What first prompted your fashion blog?
Friends, family, and random strangers would always say I should start a blog after complimenting me on my outfit, but I constantly put it off. One friend suggested I start small and just start documenting my outfits and work my way up from there. After leaving my last job, I decided to start taking selfies in my mirrored closet in my room as a means of being productive (at the very least I’d have cleaned up my room and put on clothes that day). To be honest, I feel like my Instagram account is the precursor to an actual blog, but it’s a start.
How would you describe your style?
The most accurate description someone has used to describe my personal style is “art gallery owner” — I’ve always had difficulty articulating my style because it’s never just one aesthetic and is always evolving, but my style is usually composed of bold colors, textures, and patterns. Maybe “maximalism” is the best way to describe my style, haha. I have a very strong presence and my clothes reflect that.
What trends have you noticed in the portrayals of women, particularly women of color, online?
When it comes to fashion and style, the biggest thing that struck me was the lack of visibility of Black women — this is not only true in fashion world (models and designers alike), but also in bloggers. I remember one day going through the blogs that I followed and noticed a majority of them were created by White women, followed by women of East Asian descent. I tried to actively seek out Black women fashion bloggers and it was hard! Not only does there seem to be a lack of racial diversity, but also a lack of body diversity, age diversity, and style diversity, just to name a few. A lot of platforms tend to cater to what is “trendy” and that lends itself to boosting a certain look that is not always very accessible.
Do any individuals serve as your fashion inspiration?
I’m inspired by a combination of people and things that I come across in my day to day — a work of art that caught my eye in a gallery, a passer-by on the street, or even something I ate. It’s nice to draw inspiration from everywhere and everyone in your environment and try to incorporate that into what you wear. Pinterest and Instagram have been tools for discovering amazing content and using it in my everyday life.
As far as particular people, my mom was my first fashion inspiration and is probably a great part of the reason I’m so into style today. Growing up in Los Angeles also lended itself to a fashionable environment. Celebrity-wise, Solange, Rihanna, and Tracee Ellis Ross are my top three celebrity style inspirations. I also follow a great number of influencers on different social media like the Quann sisters, Adwoa Aboah, Bee Walker, and Nikisha Brunson just to name a few. Any Black woman out there who’s killing it, I want to know about it and be inspired.
You’ve made mention of your support of ethical apparel and well as apparel made/sold by POC. Why are these purchasing decisions important to you?
There are multiple reasons why I try to buy from people of color and purchase clothes that are more eco-friendly and it mostly comes down to being as intentional as possible in my everyday life. I consider clothes not only as an investment, but as a reflection of what’s important to me. Being able to contribute to communities I care about is very important to me, so I’ll use whatever resources I have to support the Black community and other people of color. Whether it’s by supporting the livelihood of an independent designer or buying previously owned clothes, I want to make sure that my decisions don’t negatively impact others and is used to build a legacy beyond myself.
Instagram (and social media more largely) is an interesting, relatively new opportunity to broaden our representative images of beauty. How, if at all, do you feel you contribute to that?
I’m glad I’m able to put my experiences out there and add some more Black girl magic into the mix! It’s important to be able to find people that look like you, especially in a world that oftentimes doesn’t reflect your lived experiences. I hope I’m able to be a positive contribution and eventually showcase the talents and voices of other Black women.
Why is fashion important?
I usually place an emphasis on personal style versus being fashionable just because I think of fashion as being very fleeting, void of personality, and not very inclusive; style is a reflection of your personality and possessing personal style is a lot more impressive. Being able to express yourself is very important skill to have and I think style is a great means of showcasing your best self. How you appear is usually people’s first impression of you — might as well make it a great one.
Atira Richards is a budding fashion blogger living in San Francisco whose selfie game is on point. When not taking mirror selfies in her bedroom, you can find her checking out art exhibits in the city or raging her face off at music shows. Follow her Insta @ almostatari for more awesome outfits!
