Amber Riley Calls Out Men Sliding Into Her DMs After She Lost Weight
Just like the Fergie song, Amber Riley has been up in the gym working on her fitness. The former Glee actress has been documenting her weight loss journey on social media and has spoken in previous interviews about her decision to get healthier. In a recent workout post, she decided to call out the men who have been sliding in her DMs since her weight loss and referred to them as being “fatphobic.”
In the video, Amber looks into the camera like she is getting ready to say something and then the sound of someone falling begins with the actress looking confused. Then she talks along to a Nicki Minaj sound bite that says “Um, chile, anyways, so.” The writing in the video said “[ninja emoji] I’ve known for years falling in my DMs because I’ve lost weight…” In the Instagram caption, she wrote “Keep that same fatphobic energy player. Ain’t 💩 changed over here but the scale. BIG DOT.”
Many of her followers agreed with her including Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown who wrote, “Right?! They straight up act like we’ve taken off an 'invisibility cloak' or something. I’ve BEEN her playa! And you were uninterested. Keep that same energy and kick rocks!”
The “BGE” singer seems to be focusing on herself following the end of her engagement to Desean Black. The former couple was engaged for over a year and during an interview with the Nice & Neat podcast in April, Amber revealed that they were no longer together.
“I wish him the best. I don’t have anything horrible or bad to say,” she said.
She added, “I think I learn from every relationship that I was in, and I thank them and I leave them in love and light. That’s all I can do.”
Many fans championed their love when they were together. Amber shared that she actually slid in Desean’s DMs which sparked their romantic journey together. In an exclusive xoNecoleinterview, the Single Black Female actress defended her decision to slide in her former lover’s DMs and encouraged other women to do so.
“A lot of women say, ‘I don’t want to be thirsty going into a guy’s DMs,’ but I wasn’t thirsty and I wasn’t chasing him,” she said. “I just made myself seen and I made sure that he saw me and it went on from there. In our first conversation, we were talking about science, brains and nerdy shit.”
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Featured image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Black Music Honors
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy