If you didn’t experience Essence’s My City 4 Ways influential tastemaker event, you missed out on the hottest celebration in town. The No. 1 publication for African American women took over Atlanta’s posh Mason Fine Art Gallery. Essence hosted a cultural event, bringing together notable tastemakers and influencers. The four pillars driving the day were music, art, fashion and food — all components that make up the cultural landscape of Atlanta. Hot-107.9’s DJ Princess Cut kept the vibe on beat.
Four of the hottest local social and cultural influencers were selected to represent Atlanta: designer Kenya Freeman (style influencer); visual artist Kashmir Thompson (art influencer]; Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Anthony David (music influencer]; ATL food blogger Erica Keys (food influencer).
Essence’s Charreah Jackson, Lifestyle & Relationships editor, moderated Q-and-As with each influencer. The influence experience included culinary demonstrations, interactive art installations, pop-up fashion shops from local designers, Ride & Drive with Ford vehicles, wine tastings and more.
According to Raj Register, multicultural communications manager forFord, the event enabled them to live up to the brand’s mantra. ” ‘Go Further’ is something we do with our cars and products within the community. Serving as the presenting sponsor with Essence and the dynamic African American influencers assisted us in doing just that,” she said.
What stood out most for this event were the food and art. The music experience closed the show out with singer-songwriter Tweet with a sultry performance. “The … event boasted multiple touch points: a ride and drive experience — test-driving vehicles from our latest lineup then experiencing food, fashion, art and style, it was an immersive experience all around,” said Register.
Other notable attendees included comedian Loni Love, chef Akhi, music producer and songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox, actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, vintners The McBride Sisters, music industry trailblazer Shanti Das, urban fashion pioneer April Walker, Derek J, singer Algebra, chef Jason Ellis and designer Tracy Nicole.
Check out some images below.
