Contributors

Todd Cruse

Todd grew up in Chicago and had an interest in managing and producing from a very young age. Todd attended school on the East Coast at Columbia University in New York. He has produced shows for all the Major Fashion Weeks worldwide and has been a part of the Fashion News Live team since 2000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rocco Leo Gaglioti

Rocco Gaglioti is a self-made triple threat — creator, producer and host. He founded the televised on-line fashion magazine,FashionNewsLive.com, which almost overnight has become ranked as one of the top ten out  of the 150 million fashion and celebrity sites around the world.
He hit the ground running in 2004 with his very first interview on the red carpet with Anna Nicole Smith. Not bad for a rookie. And the fact that she tried to make out with him didn’t even scare him away from pursuing his lifelong dream of working in the fashion industry. But making dreams come true takes more than good looks and charm.  It takes hard work and determination as well.

Even though he makes it look easy, Rocco came from humble, though very loving beginnings. He learned to communicate with his hands through sign language before he could even speak because of his mother, who was born deaf. This naturally gave him a lifelong appreciation for the underdog, along with the advantage of a much more enhanced “sixth sense”.

Being in the right place at the right time doesn’t hurt either. And so it was a Miami model scout with an obvious eye for spotting talent who advised Rocco in 1994 to try his hand at modeling. Miami quickly turned into Milan and Paris, which turned into New York and the rest is history as they say.

Within a short time, he was signed with Boss and Zoli. Rocco wanted more though, and it was when he picked up a camera in Germany that he discovered his own eye for photography. He was a natural behind the camera, impressed several major publishers and soon after secured gigs from Maxim Magazine and Ocean Drive. But the model-turned-photographer still wasn’t satisfied.In 2000 he moved to Orlando, founded his own production company, RLG Productions, Inc., and set up shop at the back lot at Universal Studios.

His vision for a unique televised fashion magazine format was soon picked up by the now defunct UPN and maintained a strong presence on the network until its demise.He quickly transitioned his vision into an online media empire, which continues to grow and thrive today as he provides a steady stream of compelling entertainment and fashion content for millions of fashionistas around the world.

The 6’3” former model may dress from head to toe in Marc Jacobs and Gucci, but that is not what makes him fashion’s latest “It Guy”. It’s more than likely the combination of his soulfulness, his uncanny ability for discerning the next big thing and his beguiling quintessence that landed him on the pop culture radar and will undoubtedly make him a household name.

And with his eye on television or radio as a next step, the rising star is certainly not going to slow down anytime soon. Rocco currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

 

Jewel Mignon

Jewel Mignon was born into a family of fashion lovers. Unfortunately, Jewel didn’t fit in as a child, so she was sent to live at the School for the Socially Awkward and Fashionably Upsetting.  It was in the thirteenth year of her education, in her “Super Senior” year, that Jewel finally had a fashion epiphany. After graduation, Jewel‘s mission in life was to find fashion errors and correct them. Zealous in pursuit of her new found calling, shoppers at WalMart, United States Postal Workers and Strangers on the street would find themselves getting a complimentary “Make Over By Jewel”. Luckily, Jewel’s friends heard about this and Jewel is now nicely settled into a very “Special” cottage and can blog about fashion and shoes to her heart’s content. Jewel blogs for Fashion News Live when she is not pursuing her new hobby from the balcony of her suite after getting a pair of night vision binoculars. You can check out her other blog called “guesswhatmyneighborsaredoingnow.justkidding”

 

 

 

 

Juliana Shadlen

Juliana Shadlen is the Film Editor, Post-Production Supervisor, and Cinematographer for Fashion News Live and RLG Productions Corp. She recently finished filming and editing Season 2 and 3 of Comcast On Demand’s reality show VidBlogger Nation starring Fashion News Live creator, producer, and host Rocco Leo Gaglioti. She has worked for Fashion News Live since 2010. In that time she has covered New York Fashion Weeks, LA Fashion Weeks, Miami Fashion Week, and Peru’s first ever Lima Fashion Week. She has also worked on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows as well as The Critic’s Choice awards and many other exclusive events in New York and Los Angeles.

Juliana loves film and fashion together and as separate endeavors. Her past work includes a short film titled A Strange Confession and PBS’ Nova TV Series. Juliana also worked in post-production on the New York International Film Festival Winner of the Best Documentary & Documentary Audience Award, Grace Paley: Collected Shorts. She is passionate about music videos and documentary filmmaking and has several exciting projects in the works including a documentary short on Bipolar Disorder (working title: Chained from the Sky). Her music video Post-Traumatic Lust can currently be found on youtube.

Juliana continues to hone her skills as a Cinematographer and Film Editor. She is currently based in Brooklyn but considers herself Bi-Coastal. Her current favorite designers are Custo Barcelona, Stop Staring, and Betsey Johnson. She loves hair accessories especially handmade or vintage pieces from Etsy and Michael Quinn’s Glampire Design. Fashion News Live is a perfect match for Juliana who gets to exploit her innate sense of fun with style and penchant for extreme fashion.

 

Kandee Johnson

Kandee Johnson, is a Youtube beauty and style phenomenon, with over 130 million views on her videos. She shares her tips, tricks, inspiration with millions of viewers worldwide. Her bubbly and fun personality combined with her unique style and genuine spirit make her loveable and addictive to watch.
She began her career in Hollywood as a make-up artist for tv, movies and print. Even dabbling in wardrobe styling for several commercials, tv shows and a movie.
Kandee has been featured in magazines like ELLE, Glamour, and NYLON and industry specials like, Make-Up Artist magazine. She also won the very first ELLE and Cover Girl video star award for the year ad was featured in a special Cover Girl ad. Online her work has shown up everywhere from, InStyle to the Huffington Post. Her work has been shown on Good Morning America and she has been a guest make-up artist, performing all the make-up transformations and guest hosting/judging  on the Style Channel’s, How Do I Look, for their big 2 hour special.
As well as being a guest Judge on Oxygen’s Hair Battle Spectacular, and has shared her tips on Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers show on the CW.
She causes website to crash, with a mere mention of a product she likes, and after having her hair cut at a salon in LA, they had girls calling from all over the world to schedule appointments and tell of how they scheduled their vacations to include a hair cut at the same salon.
She has worked with cosmetic companies to create colors and was asked to design a handbag that will be out this December. Kandee grew up designing clothes, drawing, taking photographs and her love of all things fashion, style and make-up have become a lifestyle and trusted source for all things beauty and style for millions of viewers a month.

 

Angela Simmons

Angela Simmons is the star of two Hit MTV Shows: “Run’s House”, in which America gets an insider’s look at the lives of the first family of hip-hop, as well as her own MTV Show,” Daddy’s Girls” chronicling Angela and her sister’s jet-setting bi-coastal lives as they navigate Hollywood and step out as role models for their millions of young fans.At 23, Angela is the second eldest sibling in the Simmons family and has already accomplished a great deal both personally and professionally. She graduated from the High School of Fashion Industries and has continued to pursue fashion by attending the world-renowned Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
That same year Angela and her sister Vanessa founded the ultra-popular clothing, sneaker and handbag/accessory line PASTRY, which has catapulted into a million dollar brand and has become a hit with girls across the country. The success of Pastry has established Angela into a fashion powerhouse and entrepreneur in her own right.With international appeal, Angela alongside her sister Vanessa have graced the pages of PEOPLE, ESSENCE, TEEN VOGUE, SEVENTEEN, VIBE, OK! Weekly, Star Magazine, US Weekly, InTouch Weekly, Life & Style. They’ve appeared on THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD, EXTRA, GOOD DAY NY, FOX BUSINESS and many more media outlets. They turn heads on A-list red carpets such as The EMMY Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, NAACP Awards and New York Fashion Week.In addition, Angela is committed to empowering and uplifting young people and have become an ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network – visiting children in hospitals and providing them with hope and inspiration.

 

Kristian Weathers

Kristian was born in Sarasota, Fl. And raised in HighPoint, NC. Her modeling career began in diapers at the ripe age of 2. She began acting and dancing by the time she was 4 and has performed in numerouscommercials, indie films and theater productions. Her passion has always been with Shakespeare. In 2003 she graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts with a concentration in theater where she studied an array of techniques. She has traveled the world, lived in New York amongst many other cities throughout the country and now resides in the Los Angeles area. Her lifelong affair with fashion continues with Fashion News Live as one of their hosts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharon Gault

Internationally known for her groundbreaking work with makeup, Sharon Gault has created iconic looks for some of the biggest names in show business and fashion, and in the process, defined emerging trends for two decades in modern pop culture.

At the age of 16, Sharon became very interested in photography, and later trained with Vidal Sassoon as a hairstylist. A few years later, she discovered her passion for makeup, and chose to focus her energy in this direction. Already a veteran of the Hollywood fashion scene, it was not until she toured with Madonna on the “Blonde Ambition” tour, and was featured in the candid documentary “In bed with Madonna” that Sharon came to the attention of the world.

To this day, many people know her simply as “Mama Makeup”, a nickname given to her by the dancers on the tour. Sharon has collaborated with some of the world’s most acclaimed photographers including, David La Chapelle, Ellen Von Unwerth, Isabel Snyder, Matthew Rolston, Tony Duran, Richard McLaren, Michel Comte and Herb Ritts. Her work is constantly in demand by Hollywood celebrities, who need to look their best for red carpet awards shows, interviews, and photo shoots, giving her a client roster that includes Drea Matteo, Hilary Duff, Amber Tamblyn, Jennifer Garner, Rachel Griffith, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger, Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr, Britney Spears, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Demi Moore, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Enrique Iglesias, Cindy Crawford, Hilary Swank, Kate Bosworth, Gwen Stefani, Thora Birch, and many more.

With such a background, it is not surprising to find that Sharon’s work has featured in such renowned publications as Italian Vogue, British Vogue, Interview, The Face, Arena, Vanity Fair, ID, In Style, Glamour, Allure, Marie Claire, GQ, Elle, Harper’s, Queen, and Rolling Stone. In addition, she has worked on music videos for artists such as Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Moby, KD Lang, Enrique Iglesias, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Avril Lavigne, and The Vines.

 

Veronica Staehle

Veronica Staehle is a very dynamic female who loves to connect and intertwine all sorts of things into one gracefully unified outcome. Currently attending The Fashion Institute of Technology, she is studying Graphic Design with higher hopes to master the craft of visual communication in all intentions of the term.
The spark for her interests in aesthetics, design, and communicating visually comes from her bilingual, duel cultured background. Raised by two incredible Deaf parents who bred and instilled a sense of pride and empowerment she grew up fully embracing Deaf Culture and American Sign Language (ASL). Their passion and lessons became the foundation behind Veronica’s involvement with the Deaf community and Interpreter field; She learned early on that her Child Of Deaf Adults (CODA) identity would not just be a role to hold, but a beautiful detail of herself she loves to share and express. She has lived in several cities domestically and internationally and never seems to lose interest in finding new things to grab a hold of and become inspired by. It’s this sense of unlimited possibilities and delight found in anything provoking her to work harder to find something she’s never seen.

 

Sean James

Sean James was born and raised in Australia, where his career as a hairstylist began to flourish when he trained with Australia’s leading hairstylist Oscar Cullinan. In 1989, Sean moved to London where he trained with Vidal Sassoon. A few years later in 1992, Sean moved to Los Angeles, where
he became an educator and color specialist working at the Los Angeles Flagship store for L’Oreal. In 2001, Sean was brought on as a valued member of the prestigious creative team for Redken, where he began doing many years of fashion weeks in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris.

Sean has worked with celebrities such as Jaime Pressly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rufus Wainwright, Emily Blunt, Rita Wilson, Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Chung and many more. He works consistently on films, commercials, television, advertising campaigns, and he is sought after all over the world. Most recently, Sean was a member of the exclusive Balmain team as the US representative at Paris Fashion week and has just come back from NY fashion week , where he lead the Rusk team or the Monarchy collection . He has been featured on the E! newtork, the Style networks “How do I look” And is a panel member on “Beautyfix” a Nation wide product review, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and MTV’s The Hills. He has also been featured in world renowned publications such as Harper’ Bazaar, InStyle, WWD, The New York Times, and More, just to name a few.

Sean’s adventures in hair are ongoing and groundbreaking as he continues to have a drive to explore the new and exciting ways to express inner beauty through the ever growing medium of hair. Sean’s mantra as a true artist is “explore yourself and express your inner beauty.”

 

Elaine Lancaster

As if she stepped right out of the pages of a Jackie Collins novel, Elaine Lancaster is as glamorous and beautiful as the characters of HollywoodWives. Elaine Lancaster was actually named after two characters from that very novel, Elaine Conti and Karen Lancaster. As befitting a Jackie Collins novel, Elaine’s life has been filled with glamour, travel, celebrities and a few twisted scenarios. One being the fact that the gorgeous Elaine Lancaster is in reality a man when not performing.

The actor (James Davis) behind Elaine was born in Alabama and raised in Georgia, while Elaine was born in the lap of luxury, pampered by all, and spoiled rotten. Like the true diva she became, she managed to spend every dime thrown her way developing an unquenchable quest for more. Not just more jewels and designer fashions, luxury brands, but more of everything. Driven by the need to live life in the spotlight, fame had to be hers so the world became her stage.

Elaine is a Style & Beauty icon, as well as an Advice & Lifestyle columnist for Miami Monthly Magazine. She’s in demand as a hostess all over the world in clubs, for charities, DJ & emcee. Elaine travels the Globe DJ-ing for Fortune 500 companies. Elaine hosted The Aspen Gay Ski Week from 1995`2002. Executive host committee member for the Blacks Annual Gala. Hostess for the crown jewel of HIV/AIDS fund raiser since 1997, White Party Week. Louis Vuttion Global store openings. Polo Ralph Lauren store opening. Host Pamela Anderson’s parfum launch, Malibu. Visionaire Magazine Parties. Bulgari Jewelry Store opening. House of Field fashion show celebrity guest.. plus way too many to list. Since 1997 has helped raise over 20 million dollars for numerous non-profit charities.

Elaine Lancaster has caused waves ever since she first landed on the sandy shores of South Beach. In less than a year the diva earned celebrity status from local to Global Diva gracing the pages of every local publication The national glossy Genre selected Elaine as one of the top 10 Drag Queens of the decade while TIME reported on her antics hosting the political fund raiser for Janet Reno. Fresh back from Vienna, Austria where Elaine Entertained the party goers along side; Patti LaBelle, Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Kenneth Cole, President Bill Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Diane von Furstenberg, Richie Rich etc. For Life Ball 2010. Elaine continues to spread glamour, beauty, and share the goodness of her heart with the men of the world while entertaining everyone else. Elaine lives in Miami & Aspen, but works all over the world. There is no denying Elaine Lancaster has achieved Star status through hard work & integrity. Jackie Collins would be proud to have created Elaine.

 

Melysha Reed

Melysha Reed was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo. and now reside in Oklahoma City, Ok. She has dreamed of becoming a fashion designer since she was a little girl. Melysha is naturally creative and has a unique way of expressing her sense of style and fashion. Melysha knew that if she wanted her childhood dream to come true, she would have to work hard and that it would be a long journey. In 2006 she had the opportunity to meet Russell Simmons while living in St. Louis, Mo. It was then she knew she was finally on the road to success. She also met Project Runway’s Season 5 contestant Johnathan Kayne at the offices of Phat Fashions. Melysha attended the International Academy of Design and Technology for Fashion Design and Merchandising. She interned at Kellwood Western Region in the City of Industry CA where Kimora Lee previewed her line ‘Kouture by Kimora’. Melysha took a few road trips to events and met R&B singer Dondria who became her first celebrity client. In 2011 Melysha’s custom couture line ‘Melysha’s Couture’ was debuted and worn by Dondria at the BET Awards.

Currently Melysha is a fashion designer, a Women’s Fashion Blogger for FNL and a Partner In Hope for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Melysha joined St. Jude after she lost her mother to Lung Cancer.

 

Maurice Luckett

Maurice Luckett is an international Fashion and Runway Photographer based in Europe and the USA. Maurice served in the US Army (to include deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan) from 2003 to 2010 and soon after began his career into the magnificent world of fashion. He now attends fashion weeks and fashion events around the world including: Paris, Milan, New York, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Jaipur. Maurice has shot for magazines such as: Vogue Italia, L’Officiel and Lucire. His clients include: Redbull, Creme Nouveau, Addicted Cosmetics, Elite Model Management, IMG Models, Mocca Models and Izaio Models. He has also branched over into the journalist side of the fashion industry in order to better caption the images he shoots and provide a firsthand look at where he has been or where he will be going. To view Maurice’s portfolio and or find out more information, visit his website at mauriceluckett.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samara Liu

Accessory and Fashion Designer Samara Liu gained her artistic studies at Parsons The New School of Design after graduating from Idyllwild Arts Academy. The creation of something beautiful has always been the most important factor in her life. Samara’s personal philosophy is that fashion is an art form without limits.

Studying techniques in Taiwan, Europe, India, and America, Samara Liu has truly a unique ethnic influence into her designs. Working with the non-profit organization World of Good She traveled to India helping the company produce her designed products. Samara has designed for celebrities such as Rocco Leo Gaglioti, Karen Koeningsberg, Mario Marchiaro, and many more. After working for companies such as Cambria Cove, Sophia Ritz Wedding and Maggie Norris Couture, Samara has learned valuable lessons regarding the business of the fashion industry through direct experience. From what Samara had learned through these experiences she received the Tac Commissioning Grant in which she was able to design and produce her own fashion show in California. Being on the Cambria Cove production team for the 2010/2011 Mercedes Fashion Week, Samara was able to dive right into the heart of Fashion in the big apple.
Inspiration can come from anything, anytime, and it is through the bliss of every moment and opportunity in life she finds the drive to create and appreciates.

Todd Griffith

Composer & Producer Todd Griffith over several summers explored musical performance at The Juilliard School of Music. It was here that Todd decided to continue his compositional career at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California where he majored in Film Scoring and Orchestral Percussion. After heading out west surrounded by nature and the arts, Todd then explored orchestral writing and performance in a newly found artistic utopia. Soon after he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston to continue his studies in Film Scoring, Orchestral & World Percussion, and Electronic Production. Striving to combine organic sounds with modern techniques and technologies, Todd is always creating new sounds and innovative musical ideas. After composing music for the 2010 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cambria Cove V.I.P. Lounge Party, Todd’s eyes were opened to the unlimited possibilities of combining music with fashion. To view Todd Griffith’s portfolio and or find out more information, visit his website at www.toddgriffithproductions.com

“To me all sound is music, it just needs technique.”- Todd Griffith

 

 

 

Janelle Korcheck

Janelle Korcheck has a passion for fashion. Currently living in New York City, Janelle is living her dream. Janelle’s interest in fashion started at an early age, as she watched her mother in the fashion business through the years. This interest led to her attending two of the country’s leading arts boarding schools, first the Oxbow Academy in the Napa Valley and then Idyllwild Academy of the Arts in Southern California. Janelle currently is a student at Parsons School of Design. She has studied fashion design and is currently studying fashion marketing.

Janelle has a broad experience in the fashion industry encompassing design, product development, styling, retail, marketing and PR. This gives her a unique perspective of the business. Throughout her fashion career, Janelle has been mentored by CFDA board member Selima Salaun, who has been instrumental in Janelle’s success in the fashion industry. She learned the retail business in the Selima Optique Stores. Janelle gained experience in design as a design intern with Catherine Malandrino, and in product development for the World of Good, where she traveled to India to create a line for the company. Janelle is a successful stylist, styling celebrities and socialites for red carpet events in New York City.

Janelle’s life work is marrying her passion for fashion with philanthropic work. Currently, Janelle sits on the board of Sisters on the Runway, a charity providing support to domestic violence shelters through money raised by runway shows. She finds deep inspiration from those around her who are changing the world on a daily basis—through their words and with their good deeds.

Elise St. Clair

Elise St. Clair is a freelance graphic designer and visual artist. She graduated with a degree in Studio Art with a focus in design and digital imaging from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (on the island of O’ahu). While living in Hawaii she was a popular Dj and Radio host for the radio station KTUH 90.3 fm Honolulu. She was also the afternoon news anchor KSSK, KHVH and KHBZ Honolulu. Elise now lives in Southern California. She shoots fashion events in LA for Fashion News Live and is also the blog’s webmaster. Please visit her website for more information about Elise, her design and web services, and portfolio. EliseStClair.com