in their differences and to be genuinely good people," says Johnson. "From the
time they were little, my children were taught the Golden Rule: `Do onto others
as you'd have them do unto you'."
recalls. "They showed me what it was to work hard every day. It can be easy to
get caught up in what people perceive as the glamour of Los Angeles life, but
in the end, my down-to-earth, grassroots beginnings coupled with good morals
laid the groundwork for who I am today, both personally and professionally."
piece of advice. "They would say, `Represent yourself as a lady and you will be
treated like a lady." And with that legacy in mind, Johnson imparts some soul-
searching advice for today's aspiring fashionistas.
to professions on television and want
to be an overnight success, my advice
is: Go to school. Now more than ever,
the design world is becoming more
and more computer-assisted. Getting
educated on the technical parts
of the design world will give you a
competitive edge when interviewing
for a fashion-oriented position,"
she says.
woman is fortunate enough to afford
sleek, designer clothes. "The last few
years have been tough for so many
people--so the best secret to staying
within a budget, while remaining
trendy, is the use of accessories," she
explains. "An old outfit can be updated
in a matter of moments when you
add jewelry, shoes and a bag. Be sure
when shopping that you select basic
pieces in classic colors for your core
wardrobe. Then, you can purchase
trend-driven accessories, which tend
to be available at a lower price point,
to update your core pieces."
her roles as designer, mom and wife,
she's on a philanthropic mission near
and dear to her heart. Johnson's
extremely active in the Magic Johnson
Foundation, in which she and her
husband, who has HIV (Human
immunodeficiency virus), support
HIV/AIDS initiatives.
communities across the United States
speaking to women with the goal of
raising awareness about prevention,
testing and treatment programs," she
says. "Sadly, minority women lead the
numbers in the increasing instances
of HIV/AIDS. It is my hope that
someone will hear me speak, learn
something and do their part to stop
the spread of this disease."