Name: Michel’le Davis
Hometown: Jamaica, Queens
Major: Journalism
Graduated: May 2014
Instagram/Twitter: @afroditegold
Website: “Coming soon!”
You’ve probably seen this week’s notable alumna Celebrity around downtown, or at Urban Outfitters at Lenox. She stood out on campus for her sassy style which still demands the attention of everyone in the room. Michel-le filled us in on her rebirth, her style inspiration and her upcoming ventures.
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
“In 5 years, I should be an established writer and editor-in-chief for the magazine that I created to highlight budding creatives. I will also be a successful fashion publicist and creative director. I will be happy, traveling and doing what i love most, teaching others how to access their power and use it to the best of their ability.”
What is your project “The Gold Effect” about, and where did the inspiration come from?
“The gold effect was the universe’s accident. Gold came from the nickname a high school friend gave me because he believed I brought the best out of him; it made me look at gold more symbolically. The full name spawned when I did my model coaching and witnessed the improvement of my models. “That’s that gold effect” I would say. Last year in May, I decided to creative direct my very first shoot with the help of my dear friend Nicole. I [had] just bought gold satin sheets for my bed and decided to use the flat sheet for creative purposes. She picked up some gold leaf from the art store and my make up artist placed it on the models, and that was that. Inspiration didn’t start it, the pieces fell out the sky perfectly. I wanted it to be deeper than just gold on pretty models, so I decided to ask how each of them wanted to affect the world, a question that I’ve been personally interested in from a little girl. I knew I had to affect the world so my purpose could be fulfilled, and I wanted to highlight the same energy in others. I wanted them to know what was their calling, I wanted them to think, I wanted them to feel their soul and drive in the material world, I wanted them to know they had the power to effect the world by effecting others around them, and I personally wanted to share their light. The basis of the concept boils down to this: Everyone has a voice and everyone deserves to exercise their language and purpose. All is interconnected and all contributes to the longevity of the world. To find your meaning to life is the key to live it fully.”
What do you like to do in your free time?
“I watch movies, I read books, and I write. I daydream a lot, I love daydreaming.”
What was the last movie you watched?
“The last movie I watched was Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaum.”
Who influences your style?
“Debbie Harry from blondie and Cher in the 1970s were everything. Cher was glamorous & Debbie had attitude. If they had a love child, it would be me.”
What kind of projects do you have lined up for the summer?
“I do too much and I’m so secretive about my tendency to do too much. You can expect a website where all the summer secrets lie in a month.”
Are you a fan of Ayn Rand? If so, Why?
“Ayn Rand was my first peek into philosophy, ever since reading The Fountainhead at 13, Philosophy has become one of my favorite subjects to read on and learn about. My voice now came from her voice then, not so much in how she writes or what she writes about, but in how she conveys her message. Rand was the first person to tell me my power lied in my hands and the first author that spoke of independence and of freedom to me. These themes already lived within me, I will admit they were soft clay at the age of 13 and she transformed them into steel and stone.”
What does it take to “find yourself”?
“I feel like what it takes to find yourself is different for each person. So, what it took for me may not be what it took for another person. Personally, I’ve always loved the written word and my mother made sure of that. By the time I was five I had around 200 books, she read at least two books to me every night until I could read myself, and then I read it to her every night. I developed the writing skill young and that was when the journey to finding myself began. Polishing my writing sent me into long bouts of solitude. It sent me on a search to find meaning in my writing, in my life and in myself. I read all day, watched cult films from the 1990s and read some more. Once I found the meaning, I polished the skill and when I polished the skill, I casted on another journey to create something with the skill; once I envisioned the journey that I wanted my writing to take, which was fairly recent, my entire life started over. I am now a newborn in this period of my life. I haven’t completely found myself, one does not completely find themselves because as humans we are always transforming, but I have an understanding of who I am and what I want to do with my life. I have found yet another puzzle piece and I will continue to find puzzle pieces when my human form is burned and spread over the ocean, or planted as a mango tree in my moms yard in Kingston, Jamaica.”
What’s your favorite cult classic?
“I have a couple of cult classics that are absolutely to die for: kids, pulp fiction, bully, the dreamers, Dazed and Confused, Fear and Loathing in Las vegas, Fight Club, American Beauty, SLC Punk! and Welcome to the Doll house are some of my absolute favorites.”
Coffee or Tea?
“Tea… and wine.”
Who are your favorite artists out of Atlanta?
”I don’t have favorites. I love all Atlanta artists equally because they are doing what they love to do, and we share a common journey of expressing our innermost depths for the world to see. I have the same level of respect for all, I am inspired by all.”
What are three items you can’t live without?
“Pen, paper, Nars matte lipstick in Train Bleu. Then I would pray for wine.”