teenager, over 10 years and 40-pounds ago”— she giggles! It’s official. The ice is broken. And we begin.

     Born to a Nigerian Father and American-Indian Mother, placed in a foster home at the age of four, Manaz. (nickname) cites the arts and fashion as her first childhood love. “If I wasn’t singing or writing, I was somewhere with a magazine or watching STYLE channel. Growing up without a mother or father, I always lacked identity... so I just created my own. Music and writing helped me process a lot of pain and fashion was a creative escape.” Her high school girlfriends visited her home for weaves and eyebrow maintenance, but she says it was her cousin, an aspired model obsessed with magazines and fashion, that elevated her love into passion. “She was my first inspiration. She kept stacks and stacks of Vogue magazines in her room... I would just sit and read for hours”. But Manazerines’ passion wasn’t ignited until the day she met a makeup artist by the name of Benji, a successful local area artist who owned a makeup salon and talking about makeup artistry. I told him I loved makeup. He suggested I go to makeup school, get my license and come back to see him.” That’s just what she did.

     Without a car, she commuted to makeup school in a rental twice a week, 45-minutes from home. “I just remember everyone thinking I was crazy for renting a car to go to school.” On the weekends she caught the bus to Benji’s salon to sit and watch him work with his clients. Her craziness paid off. She later became Benjis’ assistant, right hand and one of his closest associates. “He taught me everything he knew and trusted me to succeed. I wanted to pay my dues. I wanted to prove myself. I cleaned the shop... picked up his lunch... balanced the books and packed his cases. If he arrived at 6 a.m. and stayed until midnight, so did I.” He would later trust her with his personal clients and send her on assignments when he was overbooked or unable to attend. “Initially it was intimidating, but I had to get out there and swim whether I felt I was ready or not. He always believed in me.”

     Parting ways almost two years later, she quickly gained her own clientele and made a decision to enroll in senior courses at the historically prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to study Fashion Styling (while still residing in Maryland, 4 hours away working full-time and freelancing).
     I must admit that I am oblivious as to how it was possible for you to do all that? Physically, mentally, emotionally... How did you succeed at something that seems like it was an antidote for failure on the front-end? “Funny thing is, I never thought I couldn’t do it. There was no alternative for me. Some days there were tears and some days I found peace... but it was never easy. I’ve always lived my life under the radar -- so I didn’t talk to many people about it. Some that I shared with promoted me from crazy to insane - but being a success means you take risks that most may not be willing to take. I knew there was more of me that I had to acknowledge and honor... but it wasn’t at home and I didn’t want to be limited to what was in-front of me.” How did you make the transition from dream to reality? “It was a process. After overcoming the fear, the only thing left to do was surrender the expectation of being understood and receiving validation of the choices I made for my life. That’s when I came to the realization that I was responsible for my own success.”

     A success indeed. Through recommendation, she began working at New Yorks Mercedes Benz Olympus Fashion Week behind the scenes, in the Tents and Showrooms for some the worlds most elite names in fashion, such as: Carolina Herrera, David Rodriquez, Oscar De La Renta, Valentino and Vera Wang. “Everything in this industry happens so fast. You can get a call in the next five-minutes that will change your life forever. I have always chosen carefully what opportunities I accept and refuse because I like the balance of having home life. I don’t subscribe to the notion that my life has to be controlled by or surrendered to this arena to be a success. Success is relative. You don’t have to be at every show or in every magazine credit to be successful. But if you say yes; you must be ready to roll with every punch because there is no rehearsal. Every job is the opening night and you are expected to put on your best performance. Period.”

     Today, Manaz. travels between her home and New York City. She also freelances at special events for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, “In the past my greatest challenge was the ability to stay balanced and focused. Being gifted in many areas can be frustrating when you don’t know where your heartbeat is. I love being an artist, but there’s still so much more to who I really am that doesn’t involve a brush. I remember when I began working in New York, I was told by a well-known industry professional that I couldn’t do more than one thing at a time. As I’ve grown, I now understand I don’t have to deny or under develop any of my gifts. Being multi just means my life is full of possibilities. With balance and timing, you can honor all of who you are.”

     Manaz. describes her style as incorporating editorial, runway makeup and fashion (her favorites) into the everyday life experience. "It has to work off the runway too. The average woman is not 5’10 and a size 2 with flawless skin. In fact statistically, the average American woman is a size 12 with challenges. As an artist, I have to look past imperfection and insecurity and pull something fresh forward that may have been hidden or undiscovered. From experience I’ve learned that most of the time it’s on the inside. People share with you; they have emotional days in front of you. Some of the same models you see on tv and in the magazines that you believe have it going on are the same ones that arrive to a show or photoshoot in tears. They haven’t eaten in a week, they’ve been up crying all night because they just got dropped by their agency and dumped by their boyfriend and you’re the first person they see. On a set, it’s important for the energy to be clear and fluid, so you might just have to grab a tissue box and get that shoulder ready. You just never know.”

     Her inspirations range from the late makeup extraordinaire, Kevyn Aucoin to gurus’ Pat McGrath, Gucci Westman, Billy B, Jay Manuel, Charlie Green, Mathu Anderson, Gordon Espinet and Sam Fine. Her style icons are: Traci Ellis Ross: “she’s adorable and I love that she doesn’t take herself too seriously but embraces quirkiness as part of her beauty.” Charlize Theron: “gracefully beautiful without apology.” Gwen Stefani: “I love her total presentation. She owns the continental mix of street style, glamour and couture. L.A.M.B. is brilliant.” Cameron Diaz: she brings fun, and edge to simple pieces + she’s not afraid to take risks with bold colors and accessories.” Iman:“ you can’t talk about icons and not mention IMAN”. Tom Ford: “he creatively took the house of Gucci from near bankrupt to a 4.5 billion dollar brand. Gucci and YSL became the sexiest brands on the planet, while still maintaining their individualdistinction. Now, for the male mogul or celebrity, it goes un-spoken that if you really want to show severe swag, a suit by Tom Ford really isn’t up for discussion. Tom has conquered both worlds. He will forever be iconic.” I also love to see the latest creations of Common, Kanye and Pharrell. Their approach and interpretation of fashion and color is always fresh, clean and unconventional. Especially Common, he never disappoints.” I’m also enjoying the energy and creative edge that Rhianna has injected into this generation of style. Every choice she makes is relevant and intentional.

     So what’s next for Manazerine? “Hmmm... she’s dreaming new dreams. Some attainable. Some beyond her ability. The challenge is how to get to what she sees and connecting to the support and resources she needs to arrive. But it’s all good.” Heavy. Can you share further? “At the moment, I’m building quietly.” Understood. What last words or thoughts would you like to offer? “This is just the beginning of great for me.”

                                                   I don’t find that hard to believe ▪
                                                   ZaIRe S. / Contributing Freelance Writer, NYC