The impressive group of designers, chefs, politicians and family friends filed through the loft’s glass doors. They past sparkling display cases filled with diamond jewelry, all handcrafted by Haitian artisans, and found themselves in a room of white exposed brick walls which backdropped formal dining tables set with sky high centerpieces of dove white feathers and red roses.

On the way, each guest paused on a red carpet while a photographer snapped a photo, a memento of the night which celebrated one of the Haitian community’s most favored success stories, Nadege Fleurimond. The 30 year-old woman, who ten years ago, began a modest catering company out of her Columbia University dorm room.

The loft’s second floor was a swirl of party dresses as laughter echoed through the air. Wine glasses were filled with Night Harvest Merlot and bottles of Prestige beer were passed around the room with carefree abandon. Hor d’ oeuvres of fluffy Spanakopita and glistening meatballs were offered along with samples of silky pumpkin soup in miniature martini glasses.

As women settled themselves onto velvet poufs and men sat back in large arm chairs I sat to speak to the hostess of the evening, a Haitian success story in her own rite, Midwin Charles. Founder of the law firm Midwin Charles and Associates, the stunning and popular television legal analyst on CNN and HLN offered her insight into the night’s proceedings. She first met Nadege when she was catering a party, “I ate her incredible guava petty and fell completely in love,” she said with a smile. The two have known each other for several years now, and Charles was happy to host this event celebrating her friend’s success, “she’s been able to introduce the culinary aspects of the Haitian community to people who never would have encountered it otherwise.”

As Charles was pulled into conversation with other guests, I continued my way through the room, past a large ice sculpture surrounded by fresh chilled shrimp and trays piled high with pineapple, strawberries and kiwis. I met Régine Roumain and Kassandra Khalil as they leaned against a glass jewelry case adorned with large cylinders of tiny glittering fish and sparkling gems. The women head up the Haiti Cultural Exchange, a nonprofit organization raising awareness of social issues while also teaching about arts, education, politics and public affairs. The two women know Nadege through her work with the Haiti Cultural Exchange’s lecture series, “Let’s Talk.” She’s given lectures and cooking demonstrations to eager fans, “It’s a way to familiarize people with the subtle depth of the culture. Food is a very active way of engaging with the public,” said Khalil.

Suddenly everyone’s attention was drawn to a large staircase in the center of the room where Charles stood with a microphone, introducing the honored guest. The party welcomed Nadege to her party with thunderous applause. She descended the stairs slowly in a gorgeous white floor length dress with a keyhole front. “When we talk about accomplishments in the Haitian community,” Charles said into the microphone to settle the crowd, “this is what it looks like!”

The room erupted with applause once again and Nadege took the microphone and offered a humble speech. She acknowledged the hard work of many people who helped her achieve such success, “Tonight I wanted to do an event that was really about you … I couldn’t be where I am today without some phenomenal people,” Nadege said with a gracious nod of her head. She presented awards to “the four pillars of Fleurimond Catering” which included Veronique Dolce, Andry Orcel, Gracie Xavier and Waheedah Joefield.

Melissa Severe, who I had spoken to earlier in the night, presented Nadege with an award from Councilmember Jumaane Williams. When we had chatted earlier she confessed her love of Nadege’s plantain chips and fresh guacamole, which she learned to make in a cooking class, but as she presented Nadege the award, anyone could see much more than delicious food was being honored. More awards honoring Ms. Fleurimond followed, one from Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, another from Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer and one from The Nassau County Office.

As the speeches wound down I turned to find that every available surface in the loft had been filled with piping hot platters; the serious eating was to begin. Classic to her cooking style, Nadege arranged for foods from all over the world to grace the palates of those who had come to join in celebrating her success.

As the crowd mingled and photographer flash bulbs went off, I eased into a familiar food trance. I tasted sweet little pieces of lamb glazed in fragrant spices and natural juices. There were platters of salmon, so buttery and tender that each filet fell apart the moment my fork pierced the pinky flesh. Nutty bulgur wheat, with its delicate turmeric flavor and baby soft peas, was the perfect compliment to the rich Asian inspired duck. Just as I thought I couldn’t eat another bite, I passed a dish of fragrant mushrooms with sesame noodles, bean curd, red peppers and jalapenos. The East meets West flavor exploded next to the homey familiarity of potato salad that was smartly dressed in butter, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. My smile must have been radiant because a man passing by stopped and said with a boyish grin, “you eat a lot for a little thing, that’s good.” As I turned to watch him go I saw a woman who I can only describe as “the cupcake lady” parting the crowd of partygoers and moving straight toward me. She stood in the middle of a circular table on wheels that was filled with vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet cupcakes. I plucked a red velvet cupcake as she passed by and bit into the tiny perfumed treat.

Two gentlemen who had been observing my enthusiastic eating informed me that an after party was taking place at Albella Lounge down the street, I couldn’t say no. With my after-party ticket in hand, we all ran down Reade Street in a classic New York City rainstorm. Women shrieked and lifted their long gowns as men attempted to shield their dates using newspapers, jackets or umbrellas. Creole music pulsed inside the bar. Couples shook the water off their jackets and took immediately to the dance floor with abandon. I danced, laughed and as the night closed to a perfect ending, indulged in a couple of well-earned beers. It was a perfect evening filled with joyous celebration, not just for Fluerimond Catering, but for the Haitian community as a whole.

NORWICH — Youth groups from two churches in Greeneville are uniting for a talent show to raise money for 35 Seconds for Haiti, a local outreach to an area of Haiti that suffered the most damage from the 2010 earthquake. The First Haitian Baptist Church of Norwich and Peniel Church of Norwich will host the event at 6 p.m. May 12 at the Kelly Middle School auditorium in Norwich, Conn. Tickets are available for a $5 minimum donation. The group that raises the most money will paint six youth leaders from the losing team.

Call Adam Bowles at (860) 861-4246 for tickets or more information.Seating capacity is 800.First come, first serve for tickets so act quickly!

The outreach is a ministry of the Haitian church in partnership with Peniel. Approximately $12,000 in business and individual donations has been raised since the ministry launched on the one-year anniversary of the disaster. The group would like to raise enough money to build homes in Haiti.

Forbes, who recently ran an eight-week after-school fashion club at the Edward C. Gartland Youth Center in Providenciales, spoke to about three hundred students of the Clement Howell High School in Turks and Caicos on careers in the fashion industry.

The annual career day is an attempt to guide students to making informed career choices. Accomplished executives from various industries are invited to share insider knowledge and tips for career success.

“It was indeed an honor and a privilege to speak to the students, providing knowledge on what is fashion, [what] careers in fashion [entail] and encouraging them to set goals and to follow their dreams,” said Forbes.

“It took about six minutes to get the students settled as they were screaming and cheering me on as I made my way to the podium to speak,” said Forbes. “That spirit … motivates me to continue following my dreams and is indeed a signal of excitement and eagerness within that body of students to endeavor to be a success.”

Learn to style your natural hair in this intimate class while sipping wine, sampling cheese and networking with other Caribbean-American women and their friends in the Boston area.

Wine and cheese included in the price!

We want to bring local women together to socialize and network. As a plus, we have a natural hair care expert joining us to host a workshop for anyone who has attempted to go natural and failed miserably! If you’re ready to make the transition to natural, join us for a little lesson. Even if you have no interest in ever attempting au natural (or you’ve already mastered your curl), join us anyway for some wine and mingling.

When: Saturday, May 26th
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Where: The offices of Amour Creole, 50 Franklin Street, Boston MA, 02110
Price: $15

Cash and check payments can be made at the door.

We look forward to seeing you!

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Mailing Address:	The offices of Amour Creole, 50 Franklin Street, Boston MA, 02110

Kazz Forbes, head designer and proprietor of the fashion house, debuted his first collection “Le Caicos Chic; A Romance with Decadence” at Caribbean International Fashion Week in NYC June 8th of 2011, exactly a year prior to the scheduled debut of his second collection, “Island Breeze.”

Caribbean Fashion Week is the region’s largest, most recognized fashion event. The event features both top Caribbean and international designers, supermodels and fashion press, including Vogue and Fashion TV Paris.

Forbes said he’s honored to be the first to represent his country at this show and said this showing is especially meaningful as it marks the anniversary of his Manhattan debut.

“The collection is inspired by the breathtaking beauty of the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said Forbes of his resort collection.

“For me, I think of the quality of light in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the sun, sand and sea, the blue of the moonlight and the minty light of the days. I go often to the beach, and there I try not just to see, but to feel the beauty of the environment. In my collection I have tried to re-produce that feeling.”

Caribbean Fashion Week includes approximately 14 shows and 50 designers from 25 countries, regional and international fashion buyers, viewership of 340 million in approximately 300 countries via Fashion TV Paris, high-profile post-show parties and contributions to the United Nations World Food Programme by Catwalk the World.

Saint George Fashion House’s participation is sponsored by Grace Bay Club Resorts, Turks and Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation, Digicel TCI, Karam & Missick Law Firm, The Mail Drop International, the Turks and Caicos Sun Newspaper, Caribbean Property Management and Acres of Diamonds Ltd.

The streets are tree-lined with single-family brick homes. Children run in spacious backyards under the hot summer sun and during winter snowfalls.

Cambria Heights is the quintessential suburban middle-class community and sounds like your average American neighborhood, but for the many families living in this predominantly black community, it’s not.

Cambria Heights is a sociologist’s dream case-study — 98 percent of the residents are black and the community boasts a median household income twice the nation’s average. Unfortunately, this is an uncommon reality in the U.S. where many black communities struggle to stay above the poverty line.

To Read More Subscribe to Amour Creole

It’s an unseasonably warm November morning; the day after Thanksgiving to be exact, and while black Friday shoppers are bargain hunting, Duret is waiting outside a graffiti-covered building in downtown Brooklyn

His tall slender frame was familiar from stage shows and photos, but it was the smile, sincere and sweet, that caught me by surprise. I expected to meet an arrogant musician with an inflated ego. He was the opposite; a shy, low-key man, seemingly unaware of the effect he had on people. But a man, I later learned, with a backbone and integrity — a man who said no to posing with a cigar during a magazine photo shoot……

To Read More Subscribe to Amour Creole

I slide through the doorway of a sleek bar in the heart of Little Italy. No sign of him. Not that I necessarily would spot him in a crowd.

This is my second Match.com date ever. I’m new to the ‘we don’t really know each other’ awkward introduction:a half-hearted hug along with the cordial greeting, “Hi, I’m so and so Nice to see you.” No one says “Nice to meet you” because then by standers may overhear and suspect you met online.

I locate the bathroom and pull out my hard-earned can of mousse. I’m a magician when it comes to last-minute fixes. A little water scrunched into the hair, add a dollop of foam and blot skin to hide evidence of running through city streets.

I step out of the restroom and peek around a corner. I don’t see anyone under 40 standing awkwardly alone. I slide onto a stool at the bar and practice looking nonchalant. He arrives. Handsome. Better looking in person than in photos.

Here’s an online dating tip: Don’t fear the posted profile photos. This may contradict what friends say – horror stories of people aging five years and 40 pounds since snapping the photo.

In my experience, guys are true to their photos and often even better looking, especially guys with noses a little too large for the face. Noses always seem better in person.

He settles in. We order drinks. Conversation is easy.

We’re both travelers and compare notes.He works for a startup ad agency but is interviewing to become a U.S. diplomat.

I’m a reporter who’s taken time here and there to explore the vineyards of France and the slums of Cambodia.

Like most young travelers, we agree:fancy hotels and detailed itineraries = bad; overstuffed backpacks and grimy,“authentic” restaurants = good.

We don’t really stray from travel talk.I note that his idea of a plush diplomatic placement is some volatile country in the Middle East. Mine is more like some happening middle-of-the-ocean island.

He’s a little low-key, and almost emotionless,whereas I’ve actually wet my pants,as an adult, from laughing too hard.Twice.

Balance is healthy though, right? Opposites attract?

We head outside and I offer a ride to the subway station. I figure he’s cute and bound for diplomacy. If the U.S. trusts him to represent us overseas surely I can trust him for two minutes in my dusty pickup. My logic seemed solid after two glasses of chardonnay.

My red truck sits in a nearby garage.I apologize profusely when I remember the blotchy windshield, scattered pebbles,used Crest Whitening Strip tossed in the drink holder and four shoulder bags crammed into the cabin. I rarely travel light.

The bags are the least of my worries when I open the driver’s side door and a sour odor hits my nostrils. What the hell?

It smells like rotten food.

I don’t say anything. He doesn’t say anything.I roll down my window and start the engine, hoping to god I have a heightened sense of smell and he hasn’t noticed a thing.

We start talking. I forget I don’t know where the hell I’m driving.

After missing two opportunities to drop him off at a subway station because I’m too busy entertaining and not busy enough navigating, he leads me to his apartment across the city. I still think we’re headed to the subway when we pull up in front of his pad.

I’ve played it really hard to get – invite a stranger into my car and drive him to his apartment across the city on the first date. Smooth.

We say bye.

I turn the corner while simultaneously, and not safely, struggling with my GPS. When I finally pull to a stoplight I seize the moment to find the source of the rotten food smell.

Ah, ha!

It’s rotten food.

Broccoli dipped in fat-free ranch dressing.A healthy snack which sat uneaten in my car for 48 hours.

A week later Diplomat still hasn’t called.

Was it the broccoli?

BOSTON — May 1, 2012 –Amour Creole, the first national Caribbean-American magazine to hit newsstands, goes on sale today. The quarterly magazine covers lifestyle, fashion, beauty, culture, news, trends and events of particular interest to those of Caribbean descent.

Previously distributed via subscription only, the one-year-old magazine serves a population historically lumped into the category of African-American, said Amour Creole Publisher Esther Lafontant.

“Readers are thrilled for a publication that recognizes them as Caribbean-Americans, not just black or African American,” said Lafontant. She likens the release of the magazine to the early days of Ebony, Essence and Latina magazines.

Advertisers are also jumping on board, recognizing the Caribbean-American population has grown significantly in the last 30 years and identifies itself as distinct from the African-American market, she said.

Celebrities like Jason Derulo, Jimmy Jean Louis and Olivier Duret graced covers in the magazine’s first year. The magazine aims to capture readers with intimate celebrity interviews and in-depth reports on issues pertaining to Caribbean-Americans. Past and upcoming articles include: how to handle the demand of sending money to family members back in native countries, infidelity and polygamy in Caribbean relationships, current day Voodoo and the stigma surrounding Creole language.

Lafontant, a former model and single mother who emigrated from Haiti and now lives in the Boston area, said the rapid growth in the past year – from just a few subscriptions to already being a Caribbean-American household name – is dumbfounding.

“Caribbean-Americans have longed for a quality product to connect the wide-spread community,” she said. Lafontant said the magazine comes at a time when Caribbean-Americans are aggressively trying to maintain their heritage while simultaneously acclimating to the American lifestyle.

Amour Creole also features the website www.amourcreole.com which offers articles similar to the print magazine plus daily updates on news from native countries, changes in immigration policies and information on upcoming events in Caribbean-American communities scattered across the U.S.

“Amour Creole inspires Caribbean-Americans to create a better life for themselves and for their sisters and brothers back in their native countries,” said Lafontant. “It’s more than a magazine, it’s a celebration of our culture and it’s us finally having our voice heard.”

The magazine has a targeted circulation of over 3.5 million, and is available on newsstands across the U.S. and by subscription in Canada, Haiti, France, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Guyana and regions of Africa.

How did your Caribbean upbringing contribute to your success?

I credit my success to the disciplined and structured lifestyle I had growing up in South America.

I was raised the old-fashion way, where the phrases “it takes a village to raise a child” and “spare the rod and spoil the child” rang true for almost every young person in my community. Education was stressed and failure was not an option. We didn’t own a television until I was a teenager so, I read a lot and dreamt of growing up and having a great lifestyle.

My parents ran a small business from our home when I was in high school. The experiences I received assisting them taught me commitment, dedication and valuable lessons for running a successful business. Little did I know those lessons would help me today.

How will you know that you’ve “officially” made it?

I‘ve never really thought about it. But I would say when my company grows into an international brand, and my signature products are recognized around the world. Then, I would know that I’ve officially made it!

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

I want to leave the Twin Elegance “brand” to my children and grandchildren, so they can carry on the business for many generations.

What’s the best advice you’ve received that turned out to be the most helpful to you?

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I strongly believe the same applies when you choose a business. The amount of passion you channel into your business will determine its success or failure; but, it’s much easier when you love what you do. I realized after many small ventures I really enjoyed sharing my love for fashion and jewelry with other women and decided to turn that love into a business

What advice do you have for readers who are pursuing a career in this industry?

Don’t expect overnight success. It may take a month or a few years to turn a profit or become very successful. I advise anyone starting a business to keep positive and don’t lose sight of their goals. Patience and persistence will eventually pay off.

Explain your journey to where you are now in your career.

In the mid 90s I became a Mary Kay beauty consultant. It combined my love for fashion and beauty with my passion to have my own business. This was a great starter business venture for me. Many of my coworkers, friends and family became my customers. A few years later I switched from selling cosmetics to selling fashion apparel and household merchandise, when a friend introduced me to a direct sales opportunity.

I realized how much I enjoyed seeing the look on the women’s faces when I delivered their packages. However, I wanted to run a business under my own terms. So, I did some research on the costume jewelry industry and in January 2011 launched Twin Elegance, Inc., an online fashion jewelry and accessories store.

My store currently features pieces from many different designers. I recently designed a signature line of “zodiac” themed fashion jewelry for Twin Elegance. It is currently in development and expected to be available Fall 2012.