While the ESSENCE brand stands for and continues to primarily uplift Black women, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture is sure to have something in store for the fellas as well. From discussing the cultural significance of luxury timepieces to beautifully showcasing black love, the SUEDE Men’s Experience is delivering authentic moments crafted perfectly for the contemporary man.
“I think it’s just beautiful what ESSENCE Festival weekend has expanded into,” says actor and media personality Terrence J at the SUEDE Men’s Experience. “The amount of different panels, the type of specificity we can have to touch on different topics that we have interest in—I love that we’re able to expose people to different things.”
“What timepiece does an ESSENCE man wear?” Watch enthusiasts Perri Dash and Rashawn Smith, hosts of the Wrist Check Podcast, pose this question to Jenkins as part of the SUEDE Men’s Experience panel titled, “Timepieces and Legacy: The Influence of Watches in Culture,” designed to bring together watch collectors, designers, and industry insiders to discuss turning luxury investments into generational heirlooms.
“I picked my timepiece today because I knew I was going to be moving around,” Jenkins says, describing his luxury Rolex Geneve on his left wrist. “It’s not too flashy. I love coming to ESSENCE Fest to mix it up with the people, so I had to have something that was beautiful but that also kind of goes with everything. It’s a classic timepiece.”
Hosts Dash and Smith, alongside Jenkins, also dive into how the culture has shaped the way people see luxury timepieces today.
“I think music, culture, entertainment – all of that is very inspirational when it comes to timepieces,” Jenkins says. “I think all parts of fashion – from shades to shoes – when you see it on your favorite artist, when you see it in your favorite movie, it inspires you to want to have it as well. So I think the two go hand-in-hand and always complement each other.”
The trio’s most enlightening conversation centered around looking at watches as investments.
“Right now, I’m at a place in my life where it’s all about assets and not liabilities,” Jenkins shares. “Watches are a very interesting thing because when you put money in the bank, obviously there’s a certain amount of appreciation. A lot of times people are afraid of the stock market, so you have to ease your way into that. Real estate is always a great investment, but when you look at watches as an investment and you invest in the right timepieces, they can really appreciate in value.”
Jenkins, host of his own podcast, Money Talks, reveals that he had to learn the value of a timepiece’s appreciation the hard way, recalling a time he had a watch stolen from him: “It was a Rolex. I believe I had purchased it for maybe $30,000, which at the time, was a very big investment,” he says.
“I had insurance on the watch and filed the claim,” Jenkins continues. “They gave me the $30,000 back for the watch that I had. When I went to rebuy the watch, which was probably 10 years later, the price on the same watch had doubled. So that same watch that was $30,000…you could only buy it for $60,000. I couldn’t even afford to reclaim my watch 10 years later. That was the first time I really realized the appreciation on this watch was even better than putting it in the bank. I do not write off people that say they’re buying watches as an investment because the appreciation on the right timepieces can definitely be exponential.”
While luxury timepieces make great investments, it is not something that everyone is always allowed to invest in. “You can’t just walk into a store and buy some of these watches. A lot of these sales are invite-only,” Dash and Smith explain.
“I have mixed feelings about that,” Jenkins says. “Exclusivity is cool to a certain extent, but for a lot of us Black and Brown people… it’s hard to get on those invite lists.”
He also says the silver lining is moments like these – to spread the wealth and knowledge at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. “All the things that I’ve tried to do in my career are about breaking down doors, opening up opportunities for others, and enlightening people on things that they might not have known about. I think opening and exposing us to everything is very important. While it’s cool to have those doors closed, I also think that it’s great that we’re talking about and exposing people to it.”
As the undisputed expert on Black love, ESSENCE continues to ensure it remains on full display, and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture is no different. “I love Black love. I just love love. Obviously, I’m in love,” Jenkins, 43, shares, who is currently engaged to 26-year-old model Mikalah Sultan. “ESSENCE has meant so much to us. We’re gonna make sure they have a presence at our wedding, and I can’t wait to celebrate.”
Aside from Jenkins’ upcoming nuptials, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and First Lady Dawn Moore chose the 31st ESSENCE Festival of Culture to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, which falls on July 6.
“This is one of the greatest celebrations of black love in the country every single year,” Gov. Moore shares. “ESSENCE is a publication that has lifted our community up for so, so long. And so getting a chance to be here around with so much excellence, with so much pride. There was no place that we’d rather celebrate our wedding anniversary than down here in New Orleans.”
“I always say my husband is a promise keeper,” First Lady Moore shared while attending her first ESSENCE Festival of Culture. “He said, ‘I’m going to take you to ESSENCE Fest.’ So he got us here this week, and it is a perfect time because it is our anniversary, as he said. And so we’re looking forward to the culture, to all of the black excellence, and to all of the beautiful people.”
Gov. Moore also recognizes the ESSENCE Festival of Culture as a platform for Black men to continue to support Black women unapologetically.
“I think it’s important to see Black men continue lifting up our Black women,” he says. “Everything that we are is, in many cases, because our Black women saw it first. Black women are the ones who envisioned it. Black women are the ones who built it, are Black women are the ones who didn’t just give birth to us; they’re the ones who made life worth living in many ways.”