STYLE SPOTLIGHT w/ ATIBA NEWSOME (stylist to the stars)

View the Gallery 5 Photos

Diddy, Mary J Blige and Kelis have all turned to him for his sharp fashion sense and versatility while a legendary music and fashion icon has recently turned to him to help him re-vamp his wardrobe.  Atiba Newsome sat down with me at the Shoreham Hotel in midtown Manhattan looking dapper and effortless in a Alexander McQueen wool sweater, Ralph Lauren denim shirt, Nudie Jeans and Christian Louboutin sneakers with vintage shades on and his fedora tipped. We talked June Ambrose, Puffy and how he turned a love of shopping into a lasting career.

Felicia: As a child what did you want to be when you grew up so to speak?
Atiba: I always said I wanted to be a lawyer because I heard they made a lot of money and because I always loved pleading my case. We did court in high school and I did well but when I found out how long I would have to go to school for I wasn’t having any of that idea anymore. I had a career counselor come to my class and asked me what I loved to do. I was 13 so I said that I liked to shop. So she told me that I could be a buyer and once I heard how you can get paid to shop- I thought this was for me. I was never one for school because I am a hands on type of learner. I see a lot of stylists that have their assistants doing a lot of the work but I am more in the way that if I want something done right now I will just do it myself. I’m the one that is going to get scrutinized if it doesn’t look right- I am the one behind the look so I might as well do the work on my own. I like when my assistants or interns experiment but I usually like doing things on my own.

Felicia: What was your earliest fashion memory? I remember being 4 years old and watching my mother put on her big gold earrings and red lipstick with very short jet black hair. I think that was my a-ha moment in regards to fashion, what was yours?

Atiba: My mother is very demure and classy , so I was really into labels in middle school and I was in her closet and that’s where I started learning about labels. I remember being in fourth grade wearing sharkskin suits from Saks. When you are a kid you don’t realize what you have till you don’t have it anymore you know? I was always  dressing up as a kid and then my mom said you gotta get a job. I remembered the value of a dollar but with fashion I always got around everything when I was a kid- I remember being into Guess and wearing a shirt once and returning it. Tricks with the tag and all of that shit! (laughs) I found a way of sliding the tags out! I lived across from Macy’s so I did have access to that stuff.

Felicia: You had quite the mentor in regards to starting your career in fashion- what was it like being June Ambrose’s intern with the Mod Squad?
Atiba: I had the legendary June Ambrose as a great teacher who I met through a friend and at the time the mod squad was relatively small. She only had two guys working with her. I think she always stood out because she was the only woman surrounded by men and now I am usually the only dude around that has women working with me. It was a great experience and it started off because she used to borrow clothes from my closet for R. Kelly videos and stuff like that. This was before the budgets got really big so I started begging her to let me come along and one day I went to a showroom with the Mod Squad and June snatched me up so for the first 6 months I did everything from walk her dog to help her pick out clothes in the morning. We always got to eat at the best places with the best people. I basically learned what to do and what not to do when I was working with June. I have been in meetings where I literally watched her take a job from another stylist. I learned that if you want something go after it and get it. Watching June work I learned that its important to sell myself. 

Felicia: How vital is it to brand yourself as a  stylist?

Atiba: Branding is very important and more so now than ever. Stylists are like celebrities these days and I remember years ago telling folks I was a stylist and they would say…’ Oh you do hair?’ No I’m a fashion stylist! Its different now with June and Rachel Zoe who write books and have television shows ,so branding is very important now. I am still trying to brand myself but have a hard time selling myself. This is what I do and my personal style is how I sell myself. I’m a work in progress.

Felicia: What was it like working with Kelis who has such an eclectic and distinct style?

Atiba: My thing is less is more and she is the complete opposite. I would subtract and she would add so it was a good battle- a fun one with her. We had fun with clothes and when we first became friends she was in between labels so we would go through her closet and split the budget money. It was a lot of fun.

Felicia: I can’t imagine Kelis’ closet. Its safe to say that I would die in there and with a rather large smile on my face!

Atiba: Listen…her closet is straight up stupid! Most of it was never even worn. It was in her brownstone in Harlem at the time. We didn’t even need to go shopping because she has such a strong blue print. Like with Puff. He liked things on me but not for himself. I think the hardest part about being a stylist is to switch things up and those people with such strong style to try something new. I don’t like to have too much of a blue print. I do hope that I do switch it up all the time. You won’t see me attempting to pull of a gothic look but I like to have fun with it all. That is why I can do rock and hip hop with H&M and Hermes or mix Mc Queen with Sean John. 

Felicia: Who was the easiest client to work with thus far?

Atiba: Mary J. Blige was the most laid back and easiest client I have ever had. Doing the album art for Love & Life ,she would let me do whatever I wanted and her only issue was that she did not want to have everything all out there since she is a married woman but her body is so great so we wanted to show off her handwork because her body is crazy. She was amazing to work with.

Felicia: On the opposite side of the spectrum who was more of a  challenge to work with?

Atiba: Keyshia Cole probably was someone more difficult. I worked on her “I Just Want It To Be Over” video and she would go in her trailer , take off what I gave her and pull something out of her own bag. It would take the director and label to get her to wear the stuff. Its because she has her own unique style with  expensive taste  too.

Felicia: There is a certain stigma about working for Diddy, what was it like working with the artist formerly known as Puff?

Atiba: Diddy knew what was fly, he had that eye and sometimes it would take me a while to convince him about certain pieces but he would rock it. He would see me in certain things and basically that’s how I got most of my jobs especially with Puff because  at first I said no because I was afraid and he was asking me about my shoes, my jacket and my first job with him was in Barcelona. He said “Stop playing and start working for me for real!” 

Felicia: Your work was featured on Oxygen’s House Of Glam reality series what was that like?

Atiba: Everyone is a critic and I love being behind the scenes and love my privacy so being on the train and having people come up to me saying hi- I love that. I love the love. I have been approached to do another show but I don’t know. Its been cool but a blessing. Way more positive than negative. We shot for 10 months on and off and couldn’t change our hair, style, lose or gain weight for continuity without looking crazy.  After a while I forgot the cameras were there and ended up tipsy on one of the last episodes while I was at fashion week. They made it seem like I was drinking because I was upset because i didn’t get a job but it wasn’t the case at all. I had a shoot I prepared for that got cancelled .I was drinking because I had 3 hours to kill and saw some friends *laugh* Editing is crazy. And it was open bar. It was truly reality television because none of us can act. They set up a lot of scenes but we didn’t really now what was going on. It all unfolded on tv and it worked.

Felicia: I heard that the program brought you a new client – a rather legendary one at that can you tell us who that was?

Atiba: The show was great exposure and has allowed me to work with Prince through someone he was working with that had seen the show and recognized my work from it. I heard I’m the first stylist to work with him in ten years so I got to do some shopping for him and his girlfriend. I had a day to fill a room with racks of clothes for him. He spent! All the stores were happy. It was a great experience. I didn’t have to sell a look to him- he has his own look. Its Prince! He is very private and quiet so he would put notes with the outfits because he customizes everything and has it all in every colour. If you would have told me I would be working with Prince I would say get the hell out of here! 

Felicia: Who wouldn’t you mind dressing?

Atiba: Janet Jackson! Let me tell you something. No one has ever loved Janet like me. All over my walls and covering my ceiling was photos of Janet Jackson when I was a kid. She was the first woman I had a crush on when I was younger. She has her hit days and her miss days and she has been looking really great lately but I would love to get my hands on her because she has a great body and personality. Not to mention jeans look good on her bubble butt! *laughs* Her body is mint.

Felicia: Who do you think has impeccable style and just gets ‘it’ ?

Atiba: Victoria Beckham is amazing with her simplicity and shapes, she just gets it. I love Madonna but I love how Swizz Beatz dresses and he dresses himself too without the help of a stylist. They always look great! 

Felicia: Growing up in New York who or what inspired you?

Atiba: Thats a real good question. I think my inspiration was my friends- they truly looked fly. Do you remember a gang of kids in NYC called the Lo Lifes? All polo and layers- they were a head of their time- they flossed but they were fashionable. Head to toe decked out in all polo, they just looked so effortless and cool. I’m always inspired by the city. Walking around Soho or the Village you just see such a melting pot and we inspire each other. I love how Europeans dress and the Japanese because it looks so effortless with tiny detail. I love what you are wearing because its simple and chic- its effortless and I hate to say it but a lot of Latinas and Black women usually try too hard. Big earrings, big ring, too tight ; just take two or three things off to look cleaner and more polished.  I just hate when people try too hard.

Felicia: What is one trend you could live without?

Atiba: I’m tired of cheap spandex leggings. Just because you can get into them, doesn’t mean you should be wearing them.I just saw a woman on the train that I kid you not her leggings had netting on the side with a big fur Roc-A-Wear coat on and  during the day it just didn’t click. However fashion isn’t for everyone and its also why I love to ride the train in New York. All I do is people watch and soak it all in. Today was a doozy! 

Felicia: There is quite the merge between Hip Hop and fashion with the commercialization  of both music and high end labels. Before Kanye and Jay Z there was Biggie talking about Versace, DKNY and Coogi. What do you make of it?

Atiba: Its a double edge sword and I really love the exposure it gives but people think because its in a song then they need to run out and grab it. My friends and I have been wearing  Margiela for years but the minute its out there in every song you see people just asking for whatever is Margiela . Dudes going into Barney’s asking for it because it was just in a track they just heard. Its good and bad. But what I hate is the term red bottoms!

Felicia: Its Christian Louboutin!

Atiba: Amen! Just say the name! Why dumb it down? Is it a pronunciation problem? Not that hard to say but it pisses me off still when people say ask if the shoes are red bottoms.  No actually my shoes are Louboutin’s! People think all designer and high end label garments are fly but its not the case. I just love that dudes in Brooklyn are rocking Dior jeans and young black men are going towards a more tailored look and thats a good thing. Not everything is baggy and ghetto anymore. Things are cleaner and womens fashion is inspiring mens stuff too.Guys aren’t afraid to try new things and even if that means making mistakes. I saw pictures of Omarion’s birthday and he had all these chains on and a tie- it would have looked dope for a photoshoot but looked like a page out of Kanye’s closet -it was a love/hate outfit. Cropped it was a cool outfit but head to toe I’m not sure. I think Kanye is dope because he is truly not afraid to take risks. Eveyone isn’t going to like everything.

Felicia: Alive or dead; present or past – who’s closet wouldn’t you mind raiding?

Atiba: Marvin Gaye and David Beckham. I love colour and Marvin worn sick fitted suits. He wasn’t afraid of fashion.  Kanye is the expected answer but David Beckham has stuff I know I would love.

Felicia: What piece of advice to you have for all of the aspiring stylists out there? 

Atiba: I get a lot of questions from aspiring stylists and I find that really flattering in itself. You have to find a stylist you respect and admire and intern for them. Its what I did with June. I’m still learning new stuff everyday. Kids out there have a great eye and I recently worked with an intern that is so high fashion and you have to learn how to do everything from period pieces, urban and high fashion. High fashion doesn’t pay the way a video will. Working with June allowed me to realize how to dress women. I respected June and we put up with so much because the Mod Squad was a small family. We ate and hung out together and June would have us in her room chillin’. Always work with someone you admire and you wouldn’t mind walking dogs and all of that. Just know what’s going on from Paris to Queens. Let people look at you and guess you are a stylist or work in fashion- when people act surprised that you are a stylist it isn’t a good thing! Dress to impress. 

Felicia: How would you describe your own personal style?

Atiba: Versatile! When I’m in the hood I am in a Sean Jean sweatsuit and I believe when in Rome do like the Romans. Blend with the masses. I’m not trying to come through crushing y’all on 125th street you know? I know how to turn it on and off. When I’m downtown in the city I will not have a 18 year old kid looking flyer than me- they don’t play! 

Check out Atiba’s portfolio and more at atibanewsome.com or follow him on twitter @iamatiba