Editor’s Note

September is about reflection, recognition, and remembering what it felt like to be in the room.This issue of COVERED. by KLS brings together three distinct events connected by one powerful thread: presence. From the cultural scale of ESSENCE Festival 2025 to the celebration of regional excellence at the DMV Community Awards and Fashion Show to the legacy of Models Inc. at its 19th anniversary, each story in this issue reflects what happens when people, style, and community leave a lasting impression.

These pages are designed to do more than recap events. They are meant to preserve energy, highlight excellence, and honor the moments that deserve to live beyond the night they happened. Through imagery and editorial storytelling, September’s issue captures the rhythm of celebration, the language of fashion, and the impact of being seen.

Welcome to the September issue.