Omarion: 'My Sexiness To The Core Is Just Who I Am'
Omarion has found himself at the center of attention over the last few years. From the controversy surrounding his former bandmate Lil Fizz dating the singer’s ex and mother of his children Apryl Jones to becoming a viral meme after a TikToker recreated his dance from a 2015 performance. And more recently he received a lot of criticism for his Verzuz battle against Mario. But drama aside, Omarion has also had people singing his praises.
The “Touch” singer has been making the ladies swoon with his sexy photos along with his equally attractive brother O’Ryan and his “unbothered” attitude has kept him on the tips of everyone’s tongues. He’s now capitalizing off of being the king of being unbothered by releasing a new book Unbothered: The Power Of Choosing Joy as well as a five-part docuseries Omega The Gift & The Curse. The father of two opened up to HelloBeautiful about his unbothered title, being a sex symbol, and much more.
“I think a lot of people get the concept and idea of unbothered misconstrued because sometimes people think that being unbothered is not acknowledging certain things,” he shared. “Being unbothered is, is maintaining your emotional intelligence and power and realizing that this person might be doing this intentionally, so do I react or do I respond? And I’m very much so a thoughtful person.”
Omarion was given the unbothered title by fans after Fizz and Apryl began dating. While we don’t know how he truly felt about the situation, he appeared to be nonchalant. “It’s not about anybody else because to be completely honest with you, I could burn the world down in the worst way and those are the thoughts that come through my mind—but how beneficial is it for me?” He added. “I will protect myself but at the end of the day, how we respond to things really puts us in the victory position or it puts us in a losing position and you know, me; I’m a winner. I’m a winner in life and I have a winner attitude.”
His unbotheredness could be rooted in his spirituality. The “O” crooner has shared multiple videos on social media lighting sage and saying daily mantras in an effort to practice peace. He cited his grandmother as one of the first people to introduce holistic practices in his life. “I experienced a lot of different religions, a lot of different cultures,” he explained. “She never really pushed me to do any of those things but it was always around, candles, burning sage incense, my Nana used to make jewelry, all of those Afrocentric things that come from that era.”
As a spiritual being, he also acknowledges that he is a sex symbol and plans to always be one which may affect his dating life.
“Prince never stopped being a sex symbol, D’Angelo, Lenny Kravitz…” he said. “The essence of being sexy—either you, you have it or you don’t. My sexiness to the core is just who I am,” he adds. “Being sexy doesn’t mean that we’re gonna do it, but it’s a vibe and I don’t get tired of it. I actually plan on maintaining my sexiness for life.”
He is also working on building generational wealth for his family which means work always comes first. So, when it comes to dating, he admitted that “it’s tricky.”
“The support in a relationship can either be a distraction or a beautiful thing. In the past, it has been a distraction,” he revealed. “I’m still continuing to build my wealth as a businessman, so it’s easy and hard. It’s easy to love me because I’m lovable but you know, with all of the other things that come with it, you gotta be special.”
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Featured image by Paras Griffin/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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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