B MICHAEL

It isn’t often that a creator and a muse are partnered in a relationship that knows no bounds or is intensely identified by the resiliency of mutual admiration.  The inextricable attributes of the nearly twenty-year bond that Cicely and B shared, encapsulating faith, fashion, history, culture, creativity, love, philanthropy, and, most importantly, loyalty, began as a fortuitous encounter in 2005.  At a recent NYC book signing at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, B explained the genesis of their long-lasting friendship that endured until her passing on January 28, 2021. 

“She appeared at my atelier’s door (in respectfully shabby casual wear) and gave me five days to dress her for Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball.  My only reference to her at the time was from the movie “Sounder” and, of course, “Miss Jane Pittman,” B recalled. “Now, to create something special for this icon standing before me, this was my charge.  A muse like Cicely Tyson embodies the visual of your artistic vision. It is an energy that is more than just visual.  Even today, I still feel that energy when I’m sketching, so she is still a muse to me.” 

Upon meeting the octogenarian that first time, whatever initial nervousness B may have felt was eclipsed by Cicely’s implicit trust in him throughout the following years.  She would categorically say, “You’re the only one who will always design for me.’ With her blessing, B was empowered to create the most elegant fashions that placed the actress center stage at the most glamorous and high-profile events, including the Tony and CFDA Awards (2014); Kennedy Center Honors (2015); Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016); Emmy Awards (2017); Academy Awards (2018); and the Television Hall of Fame (2020) among countless others.

But arguably, the most talked about fashion statement sending shockwaves throughout the social media stratosphere was the voluminous hat Cicely donned at Aretha Franklin’s funeral in August 2018.  B expressed, “Cicely didn’t want to wear it because she thought it might upset the people behind her,” but B felt “it was fitting for the Queen of Black American culture to wear the hat in homage to the Queen of Soul.” And so she did in true Hollywood Royalty fashion. 

As an esteemed member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the creative force of his eponymous millinery line, B’s perspective on hat design is unparalleled.  He designed hats under Oscar de la Renta, Louis Feraud, and Nolan Miller for the 1980s “Dynasty” nighttime soap opera.  Throughout his early resourceful years following an insatiable stint on Wall Street, B forged fashion relationships with Diahann Carroll, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Whitney Houston, and Beyonce.  However, before these legends made an impression on the designer, B’s influential grandmother became his first muse for cultivating his taste in fashion.  “I was fourteen when she would take me shopping at fine stores and let me select her dresses for purchase,” B explained.   Once at home, I would lay out the dress, hat, gloves, shoes, and jewelry she should wear to church or a special occasion.”

Just as the church made an indelible impression on B’s life as a youngster growing up in Connecticut, his faith continues to transcend all understanding today.  While compatibly sustained in fashion, B and Cicely forged a strong commitment to spiritual intentionality at the famed, historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem under the leadership of the late Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III.  With regularity, they worshiped together and collaborated on Cicely’s autobiography, “Just as I Am,” published two days before her death at age ninety-six.  Her memoir would later influence B to conceptualize “Muse.” The tome is accentuated with beloved tributes and acknowledgments from songwriter Valerie Simpson, television executive Susan Fales-Hill, and Cicely’s godson, Grammy award-winning singer superstar Lenny Kravitz. 

On the morning of Cicely’s ‘Celebration of Life’ at Abyssinian on February 16, 2021, B delivered a stirring and emotional eulogy to his muse, defined as a “relationship of divine order.”  It constituted rituals of daily 9:30 am phone calls, visits, and dinner dates, and it also involved B’s life partner, Mark-Anthony Edwards.  The three of them, practically conjoined as one, were affectionately coined “The Thirds” per Cicely’s insistence. And if there ever were a phrase or song that cemented their unbreakable bond, it would have to be “Blessed be the tie that binds,” which Cicely often espoused when parting company.  Fittingly, the lyrics taken from the Christian hymn could not be more apropos when it came to B’s unwavering, unconditional, and incomparable relationship with the phenomenal Cicely Tyson:

“When we asunder part,  It gives us inward pain;  But we shall still be joined in heart,  And hope to meet again.

From sorrow, toil, and pain; And sin, we shall be free, And perfect love and friendship reign Through all eternity.“

From: “Blest Be the Tie that Binds” John Fawcett (1782)

*And finally, on a personal note, this reporter can attest to the beloved relationship of Cicely and B, which I joyously witnessed on many occasions firsthand.  I, too, shared a decades-long friendship with Cicely – yielding a particularly special connection.  Cicely was my daughter Amber’s godmother.  It was indeed a role she took with seriousness and deliberate purpose. 

So thank you, dear Cicely, for invoking your influence on B to pen “Muse,” so the world could see his creative genius and your indomitable influence on a relationship forged in fashion, faith, and humility.