Teyana Taylor & Iman Shumpert Aren't Trying To Be Anyone's #RelationshipGoals
I'm a perfectionist by nature. Everything I do has to be done right or it has to be done well or there's no point in doing it at all, and I'm pretty sure that's part of the reason I'm single and have no plans on getting into a relationship anytime soon. While I may have once dreamed of an unflawed fairytale life for myself, as an adult, I understand that some of the most beautiful things in life are imperfect as f*ck.
Occasions wouldn't be quite as memorable and people wouldn't be quite as fun if everything and everyone was perfect, so taking the time to appreciate the things that aren't can make life a lot less stressful for you and everyone around you.
Teyana Taylor and her husband Iman Shumpert look at their marriage through this lens and say they couldn't be happier. In an interview with ESSENCE, Teyana opened up about her relationship and revealed that although their love life may look perfect to us, she and her husband aren't out here trying to be anybody's #RelationshipGoals:
Prince Williams/WireImage
"I don't want my supporters to feel like we're untouchable. I don't want y'all to think we're Perfect Pattys, because that's just not real."
After shooting his shot unsuccessfully for years, Iman finally got a shot with his dream girl in 2014 after her widely publicized breakup with a former lover. Iman and Teyana's semi-platonic friendship eventually evolved into a budding romance and later welcomed their now three-year-old daughter and tied the knot in a secret wedding in 2016, proving that your King Charming might be sitting on 'read' in your DMs as we speak.
Teyana admitted that although Iman was far from her type initially, eventually, she couldn't help but give in to his charm. In an interview last year, she told VH1:
"When you catch butterflies, do you run away from it and get scared and miss out on love? Or do you just follow your gut? What does your gut tell you? And at that moment, I caught butterflies no matter what my feelings were on him five minutes prior, I was in love."
Three years later, the couple is still emitting major marital bliss vibes, but she says it's important to know that a love like theirs takes work. The Shumperts look happy AF because they are, but that didn't come with some good old fashioned communication.
Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
Last year, Teyana Taylor blessed reality television for the second time after her Sweet Sixteen debut with her family-centric VH1 show, Teyana & Iman. The couple expressed that their hesitancy to become reality stars was replaced by the desire to become positive role models for other black couples.
Although we got to see the Shumpert family magic in all of its glory, the show also featured its fair share of drama. Teyana explained that it's important to show the good times, but it's also imperative to show that things aren't always so good because that's what makes a relationship genuine:
"I think sometimes it takes other couples to see like, 'Damn, they were able to talk and get through it. That's inspirational."
Read Teyana's full interview with ESSENCE here!
Featured image by Prince Williams/WireImage
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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