Dialogue: The Creative Demetrius Simms Has a Firm Grip On NYC
“A dream of mine would be to host a gala or to host a black-tie event where I’m raising money for people that come from troubled backgrounds. It is important to me that I give back. I too faced hardships growing up and to see someone else afforded similar opportunities I’ve had would be a dream.”
It was three years ago when I met Demetrius Simms. We were both colleagues at the same company, in the same department. Oh yes, we work in fashion retail. From his first day he displayed a strong work ethic with a no nonsense demeanor which originally had me wanting to crack his exterior. I wondered how could someone be so stern without ever smiling or making a joke.
As time went on and nature allowed, I was fortunate enough to experience a different side to him. The entire time I was seeing the left side of his brain in action but the right side was starting to takeover. Simms is the creator of The Reserved Lead, a website shining a spotlight on creatives in New York City while chronicling the experiences that the Washington D.C. native faced while living in the Big Apple.
It was only natural that we sit down and exchange our experiences, views, dreams and plans with each other. So without further ado, get to know the brilliant and prominent creative, Demetrius Simms.
As I mentioned before, Simms was born and raised in Washington D.C. His reasoning for moving to New York City was a leap of faith:
I left D.C. behind because my lease was ending and I wasn't progressing back at home; I felt stagnant. So instead of trying to find somewhere else to move in the District, I decided to make the leap to New York. It took me a minute to find a place to stay but I began at an Airbnb in Astoria hoping something would eventually open up. I just needed to be here, so I just jumped.
Before The Reserved Lead, the writer discovered his passion whilst in high school:
I was apart of a literary club where I wrote poems weekly. Also unforeseen, I helped in small ways to bring back the high school newspaper. I went to a Catholic high school called Archbishop Carroll High School for four years. I took on a brief role as an editor and continued in my passion writing for my college campus’ newspaper for a year as a sophomore. With focused drive, I wrote my way into a position at the paper as the Entertainment and Fashion editor, focusing on events around campus. After that the writing started to slow down. I transferred to Howard University for a half semester before leaving school to become a visual merchandiser in fashion retail. Moving reignited my passion as I always wanted to be a writer in New York City. I’m a lot more stable now so I figured what's a better time than now to reclaim that goal of being a writer living in Manhattan.
The 26-year-old’s talent as a writer has culminated into The Reserved Lead. The idea surfaced in October 2017 with plans to released in March of 2018 but due to some last minute delays he released the site, to the public, during Pride Month (June):
I wanted people to better understand my passion. It wasn't ever really just about merchandising, my first passion was writing. It was important to me to put something out that I felt attributed to who I am as a business person and then also personally. I traveled to Jamaica and then to Paris with the intent of translating my trips into content for the site, a slow but timely process. It took quite awhile to get to this point of having it out you know, paying for the original photography on the site and establishing the exact way I wanted the site to be formatted. Everyday after work I utilized the public library because I didn’t have a laptop to create the concept I felt mirrored me.
When I first moved here I found myself in a lot of social scenes with people in distinguished positions in both the fashion and financial industries. Even in my personal life, the men I dated were well established in their industries. I just was not satisfied with saying I'm a visual merchandiser. I always felt that because NYC is a creative city people understand that we all have to start somewhere but at the same time being a visual merchandiser began to feel very generic. I needed something else that didn’t just give people the idea that I just moved clothes around; I didn’t feel empowered. Literally anytime someone would ask me what I did for a living I hesitated to tell them. When it comes to writing I feel more powerful because that is something you cannot take away from me. I am confident in my ability to write and having this site gives myself a platform to exhibit and experiment with different writing styles. So years down the line I will be able to say I am a writer and actually have my own portfolio to back it up.
The Reserved Lead is a lifestyle, trend and opinion based website. With fashion being such a great influence of all that Simms is, I was curious to know the focus of the site:
So if most of you get a chance to visit The Reserved Lead, there are multiple options for every different type of reader. I do want to say it is its own niche where I do cover specific topics but I do want to give the reader different options to choose from. You have an option where you can read about people that I come into contact with; they're special creatives that need a spotlight. There is also an option that put my travels on display so that people can get an idea of the world outside of their own. Then you have an option for opinion-based content which is covering the topics of today but from my viewpoint, refraining from completely being biased. If you go to the site you'll see there is a vast majority of different and interesting topics. So I wouldn't say it's more fashion or celebrity based, it's really about producing relevant content.
Simms was a 90’s baby and an early 2000’s teen. It is no secret that the public figures he grew up with are being replaced with a newer generation of stars. I had to pick his brain on how he feels about celebrity and media today:
I've taken my finger off the pulse of Pop culture at this point unless it has something of significance. When I receive a news alert on my phone it’s usually from CNN. If it is celebrity related I will give it a read just because it was posted on CNN but sometimes even that is a waste of a click: it's clickbait. So I don't view a lot of the new content that comes out about people through social media. As far as the newer “artists,” definitely not. There are way too many new artists such as Lil Xan this and Lil Pump that. I honestly am not familiar with these artists’ personas plus the quality of their music is not that great. When it comes to actors in Hollywood I am paying attention to a lot of the movements when it comes to women and all the movements for equality. Again, that is something that is being highlighted by major sources like CNN, The Hollywood Reporter and other reputable news sources.
The entertainment industry, the fashion industry, the publishing industry are exciting industries to be apart of but with that comes some dark corners. If you are in either industry long enough you are bound to have a wild experience or at least witness one. Simms gives his take on whether he has any fears:
The only thing I have fear of is not getting the credibility that I deserve. With publications today, to really be a writer publications expect about four years of consistent writing, so right now I’m paying dues. The credibility I’m interested in right now has more to do with my position in management right now. I have been training for the assistant manager position in my department. I want the credibility for it because the stronger my team gets based on my methods of management, the stronger I feel in this role. Besides that, I don’t have any industry pressures but that probably has to do with the fact that I have never been placed in such a position. My character is pretty strong; I'm pretty true to myself. I wouldn't really do anything that I wouldn't normally do. I have my best friend; she's a strong rock. I always go to her when I have something that I have a question about and then I still contact my aunt, she's also a voice of reason. I know I won’t always make the right decisions but I’m willing to learn from each mistake.
Time and time again the black buying power has been proven. The Reserved Lead is a platform to showcase young black talent. Simms discusses whether or not he wants to keep the focus black:
When I spoke about niches I feel The Reserved Lead has created a helping platform for black culture specifically in NYC. The site highlights black creatives and also the events and relevant Pop Culture topics that involve them; I wanted something that was specific to black culture and uplifting. I want to report on up-and-coming black artists, models, photographers because even if they're at the beginning of their career it pushes this person to do more because they feel like someone is actually paying attention. They should know that someone is taking them seriously and help push them to the next level.
With that being said, I cannot say it's going to stay that way because that's not the way the world is. It's not 100% black, 100% white, it’s not 100% any other race. It's really about diversity in 2018 and just being accepting of everyone. When I say diverse, I truly mean that and not just covering other races that have been Americanized. Going back to the subject of relevancy, I will focus on a “mainstream” star like Demi Lovato. She is someone who has been open about her downfalls since the beginning. So for me, if it's relevant and it's something that we all can learn from, I have no problem discussing it.
College does not guarantee success. It certainly has not for Demetrius but I wonder if he plans to return to school:
Right now school just seems like a bit much for me. I’m just beginning to fully understand proper methods of management and how to influence a team of working individuals. On top of that, I frequently updated the site to stay connected. Once I am settled into the position and I start to make and save more money I’ll consider a community college. I honestly feel I don't need it because I have so much experience in merchandising in fashion retail and that is an industry I don't need to go to school for. With writing there are a million different competitions that I can submit articles to and if it wins my writing will take off. I truly believe in the one right person seeing your work and giving you the opportunity of a lifetime.
Do not get me wrong, school is a good idea; I always promote people having that degree. If someone tells me they're in school I always tell them stay in school because you're already taking out loans so why stop school only to have to pay them back without anything to show for it. I was never a classroom person I was never someone who liked sitting behind a desk after I graduated high school. I felt there was always something more I could do. That's why I love merchandising as much as I do and that's why I love writing as much as I do because it's very hands-on, it's very in the moment.
For many people, New York City is the dream and Simms made that dream a reality. Even dreams only last for so long. Demetrius discusses the possibility of leaving New York City:
I see my life taking me many places. I was just discussing it with my best friend yesterday. Like if I was to get married by a certain age I don't know if I would actually want to live in the U.S. anymore. I like to travel and I like different experiences. I could jump from NYC to LA in a heartbeat because I don't hold onto things. I don't hold onto family which is not great to say but I have a complicated history with my family. I could really pick up and go just as I did from D.C. to NYC. I can really just make the snap decision to go and it won't bother me because I know I'll adjust. However, I do see myself here in New York for a few more years. Maybe I'll meet someone and then my life will break off into another narrative. I don't think I’ll always be this writer, manager, New York persona. I have the ability to be someone who lives in Europe. I also have the ability to be someone that lives in another major city in the U.S.; I can transform and evolve. I would love to host major events in NYC for starters. A dream of mine would be to host a gala or to host a black-tie event where I'm raising money for people that come from troubled backgrounds. It is important to me that I give back. I too faced hardships growing up and to see someone else afforded similar opportunities I’ve had would be a dream.
Speaking of dreams, Simms discusses what he hopes for in his future:
I hope to have people who believe in what I do and people who are willing to back me. It is important that I give back. When I was younger I was in foster care but it was my aunt who took me out of that system. She would still go to the agencies in town to donate clothes. I told her once I graduated high school I wanted to go back and speak to some of the kids because in twelfth grade I was really high on confidence because I graduated. At the time, my brother was still struggling with personal issues from the foster care system and that further inspired me to be a voice for those kids. So as an adult, getting as far as I have (leaving D.C., moving to NYC and making it here, leveling up in terms of management, creating my own personal space where these kids can read about people they relate to) these kids are just as capable as I am. I would love to give that same opportunity to someone whether it be through funding or mentorship; I love the idea of mentorship. So the end goal is just to give back and to have the support.
Dating in New York City is no walk in [Central] Park. Most people have such busy schedules paired with an endless amount of choices. One can literally go on a date with a new person for each night in the year. Demetrius speaks candidly about where he is currently, as it pertains to love and relationships:
Well, I am a highly highly ambitious person. I'm very goal oriented and I'm already a bit of a loner as it is. So a lot of the time I do get hit on and I do get requests to go on dates but like you said I think New York is a very hustle, hustle, hustle place especially when you're in your 20's. Regardless of being a gay black man or a heterosexual man or woman it's just very difficult all around. I look at relationships as extra work for me as an adult, it seems tiring because in a relationship I now need to think about how I'm making someone else feel. It boils down to whether I care about elevating myself more than I care about developing something substantial with someone else right now. I know at this mature age of 26 I'm not going to allow a man into my world only to end up hurting him because I’m not ready to give him more than half my time; It’s not a priority. Another reason I feel this way is because there’s so much more work for me to personally do within myself. I think I have hurt a few men because they wanted things and I wasn't able to give it to them. I've also been let down by men here in NYC because maybe I gave them a chance. As adults we just move on because someone else is out there.
I must say it was such a pleasure to sit down and have Demetrius open up and share his story. He has talent but above all he has passion and determination which is what he needs to catapult him to these new level that he so desires. I see nothing but great things for this outstanding individual.
Instagram: @dsimmsnyc | @thereservedlead
Facebook: Demetrius Simms | The Reserved Lead