SNAPPED AND CAUGHT: SHEMARI BANKS

The Jazzy Gent From Jamaica 

A great many of us tend to set goals for ourselves when a new year is upon us. Fashion Forward Men is no different. We have always reflected on our past by looking at previous content. And while we are pleased with the knowledge, advice, and entertainment we have given you, that doesn't mean that we will close the doors of more improvement.

We wanted to come out swinging for you guys for 2019. Paris Fashion Week has come to a close, and as we prepare for the shows in New York, we also thought we should start off with one of most popular sections. The Snapped & Caught Series. 

Our latest inductee is the embodiment of FFM. He possesses a quiet but confident demeanor. When speaking to him, he comes off as somewhat shy, but don't be fooled, he can be very opinionated and direct. He is extremely goal driven. And though it may not be the most important of his attributes, the man has a killer sense of style. He goes by the name Shemari Banks.

Given the name Kareem Ellis by his parents, our latest inductee was born in St. Andrews Parish (Jamaica). At the age of 4, Banks' family decided to uproot and move to New York.
When a small child is faced with moving it can be a very mixed bag. Some may feel sad because they are about to move away from their friends and all they have come to know. Others see it as a cool adventure. For Banks, it was an adventure indeed. He would be taking a trip to his first realistic wake up call into the closed mindedness of reality.

"Jamaicans are known to be loud, passionate people, with strong accents. My aunt gave me advice urging me to try to change my way of speaking. She explained to me that many people unfortunately would have preconceived notions about us because of our dialect. She told me that because of our dialect, many people thought of us as being angry and aggressive. They would also have difficult times understanding us," he explains.

"I began watching lots of televisions shows to help me with this. I guess I did a great job. Most people think I'm from the mid west. Many of my clients who I've never met in person, have a very hard time believing that I'm a man of  color, better yet Jamaican," he adds with a slight chuckle.

As a  young child, it is unfortunate that someone would have to tell you to change your way of life due to others not being about to relate to you. Its kind of heavy. Childhood is the most innocent years of our lives. At least they are supposed to be.

But this isn't a story of pity. Its actually more about adapting and conquering.

Coming into our own self awareness is always an interesting journey. And although we are forever evolving beings, there does come a time where a great many of us become more in touch with our inner most personal selves. More in touch with our creative sides. More in touch with doing what makes us happy. More in touch with our sexuality. More in touch with our personal appearance, and how we choose to present ourselves (clothing, makeup, hairstyle choices). And most importantly, not to give a rats ass about what anyone else thinks.

In the early stages of my meeting with Banks, I asked him how he would define his style. When I've asked people this question in the past, it always seems to take a few minutes for them to answer. Sometimes they are too stumped to even answer. I noticed Shemari take a deep breath. So in turn I I sipped a bit  of my wine and prepared myself  to wait as he took the time to collect his thoughts. I didn't have to wait long at at all. Within seconds, he was spitting out the most descriptive answer I had ever heard. I wondered... Did this man guess that I would ask him this question? Or was he so finely in tune with his image that he knew what to say?

"I am inspired by pieces from previous eras of time,  I am inspired by sports,  I love androgynous clothing, and I love modern Japanese clothing as well as attire affiliated with garb worn by a samurai," he explains.

Some, may see this response as being rather elaborate or far fetched, I for one understood. Dissecting everything that he mentions, there is one thing that they all possess and have in common in their own unique way. SILHOUETTES!!! What I also gather from his answer is that Banks not only recognizes clothing as a necessity that we need to shield our bodies, but he also recognizes the art of design. If you were to take a break from what you are reading at this moment only to scroll to look at the images, you will know that this man has a rather bold, and unconventional approach to fashion. There is nothing basic about it.



While our man in question may be completely comfortable with how he presents himself to the world, it leads me to ask another thought provoking question. You see, Mr. Banks is a straight man. But not only is he a straight man, he is a straight man from Jamaica. Jamaica is recognized as being a very homophobic culture of people. Sure not all, but the majority. And if you were not a part of the majority, chances are very slim that you would admit you had no issue with it. So how does his fellow countrymen feel or react to his style of dress I questioned.

"The irony of this is that though the male sex in Jamaican men have this macho attitude, they fail to realize that their style of dress is dress is quite feminine and flamboyant," he says with great laughter.

"For me, I get very mixed emotions. Some people love it, some absolutely hate it. One thing I do know is that the church women live for it!" he continues as we both laugh in unison giving one another hi fives.

 It's apparent that he takes criticism with a grain of salt. He realizes that you can't please everyone all the time. But why should it matter to him? He just left his job working at Saks Fifth Avenues flagship store in New York, to go work at one of his favorite stores (Barney's). And with over 10,000 instagram followers, I don't think he has a care in the world about what haters think.



Most of us at some point in time have had individuals the we admire, and look up to. They spark something inside of us that inspires us to see things differently, and to do better. Asked to name a few people whose style he appreciated, our It Guy didn't fall short of surprising us with his responses. Deion Sanders would be the first name spoken (because of this name, we also learn that Bank's is a huge sports fan).

Sanders, a famous cornerback was first drafted in the early 90's. It was said that Sanders had learned about the starting salaries given to players based on their positions. Quarterbacks would be at the top of the list. Cornerbacks however, didn't fair to well. Sanders's of course was not trying to be apart of the lower totem pole. He devised an idea to build himself as a brand, and not just a football player. His skills on the field were extraordinary. To match that was his over the top clothing selections. Heavily jeweled, he looked like a protege of Mr.T. He is also known to wear fur coats. In an interview, Sanders was quoted as saying "if you look good, you feel good, if you feel good, you play good, if you play good, they pay good."

This would be very soundly advice for Banks to hear.

Other fashion influencers of Banks are Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, Mos Def, and Usher.
Will.i.am has been viewed as a very stylish guy pretty much since the begging of his career. Like Shemari, the rapper is known to  have more of a gender fluid approach to his aesthetic as well.

Mos Def has always had this laid back swagger about himself. As he grew older, his fashion choices have become more refined. The once baggy streetwear was replaced with nicely tailored suits, loafers, ties, and varsity bombers. Its been said that he has a close friendship with designer Rick Owens. He has been photographed wearing wearing more grunge attire. As it happens, many of the pieces are accredited to Owens. Owens also happens to be a favorite design of Banks.

Usher would be the last to complete the list. I needed him to elaborate on on his last selection.
" I know it sounds odd, but Usher had some cool moments. I'm not talking about when he was a kid, but around 2009 his style begin to change," he says chuckling, as if he he was trying to justify his decision of naming him.

But he is correct. Usher's style did change. Those head to toe outfits that wear all the same color. Gone. Those knit crochet beenies that had to worn with each look. Gone. Those over sized baggy looks that were made of leather. Gone. Now, the singer is quite comfortable with his celebrity status, and he dresses to play the part. From Chanel, to Gucci, to Prada Usher definitely steeped up his game.

As I mentioned before, Shemari has instagram account with more than 10k followers. Naming his profile @the_mari_mcqueen the page displays Shemari wearing some of  his dopest looks, highlights some of his kick ass shoes, and  he even shows love to some of his friends. With all of this cool gear, I was eager to hear about his prized possessions. Not to reveal too much but, a tabby boots courtesy of Margiela, FOUR crushed velvet bomber jacket made by Haider Ackermann, and special articles from Rick Owens and Yohji Yamamoto. Easily the handful of pieces mentioned averages in the total of thousands, but Banks shares with me he has a maximum of $2000 that he would spend on an article of clothing. And so far, he has not.

His undeniable sense of style may be the reason why we at Fashion Forward Men was drawn to Mr. Banks, but we are well aware of the fact that each of our fashionisto's will have other interests. Since  his childhood and his trying desperately to change his speech, Shemari is still showing his love for cinema. He confesses that he is a huge movie buff and goes about 4 times a week.

Banks also happens to be a fitness buff. He runs several times a week. On average he runs 5 miles a day. Fitness is more than just a hobby for out  It Guy, I learned that its also his dream job.  He is currently going to school to receive his degree in Athletic Training.

"I want to be the most fashionable trainer in the NFL," he says with confidence.

So before we say our goodbyes to our man of the month, we asked him to give our readers some of his styling tips.

"Sizing is key. Its always good to assess what your flaws are. For example, if you are shorter, look into wearing a high waist trousers. If you are taller, you may want to look into not so trendy or well known brands, especially if they aren't carrying your appropriate size. White jeans and black shoes tend to look weird. And most importantly, look for a good tailor."

Written by 

-Rudy Reed