Originally posted on GARDE ROBE: Last week, Garde Robe collaborated with one of Lyon’s hottest make-up artists at the moment: Clairvine Ngono. Also known as Clairvine Make-Up Art, Claire uses her talent to accentuate her models’ beauty. Carefully choosing vibrant or neutral colors, Claire gave each of these young women sophisticated and gorgeous glam make-overs. – La semaine dernière, Garde Robe a…
My friends Yannaty Kouyate & Murielle Nouatin created a new e-shop OHEMAA that sells African wax print clothes. OHEMAA‘s purpose is to promote fashion trends from different parts of Africa by selecting modern pieces by modern fashion designers. Ohemaa in Twi (language spoken in Ghana) means Queen. Yannaty & Murielle chose this name because it represents their e-shop’s ideology: simplicity, grace, elegance and the beauty of modern women in its entirety.
Don’t you just love the bright colors and prints? Head over to their e-shop now to purchase a dress, jewelry or accessory for affordable prices (starting at €15!)
As I told you in previous posts, I’ve been busy with a lot of collaborations and projects for the past month. By far, this is my favorite one, because I made one of my dreams come true.
A few months ago, Nina Marlyn, one of my favorite fashion designers in Lyon, asked me to be the stylist for her upcoming fashion show at the Rwandan Cultural event, May 20th. I was so excited and I had no idea if I would be able to do it, because this was the first time that I’d be styling models for a fashion show. If you don’t know what that means, basically I got to dress each model and style their outfits (from head to toe) using Nina’s UMWALI pieces from her new collection Umurage. There was a lot to do, there were 13 models (and even an 8 year old Naomi Campbell) but it was an incredible experience !
Make-Up: Sofia Endambela
Hair: Cutty’s Hair Design
Photography: Ph-A Paris
To promote the fashion show, we did a photoshoot with Nina’s favorite pieces from her new UMURAGE collection.
And at the end of the fashion show, Nina gave me this gorgeous dress from her new collection UMURAGE.
Event: UMWALI SS18 Fashion Show
Yes, these gorgeous heels from Zara are back again, and they go with everything, so there’s another excuse to wear them ! Also, I was able to keep them on all night, so bonus points for comfort!
This simple wax print detail is what makes this minimalist dress so unique. It’s just a peak, but it’s just enough to remind you of UMWALI‘s Rwandan heritage.
And as for the lip cuff… it’s a fake piercing of course ! I decided to trend this cute new summer trend for the fun of the outfit. I got mine in sterling silver for €2.50 at a local jewellery store. I bought another one that doubles as a fake septum piercing :)
Want my look? Check these out!
Dress: €65.00 by Umwali Heels: $39.99 at Zara Lipstick: $6.00 – “Tulle” at Colourpop
Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.
Hello hello ! Glad to be back. I’ve been pretty busy lately with a bunch of collabs that I can’t wait to share with you.
A few weeks ago I met a beautiful soul called Claire, who’s a hair stylist for all types of hair. She is an expert at afro hair which is great because there aren’t a lot of salons that specializes in our hair here in Lyon. Claire asked me to come to her brand new salon Cutty’s Hair Design in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon (72 boulevard des brotteaux) a few minutes from the Part Dieu mall. The hair salon doubles as a beauty salon where you can get your nails done from your finger tips to your toes by the lovely Valerie.
Hair: Claire Granola Make-Up: Valerie Girard
If you want to make an appointment, send an email to contact@cuttyshairdesign.com or call 0472839187 (open from Tuesday to Saturday). And get 15% off your hair style with this flyer !
Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.
I’ve missed you guys and I’ve missed writing on my five-year-old blog. I’m back with a new post, and this one is special because I got to collaborate with my friend Tatiana Vergnaud. She’s the one who took Sidney and my picture for the magazine Jamais le Mardia few months ago. Tatiana is a gorgeous redhead, she’s always smiling, and more importantly her talent is just I N C R E D I B L E. She chose to do the photoshoot in front of the Historical Courthouse of Lyon, and I felt like a Greek goddess.
Event: Anniversary Dinner with Sidney
Before I get into the fashionable details of this outfit, let me just say that I am so blessed to have Sidney in my life. It’s been two years, and we are still just as smitten as on the first day. To mark this special occasion, Sidney made reservations at this beautiful chic restaurant in Lyon 6e, called Le Théodore. The food was delicious and the environment was cozy. We absolutely loved it.
Before the dinner, I was pretty nervous because I had absolutely nothing to wear. I needed something chic, comfortable and sophisticated, so I went straight to Zara.
I tried on a lot of outfits, until I thought to myself, “Wait a minute. The easiest outfit to wear on a fancy date, is a chic jumpsuit!” Twenty minutes later, I was trying on this beautiful number and making my way to the cashier.
If you have nothing to wear, wear a JUMPSUIT ! It’s basically a top and a pair of trousers sewn together, leaving you with a glamorous one piece.
Because the jumpsuit is very chic and minimal on its own, I wanted to add a fun touch to my outfit. So instead of a handbag, I chose to wear a robot box from Zara. Yes a robot box, you read that right. You’ve probably seen it in Garde Robe’s BLACK GIRL MAGIC photoshoot, but I also hijacked it for this event. YOU GUYS ISN’T IT PERFECT?!
Finally, I chose beige sandal heels by Glaze to finish off the look so that the only contrast to my outfit would be my robot box.
Also, this is the first time I’ve shown you my full blown afro that I’ve been taking care of for the past four years. Tatiana knew exactly how to capture it, and I’m in awe.
All pictures were taken by Tatiana Vergnaud (on instagram, @tana_vrgnd). Show her some love, because she is absolutely lovely.
Want my look? Check these out!
Jumpsuit: $99.90 at Zara Robot box: $69.90 at Zara Heels: $40.00 at Asos Lipstick: $4.80 (ON SALE RIGHT NOW) – “Mama” at Colourpop
Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.
Editors’ note: This Spring season Garde Robehas a story to tell. The story of the Black woman’s journey towards emancipation, self-acceptance and liberation. It’s time to celebrate women of color, just as we are. Our curly, kinky or wavy hair we wear as our crown. It’s the symbol of our journey from the moment we cut our damaged ends as we free ourselves from the shackles of society, up to the moment we catch our reflection in the mirror and declare “I am free at last.” Black Girl Magic is our dedication to our mothers, our sisters, our daughters and friends.
Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.
I took a break from studying for my finals to head over to the Annual Vintage Fashion Market (Marché de la Mode Vintage) in Lyon this weekend. For the occasion, there were three things that I really wanted to wear: Sidney’s vintage bomber jacket he got in Camden Town, my fishnet tights from ASOS and my Burkinabè wax print scarf from my mom. I had worn all three separately, but the same way I get food cravings, I get fashion cravings. If you add having a bad hair day to the mix, this is what I came up with:
Event: Vintage Fashion Market in Lyon
My favorite thing about this outfit is how well the colors go together and how different each piece is. Starting with the bomber jacket: Sidney and I went to Urban Outfitters in Camden Town (London) last October and we found this beautiful thing. Its soft, silky material is perfect for the warmer weather.
Oh yes, and that Russian badge gives a fierce military touch to this ensemble.
My mom gave me some beautiful wax print scarves from Burkina Faso. This one is my favorite design because of the vibrant colors, so I decided to wear it with the outfit. It’s also a great way for me to style my hair when I don’t feel like detangling it. I chose this particular style because it’s vintage!
Yes, you guessed it. Those are my fishnet tights peeking out from under my customized destroyed jeans. I purposely destroyed these jeans for this very purpose. I love fishnet tights and find them especially edgy under ripped denim.
I customized these black high-rise jeans from New Look by taking a pair of scissors and cutting the knees out. Then I made a slit on the upper thigh of the right leg and then another slit at the back of the upper left thigh.
Finally, I wore black sock boots from Zara to accentuate my legs.
Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.
Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.
Two weeks ago, Sidney and I went to Paris for the weekend after Valentine’s Day. Though we had a few Garde Robe meetings to attend and photo shoots to do, we also had a wonderful time being tourists. We ate at my favorite Mexican Taqueria (taco restaurant) so far, called El Guacamole in the 10th arrondissement, we walked along les Champs Elysées (and took a few street-style pictures!), we took a lovely evening stroll near the Notre Dame cathedral with my cousin, and witnessed a bride and groom taking their wedding pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. By night time, we were dining at a cute Italian restaurant in the 18th arrondissement and went to la Bellevilloise and danced to soul music until dawn. During the weekend, we stopped by Le Comptoir Général for some rum cocktails and great music. More and more happened, and we had a lovely time.
Event: Valentine’s promenade in Paris
Anyone who knows me can confirm that Hilary Banks is me and I am Hilary Banks. If you don’t know who that is, then go back in time to when you were a kid in the 90’s, grab the remote control from whoever was hogging the TV and switch the channel to NBC. FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR, in case you are still clueless, is the best TV show that you can get your 90’s fashion inspiration from. Be it Hilary Banks and her perfect matching hats and suits, (both) Vivian Banks’ shoulder-padded dresses, grown-up Ashley’s hot crop-tops or ALL of Will Smith’s outfits, look no further. The entire Banks family (minus perhaps Carlton) should be your go-to source for fashion. With the 80’s and 90’s making a comeback on the runway, I knew that I had to get a bright blazer with shoulder pads like Hilary or Vivian Banks. I did very successfully and found this gorgeous red Marks & Spencers blazer that I got at a thrift shop here for THREE EUROS.
I wore this blazer recently to an interview with black sock boots & a crisp white shirt. I’m sure it worked wonders (the interview was successful) but I preferred to walk around Paris in a stylish and comfortable outfit. That’s why I opted for these white Nike Air Huarache Ultra sneakers (paired with long white socks for the cold) that Sidney gave me for Christmas. Also featured in this sexy outfit is my favorite city bag from Zara.
Again, because I was going for a comfortable look, I chose to wear these dark wash mom jeans from Pimkie and a tight-knit grey turtleneck from Jennyfer.
Finally, to match my crimson red blazer, I wore my Milani Cosmetics Devotion #14 lipstick.
Want my look? Check these out!
Blazer: $2025 on Net-à-porter (find a similar one in a thrift shop like I did, that will be 100x less expensive!) Turtleneck: $12.99 at H&M Mom jeans: $57.13 on Asos Sneakers – Nike Air Huarache Ultra: $115 at Nike Bag: €9.99 (sale) at Zara Lipstick – 14 Devotion : $9.00 at Milani Cosmetics
Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.
Hey guys! Welcome to another What I Wore This Week post, where I feature an outfit I wore during the week, the occasion and how I styled it.
Last week, I went thrift-shopping with Sidney and we bought about 10 pieces: coats, blazers (including a Marks & Spencers blazer with shoulder pads!), and dainty silk shirts – FOR ONLY 30 EUROS IN TOTAL. If you do the math, this means that we paid about 3 euros per coat. This beautiful trench is one of them, and I decided to wear it to our Garde Robe interview with NinkiMag. (I’ll tell you more about that once the video is out, but we got interviewed by a streetwear magazine based in Lyon last Sunday!)
Event: Garde Robe’s interview for NinkiMag
This trench, you guys, is just one of the best things I’ve ever bought and worn. I’ve always wanted a Burberry trench (this one is by Claude Havrey) because of their elegance and length, but they were always so expensive. This one, I found in a vintage shop in Lyon called Emmaus, for only THREE EUROS!!!! I decided to work my entire outfit around this trench, because I wanted to be 100% classy.
Chokers have been really in this season and I love how this gold one from Pretty Little Thing adds metallic sophistication to my black turtleneck from Zara.
And then there’s my favorite bag from New Look that I got this summer in Dubai. Its citrus-themed color block design is perfect when you want a statement bag to upgrade your look ! Plus it’s big enough to put just about anything from your computer to your heels inside. (Yes, this is an important factor for me because when I go out in cute but torturous heels, I like to keep a pair of sneakers in my purse just in case. I don’t believe in suffering to be beautiful. How are you attractive when your face is clearly wincing with pain?)
I don’t know who I think I am but I am totally flipping my hair in this picture.
Finally I wanted the entire focus to be on my trench, bag and choker, so I wore black dress pants from Zara, and my favorite black booties from Zara.
And in case you were wondering who did my hair, I met an amazing hairdresser called Anaelle who does beautiful box braids (and a lot of other hairstyles) for very cheap prices. She was so professional and braided my hair in 4 hours (though it usually takes 7). So if you’re in Lyon and you need your hair done, comment below and I’ll give you Anaelle’s contact information!
Stay tuned for new outfits featured in What I Wore This Week by subscribing to Breakfast with the Beatles. Click on the ‘Follow me by Email’ button on the top right-hand corner of this page! ALSO, make sure you check out Garde Robe an international street-style blog by Sidney and me.
