COMPLEXD WOMAN: KIM SIMPLIS BARROW

Our Complexd cover Kim Simplis Barrow talks Chemotherapy, recovery and meeting Prince Harry.

Photographed by JC Cuellar – www.jccuellar.com

How do you feel after completing your 6th and final chemotherapy session?

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that I actually made it through chemotherapy. The entire time, I was receiving treatment I just kept thinking about going back to my normal life. And while it was a great milestone to achieve, my last chemotherapy infusion didn’t mark the end of my journey with breast cancer. I am now about to embark on another leg filled with surgeries, radiation and more surgeries.  I’m still adjusting to life as a breast cancer survivor. I know it will be a lot like the life I had before, but I know some things will be a new kind of normal. There are so many questions that I still have about adjusting to this ‘new normal’ life, like how to fight the lingering fatigue? And what to eat to help prevent a breast cancer recurrence? My body has been through an enormous assault and the recovery is no small feat. My doctors have told me that I’m not going to just get back to normal right away, especially since I’ve been hit while I was down so many times during the chemotherapy. Right now the two biggest side-effects I’m facing from the chemotherapy are fatigue and the well dubbed “chemo brain”, which consists of memory deficits and the inability to focus.

What was it like meeting Prince Harry and what did he think of Belize?

Prince Harry said in an interview with Janelle Chanona that ‘He was most impressed with the people of Belize, and he was really happy to be here!’ One the night of the street party, he wore a traditional Guayabera shirt that was gifted to him when he arrived. I thought it was very classy of him. He talked with locals who came out to greet him, danced with the cultural performers, tasted the local cuisine including the local liquor and beer, and even stopped to talk to children. I was extremely pleased to have been able to accompany my husband Dean in welcoming Prince Harry to Belize. It was lovely meeting him, especially because he was so easy-going and down-to-earth, he was very engaging and interested in finding out more about Belize. I am very happy he took some time to meet with some of the children with special needs. He had lunch with several of them at the Xunantunich Mayan temple and was given a Mayan calendar by a vision impaired child, while a child with Brittle Bones presented him with our 2012 Inspiration Calendar, which features artwork from children with special needs and is produced by the Special Envoy Office. It was wonderful that he had the opportunity to learn a bit about the advocacy that we do here in Belize on behalf of children with special needs. To top it all off, he said that he wants to plan another trip to Belize!

Janelle Chanona interviews Prince Harry at Xunantunich Mayan temple…

March 6, 2012 | Posted in Complexd Women | Leave a comment

EDITOR’S DIARY: INSPIRATIONAL

We have had a phenomenal response from this issue and the word that keeps cropping up is ‘inspirational’! I can reveal now that I was editing this issue with anticipation in my bones because deep down I knew it would have a big impact. The stories featured in this issue were carefully selected, some stories were hard to swallow, some gave me goosebumps and when I reviewed the photographs of our beautiful cover woman Kim Simplis Barrow, my eyes watered because I was honoured that Kim was prepared to share something so personal with Complexd and also in awe of her beauty even without her hair. This issue is dedicated to my great grandmother who is 103 years of age (see diary entry here), and it is also dedicated to women worldwide who have found themselves in a very dark place and found the light within. Below is a selection of the amazing comments we have received about this issue.

‘Complexd is stunning! I absolutely love it and it’s so inspiring. I sincerely hope there are such things as magazine awards as you certainly deserve one!’ – SC

‘What a powerful and inspirational read’ – JB

‘This is an Amazing issue and it just keeps getting better and better. There is nothing like Complexd in the industry and I wish you all the success and more. Inner Strength is beauty’ – MO

‘This issue is exactly what I needed. Inspiration on every page. Well done! – GL

‘Amazing…really a true Woman of Strength…proud of my Belizean First Lady…We are all with you on this journey’ – ES 

‘We as women fail to realize our own strength! You give us all Hope!’ – LM

‘Kim Simplis you have manage to change the mentality of many, especially women and gave us the opportunity to truly take a look at ourselves and see our strength, to look at our challenges and obstacles we face in a whole different light and by holding on to what matters most – life. Blessings and guidance always as you continue through your journey’ – DF

‘Vulnerability, strength, courage, and hope shared on a global stage to help others…It’s as simple and as powerful as that’ – RS

March 1, 2012 | Posted in Editor's Diary | 1 Comment

EDITOR’S DIARY: DIVERSITY IN ADVERTISING

Today I came across an interesting documentary about diversity in Advertising. As Complexd prepares to implement advertising in our digital issues we have noticed that the companies and brands that promote diversity and use diverse imagery are few and far between. Television adverting has been quicker to respond because brands that advertise on TV know that viewers sitting on their sofas come from a wide variety of countries, cultures and creeds. This audience is no different to women who buy consumer magazines, but still we see a slower development in representation with fashion/lifestyle brands that advertise in print magazines. It can easily be done and brands at the forefront of this are Levi Curve ID and Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. These fantastic faceless campaigns send strong messages and cannot alienate because they take the focus away from image stereotypes.

‘Pursuit of Passion: Diversity in Advertising aims to inform and inspire tomorrow’s Mad Men and Women about careers in advertising/marketing. Join us in celebrating the industry that thrives upon diverse ideas and perspectives through the faces and stories of TBWAChiatDay, Ogilvy & Mather, Young & Rubicam Brands, McCann Erickson, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Omnicom, Team One, Anomaly, FuturLogic, Latin Works, Translation, Mother, The One Club, MDC Partners, and PepsiCo’

For more info visit passion4advertising.com

February 27, 2012 | Posted in Editor's Diary | Leave a comment

COMPLEXD VISUALS: MATILDA THE MUSICAL

Matilda the Musical is creative, clever and fantastically funny all at once. Before the show starts it’s difficult to imagine how anyone could capture the spirit of Roald Dahl’s fictitious world of Matilda but with Dennis Kelly’s re-writing, Tim Minchin energetic composition and Matthew Warchus  directing they manage to keep the familiarity of the popular book alive, creating a new griping west end experience .  The minute a flock of animated brats burst onto the stage singing ‘My mummy say’s I’m a miracle’, the story of Matilda – an unwanted child phenomenon with repugnant parents – is brought to life.  The show’s strength lies in its entertaining comedy that both adults and children can relate too. It’s a family must see, not to be missed.

For more information visit http://www.matildathemusical.com/

Reviewed by Ashleigh Palmer Johnson 

February 23, 2012 | Posted in Editor's Diary, Visuals | Leave a comment

COMPLEXD FASHION: LFW – JI CHENG – ZEN AWAKENING

London Fashion Week has come to a fashionable end. The Complexd team made their final rounds on Tuesday and it was a collection by Chinese designer Ji Cheng who is inspired by her traditional Chinese culture that proved to be the most Complexd.  Showing in London at Vauxhall Fashion Scout for the first time, Ji Cheng’s aim was to expose the aesthetic of modern China to the International fashion industry. She presented her AW/2012 collection Zen Awakening which combined classic Chinese art with modern western techniques and tailoring.

The first and only hairless model to appear was wearing a fitted black halter dress, which bled at the hem and sashayed down the catwalk. Her slow pace, blank stare and simple dress showed a clear reference to the serene minds and lives of the monks that Ji Cheng was influenced by. Her design philosophy is a fusion of ‘Chinese chic with modern wit’ and this was evident when she teamed lose silk blouses with kimono wrap dresses, skirts and trousers, adding hints of fluorescent green and pure vermillion.

‘Ji Cheng founded her label, La vie by Ji Cheng in 2002, a fashion and lifestyle brand that combines the essence of Chinese sophistication with contemporary tailoring. The brand resonates with the growing population of young, independent women’ 

See more stunning editorials of her designs here

February 22, 2012 | Posted in Complexd Women, Fashion & Lifestyle | Leave a comment