Meet The Influencers On A Mission To Normalize Black Women And Luxury
If you are a frequent reader of my articles, then you know that I am front-of-the-class here for the culture. Using all of my platforms to be vocal about Black women and all things Blackity, Black, Black, Black is how I get down, and frankly, if you aren't here for me bragging on my people, then we probably won't have much in common. The wave has been snowballing too, because so many feel the same way I do, which is something we've had to consciously build up as a community.
The internet is filled with pages showing love to melanin, comments are up and stuck in celebrating our likeness, and we stick together, m'kay?! Just ask TikTok.
But now? Now it's time we take it a step further and level up on what it means to be balanced.
And with that, in walks Clarke Peoples, Amber Janae, and Skylar Marshai. When scouring the internet, I came across these three influencers, who are all on a mission to normalize luxury in Black women's lives. Each woman spoke with POPSUGAR about what it means to indulge in wealth and wellness, which Skylar has coined as 'unapologetic audacity.'
Unapologetic audacity. Love to see it. Write it down, use it in a sentence.
Ultimately, here's what else they had to say:
Clarke Peoples | @clarkepeoples
After going viral on TikTok earlier this year when she posted a day-in-the-life video showcasing her high-rise apartment in New York City (and casually mentioning a date with a millionaire), Clarke amassed over 3.6M views and garnered so much attention, mostly due to the fact that people were labeling her as a "prostitute" and a "sugar baby."
The 20-year-old Columbia student explained:
"I love to see Black women living in luxury [but] people were actually going and responding to other comments asking, `What does she do for a living? Oh she's a prostitute.' I was totally appalled."
Since then, two other videos have racked up millions of views—one where she explains how she makes her living and one recapping a date with a wealthy doctor.
"I see so many videos online of women of other races living lifestyles like this and it's not necessarily the norm, but it's something that when we see it, we don't think twice about it. [Seeing] other Black women who didn't have the best childhoods growing up be able to make it and do it for themselves, I think it's so inspiring."
Skylar Marshai | @skylarmarshai
Skylar Marshai is goals all around and truly lives up to the building a life she romanticizes. The storytelling travel influencer has gained such a luxe lifestyle following, that her social media is littered with comments and post engagement. When asked how she has gotten to this point, she says:
"I think a lot of it is 50 percent manifestation. I spent a lot of time speaking these things into existence and [visualizing] the things I wanted in my life. It's almost like what we were owed. [...] It's beyond the flights. It's beyond the monetary things. It's this idea of abundance and leisure, which Black people are not allowed. We've not been given that before. We've had to make it."
Her parents taught her the audacity of living out loud.
"None of this feels new. None of this feels foreign, especially being a Black woman: it's something that we should normalize more. Stepping into wealth. Stepping in Black love, and it should be easy, like, damn, I don't want to struggle all the time."
Her advice? Fall in love with your life as it is now and the rest will fall into place.
"It's looking at what you might define as luxury and assuming that you can have it. A great first step? Romanticize your morning routine. Romanticize a day in your life. Finding luxury in smaller moments and then integrating it into your life in that way and so you can create luxury for yourself. So often or for the longest time, luxury has been out of touch for us [and] now it's within reach."
Amber Janae | @ajscribes
For Amber Janae, her lifestyle is one that she has always known. The author and lifestyle blogger opens up:
"I come from a lineage of women who are very strong, very independent. I've always grown up around women who, regardless of being married or in long term relationships, they always have their own. They're always able to provide for themselves, live well, but also look really amazing while doing so [...] just quality everything."
In turn, Amber sees luxury as a form of peace.
"Ultimately, I'm living in luxury when I know that everything around me brings me a sense of calm. [...] so the idea that luxury—Black women in luxury or just Black women experiencing luxury in itself—is only tied to material things, completely takes away from living a life of luxury because you continue to feed into the things or pour into the things that live outside of you."
Her advice? Find out what you classify as 'luxury,' and do that. A LOT.
"Just be one with whatever your definition is of being a Black woman and living in luxury. Learn what excites you. Learn what brings you peace. Learn what calms your spirit and continue to strive for those things. Stand on that."
Unapologetic audacity for the win!
Read the full article here.
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Featured image by Getty Images
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Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
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