MICHELENE AUGUSTE, IMG (International Management Group) model and now entrepreneur, recently threw open the doors of her Dem Golden Heritage Vintage Boutique in New York City and is excited about making her a name for herself in the fashion industry through her new venture.
Auguste is the daughter of Gabrielle Ahye who was a top TT model and flight attendant, and television engineer Grantley Auguste. She is also the granddaughter of late dancer and teacher, Iya L’Orisha Molly Ahye. Auguste lauded her family support for Dem, her short name for her travel inspired vintage boutique. She said: “My family has played a big role in my career. They keep me grounded. They are my biggest supporters. They inspire me to go after everything I want. My grandmother was a cultural icon in Trinidad, and my mother is and has always been my idol. Having these strong women to look up to has made me fearless.”
She added, her boyfriend and artist Jordan Sullivan has also been a big supporter of her journey. “He’s opened me up to a lot of the art world over the years and continues to inspire me daily,” she said.
Her boutique is situated in the lower Eastside Manhattan, 113 Division Street ans since opening, she said, the flow has been great. Its visitors are attracted to either the music, the art, and/or are just generally interested in what it even is.
Auguste mainly sells vintage pieces or new pieces crafted from vintage material.
“I have pieces from Trinidadian makers Anya Ayoung Chee, jewellery by Willow and Oak, prints from Che Love Lace, Brendan Delzin and books by Various Caribbean authors. I also collaborated with Jordan on some painted pieces for the store,” said Auguste.
She said she sourced her store items from everywhere. “As a model I’ve travelled a lot and whenever I go somewhere I look for vintage....throughout Europe, America, the Middle East.”
Auguste had always dreamt of a vintage Caribbean concept store. She had been selling vintage pieces for about three years online before opening the store. Seeing the abundance of talent the Caribbean possessed, she felt she had to create a platform to showcase that to the world.
“When I left Trinidad I entered this fashion world that I couldn’t relate to. I didn’t do any research because I thought I should just be myself and that would allow me to shine. I showed up the first day to my agency in a purple turtle neck and a yellow cardigan. I thought I was in fashion. I was told to head to American Apparel for a white tee and black jeans. After that my agency made me come in before every casting to make sure I was dressed appropriately. I quickly learned that I had to adapt and follow suit. At the same time, when I didn’t have to be on as a model, I was finding my personal style. I knew I wanted to keep my heritage with me. I say all of this because Dem is something that I was craving when I first left Trinidad. I wanted to see African things, Caribbean things, Caribbean creatives.”
Over the course of her modelling career, she has worked for such brands as Issey Miyake, Harrods, Louis Vuitton, DKNY, Duro Olowu, Maybeline, Nars and Google after first being scouted by IMG Models at Caribbean Fashion week Jamaica.
IMG Models is an international modelling agency operating in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan, and Sydney.
At an early age, Auguste had a love for fashion. “Before I was scouted I wanted to study fashion design. I put that on hold to model, which in turn became an education.
“The modelling world has helped me learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry. While modelling I started collecting vintage from all over the world. Soon after I opened my online vintage shop. I love the process of finding vintage clothes, the hunt, and the stories that can be told through clothes. The idea of storytelling is what lead me to open a physical space for Dem. I love curating the store and mixing in pieces of my history and my culture. In this way Dem is a self-portrait and more of an art project or an installation than just a vintage store. I have a deep connection to everything I find and sell. It’s always about the journey and the story.”
Auguste says Dem targets everybody. “We are all connected. Everything and everyone has a history, and I want to highlight that through the store.”
As for her immediate goal, she said it is to continue to grow Dem and to share her culture and her story with the world, while her ultimate goal would be to design a sustainable clothing line, using all vintage and recycled fabrics.
Source: Newsday, August 2019

Extra Innings, a period drama produced by Trinidadian born filmmaker Jolene Mendes, won the top award for Best Feature Film at the 2019 Manhattan Film Festival held in Cinema Village, New York in May.
The film, set in 1960's Brooklyn, tells the story of an aspiring baseball player who is torn between pursuing his professional dreams and remaining devoted to his religious family who are affected by mental illness.
Extra Innings features actors Alex Walton, Aidan P. Brennan, Mara Kassin and Geraldine Singer. It was directed by Albert Dabah and Brian Dillinger from an original script written by Dabah, and is based on his own life story. Mendes produced the film with Rabia Sultana.
The award represents the highest accolade to date won by Mendes, a graduate of the film production conservatory programme at the New York Film Academy, who marks her feature film producing debut with the film.
Several of her previously produced short films have screened at festivals around the world, winning awards at the Soho Film Festival, the New York City International Film Festival, the Coney Island Film Festival and the Orlando Film Festival.
According to Mendes "This award has special meaning for us all, as the project was a labor of love in every way. We didn't have a big budget, but we had a story with a big heart, so generously shared with us by Albert. In a festival that screens nearly 200 films annually, for our film to win the most prestigious award meant everything."
Mendes has had a passion for and curiosity about film and television production since her childhood in her native country Trinidad. But since the island did not have a thriving film industry at the time, she never thought a career in film was possible.
Following her graduation from high school, she studied briefly in Canada before switching career paths, relocating to New York and enrolling at NYFA to pursue her dream of film production.
Since graduating from the conservatory programme in 2015, she has been working steadily as a film producer, making it her mission to make films that have the potential to "inspire and make a difference in the world."
"I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to make my passion into my career. What I love most about film is the ability it has to have such a huge impact throughout the world. The fact that you can sit down for a couple hours and laugh, cry, be motivated or feel inspired is so special to me. For all these reasons, the journey we have taken with Extra Innings has been truly unforgettable. It has some wonderful things to say about ambition, family and making hard choices. It also tackles the sensitive issue of mental illness in a very real and relatable way. Everyone who sees it can learn something from this film."
Source: BroadwayWorld.com