Still Fated for Fame

LeToya Luckett is back on the road to stardom.

LeToya Luckett is still destiny’s child. Six years after a somewhat controversial leave-taking of high-profile R&B group Destiny’s Child, she’s launching her solo album LeToya (Capitol/EMI Music Canada), convinced she is exactly where she’s meant to be: standing proud and ready to step into the spotlight again.

“I want young girls who look up to me to know not to give up, even when people try to take you away from your destiny,” LeToya shares. “That was a part of me. A wonderful experience…now I’m doing my thing.”

LeToya is a slick salute to the cars, boys and beats of her hometown, Houston, Texas. “It’s what we call in Houston—in the southern parts—‘bounce’ music,” LeToya describes. “It’s a feel-good record. You can throw it on on the way to the club or on the way back from the club or hangin’ at your crib with your man.”

FASHION18’s Kate Yorga got all the good girl talk from LeToya about her new CD, a beauty product she wants to create and her passion for fashion—she has her own store!

FASHION18: How did you handle leaving Destiny’s Child?

LeToya: Everybody says, “I just woulda’ broke down and never been able to see them succeed.” My family never taught me to envy anyone or be jealous. You have to look at the positive of a situation. And that’s what I did. I decided to move to L.A. and get back in the studio. I was trying to find out what it was I wanted to do. I was just going into the studio to write and play around, ’cause I never really saw myself being a solo artist. So for me to be a solo artist now is crazy ’cause I never would’ve imagined in my wildest dreams that this could happen!

F18: You used to be part of a group. Any fears about performing solo?

L: It’s exciting to do it by yourself but at the same time you’re by yourself! When you’re with a group you’ve got other folks to share your success with or your downfall with, and it’s just different getting onstage and looking to my left and I’m the only one there besides my dancers. But I’m excited—I’m writing the songs I wanna write about, talking about things I wanna talk about.

F18: Dream collaboration?

L: I would’ve loved to do something with Aaliyah. Also, if I could’ve done something with Luther (Vandross), or the Black Eyed Peas.

F18: Are you in touch with any Destiny’s Child members?

L: We’re from the same city so we always run into each other in the mall or at a basketball game. And I now carry Beyoncé’s House of Deréon in my clothing store so we have a business relationship going on. We’re cordial. We’re cool. I never could’ve seen my situation going the way it did. We had known each other—some of us—since between the ages of eight and 10. That was like losing a sister.

F18: Who inspires you?

L: My mom. Her being a single parent, watching her raise two kids on her own. I was like, “Shoot—if she can do that, I can do anything!”

F18: Musical inspirations?

L: Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Yolanda Adams…I can go on…

F18: Who’s your style icon?

L: Jennifer Lopez—love the way she dresses. I like Jessica (Simpson), too.

F18:Tell us about your store Lady Elle (1101 Uptown Park, Suite 16, Houston, 713-629-4400, ladyelleboutique.com).

L: I have a serious shopping problem. At least I can admit it! I love being in the mall. My mom was like: “Girl, all these clothes you got, first of all you haven’t worn half of them. You could start a boutique of your own.” So I went to one of my favourite stores—I’d already made friends with the owner—and said: “I wanna open my own boutique. Could you help me?” We started that about three years ago. It’s kinda like a mom and pop boutique—it’s personal. When you come in my mom’s greetin’ you with a smile. I work in the store; my cousin worked in the store. We carry higher end jeans, cute little girlie tops, shoes, accessories, handbags—a one-stop shop!

F18: Any other entrepreneurial plans?

L: I would like to start a clothing line but it’s so much time you have to put into it and that’s exactly what I don’t have right now. I’m big on body oils—I’d like to do a high-end body oil line. Body oils stay on longer—that’s the secret to my whole fragrance approach, then you can layer perfume on top of them.

F18: Fave beauty products?

L: I love M.A.C. And waterproof makeup—the kinds that don’t dry your skin. Revlon has one that doesn’t dry your skin. It’s light so it doesn’t cake. You couldn’t pay me—could not pay me—to wear foundation and I was doin’ a shoot for a magazine and they put waterproof makeup on me. I was like, “This doesn’t look like foundation, this looks like powder!” I’ve been usin’ it ever since.

F18: What can’t you live without?

L: My cellphone. I’m a talker!

F18: Whose career do you covet?

L: Jennifer Lopez. I don’t know anything about that girl but I tell you she has her hands in any part of the industry you could possibly imagine: she’s an actor, she’s a singer, she has her own perfume line, clothing line, a restaurant—is there something she doesn’t do? She is a true entrepreneur. I wanna get my hands in everything.

F18: Spotlight dope?

L: For me, it’s that I get to use it almost like a ministry to talk about my experience and things I’ve been through and tell people, hey—you can do it, too! A lot of people thought I wouldn’t make it out of my situation and I did, so I use it as a tool to encourage.

Extra Extra
L: I’m touring with Mary J. Blige this summer!

By Kate Yorga

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