Leandra Medine's Blog, page 3

How I’m Holding My Complex Feelings About Kamala Harris

It was a typical day when I found out Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his vice presidential pic. I had just finished watering my vegetable garden and came inside to sit on the couch while checking my social media on my phone. I felt pangs of excitement and joy. I celebrated and silently prayed. I eagerly scrolled through my newsfeed and saw posts from friends and family members who shared in that excitement. I was also cautiously optimistic.

My mixed feelings stemmed from a history of both lived and observed experiences. I have witnessed Black women being placed under glass ceilings and trying to live up to unattainable standards that are set up to make them fail. For instance, a close friend of mine was hired for her first management job, and she was the only Black manager at the retail store. No one told her that she would be expected to fix managerial problems that she wasn’t even trained to correct. She was blamed for things that weren’t her responsibilities, she has been set up. In my own life, there have been similar struggles. I have felt the frustration of being treated like a diversity hire, instead of a valuable employee. While working in education, there was a specific job that used me as a Black face to illustrate diversity, but when it came to receiving help, no one seemed to care about me. I would have people steal my teaching supplies and gossip about my natural hair texture. When I was an undergraduate, I had a white professor tell me that I should be content with a lower grade than I earned. They believed I would fine because our school had a repeat and replace system, and that I should strive for less when it came to academic achievement that semester. With each of these experiences, there was so much ambition and tenacity that was met with contestation and erasure. It’s been frustrating and exhausting at the same time. Like many other Black women, it feels like I have been expected to sink, instead of being encouraged to swim. 

I also know that Black leaders, sometimes even those with good intentions, are not immune to oversights that contribute to anti-blackness. I’ve witnessed Black leaders overlook intersectionality and Black womanhood as well as Black leaders in police departments that make excuses for white officers that brutalize unarmed Black people that are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement. This includes Harris, as her approaches to leadership have not always been successful in advocating for the Black community. 

Clinical social worker Ayana A. Ali works with patients who are struggling with race-related trauma and believes that one of the reasons Black women are loyal to Harris is because they identify with the way she has been vilified by the media, in much the same way I have. Ali explained, “Because Black women are often stereotyped and maligned, especially in the media, many may feel that speaking publicly about criticism of Harris is a betrayal, only serving to further perpetuate those societal tendencies, even if they support her. However, if we truly want to have opportunities like everyone else, we have to be willing to allow our candidates’ records and platforms to be analyzed and critiqued like everyone else’s. We don’t need Black women to be treated with kid gloves, we need them to be treated fairly.”

Misogynoir is sexism that is directed specifically against Black women through racist, gendered aggression and rhetoric. In this campaign, it manifested in the way complaints about Harris have gone beyond political issues, and critiques that intersect with race. Harris has also been portrayed as an aggressor, rather than a passionate leader. It is gaslighting to suggest that Harris is ridiculously or inappropriately angry when she is tackling issues with as much zeal as white male candidates do. 

In the same way that Donald Trump and his supporters labeled Michelle Obama “angry,” they have begun to use the same language and imagery when referring to Harris. Obama was described by a West Virginia county employee as an “ape in heels,” and former Univision host Rodner Figueroa said, “Michelle Obama looks like she’s part of the cast of Planet of the Apes.” Both of these people fed into the vicious trend of racist, gendered attacks on Black women leaders. 

The Trump campaign has already claimed that Harris is an angry Black woman and accused the Oakland, California-born candidate of being illegal. The same claim was made about President Obama. 

Though I do connect to the racism that she’s experiencing, my opinion of her as a candidate is still complicated. She’s made big claims in the past about supporting Black Lives Matter and even advocating for police reform, but her actions have not always translated accordingly. She has a track record of being the “Top Cop”, as a prosecutor in a criminal justice system that has come down unjustly on Black people, specifically Black men.

Harris may have perpetuated out-of-line law enforcement tactics that have been deadly, possibly even contributing to instances of police brutality and prison overcrowding with a majority of Black men. She has also been accused of either doing nothing when it comes to cases of police violence or has even increased it in some cases: “While serving as attorney general in 2016, for example, [Harris] she opposed a bill to investigate deadly police shootings following the death of a stabbing suspect — shot 21 times by police — that sparked huge protests.”

I also know that, for years, Black people have been forced to make unfair trade-offs when working in an inherently anti-black system. There is a degree of self compromise that Harris, and so many others, have to reckon with. I don’t know how much Harris will lead the Democratic shift or merely be one of Biden’s passengers, but I do know that as a Black woman, it’s okay for me to feel a multiplicity of emotions when it comes to Harris.

Harris isn’t just a Black woman, she isn’t just an Indian woman, she’s not just a woman, or a candidate, or even a wife, she is an intersection of identities that all come together to make her a masterpiece of complexity and humanity. I love that she has flaws because those imperfections make her who she is. Black women voters don’t want to be reduced only to our Blackness or our womanhood when it comes to our political beliefs, and the same is true for Harris. 

When people see me, I don’t want to be a monolithic conceptualization of what a Black woman should be, I hate feeling erased in that way. There have been too many unbearably painful moments in my life in which people have labeled me worthless because of my Black womanhood, instead of trying to get to know me. 

As theorist and professor Kimberle Crenshaw has asserted in her studies on intersectionality, “I center Black women in analysis in order to contrast the multidimensionality of Black women’s experience with the single-axis analysis that distorts these experiences.”

I think it’s my right to both support and challenge her candidacy for vice president. It doesn’t make me part of the opposition or an unconditional supporter—simply an informed voter, which is something Black women rarely are allowed to be. We are often pigeonholed, forced to choose between loving a Black candidate and criticizing that candidate’s reputation or policies. It’s not a matter of who’s right or wrong when it comes to Harris, it’s about Black women deserving the autonomy to unapologetically feel what we want to feel about Kamala Harris, for better or for worse.

Feature Image via Getty Images.

The post How I’m Holding My Complex Feelings About Kamala Harris appeared first on Repeller.

Take Your Bed With you: 3 Cozy People Style Quilted Clothes

Two years ago, I saw someone wearing a pair of quilted liner pants—paper-bag belted—on Bowery, with a shrunken white tee and loafers. The entire outfit was noteworthy, but what stood out was the quilted material’s stitching pattern (not least because the pants were pretty utilitarian, the military style you can find on Etsy). A year or so later, re-worked quilted jackets began to flood my Instagram Explore page. These were re-worked jackets—some made from pieced-together old quilts, some from a patchwork of fabrics—and I have since considered quilted material a category in itself, much like leather or denim. A fabric category I’ve completely neglected.

While there are designer quilting brands—like Bode, which makes epic quilted jackets—I want to spotlight the vintage brands and independent upcyclers who embrace quilting. Here, see their work on three of my fellow quilting enthusiasts, including my dear co-worker Amalie, whose collection includes a very special custom jacket by the brand Psychic Outlaw. If you can get one of your own, it’s a very cool item to invest in. 

Scroll on to see how all three style quilt, and why they agree it’s a great option for fall dressing.

Amalie



Jacket: Psychic Outlaw; Jeans: Eve Denim; Turtleneck: Uniqlo

Deputy editor at Repeller and ardent quilt and patchwork enthusiast, prematurely diagnosed cat lady, village elder.

I ordered this coat from Psychic Outlaw back in February. Psychic Outlaw, which I seemingly can’t stop talking about, makes fabulous coats out of vintage quilts that either they source or YOU source. How cool?

I’ve credited her in the past, but Ruby Redstone initiated my intrigue with the coat she had made from her grandmother’s quilt and wore while emulating S/S 2018 Simone Rocha. I knew I wanted to snap one up before everyone flooded their inbox, so I commissioned a coat from a quilt they had sourced and opted for a hip-length, snap-closure number. It’s very mint leaves and pea salad vibes, but I’m going to wear it in any and all transitional weather.

I have… more than a few quilted items. I feel like quilting/patchwork is inherent to my style DNA. Since I love print mixing and am unafraid of looking like a craft project, I feel like these pieces work hard in my closet. I have a pair of pants, another jacket from B Sides x Bode that I scored on major sale from Opening Ceremony a while back, a Ralph Lauren blazer, a Tyler McGillivary top… I wear them all frequently. I know what I like! And I always want the colors to be right for me. I have a pretty specific color palette, most of the time, which involves a lot of what I guess I would call “hunting colors.” (Think: forest green, beige, navy blue, red, burgundy.) But I also have a secondary color palette that is a little more vibrant: mint, lilac, pale blue, sea green, yellow. It’s a whole jumble of things. But when I see a patchwork garment I like, it largely has to do with the interplay of colors.

Since this jacket is very “spring chicken,” I’ll probably want to make some stylistic elements feel a little heftier for the season. I plan on wearing it with a pale blue turtleneck underneath, some straight-leg, dark-wash jeans, and loafers. It needs the right things to go with it, from a color and silhouette perspective. I’d definitely call it more of an “occasion” coat, in that I need to plan my outfit around it, but it’s one that I looOoOove having in the rotation.

There is literally not one single item on this earth that I would not enjoy in a quilted form. You will catch me at age 80 in head-to-toe patchwork, waving my cane on my porch in Maine with a lobster tail hanging out of my mouth.

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Psychic Outlaw

Quilted Supply Chore Coat


$180.00 Shop Now







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Bode

Reworked Quilted Workwear Jacket


$1,554.00 Shop Now







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Thrilling

Quilted Patchwork Multicolor Jacket


$60.00 Shop Now







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Upcycled Gypsy

Upcycled Quilt and Chenille Jacket


$195.00 Shop Now







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Sea NY

Paloma Patchwork Coat


$595.00 Shop Now







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Deannes Originals

Handmade Quilted Jacket


$90.00 Shop Now









Avry



Pants: Vintage via Nxcvintage; Top: Endless Rose; Shoes: EGO; Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs

Avry is 28 years old, lives in North Carolina, and has a cute and tiny colorful home. She also owns an online vintage shop , where she curates cute vintage wearables inspired by her wardrobe. 

I’ve owned these pants for a little over a year now. I found them while thrifting, and at that time I was looking for quilted items like CRAZY! I was super excited when I found this pair. 

I own three vintage quilted items. Two of them will be for sale at Nxcvintage Shop very soon! The other I’m too obsessed with right now to let go of. I normally look for pastel colors in quilted garments because that’s my aesthetic—I’m not picky about the lining, design, or material. 

While I won’t be wearing this piece for the fall—since it’s coming to Nxcvintage Shop—I also own a vintage quilted trench coat in lilac that I plan to wear with flared pants, a T-shirt, and chunky boots. I’ve styled this in the past with a tucked-in lilac blazer and heels for a more dressed-up look. They are extremely comfortable and can be worn almost everyday.  

Quilted clothing is so fun, and I love the texture and character they bring to an outfit!

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Front Country Designs

Handmade Mid-Rise Quilted Pant


$59.99 Shop Now







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Polygonal Forest

Handmade High-Rise Quilted Padded Pants


$79.98 Shop Now







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NARRŌ

Quilted Liner Pants


$91.00 Shop Now







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Front Country Designs

Handmade Floral Quilted Pants


$49.99 Shop Now







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Awesome Vintage Tees

70s Floral Quilted Pants


$79.00 Shop Now









Miriam



Jacket: Vintage via Butter Vintage Store; Dress: WrayNYC; Boots: Vagabond Shoemakers; Pin: Vintage via Lodestone Collection; Bag: Vintage via Etsy — similar here

A fashion design graduate now working in Finance, Miriam expresses her love for fashion through dressing up in vintage and sustainable clothing.

I got this velvet quilted jacket on Etsy from Butter Vintage Store last winter, after searching for weeks for a quilted jacket that fit my style. I had only found army green or denim, which are two things I never wear—but eventually I found this brown velvet jacket! And shortly after, a black velvet and a silk, wine-colored one. I was ecstatic because these are fabrics I always seek out for their durability, expensive look, and texture. I always look for fabrics that are natural fibers and these had silk or cotton lining, which was a big bonus. This is my most-used quilted jacket since it’s my favorite! 

I typically wear it with a sweater underneath and trousers or high waisted pants so I was excited to style it with a dress and booties for fall today!. I plan on wearing it with dresses and boots this fall since fall in California isn’t that cold. 

It’s such a versatile piece that I wore it everyday when I got it, but because it’s vintage I have to remind myself to be more careful with it and not overuse it. I would love to find a quilted coat, headband, or even a quilted dress would be a fun piece to wear. 

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Butter Vintage Store

90s Quilted Velvet Jacket


$55.00 Shop Now







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Worn Vintage Shop

70s Quilted Velvet Jacket


$46.00 Shop Now







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Thrilling

Susan Bristol Green Quilted Velvet Jacket


$98.00 Shop Now







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Fashion ReWork

70s Quilted Velvet Jacket


$70.00 Shop Now







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Hard Travelin’ Vintage

80s Paisley Quilted Velvet Jacket


$53.55 Shop Now

The post Take Your Bed With you: 3 Cozy People Style Quilted Clothes appeared first on Repeller.

Fringe Jackets & Ceramic Coffee Mugs: This Week’s Best Vintage Finds

I stumble across so many treasures on the internet while finding market for other stories. Here’s where I’ll share them with you, alternating weekly between vintage/second-hand and contemporary finds. Sign up here for our Shopping Newsletter, with eight additional finds every Friday.

I just wrote a story about loafers (not sure if you saw it, but here it is), in which I suggested classic horsebit vintage Gucci loafers. The same day the story was published, I saw a friend wearing a pair, and I thought it was a sign. Maybe not? But I like to think it was. So I found some more, all for you. .

And not just loafers, my friends! Witness: cool fringed jackets and jeans, gold chain necklaces, a pair of cool earrings, ceramic plates, a very awesome red cardigan, and some reworked denim. Scroll on below and shop with me, if you please.

1. I Have a Loafers Obsession

The day I wrote this story on loafers, I ran into a friend, and the first thing I noticed (other than her smile) was her vintage Gucci loafers. I felt so validated. They were perfect: suede, square-toed, a little bit chunky. I forgot to take a photo, so had her text one to me. The creative direction was all hers! I will say it forever: Loafers are the best fall footwear.

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Gucci

Horsebit Suede Loafers


$275.00 Shop Now







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Gucci

Horsebit Suede Loafer


$149.00 Shop Now







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Gucci

Horsebit Suede Loafers


$169.00 Shop Now







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CornerNess

90’s Black Suede Square Toe Loafers


$96.00 Shop Now







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Digger O’Dell Vintage

60s Black and White Chunky Heel Platform Loafers


$37.45 Shop Now









2. Some Fringed Jackets

I was searching for fringed jackets for a story and subsequently fell into a deep, deep hole. From leather to suede to this rainbow vision, a cool, fringed jacket is a superior addition to my fall wardrobe—I’ll soon swap an old windbreaker of my dad’s for one. 

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Thrilling

Fringe Leather Jacket with Red Rose Details


$250.00 Shop Now







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Honey Vintage

Rainbow Fringe Jacket


$78.50 Shop Now







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Cordial Quail Vintage

Fringe Leather Suede Jacket


$143.99 Shop Now







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Thrilling

60’s Brown Suede Fringe Leather Jacket


$120.00 Shop Now









3. And a Pair of Fringed Jeans

These upcycled jeans are available in sizes 0-20. Message the seller—Sustainable Maria, whose shop I frequently browse—to chat about length and fit. I love the idea of wearing these with tall boots, so the fringe hangs over the shaft of the boots. Ah! Fall dressing rules.

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Sustainable Maria

Upcycled fringed hem jeans


$70.00 Shop Now








4. Gold Necklaces Forever!

Remember this gold necklace story? I stand by the fact that a gold chain does wonders for basically any outfit. Since publication, I’ve found a few more worth checking out—especially if you’re looking for something to pair with the T-shirt you wore to bed (see: my daily video call uniform). Check out this two-toned one—you could wear it long, or wrap it around twice!

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Replayed Vintage

90s Gold Chain Necklace


$26.00 Shop Now







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Southern Star Vintage

Gold and Silver Cable Chain Long Necklace


$16.99 Shop Now







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Annapurna Vintage

80s Curb Link Chain And Enamel Toggle Necklace


$40.00 Shop Now







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Boxer Loving Lady

60s Gold Rope Chain Necklace


$54.00 Shop Now









5. A Jacket and a Vest…

If you haven’t yet encountered the beauty of Moore Vintage, block off some time in your cal. I’m specifically eyeing this wool military jacket with bold buttons and this Gaultier denim vest. There are just so many treasures. You be the judge!

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Moore Vintage

Jacques Heim Navy Wool Military Style Jacket


$150.00 Shop Now







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Moore Vintage

Gaultier Jeans Denim Vest


$150.00 Shop Now









6. Ceramic Dinnerware

My boyfriend Mikey and I recently stumbled upon a new shop in our neighborhood with soooo many colorful ceramic pieces. I’m not able to drop that cash right now, but I’d love a cool ceramic mug or two for morning coffee. Maybe they’d make you happy too, so take a browse of one or two (rhyme!).

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Ms. Vintage Nicole

Handmade Ceramic Mug


$20.00 Shop Now







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MPM Vintage

Set of Ceramic Strawberry Mugs


$24.00 Shop Now







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Pearl and Lilys Finds

80s Handmade Ceramic Cup and Saucer


$19.99 Shop Now







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Circ Antiques

40s Henriot Quimper Cup and Saucer


$45.00 Shop Now







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Forgotten Birds

Set of 6 Höganäs Ceramic Yellow Footed Egg Cups


$51.24 Shop Now









7. This Loop Knit Cardigan

I had a poodle-esque sweater years ago that I irresponsibly lost, and I still think about it sometimes. I love this shaggy red cardigan from Hot Cocoa Vintage that you can wear buttoned up, open, OR over your shoulders, like a voluminous shawl. I’m a fan of texture, and this sweater’s got it.

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Hot Cocoa Vintage

Shaggy Loop Knit Sweater


$72.00 Shop Now








8. Reworked Denim

(embed photo of Amalie from her Girlfriend dressing story in the patchwork denim)

I keep adding reworked denim to these Treasure Hunts because I am really, really in love with the idea of a patchwork pair of jeans + shrunken cardigan + boots for fall. Amalie got a pair of these and wore them in a recent story, which I think just confirms my idea of how some reworked denim can really transform an outfit. 

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Redhill Maxwell

Reworked Wrangler Colorblock Patchwork Jeans


$95.00 Shop Now







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Keeka Vintage

Reworked Levi’s Colorblock Patchwork Jeans


$84.00 Shop Now







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Re/Worked by Tamar

Reworked Patchwork Jeans


$87.12 Shop Now







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Samaria Leah

Reworked Levi’s with Leg Slit and Safety Pin Detail


$250.00 Shop Now







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eBay

Reworked Levi’s Colorblock Patchwork Jeans


$95.00 Shop Now







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Hersuit

80s Suede Patchwork Jeans


$225.00 Shop Now

Graphic by Lorenza Centi.

The post Fringe Jackets & Ceramic Coffee Mugs: This Week’s Best Vintage Finds appeared first on Repeller.

Writers Club Prompt: Where’s the Magic Right Now?

Lately, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the kind of magic that makes up our everyday lives, and not just because October is the month when I feel it is my one true calling to watch Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman wearing the hell out of floral skirt/lace top outfits, c. 1998. However, this time around, Practical Magic has offered me something other than nostalgic campy-spooky comfort blanket sensations and autumnal outfit inspo. 

So many of my days recently have bled together in a watercolor hellscape of dark news and numb alienation, and I’ve been looking for a way to feel electric. I’ve found myself trying to emulate Sandy and Nicky’s (we’re on a first name basis after this many re-watches) ability in the movie to turn the everyday things of the world into magical, improbable delights and fiascos. I wondered how much magic I would notice and feel in my day to day slog if I wasn’t so numb, cynical, or distracted. I’m not saying I thought I would find an old love potion in my pantry that I had somehow forgotten about. I’m saying that perhaps there are all kinds of mysterious whimsies and wonders that I’m missing out on because I’m not paying enough attention. 

For example, if someone asked me to describe how a microwave works without using Google, I could give a word salad answer about water molecules sped up by microwaves that generate heat because… umm energy equals velocity something, something, Einstein? But in reality, the fact that I put some frozen fish sticks in a humming box for two minutes, and they come out edible (in the loosest possible sense of the word) is a mysterious miracle. Sure, if I had paid more attention in a class I didn’t/would never take, wherein they cover microwave science, this phenomenon would perhaps lose its magical wonderment dimension. But I didn’t, and so here I am, left with an experience of everyday practical magic as I’m redefining it for our purposes this month: 

Practical magic is the process of transforming something totally mundane into something mysterious and magical by shifting our perspective and looking at our lives with curiosity about all the things we do not know or can not explain. 

I don’t mean this prompt to sound like I’m being all touchy-feely, baby’s-first-acid-trip, universal-oneness about our lives right now, I’m definitely not on that vibe (you can ask my therapist if you need to confirm that I am constantly mired in polling data and dread). But I do offer this prompt as an invitation to experience our everyday lives with an attitude of curiosity, reckless wonder, and the seriousness of a child at play. For this month’s writer’s club, we want to hear about the practical magic you encounter in your everyday life. 

You can respond to this prompt in so many different ways, such as: Is there a curse on your family that you want to get to the bottom of? Did you once see someone on a train who looked like a long-lost twin/doppelganger and do you ever think about them? Did you re-meet your childhood best friend on the subway and realize you had basically lived parallel lives? Were you born with memories from inside the womb, and if so, how do you make sense of them? Have you ever shared a dream with another person or dreamed something that became reality? 

I want to hear about the fat raven that sits on the telephone wire across the street from your house and how you have started to wonder if he recognizes you and is trying to communicate. I want to read about how you’ve manifested love or transformed grief or re-created your late nana’s recipe for black-eyed peas just from the scent-memory. 

I want to hear about these inexplicable magics and I want to hear how you make sense of them now. I want you to 

Play with form! Take big risks! Tell that secret truth you never believed you could muster the stones to tell! I’ll be here, waiting to welcome you into the salt circle.

Please send your submissions (of 600 words or fewer) to writersclub@manrepeller.com by Monday, October 12 at 9:30am EST. 

Graphic by Lorenza Centi.

The post Writers Club Prompt: Where’s the Magic Right Now? appeared first on Repeller.

How “Girlfriends” Helped Me Find My Girlfriends (And Myself)

My girlfriends, there through thick and thin…

This lyric, sung by Angie Stone and written by Ty Dolla Sign, opens the iconic early 2000s hit sitcom, Girlfriends, and isn’t only a catchy tune. I think of it as a rite of passage, the greeting I sing as an endearing welcome to my best friends at dinner, the name of our infamous group chat that dings with messages of romantic dates and nightmare work stories. Girlfriends, the hit sitcom that graced our TV screens for eight seasons, just marked its 20th anniversary and has the world reflecting on the cultural imprint it’s left on generations of women. Joan. Toni. Maya. Lynn. These women flashed on my screen starting when I was seven, when I watched it with my mother as she plaited my hair, and grew with me into a teenager wanting to understand love and relationships through the lens of women in their late twenties. Now, as an adult, I sit in my Brooklyn apartment, living through some of the same intimate moments that these characters portrayed.

FROM LEFT: Jill Marie Jones (Toni), Golden Brooks (Maya), Tracee Ellis Ross (Joan), Persia White (Lynn). Im age via Everett Collection.

Maya’s “Oh, hell no” jolts my nostalgia and reminds me of my everyday self. As a 27-year-old Black woman, I realized the life I manifested was inspired greatly by these iconic characters.  Their tenacity to discuss life, love, and sex from four different perspectives opened my world to what looks like to be a woman finding love, building a career, and have a evolving sister-friend group. Sex in the City came to me as an adult and I was never much interested in Friends. Joan and her crew of Girlfriends were the embodiment of the women I wanted to become—and 20 years later, I am. 

As I binge, starting from the first episode, I watch Joan open the show in a backless, sexy cowl-neck dress. I chuckle at the resemblance, her magnetic energy, and how opulent it is to see myself in the women of my childhood on TV once again. This time, I’m watching it as a grown woman, during a time where being present in my Blackness is just as important as my womanly prowess. Below, I recreated some of the most memorable looks from the show, and talked with Repeller’s Mikaela Clark about it.

Toni



Dress: Helmut Lang via Shopbop; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Bag: Mlouye

Let’s start with Toni. What were you trying to convey?

Toni is a beautiful woman who really knows her curves. Toni is self-obsessed. She knows what she wants. She knows how she wants it. And she goes for it. She knows her body—she’s top heavy, she loves a nice slit. I wanted to give her some sexiness, but still feel a little polished. I really wanted to have a hot, sexy number—a hot red dress with my red lips and a really cute stiletto. She always had such a lady-bag, so I have a little cute lady bag for her as well.

Maya



Pants: Tibi; Shawl top: LaPointe, Shoes: UGG x Eckhaus Latta; Earring: SVNR; Ring: Rush Jewelry; Ring: Pamela Love; Necklace: Pamela Love

I love the way you interpreted Maya. The actress who played Maya had such an iconic way of speaking—everything about her character was so bright and loud. How did you try to capture Maya’s personality?

Maya was out there—she was loud, in your face. Didn’t care what anybody thought about her as a black woman. People would judge her, call her whatever they needed to call her. But she was like, “Oh, hell no!” I love her, she’s such a great character. 

Her personality really bleeds through her fashion, too. Maya’s look is eccentric—she’s always had a very neo-soul energy, and I really wanted to embody that. I had this spunky Ugg x Eckhaus Latta collaboration shoe with her red pants. Maya is very red leather pants. And, you know, the girls always wore cowl-neck blouses, so, I wanted to give her one of those, too. It was a Joan thing at first, but they all kind of embodied it.

Lynn



Skirt: Tibi via Shopbop; Tank: Aritzia, Boots: Versace; Shirt: Versace; Tights: Wolford; Earrings: Sacai; Choker: Justine Clenquet; Necklace: Lady Gray

Let’s look at Lynn. You pulled out a part of her character that could fly under the radar if you didn’t really watch the show. What inspired you to go in an edgy direction with her, when people might pigeon-hole her in maxi dresses?

Yes! In the beginning, Lynn was very boho—maxi dresses, knits, silk skirts—but then she transitioned her style, and in the later seasons it got edgy and polished, a little gothy. I was wearing a lot of Versace in that look. I wanted to elevate her a little bit and really accentuate the things that I love about Lynn. She was, especially for Black alternative women, the girl that we wanted to be. She got her degree because she didn’t want to work in corporate America. She wanted to be something different. She was finding herself as a biracial woman. All these different things really spoke to me.

Joan



Top: Bottega Veneta via MATCHESFASHION; Blazer: Acne Studios via MATCHESFASHION; Pants: Jil Sander via MATCHESFASHION; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Bag: EDAS; Necklace: Via Saviene

Okay, now onto Joan Clayton: The one and only.

I’m a Joan. When Girlfriends came out, Joan was the beautiful black woman with the ‘fro wearing her hair natural, and her smile was impeccable. She wore her suits in a very beautiful way that didn’t feel boring or corporate. Her accessories were spot on, whether it was a fire bag, a beautiful shoe, or great jewelry. Honestly, when I think about style icons for workwear, Joan and my mother definitely are my hugest inspirations. Even for my mom, she dressed like Joan, too. That’s how I saw my mom going to her offices. There’s something so regal about seeing a woman in a suit. Joan has had so many other moments, whether it’s her jeans and a really cute, sexy top, but I really wanted to give her a suit. I wanted to showcase a power woman in a suit with her natural hair, flowing through life.

She was in a law office, and her suits weren’t boring. She accentuated her curves—Joan had hips, she had a booty! And they made her look amazing. I wore a Jil Sander pant with this Acne Studios blazer and a Bottega Veneta button-down and a cute hoop and this bag from EDAS. It was just one of these things that really took Joan to 2020—what would Joan wear now?

Would you say that Joan has inspired the way that you style just in your own profession?

I think they all do. I’m definitely wearing a Toni dress if I’m going on a date. I’m definitely wearing a Joan power-suit if I have an amazing business meeting with a client where I really need to seal the deal. I’m definitely Maya, wearing a funky pant and a cute top, when I’m going to hang out with my girlfriends. And I’m definitely Lynn when I’m lounging around my house or going to the grocery store.

FROM LEFT: Sade is wearing: Dress: Emilio Pucci; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Earring: Pamela Love; Ring: Edas; Samantha is wearing: Dress: Maggie Marilyn; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Asiah is wearing: Scarf as top: SVNR; Skirt: SVNR; Shoes: Studio Amelia; Mecca is wearing: Dress: Lanvin; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Earrings: Rush Jewelry

I want to talk about these absolutely stunning group shots. How excited were you to put the group shot together?

When watching this show, I was just like, “Yo, I have girlfriends like this.” And so I thought, How can I bring my girlfriends into this story? How can I really showcase how I authentically have this within my own life? 

I wanted to show the pastels in a really beautiful way—to do a 2020 version of what this image could be in Brooklyn, in my neighborhood, with my girlfriends. I wanted it to be authentic, and for you to see who these characters are from a fresh perspective.

FROM LEFT: Mecca is wearing: Dress: Lanvin; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Earrings: Rush Jewelry; Asiah is wearing: Scarf as top: SVNR; Skirt: SVNR; Shoes: Studio Amelia; Samantha is wearing: Dress: Maggie Marilyn; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Sade is wearing: Dress: Emilio Pucci; Shoes: Brother Vellies; Earring: Pamela Love; Ring: Edas



All wearing: Jeans: Levi’s; Tank: Hanes

When you chose which person would embody which character, did you match them with the character that they vibe with the most?

Yes. In the beginning I was very gung-ho on saying, “Okay, you’re this person, you’re this person.” But we all embody these characters in different ways. When I saw the pink Lanvin dress on my rack, I didn’t imagine it for me. Then, when the dress arrived, I thought “Oh my God, it’s beautiful. I want to wear it.” So of course I was like, “Okay, I’m transitioning into Lynn.”

We, my girlfriends, all embody these characters in different ways, but we definitely showcase our own personal style within the shots. For the denim group picture, even in our makeup, you can just see how we present ourselves with our own beauty choices. We all wore a red lip, a white tank, and jeans—but you can still see our personalities.

All wearing: Jeans: Levi’s; Tank: Hanes; Mecca wearing: Shoes: Proenza Schouler; Necklace: Lady Gray

Photography: Beth Sacca
Styling: Mecca James-Williams
Hair: Mick Smith
Makeup: Jalessa Jaikaran
Models: Mecca James-Williams, Samantha Mims, Sade Mims, Asiah James

The post How “Girlfriends” Helped Me Find My Girlfriends (And Myself) appeared first on Repeller.

Writers Club Winner: “Change That Looks Small But Feels Big”

In Japanese gardening, the phrase ‘yohaku no bi’ is used to describe the beauty of the space between. The empty space between the branches, the rocks, the earth, and the sky. The empty space is the object of beauty, the coveted thing, the intimacy. These days, we occupy space with a new hyper-awareness of human touch. We ask things like ‘when can we kiss strangers again?’ and ‘what about falling in love in public?’.

There is a change that only I know about, and that’s because it happens in my dreams. People are spaced out—not hazy-visioned, but really, actually far apart from one another. In the UK, there is a two meter rule. Even the landscape of my dreams had stretched to accommodate the space between me, and you, and the other.

When something reaches your dreams, it becomes real. It feels realer than real. It has outsized itself by internalizing itself. We notice this because our dreams are bigger than us.

The fact of change is as imperceptible as coming off of birth control. A little, little pill, nearing the end of a pack. Single in a pandemic. Succumbing to the hormonal fluctuations and changes in my skin. Indistinguishable changes from a distance of over twenty centimeters away, but my hands are addicted to the magnified side of the bathroom mirror. Deep diving into retinoids, French pharma, and ice water. Prodding only makes it worse. Reminder: it’s part of the fullness of being human.

The news has come that there may be life in the clouds of Venus. Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty. Venus, the planet of love and money. When Lana said ‘life on Mars ain’t just a song’, she got close. When Bowie said it, he planted the seed. But neither of them said ‘Venus.’ This means that the news is new news, and so it is exciting. Maybe we could all celebrate by wearing pink and telling our loved ones just that: that we love them. On this planet, the imperceptible change is that where I am, it is becoming autumn. Where you are it might be becoming fall, or maybe even something else.

The internet is ethereal. My Google searches include but are not limited to: ‘blonde root touch-up at home,’ ‘soul dancing,’ ‘christine selling sunset,’ ‘twin peaks.’ Every interaction with the computer is becoming meta, and it’s all a game of language. If networks are edges and windows are mirrors, then does the internet really exist? The change occurs at the level of paranoia. We started off clinging to the 24/hr news, the notifications from the news app, the health app, the governmental warnings. But now it’s all TikTok – Kourtney Kardashian impressions, ‘how to dress like a 1960s italian mafia wife,’ cats dressed as babushkas, and teens dancing to Kate Bush.

The change is eclectic. It is incongruous. It can’t be rushed or hurried along. It only happens when it wants to. As Andy Warhol once said of change, sometimes people ‘die before they get around to it,’ but equally, ‘when they want to, you can’t stop them.’

For me, it might have started when I stopped wearing a watch. But I still relish in the memory of rewinding it. My red fingernail under the little gold screw, levering it out, and dialing re-wind, re-wind, re-wind. A mechanical manual reset that symbolized a tangible and physical shift. The marking out of time in space. Re-synched to run five minutes early so that I’d never be late. The symbolic solution to the physical problem.

Is change really as clean as starting one thing and stopping another? As clean as doing something for 30 days and forming a new habit? If so, how come Lydia Davis said:

‘All my life I have been trying to improve my German.

At last my German is better

— but now I am old and ill and don’t have long to live.

Soon I will be dead,

with better German.’[1]

Perhaps the most honest and beneficial change happens when we’re not paying attention, and that’s why it is beautiful – because change is a force of nature – as messy as a struggle for togetherness, as rugged as the worst clean break, and murky as bath water or a change of heart. We stutter and skip over it. Change happens through absorption. It’s the background noise, the moonlight shadow, the rings around your fingers, your childhood hair.

Close your eyes and it might happen.

Watch out—it comes so fast.

[1] Davis, L., 2020. IMPROVING MY GERMAN. Paris Review, (234, Fall 2020).

Graphic by Lorenza Centi.

The post Writers Club Winner: “Change That Looks Small But Feels Big” appeared first on Repeller.

I Heard About It on Thoughtline: A Serum That Makes Your Skin Look… Perfect

We first published this story back in the Spring, and I remember that when it was cooking, I asked Harling to send me multiple selfies of her so that I could promote the story on Instagram. When she texted them to me, I was aghast—simply agog—at the effect of her skin. It looked like the kind of smooth, glassy stone you find at the bottom of the river. It was literally bubble milk tea. In the comments of the story, everyone corroborated that this skin tint—with SPF, no less, call your sister!—was the best thing since sliced babka. So, without further ado, I’ll say that we’re publishing this organic story again, this time with Ilia, so that you, too, can find your perfect shade of skin tint and wear it til the proverbial cows come home. —Amalie

Have you ever used the “touch up my appearance” filter on Zoom? I didn’t know it existed until a month ago, which I guess makes sense since I didn’t know Zoom existed until a month ago, but it was a source of immediate fascination. All you have to do is check a box in Zoom’s system preferences, and your face is transformed from “just your face” to “your face in heaven”–i.e. lit and blurred to perfection, as if you were standing in the presence of a holy being.

I don’t keep the box permanently checked (TBH, I’m afraid I’ll forget what my real face looks like), but I’m not immune to the allure of its magic-adjacent effects. So, when I was conversing with an MR Thoughtline subscriber who casually mentioned she had found the beauty product equivalent of the Zoom “touch up my appearance” filter, I sat up straight at my makeshift desk. According to Zoom, the “touch up my appearance” filter “smooths out the skin tone on your face, to present a more polished-looking appearance.” Apparently Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 does the exact same thing–but in real life.

After checking off “touch up my appearance” on Zoom.

“It’s like a tinted moisturizer but has squalane and niacinimide and hyaluronic acid and SPF!!!!” my new beauty advisor gushed. “It’s makeup that doubles as skincare. And you don’t need to do anything else to your face for it to look good–it’s like you’ve done a whole routine, but it’s only one product, and it comes in 18 shades.”

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I was sold at “squalane”—which, for the uninitiated, is a natural emollient that locks moisture into your skin. So I requested a sample and have worn it every day for a week. Let me state for the record: This stuff is BETTER than the Zoom filter. It doesn’t make you look like you’re standing in the presence of a holy being, it makes you look like you are a holy being–or at the very least like you swallowed a flashlight. I’ve never experienced such an instant uptick in glow, as if I’ve just come back from a spa instead of just coming back from my second trip to the pantry for snacks. It’s a band-aid for lack of Vitamin D if there ever was one (the fact that it contains SPF at a time I’ve never needed sun protection less is an irony that will hopefully pay off later).

My only qualm with it is the consistency, which is pretty thick (I usually opt for sheer coverage when I wear makeup), but it melts into my skin like–yes–a #stickofbutter, so there’s none of the terrible cakey texture that often comes with full-coverage foundations. The product becomes part of my skin instead of sitting on it, if that makes sense?? Anyways, this stuff is great. I’m looking forward to wearing it for more auspicious occasions than virtual work meetings and dinner with my immediate family, but in the meantime it’s the ideal pick-me-up for my perpetually pajama-clad state of existence.

The post I Heard About It on Thoughtline: A Serum That Makes Your Skin Look… Perfect appeared first on Repeller.

Pandemic Parenting: When Detangling Hair Feels Like Your Greatest Triumph

A few months ago, the Repeller team started putting together a series of stories about motherhood and parenting during the pandemic. The first piece featured Abbi, who detailed her experience of being pregnant for the first time during strict social distancing regulations in Los Angeles. Today’s story is about a more specific, but no less poignant, aspect of parenting: hair care.

My son’s last haircut was in December. He was already overdue for one in March, when all the salons closed, and by May he had a mullet, albeit a curly, adorable one that my mom begged me not to cut. Calder, all of 7, liked it too—said he looked cool, like a skater kid—except when I’d bark reminders at him to stop brushing it out of his eyes when we left our Manhattan apartment for our daily constitutional around the park. “Don’t touch your face!” I’d yell, terrified of the unseen germs on elevator buttons and door handles, and then I’d immediately feel bad for yelling. I started tucking his hair back with bobby pins, but little curls always managed to escape, framing his hand-sewn puppy-print mask. 

By June it was grazing his shoulders, but he wouldn’t let me cut it. Only Pepe, his longtime barber at Astor Place Hairstyles, could have that privilege. (“Do you think he misses me?” Calder asked one night. Of course I said yes.) Combing through the tangles after his baths began to lead to fights and tears. As if we needed any more tears in our house. Tears about remote learning, about having to go outside, about limited Minecraft play, about the lack of mac and cheese in our cabinets, about how I worked too much. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I stopped combing it. At bedtime I tried running my hands through his hair and my fingers got stuck. 

Calder started swimming every day and soon his luscious curls had become knots and nests, impenetrable to brushing.

When school ended we decamped to my in-law’s cottage on a lake in Western Maine. Calder started swimming every day and soon his luscious curls had become knots and nests, impenetrable to brushing. He’d scream bloody murder when I came at him with a comb. He deemed my conditioner “girlie” and refused to use it during his much less frequent than normal showers (“Swimming in the lake counts as a bath!”). I tried attacking the knots while he was zoned out in front of his iPad, watching Duck Tales before dinner, but I’d inevitably only get one side brushed out so he looked like some kind of Tim Burton creation. 

And then I found it: a bottle of Johnson’s No More Tangles spray in the bathroom cabinet, a relic from when his much-older girl cousins were long-haired elementary schoolers. Johnson & Johnson released No More Tangles in 1971, 18 years after it cornered the market on baby shampoo. A commercial from that time features an angelic-faced blonde preschooler with a mess of wet hair, frowning at the camera. “I have this terrible problem with my hair after shampooing,” she says with a slight lisp. “The comb gets stuck in the tangles and it hurts. Thank goodness Johnson’s invented No More Tangles. Mommy just sprays some, and no more tangles.” Cut to the girl smiling with a salon-worthy ’do. “And see how shiny and manageable my hair stays!”

I sprayed some on my own hair and breathed in deep: Here was the chemically engineered scent of possibility.

Here was my answer: a simple mix of behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, citric acid, dimethicone, trisiloxane, and polysorbate 20, all wrapped up in a flowery fresh scent. Forget the organic, sulfate- and paraben-free products that filled my cupboards at home. Forget the manufactured and marketed idea that “all natural” could keep my kid safe and healthy. I sprayed some on my own hair and breathed in deep: Here was the chemically engineered scent of possibility. 

That night after his shower, I showed Calder the bottle and explained how his cousins had used it and that it really delivered on its name. He looked dubious but sniffed it and nodded approvingly (“It smells like a ladies’ clothing store; I like it”), and I sprayed away. Finally the moment of truth: I pulled my comb through his wet, brown hair and it slid through seamlessly. He raised his eyebrows comically high and smiled: “I really have no more tangles!” And with that, he bounded out of the bathroom to go play with his Lego, the moment, the months of anguish, already forgotten.

I laughed but I could feel the tears welling up. There were so many things in my life that I couldn’t untangle at that moment. And I knew, on every level, that this was a minuscule win, one of those tiny victories that on any normal day, in any normal summer, would be disregarded immediately. But I let that feeling of victory linger, and when I kissed Calder goodnight and breathed in the flowery scent from that eight-year-old bottle of cream rinse, I felt stronger.

The post Pandemic Parenting: When Detangling Hair Feels Like Your Greatest Triumph appeared first on Repeller.

“Life’s Too Short to Not Wear a Dangerously Pristine Ivory Suit Set”: The Outfit Anatomy of Micaéla Verrelien

Welcome to Outfit Anatomy, a series of comprehensive style analyses that aim to break down what we wear by answering questions like: How much did that cost? Where did you find that? Why did you buy it in the first place? Up this week is Micaéla Verrelien, creative director, model, content creator, and Repeller contributor.

This outfit was created with fall in mind. To me, Fall has everything to do with layers and comfort. I won’t sacrifice my comfort. As someone who continually commutes in New York City, I need to be comfortable at all times. The foundation of any comfortable outfit is comfortable shoes, so I normally style outfits from bottom to top because I firmly believe the type of shoes I wear is not only the baseline for wearability, but they also set the tone for the day I’m trying to have. Whether it’s a day of walking around the city commuting, or a drive around the city type of day, the shoes really define the look. But, plot twist! Fall is an excellent time to switch things up so this time around I actually styled this outfit from top to bottom. 

For this look,  this amazing ivory HM X Giuliva Heritage suit jacket was the first thing I put on and became the cornerstone of the fit It’s a limited edition piece that can be found via HM.com. The collaboration in my opinion was perfect!  It brought out the amazing Italian materials and cuts that we love from Giuliva to our U.S HM stores, at an affordable price. From the minute I saw this collaboration go live via H&M, I knew that I needed this  ivory statement set. The big question  after settling on  this  affordable and luxurious ivory jacket (two big wins in one piece) was….should I do a color block theme or simply go monochrome? 

After much serious deliberation, monochrome won this time around. Once I decided that ivory was definitely the vibe,  I centered my entire outfit around this color palette and decided to wear a matching ivory turtleneck with my suit.

Wearing a full monochrome outfit to me is like fully embodying a moment in time.

The look doesn’t last forever (too much commitment), but it’s the biggest statement you can make without saying or doing much . 

With the all ivory everything look in full swing, I needed to find the perfect shoes that would pop on their own, without taking anything away from this bossy suit. I thought to myself, boots would be amazing, especially if they had a heel to it. Preferably a thick heel, because, as I said, comfort is key. I found the creamy leather Tory Burch boots that complimented my ivory suit without stealing the show. These boots have gold buckles so I knew that gold jewelry was the necessary next step to achieve total ivory power suiting transcendence. 

Jacket: Giuliva Heritage x H&M; Turtleneck: Giuliva Heritage x H&M; Trousers: Giulivaa Heritage x H&M; Boots: Tory Burch; Bag: Marc Jacobs; Link Bracelet: Jenny Bird; Bangle: Jenny Bird; Hoop Earrings: Jenny Bird; Necklace: Tres Colori.

But oh, the journey to P. Diddy white party suiting perfection was not over yet. The all-important bag selection was the final step. I didn’t want an ivory bag because I didn’t want the bag to blend in to the look, but at the same time, I also didn’t want it to be the loudest guest at the party. When wearing a monochrome outfit,  your accessories need to have their own  stand out moment too and a  dash of a different color will make a huge difference. When it comes to handbags, the best advice I can give is to look for bags that have big personalities. Like so much personality that if that bag could speak it would say “ I’m a snack”….better yet…I’m a whole snack. Like this furry Marc Jacobs bag is for sure saying that she is a whole snack and she deserves to be a part of my outfit. 

I wanted to look super chic and elegant and this outfit gave me that. From the oversized jacket to the matching colored trouser, this outfit knows its worth. This outfit is going places. This outfit’s dream day is brunch at a California beach on a beautiful Fall morning followed by a relaxed day alone at a cafe reading an inspirational book, something like “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. 

This is the outfit you put on if you are being called onto the set of the music video for Jlo’s smash “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” 

I remember watching this video as a kid, attempting to be half as confident as Jlo in my small bedroom in Massachusetts. I have a vivid memory of her wearing an amazing ivory outfit at a beach house in this video and she wore the monochrome so confidently as she strutted through the frames. That’s exactly when I knew a full ivory moment communicates heavy Queen vibes. 

Jacket: Giuliva Heritage x H&M; Turtleneck: Giuliva Heritage x H&M; Trousers: Giulivaa Heritage x H&M; Boots: Tory Burch; Bag: Marc Jacobs; Link Bracelet: Jenny Bird; Bangle: Jenny Bird; Hoop Earrings: Jenny Bird; Necklace: Tres Colori.

This is the beauty of styling a powerful look during such uncertain times. Honestly, I have loved getting dressed during the pandemic. For some reason, I actually feel like I have been much more creative and aware of my outfits choices, now more than ever. It has affected my style in a positive, affirming way. 

Nowadays, I will get dressed to the nines with nowhere to go. Getting dressed helps me emotionally feel good, and who doesn’t need that right now? The me prior to the pandemic would not get dressed to go to the grocery store but the me now has allowed the grocery store to become the equivalent of the red carpet at the grammys. Well, not that extreme, but you get the picture. 

And you might think that an all white outfit is too accident-prone to wear for a normal day in the life. You might ask, do I only eat clear foods? Do I ride around in town in a bubble? Am I laminated? Nope. I’m actually very clumsy, but I’m a risk taker by birth so I live on the edge. Life’s too short to not wear a dangerously pristine ivory suit set. The only real advice I could give if you want to emulate this high stakes styling is don’t order spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and just keep dressing like we live in a world without mustard.

Creative Direction: Micaéla Verrelien
Photographer: Jeremy Mitchell

The post “Life’s Too Short to Not Wear a Dangerously Pristine Ivory Suit Set”: The Outfit Anatomy of Micaéla Verrelien appeared first on Repeller.

Here’s What Changed for Repeller Readers This Year

At the beginning of September, we posted a survey that aimed to get at one big question: What changed for you this year? Sort of dizzying to think about. And yet! A ton of you answered. We took all that info and turned it into an infographic to try to make sense of it all.

Where did you net out? Do you see yourself in the critical mass or has your 2020 been something else entirely?

The post Here’s What Changed for Repeller Readers This Year appeared first on Repeller.