DECADES & ACCOLADES - THE "WHO'S STYLING WHO" OF THE CULTURE: Khaliah P. Clark

NEW YORK, NEW YORK | KHALIAH P. CLARK

INTERVIEW XPONENTIAL CURVE PHOTO GAVSON PHOTO WORKS

A Fashion ‘Forward’ from Assistant Editor, Xponential Curve: 

In the days following the passing of one of Style’s most celebrated Icons, André Leon Talley; it’s only fitting we at Validated Magazine acknowledge his contribution to Black Excellence as a fearless indomitable presence, influencer and visionary among the fashion world elite. A master of style literacy and a visual composer, ALT’s contributions could be found in a litany of publications including ‘Ebony’ and ‘Vanity Fair’ - debuting in Andy Warhol’s ‘Interview’ Mag circa 1972 - ultimately leading to his legacy of having become the first Black Editor-at-Large and Creative Director of Vogue. André's personality and Style is described by many to have been “Larger than Life.” In the documentary, ‘ The Gospel According to André,’ He is quoted saying, “...You must also cultivate your own aesthetic in your own universe… create your own universe and share it with the people you love…” Talley lived this quote - emanating from his true love of “beauty and style.” André Leon Talley championed Family and Faith as the strong foundation to his staunch advocacy to produce diversity on the runway. As timing would have it, his reverence within our magazine is found in the foreword honoring Khaliah Clark- Mother, Visionary and Award Winning Stylist who in her own right has dedicated her career to increasing the visibility of Streetwear and Indie fashion brands; garnering her as one of the great contributors to Styling artists and celebrities in all genres of our time… André Leon Talley, we are forever grateful to your contribution and dedication to breaking down century old barriers, in order to give the Culture a voice in pushing for inclusivity to move Fashion Forward. 

Decades & Accolades - Khaliah Clark - The ‘Who’s Styling Who’ of The Culture

During our Validated Radio interview, Award Winning Stylist and Cover girl Khaliah Clark (KC), known in the industry as the ‘Product Placement Queen,’ credits becoming a mother at age 15 is what propelled her to achieve high level recognition among the greats over the course of her expansive 20 year career. While she was always the go-to girl for styling her friends before they hit the club, in the beginning, she was an industry mix plug. During an era where mixtapes reigned, launching both DJ and Artists careers, Khaliah found herself working with industry Chiefs such as Nelson ‘Money Nels’ Taboada of G-Unit Records - just at the time when 50 Cent was poppin off… Her product at the time was the Mixtape - and with personality and drive her exclusive access to Mixtapes were used to get into some of NYC hotspots providing music most DJs couldn’t get their hands on. KC went from breaking records in the clubs to breaking up and coming designers styling “Phenomenal [fashion] Hits” on Celebs. By way of her discerning eye regarding brands on the come-up, is how we were able to see ‘Seville Michelle’ earrings adorned by Rihanna… One of the many Celebrities she has styled.

Her true passion, no matter the genre, is to elevate Black Owned business visibility on all levels. With deep understanding of the Elite Fashion Houses exclusion of People of Color historically, Khaliah stated her Style Career mission would be to work with and pull from Streetwear and Indie designers for Celebrities and Artists of both stage and screen. When KC reflects back though, she’ll humbly tell you she never really saw herself as a stylist as much as it was her ability to “Peep Quality Product and know where to place it…” Khaliah attributes her critiques of what she saw people wearing and how she would style them differently, to where her eye truly came from. Her mentor, Roger McKenzie, put it into perspective for her saying, “Having an Eye is something you just can’t teach.” Discernment is a natural ability. 

“People don’t know who they Follow… They Follow what's trending.” - KC 

There was a moment in her career where she would have to show and prove how serious she was about her craft. The industry was focused more on High end designers and while working as an assistant pulling labels for June Ambrose, aka the “Secretary of Style,” Khaliah had to fight against being labeled herself. When Khaliah wasn’t nominated to work on a special project to style Legendary Singer-Songwriter, Mariah Carey, she approached her then Boss asking “why not?” and was told, she didn’t think she was into fashion - since all she wore was Baby Phat… the very next day Khaliah entirely stepped up and stepped out rocking a fur coat, and high heels elevating her style game. (Unbeknownst to Ambrose at the time, Khaliahs fur she rocked for her wardrobe upgrade was still in fact Baby Phat! paired with jeans and boots) With that in and of itself - Statements would be made - her dedication was real and while she wouldn’t go on to style Mariah Carey - she would soon be chosen to fly out to Miami and style R&B singer- songwriter Ne-Yo for his music video ‘Go On Girl.” It would be her first solo project while working under Ambrose. Her respect as a woman of style was gaining momentum and surely was not to be boxed. What she took away from that experience was…

“You are your own walking billboard and How you dress is how people will view you.”

- KC 

As Khaliah's skills and responsibilities increased, she found herself more free to move about the cabin. Being an assistant, with her name was buzzing - granted her black card access to pull more high end designers - working with top stylists, artists and celebrities on major movie and music video sets. She transitioned from being the go-to stylist of her crew to becoming internationally entrusted with style cultivation on a major 6 country tour in Egypt, Dominican Republic, Panama, Bolivia, and the British Virgin Islands alongside Stylist, Eric ‘E-Stylz’ Santiago to style for world renown Designer ‘Edwing D'Angelo’ - elevating her from the young professional who would almost be labeled - to pulling from top Labels globally, ultimately launching Brand Label recognition. 

What almost became her Achilles heel later gave her the edge against those in the industry who solely focused on luxury brands. In the time when the internet dropped and the transition from fashion to music took over, budgets were decreasing - moreover it was her ability to work with less funding and having established solid connections which drove her to become even more in-demand. Khaliah was able to sustain her career as a result of her formative years and all the groundwork it took for her to become a master fashion stylist on a static budget.  This is where integrating her savvy on styling affordable dope clothes would enable her to make her mark and branch off on her own… Her demand skyrocketted.

Khaliah’s career organically progressed through real world experiences. She adapted to an ever evolving world - from the internet launching - to Social Media becoming the driving force for how people get put on; she’s watched people who once abandoned Streetwear come full circle and gives the South credit for keeping these brands relevant throughout. Even when rocking a Jersey faded out of style she notes ‘Fabolous’ “Stayed True… and now they’re back,” adding, “they never really left.”  Her work ethics, determination and Loyalty to the Culture is what continues to grant her next level insider access which she faithfully uses so she could ultimately “circle the block”  for her people.

This is why she is Award Winning… She talked about how she went from watching ‘Misa Hylton’ in a music video saying, “I want to be just like her,” to receiving her first ever Award from the ‘Misa Hylton Fashion Academy.’ The accolades continue to accumulate as she can currently be seen styling Method Man, Jim Jones, Joey Badass….  The list goes on and on. You’re gonna have to follow her on her insta @KhaliahClark to keep up as she can already be seen  coming at 2022 harder than ever. 

Ready to stake her claim amongst the best stylists to ever do it, for two plus decades Khaliah Clark has been championing Streetwear and Indie brands - as her vision to elevate the people through her professional development continues she in tandem is enhancing her cultural imprint. Everything she’s manifested over the years is still in motion and with her Podcast entitled “Who’s Styling Who,” she is just that…. even more the reason why Khaliah Clark, ‘Award Winning Celebrity Stylist and Host,’ deserves her Flowers as a Living, Working, Validated Legend. 🌺

VALIDATED: Who is Khaliah Clark the Woman and how does she show up as a stylist?

KHALIAH CLARK: Khaliah Clark is a mother first to my beautiful daughter Moet Baez. I’m the teen Mom that didn’t get a show. I show up as the bag lady as a stylist. I come to Set with tons of products from today’s leading brands and emerging brands. 

VALIDATED: I know you’ve had many influences who later became mentors, who broke you into both the worlds of fashion styling on Runways and sets in TV/Movies?

KHALIAH CLARK: I would say Roger Mckenzie broke me into TV / Movies. My first movie I worked on was called My Brother starring Vanessa Williams, Tatum O’Neal, Nashawn Kearse I started as an intern and wound up Wardrobe Supervisor. In Runway, no one really broke me. I worked for Kimora Lee Simmons ‘Baby Phat’ Runways shows as Venue Manager . My friend, Patricia McNamee, was in marketing at the time. I would intern one show and later work her biggest Runway show at Radio City as Venue Manager. Latish Roach broke me into kids Runway… I worked at a kids show called, ‘Sunni Dai’ Kids Fashion Week. Edwing D'Angelo made me an international stylist as I styled his runway show in Egypt , Bolivia, Santo Domingo, British Virgin Island . I also did a kids show in Cayman Island. My first ever runway show I can’t forget Kc Rose - we did the Urban Fashion Main Event. 

VALIDATED: How influential is Hip Hop Culture to your styling concepts? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Very influential. I love Hip Hop. I don’t follow trends. I create them. It depends on the artist... I’m not going to tell my age but I definitely come from the 90s Hip Hop Era so yes I style a lot with different 90’s concepts and streetwear. I always stayed true to my Streetwear brands. It’s brands like Starter shouts to my girl Tex and April Walker at ‘Walker Wear.’ Those are my go to brands and all my emerging brands I rock with throughout the years. I’m always supporting my people. Many stylists only style high end. All the brands are designer brands to me and I display them on my rack at photo shoots & videos & red carpet. Any opportunity I have to style I’m always pushing streetwear brands unless the look doesn’t call for it. 

VALIDATED: What was your first role as the lead Stylist?

KHALIAH CLARK: My first role as a lead Stylist would have to be with client Jd Williams. I always say Jd because he was my first celebrity client. He was on HBO’s  ‘The Wire.’ So he allowed me to tell brands I was his stylist and I would use his name and tell brands they should send him products. I remember telling all the brands I style Bodie lol. I work with Jd to this day. I always thank him for that. I learned about product placement with him because I got every streetwear brand to dress him. I remember him introducing me to this guy Nosaj Authentics who would paint. He would create pieces for me and celebrity clients such as D4L. That was the beginning of my career . 

VALIDATED: What are some aspects of streetwear culture, you’ve seen both, change and remain the same throughout the years?

KHALIAH CLARK: Some aspects I saw change are Logo placements. First we wore logo driven merch, then the logos shrunk. It was baggie over size clothing, then jeans went from baggy to sagging, to tight. Now some of today’s artists are doing loose bottom jeans or a bell bottom. So fashion goes out and comes back to certain trends. I try to stay away from a trend. I use what works and my clients like. 

VALIDATED: Who are some of the A-list celebs you’ve worked with over the years?

KHALIAH CLARK: Method Man, Redman, Jadakiss, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Neyo, Ray J & Lisa Raye and Carmen Electra just to name a few

VALIDATED: What are some fundamental differences between Styling Runway vs Styling TV & Movie Sets? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Styling a runway show u get one chance to get it right. Once the first model hits the runway he or she must be dressed head to toe on point. All zippers zipped, Clothes steam, fitting, pressed with no wrinkles or lint. The look has to be perfect. You have to be very quick when Styling a runway show. Timing is so important, there is no room for errors. Styling TV and Movies it’s more about making sure everything looks the same take after take. You might need multiple pieces of the same outfit. So you must always be prepared for what is ever asked for on set and they want you to move very quickly. Having an eye is key. 

VALIDATED: How did having your daughter at a young age impact your drive and focus in establishing your career? 

KHALIAH CLARK: It impacted my whole career. She is why I work so hard. So she could be proud of her mother. Being that I had her young she was always looked at - oh that’s your mother because I was so young. So at least give them something to talk about. 

VALIDATED: How did you come to be known as the Product Placement Queen? Can you tell us how this segued into your fashion styling career? 

KHALIAH CLARK: I never had any budgets when I first started. So all the product brands gave me I would make the artist wear. I specialize in making sure artists wore brands I had whether they were known brands or new brands. I started calling myself the product placement queen. I was going so hard for brands giving a lot of brands their first celebrity hit. 

VALIDATED: What are some of the key qualities one must possess to become a Stylist? Do you think this Art of the industry can be taught? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Key qualities are wanting it. You have to truly love doing what you do. As a stylist you have to have contacts. It’s not about just having clothes. People ask me, “how do I get contacts?” by researching all brands that have an info email. Your pitch letter is what will get you through the door. You have to be able to sell yourself especially if you're not pulling for a big name. I do think you can teach someone the business part of being a stylist. Styling is not just dressing people u have to know how to work with a budget. Always stay within the budget . People love the stylist who can bring a lot to the table and deliver . If you are a person who doesn’t like to work hard Styling is not for you. It's a 24 hr job 7 days a week. We never really have days off. 

VALIDATED: Did you always see yourself as a stylist? 

KHALIAH CLARK: No I didn't. I knew I wanted to be something in the industry. Just didn’t know exactly my place. I wanted to be a designer, a rapper lol , my goal was to be a dancer but I hurt my knee. When I was younger I was very athletic. I didn’t know what a stylist was. I was a party girl. I loved going out and being seen. I was the life of the parties. 

VALIDATED: Who were some of the stylists you worked with at the start of your career? How did they motivate and influence your work ethic? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Roger Mckenzie really introduced me to the stylists I know. Clifford Wray really was the one I guess I should say was the real reason I have a career. He brought me to work on the movie set. Roger was working as a costume designer. I met Andrew Cesar, Eric E-stylz who would later become one of my closest friends , and one of my business partners. I worked with Pamela Watson, June Ambrose, Misa Hylton who would later make me an Award Winning Celebrity Fashion Stylist. She honored me alongside some legendary stylist. Getting that award changed my life. I always tell Misa that.

VALIDATED: What were some of the biggest challenges you've faced once you branched off on your own? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Some of the biggest challenges I faced on my own was getting paid. Everyone wants a stylist. No one wants to pay a stylist. I would give people hundreds of dollars worth of merch. I would get paid pennies or not even get paid at all. Getting people to take me seriously was key. I loved to dance so I had to separate the turn up Khaliah & Business woman. People will judge you for everything. I was always ahead of my time. So everything I did that I got judged for is now trending. 

VALIDATED: What challenges did you have to overcome in order to bring global recognition of streetwear brands to the forefront - when you saw they were being dismissed by fashion's elite? 

KHALIAH CLARK: I never cared really about streetwear being dead in people's eyes. Artists & celebrities love designer. Labels make an artist feel like they made it. I would constantly tell an artist, wear your own name - You are a brand. I would tell clients rock what looks good on you. What I have done for streetwear brands needs to be talked about because I’ve been in the game 20 yrs. I go hard for Streetwear brands by keeping them front and center in everything I do. Method Man really has helped me do that. He allows me to showcase streetwear brands in his music videos. My client Hanz on Music. He really helped me build this relationship I have with Method Man. So I constantly try and put brands in position. 

VALIDATED: What are some of the glamorous and not so glamorous aspects of your profession? 

KHALIAH CLARK: GLAMOROUS PARTS you live through the eyes of celebrities. You get to create and see your work or TV, billboards, red carpet. You know you did that, it's the greatest feeling for me. Not so glamorous is having a budget, entitled clients, rude, so many different peoples energy and attitudes . 

VALIDATED: What are some things for people to keep in mind when hiring a stylist to cultivate their personal style? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Let the stylist do their job. They may see what you don't see. Let me bring you out of your comfort zone. 

VALIDATED: Tell me a little on your transition from BTS on set to being the host of your podcast Who’s Styling Who? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Create something that doesn’t exist. No one was bringing fashion on internet radio. I thank Shampoo of Ynvs Marketing & Promotions for allowing me to rock on his platform. He opened that door for me being his co-host. ‘Who’s Styling Who’ is for stylists, designers & brands. I want to give brands the opportunity to promote themselves and show their product. I showcased my show on Under the Streetlight Network with Startagee at Dtf Radio . Shouts to Alex at PNC Radio, Prince Street Marketing Radio then later I did my own show at Dtf Radio for years… shouts to Mark. Now I do my own show under ‘Who’s Styling Who.’ I just promote my brand, not other stations now. That’s having ownership instead of paying to use other people’s space. I changed the whole format of my show and started going to the showroom and now sets. ‘Who’s Styling Who’ is a very visual show. I am showcasing brand awareness - giving brands the opportunity to tell the world about their brand. My show has really connected so many people. That’s why I fight so hard for people to tell the next person about Khaliah Clark. I always tell people, tell me a show where you leave every time with merch from a new Brand. I have changed people’s lives by being a part of my show whether they credit my show or not. ‘Who’s Styling Who’ for the last 10 years has been a leading force in breaking brands on internet streaming platforms. I say that boldly - and in the most humble way possible. 

VALIDATED: Can you name drop some streetwear brands people should be keeping their eye on? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Look out for all the brands you see me promote - Original Don Clothing, Soldi Sporchi, Apome Clothing, Chasin Chicken, Tical Athletics, Ding, Kulture Vulture Apparel - designer of The 6th Borough collection, Vailstones Apparel, Guard Your Glow, Rhoxy Lezama Clothing, JadeChi Clothing, Feminine Featurez, Money Under Pressure, Styled by Poverty, Rebel NYC, Wear Hair by Bri, Esoolswercs, Hawke & Dumar, U$hKay, Royal Vision Apparel, My Brand Khaliah Pirri Clark. Follow my brand ‘Who’s Styling Who.’ Every brand you see me feature is a brand you should look out for.

VALIDATED: Who are some of the brands you’ve worked with over the years? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Baby Phat, Ruff Ryders Drty Denim, Balla Apparel, Cake Mix Clothing, Kevin Garnett’s OBF, Full Force Sales, Azzure Denim, WM Apparel, Halal Socks, Art Dealer,  Illa Sparkz, Illionare Society, Forgienways, YTS and Sunni Dai - Kids Fashion Week…  just to name a few.  

VALIDATED: You mentioned the Key Element of Ownership vs Being the Face of a Brand… Can you tell us more about your role in helping push more Black Owned Business into mainstream fashion culture? 

KHALIAH CLARK: I rep tons of brands but my brand is ‘Who’s Styling Who.’ Everyone knows when I style them they must tag my brand name which is ‘Who’s Styling Who…’ Being A Face of a Brand you don’t own the brand - it is your likeness to increase sales for their brand. So for me I try and teach artists the elements of branding. My role has always been to teach Black owned businesses how to become an established brand. I pushed Black owned all day before it became trending. 

VALIDATED: You’ve definitely dropped a lot of Gems- What is some final sage advice for those looking to have a lasting career in the Fashion Styling world? 

KHALIAH CLARK: Some advice I would give a person trying to make it in the Styling world - Never Give Up. It's going to be some hard work and a lot of bs at times but it's rewarding. Especially when you are doing what you love to do. I thank God daily because being a stylist is a hard job. I did it with 1000000 percent. You have to be ready and willing at all times. Another stylist only wants to be around a stylist that works equally as hard as them. With that u have to learn your place - not over step boundaries when working with another stylist. Learn the business… all aspects of fashion. Become indispensable so when u leave and move on they always remember and still want to work with you.

Epilogue… Khaliah had this to say on the passing of Fashion World Legend André Leon Talley 

“Andre Leon Talley impacted my career just seeing him being the first African American male to hold such major titles as Creative Director for an iconic magazine such as Vogue. I would meet him throughout my career seeing him at shows during fashion week...  My only regret is never asking him for a picture.  What he did for fashion was inspiring. He will be forever an icon And legendary.”

… And Lastly, An Extra Special Shoutout 

“I also would like to give a Shout Out To my Mother, Evangelist Geraldine R Clark - I Love You. Thank you for being my biggest supporter and for being a praying mother.”