Do you believe in unicorns? Have you heard of a “Melanated Unicorn”? What is melanin? https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melanin Did you know that real melanated unicorns exists today?
Yes! To the melanated artists, creators, influencers and entertainers; you are a melanated unicorn. To the polyamorous tribes, freethinkers and free spirits; melanated unicorn! To the single mothers and fathers; unicorn!. You catch my drift?
I meet melanated unicorns daily who are being their best authentic selves by spreading magickal love and light with their surrounding world. There are melanated unicorns in the “ghetto” as well as in the “penthouse”. I accept the fact that I am a melanated unicorn sharing my many gifts and talents with the universe.
On June 5th, I presented my “ZK Chakra Alignment Collection”, at the “Melanated Unicorn Fashion Show and Brunch” which took place at the black owned bodega Front Street Market and Produce. (604 S Front Street, Wilmington, NC)
“The Melanated Unicorn Fashion Show and Brunch” was produced by Host and Creator of King Network TV (https://www.kingnetworktv.com) powered by Roku TV “Melanated Unicorn”, Karon Richardson-Tunis. Of course, Karon chose two worthy fashionable hosts for the “MU Fashion Show & Brunch” who were non other than our very own Conscious Brother, American actor, stand-up comedian and author, Orlando Jones and fashion mogul, Fashion Model GodMother and owner of TMW Modeling Agency, Toni Melvin Whitaker.
“Action! Walk! Stop! Come Back! Cut! Redo! Uh, nah; yassssss, you betta!!!...” these were some of the words you would‘ve heard if you were present at the runway rehearsal and during the show. #ItsTheBodegaVibesForMe
Upon arrival I caught the backyard cookout aromas in the breeze permeating from “Caught The Food Truck”. (https://www.catchthefoodtruck.com/home_responsive) Walking up to the bodega I passed through a humbly covered front porch area; which at the moment was being used as the outside vendor space. Smart! The energy of the front porch gave me the vibes of southern country living. I envisioned sitting in rocking chairs with my partner, Brandi #QueenClarity, enjoying freshly pressed lemonade and sweet tea with mint leaves tucked between three pieces of melting ice cubes. #RelaxedMelanatedUnicorn #SipsTea
When I entered the bodega I was met with the air of family reunion and community vibes. Like being in a fellowship hall after a good coming together Sunday service laughing and being appreciative for each other. All the stars are closer! I couldn’t miss the flashes of light in my peripheral as I walked down the left side of the runway headed to the backstage area. A shooting star, Queen Melanated Unicorn, Karon Richardson-Tunis was wearing a basic white Tshirt and denim jeans exuding magickal rainbow energy. Although her exterior fashion read “producer” and “behind the scenes”, Karon’s internal being was wearing “front and center” Oppo Suits from https://www.opposuits.com with a custom ZK wrap ballroom skirt with a petticoat, rainbow unicorn stilettos, topped with a bejeweled crown! Blame it on my third eye... That’s how I know I’m in the presence of a Melanated Unicorn...when I can see who they are past the physical veil. Unforgettable! Keep in mind that Karon is giving backstage instructions; runway directions and production run-throughs while being the queen melanated unicorn she is. A force to be reckoned with for sure!
While building garment racks and unpacking garment bags I noticed King Melanated Unicorn, Orlando Jones (@theorlandojones). Personally, I get all the element vibes from him in harmony. He entered like a soft wind; he meet and greets like the air meeting my lungs right now. He’s foundational and grounded in his values and morals. His recent role as “Anasi” on HBO Max’s “American Gods” lit our ancestor’s flame to burn what was left of the veil! Overall, Orlando’s energy was fluid and purifying like a calm stream full of wisdom and love. He embraced me like he embraces every now moment; fully present and attentive. Orlando wore a white sweatshirt knit jacket and pants combo with a black v-neck shell shirt; and denim jacket underneath. Spontaneously styled! He accessorized his polarized look with black and gold high top sneakers and black and gold bracelets. #ConfidentlyComfortable
Fashion mogul; fashion model Godmother; and owner of TMW Modeling Agency (https://www.facebook.com/TMWModelingProductionsTalent), Toni Melvin Whitaker, carries an energy of all inclusiveness. I always feel right at home when I’m in Toni presence for she’s always embraced me as her own. Toni and I go way back to the progressive year of 2014. Over the years she’s remained the same sharing her fashion knowledge and industry wisdom with me in love and light. That same warm fashionable energy was very present at the “Melanated Unicorn Fashion Show and Brunch” as she surprised me emerging from a crowd of models backstage. Like a goddess she glided through the crowd making her way towards me. I caught her silver white short cut bobbing and weaving as some models made way for the queen! We greeted each other with an intimate reminiscent hug and a big breath of relief. She wore a fabulous teal toned, front split, pants suit with nude pointy toed heels; she sashayed and danced to the live music played by “Afta Dark” band. Toni’s a sweet aroma to experience.
I had the honor of anchoring the fashion show at the bodega where I presented my interpretation of the seven chakras and two higher vibrational states of consciousnesses; ascension and transcendence. I enjoy sharing spiritual interconnected awareness through fashionable artistic designs.
The ZK Chakra Alignment Collection embraces and embodies balance and harmony externally and internally. Fashion in the near past was built essentially in ego and the spirit of fashion casted a very masculine light on the industry like a cloud dimming the light of a beautiful rainbow.
I’m aware that rainbows are created best by the precipitation from a rain cloud with the sun reflecting and refracting light. Adding and multiplying more divine feminine energy into the fashion industry rocks the masculine foundation to its core with humility and change. Thanks to fashion game changers like Pyer Moss, Alexander McQueen, and Andre Tally to name a few; we now are creators and experiencers of our own evolving creations towards fashionable sovereignty. Round of applause everyone! #GoodTrouble -Congressman John C. Lewis (RIH)
Every chakra garment sewn was a test of my actual chakras. Practice what I preach in a sense. The heart chakra which I interpreted in the hues of green and pink and the throat chakra casted in a turquoise blue; both chakras presented the most challenges. Talk about healing focus! From the base chakra to crown and higher here’s the ZK Chakra Alignment Collection lineup:
1. Root Chakra - Red, black, brown
Root Chakra governs our ego, security and grounded-ness in the physical material matrix. The root is our mask with stable a personality when balanced with the upper chakras. We’ll dub our harmonized root chakra as the “Grounded Melanated Unicorn”.
2. Sacral Chakra- Orange, rust, copper
Sacral Chakra governs our creativity, sexual desires and intuition. Our main brain sits in our gut where we receive clarity of ourselves and surrounding through gut reactions. We quality control check the majority of our decisions from our gut brain and we are what we eat physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Food for thought! Let’s call our balanced sacral chakra “The Creative Melanated Unicorn”.
3. Solar Plexus- Yellow, gold, mustard
Solar Plexus governs our willpower, mental balance, confidence and vitality. Much like the “Cowardly Lion” from Warner Brothers hit classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz”, we too are required to harmonize our three lower chakras; root, sacral and solar plexus before entering into the jade palace of love and light (Heart Chakra). All fears, limitations and doubts are effortlessly revealed in the chamber of the heart. We are fearlessly “The Confident Melanated Unicorn”.
4. Heart Chakra- Green and pink
Heart Chakra governs our love, trust, gratitude, generosity, healthy boundaries, connectedness. The Heart asks us to love oneself; embrace transformation and change through fearlessness and compassion. Associated with the element of air; authentic communication is key to truly achieving the matters of the heart. Full of love we are “The LoveChild Melanated Unicorn”.
5. Throat Chakra- Turquoise and blue
Throat Chakra governs effective communication, expression of truth, verbal and body language. The power of life and death is in the tongue or your throat. Before we utter words we clear our throat checking honestly within our heart before speaking our truth; half truths and or straight up lies. We all have a choice to choose to speak the truth or withhold our own freedom. “Thoth The Melanated Unicorn”.
6. Third Eye- Indigo, navy, midnight blue
Third Eye governs our insight, perception, dreams, clairvoyance, spiritual mental strength and is also known as the “seat of intuition”. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; this much is true for each individual as we perceive what we believe and receive what we believe to perceive. Here we are “The Mystical Melanated Unicorn”.
7. Crown- Violet, purple, white, lavender
Crown Chakra governs our enlightenment, spiritual wisdom, universal consciousness, connection to higher guidance. Also known as “the bridge to the cosmos”, we are reminded everyday that we more than these body vehicles and greater than the limited perceptions we place on ourselves and others. We are connected to all that exists. We have everything we need and more than enough; and more abundance is here now! “The Illuminated Melanated Unicorn”.
8. Ascension- White and rainbow
Ascension is the state of being in authentic spiritual maturity and wisdom while experiencing contrast through the human journey. Our Egyptian ancestors recorded this knowledge in “The Egyptian Book of the Dead”, where they reached total enlightenment receiving esoteric wisdom pertaining to one ascending 90 degrees before transcending 180 degrees and coming back 360 degrees. In all words, we are to complete a 180 degree transformation for croaking. Yes 90 + 90 = 180. Ascend/resurrect in the physical before transcending to “The Great Beyond”! “The Ascended Master Melanated Unicorn”.
9. Transcendence- White
Transcendence is all about total harmony and balance within ones own life. We know those who reaches spiritual transcendence in the physical before physically transcending. There are those who dreams their “death”; a grandmother who’s visits you before transcending. The ultimate melanated unicorn is a being who is so untuned with who they are and who they are connected to that they receive premonitions of their home going. That’s goals right there! “The Melanated Unicorn”.
Overall, we are a culmination of various beliefs and traditions; either passed down generationally or incorporating our own “new” traditions to break generational norms. One doesn’t have to believe in the Moon’s aquatic control on Earth to be affected by the tides of the ocean; nor does one have to believe in faeries, gnomes, and or melanated unicorns... to know that there’s something behind the scenes, spiritually ordered, happening here in our human experience. It’s 2021, or is it? We can all use some self-awareness tweaking to our perceived reality. Who one believes they are, they are. What one believes they’re able to do, they will! The moment is now to change to see all Melanated Unicorns with one’s own eye in one’s own reflection.