Kijafa Vick (L) and Blair Sandlain (R) Photo Courtesy of B. Sandlain

When Kijafa Vick, wife of Philadelphia Eagles superstar quarterback Mike Vick, and her business partner Blair Sandlain first met, it didn’t take long for the two to recognize that they shared mutual appreciation for affordable fashion. Shortly after, the pair would decide to take risks on each other and turn their passion into a business relationship, more specifically the PNKElephant, a clothing and accessories boutique located on the famed South Street in Philadelphia. Three years later, business is definitely booming as the boutique has become the ultimate destination for party girls looking for something trendy, hot and most importantly, affordable to rock for an fly evening out on the town including sequin dresses, sheer guitar style leggings and the very popular PNKElephant’s signature Girls Hustle Harder t-shirt line.

But despite their personal success and overall fun atmosphere, which can only come from a shop plastered in pink and leopard print, both women will readily admit that running a business has not always been easy. Recently I sat down with Vick and Sandlain, who spoke candidly about the learning curve, which comes from being a first time business owner, and what affect being married to one of the most controversial players in the NFL has had on business.

Hopefully I won’t offend you because I mean this as a compliment but I’m walking around the boutique, going through the racks and accessories such as the Trust No B**ch nameplate necklace and I’m like, Oh Yeah, I seen that on Love and Hip Hop and Basketball Wives: LA. So describe for me who you had in mind as a typical PNKElephant customer?

Blair Sandlain: We like to think of ourselves as the ultimate party destination where women can come and get their club outfits, cocktail/after hour outfits. If you are going to the club or going to the lounge, we like to think that when people come to us they are going to have a good time.

Kijafa Vick: And it is funny because when we started out, we started as just an accessory store, we didn’t really want to go into clothes but it was like every girl that came into the store would ask for clothes too. And we’re like, ‘okay we can’t miss out on all this money [laughter]; let’s try it out.‘ And we did. Last April, we started with just a little bit [of clothing] and the response was amazing. So we were like, ‘let’s do it, let’s sell clothes too.’

Do you do your own personal shopping for the boutique?

Vick: Yup

That sounds like a lot of fun?

Sandlain: A lot of fun? [laughter] It is a job.

Vick: No lunch breaks [more laughter]

No lunch breaks? Well how many hours do you spend in the shop?

Vick: She lives here [pointing to Sandlain]

Sandlain: Yeah, I do like 12-hour days. You know, she has a whole family, a whole situation; husband, kids, house…so I just have her on the phone with me most times -

Vick: All day long…

Sandlain: And we’ll go over numbers, everyday, every week and you know, we’ll recap. I’m in the store a lot but she is still involved. She knows the day-to-day happenings and what is going on. She knows how much money we make [laughter].

So how did PNKElephant come about?

Sandlain: Actually, I was selling jewelry out of my house. And my friend was staying with me. He is a fashion designer and Kijafa found him on Facebook. She would come up to get her clothes custom-made by him because he is a great designer. And he would always show her my accessories and I would be at work because at the time I had a full time job; I used to work for Footlocker’s Corporation office. And so, she asked him if [I was] looking for a partner because I want to get into the business. And I met her and we just kind of clicked from there.

So from concept to implementation, how long did it take to get PNKElephant up and running?

Vick: A little less than a year. When I met her and we were doing business. I just kept riding by [the location] and was like, it’s a store here. I’m going to call and see how much it is. I called and it wasn’t outrageous. And I was like, come on, let’s do this. She was a little nervous because she was working but she was finally like, alright I’m going to do it. And we opened up. I think that was like March we found a building. And we opened up June 1^st [2011].

Credit: Hugh Dillon/WENN

From The Grio

Michael Vick’s book-signing tour has been canceled because of threats against him for running a dogfighting ring.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback was scheduled to sign copies of his autobiography “Finally Free,” at Barnes & Noble stores in Atlanta, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The March 26 appearance set for Exton, Pa., was listed as canceled on the company’s website.

Read more at TheGrio.com.

Source: contactmusic.com

Another ride-or-die girlfriend crossed the marriage threshold last night as 300 guests witnessed the exchanging of vows between Philadelphia Eagles player Michael Vick and his longtime girlfriend/fiancée Kijafa Frink in a lavish ceremony at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Befitting of the Miami scene, the groom’s party went with a tropical theme for the wedding, pairing their tuxes with pink and purple shirts, according to Gossip Extra. Unfortunately, we may never see pics from the event because according to the site, security was tight, with police officers stationed outside the ballroom to collect cameras and cellphones from guests. Kijafa’s publicist told Philly.com earlier this week:

“Kijafa’s mom just died. I’m going to respect all her wishes. She doesn’t want any press.She doesn’t want any comments. This moment is for her family and close friends.”

Eyewitness accounts say the ceremony and reception took place in one of the hotel’s large second floor ballrooms following the outdoor cocktail reception. The room was reportedly decked out with white candles, white flowers, and jeweled chandeliers, plus hookahs on the tables, and the couple didn’t skimp on the menu either. Guests could either enjoy high-end fair like lobster, oysters and shrimp or keep it down home like Mike Vick with chicken and waffles.

Gym Class Heroes, Maroon 5 and Flo Rida all performed poolside concerts and there was plenty of NFL star power from running back LeSean McCoy and head coach Andy Reid, to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, free agent wide out Plaxico Burress, and retired New Orleans Saint Aaron Brooks.

All I know is it’s a good think Mike signed that six-year, $100 million contract with the Eagles earlier this year because he and his new wife’s big day reportedly set him back $300,000 big ones. Mike proposed to Kijafa in 2009 during her 29th birthday party so this celebration was a longtime coming. Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Vick!

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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We’ve all seen the lifestyles of the rich and famous–celebrities spending more money in a day than most people see in a year. Same old story–they’re rich, you’re not. Got it.

That is, until news of a bankruptcy breaks and it looks like Mrs. Rich and Mr. Famous were spending money faster than a crackhead with an IRS refund check. Most people have horrid financial sense to begin with, and celebrities are no different. Especially those ones who go from rags to riches.

There’s a pitch for a new reality show if I’ve ever heard one: What happens when the famous stop being rich, and start being bankrupt. I would revel in guilt while taking pleasure watching Lindsay Lohan’s car repoed.

Plus it’s a win-win. Cash-strapped celebrities get a few more paychecks and viewers at home, learn some hard lessons at someone else’s expense. Public education. You too can learn financial success while being entertained by fiscal failures.

Granted, claiming bankrupt is a smart fiscal strategy to keep money-grubbing hands out your pocket. But at the end of the day, making millions only to end up losing it all like you’ve been betting big in Vegas, is one thing, and one thing only: dumb. Oh yeah, and entertaining.

Here’s a look at some of our favorite, and financially dumb, super stars:

Well look what we have here. Michael Vick on the cover of Uptown Magazine.

I know all you PETA members out there may still be holding a grudge. That’s understandable. I love me some animals too but I can’t lie and deny that Michael Vick is looking so good and grimy on this cover. He is giving it and I’m not mad at him.  I know I’m not the only one who’s oogling the goods.

Plus, he’s served his time and seems to have learned his lesson so I vote that we give him a second chance. (NFL players have done far worse.)

Anyway, after months of negotiations Uptown finally snagged Vick for the cover. (Naturally, he’s a little cautious about who he talks to these days.)

In the interview, Vick talks about how happy he is now, the Philly fan reception and how he’s matured.

Check out more quotes and delicious pictures of Vick over at Uptown Magazine.

(New York Times) — Michael Vick will take the field on Sunday wearing the uniform of the Philadelphia Eagles, who took him in after his imprisonment for helping to run a dogfighting ring.  But thanks to his personal bankruptcyfiling after he went to jail, he will also be playing for BMW Financial Services, Dodson Pest Control, Summertime Pool and the Monticello Woods Homeowners Association. They are not sponsors. Instead, they and many others have a claim on his future earnings.  Bankrupt professional athletes are a sad fixture on the sports scene, and Mr. Vick isn’t even alone among quarterbacks who have hit the financially injured reserve list. The former Cleveland Browns star Bernie Kosar and the current New York Jets backup, Mark Brunell, have had their brushes with bankruptcy, too.  Sports stars may or may not mess up more often than the average person who earns a lot of money really fast, but their troubles seem outsize because of their fame and the pathetic schemes they fall for. The stakes are high for football players in particular, since their average professional career lasts just four seasons or so and may leave lingering injuries and the health costs or physical limitations that come with them.

Read More…

By Alexis Garrett Stodghill

Michael Vick has finally been redeemed after months of struggling to rebuild his life. The beleaguered quarterback signed a six-year, $100 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday making him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. According to The Washington Post, this is the second time in Vick’s career that he has signed a nine-figure deal, an amazing comeback after being suspended from the NFL in 2007 and serving 19 months in jail for dog fighting.

Coach Andy Reid said in a statement about the deal: “I’m very happy we were able to reach an agreement with Michael on this long-term contract. It’s a product of all the hard work Michael has done to better himself over the last couple of years, both on and off the field.”

Vick’s new deal with the Eagles comes on the heels of receiving a few endorsements, including a top-notch partnership with Nike. Yet, his financial circumstances are still complicated. Much of his sudden increase in income will diverted to creditors as part of his bankruptcy repayment plan. Washington Post writer Cindy Boren explains:

By Jay Anderson

America has a peculiar love/hate relationship with professional athletes. We love them when they’re playing well. We think they’re overpaid, whiny babies when they don’t. We build them up to tear them down, only to then (sometimes) build them back up again. We have watched some of our favorite athletes fall from the heights of sports success, to the depths of injury and incarceration – only to praise their resurrections. Here are 10 such tales of destruction, redemption and in some cases intense struggle back to the pinnacle of athletic achievement.

Michael Vick

After spending time in jail for dogfighting, Vick’s climb back to the top has been slow, but steady. After a season as the Eagles’ third string quarterback, a combination of luck of hard work has thrust Vick back into the starting lineup and superstardom. By ringing up 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2010, the once discarded Vick was given the franchise tag by the team in February, and recently signed a new deal with Nike. Vick’s challenges has changed him into an appreciative man that brands want to identify with again.

Nike and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick are back together again. Four years after Nike terminated Vick’s contract due to his arrest and 18 month prison sentence on dog fighting charges, the two have reunited.

“Michael acknowledges his past mistakes,” Nike spokesman Derek Kent expressed. “We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field.”

These positive changes have not only inked Michael a new deal, he has also returned to the game a star player. Vick was named the starting quarterback for the Eagles over Kevin Kolb early in the 2010 season. Then he went on to dominate in 2010, throwing for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Read more here….

It looks like Michael is getting the ‘Vicktory” after all. How do you feel about his criminal to celebrity status? Do you think Nike should have given him another chance?

(Philadelphia Inquirer) — The Michael Vick comeback story has come full circle. Nearly four years after he was dumped by Nike, the Eagles quarterback was re-signed for promotional services by the worldwide leader in sports sneakers and apparel, according to the company.  ”We have re-signed Michael Vick as a Nike athlete,” spokesman Derek Kent said Friday. “Michael acknowledges his past mistakes. We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field.”  The deal, the exact details of which are unknown, is believed to be the first for a major athlete who was dropped by an endorser only to be re-signed later.  Vick did not respond to a text message seeking comment, but he released a statement.

Read More…