“My EIC Life” is a dose of marvelous musings straight from ESSENCE’s editor-in-chief,Vanessa K. De Luca. It’s your glimpse into her oh-so-fabulous life, which is filled with amazing people, awesome must-haves and endless inspiration.
Powered Up: I kicked off the week at an invite-only gathering with some of NYC’s most inspiring women, courtesy of Fortune magazine and its annual Most Powerful Women dinner. An eclectic mash-up of leaders in business, philanthropy, media, government and the arts filled the room at the Time Warner Center. My tablemates included Martha Stewart, WNBA president Lisa Borders, and Save The Children CEO Carolyn Miles. Highlight of the night: a killer keynote conversation with Rosalind Brewer, CEO of Sam’s Club. You can read our recap of the event here.
Remembering Gordon Parks: This vintage photo from the early days of Essence that was discovered by a Reuters staffer in his home, and now graces my office, features legendary photographer and former Essence creative director Gordon Parks.
His legacy lives on via the Gordon Parks Foundation, which provides scholarships for deserving students in the creative arts. This week the organization celebrated its 10th anniversary; here’s a few photos from the gala snapped by our executive editor Jacklyn Monk and her hubby. I love Park’s classic photo of Kathleen and Eldridge Cleaver. This was the first time it was displayed in public in color.
Sneak peek: I get so excited when the make-readys (read: preview issue) of our upcoming monthly arrive on my desk, fresh from the printers. For July we decided to revive a fave fan theme, The Men’s Issue, with solo covers of two of the most dapper classic men we know. Here’s an early sneak peek—any guesses on who it is? The complete cover reveal launches next week; stay tuned!
Vacay-Yay! This Memorial Day weekend I’m taking some time off—for real, for real. And I’m actually looking forward to sunbathing on South Beach now that I’ve gotten serious about my fitness goals. The FIT Barre classes I’ve been taking—which is like ballet on steroids—have helped me strengthen my core and reshape my body. I’m not where I want to be just yet, but I’m determined to be #FitxFestival:) If you missed our fitness guide in the January issue and can use some summer inspiration, check out the story here.
