No matter what part of the world you live in right now, I'm almost positive that the weather is doing whatever the hell it wants to. Where I live, a full-force hail storm let loose in July, so I know that there's no telling what the rest of the year has to hold weather-wise, but I do know that rain or shine, my wardrobe will be on point.
The countdown to this year's ElevateHER event is on, and with only a few weeks until we all gather in a utopia of black girl bliss, we need to get our wardrobe together, sis.
One of the most difficult tasks in the world can be shopping for clothes when your city is constantly under attack by unpredictable weather patterns; but buying black isn't a motto, issa lifestyle. We're here to help you can attain the ultimate drip in any climate with the four black woman-owned businesses listed below:
J. Dow Fitness
Dr. Jacqueline Dow's motto is to not stop until you make yourself proud, and that's exactly what she plans to do with her athletic apparel brand, J. Dow Fitness.
Before launching her company, Jacqueline got her doctorate in Public Health and gained more than eight years of experience in the sector and now, she's on a mission to confront health disparities that exist for women of color through advocacy and research. The collection currently offers a unique line of tops, sports bras, and leggings that will help you attain all of your fitness dreams.
Click here to shop J. Dow Fitness.
Swank Blue
Created by the legendary Olori Swank herself, Swank Blue is guaranteed to give you the ultimate drip for any and every occasion, even at Waffle House. Olori, who is a renowned entrepreneur, celebrity stylist, and author, originally enrolled as a student at the University of Georgia with plans of going to med school, but as it turned out, God had other plans.
After graduating with honors with a bachelors in Psychology, an unexpected meeting with the VP A&R at Jive Records led Olori to jumpstart the celebrity stylist career or her dreams. Since then, Olori has worked with artists like Childish Gambino, Teyana Taylor, and Lance Gross, and now she's bringing her signature style to your closet with her brand, Swank Blue, which offers a unique collection of dresses, sets and onesies.
Click here to shop Swank Blue.
The Working Beauty
Janelle Henderson used her God-given talent of thrifting to help women get fly AF on a budget, and we stan for an unapologetically frugal Queen. You might have bought a style box in the past, but you've never had a monthly subscription quite like this. The Working Beauty sources specifically curated, thrifted items all over the world that you can buy either a la carte or as a part of a 10-piece package deal for under $100.
Click here to shop The Style Box.
Poise Ann
Corduroy and buttons and textures, oh my! *Inserts heart eye emoji* Poise Ann is a bad and bougie black woman's dream, and offers a collection of business-casual pieces that will turn every head in the boardroom.
The company's goal is to help busy women not only embrace their beauty and power and shatter gender-based obstacles, but to help them look damn good while they're doing it. This brand offers a unique collection of bottoms, dresses, blazers, jumpsuits and tops that range from $54 to $105.
Click here to shop Poise Ann.
Featured image by Instagram/@swankblue.
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
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Featured image by Soul Brother/Soul B Photos/Shutterstock