Ryan Destiny Wants You To Know Your Worth (Then Add Tax, Plus Gratuity)
Anyone who's ever had a dream knows that success hits different when you prioritize self-love. Doubt is a helluva drug, but knowing your worth is priceless. This mentality shift helps Ryan Destiny stay booked, busy, and unbothered year-round.
As a Black creative in the digital age, you know that your insecurities have the potential to finesse you out of your check (and your peace of mind), but in her recent interview with Teen Vogue, Ryan broke down the secret to how she finally stopped letting self-doubt block her bag. She told the publication:
"I grew up feeling like that [insecurity] should have been gone, but it wasn't. And I didn't realize [I still had] a problem, [up until] maybe around 18, 19 I think it was just me really starting to understand and love myself, and understand the void that was in the industry, and that something needed to be done about it. I just realized I had a responsibility, and then knowing that and feeling I had a purpose gave me a bit more confidence in what I was doing."
After the cancellation of Star last May, the Internet was in shambles and Ryan was understandably shook, but despite her initial disappointment in the show's ending, the 25-year-old later found that every loss is an opportunity to level up your mentality. She told the publication:
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"I think that that show taught me that I can [do] and I'm worth a lot more than I thought. And it's okay to say that. Just because other people may not see it doesn't mean it's not true. I knew my power way more, and I was past the point where I was letting people, no matter what they've done in the industry, control me. I think it's easy to let people control you and step over you, and I was just really over that by the time the show ended."
In her interview, Ryan also touched on external areas of her life where the love is heavy, including her uber-hot relationship with fellow entertainer Keith Powers and the pressure they have to keep what's personal, private:
"We're definitely more strategic than people think we are. When we first started dating, we were in the private stage, but still wanting to share that we were together. As time has gone on, we've moved back from [posting about each other] because we saw that the more that you put out, the more that people feel like they can be in your business."
Ryan also said that while she appreciates our support when it comes to her young romance, she and her boo are intentional about the fact that their relationship is none of our damn business:
"I try to appreciate the fans that are kind of just supportive versus the ones that are just kind of too aggressive. We didn't post each other for, like, two months after we started dating because we were just kind of nervous about making it a public thing — we knew the risks. We just try to make sure that we stay our own person but still be a couple and show that I love this person, this person loves me, that's still fine and natural too. But, of course, we love our careers as well and want to keep doing that and building that separately and together."
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Featured Image by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
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