In True Jamaican Style: Wha'appen Brownin'

Hey Lovelies, Drawing on my Jamaican heritage, I created this "wha'ppen brownin'" statement making tank. You can pre-order your tank here. 

Thanks for the support!

Throwback Thursdays: Diana Ross and the Supremes 1960s

Diana Ross and the Supremes!

photo via: oprah.com

photo via: oprah.com

Andrea Iyamah Swimwear

I discovered Andrea Iyamah's brand about a little over a year ago and been in love with it since. The brand specializes in custom couture, ready-to-wear and retro swimwear. Below I've posted three of my favorite pieces from the Swim 2014 collection. You can view the current collection or snag a piece   (there's a flash sale going on) here. 

Enjoy!!!

Joan Smalls for Industrie Magazine: Personal Trainer

by photographer Lachlan Bailey.

As a fitness enthusiast I am going "goo ga ga" over this editorial. I love it, and Joan Smalls brought it!!!!

What do you think? Is this campaign a yes or a no? 

Dresses Make the Easiest Outfits

For more photos of my personal style, please visit, Irie Chic Style.

Tiwa Savage

Celebrating Nigerian singer, actress, beauty and stylista, Tiwa Savage.

Bet Awards, 2014

On her wedding day

Straight Outta Compton Casting Call: The Need for Self-Affirmation

Photo via: www.renaissanceblackwomen.net

Last week I was disgusted to see the Straight Outta Compton casting call in print. Unfortunately, nothing about it surprised me. Attacks on black women's beauty, femininity, and worth comes with a deep history of subjugation and occurs within and without black communities worldwide. Sadly in 2014, someone had no qualms about a casting call that placed black women  at the bottom of the totem pole. It is no wonder that there are few movies and films that depict the complexities, beauty, intelligence, and humanity of black women. If the process is tainted (as shown by this casting notice), what can we expect of the the final product? My problem with the ad goes further than its flippant disregard of black women.  Ranking women  according to race and skin shade is another problem altogether.

The  impacts of these kind of onslaughts on black women are dangerous. Over and over we hear and see the hurt and pain women of color experience, because they've never felt affirmed, beautiful, worthy or deserving of good. There are countless women who don't see themselves reflected in positive affirming images. Instead, many black women live in a world where they are surrounded by ideas, attitudes, music and people who pile on insult to an already deep injury. I also worry about the potential damage on children's psyches when the images they see or the messages they hear cast black women and women of color as inferior.

I don't have the solution to such a long and deep-seated problem, but I urge you, if you are the parent, friend, relative, mentor or teachers of a little black girl, please affirm her, because in this world she needs it. Please expose her to positive role models who look like her, role models who rose above the fray despite negative messaging. Continue to support, encourage, and empower the sisters in your life, because a lot of us often need a soft place to land.



Cheers,
~Nika

KeKe Palmer: Honoring a Rising Legend

Born Lauren Keyana Palmer the 20 year old from Harvey, IL is definitely blazing her own trail. Over the years we have watched her career blossom. She is far from the little girl we adored in Akeelah and the Bee or the hot headed preteen in Madea's Family Union.

KeKe has also shown us that she is a fashion icon in the making. Her style is definitely involving as the young star matures. She amazed with her sexy futuristic look at the 2014 BET awards.

With several major movie roles under her belt, numerous nominations and awards and several studio albums, the sky seems to be the limit for the young mogul in the making. If that wasn't enough for the 20 year old, she recently made history being the youngest talk show host with her daytime talk show JustKeKe in BET airing Monday-Friday at 5pm est.

KeKe is setting the tone for young woman all around the world. Proving that all things are possible with hard work and determination. KeKe Palmer Faces of Black Fashion salute you!

~Tiana

Throwback Thursday: 1970s Black Glamour

Eartha Kitt, Jayne Kennedy and Freda Payne

Jet Magazine Cover, 1974

Photo via: Vintage Black Glamour Tumblr

Celebrating Ballerina Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland made history in 2007 by becoming the third African American female soloist and the first in two decades at the American Ballet Theatre, one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. Below are a few quotes and words of wisdom from Misty Copeland. 

Photo via Vogue

Misty on promoting diversity:  "It’s getting the idea into people’s heads that ballerinas can have brown skin that is frustrating. There are so many stereotypes.'"I think it’s so important for young dancers of color to have someone who looks like them as an example—someone they can touch,” she says, grabbing the skin on her forearm to make the point. “I tell them to be true to themselves.” 

Misty on body issues:  "I had no idea what to do with my body. It wasn’t responding like it used to. It was like starting over.”  “They [her ballet teachers] basically said, ‘Your body has changed. You’ve added weight. It’s creating a different line, and it’s not what we want.' I didn’t know how to take care of it. I'd always eaten whatever I wanted—Taco Bell, soda, burgers and French fries. I would come home and eat an entire pizza from Domino’s and six donuts, cry, and go to sleep. The next day I’d be hiding in class. It was a really dark time. I went through a lot by myself because I didn’t have anybody in my life yet who understood.”

Misty on Love:"He taught me to communicate in ways I’d never learned before, to not run away from problems, and sit down and think about things critically. And he made me feel like I really did have a bright future as a ballerina.”

Misty on her friendship with Prince: “He was a mentor to me, a huge confidence booster. When we met, I was a new soloist at ABT. He really helped me understand who I was as an artist at a critical time.”

Misty's quotes were pulled from full length interviews on Elle and Net-A-Porter

Cheers,

~Nika

Blogging While Brown: Knowledge is power

A few weekends ago,  Blogging While Brown took place in NYC. It is informative conference founded in 2008 and is in its 7th year of bringing bloggers of color together. This conference was power packed with seminars & workshops designed to share the information for media's most successful people.

In anything that you do continuing to educate yourself is pivotal in your growth in your career field. There are thousands of conferences out there, but not many that are geared specially towards bloggers of color.

Some of the topics that were covered:

Blogs and Brands

Blogging 101

Media relations and pitching

Email Marketing

How to get invited to speak at conferences

and much more.......

Some speakers included:

Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche

Alfred Edmond Jr.

Sara Glover

Jacque Reid

Tiffani Robinson

Christine St. Vil

and so much more!

If you missed this year don't worry there is always next year. Conferences have so much to offer to anyone hungry for the information to take their brand to the next level.

Check out their website for more information about this years conference and so much more. www.bloggingwhilebrown.com

If you have attended or know of any conferences please share below.

~TIANA

The World Cup: Fashion & Soccer Collide

Enjoy your weekend World Cup Festivities!!!!

photo via Vogue

Introducing Monica of Awed by Monica

Today, it's my pleasure to introduce the super stylish Monica and her blog Awed by Monica, check out her interview and amazing style below:

 
Tell us about yourself, who is Monica?

My name is Monica Awe-Etuk. I am a wife, mama of two beautiful young children and lover of all things fashionable and super stylish. I studied, worked and lived fashion pretty much all my life and in my perfect world everyone is dressed to kill.

What inspired you  to start a blog?

I Started the blog because I truly love fashion and style! I love seeing people dressed up and looking their best. Nurmerous friends, family and clients would request for me to shop for them as well as style  outfits for everyday and events, so while on maternity leave I created the blog to keep my followers style inspired! think the biggest fashion challenge is to revamp what is already in your closet and making old new, hence I am here to show you how to work with what is already in your closet and mix it with what's hot and new.

What are some of your favorite trends/pieces that you'll be wearing this summer?

My favorite trends this summer are color pops, midi skirts and short, shorts!

Where do you get fashion inspiration?

I get my inspiration literally from everything. I am also an artist and i believe there is beauty in everything, the question is how will you interpret it?! 

Similar skirt, here

Be sure to visit Monica's blog HERE

Lupita Nyong’o Shows Us the Value of Self-Love

What Lupita Nyong'o Taught Us About Self-Love and Acceptance 

“Be Yourself.” You’ve heard that before, it’s cliché, often spoken without a second thought, and usually said as a reflexive retort to ease some perceived discomfort. Yet, it’s powerful to see it in action. Not only is it an act of courage, it also inspires others to do the same. Thus, when Lupita Nyong’o stepped onto the scene, we took notice. How could we ignore a woman who walked confidently and with a knowing that who she is radiated beauty and power and deserved recognition?

Here was a black woman in Hollywood who dared to be her beautiful, short-kinky haired self. I’m optimistically declaring that natural hair’s current popularity symbolizes a shift towards self-acceptance in the black community. Yet, it’s still not the norm, and it’s definitely not the norm in Hollywood where societal notions and standards of beauty reign supreme.  Knowing the Hollywood beauty mold, Lupita could have chosen to attempt to fit that mold (as much as black women can fit a mold that doesn’t acknowledge them). Yet she showed up as herself, knowing and showing that that is enough.

Lupita  acknowledges that her journey to self-acceptance wasn’t easy. It included prayers to God to be a lighter shade of brown. As a young woman she learned that the way God created her did not fit man's definition of beautiful. This is until she discovered Alek Wek who became her source of inspiration.  In Alek, she saw a chocolate-hued sista, much like herself, bravely rock her God-given beauty. Alek gave Lupita the courage to do the same.

Likewise, Lupita inspires us to be beautiful. Her decision and choice to validate herself shows us how to embrace who we are and what we look like. Instead of bending herself into something she was not to fit a mold, she created a space for her unique beauty.   There is no becoming beautiful. We are already beautiful. It is up to us to validate ourselves spiritually, physically and emotionally. Why not begin today? 

Cheers,

~Nika

My One Year Fitness Journey: Thin to Toned

This video recaps the progress I've made after one year of consistently working in the gym. Watch the video all the way through to see progress photos, and while you're at it, please subscribe to the  channel.

One Year of Fitness

 

Read more about my fitness journey in the posts below: 
My Fitness Journey Part One: Here 
My Fitness Journey Part Two: Here

Cheers,
Nika

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