The Visionary Ladies Behind Solange's New Music Website

When Solange released advanced copies of her new Saint Heron compilation earlier this month, she brought the party to Opening Ceremony in a decked out Lamborghini, customized by artist Rashaad Newsome. Ever since, I knew I had to track down the team who was behind the event by any means necessary. Saada Ahmed, Marjon Carlos, Elise Peterson, Diane "Shabazz" Varnie, Christina Coleman, and Armina Mussa are editors, friends, and the team behind SaintHeron.com, a new website featuring ahead of the curve commentary on music, culture, and politics. 

Since launching in October under Solange's new Saint Records label, SaintHeron.com has been injecting needed wit and candor into music news, becoming, as the website puts it, "a haven for R&B lovers and listeners to discover music free of marketplace politics." Since launching, the website has featured everything from an essay on the impact of Brandy to an interview with Chicago-based visual artist Nina Chanel Abney to a post on Paula Deen's use of the n-word. As creative director, Solange is giving her peers a platform to fuse genuinely amazing music coverage with culture from different perspectives.

Sitting down with five of the editors last week at the Cleveland in SoHo (Armina, the sixth, was in New Orleans) it was clear they are intellectually thriving. Not that this was your average interview: wine was involved, as was an afternoon spent playing dress up at Opening Ceremony’s SoHo store. Scroll down for our conversation and photos from the event. (And, if you want a full taste of the vibe, listen to Kelala's "Go All Night"––I sure know I did while writing this story.)

Photos by Lina Michal

Buy Saint Heron at Opening Ceremony stores or online HERE.

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Mecca James Williams: Alright! So what do you guys do outside of SaintHeron.com? I feel like I see you everywhere.
Elise: Oh god!
Saada: We didn’t know you were going to ask about other stuff!
Mecca: Haha. You got a list of things?
Marjon: I work for Saks.com, and I am an online personal stylist, but writing is my passion. I am also a freelance journalist. I write for Huffington Post and Lurve, have some bylines for Vogue Italia, and obviously I write for Saint Heron. That’s like my main hustle; writing!
Shabazz: I own my own independent company [Electric Circus]. It started off as a PR company, but now it's a full scale consulting company for artists and creatives. I also do events! Which is what I am really known for. I am known for breaking southern talent, like rap talent, in New York. I did Trinidad [James’] first show as well as The Migos ("Versace, Versace!")
Mecca: Alright now! I’m impressed.
Saada: Nah, wait 'til you get to me.
Elise: Yes! [Saada] does the most!
Christina: Outside of Saint Heron, I am the news and politics editor at Russell Simmons' website