Angela Simmons Opens Up About Her Self-Love Journey Following Online Negativity About Her Curves
Angela Simmons sent the internet into a frenzy over the weekend after clips surfaced of the model walking the runway during Miami’s Swim Week. The mother of one modeled the latest looks from Matte Collection and while she received a lot of praise for her natural curves she was also hit with negativity, which led to many folks defending her.
Angela seemingly responded to the initial criticism on Instagram after she uploaded a couple of photos from the runway with the caption, “Raw no edit . REAL bodies matter 🤷🏽♀️and thick thighs save lives lol.” However, more recently, she hopped on Instagram Live and opened up about her journey to self-love.
“I can’t stress to y’all enough how not feeling good in who you are affects everything you do,” she said. “And for a long time that stopped me from wanting to do other stuff but I was so young and I had so many journals on how I felt about myself.”
She continued, “I was such a young woman and I thought being 80 pounds was big and I really had issues growing up about it and eventually I got a real grip on what it was and how I had control over who I am. I made the shifts, I made the changes. Even now, people be like ‘you can’t be vegan because you thick.‘ Well, I’m vegan! I love my body.”
The Growing Up Hip Hop star has been open about the body image issues she faced as an adolescent and has made it her mission to help other women dealing with those same struggles. She created her Built Not Bought program which she has used on social media to promote healthy dialogue about women’s bodies and she regularly shares videos of her rigorous workouts.
The designer has learned a lot on her self-love journey and encouraged her fans to love themselves no matter what.
“It’s so important to love your body. It’s so important to love who you are regardless of what everyone says is cool for the moment,” she said.
Angela closed out her IG Live with inspiring words and letting viewers know that when it comes to your body ‘it’s not about a trend, your body’s not a trend, it’s a temple.”
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Featured image: Getty Images
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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ItGirl In Motion: Paige Shari Addison Shows Us Why She's The Hostess With The Mostess
Paige Shari Addison is the epitome of an ItGirl, which is why she is one of 100 ladies on xoNecole's inaugural ItGirl 100 list in partnership with Hyundai. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Paige started her journey as a host in high school by hosting parties. Since then, she has made a career in hosting, from parties to big-name events, and she launched Strictly RNB, a platform for new artists and R&B lovers. Paige reflects on her creative path in the limited video series "ItGirl in Motion."
“My first curated event at Criminal Records was incredible. It was all for up-and-coming artists,” she says. “I needed a platform for us as a collective to be able to give ourselves the platform instead of asking for it, instead of looking for it. I was like, I want to make sure I let people get this experience that I would give as a performer but enjoy the experience with them. It was a dream come true.”
The Atlanta native also has her own line of acai bowls called Soulfull Bowls. She started it during the pandemic after events and parties shut down. But it was her love for eating acai bowls and the reactions others had to them that made her want to make it her next business move. Being open to creating new ventures in the midst of uncertainty is a bold move and one of the reasons why Paige has the “it” factor.
“Being an ItGirl means you’re just authentic. There’s an air to us. We have confidence that exudes from the way we speak, the way we put our lip gloss on, the way we walk, the way we talk. I show up as myself everytime I walk into a room. I’m hospitable, I make sure everybody’s good,” she says.
Get to know more about the hostess with the mostess in the video above.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of Paige and our partnership with Hyundai.
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production company: @polly___studio
Producer/AD: Samuel Cho @choboi90
Producer/Tech: Paul Nguyen @paul__winn
DP: Cristian Bernal @cristianbernal
Editor: @30inthemorning
2nd Cam: Paul Nguyen
1st AC: AJ Paug @ajpaug Gaffer: Dennis Albert @dennisalbert_
Audio Mixer: Victor Chavez @vic_the__
PA: Rick Carreno @ispeakrick
PA: Tiffany Do @tivani.doee
BTS Photo: Prime @theartofprime
Car Detail: @sud_studs @slugglobal
Creative Director @hellobosco
Team Lead @kevgumbo3000
Project Manager @zakk_jullot
Creative Producer @iamkingsheyla
Designers @miacolemxn @noelspiva
@xoNecole
Director, Integrated Marketing @_vang
Campaign Manager @kingchachiii
Talent Lead @kaylawalker
Feature image by Prime/ @theartof prime