#STYLEADVICEBYSHARRA STYLE TIP #45: SIMPLE WAYS TO SLAY LAST MINUTE VALENTINES DAY PLANS WITHOUT SPLURGING ON A WHOLE NEW FIT

LESS IS MORE, GO WITH A CASUAL FIT & LET THE LIP COLOR DO THE TALKING

For the girl who’s not really into the formal looks but still wants to look bomb on her date, never underestimate the power of a red lip. Your laundry day tee paired with a casual skirt can instantly be elevated with a sleek heel, a red lip, & elegant earrings.

STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW AND ADD THE SPLASH OF COLOR LAST

I feel like we’ve collectively become obsessed with having red or pink be the main color of our V-Day look. If you don’t have a solid pink or red dress, don’t panic. There’s a way to add it in last without having it look like an afterthought.

I don’t know an individual who doesn’t at least own a classic white button down blouse, dark wash jeans, or a black one piece. Start by creating a look with a classic black and white color scheme and then use that bag, necklace, pair of shades, or shoe that has a splash of pink, red, burgundy, etc to tie in the V-Day theme.

 Wishing you all a sweet Valentine’s Day! To my amazing subscribers, thank you so much for keeping it locked. Your support means the world! 
If you try any of these looks, I would love to see them! Don't forget to submit your style pic mail, style advice requests, and podcast episode ideas here!

P.S. Looking for more style tips from me? I send them out weekly EXCLUSIVELY to my subscribers. Subscribe here for more weekly style advice.

Sharra,

“The definition of walking art.'‘

MY LIVE PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH LUXURY SHOE DESIGNER AND CEO SHATIARRA MONROE

SHARED BY SHARRA GREENE & SHATIARRA MONROE | MUSIC PRODUCED BY D. BROWN THE BEGOTTEN SON

If you follow my brand and my blog, you may know that I had an article interview with emerging shoe designer in my city, Shatiarra Monroe. The original interview was very well received and it was a dope experience, connecting with a fellow creative entrepreneur in Baltimore who is serious about her business and her vision. (Check out the original article here)

You may also know that I recently relaunched my podcast, Style With Sharra: The Podcast Series, where I I discuss various topics regarding fashion, business, lifestyle, and well being. I was so adamant about having Shatiarra as one of my first guests because I knew she had first hand experience on building something from nothing in the fashion & business space and I knew her expertise, charisma, and relatable experiences would be great for my listeners to hear. Plus, it was a great opportunity to get to know her more! I brought the questions, she brought the wine (more than enough, we got a little lit) and we vibed.

Listen to us talk about everything from mental health and personal development, to how fashion is our safe place, to her inspiration, routines, and motivation behind launching an online luxury shoe line while balancing an engineering career.

Comment your thoughts on our interview below! Follow Shatiarra on Instagram, shop her collection on shatiarramonroe.com for BOMB heels, and tune into new episodes of Style with Sharra on Wednesdays!

Sharra,

“The definition of walking art.”

REDEFINING LUXURY: GETTING RID OF THE STIGMA ATTACHED TO BLACK OWNED BRANDS AND PUSHING THE CULTURE FORWARD

WRITTEN BY SHARRA GREENE

In an interview with Fashion Bomb Daily, luxury streetwear designer Milan of Milano Di Rouge opened up about the criticism she received following the release of her first $500 branded sweatsuit. “Who does she think she is? She’s not Gucci… Why does she have a $500 sweatsuit?” The backlash went viral, eventually creating even more buzz for her brand. But as I watched the interview, it made me start to think about black owned luxury labels as a whole and the attitude that some of our own people carry when it comes to supporting mainstream luxury labels vs. supporting our own. Milano says, “I don’t think that we as black people understand our value.” As a stylist who recommends various brands to clients, I’ve had an up close view at what black consumers see as valuable and I couldn’t agree more with Milano.

There have been countless times I’ve watched black consumers either refuse or hesitate to support black luxury fashion labels, claiming that the merchandise is ridiculously overpriced. However, these are some of the very same consumers that will splurge on a designer belt from a traditional luxury label without a second thought. We see this pattern very often. It always makes me question what makes something “luxurious” and why we are so cautious when it comes to purchasing luxury pieces from black owned brands. There are literally hundreds of ways this question could be answered. But, looking at the history of black people and the consequential need we have to feel validated, one could of course say that our dependence upon certain mainstream design houses stem from a desire to be associated with the majority, or the race who is thought to be “superior” within our society. When a group of people have been enslaved, abused, denied opportunities to better themselves, and essentially set back for generations, there’s no question that all of that breeds generational curses and deep insecurities that can affect countless aspects of our lives, even down to our buying choices. Many of us may look at who we consider to be “well off” and ahead in life and think, whether conciously or subconsciously: “I want to shop where they shop. It will show the world that I am important, just like them.”And if this is the thought process we’re adopting when it comes to our shopping experiences, then personally I feel it’s time that we really think about how we define “luxury” within our lifestyles and possibly begin to redefine it for ourselves.

Models wearing Andrea Iyamah.

By definition, the word luxury is defined as “ the state of great comfort and extravagant living.” There have been so many black owned or black affiliated luxury brands that have come and gone. Very few have withstood the test of time while your traditional brands like Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc. have remained in the mix for as long as we can remember. While I’m well aware that there are multiple reasons for this, the one that we as a people can control is our ability to pour our money and support into brands that genuinely celebrate us, whether they be traditional and mainstream, emerging, or start ups.

Often times, I feel that we as black people are too hard on each other in business. We often complain and pick a brand apart when it comes to their price points, but splurge on other well known ones without question. We threaten to ruin new designers’ reputation with bad reviews when an item is slightly delayed, but when dealing with a major company we tend to grin and bear it. Don’t get me wrong, as a chronic perfectionist and a bargain lover, I definitely can relate on some fronts. But looking at the big picture, if we as black people truly want to leave our mark on the fashion industry, we have to be more patient and supportive of each other, especially when it comes to premium goods. This is when redefining luxury should come into play. We shouldn’t be ashamed or hesitant to give a new designer a try, as long as they are providing us with quality merchandise in materials that will sustain us for seasons to come, looks that inspire us and make us proud to wear them, and great customer service. To me, that should be our standard for luxury. Brands like Nichole Lynel, Laquan Smith (my fave ready to wear designer, period), Andrea Iyamah, India Monae, MWR Collection, and Sai Sankoh are just a few of the current black owned luxury labels who work tirelessly to maintain that standard. We should be open to them and brands similar, proud to wear them and proud to plug them.

Model wearing the Adorn Jacket by India Monae.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong at all with shopping a traditional luxury brand. I, myself CANNOT WAIT until I’m in a position to splurge on Fendi as that’s one of the mainstream brands that I covet the most. However, I think that more black consumers taking the time to discover and support emerging luxury labels that are black owned would only push the culture forward and open certain doors that we claim we so desperately want access to. This goes beyond just buying from them. It should also affect the ways we navigate the industry. For example, for all of the fashion hopefuls complaining that they can’t find employment or internship opportunities within the industry due to racism and discrimination, think of how many black owned brands would love to help their own people grow in the field, especially knowing that a majority of their sales has come from their own people. Additionally, supporting black owned luxury labels even as they are emerging would lead to us having more options when it comes to wearing a luxury brand; we wouldn’t necessarily have to opt for a design house that creates and sells racially demeaning merchandise to the very consumers that often support them.

Wearing creations by our own people with pride, providing constructive criticism that will give minority owned labels a chance to grow instead of tearing them down, and choosing to shop with brands that show respect to our people are a few of the ways that I feel we can redefine luxury, ensuring that blacks in fashion can have longevity in the industry and actually profit from it ourselves, heavily influencing the culture for years to come.

Sharra,

“The definition of walking art.”

Sources / Featured Brands : Fashion Bomb Daily, Andrea Iyamah, India Monae, Laquan Smith,MWR Collection, Nichole Lynel, Sai Sankoh

#BLACKBRANDSMATTER: 5 BLACK OWNED BRANDS TO SHOP FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

CURATED BY SHARRA GREENE

#BlackBrandsMatter: I am wearing Brazen Bundles Virgin Indian Hair in 20,22, 24 lengths)

So, for the next 3 weeks, I'll be curating holiday gift guides for my BOMB subscribers! Each list will feature a variety of different online finds that would make great gifts and each list will have a DIFFERENT theme! Reminder: The full list is EXCLUSIVELY for my subscriber’s eyes only! This will be the only gift guide posted to the blog so MAKE SURE YOU’RE SUBSCRIBED to receive the weekly list, leading up to the holidays!
     This week's theme is Black-Owned Brands! On my podcast (returning 11/27), I express how important I think it is to support minority-owned fashion and lifestyle brands, as so many minority groups contribute so heavily to the culture. With Black Friday deals coming right around the corner, I wanted to plug you guys to save those coins! Happy Shopping! 

HOUSE OF REHAB BAG

These BOMB statement bags from black-owned brand House of Rehab are a remixed, yet original take on the well-known Chanel signature bags (except way less coin) . Know somebody who's a fashion lover? (obvi, yourself, or you probably wouldn’t be reading this) This is the perfect gifted accessory.

I just received the black and white version of the one above and I was more than impressed with the bag’s quality and not to mention, the BOMB customer service! I ordered my bag a few days ago and it shipped and tracked within HOURS! On top of that, they offer $3 flat rate shipping! Go check them out! P.S.  House of Rehab offers more than just bags! They also sell some fly tee's, hoodies, and sweats to keep you warm during this harsh Winter season!

KINGDOM NATIVE SWEATERS

Kingdom Native designs dope casual wear with empowering, faith-based messages on each piece. Their array of sweaters, tees, and jackets, and hats would make for a unique and special gift. Their KN Racing Unisex Navy Blue Sweater (above)  is my top pick from their collection! But there's plenty more where this came from, for both men and women! Click below to see their full collection!

BRAZEN BUNDLES

SO, Idk about y’all but this is one gift that I would LOVE to receive this year! I’m fairly new to the weave game but when I do rock inches, Brazen Bundles is my go to hair destination! Selling premium yet affordable virgin Indian hair, Brazen Bundles provides accessible quality goods and great customer service. Soft textured hair with minimum shedding and tangling is definitely the perfect present. P.S., for those in the Baltimore area, delivery is available!

HOODIES & TEES FROM BLACK VOGUE BY NAREASHA WILLIS

Know someone who loves making political statements through personal style? The well known anti-appropriation brand Black Vogue by Nareasha Willis has the cutest worded clothing! I already have some merch from the brand, which I love! But Nareasha's tee dress is currently on my wishlist so I thought I'd share! Check out what they're offering for the holidays!

SUITS BY CONNAISEUR PARIS

Tryna splurge on something special for bae? Connaisseur Paris takes custom orders for luxurious suits online! Their line offers a variety of unique colors and patterns. They also sell bow ties, dress shirts, and more! Have measurements ready!

Need more help shopping? I would love to style you and your loved ones for the holidays! Send styling inquiries here!

If you happen to try any of these pieces, I would love to see them! Send your style pic mail & style advice requests to styleadvicebysharra@gmail.com! I can't wait to see what you guys have in mind!

Last but not least, don’t forget to subscribe for the full holiday gift guide! New posts coming to The Walking Art Blog very soon!

Sharra,

“The definition of walking art.”