To be a sultry, boss Vixen, you must possess a particular drive that no other woman can match. Whether past fails fuel the motivation, the lack of familial love feeds the desire to succeed or simply the joy of copping a luxury label gave her dreams life, Nema Kamar is striving and reaching goals in the celebrity lifestyle biz that have gone completely noticed. Desiring to one day go toe-to-toe with the party extraordinaire himself, Mr. Sean Combs, this stylish 20-something (who hails from Miami by way of Guyana) is planning for the big dogs in the game while sporting the latest threads. But a life worth having is always worth earning, and this lady has the stories to prove it.
Jealous? You should be, but not for long. She drops gems on how to get it all for yourself. –Niki McGloster
How did you begin your company, Lavish Life?
It’s kind of like what Beyoncé said, “Women run the world.” I was working with my ex-boyfriend and his work ethic wasn’t as great as mine, so when we broke up, people started coming to me to do events. They stopped calling him. I just kind of took it as this is what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. I developed my business and made it into my own and I just built my clientele and this is kind of where I’m at today.
Who is one of the most exciting people you’ve ever thrown a party for?
Ciara! She will get up on stage and get on the mic and entertains everybody. She was so much fun to be around. The Giorgio Armani was a dope event, too.
Was it different for you to plan a fashion event?
It was a different crowd, so it was scary but fun. When I got through it and kind stepped back to looked at everything, I was like, Wow, I really put this together.
Speaking of such a beloved fashion brand, what are your faves?
Every girl loves Christian Louboutin! I love Marc Jacobs, YSL, Balenciaga. We could keep going… [Laughs]
From shoe lover to shoe lover, I understand! Now, you ask all your clients the five things they love in life, so you can build a great event around them. Tell me what are the five things you love in life?
I like sleep because I work so much. I like things that are very calm–yoga and pilates. I love shoes, too! Shoes are a very big things for me. I’m saving money for a house, but if I buy anything expensive, it’s shoes. I love going on vacations; I love getting away from the madness. Lastly, I like helping young girls because of the way I grew up. I definitely have myself together now and built a career for myself, so I like to help young girls and point them in the right direction.
Have you had a man ever try to test your patience because you’re a woman in this industry?
I go through that a lot because I always work with promoters and event planners that are men. When I stepped out and did it on my own, it was definitely a challenge. I was really scared I was going to fail because of all the negativity I got from the men wanting me to fail just because I was a woman. I definitely did a lot of praying about me learning to have patience and have the confidences in myself. It was just me always staying calm and always believing in myself, but it’s definitely still there every day. The hate will always be there, and I pray that I make it through.
What are some lessons you want young girls to learn, whether it’s in event planning or just lessons they need to know in life?
Self-respect and confidence. Those are two big things that I battled with growing up–from family being very negative and being around men and people wanting me to fail.
How did you get over those issues?
It was definitely a spiritual journey. The faith that I have in God definitely helped me. I’ve been on my own since I was 15 years old, and I always knew I wanted something better for myself. I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer. I knew I liked making people happy, so if I could pull together an event and make somebody happy, that’s cool to me.
How important is personal image for you, particularly in this business?
I love getting dressed up, so it’s not like work for me. It’s an excuse for me to go out shopping and buying a pair of shoes. [Laughs] It’s so much fun for me!
What’s your signature beauty look?
I love to switch it up. I watch what’s going on the runway.
You like to keep it fun and different.
Yes, and I definitely try and take care of my skin, too, because I’m always wearing so much makeup.
So, what’s your skin care regimen?
I wash my face every day and exfoliate. I definitely use the eye cream and all that stuff because I’m around smoke and alcohol, I’m always having pounds of make up on.
What brands do you use?
I’m allergic to everything, so everything has to be either organic. I was in Sephora, and they said there’s [a skin care product] from Europe for people with sensitive skin. I’ve been addicted to it ever since.
Lastly, What celebrity that you haven’t thrown a party for, that you would love to? Top three.
I love Julia Roberts. Her energy is so cool. Of course I have to say Oprah. I mean, come on! Oprah probably throws her own parties, but if I could, I would be so happy. Oh, and I would like to show Diddy what I’m made of. I know he throws the best parties, but I would like say, ‘Let me show you what I got.’ All I need is a budget!