On the evening of June 29, the Style Lounge in Studio City, Calif. was turned into a white wonderland to promote and celebrate Kenneth Monroe and the launch of his Cadillac Black men’s fragrance. The Cadillac Celebrity White Party gave Monroe an arena to discuss and demonstrate his talent and expertise in fragrances as well as film.
Kenneth Monroe, innovator/actor/filmmaker, with his group of inspirational people and signs at his Cadillac Black fragrance launch.
With a white carpet to boot, the entire guest list of celebrities and personalities were dressed in light styles, a stark contrast to the dark Cadillac brand and the new fragrance bottle. Created for males, the Cadillac Black fragrance exudes an original scent using ingredients like bergamot zest, wild mint, chamomile, orange blossom, cedar and incense.
When Monroe stepped into the red carpet area, he was surrounded by a group of fans with inspirational and positive messages on signs, reflected in how he wants those wearing his fragrance to feel.
“I want them to feel like the best. I want to them to feel like they’re on top of the world. I don’t want them to judge nobody, and I want them to live life in a beautiful way and be focused enough to know they can accomplish anything in this world,” Monroe told LA’s The Place.
On top of the fragrance, Monroe also has been busy in the film industry participating in three motion pictures in one year: “Stand Alone,” “East Chicago” and “Santana Bishop.” The filmmaking and the cologne actually go hand in hand.
“We shot three independent, great films in one year, and in this kind of economy, to even do that is unheard of,” Monroe said. “One is a political suspense, one is a drama and one is a sci-fi, and Cadillac [brand] actually saw my movie. They were so impressed with my acting ability, they wanted to jump behind me and give me an endorsement deal. That’s how it all came about…They wanted me to be the face of the fragrance.”
Calling the evening “history” Monroe wanted everyone to have an enjoyable and positive time during the event and the after party that directly followed, which took place at R Lounge.
Kenneth Monroe and Stephen Katz ("Camouflage")
Celebrity guests included actors Stephen Katz, Cedric Sanders and Tiffany Hines, to name a few. Katz recently appeared in “Camouflage” opposite C. Thomas Howell, a drama revolving around a camp counselor and his terrifying ways of disciplining the younger boys.
Sanders, who had a bit role in “American Gangster,” just wrapped the new film “Things Fall Apart” with 50 Cent and said that the rapper (and co-scripter of the film) took the role very seriously, losing weight and was great with the cast.
Shot two and a half years ago and recently released on DVD, “The Least Among You” stars Sanders opposite Lauren Holly and the Oscar-winning Louis Gossett Jr.
“Louis Gossett Jr. is, I mean, he is the king of acting, I think, and he is such a gracious man,” Sanders told LA’s The Place. “He brought me a book on set, like every day, he brought me something. I just learned a lot from him. He’s a very, very kind man.”
Also, Sanders has a small part in the upcoming “The Social Network” film directed by David Fincher and revolving around the Facebook phenomenon.
“It’s huge, right? I mean, we thought MySpace was huge, but [Facebook] is out of control,” he laughed. “I think the film is going to be fantastic, so I’m glad I had some part in it.”
After appearing in various television shows, including “Bones” and “10 Things I Hate About You,” Tiffany Hines landed the hardened, tough character Jaden in the upcoming CW drama “Nikita” that stars Shane West and Maggie Q.
A reboot of previous flicks, Hines watched the original classic “La Femme Nikita” and after landing the role, she also checked out “Point of No Return” and the USA “Nikita” series.
“It’s funny because as an actress, so far in my career, I’ve always played the sweet, nice girl next door, somebody that’s just there for you,” Hines told LA’s The Place. “Jaden is a bad ass. She’s very different from some a lot of the characters I’ve gotten to play, and as an artist, that’s thrilling.”
Going into the Style Lounge, Hines explained why she joined the soirée, aside from white being her favorite color to wear.
“I’m really excited about the fragrance. I love fragrances, so I’m really excited to test it out, and Cadillac. Who doesn’t love Cadillac, right?”
Cedric Sanders ("Things Fall Apart") and Tiffany Hines ("Nikita")
Other celebrities in attendance included: Lisa Jay (“Tease”), Nikki Chu (designer), Bobby Roache (model), Josie Goldberg (“Millionaire Matchmaker”), Ashley and Ashton (2-U-Neek), Tionne Williams (singer/actor), Donna Spangler, (author/actress), Nadia Dawn (“Born to Be a Star”), Josiah Lipscomb (“Sister Mary”), Rachel Currence (“Victorious”), Cornelius Smith Jr. (“All My Children”), Emma Zerner (model/actress), Sandy Jeanphilippe (“Bank of Hollywood”) and Tony Denison (“The Closer”).
Photos courtesy of Wire Image.
