The Tanqueray Trunk Show, an unique, invite-only event held by the iconic gin label, rocked Houston on Saturday night.
Hundreds of Houston's up-and-comers gathered at a recently opened venue, The Astorian, to hear from four brand architects, hailing from the world of men's fashion and entertainment. Panelists included Maxwell Osborne, head designer for brands Black Apple and Public School; Ronnie Fieg, owner and designer of footwear boutique KITH NYC; Jason Geter, manager of Iggy Azalea and founder of Grand Hustle Records and fashion line Striver's Row; and DJ M.O.S., one of the nation's hottest DJs.
Former MTV VJ Coltrane Curtis asked panelists about their "first sip," leading them in an enlightening discussion about how each of these self-made men got their start as entrepreneurs.
Following the panel discussion, guests were invited to 'shop' from Osborne, Geter and Fieg's fashion lines with each guest selecting a free piece of clothing. People walked away with denim jackets, hoodies, shirts and hats from the collections of Black Apple, Striver's Row and KITH NYC.
"Little did I know that (rap) would be my voice — that I would find my path right there, in something that I love."
Mingling with panelists and local celebrities like Bun B and the Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, guests sipped on expertly crafted gin and tonics while DJ M.O.S. kept the energy high with classic hip-hop jams booming throughout the beautiful event space.
The highlight of the event was hearing a speech and performance by Common, hot on the heels of his winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Glory" from the film Selma. The hip-hop artist offered insights on his own path to success, even performing a few lines of the first rap he ever wrote when he discovered his love of writing lyrics and performing at age 12.
"I'm grateful to be here in The H right now at the Tanqueray Trunk Show because it's something that's here to really spark all of us as entrepreneurs, as people, as artists, and find our voice," Common said.
"Little did I know that (rap) would be my voice — that I would find my path right there, in something that I love, something I was passionate about — when I wrote my first rap. I say that because the first step to our entrepreneurship is to find our path, finding what we are really passionate about, finding our voice."
The event was final Tanqueray Trunk Show, ending a six-city tour that included stops in New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit.
Coltrane Curtis, left, led a panel discussion with entrepreneurs Ronnie Fieg, Jason Geter, Maxwell Osborne and DJ M.O.S.
