#TeamCorn

Kay Kay's Way is #TeamCorn!

We all know Corinne Olympios as the funny, genuine, and stylish contestant on the twenty-first season of The Bachelor. Olympios has definitely stayed busy and relevant since The Bachelor. Olympios has over 700 thousand followers on Instagram alone and even started a podcast in December 2017 called “So Random… with Corinne!” that is produced by Podcast One.

Team Corn Shop was what she called her initial merch line with Riot Society and Olympios has now collaborated with Riot Society again to create Riot Girls. Kay Kay's Way was lucky enough to be able to talk to Olympios about Riot Girls, what led her to become a fashionista, how she came up with the cute name “Team Corn Shop,” and much more!

Photo of Corinne Olympios.

KAY KAY: You are definitely a fashionista and I love your style! How would you describe your style and who is your greatest style influence?

Olympios: Thank you! I would describe my style as girly and grungy. The Kardashians are probably my greatest style influence. I love how many different styles they have while making everything fit. 

KAY KAY: What was your fashion background before you started Team Corn Shop?

Olympios: I grew up in a fashion world because it was a passion of my mom. She went to a top fashion school, and even though she was not pursuing it for much of my life, she was always talking about it. So, I was interested in it from a young age. I can remember making t-shirts as early as middle school. I would sell my favorite ones to my classmates.

Photo of Corinne Olympios.

KAY KAY: How would you describe Team Corn Shop?

Olympios: Team Corn Shop was what we called the initial release, but now we are calling it Riot Girls. Team Corn Shop was more of a merch line that focused on funny things that I had said or things that I have become known for. It was fun and we are happy it went so well. Riot Girls is a new iteration that is more about the fashion—  it is fashion forward streetwear. My focus was on designing clothes that I would actually wear. If you follow me on Instagram, you will see that I constantly wear it.

KAY KAY: How did you get started launching Team Corn Shop and what was the hardest part of starting the brand?

Olympios: I always knew I wanted to start my own fashion line. Therefore, I got started creating the line after I returned to Los Angeles when The Bachelor ended. I met with a couple designers and when I met with Riot Society I knew they had just the vibe I was looking for. It has been great working with them ever since! The hardest part of starting the brand was making sure I pleased all of the people who wanted to buy clothes from me. There are a wide variety of fans who follow me, so coming up with the right variety of styles that appeal to everyone was difficult. However, the feedback has been great!

KAY KAY: Collaborations are always fun! How was it like collaborating with Riot Society Clothing?

Olympios: It was a blast! Riot Society has become part of my family and we are growing together and will continue to grow together. I look forward to many more years of working with them!

KAY KAY: I love the name Team Corn Shop! Can you please tell our readers the story behind the name?

Olympios: Corn has been my nickname since I was a kid. It is just a silly way to say Corinne and then during my season on The Bachelor it became a thing. It was even a trending hashtag! Not all people really understand my humor. However, those who understand my humor tend to feel very connected to me. Therefore, calling the line Team Corn definitely felt right.

Photo of Corinne Olympios.

KAY KAY: You are a model and also modeled for Team Corn Shop. Many of our readers model or are interested in pursuing a career in modeling. What advice would you give to those people who are would like to enter the industry?

Olympios: Just be confident, be yourself, and be sure to live a healthy lifestyle.

KAY KAY: What advice would you give people (especially high school students and college students) who would like to become entrepreneurs and/or go into the fashion industry?

Olympios: Expect plenty of hard work— especially in entertainment and fashion. You have to realize that there are more people trying to get into those industries than just about any industry that you can think of so it is very competitive. If your ideas do not stand out and you are not willing to put the work in, then you are better off trying something else.

We would like to thank Corinne Olympios for taking the time to interview with us! Be sure to follow @colympios on Instagram and @CorinneOly on Twitter.

Photos: Drew Palladino

I am in British Vogue for a Second Time!!!!

In December 2017, I was recently featured in the January 2018 issue of British Vogue. Well, I am pleased to announce that I am also featured in the February 2018 issue of British Vogue! This is really a testimony of God’s amazingness! It was already crazy enough that my business (which was less than a year old) would be approached by British Vogue to be featured in the magazine. However, I was asked to be featured in the magazine for the second time! This is why I am super obsessed with God lol! It is so surreal that my dress (that was once a dream and started this whole journey) is now featured in Vogue! God is great! 

This is the February 2018 issue that I am in. I am featured on page 182.

I am in Tatler Magazine!

I am very pleased to announce that I am being featured in the February 2018 issue of Tatler magazine (pictures will be below)!  Tatler magazine is a British magazine that is owned by Condé Nast Britain. “Tatler was founded in 1901 by Clement Shorter and focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interested in social events.  In addition, its readership is the wealthiest of all Condé Nast's publications.”[1]

I thank God that I made it to Tatler and for obvious reasons I am grateful to be featured in such an iconic magazine.  One of the reasons (actually the biggest reason) why I am so grateful is because I get to be a positive role model for many young girls that are viewing Tatler. Tatler is known for being unapologetically posh. The posh lifestyle is not just a rich lifestyle. Being part of the posh club has also been known to only include those who are model-thin and white. Therefore, it was great when Tatler contacted me. They had seen a picture of my Beyoncé dress (since they are owned by the same company as Vogue) and wanted to include it in the February issue. It is amazing that I can add a diverse face to the posh lifestyle since  I am not a size zero and I have dark skin. It is great to know that when a girl who is not a size zero and/or who is a person of color reads Tatler they will see themselves in me. Every girl deserves to see themselves represented in the media!

This is the February 2018 issue that I am in. I am featured on page 124.

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[1] “Tatler.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Dec. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatler.

George the Jeweler

George Khalife is a pride to Detroit!

Khalife is not only a talented jewelry designer, but he is a personal jeweler and even a notable celebrity jeweler to A-list stars like Kourtney Kardashian and Hilary Duff. Khalife recently launched a collaboration with music sensation, Christina Milian, called House of Fine Gold. It was certainly an honor to interview Khalife and learn more about his new project. Enjoy!

Elizabeth Elias draped in her boyfriend choker, diamond evil eye pendant, and diamond cross pieces by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: What was your background before you were Vice President at Gold Corp Inc.?

Khalife: I have always had a passion for jewelry, music and the arts. After high school, I worked on a career in music while I pursued my passion for design at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS). After three years, I realized music and CCS were not the paths for me. I then looked towards my interest in jewelry and began working at the family business full time alongside my dad and sister. Gold Corp, our jewelry store, is the largest wholesale jewelry store in the state. My older sister Karina really took me under her wing at that time and showed me that there was a lot to learn and a lot I could do.  

Image of Corinne Olympios in her 14k gold nameplate by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: You developed a collaborative collection with Christina Milian (“House of Fine Gold’s” fall collection titled, “ReMIXd”). How would you describe this line?

Khalife: “ReMIXd” is the first collection from our collaboration “House of Fine Gold”. It is a fun and unique line of 14 karat gold nameplate style necklaces. These necklaces can be mixed and matched so that the customer can create their own custom piece.

Madelaine Petsch in her 14k pink gold and diamond layers by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: Also, what prompted you to launch this line?

Khalife: I wanted to start a fine jewelry line that was very custom and trendy. Christina (who I have always respected) began wearing my custom pieces a few years ago which led to me designing for her and quickly becoming good friends with her. I showed her my initial ideas and then we refined and altered them. She also had some great ideas and together we came up with some really cool concepts. We immediately realized how well we worked together and it was at that time that I knew that I wanted to do this with her. We both wanted to start something amazing. I love Christina’s ambition, she is fun, easy to work with, and such a creative force. She is also an incredible woman and an incredible entrepreneur.

Nicole Williams wearing a 14k gold Cassie choker and Jesus medallion by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: What was the hardest part of launching the line?

Khalife: I would say that the hardest part so far has been deciding on a logo and making sure that the website is perfect. The easiest parts for me was designing and creating the products.

Ashanti draped in pieces by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: Many Detroit Fashion News readers would love to go into the fashion industry and would love to collaborate with others in the fashion industry as well. What advice can you give the readers on starting a business collaboration?

Khalife: The best piece of advice I can give is to network and utilize social media. Get your work out there as much as you can. You never know who is going to see it or who might be interested in working with you. Hone in on your style and demographic and start getting your brand out there!

Ashley Graham layered in her 14k gold medallions and forever rose by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: What advice would you give to future entrepreneurs?

Khalife: My advice is to work hard and never doubt yourself. Set weekly or monthly goals and work to achieve these goals.

Khloe Kardashian in her custom diamond necklace by George Khalife.

KAY KAY: You are known for providing amazing customer service to your clients. A lot of our Detroit Fashion News readers would love to own their own businesses and many businesses struggle with providing good customer service. What customer service advice would you give to businesses that are struggling in the customer service area and/or people who aspire to own a business?

Khalife: Treat everyone like you want to be treated. It’s important to me to have a good relationship with my clients. I give a lot of them my personal number. I always take the time to respond and answer their questions. It also gives you a lot of insight on what people are looking for. I believe that every happy customer leaves and tell at least one other person, but every unhappy customer leaves and tells at least ten people.

Karrueche in her 14k gold diamond cross by George Khalife.

We would like to thank George Khalife for taking the time to interview with us! Be sure to follow @ georgethejeweler on Instagram, @ GeorgeTheJewelr on Twitter, and @ georgethejeweler on Facebook. In addition, be sure to follow @ houseoffinegold on Instagram.

Featured Photo of Milian and Khalife: Bradford Rogne, other photos belong to George Khalife.