2015Faces of Black Fashion: 2015

Friday, December 4, 2015

First Family Moments: The Obama Girls



















Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Fitness Inspiration: Koya Webb




Fitness model and life coach, Koya Webb, serves up inspiration on the cover of Oxygen Magazine's current issue.  In the interview she talks about her fitness routine, her nutrition and the importance of self-care. 


I was personal training for a long time and came to realize that I was more concerned about the person inside than the one outside. Yes, I love training and nutrition, but I think there is something deeper that people are yearning for — a spiritual and mental connection. I found peoples’ stories fascinating and wanted to do what I could to help them.





Check out Koya Webb's Instagram page for even more inspiration.

via Koya Webb's Instagram



Cheers,
Nika

Monday, November 2, 2015

Obtaining Healthy Relaxed Hair




I recently relaxed my hair and have been researching ways on how to ensure my hair achieves an optimal level of health. Actually, I am currently double-processed with both a relaxer and color, which means my hair is even more susceptible to damage. Thankfully, I've found a number of amazing videos on Youtube (don't you just love Youtube for its wealth of information) to help me along my healthy relaxed hair journey. I will also be revisiting Sharifa's book, The Five Hair Archetypes, which I previously reviewed on this blog. If you're currently on a hair journey, cheers to healthy hair! I hope you enjoy the videos below. 





















Cheers,
~Nika

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Fall Color Palette: Black and White

Approximately a month ago, I attended  Macy's Fashion Front Row, a Fall Fashion presentation at the Queen's Center Mall.  Fall is one of my favorite seasons for style so I looked forward to taking notes on the season's trends. While at the event,  I learned that pairing Black and White was on trend this season (and I serendipitously wore a black and white dress). I wanted all the outfits the models wore when they showcased this trend, everything looked so...chic! Like the models' outfits, I intend to rock this trend this Fall and Winter, and I will make things interesting by having fun with graphics and texture. 




Here I am at the Macy's event. I paired a black and white dress from Topshop with a long tan vest. 










I love the graphic print on this blouse, it looks great with jeans, but I can also see it pair with a fun A-line  midi skirt.


                     (photo via Pinterest)

Will you be wearing Black and White this Fall? 

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Fall Fashion Inspiration: Burgundy





Inspired by the rich colors of autumn, I enjoy wearing burgundy in the Fall.  As a signature Fall color, burgundy can be paired with almost any other color or you can use pieces to create a rich color palette for the Fall. Play with shades and textures to add burgundy flair to your Fall outfits or check out the photos below for inspiration. 













My Burgundy Picks



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Personal Reflections on My 31st Birthday




The last year brought about significant life changes and events, resulting in more introspection and self-reflection than I’ve done in a long time. If Zora Neale Hurtson was right then there are indeed, “years that ask questions and years that answer.”  The past year provided answers and insights , I did not know I needed. I close “my year of 30” a wiser and much more thoughtful woman and as always I embrace the future knowing that God’s plans for me are to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. Here’s to 31! The number 31 is personally significant,  because I’ve always admired the description of the Proverbs 31 woman. My goal for this year is to develop more into the Proverbs 31 woman. Below I share events, happenings, thoughts and lessons from my year of 30.
I moved back to New York. A little over a month after my 30th birthday, I moved from L.A. back to my home city, New York. Two years in L.A. and three years in D.C. meant that it had been five years since I had lived in my beloved New York. I spent hours thinking about my decision to move back, unsure about whether or not I was making the right choice. I stepped out on faith and in hindsight, I am so glad I did.  Everyday I wake up  with the reality that I am an Attorney, living in New York City, doing work that I find extremely fulfilling. This is the stuff that my dreams are made of. The journey to today was not easy, I worked hard and overcame a lot of difficulties. Given my journey, I am incredibly grateful[....] Read the rest of the post on my personal blog HERE

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Budget Fashionista Part One: Scoring Fashion Deals on Ebay






Last week , I posted the above photo of me wearing a River Island dress that I scored on Ebay, on my personal Instagram and Facebook pages.  I shared that although I love to shop, I am also frugal. I reconcile the two my scoring deals on Ebay and in Consignment Stores. A dear reader asked me to do a post on being a budget fashionista, so today I'm sharing my top five tips on how to become an Ebay guru while saving your money. Enjoy!


Use the Message Feature.  Ask sellers questions about measurements, shipping, or any other inquiries you may have about a listing. If you’re not sure about an item just message the seller to get clarification. In my experience, sellers tend to answer quickly.

Read seller reviews/ratings. For me it’s important to know whether or not a seller values customer service and business integrity. As  result, before I purchase from a particular seller, I always read their ratings and/or reviews. Since I’m ordering online, I need to trust that the item will arrive as it’s described in the original listing. On that note, pay it forward by leaving reviews when you purchase items (this is something I need to work on!)

Narrow Your Searches. The number one complaint I hear about Ebay is that’s it’s overwhelming. While the site is large and there are TONS of goodies to choose from, narrowing your searches helps to diminish the overwhelming feeling that can come from having two many things to choose from. For example, I usually search by brand, then I narrow the brand search by size and condition (the options are usually new with tags, new without tags and pre-owned). The option to refine your searches appear on the left-side of the listings so you're only looking for what you want/need. 


Be a good steward. As I noted in number two, reputation wins on Ebay. In the same way you can look at a seller’s rating, they can also look at your ratings – yes sellers can rate buyers too. How do you get a good rating? Pay for your items in a timely fashion and only bid on items you’re sure about purchasing. If you’re not sure, you can always place an item on your "watch list" (another awesome Ebay feature) until you make up your mind.

Save Your Favorite Sellers.  This goes hand-in-hand with narrowing your search. Save sellers and Eby stores that you have good experiences with or whose items you like.  I have a list of my favorite sellers and often I will just look at their listings when I want to shop before I do a general Ebay search.  Since these sellers were chosen based on my personal taste, they usually have what I want. 

Happy Ebay Shopping!!!

Cheers,
~Nika

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Macy's Presents Fashion Front Row at Queens Center Mall


Macy's is bring the glamour of Fashion Week to locations across the the country with Fashion Front Row. Macy's will be featuring some of the hottest Fall Fashion by designers across the country. Along with fashion presentations you can also enjoy a number of beauty services such as a free manicure. You can also can capture a selfie moment at photo stations that will be set up at the event. Who doesn't like a great selfie? 

Fashion, beauty and a selfie station - sounds like lots of fun to me! I can't wait to attend t Macy's Front Row at the Queens Center Mall in Flushings, NY. It will be held on Saturday, 9/26 starting at 2pm. I would love for you to join me!!!! Make sure to say Hi!!!!

For more information about Macy's Fashion Front Row and to check out events near you , visit the link here .

See you there!!!!



Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Solange Knowles SLAYS New York Fashion Week

Photos of one of Faces of Black Fashion's Favorite Stylistas as she SLAYS at NYFW



Front Row at Milly by Michelle Smith


Prabul Gurung SS 2016



Walking like royalty to the 3.1 Phillip Lim fashion presentation




One of my favorite NYFW looks - so 1970s retro!



Do you have a favorite look?

Saturday, September 12, 2015

My Firmoo Glasses Review

I did not hesitate when Firmoo contacted me to do glasses review. I'd heard about the company before and have liked the eyeglasses and sunglasses I've seen from them. Plus I've been paying attention to becoming more financially savvy and I liked that the company prides itself on offering chic and stylish glasses at affordable prices.

Below is a photo of me wearing my Firmoo glasses for the first time.  I wear prescription contact lenses almost everyday and this was my first time wearing glasses since I started working at my current job. My coworkers loved them, and I received multiple compliments throughout the day. 



 The Ordering Process

 Firmoo's customer service made it easy for me to order the glasses of my choice. I received an email explaining the ordering process. The email included a code for prescription glasses, which is exactly what I needed. It delighted me to learn  that my glasses would automatically come with 1.57 thin and light lenses with anti-reflection and anti-UV coatings. I chose this pair because I liked the two toned style (especially the lucite portion).  I knew they'd go with almost anything in my closet - stylish and practical! They are on the website now for only $29 - talk about a steal!  Shortly after ordering my glasses arrived.


My glasses looked exactly as they appeared on the website. I'm really enjoying them.



You can get your pair of Firmoo glasses too!  Visit the website where you can find the curent promos and top picks.  Also you can get 15% off of your first order  by visiting this page.

Enjoy!!!

Cheers,
Nika

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Black Fashion Through The Ages


Great video showing the evolution of black fashion from the mid 1950s to today


Thursday, August 27, 2015

Prepping for the MET Gala: Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw for Vogue

I love these photos of Gugu Mbatha-Raw as much as I loved her in the movies Belle and Beyond the Lights. Vogue gives us an intimate look Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Lanvin artistic director, Alber Elbaz, getting ready for the 2014 MET Gala. How gorgeous is she?






See more photos HERE.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Style Files: Afro Punk Fest Brooklyn


Yesterday I attended day one of the Afro Punk Festival in Brooklyn. The Afro Punk Festival is annual celebration of music across the African Diaspora. 


For the festival I dressed down a little black dress from Zara with flats then layered a large multicolored statement necklace with a simple turquoise stone necklace and added by mirrored sunglasses. I then grabbed by camera to take style photos and hit the road.

Here are a few of the style photos I captured below. Afro Punk did not disappoint. It took "Black in Style" to another level. Enjoy!!!

















Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Alicia Keys on Why She Stopped Hiding Her Gifts and Dimming Her Light



"Let your light so shine before men so that  others may see your good works, and glorify your Father who art in Heaven" 



In a beautifully raw post titled, A Reflection, Alicia Keys shares her decision to stop hiding and to fully embrace herself. She writes,


"For as long as I can remember, I’ve hidden myself. It might have started in school when I realized that I caught on to things a little quicker, and teachers started to show slight favor to me, or use me as an example. I remember feeling like my friends would make fun of me or look at me as if I was different from them and so… I started hiding. Not intentionally, I didn’t mean to, but I did. Little pieces at a time."

Afraid to stand out or bring too much attention to herself, Alicia Keys decided to hide in order to fit in, a practice so many succumb  to hoping to avoid criticism, envy or worse.


"I became comfortable hiding, my intelligence, my physical appearance, my truths, my  thoughts, myself."


Hiding impacted Alicia as an artist and in the way she chose to express herself through her clothing choices,


"I chose the baggy jeans and timbs, I chose the ponytail and hat, I chose no makeup, no bright color lipstick or pretty dresses. I chose to hide. Pieces at a time. Less trouble that way."


She describes the moment when  she experienced the epiphany to fully embrace herself and let the caged bird free,


"And just the other day it hit me! OMG! Alicia!!! Why are you choosing to be that person?? That is so old and outdated!! STOP!!
You are allowed to be smart
You are allowed to be beautiful
You are allowed to be radical and have strong thoughts that others might not agree with
You are allowed to be tough
You are allowed to be sexy
You are allowed to be bold
You are allowed to be shapely
You are allowed to be kind
You are allowed to be yourself!!"


You can read the entire post on Alicia Keys' Website 

Have you ever felt the need to hide your talents and gifts to make other people comfortable? Do you relate to Alicia's post? 

Five Lessons From My Two Year Fitness Journey




1. Fitness is indeed a lifestyle. Since I've been working out consistently for the past two years, I now view fitness as a lifestyle choice. Not only do I reap physical benefits, if I am having a particularly stressful day going to the gym is like medicine to me.  Additionally since I started working out, I make healthier choices about the foods I eat.



2. "Poco y Poco," little by little. A past roommate taught me a phrase that I apply to many areas of my life: "poco y poco," little by little.  Getting fit is a matter of consistency and little by little you WILL make progress and see changes. It's not about going to the gym for a couple of weeks to see a big change. The small changes matter, and they add up overtime. Each work out is a step to a healthier you.



3. Variety is the spice of life; it's also the spice of fitness. A few times in my journey, I got bored with my exercise routines, which affected my desire to go to the gym. These times serve as a sign that I need to add variety or try something different. For example, earlier this year I started going to a class (Zumba, Pilates etc) once a week, and more recently, I purchased Bret Contreras and Kelli Davis' amazing book, Strong Curves.  I am now on week seven of the Strong Curves Gluteal Goddess Program, and I love it!


4. Increased confidence and discipline. Making it to the gym will not always be easy. There are days I simply don't feel like going; yet I go only to leave feeling proud of myself for my follow through despite my feelings. It takes discipline to keep a promise to yourself and stick with a routine when you feel otherwise, but the rewards are worth it! Additionally, I am a lot more confident in how my body looks and how I feel about myself.  It's also nice when other people notice and compliment your hard work. 

5. Inspiration Matters.  Thanks to the internet and social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest, I have tons of fitness inspiration at my fingertips. Although I don't know many of these ladies in real life, having visuals of my goals keeps me motivated.



What are some lessons that you've learned since you started working out? Please share them in the comment box.