There is no doubt that the ever-fabulous mother, recording artiste, entrepreneur, model, the new face of G-Force Roots Wine and spokesperson for abused Jamaican women wears many hats so we had to track her down for quite some time. For those of you who don’t watch TV, she also made a cameo in the popular local series Royal Palm Estate and even has her own column in X-News where she addresses letters like Dear Pastor but more feminine…that one came as a shocker. That aside, I waited patiently inside her store (Angel’s) on Princeville Plaza and I must say I was most impressed with the place. It had a wide array of EVERYTHING! Bags, belts and clothes from all over in colors and styles galore with shoes befitting the cast of Sex & the City…there was much for me to keep myself occupied with.
“And soooo!” She arrived…as silly as it sounds I was half-expecting that to be the first thing “D’Angel” said when she came through the door but alas, it was not to be. I must say to you naysayers that Michelle “D’Angel” Downer is beautiful. A model of confidence, she strutted in with her hair pinned up, sporting a purple baby-tee with dark skinny jeans, gold sandals and *gasp* no makeup! We then stepped inside her office to get started… this is what transpired:
Part one… the artiste:
Popstyle: You were once a model, what was your career like then and how did you make the transition into entrepreneurship?
D: I will never resign from modelling; it is my first love so it was
easy for me to make the transition because I love fashion so I knew I
had to stay in the fashion industry. I used to work with Miguel Models
and I did some work with Pulse, I even entered a modeling competition
in America where I beat out 350 white girls to emerge as the winner.
After that, the contracts kept coming but I ended up coming back home
to sort out some family business and that’s when the store came about.
Popstyle: So how do you market your store?
D: I think that as an entrepreneur the way you carry yourself will
influence the kind of buyers you attract. I have never been a slave to
fashion, I always create my own style and look my best and the things
that I wear…that’s what you can find in my store.
Popstyle: Where do you source these things? Do you choose them yourself?
D: I source them from all over and yes, I hand pick everything for the store… and arrange them for display too.
Popstyle: What do you always have in your handbag?
D: Marco Dean’s Album, my credit cards and my keys.
Popstyle: What is your favorite thing to wear?
D: It depends on the occasion, on a regular day I’ll wear jeans and a
baby tee (no big old T- shirt) with flat slippers but when I’m going
out I prefer dresses…or anything that shows my legs with heels. I love
my legs.
D'Angel for G-Force
D'Angel in her store
Popstyle: What is your favorite makeup brand?
D: I have a few like MAC. Black Opal and Bobbi Brown those are good brands, my favorite lipstick shade is “Oh Baby” by Mac.
Popstyle: what is your favorite drink to have when you’re out on the town?
D: D’Angel Royale… its G-Force mixed with Appleton and something else.
Popstyle: Who is your favorite artiste?
D: Everybody knows Beyonce is my favorite singer and locally I would
say anyone that contributes or has contributed positively to reggae
music.
Popstyle: Who is your favorite designer?
D: I will wear anything as long as it’s cute, but locally I love Neah. Lis and internationally Versailles, New York.
Popstyle: Have you ever received any fashion advice or beauty tip that you always use now?
D: Use sun block. It works, especially in a tropical climate like ours.
Popstyle: How do you care for your skin?
D: I cleanse my face very often, I wear sun block at all times and I
don’t wear makeup unless I have to because it clog up the pores.
Popstyle: Have you had to change the way you dress since you’ve become a mother?
D: Not at all, I’m the same D’Angel…I’m a hott mama and I got my body
back very soon so why not show it off? After all I’m an artiste.
Popstyle: What about the G-Force endorsement, have you been dressing sexier since that deal was closed?
D: No endorsement deal can change the way I view and portray myself.
Anything I’m endorsing must represent me, I won’t change for anything
like that so if I’m not comfortable with it I just don’t do it.
Part Two: the designer and stylist (Neah.Lis) behind D'Angel:
D'Angel and cousin/stylist/fashion designer Lisa McIntosh of Neah Lis
Lisa Mcintosh, cousin and stylist of three years to D’Angel is also
quite a character and though they are both very busy women they get
along great. She describes herself as a “people person, family-oriented
and a hard worker” and trust us…she tells no lies. She coined the name “Neah.Lis”
for her designs by combing her name with her daughter’s (whose name is
Neah) and her clothes are just as unusual and refreshing as the name
suggests. Lisa was trained in Florida and admires designers like
Carlton Brown, Siim, Andesew (which she carries here) and Roberto
Cavalli whose designs remind her of her own. She finds it easy to style
D’Angel because it allows her to be very creative, as the clothes she
makes for her are very different from what she provides for her other
clients.
She therefore mixes her “runway” style with Michelle’s which combines
her artiste persona and her personal style, it works too as she outfits
her for performances even when she is not physically present!
Interestingly, when I asked her if they disagree often she could not
stop laughing for a minute before responding that they do but it is
easily resolved and they have fun with it. Here is a little more about
the stylist who keeps D’Angel “Blazing”.
Popstyle: Tell us a little about your background in fashion, how do you draw from that in your styling of D’Angel?.
Actually I am a hairstylist by profession and then I took on the
fashion field as a hobby. This hobby then blossomed into the
illustrious career I have now. She is very easy to work with though.
Her sense of style comes together with mine and it results in a
production that is always fabulous.
Popstyle: What was the first major work you did as a designer?
My first major job was actually in London. It was called "Culture to
Couture", it was put on by the mayor of London. It was definitely a
"High-end" fashion show and there was a marvelous mix of Caribbean and
International designers.
Popstyle: How would you describe your sense of style? How does your fashion sense differ from hers?
I am basically a vintage, oriental and Caribbean kind of girl. I
therefore get a very distinct kind of mix. She has pretty much the
same outlook as me and therefore we collaborate and create wonderful
pieces that suit both of our styles.
Popstyle: How do you differentiate her video look from a live performance look?
In doing a music video you put more energy into pieces. The pieces
also must confer the concept of the video. It could be 'high-fashion"
or couture or funky casual. It is always just about the mix. For live
performances, it all depends really on what it is that she requires.
Popstyle: If you had only about 15 minutes to come up with a look
for her for a TV appearance or a performance what would you give her to
wear?
That would be easy since she likes short dresses; not to say that she
does not like long dresses. For a performance it would be a corset,
short baby doll, mini dress, she loves those legs. For TV it would be
something tailored and sexy. This is not to say that she could not
wear the dress to either.
Part 3: It’s a wrap…:
Popstyle: What can we expect from D’Angel in 2009?
D: Hmm… you never know lot’s of great things. I’ll still be running my
store of course, making music… my album is coming out sometime next
year and my clothing line “And So” by D’Angel will definitely be out by
summer so there are a lot of things in store.
Popstyle: Any last words for the readers Michelle?
Love life, love yourself and love your family. Wear sun block and make
sure you tek a good look at yourself in the mirror before you leave you
house. *laughs*
There is no doubt that the ever-fabulous mother, recording artiste, entrepreneur, model, the new face of G-Force Roots Wine and spokesperson for abused Jamaican women wears many hats so we had to track her down for quite some time. For those of you who don’t watch TV, she also made a cameo in the popular local series Royal Palm Estate and even has her own column in X-News where she addresses letters like Dear Pastor but more feminine…that one came as a shocker. That aside, I waited patiently inside her store (Angel’s) on Princeville Plaza and I must say I was most impressed with the place. It had a wide array of EVERYTHING! Bags, belts and clothes from all over in colors and styles galore with shoes befitting the cast of Sex & the City…there was much for me to keep myself occupied with. 
