Broke Girl's Guide To: Side-Hustle

While living and interning in Nigeria, one thing struck me among my peers; everyone had a side-hustle. Cousins as young as 17 had hair businesses or online Christian bookstores, not to speak of my age mates who had successful clothing labels or accessories lines aside from their professional careers. It was inspiring. It struck me that the careers/ working lives in the West are far more linear. We are so focused on a singular aim, without much time or resources being invested in our other talents. See how I didn't call it a passion? 

Dress : H&M | Shirt : M&S | Brogues : Miss KG by Kurt Geiger | Socks : M&S

#Planet5050

The eve to 'International Womens Day' was marred by a conflict between new age liberals and staunch feminists. Why? The lady that is infamous for coining the term 'breaking the internet' - Kim Kardashian. Earlier in the day, she saw it fit to post a nude photograph, censored merely by what looked like black duck tape over her privates. Pardon my crudeness, but that truly expresses how tasteless the image was. This prompted critics of the Kardashian Kulture to rise up in protest, and modern feminists to pipe up in her defence. Was it empowering or demeaning for such a public figure to parade her birthday suit for the world to see via social media?

Turtleneck Jumper : Marks & Spencer | Khaki Leather Skirt : Warehouse | Boots : Dorothy Perkins

Broke Girl's Guide To: Ballin' on a Budget

You may not know this, but I was out of employment for over a year and a half. Yes, no source of income to depend on; I was dead broke for over a year. TRUTH! Yet, friends and onlookers envied my life due to what they observed via social media, claiming I was always having fun and balling. LIES! As a result, I believe that makes me adequately qualified to impart some wisdom on how to live life to the fullest on little or no money. Now I've got a bit of cashflow, I thought it best to share how I survived in a series aptly titled 'Broke Girl's Guide To:...', each month sharing how to save or spend money efficiently, yet still live life to the fullest. This introductory post will provide a broad overview of what topics I will cover over the course of the year, and what bargains you can indulge in the meantime, before the next instalment come March. 

Stylist Live

I was fortunate to attend 3 of the 4 days of Stylist Live last October, and my life truly changed for the better. It truly was a  cultural festival featuring everything a modern woman could possibly want from cocktails to beauty makeovers to fashion shows to award winning literature to live comedy and musical performances, to name but a few. I left in awe of the entire experience, and eager to absorb more knowledge, touch further bases, and network with even more amazing people the following day.

JOY

I went to watch JOY starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper on New Year's Day, and it was fitting for the season. JOY is about a close-knit family who have four generations residing in one abode. JOY is the name of the protagonist (loosely based on a true tory of Joy Mangano, the creator of the miracle mop), played by the expressionless (blame the botox) Jennifer Lawrence, who is destined to become the matriarch of the family as a result of her relentless talent for creating things. JOY chronicles the plight of Joy the entrepreneur as she faces financial restraint, family feuds and status frustration, in a bid to make a success of an idea.

Entitled

I was contacted to attend the FDC Young Designers' Awards 2015, with proceeds supporting The Angelman Syndrome. I arrived only to be informed that the event was running late; the promised break refreshments were a myth; and the catwalks went on for an eternity without the models themselves being excused between 7+ long hours of strutting in stilettos. The evening culminated with a belly rumble and a takeaway on the train home. To my surprise, I received correspondence from the organiser asking for the agreed post, so here it is; a lesson in entitlement. Ever since the viral LinkedIn open letter aptly titled 'Why Milleannials keep dumping you', millennials have been branded spoiled, entitled employees. However, I believe we are simply misunderstood. As third or second generation migrants, we have witnessed the hard work of our predecessors go unmerited. We have seen a complete disregard for passion in the workplace, in favour of man hours. And so, upon entry into the workforce, we developed a 'work hard, play hard' mindset, and bred a sense of self-worth. 

Turtleneck/ Poloneck : Warehouse | Dress :H&M

Girl Meets Change

Girl Meets Change is Kristen Strong's open-letter/ prayer empowering women to reorder their view of change, as she has, to see it not as something worth struggling against but embracing, overcoming and living through gracefully as a gift from God. Girl Meets Change is somewhat like an autobiography, showcasing all the various changes Strong endured such as infertility, chronic illness of a loved one and near-paralysis of her daughter. Littered in-between are inspirational quotes, biblical anecdotes, not to mention various wise contributions from friends and family who've also endured change's challenges. It's not a book I would personally re-read, but I cannot overlook its spiritual benefit for anyone who has/ is currently struggling with adjusting to life's transitions. Here's my thematic review; feel free to let me know below if its worth a read. 

Shirt : H&M | Velvet Skirt : Vintage (similar here)

"There are far better things ahead than we leave behind" C.S. Lewis

Tribe

I won tickets to StylistLive for 3 out of 4 days, last month and it was epic! It was exactly as described; an urban [feminist] festival, crammed full with enriching activities (talks, Q&As, roundtable discussions), live performances (intimate music concerts, book readings from famous authors, live stand-up comedy), fashion shows, giveaways, beauty treatments, photobooths, hair styling stations, and a million and one stalls to foray through and shop from. In the midst of it all, my sister heard a dumb nut ask "why can't they do this for men?". 

Disclaimer: PICTURE OVERLOAD! But be rest assured there are more pictures from StylistLive to come, and will feature in subsequent posts as I couldn't cram it all in here.

Hat : M&S | Jumper : TKMaxx | Ink Coated Jeans : Wallis

VERNEZ

I had the pleasure of attending the launch of an exciting new fashion curating app; VERNEZ. The name alone transports one to their favourite foreign fashion capital, not to talk about the user-friendly interface. I was fortunate enough to be gifted £100 shopping voucher AND also get a unique code (ONYXSTA) for you all on BLEURGH to use to access the site exclusively. A personal invitation, if you will. However, my interest in fashion and style stops short there. What had my knickers in a tizz the most, was GirlBoss, Co-creator and CEO Moyang's story. I speak time and again about diverse practice, and welcoming change into your life, and Moyang epitomises that vision. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to privately interview her, so please read & absorb her wisdom. 

Bloggers Love Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is upon us and its customary, as a female blogger, to dedicate a post to the new season of style. BLEURGH has never quite fit the customary mould, so I will indulge you. Fashion, style, beauty, even skincare are interests that are all too frequently dismissed in the academic/ intellectual circles - often regarded as being far too frivolous (bearing in mind the male counterpart - football - is common place hot topic in such settings, but I digress). However, stay late enough in the ladies, or hover long enough over a shoulder, and you may just be invited into the inner caucus of stylish discussions that escalate suddenly around September. 

Shirt : Blanco (Gran Canaria) | Jacket (reverse) : Burju (also worn here) 

Skirt : Designed by me, tailor-made in Nigeria (also worn here)