txt_ Shawn Lawrence James//ph_Rahan Cotterel

Well-coordinated in her color of creativity, Shyvonne illustrates a picture perfect blend of sass and soul, drawn from her easel of an inspiration called life.

Name: Shyvonne (Ill never tell my middle name) Sanganoo
Better Known As: Shyvonne (E is silent please), or one of the many nicknames people like to give me.
Age: 22 going on 50

Born: In a hospital (Bronx, NY)
Based: I now lay my head to rest for 3hrs/night in Harlem

Fav Brands: Anything colorful with limited visible labelness
Occupation: Cool runnings; My 9am-12am is Marketing with Ciroc at Bad Boy, I also do the PR/Marketing for No1s Done is Right (promoting peace through parties), PR with strong arm media, Freelance with BET for Award shows, and most importantly working on my music is certainly a full time job (even though its not yet paying off my student loans )

Cultural Makeup: A lil bit of my mom mixed with some of my dad First generation American; moms from Trinidad and Dads from St. Lucia with a buncha other stuff in between…

Fun Fact: Shyvonne’s cover of Diddy’s “Last Night” became somewhat of an overnight sensation tallying over 80,000 hits since it’s inception. (“I taped that song in my friend Tommie’s dorm in college and I had to sing close to the computer because it did not have a microphone. It literally picked up every single note, sound, breath, it was soooo loud!”)

What song best describes your outfit?
Hmmm…”Just a Girl” by No doubt meeting “Around the Way Girl” LL Cool J, I think that would explain it; little bit of Ska-Rock-Hip Hop on the stoop in BK.

Where is the most fashionable place you’ve visited?
LONDON TOWN — even the homeless people looked fly!

Do you tie in any fashion influence from your multi cultural make up?
I do not notice that I do intentionally, but here and there a family member will say I look like I’m going to carnival [laughs] — guess being bright is just in my blood. It’s weird though: its my cultural make up, but me and my parents are from completely different worlds. Oh well, everything has an influence if you realize it or not.

Are there any similarities between the statement you try to make in music to your taste in fashion?
Yes and No, I like a lot of different types of music and it reflects my mood; much like my taste in fashion it varies often. But it can also contradict, I write when I’m upset so I may have hot pink hair while singing a bitter love song, a bright appearance does not always necessarily mean that’s how I am feeling inside when it comes to my music.

Your style seems to draw from a bunch of different subcultures. What are you into outside work and singing?
There’s life outside or working and singing [laughs]? I was an athlete my whole life so I think that’s wear my comfort in sneakers and NOT wearing 5 in killer heels comes from. I just like to live so whatever that may entail at that time in life, I’m always running around or doing something to stay busy so I like to dress in a way that I can do anything and everything if it comes my way.

If you could write a love song about the evoloution of your style, it would be called?
Hmm…good question. It would be called “Deep Layers” because that’s the story of my life. It may seem a certain way from the outside but there have been many stages and phases that have led me to where I am today figuratively and literally. Life’s unpredictable; I wear a lot of layers because you never know what may happen and what you may need.