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We Asked 6 Influencers To Share The Why Behind Their Style Aesthetic
What's a fashion uniform? It's your everyday armor that helps you slay every room you walk into. It's your trademark aesthetic. It's what makes you, YOU.
Everyone has their own appreciation of beauty and that's what makes fashion so intriguing. Finding your signature style takes time and intention. What do you want the world to see when they see you strutting down the street? Because it's no secret that your style speaks for you do. Wise woman, Alanna Nicole, gave some amazing advice for women searching for their very own unique style that sets them a part from everyone else. "Experiment, live boldly and ignore what anyone else says! For me, if someone is wearing the most outrageous or the most simple and chic outfit, once they are wearing it with unwavering confidence, I admire them so much," she shared with us.
When you think about your favorite fashion icons, you immediately think about their staples and what makes them unique. There's a thing that separates them from the rest. We all need that thing. The right outfit can make you feel like Beyonce on your worst day. So, we decided to gather some dope, stylish women and ask them about their trademark aesthetic.
xoNecole loves a good lewk and we love it even more when it's draping on an ebony goddess. If you're ever in need of instant inspo, these are your girls.
Jennifer Ogumbor-Larbi
Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Ogumbor-Larbi
Age: 30
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Blog/Website: The Jeneralist (www.thejeneralist.com)
Instagram: @thejeneralist
"I pull a lot of inspiration from European street style and pop culture but my style is generally inspired by the places I've been and the people I've met. I realized at a young age that being boxed into a single category of any sort was a limitation I did not like and developed my aesthetic based on that. If I had to choose one word to describe my style, it would be 'dynamic'.
"You might catch me in muted/neutral tones in the middle of summer and in a bright yellow monochromatic look in the middle of winter. I love that I am not limited in style because there are days when I wake up feeling super feminine and others when I feel like rocking a fun tomboy-ish chic look. Sometimes, it's a quirky mix between the two. Regardless of what I'm wearing, I love wearing lipstick and throwing in some fun accessories to help complement and/or elevate my look.
"My style may be undefined but it's certainly a representation of who I am and the dynamic range that I possess. My advice to women searching for their own unique style is to do what works for YOU and have fun with it."
Vic Styles
Photo Courtesy of Vic Styles
Age: 33
Location: New York
Website:www.VicStyles.com
IG:@TheVicStyles
"What I wear is your introduction to who I am before I ever open my mouth. I tend to choose clothes that reflect my lifestyle and personality: mostly sustainable, comfortable clothing, I'm always in a hat, and I love color. Color sets the mood. I think my style fits the woman that I am, it is ever-evolving like I am."
Jessica Pettway
Photo Courtesy of Jessica Pettway
Age: 31
Location: Los Angeles
Blog/Website:https://www.youtube.com/JessicaPettway
Instagram:@jessicapettway
"My style is a literal illustration of my personality, chill with a bit of spunk. I look for pieces that are super functional and sustainable. An oversized thrifted blazer paired with a pair of faded denim and skinny sandals is my aesthetic. It's that effortless, cool girl vibe."
Shannae Ingleton Smith
Photo Courtesy of Shannae Ingleton Smith
Age: 38
Location: Toronto
Blog/Website:TorontoShay.com
Instagram:@TorontoShay
"For me, I like a combination of comfort and slayage (if that is even a thing?). I love high-waisted pants and denim. After having a baby, nobody is trying to see my stomach and a high-waisted pants keeps everything in. Pair that with a statement heel or a dope top, and I feel like a million bucks. I love wearing items that are different. I like to call those pieces 'conversation starters' because people stop you and ask you where you got it from. I find fashion is a great way to connect with others and break the ice in new situations. Rocking sneakers with a suit or a dress is another great combo. For me, I like doing things that are a bit out of the box, but slays at the same time."
Alanna Nicole
Photo Courtesy of Alanna Nicole
Age: 24
From: London, England
Blog/Website:www.alannanicolex.com
Instagram:@alannanicolex
"EVERYTHING inspires my style! Colors are my main source of inspiration – from seeing other peoples' color combinations, to furniture and buildings. I definitely try to take advantage of the surroundings that I'm in and allow them to fuel my style. Because of that, my style changes quite often! Last year, I was obsessed with loud monochrome looks and wild pattern mixing. But this summer, I've been really inspired by interior design. My looks have been more driven by soft pastel colours, which are more whimsical. I also take tons of inspiration from Barbados, where I grew up! Many of my tattoos are of flowers and plants that you can find there – the Pride of Barbados and palm trees! Since I'm there quite often to see my family, I also use the ocean and tropical climate to inspire my looks while there and at home in London!
"My #1 staple is definitely earrings! Since massive statement earrings became widely available two years ago, I jumped on that bandwagon and have never looked back! Since my hair is quite large, having earrings that can still be the star of the show is an amazing way to elevate my look! Also, shoes! I've always been a crazy shoe girl and absolutely love to have colorful and bold shoes on."
Nekiah Torres
Photo Courtesy of Nekiah Torres
Age: Grown
Location: Arizona
Blog/Website: From the Rez to the City
Instagram:@reztothecity
"Coming up with my aesthetic definitely didn't happen overnight. It took years! Initially, I would just find stylish people and copy them but the more I matured, I knew that had to change. I realized that personal style required authenticity because it signifies a considerable amount of self-knowledge. I had to get comfortable with my nontraditional looks and accept the fact that I was never going to look like the individuals I was copying, I had to dress for ME! When putting together looks, I always ask myself: 'What is my message to the world? What am I trying to express through my wardrobe choices?' My answer is: in order to be authentically me, I must always feel POWERFUL! So, my trademark aesthetic is CONFIDENCE and I love it because I love ME!"
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Featured image courtesy of Jessica Pettway
Originally published August 22, 2019
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Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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