Meet Rowena McCormick-Robinson | Model Manager, Agency Owner & Certified School Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rowena McCormick-Robinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rowena, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was born the oldest child to parents that gave birth to 13 children. My dad is 6’7 and my mom is 5’8 therefore, my siblings and I tower over most people we know. It was a no brainer for me to come up with the idea to start up Chic Nouvelle Model and Talent Agency because it allowed me to book my tall and attractive younger siblings and our mom. Our family members are also, designers, music producers, writers, poets, trained, actors, boxers, visual artists, graphic designers, photographers rappers, trained African dancers, drummers and stilt dancers so the idea of putting on productions within our own city and within the nation and world was appealing.

As a family, our local and traveling shows were so successful until I saw fit to include the community. We have booked so many beautiful models and awesome talent within the last 15 years for some of the most unique shows. Our most recent show landed our agency in the Guinness Book for the Most Models in a show! My goal has always been to inspire others. Telling young people to follow their dreams is one thing but helping them means all the world to me. This is why Chic Nouvelle was born.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is family oriented and most decisions made are made from the shared ideas and suggestions of my spouse, parents and siblings. I usually assign my siblings tasks based on their unique gifts and talents even though we all share similar talents. I may call on one of my brothers for example, to create a flyer for an upcoming show and call on another brother to produce the music for the show. I may then have a sister prepare for rehearsals with the models while another one makes phone calls to clients.

I am always excited and proud of the teamwork that I receive from my family and from models and parents of some of the models as well as my business partners who also team up as our runway coach, photographers, videographers and designers. I am extremely proud that our agency holds the record of putting on the first successful fashion week in New Orleans in 2010 with another organization. Bourbon Park International Fashion Week brought in 500 models and 3,000 in attendance and made it to the every outlet of the local media and even the cover of a magazine in Australia. The most recent proud moment and accomplishment for our agency is the breaking of a Guinness Record on Oct 1, 2022 with the You Night Organization and Positive Image Modeling. This event was a huge cancer benefit which affected so many people in a positive way.

There are always challenges with any business but the obstacles allow you to grow. I overcome difficulties by staying true to my passion. There is no such thing as giving up in this lifetime that I am living. I only know how to go after my dreams. My determination to help others has also blessed me with 2 awards for being a part of the beauty and service industry. I received the BICA Award in May of 2022 and the Copa Style Award in Washington D. C. in June of 2022. Several months later in September of 2022, one of the models in our Agency won the Awesome Next Top Model Search in New York.

The true lessons that I have learned are to be mindful of listening to your true self and inner spirit. It is definitely important to take advice from those that are wise but if you are aligned with your calling, there will always be a higher power or a voice within you that will guide you along your designated path. You will intuitively know that meeting certain people, even if they no longer work with you, were there to serve a purpose. Every lesson should yield a certain form of growth.

My goal in this industry and with this business and brand is to let the world know that our company strives to give the youth and honestly any age group the confidence to dream big. We want to let them know that we are here to guide and groom them for the fashion and entertainment industry so that they will also be able to present themselves in a professional and polished manner. We are huge humanitarians at Chic Nouvelle and we encourage our talent to be there for each other and for their community because God’s ultimate goal for us all is for us to look out for one another.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am from New Orleans where we are all about family, food and fun! I would first start off by bringing my friend to my parent’s house. This is big in New Orleans because we pride ourselves on Southern Hospitality. My friend would definitely have one of their first meals at my family’s house. As we venture out, I would take my friend to Jackson Square to enjoy the historical sites in the area and to enjoy a horse and carriage ride which is accompanied by a brief tour of the hot spots in the city. I would throw in a cool ghost tour on foot because New Orleans is known as the “City of the Dead” and most people love a cool ghost story! I could not let my friend leave the area without visiting our unique flea market which is filled with unique items that represent the flavor of New Orleans and other cultures. We would then proceed to have at least one visit to Cafe Du Monde during the friend’s week long stay. This is the place known for the famous beignets and coffee. Visiting this spot is a must!

Selecting restaurants in New Orleans can be tricky because we have so many good ones! Throughout the week I would allow my friend to grab a brochure to review the restaurants that are known for their famous dishes and proceed from there. I personally take my guests to the small mom and pop stores who sell amazing food for extremely reasonable prices. One such spot is called Poppas!

There are honestly so many great spots in New Orleans and coming in during certain times of the year would definitely make anyone’s trip worth while. Our city hosts so many great festivals and of course Mardi Gras in which my family is very much a part of. My siblings are booked as African drummers and stilt dancers for many events, festivals and occasions in New Orleans therefore, my guest would more than likely be able to experience great cultural entertainment as they dance around and do as we say in New Orleans, “laissez les bon temps rouler” (let the good times roll)!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Leslie Lagania-Shelby is a model coach who discovered my now deceased sister Tammy McCormick-Broussard years ago in a mall. She took my sister under her wings and because of her guidance, my sister became one of the most successful models in the southern region. My sister, even though she was 11 months younger than myself, came home to teach the rest of my family all she knew and the love of fashion began for the entire family. Leslie , who is now my business partner, was a major influence to the birth of Chic Nouvelle.

Website: www.chicnouvelleworldwide.com

Instagram: @rowena.kay

Linkedin: Rowena Kay

Facebook: Rowena Kay Model Manager

Image Credits
John Merrit Photography