| (back) Those years of excitement ended
when he gave up working in Hollywood, moved back
to Oakland to take care of his aging mother and
worked at the Men's Warehouse for almost 10
years. The change was hard at first, but being
home in Oakland and with his family have been
worth it, he said.
Today, he leads
a much quieter life. He currently works out of a
house he shares with his sister and spends most
of his day in the design studio making `jazkets',
coats, gowns for some of his star clientel and
trying to create a successful business.
A visit to his
studio, proved that he has been hard at work.
Downstairs in
his sister's house, African masks hang from the
walls and finished and unfinished clothes are
everywhere. The styles were all different and the
colors seemed to encompass almost all
possibilities. Lined up around his sewing
machines were many unfinished `jazkets' made of
leather, mud cloth and one of yellow velvet; on
the walls were maps of Africa, Egypt and pictures
ripped from magazines of ancient African kings.
The radio played relaxing sounds of R & B,
Motown and soul music.
Some of the
more elaborate pieces included a full-length coat
made of Kente cloth, a matching hat and pants.
Williams tried on the coat which he called his
favorite. He made the suit for himself and has no
intention of selling, he said with a grin.
Other items
included several high-cut red dresses, made of
velvet and studed with sequins. Another gown,
black and covered in rhinestones, was set off in
its own corner. Williams based the dress on the
universe itself, creating a star-filled night
with rhinestones and long flowing sleeves. He was
finishing it especially for Martha Reeves.
Because he hand
makes each piece of clothing, they are expensive.
Currently, he makes each garment by hand and
custom tailors it for the buyer. A custom jacket
might cost $295 and a pair of pants runs at least
$150 on the low end of things, said Williams.
``These clothes
have value because of the time I put in (to
them). When I do one of those beaded gowns for
Martha, I might put in a month (of labor). If a
lawyer, doctor or designer put in that time it
would cost a lot,'' he said.
Williams takes
time working with his clothes, but has also found
the time to work in his community as well.
Even though he
is working hard to lead a successful business, he
hasn't forgotten the people and the issues which
helped him get started years ago, he said. He
currently helps community organizations in
Oakland and, from his home, teaches youth about
design, sewing and msuic.
Through his
classes, Williams tries to instill values,
self-confidence and skills _ which have worked
well for him _ into his students. He tries to
show that even as he escaped poverty and
misfortune _ they can as well. About the time he
started elementary school he was unable to speak,
he was severely scalded when a neighbor
accidently dumped burning water on him as a
child, he said.
``That's my
battle today, to let those kids know that they
can make it too,'' said Williams. ``I made it
with everything against me, couldn't talk, came
out of the projects of West Oakland, time when
there was no civil rights. But you have to have
determination and discipline.''
|
