For Those Who Wear the Conscious Cloud

“We live from the head down and not the feet up.

And I'm adorned with the crown that's making this up. And I'm fine under cloud 9 ...”

For every girl, boy, woman, or man who has ever been told that their natural hair is not the beautiful, powerful, marvelous, awe-inspiring & worthy crown that it is.

Press Play

Cloud 9 by Donnie

“Happy to be nappy, I'm black and I'm proud

That I have been chosen to wear the conscious cloud. And I'm fine under cloud 9 …”

There is soul in your locks. There is vitality in your curls. There is strength in your coils. 
Your hair is the physical manifestation of the power that you possess.
 It was handcrafted by the Creator himself; He twisted every lock, molded every curl, and shaped every coil. He took His time to make you look special.

Because this world can be so harsh and give you rocks instead of pillows, you will always have a soft place to lay your head

Because this world told tells you that you aren’t enough, your hair reaches out toward the heavens to compensate for the difference

Because this world can make you cry; when you lower your head in pain as the tears fall, your hair still stands tall with pride

Because this world tells you that you aren’t beautiful, you were given a cumulonimbus of your own that the sky itself envies

You are your hair because your hair is beautiful. 

Therefore, you are beautiful too.

(I had been inspired lately by the song Cloud 9 and other things such as the "I Love My Hair" video from Sesame Street and I really needed to write this.)

Photo Credit: Kwesi Abennsetts

A Second Look at Alex Folzi

My favorite set of twins have released some stunning photos taken for their brand Alex Folzi. Fela & Fola have certainly outdone themselves, I am in love with these pictures. One can definitely see the vintage inspiration behind these bags in these shots. Here are a few of my favorites..

Nothing compares to bearing witness to greatness in the making. It makes me so excited to see this brand growing & flourishing and to see the roots of their work firmly implanting themselves into the world of fashion. These two are doing such a great job and I can already see that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I love it. They’ve got my stamp of approval.

If you did not get the chance to read the interview I did with Fola & Fela, click here.

He's Got That Good Good: Kadeem Johnson

Today is my blog’s 3 month birthday! With that being said, of course I needed to do something special today in order to celebrate. So I am very pleased to announce a new set of features that will be on my blog showcasing the personal styles of individuals from around the world. Each feature will include a few photos of the individuals which display their personal style and their responses to a few questions I asked them. I will be very discerning over who will featured; the individuals selected will be those who exhibit those GOOD GOOD qualities. And I am extremely pleased to report that this first individual goes above and beyond my style standards so allow me to introduce you to..


Kadeem Johnson from the Bronx, NY 

What do you do?

I'm a college student attending school in NYC and I'm also the head blogger of kjohnlasoul.com

What 3 words would you use to describe your style?

Ethnic, tribal, chill

Where are your favorite places to shop?

Thrift Stores

What is one article of clothing you could not live without?

My Hats!! 

Kadeem has such a way with his style, it is truly amazing. Like I’ve told him before, he has the Midas touch when it comes to clothes. It takes someone on top of their style game to make such relaxed looks look so…excellent! His balancing act with colors & the accessories he wears really set him apart from other people. And it is obvious that his style is natural, his look is so effortless yet he still looks brilliant. That is extremely important, when it looks like you are trying too hard, your look falls flat. So embrace your personal style and allow it to take you wherever it may. Thank you so much Kadeem, you have got that GOOD GOOD and then some.

www.kjohnlasoul.com

Throwback Joint: The Light by Common

I haven’t posted a throwback in a minute. This song is so beautiful, it takes me to a happier place whenever I hear it. There is just something about the video too, its simplicity & its natural beauty, that allows one to really focus on the words of the song which tell of an unconditional love. You know, that type of love that people dream about for so long until they finally meet that person and once that happens, nothing else even matters. Life is complete and the candle in your heart which was once so dim is now illuminated so brightly by the light.  Enjoy.

There is a light that shines, special for you & me :)

Fall Into Fashion

Fall is finally here (for me at least). I love fall so much because I enjoy fall fashions so much! My closet consists of so many sweaters/cardigans, scarves/snoods, boots, jackets, etc. It’s quite ridiculous actually, I end up wearing sweaters during the summer because I have so many. So since the weather is finally changing, I think it is time to discuss some fall fashion. There are a bunch of trends that will be present during this season such as animal prints, capes, velour, really wide pants, camel, etc, the list goes on and on and on. It is a great idea to incorporate some of these trends into your wardrobe but do not forget to bring your own individual style this season too! Don’t be a photocopy of what you see in magazines and in runways shows, be yourself! 

So with that being said, here are a few of the looks that I will be going for this fall… 

Really Really Big Scarves: Scarves are like books & muffins…the bigger the better! The scarves in the following photos were all knitted by the woman wearing them, Yokoo. I have never seen such amazing scarves in my entire 19 years on this planet and they are so big! Bless her fingers! She is immensely talented at knitting and sells her beautiful creations online, check out her website by clicking here.

Capes/Ponchos: These have been dubbed a trend for Fall 2010 and I do love the way they look. They are a nice alternative to your standard trench coat. I don't have one yet but they are on the top of my "to buy" list.

Joggers/Tapered Sweatpants: The joy and comfort of wearing sweatpants and the thrill of looking chic all at once! What more could a girl ask for, especially since I like looking good while being comfortable. And these are really affordable, you can find at a lot of stores ranging from Topshop & H&M to Forever 21 & Charlotte Russe.

Vintage Sweaters: These lovely pieces make up quite a chunk of my closet. What I love most about them is their uniqueness. Every single one has different colors and patterns. And they are so easy to wear, just throw them on over a pair of tights, throw one on with some jeans, or throw one on with a dress and you are good to go. They can be found at your local thrift/vintage store (I find the best ones in the mens section).

What will you be rocking this fall?

That Good Good Music: Jesse Boykins III

I love people who can sing. No, not just sing. Almost anybody can simply sing. Almost. There are some people who couldn’t carry a tune to save their lives, and there are some people who can just sing. But there aren’t a lot of people who can sing. You see, when someone can really sing, that individual’s voice has the ability to crawl into your ears and find its way under your skin and as the sound tries to escape from your pores it lifts your skin, giving you goosebumps. It travels to your heart and gently brushes against it causing it to skip a beat or two. It travels to your muscles, plunging into the fibers and causing them to just r e l a x…your mind clears itself and for a little while the only thing that fills it is the sound of that person singing. Yup, that is the effect of that good good music..

This is Jesse Boykins III.

 He can sing.

R&B as it was meant to be. To hear more of his amazing music click here.

Yet Another Thrift Haul Post

The thrifting gods have smiled upon me once more! I went shopping last week and I was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I liked at the store, it was bananas. My cart was actually completely full but I put myself on a $25 limit (which I went over anyways, smh) so I had to put a lot of the things back but here are a few things I bought…

This little beauty only cost me $3.oo. It almost looks as if the leather has been covered with water color paint and the pattern is so interesting. On the back, there are little initials and the year “1993” etched into the leather. I’d love to find out where this bag was made and who made it. Here is how it looks from the back..

This patchwork purse also cost $3.oo. It’s really tiny, which I usually don't like. But it is such a charming lil' thang, I'll figure out how to fit all my stuff in it later.

This purse was $7.oo and what attracted me to it was the diamond, argyle-esque pattern on the front and its unique shape. It’s really flat like a clutch but has a little strap on the top and then another short strap so it hangs about armpit length from my shoulder. I haven’t seen anything quite like it, here is how it looks from the side..

2 more pairs of earrings for my collection, the gold squares were 97 cents & the black and gold circles were $1.97. The black and gold ones are clip-ons which I don’t usually buy because they kill my ears and these are no exception lol, but they were too nice to pass up so I’ll just have to deal with the sore earlobes.

I was so happy to find another pair of ankle boots in my size! And they were just $3.oo!!! And white ones at that, I didn’t own any white leather shoes so I was excited.

This sweater cost $4.oo. I have no idea what pattern or picture thing is on it. But I like it so I bought it :)

After months of searching, I have found my very own, quintessential Bill Cosby sweater :) I love the colors and the pattern, it’s just perfect for me. And it was only $4.oo. Here is a close-up of the pattern..

I’m not the biggest fan of sequins but this top really caught my eye. I don't know where I’m going to wear it yet, but I’m gonna rock the mess out of it when I do :) It cost $6.oo.

I think I need to stop buying those strappy purses. I’m pretty sure I’ve purchased around 12 in the past 4 months, but I do wear them so they aren’t going to waste. Also, I think I will do a normal, non-thrift store haul soon because I do shop at the mall too! But even at the mall I manage to find really good deals so I will have to show all you fellow shoppers some of the cheap yet chic purchases I have managed. 

In the meantime, have a nice day and enjoy these songs. They've been stuck in my head all day long. I love Anthony Hamilton & Amy Winehouse!

Cool by Anthony Hamilton

In My Bed by Amy Winehouse

And to all my fellow Nigerians out there, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!