Fashion Editorial: Dreams in Color (Part 1)

I’m so inspired by color. Color revitalizes me, rejuvenates me and is my main source of inspiration in a lot of projects I take on. So you have to imagine how excited I was to be a part of creating and styling this project. Dreams in Color embodies Black Girl Magic at its finest. Showcasing women of color basking in color in all of their glory and undeniable beauty while enjoying all that nature has to offer. For this project, I worked with an amazing team of creatives and we all had the same goal of just enjoying ourselves and letting our work shine through. I won’t type too much text this time around instead I’ll let the images speak for themselves.

Photographer: Tobi

Models: Bukola & Oreo

Amenze's 30th Birthday Editorial Spring Fashion Shoot

A huge reason why I style is to make people feel happy about themselves. I enjoy the look of satisfaction on a client’s face when I am able to help bring their vision to life. That hint of pure glee when he/she looks in the mirror to see his/her reflection staring back and looking amazing. It always makes me feel good when I’m able to help others feel great. So cue this photoshoot with Amenze. A client who wanted to celebrate turning 30 by treating herself to a new look, a personal styling session curated and styled by Ascots and Pearls and a photoshoot by PhabandCo.

As you know turning 30 is a big deal! So I definitely wanted to Amenze to enjoy the looks and accessories that I styled for her so that she would have a great time at her photoshoot. She wanted clothing and accessory options that were spring ready with a bit of an edge. Overall, Amenze was very happy with the final looks and her photoshoot was so much fun. Here are some of the images from that shoot. Want to see some behind the scenes footage of this project? Then check out my highlights at the top of my Instagram profile. If you’re on Instagram, then join me at @ascotsandpearls. By the way, what are your favorite images from this project? Let me know in the comments below.

Girl About Town

A “Girl about Town” is just a woman who is confident and knows exactly who she is. She cruises around town effortlessly while she tends to her livelihood. Enter Tia Reid..talented singer/songwriter/model. The perfect muse for this project. I collaborated with her recently to update her look for her portfolio. Upon meeting her, I realized Tia had the perfect mix of edgy and sweetness, so I definitely wanted the wardrobe to reflect her energy. The theme was easy…dressy casual chic with a touch of luxe. Navigating through the streets of Washington D.C to find the perfect locations for her different outfit choices was a lot of fun. We were even lucky enough to find some really nice dog owners who let us use their super cute friends in cameos for some of the images. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. For more behind the scenes action of this shoot, check out the highlights on my Instagram profile (@ascotsandpearls).

Photography: PhotosbyPhab

Nigerian Pride

I’m originally of Nigerian descent but migrated to the United States when I was 10 years old. However, I have always been very proud of my Nigerian culture and heritage. My appreciation for my culture has heightened even more as I’ve gotten older. A big part of Nigerian culture is reminiscent in our vibrant clothing and jewelry and our love for extravagant things. I remember as a young girl always being in awe of how fly my grandmother was. An elderly woman who raised 6 children but always made sure she looked impeccable every time she got dressed up. Her 2 daughters (my mom and my aunt) also followed in her footsteps and I sometimes find myself thinking that I wish everyday Nigerian women like these were celebrated more in mainstream media.

So for this shoot, I wanted to celebrate my culture and showcase Nigerian inspired wardrobe with a contemporary abstract twist. The goal was simple: showcase the beauty of Nigeria through fashion, capture some dope images and show that it is not a shithole country (despite what someone falsely stated fairly recently). I shared a few of these images on my Instagram account on October 1st to celebrate Nigeria on its Independence Day. Here is the full assortment of images from that shoot…Enjoy! Great job to Tolu Bamwo for the shots and Autumn Breon as the muse.

(For behind the scenes action of this shoot…check out my highlights on Instagram @ascotsandpearls).

Credits

Photographer: Tolu Bamwo

Model: Autumn Breon

Wardrobe Styling + Creative Direction : Ascots and Pearls