LAJA Unseen #11 Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the name of the pose above on LAJA-gram (@miss_laja). Any guesses? Leave them in the comments below! LAJA Unseen #10 | LAJA Unseen #9| LAJA Unseen 8 When you’ve been posing for 5 hours but the photos aren’t lit When bae come’s through with the food <3 _ <3 When you cut your hair and your parents don’t recognize you 🙂 SHOP THE LOOKS ON LAJA COLLECTION Always, Miss LAJA
Purple Enough? Today’s outfit is too bright for life and I definitely need the brightness and colour in my life considering the tragedies that plagued the news this past week. I’ve talked about it so much and I just need some air to breathe because it’s so darn depressing. I need some change in my life right now since I’m so caught up with routines and what not. I decided to change my lip color. It might seem little but things like these remind me to always be grateful and that sometimes change is good. I hope you all are hanging in there and always remember to be grateful for every moment because it could all be taken away like that *snaps fingers* Yeah, yeah the ensemble has too much prints and colour but I love how both compliment each other. I feel so happy looking at the skirt alone. My roommate was skeptical but when I looked in the mirror, I thought “Yass, love it!” With style, as long as you feel comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing, that’s all that matters. Seriously, learn to always do you regardless of what anyone has to say. How do you cope with misfortune and bad news? I’d love to know! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week, stay safe. I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details Ankara skirt: LAJA Styles Blouse: Target Blazer: Target Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Chasing Red You guys know I’m all about showing you how versatile and diverse various African** prints are for different seasons and occasions. I really do believe African prints will never go out of style or become “cliche” like I’ve been seeing around lately. Miss LAJA believes it will continuously evolve alongside the culture and they are so much more than “tribal” prints (don’t even get me started on this one) like a lot of foreign brands portray them to be. That’s a story for another day but I really want you to know why I do what I do so your reason for coming to my site is clearer. I really do believe in African** prints and I hope you will too. I just wanted to get that off my chest and let you know what drives me to keep posting and pushing myself to be better. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I post other ways various African prints are incorporated outside fashion; decor, art, there are even wax print cars! I really hope you’ll learn through Miss LAJA how to add prints to your wardrobe and make them a part of your lifestyle (and no you don’t have to be from an African country to appreciate so hop on the boat). I believe it should be an essential part of everyone wardrobe, men and women alike. African** prints are beautiful and can easily fit in with the modern girl/woman. Like I’ve always said, this is a journey so I’m continuously searching and learning about the different types of African prints out there because there are many! And of course, I’ll be here to share them with you. A quick schpill on the outfit, this is pretty casual casual chic. It is really chilly so I got my layering game on. Loved how these pictures came out, I had the hardest time selecting! Hope you like it and see you next month! Outfit Details Ankara trousers: LAJA Styles Sweater: Rainbows Pullover: Windsor Belt: Express Shoes: Me Too Purse: Ségolène en Cuir **: I understand there are hundreds of prints unique to various African countries and cultures. Understand that “African prints” is not a feasible thing, I merely use it to describe where Miss LAJA’s focus is going to be; learning and showcasing the versatility of prints from various African countries. It’s important to use these words carefully lest you risk stripping the 54 countries of their unique identities, re-perpetuating the stereotype that “Africa” is country and sounding plain ignorant. Africa is a continent of 54 fabulously unique countries. Always, Miss LAJA
The Butterfly Effect Happy Wednesday! Here’s another vintage ankara piece that belongs to my mum and I have now permanently borrowed, hehe! I’m appreciating how the cold weather is being delayed here in North Carolina but loh and behold, the cold gradually seems to be winning *insert sad face* Anyways, while taking these pictures, a man commented that I looked like a butterfly in the garden (shucks) and I thought “Eureka!” I channeled my inner butterfly and decided to prance around to get my shoulders looking butterfly-y. Thanks, stranger! Trust me, it looks good here but not so attractive if you’re an onlooker passing by. Imagine seeing a girl violently swinging her upper body in from of a tripod. Alone. Yeah, kinda awkward but that’s all right. The things I do for you. No complaints though! I was casually scrolling through my Instagram feed and saw that there’s only two months till 2016. Whet? Like, whet? Seriously? Wow, warris going on? Time is just sprinting, sprinting. I was a little too mind blown. That’s some crazy stuff right there. Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara dress: Vintage Shoes: Dune Earring: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA Unseen #8 I went out to dinner then to a Broadway show last night and saw Beauty And The Beast! It was really good but I’m yet to see another Broad way performance that would top Wicked (at least for me). When it comes to movies and TV shows, I’m a crier. Correction, a bawler. Literally my tear buds just do their own thing. I was a slobbery mess after seeing Wicked. The performance just touched my soul on another level, haha! Have you seen any Broadway musicals? Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below! Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the name of the pose above on LAJA-gram (@miss_laja). Any guesses? Leave them in the comments below! LAJA Unseen #7| LAJA Unseen #6 | LAJA Unseen #5 When you see the early birds all bubbly and happy at 7am The “Swerve, I Dodged That Shade For The Gods” Pose The “Miley Cyrus Possessed LAJA” Pose When You’re Expecting Someone To Be Nice And Help You Up But They Don’t When You Thought You Were Hood But You Realize You’re Not Ready. The “I’m About To Put This Trifling Creature In Their Place” Pose The “I Have So Much To Do And So Little Motivation To Do Anything” Pose When You Get Back Home From A Lonnng Day The “Why The Heck You Lying?! Why You Always Lying?! Hmm Oh Ma Gard, Stop Freaking Lying!” Pose When You Realize And Understand Who You Are. Fabulous. When Bae Compliments Your Outfit Always, Miss LAJA
African Explosion Fashion Show Hello, lover! If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know I went for a fashion show this past Saturday. I did something super embarrassing that you can read about here. It consisted of clothing made with various African prints and over 6 designers showcased their collections. As you can imagine and also tell by these photos, it was one heck of a vibrant evening! So my favorite designers from the show. The first was NASHONA especially their coats! Their COATS! I literally wanted to grab them all off the runway. They are so great for adding color to your ensemble this winter and the cuts are really modern. Slaying winter one ankara coat at a time. I was pleased with the collection. The next designer high on my list was Chukwu “D” Designs. His specialty was shoes and clutches crafted with various wax prints. His choices of prints were spot on and I appreciated he used print patterns I wasn’t already familiar with. He’s just starting up and I look forward to seeing more of his work! These are some shots from my favorite pieces from that night aka I would gladly wear every single one of them. Sigh, the thirst was real. Hope you have a great week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Earrings by Fulfill Jewelry Loved the design+ colour palette on this print. Loved the neck cut and the lace overlay. If it’s orange, know I’m automatically going to love it These pumps!!!…!!! Throw on some tights + a leather jacket and you have yourself a Fall/Winter outfit. Yesss, for these colours! When your hair matches your outfit *wipes away tears of appreciation* I love this dress but I was more impressed by the gele skills. This coat!!! I’m strongly contemplating going gray or red. Thoughts? Always, Miss LAJA
Crisp Leaves Hello sunshine! As I type this post currently, I’m not the happiest of bunnies. I had a fashion show I’m meant to go to. It’s actually to today but I thought it was yesterday (btw, you’re reading this in the future) but yes, I was so excited I forgot to double check the date. Ended up showing up to the event fully dressed and ready to slay the world but a kind lady pointed out that the 17th of October was a Saturday not a Friday. Girl, seriously? I actually didn’t know that and no, I’m not being sarcastic. Talk about awkward though. Ughhh! So I returned, pissed from wasted cab money and ordered my guilty pleasure, bad Chinese take out and settled down to watch Reign as therapy for my sorrow. This isn’t the first time something like this is happening to me so I wasn’t too hard on or surprised at myself. Patience Ashan-wa, patience. On the bright side, I now know the venue and have my whole outfit pulled together, haha! It’s an African fashion show and I’m really pumped. I wasn’t going to go so the whole ordeal was quite last minute but I have a good feeling about it and I love exploring life outside Dukie Duke! I’ll be LAJA-graming all about it so make sure to follow me on there! I missed wearing these killer wedges so much. They were at a point my everyday shoes because they are super comfortable. It takes a bit getting used to but after a couple of wears, I could pretty much nae-nae or do whatever I want in them. This ankara top and the background just melts my heart. It’s so green and leafy. The sequins on the blouse remind me so much of my mum because she is addicted to sequins. She puts them on all her sewn African print clothing. My hair was just something else and decided to do its own thing. I was going for full glamour hair but the curls were like, nahh. We want to be messy instead so I said okay and here we are today. I’ve found that trees and greenery have a special place in my heart. I feel so at home wherever there are trees. I also noticed I literally gravitate towards them when I’m taking pictures. It’s not on purpose but looking through my past posts, I noticed the trend and I’m loving it! Gives my site a very ethereal and vibrant feel. Anyways, I’m going to sleep and get ready for the fashion show tomorrow evening. That’s a lie actually I’m going to watch more TV shows and read up random articles, hehe. Have a lovely weekend and wish me success! Please like, comment and share! I enjoy seeing your feedback. What do you want me to write about? Any requests? Outfit Details Ankara Blouse: LAJA Styles Skirt: old Blazer: New Look Shoes: Windsor Swarovski Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Pumpkin Just finished with Fall break and gradually coming back to the reality that is school. It flew by way too fast though. The rest was very much needed. Gave me a lot of time to clear my head and take time to catch up on leisure activities. I was so occupied with stuff I didn’t even realize that the new season of CW’s Reign (my favorite TV show at the moment) had started. I was raving and way too happy to see hunky Narcisse again *insert love-struck emoji* I missed Craig Parker’s beautiful face. Do you watch Reign? Who’s your favorite character on the show? I’m fangirling so hard right now but I’m soo pumped for this season and ever since his role as Lord Rahl in “Legend Of The Seeker”, I’ve been hooked on him with a capital H. But seriously, how can you not be? Anyways, over the break, I went on a mini tour of downtown Durham. It was great getting off campus and learning about the city’s history and roots. You know I love culture so this was a huge treat for me. It was crazy that I had passed these buildings and museums several times and didn’t realize what I was missing. It helped me really appreciate the surroundings more and really take out time to see what’s around me. The weather has been top notch so it was really nice to walk around. Onto my outfit, I went for a very casual look today. Seriously, the outfits I put in the least effort always turn out the best. Can someone please explain this phenomenon to me? You guys seem to like it too so yay (or nay) for simpler ankara print looks? I have to speak on these earrings. I like to call them my stripper hoops, don’t ask why. That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I bought them, haha! I’m an earrings girl and this is the biggest pair I own. Can’t say they’re the easiest to wear since they fall of way too easily but hey, it makes my outfit slay life and I feel so fierce in them! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara skirt: LAJA Styles Blouse: Target Sandles: Ralph Lauren Earrings: Rainbows Always, Miss LAJA
White Out Oh, white. White, white. One of my least favorite colours to wear mostly because I stain everywhere and everything. Plus, if it’s not worn well, you look bigger. Am I the only one who feels that way? Hopefully not. However, I had an all white event and literally had to DIG and RAVAGE through my wardrobe to find something to put together. Ended up picking up a few things but I had mixed feeling about this outfit. After shooting and looking over the pictures, I thought hmm, I kinda like this. It’s very out of my comfort zone just how my blog pushes me every single time. Of course, I had to throw on an ankara jacket to make the outfit more Miss LAJA, haha! I added the orange clutch for an extra does of colours since you know, I’m all about that colour life! Anyways, I hope you enjoy you enjoy your weekend! I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Detail Jacket: LAJA Styles Croptop: Charlotte Russe Skirt: Rainbows Shoes: Audrey Brooke Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA Unseen #7 Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the name of the pose above on LAJA-gram (@miss_laja). Any guesses? Leave them in the comments below! LAJA Unseen #6 | LAJA Unseen #5 | LAJA Unseen #4 The “I was trying to pose but almost fell down” pose The “Teach Me How To Dougie” Pose The “Pull Ya Hair, Pull Ya Dress” Pose The “Puppet LAJA” Pose The “I Heard You Call My Nameee” Pose The “Oh My Gosh, Could It Be” Pose *In a British Accent* The “I Pray No One Smelt That” Pose When You Spot That “Free Food” Sign And You’re Ready To Slay Anyone In Your Path. Always, Miss LAJA