creative black women you should know
Magic runs through all black women. Everywhere. It’s an unshakeable ancestral prize that has influenced fashion designers to popstars. There’s so many of us, that it may be difficult to pinpoint us all. Never fear, because I can happily direct you to some! Here are a few young, gifted, and black women that should be on your radar.
Neff Davis (aka FilmColors):
Street smart, style smart, hotel smart and film smart. DMV native Neffatari Davis is a director and color-theorist (in fact, she was the one who inspired me to explore color theory and cinematography). Having worked for HBO and Playboi Carti, the uber-gifted Neff is a force to be reckoned with. Like Jessica Pressler wrote, Neff has an eye for detail: color, symbols, and references. For all the film buffs, look out for Neff’s upcoming projects (such as the Anna Delvey film coming to Netflix)!
Alice (aka, Creepy Bad Witch):
This anime loving, book guzzling, skincare sorceress concocts candles, face masks, shower gel potions, and a shit-ton more salves and serums for the body and mind. Over the years, her (brilliant) shop has gone through its series’ of transformations, switching from the name Shrine of 9 (her birthday is 09/09/1990) to Filthy Cosmetics. No matter the name, Alice is a walking orb of creativity, from her tattoos to her product names. Get familiar!
This Afro-Futurist is the future. Pea the Feary is an artist in every sense of the word. She creates portraits of ethereal beings such as the aforementioned Alice and Frank Ocean, crafts pins based on your zodiac sign, and graphic designs posters with messages that you need to hear. Do yourselves a favor and buy something from this magical black girl.
Step into Philly rapper Tierra Whack’s “Whack World”, and you’ll quickly realize that it is anything but. Traveling from room to room and world to world, Tierra delivers nothing but excellence through the use of clever concepts, sly lyricism, and genius melodies: dancing with muppets in a cemetery, using her nails to tell a story, and beautifying a taxidermed dog. Indulge in Tierra’s latest project on YouTube.
Quality, handmade, homegrown, and original clothes that include plus sized women? You’re not dreaming. Aurum, (while going to school and interning, mind you) co-owns a boss business called Pink Plastic, with options ranging from modest to revealing. Whether you want to serve school girl or silked down sophistication, Pink Plastic has options for everyone.
“O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E. Opulence”. A self proclaimed “Entreprenegro”, Shade is the owner of the luxurious Spilling Pearls. Inspired by the posh opulence of high fashion, Shade includes diamonds, polished garments, and well…pearls, into her gorgeous brand. If you’ve been looking for a black owned high end retailer, you’ve found one.
From Solange to Bella Hadid, to Kelela to A$AP Ferg, Renell has pointed her magic lens towards a plethora of people. Hailing from the Bronx, Medrano experienced life through her lens, hence her focus on documentary photography. Both unsuspecting and glorious, her subjects are always captured personally and beautifully.
Mom, poet, and entrepreneur? Yes. Eryn Amel is the creator of what I’ll call a Statement Shop. Her shirts read “It is Impossible To Shame a Woman Who is Unashamed”—all of her merchandise a blatant “fuck you” to patriarchy and misogyny. Whether you’re experiencing what this wickedly intelligent woman has to offer though her poetry books or her Instagram, Eryn is definitely a creative black woman you should be hip to.
www.erynamelshopee.bigcartel.com
Choosing just one, sole quote to introduce Warsan is impossible. Warsan Shire is a wordsmith whose works focus on identity—what it makes you, and turns you into. Author of “Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth”, Warsan’s work was also featured in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” (she penned all of the poems). Simply put, Shire’s work cuts deep. She articulates painfully common complexities women (particularly Somali women) endure in a way that is precise, and at times, uncomfortable.
Ghanaian beauty blogger Nathalie does makeup. And, she does it well. With her expertise ranging from the perfect smokey eye on dark skin to the perfect bright lip, Nathalie has got you covered. Paired with her display of makeup looks, Nathalie offers indispensable advice for black girls, particularly ones with darker skin: “To all my chocolate girls: wear those pastels, that ruby red lip, those bright colors”. Owusu has modeled for the (amazing) skincare company Girl Co. Watch her latest video, and subscribe to her YouTube Channel here.
Creative black women exist in multitudes. It’s impossible to name us all. Know any more creative black women? Name them in your response to this post!
vaporwave
gracieabrams
romaincrisis
discoholicmusic
kianamaiart
stormborns
