Mood Board: September 2017

I've been obsessed with mood boards as long as I can remember. During my childhood I'd spend hours sitting on the floor in my bedroom, cutting apart Vogue, Lucky, and really any other magazine I could get my hands on, to snip out the looks that ~moved~ me in order to assemble my own layouts. I have Moleskine notebooks full of re-created magazine spreads, trends I was keeping an eye on, and pieces or colors I lusted after. These notebooks, and the file folders of fashion + beauty clippings, became my early library of "mood books".

After a three year stint of creative atrophy (got distracted by actually studying and over-stressing about everything during my college years), I've returned to my scrapbook-esque pastime, this time armed with new tools. These new tools? An all-powerful internet (it's like having every magazine ever at my fingertips) and Adobe Photoshop (thank you, numerous graphic design courses). Note to all aspiring mood board creators: having an "undo" button while cutting and pasting (sans the anxiety that comes with the fear and then inevitable ripping of thin magazine pages) is a game changer.

background: green + millennial pink tropical leaf wallpaper - this has been one of my favorite trends in the past few months, and as a result I've found myself collecting more and more bright green and pale pink clothing. I have yet to acquire the actual wallpaper, though. However, I think it could make for a great accent wall in my bedroom... WE'LL SEE.

blair imani: blair is my favorite twitter human at the moment. she is a feminist icon, a prominent black, LGBTQ, Muslim activist, and all around fabulous. She is featured here twice, once channeling my "always mood" (headphones on, lipstick/gloss poppin, sass and swagger both at 100%, all captured taking selfies while waiting for transpo); the second is her modeling a "grown ass woman" t-shirt, which happens to be one of shared mottos. The corresponding life philosophy that corresponds with the shirt / phrase is "I'm a grown ass woman, SO I can (and will) do whatever, whenever, and whoever the @$%# I want". Often I feel like that isn't assumed about me or other young women, and WE ARE HERE TO CLAP BACK. Along with a cool shirt.

linda rodin: my old age / bold lipstick muse. A quintessential boss ass bitch. This is a still from her Into the Gloss video on how to apply bold lipstick. YA. Everyone needs a lil Linda in their lives.

beyoncé: oh, my queen. forever and for always. I recently read "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, an author who had collaborated with Beyoncé on the song "***Flawless" (she does the spoken word poetry about feminism) and it ignited an obsession with braids for me. Bey's braids in this scene from "Formation" were one of my absolute favorite hair moments of all time on her, and the double middle finger in this still feels just as fitting as it was two years ago in our current socio-political climate.

shoes: I am so in love with this sneaker phenomenon sweeping the fashion world. Or maybe I've just gotten sucked into the world of sneaker-heads. Regardless, wearing shoes that feel like arch-supporting clouds are "IN" right now by some MIRACLE. I've been hooked on Cole Haan for years because they kept the "classy" vibe going while sneaking in the comfort of sneakers, but I've leaned into the full-on sneaker trend buying up more Adidas than I can afford. THEY'RE COMFORTABLE AND FASHIONABLE! THIS IS REAL LIFE!

new yorker: my favorite New Yorker cover of all time. Black Rosie the Riveter, in a pink pussy hat. Enough said. 

khalid: My 2017 artist obsession and recent winner of VMA for Best New Artist! But seriously. Stream his music ASAP. He has a full album called "American Teen" and the world's best collection of remixes / songs he's been featured on.

border artwork: these two panels are part of a Cole Haan campaign, "My Future Memoirs" for their Grand collection. They caught my eye while perusing the site and I was hooked on the style of the artwork. It made me think, "if this is the kind of work they're using to inspire their collaborators / designers / create their own mood boards, no wonder I love their shoes so much!"

lips: I've always loved experimenting with lipsticks and bold colors, in fact, I often will do just a swipe of lipstick and a swipe of highlighter for makeup and call it a day. Ever since the rise of Kylie Jenner, lips have become more and more of a phenomenon, which has only inspired even more lip products and innovation and color, which I have been absolutely LIVING for. YAY LIPS!

aloe: an homage to my dying aloe plant, Spike. I have no clue what to do. I love you buddy. Please come back from the brink of death and thrive again.

sparkle: an emoji, a life philosophy. Sparkle with magic, sparkle with attitude, sparkle with magic, real or imagined.