On my last day in Paris, before rushing to my 12 hour flight across 9 time zones (!), I tapped Jeremy Melloul to take a few pix of me in front of the Eiffel Tower.
I threw my arms up in triumph—red lips popping, Fendi shades catching the light—as I rocked a dress by Mahogani Collections, a Black mother-daughter duo who showed at The Bomb Fashion Show.
This season was harder than most, maybe because the stakes are higher. As a boss, I’m constantly dealing with stress of varying degrees. I’m currently completing an accelerator program, managing HR challenges, and still resolving post–Bomb Fashion Show matters. I think at this stage in life, I’ve learned that part of the cost of being ‘the boss’ is stress. Dealing with people. Some delays. It all comes with the territory, but the true growth is all in how you handle the pressure.
Pressure either busts pipes or makes diamonds. I am gonna take the diamond route– I realized this trip that I can’t allow outside circumstances to get in the way of me living and enjoying my life.
There will always be issues. Always a bill that needs to be paid or an email that needs to be answered. There will always be people who DEMAND your time and attention, demand answers. But guess what? You can either be proactive or reactive. You can either let life manhandle you or handle your life. And at year 19 of my Fashion Bomb journey, I have decided that I’m gonna do what most people do, and put me and those who support me first.
My mission has always been to use my platform to uplift others, which is why I was proud to wear a dress by Mahogani Collections, a Black mother-and-daughter design duo whose work embodies artistry, legacy, and love. Black women remain underrepresented in fashion—we often lack resources, support, and true community, and too many of us are pushed to compete rather than collaborate, seeking validation from an industry that decides when we’re worthy of attention or adulation. To whom much is given, much is required, and if I have a platform, I’ll always use it to celebrate, empower, and elevate those who pour into me.
So perhaps my arms thrust upwards towards the sky in front of an iconic world monument is my defiantly victorious gesture. Through every challenge and triumph, still I rise. And look good while doing so!
The attacks I feel aren’t just professional—they’re spiritual. This industry can try to tear you down, make you feel unseen, unheard, and unworthy of space. But every time I go to Paris or Milan, it’s my act of resistance. I’m going to keep showing up, telling our stories, and making sure Black creatives are represented and respected on a global stage. Because when one of us shines, we all shine.
Here comes the Boom.
Love & Light,
