Charles Corvsky Dieujuste creates designs that are on the chic side. Dieujuste’s hip and trendy creations can be seen on women who have a flair for elegance. Born in Haiti, and currently residing in New York, the self-described optimist, got his penchant for fashion from his stylish mother and seamstress aunt. And after getting an introductory taste to the world of fashion by interning for one of the world’s biggest fashion brands, Dieujuste started his own line, and has never looked back. Read our interview with him.

Strangely enough, in the Haitian patriarch-driven, often chauvinistic culture, sewing, and therefore being a designer is not seen as an effeminate vocation.
There is nothing effeminate about being a fashion designer, unless someone researches the true meaning of being effeminate. Being effeminate would describe a person trait or characteristics on how they carry themselves. Fashion design or being a designer is a form of business also a form of art that is being translated into what we wear. I was fortunate to have supporting parents that were my cheerleaders and they cheered me on all my endeavors. I haven’t experienced the stigma and honestly couldn’t explain my thoughts.

As a Haitian I can say they are some downfall in our culture. However, to tell you that I have experience these issues. I would be dishonest towards the question. I had an amazing childhood growing up in Haiti. I couldn’t ask for anything else. I am extremely fortunate.

We know that it’s not due to a lack of imagination that you named your line Charles C. Dieujuste.
My Brand/Line is CCDSL in other words Charles Corvsky Dieujuste Signature Label. I believe when you are born your name that is given to you by your parents means lot. It is simply up to you to make your name stand out from others by either being great at what you do or making a difference. However, my father was a professor and my mother in textiles. They instilled in me values and always reminded me of how wonderful my name was. Let me dissect it for you. Charles: As in prince Charles, Royalty, Born to lead. Corvsky: Polish, Unique, Bold. Dieujuste: Humble, Kind, Giving, Passionate. I have always kept this as a motivation. Now you see why chose my name to represent my line. In the future it will be branded to CCDSLWomen.

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months,” said Oscar Wilde. At least it’s a quote attributed to him!
This is an amazing quote. It is simply referring to Fashion and its seasons. If you can dissect it is say. “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter is every six months. The quote could simply mean when you purchase something for the first time and wear it becomes outdated that you have to change. Also, with Fashion Week that goes around for 2 seasons and also resort. Fashion is seasonal and you always have to change your looks to become anew. In other words out with the old in with the new.

How influential has Haitian culture been in your designs?
Haitian culture has been influential throughout all my designs. I am inspired by the strong Haitian women. I am inspired by our amazing country. I am inspired by our vibrant and full of life scenery. I am inspired by our culture.

Do you think black designers have it tough in the world of fashion?
I am not sure about black designers. However, I can only speak for myself in terms of my journey. In Fashion you have to simply be ready to deliver top of the line work. Everything has to be industry standards and your work must be polished. I cannot speak for myself in terms of my work. I can say that my aesthetic and work is amazing. Nevertheless, to consumers it can be translated to something completely different. Fashion is competitive in itself. You simply have to bring 110% to the table or go home. Fashion is a lot of work that requires all of you. This is just the beginning stages of course but it is really tough. Everyone story is different of course. I can truly say I am being patient and simply building one step at a time.

We’d love to know more about Charles C. Dieujuste the man.
I am a simple guy with a dream that I am trying to make a reality. I am a white-Tshirt-black-jeans kind of guy with a focus in building a Fashion Brand. I am passionate in what I do and very protective about it. That’s simply me in a nut shell.

What do you have planned for your fans?
For the people that appreciate my work. I plan on creating amazing, well constructed, vibrant, sleek, clothing to the women that love my work.

What’s Mr. Dieujuste’s idea of a perfect day?
A perfect day for me is working on a collection. Every aspect of working on my collection makes my day perfect.

Is fashion designing something that can be learned in schools?
Not necessarily. However, you do need to the appropriate training to be able to do what is required. Everyone situation is completely different from the next person. But an education is required. Lastly, if you are going towards that route you must have impeccable taste.

In the book The Life Audit, the author Caroline Righton emphasizes the need for all of us to take stock of our lives to see where we stand. What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment? And what are you still looking to accomplish?
My biggest accomplishment is being realized as we speak. I am working towards something I am passionate about. Honesty, I am not sure what the future holds. I am keeping an optimistic mindset and move forward no matter the circumstances.

Patrick Charles is not your average drummer, if there is one. The Haiti-born, New Jersey-raised, Los Angeles-residing drummer has worked with every major musician on the jazz music scene: from diva Anita Baker to jazz great Everette Harper, among others.

As Charles played with major players in the music scene, he recognized the need to do a project that was close to his heart, and lateral to his soul and roots. He put together Cité Soleil, a musical project inspired by his love for Haiti and his early years there.

Charles is eclectic to say the least. Says guitarist and composer Gaku Murata, who performs with Charles: “He doesn’t discriminate music by genre or who plays.” It turns out that everything from Korean pop music to 80’s disco music is pleasing to the drummer’s eardrum. “I could not believe that he wanted to play a Korean Pop song—Chinese version—along with his original jazz fusion songs for his next gig,” continues Murata. “What distinguishes him from other musicians is his honest passion for creating good music. He only cares about creating good music. He doesn’t care about how he creates or who he creates with.”

Murata, who frequently works with Charles says he’s noted the musician’s penchant to be inspirational even in a work relationship. “When I work with him for his gigs,” observes Murata, “he always encourages me to be creative, spontaneous, to feel free to push myself. I remember that he told me that making a mistake is okay because sometime you have to take a risk in order to push yourself to the next level.”

Now, it is time to talk to the man himself!

Q&A

So you started playing gigs in high school. What did your parents think about that?
Actually, my mother was cool with it, but my father was not, ’cause you know, all Haitian parents want their kids to be doctors, so when I told my dad that I wanted to be a drummer, he was furious, ’til this day he’s not exactly thrilled about it. So through out high school, I’ve played in many different bands—playing all kinds of music in the New Jersey and NYC Area.

Recreational drugs and substances are said to be quite popular in the music business. What is your point of view on them?
Well, that was one of my parents concerned. Yes, drugs are a big part of the music business, but not every musician uses drugs. I’ve been around plenty of cats that use drugs, but I’ve also worked with even more that don’t use drugs. Drugs were never a thing for me. I’m just not interested in drugs. It’s that simple. I don’t even smoke!

Is inspiration hard to find when it comes to your music?
No, it’s not. Inspiration for my music comes from my everyday observing of life. Life is my inspiration.

Between Charlie Bird, Thelonious Monk, Branford Marsalis, Miles Davis—which great has had the most influence on your work?
Well, who doesn’t love Bird and Monk and Branford? They are legends and pioneers, but I’m a huge student of Mr. Miles Davis. I love Miles; all I do is constantly study his music, and his concepts and his approach. Miles has the most influence over my music.

When was the last time you went to Haiti?
I was in Haiti in 1990. Yeah, it’s been a while.

Did you get the chance to check out the music scene there?
Actually, I didn’t get a chance to check out the scene, but my family in Haiti always [sends] me records/CDs of what’s hot. I did notice that hip-hop was making its way to the island though.

And your impression of this…?
Cool.

Being a musician has its ups and downs. What has been the highlight of your life as a musician?
The highlight so far has been graduating from Berklee College of Music and recording my own music and having some of my favorite artists play on my recordings and performing at the prestigious Yokohama Jazz festival with my group. And to be blessed to still be playing and studying and learning after 22 years.

Now, tell us all there is to know about your Cité Soleil musical project.
Okay. When I was attending Berklee, I began to mess around with composing, so by the time I finished school, I had a few tunes laying around, so I decided to do a record, and “Cité Soleil” was the only tune on the record that had a name before it was even written—that’s because of what I saw happening in Haiti at that time with [Jean-Bertrand] Aristide and the violence that was centered in Cité Soleil.

And as a kid, I remember going shopping in Cité Soleil with my mom. It was a beautiful little city by the sea, and to see how it has deteriorated with political violence and misery was hurtful, so I wanted to write something to dedicate to Cité Soleil and Haiti. And one day, I sat at the piano and the universe gave me Cité Soleil. “Cité Soleil” was the last tune to be written for the record.

When I began to record in 2006, I wanted to have some of the baddest artists that I knew from L.A. to record with me—artists like Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Kevin Toney and saxophone great Everette Harp and trumpeter and composer Johnny Britt and keyboardist Wayne Linsey—who by the way have played with Miles. The record took me a year to record, mix and master. The mix was done by my good friend Conley Abrams. Conley has worked for Dr. Dre at Death Row records, and the mastering was done at Columbia Mastering Studio by mastering legend Ron McMaster who also worked with Miles. Cite Soleil was released on my own label the summer of 2007.

You were born in Haiti, you grew up in Jersey, and you now live in Los Angeles. How has each of these residences affected you as a person, and more importantly your art?
Well, being born in Haiti shaped who I am as a man. I have a high and strong moral standing in life, because I know what it truly feels like to have absolutely nothing and to come from nothing. So as I grew up in Jersey, I took absolutely nothing for granted. I made the best out of any opportunity that came my way, ’cause I know I was just lucky to be able to grow up in the States. And as for my music, part of Haiti is always going to be in my work.

I’m Haitian; it’s in my DNA, but growing up in Jersey I was exposed to a new world of music. I was quickly exposed to all style of music through MTV—this was way back when MTV just started and they actually played music videos. And when I started to play drums. I used to go to all the jam sessions in the neighborhood clubs, and even went to jam sessions in NYC. I think all those things affected my music; I don’t think L.A. influenced my music at all.

What are your plans, post-Cité Soleil disc release?
I wrote some new music already that I’m very excited about, and also this time around, I will be doing more writing collaborations with different artist friends of mine. I plan to start recording next year, and hopefully have a release that same year, ’cause it’s about time.

Melanie Charles is like a musical octopus. With one hand she’s D’Flower, her alter ago. With another hand she holds the microphone as Melanie Charles, the singer who has graced stages in Brooklyn, Port-au-Prince, Portugal and Japan. And she’s also the co-founder of Rat Habitat, a musical project with fellow musician Jordan “Commissioner Wallace” Peters that has spawned the EP “Guns the Shoot Bubbles”. Rat Habitat’s musical style is a stew of electonica, alternative rock, and soul. Melanie herself is all-jazz, with roots, R&B, with finger print stains of hip-hop, soul, and rock. Won’t you follow your girl Kreyolicious as I interview this singer?

Photo Credit: Gabriel Encinas

K. St. Fort: ​What are your childhood memories of music, and growing up in a Haitian household? How did you get started singing?

Growing up, music has always been important to my family. My mom tells me that before I could speak, as a baby, I was always singing “la la la”. When I was 5, my mom tried to get our church organist Michelle McCoy, to give me voice lessons. But Ms. McCoy refused and said that I was too young, but she would give me piano lessons and when I turned 7 it would be time to start voice lessons. At 7, I sang my first solo in church and the rest is history.

K. St. Fort: Have you ever lost your voice prior to a performance? How did you deal?

I’ve never “lost my voice” per se, but there has been times when I couldn’t sing certain notes the way I would like. A combination of my vocal training and jazz study allowed me to use my technique to get the difficult notes out and/or use my improvisation skills, to choose alternate more easier notes. I actually really like when my voice is tired or raspy. I just go with it.

Photo Credit: Chris Carr, BK Wildlife

K. St. Fort: There is no mistaken that you are highly influenced by jazz. But who’s your main girl…Sarah Vaughan or Eartha Kitt, Sade or Billie Holiday…Jill Scott? Or could it be someone else?

That’s a tough question. I really, really love Sarah Vaughan and if you asked me this question five years ago, I would say Sarah right away. I love Billie Holiday, Letta Mbulu, Marlena Shaw. Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Anita Baker, but if I had to choose one, I would have to say Nancy Wilson Her album with Cannonball Adderly is one of the best “jazz” albums of all time. I fell in love with jazz because of that album and to this day she still inspires me.

Photo Credit: Chris Karr, BK Wildlife

K. St. Fort: Music consumes a lot of performers. How do you know when to stop and how do you manage to keep a clear balance…so that music doesn’t overly consume you.

Balance is very important to me. I can’t say that I’ve always been the best at it. Music definitely is and always has been my main focus. But as I’m getting older the importance of a balanced life has been more and more important to me. I meditate, practice yoga, Muay Thai boxing. I’ve gotten into gardening and I’ve been learning how to repair bikes. I work out everyday and I try to cook most of my meals. I find getting into these things allow me to actually “live a life”, and in turn, it helps keep me inspired.

K. St. Fort: I was watching this video of you on Youtube in preparation for our interview. I saw this one clip of you playing with Jesse Fischer & Soul Cycle, and there you were playing a flute. I thought, “Total coolness”. At which point did you learn how to play the flute? Is it an easy instrument?

I started playing flute in Junior High. The first week of class was when everyone got to choose their instruments. But I came to band class a week late, because I was in a vocal competition, so my instrument was already chosen for me. I was upset though! I wanted to play a loud instrument like the trumpet or saxophone! [Laughter] But I fell in love with it. And when I attended LaGuardia High School, I was a flute major. The flute is very hard. It’s rooted in the classical tradition. Today, I’m trying to use this classical instrument and tie it into my own music. Hubert Laws is an example of someone who does it amazingly. It’s something that I am always working on.

Above: Melanie Charles during a performance in Portugal. Photo Credit: Gabriel Encinas

K. St. Fort: You’ve sung in Kreyol too…

Yes, I enjoy singing many of the great haitian folk songs. The stories and melodies are beautiful. I find that my singing is different when I sing in Kreyol. It’s almost like playing another instrument. Being born in America, learning the music of my ancestors is a beautiful way to connect with my culture and my people.

K. St. Fort: A broken guitar can probably be repaired, or at least be replaced. A performer’s voice is practically irreplaceable. What steps do you take to take care of your instrument?

Because I’ve done a great deal of vocal training early on, I’m pretty well set up vocally. The most important thing for me now is plenty of sleep and hydration. I also try to avoid spending too much time in air conditioning. You can often find me with a scarf wrapped around my neck even in the warmer seasons.

K. St. Fort: You attended New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music. What was it like there? What are some of the things that you learned?

I had a great time at The New School. Some of the most important things I learned was how to write lead sheets, how to find my identity as a vocalist. I learned how to lead a band and get arrangements together. The ability to gather a band, present them with the music and get a good sound are all very valuable skills.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Encinas

K. St. Fort: And, throughout this…how did your parents react, knowing that you wanted to take music to such a level that you were willing to spend such a considerable time on it?

My mom wanted me to be a musician. She said that when she was pregnant with me, she prayed that I would be a musician. From day one, she has been an amazing support to me and my musical journey. She is my harshest critic and my biggest fan. And I love it! Being a Haitian mom, this is something that is very rare. I am blessed to have her support.

Photo Credit: Josue Azor

K. St. Fort: What’s the best musical experience you’ve ever had…hands down?

I’ve had man great experience but if I had to choose one, I would have to say singing at the Port-au-Prince Jazz Festival in 2012 was a highlight. It was my first time in Haiti and for me to sing to hundreds of my people really moved me. I felt the spirit of my late grandmother with me. As I walked on the stage, tears of joy were in my eyes. Definitely a highlight.

K. St. Fort: Do you keep strong links to Haitian culture? Go to Haiti often?

I’ve only been to Haiti twice. The second time I went, I spent a month with my aunt and uncle in the mountains of Thomasin. It was one of greatest learning experiences I’ve ever had. I would like to go more often. But while I’m in the States, I am constantly learning, asking questions and reading more about the voodoo culture. I incorporate different aspects of my Haitian roots in my music and I am proud to be an art ambassador for Haiti wherever I go.

K. St. Fort: We grow, or we are put in situations where we have to at least. What would you say to the Melanie Charles of say, 4-7 years ago?

I would tell her that being focused on music is great but also remember to be a kid. Nurture friendships. Have fun!

MELANIE CHARLES’ WEBSITE | MELANIE CHARLES ON TWITTER| MELANIE CHARLES ON INSTAGRAM

She sings, she writes melodies, and she even plays the flute. That girl, Melanie Charles. But let’s not forget that besides having a slamming voice, she’s got a flashy fashion sense. So now readers, let your girl Kreyolicious examine the times that Melanie Charles looked kreyolicious and totally killed the fashion game.

1. That time when she wore clashing patterns and still looked good.

She’s slaves fashion, ya’ll. She’s not a slave to fashion.
Photo Credit: Gabriel Encinas

2. That time she made royal blue take center stage.

The singer took two shades of royal blue, slapped them together and made a slamming outfit. Check out her bracelets.
Photo Credit: Chris Carr

3. That time she wore that strapless one-piece.

The dress showed off her shoulders. The simple ribbon-belt wrapped around her dress.
Photo Credit: Josue Azor

4. That time she went street.

Serious face on. Shades. Do-rag. Hoodie. Where Brooklyn at? In Melanie’s outfit.

5. That time when she went laid-back.

Bikini top, and pencil skirt with a smile. A lake as background.

There you have it kreyolicious cheries, the 5 Times Melanie Charles looked kreyolicious and totally killed the fashion game.

MELANIE CHARLES’ WEBSITE | MELANIE CHARLES ON TWITTER| MELANIE CHARLES ON INSTAGRAM