A CHAT WITH A YOUNG POWERHOUSE ENTREPRENEUR

DESIGNER: Adonis King Collection by Adonis King
MODEL(S): Azia Armand, Ahmad Waddel, Elodie Tusac, Cole Van Ness
MODEL MGMT: Revalushion Management
PHOTOGRAPHY: Eddy Enriquez

Thank you for taking some time to chat with us as we know you have a very busy schedule! Let’s get started, shall we?

Adonis King….where does that name come from?  

My real name is Elijah Harris, but so many people have the name Elijah that it’s just not unique anymore. I have always loved greek mythology stories and movies growing up. Adonis is my ego name and I just added King to the end of it. Adonis is a greek God of beauty and I do believe I’m beautiful.

We have seen your designs featured in NYFW on Times Square Billboard.  What is it like seeing your designs on that platform?

Seeing my designs on the Time Square Billboard was a dream come true for me, and showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to. I have always dreamed of seeing my designs on a bigger platform such as the billboard where everyone can see the brand the way I do. I have to thank everyone that was a part of the billboard shoot because the models and production team worked around the clock on it. It was definitely long hours put into that video/photoshoot but the finish project looked amazing. Adonis King Collection is definitely planning to launch another campaign for 2021.

Where do you draw inspiration for your designs from?

A lot of the inspiration for my designs honestly come from my personal style. I love over the top and racy garments that make people talk about it. That’s how I see fashion, everyone should have that one piece in their closet that starts a conversation. Fashion is supposed to be fun and make people want to dress up. I believe fashion can honestly help move people out of their comfort zone.

As a creative, what are your thoughts on this pandemic and how it has affected the creative industry?

I have seen so many fashion businesses go away from this pandemic because they wasn’t able to hold on any longer, I am so lucky to still have the Adonis King Collection brand because at one time I felt like no one was understanding my style and what i was creating, but I  am happy I didn’t give up. I believe you have to go through something bad or troubling in order to learn how strong you can become. The pandemic showed everyone that you don’t need to have the big budgets or expensive set ups to be creative and make noise. That’s how you know you are a real designer.

What is the bad and the good that you have seen come out of this world event?

I like to focus on the good because it’s already bad enough in the world. So the good thing is that we have seen new businesses being developed and customers are actually paying attention to what they are buying and who they are buying from. A lot of smaller brands are growing and that’s the amazing part about this pandemic is that we are paying more attention to people and their creations or stories. A lot of fashion brands are also re-thinking how they do business, some brands are incorporating more tech into their stores or websites and finding affordable and better ways to run their company.

We understand that you are now spearheading a tech company….what made you take that particular industry to pivot into ?

Yes, it’s called Virtual X and we just created Virtual X Pro which is the world’s first self-serve cloud based platform that creates shoppable virtual in store experiences through web, mobile, and VR. Virtual X Pro is a platform devoted to building a 3D community through VR technology within reach of individuals and companies. We have a whole team that has been working around the clock on new designs and amazing creative ideas for the future.

Can you tell us some more of that company and what has been the response so far?

The problem is that big companies are spending billions of dollars in digital marketing to gain traffic to their store or websites. The COVID-19 crisis has impacted consumer behavior by forcing consumers to shop at home. This is a huge burden to brick and mortar retailers. Brick and mortar retailers and E-commerce sites need to find more ways to convince customers to purchase their products online. Consumers have become more aware of sustainability through their own personal values, which retailers are struggling with adoption and affordability of consumer’s expectations.

Finally, what are your plans for 2021?

My plans for 2021 are to keep working on the Adonis King Collection brand, reshaping it and growing it, then work super hard on Virtual X because so many new and old companies need this platform to keep moving forward into the future.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Linda Hidalgo have signed on to the Fast-Track Cities Paris Declaration to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030

More than 1,200 new HIV infections occur every year in Houston/Harris County, where more than 28,000 people live with the disease. Houston/Harris County is a national hotspot for new HIV diagnoses, along with Washington D.C. and San Juan Puerto Rico.

The signing of the The Fast-Track Cities Paris Declaration marked the conclusion of the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, which brings together clinicians and health professionals to highlight the role biomedical prevention tools in ending the epidemic.

“Ending HIV is not only a lifesaving endeavor, it is also an economically sound approach that saves millions of dollars in health care costs,” said Mayor Turner. “I’m proud to add Houston as a Fast Track City, complementing the quality work of the Houston Health Department in ending the HIV epidemic.”

The Fast-Track Cities Paris Declaration is a commitment by municipalities to achieve the 90-90-90 HIV treatment targets by 2020. These targets will rapidly reduce new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths and put cities, now to include Houston and Harris County, on the “fast track” to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The Declaration calls on cities to strengthen their local HIV/AIDS responses and meet a set of targets to significantly reduce new HIV infections and end-AIDS related deaths. These targets are to ensure that 90 percent of people living with HIV (PLHIV) will know their status, that 90 percent of all PLHIV will receive sustained anti-retroviral treatment and that 90 percent of all PLHIV on anti-retroviral treatment will have durable viral suppression.

Beau J. Mitts, MPH of The Houston Health Department Bureau of HIV/STD & Viral Hepatitus Prevention reminds residents that free and confidential HIV and other STD testing are offered at its health centers and mobile clinic. People can call 832-393-5010 or the City of Houston 311 Help & Info Line to find the nearest health center. The mobile clinic schedule and health center locations are also available at HoustonHealth.org.

A health survey indicates forty-three percent of Houston’s Fifth Ward families living in homes located over a creosote contamination plume report at least one cancer diagnosis.

The percentage is relatively high for the neighborhood since the average cancer diagnosis for Houston is 6.1 percent. Most received a cancer diagnosis after 2003.

Historic Injustice

Lung cancer was one of the most common types of cancer among respondents or their family members, the survey also points out. It is one of the cancers associated with the chemicals of concern identified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the Union Pacific Railroad groundwater contamination.

“It is disconcerting that people with a cancer diagnosis in this neighborhood may have been exposed to creosote for four decades,” said Loren Hopkins, chief environmental science officer at the Houston Health Department.

Worse Than Expected

In all fairness, this problem was inherited, by Union Pacific Railroad and the plume of cancer-causing chemical creosote had spread to the neighborhood over many decades before their purchase. A Texas Department of State Health Services report in August identified several census tracts in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens with greater-than-expected incidences of adult cancers of the lung, esophagus and throat.
Other survey findings include:
 

• Households with a family member diagnosed with cancer report facing financial challenges that include depleted savings, unpaid medical bills, going into debt and unpaid bills that resulted in the shut off of utilities.

• Nearly a third of respondents with a cancer diagnosis reported irregular menstruation and slightly more than a fifth reported a child with low birth weight or infertility.

• Most of the respondents noticed an oily smell or oily water.

• The top three chronic diseases affecting respondents were allergies, diabetes and high blood pressure.

We will keep you updated. We’re hoping Union Pacific addresses these issue in a meaningful, measurable and authentic manner.

Our students can not do it alone. Your support can help them succeed. Your support can help an amazing scholar do more and reach their goal as an aspiring meteorologist.

This month, we celebrate Briana Lawrence, a scholar, and kidney transplant survivor.

Each One, Help One

At the young age of 8, Lawrence was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

A recipient of her father’s kidney, her positive outlook inspired many. Through months of extraordinary procedures at Columbia hospital in NYC, she remained studious and graduated with honors and on time.

Currently a freshman at Penn State majoring in Atmospheric Science, she is an amazing example of resilience through Faith and is well on the path to academic success.

You Can Make A Difference

The cost of medical care has been quite a strain on family finances. Your contribution can help more than you know. Use PayPal erileybm5@gmail.com or make a tax-deductible donation via GoFundMe.

Nothing is too small. Your generosity can help worthy scholars continue their journey and achieve their dreams.

How Will You Join The Fight?

While recovering from her own surgery, Lawrence participated in the Color Run fundraiser to raise awareness for kidney diseases. She selflessly gave all donations to help research, support the fight against kidney disease and help other young scholars.