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
Gimme More Flare Happy February, sunshine! This week has been a whirlwind for me. So many meetings and appointments to keep up with. I wake up and before I know it, the day’s gone. I’m glad though because tomorrow, I’m seeing a BØRNS concert! *jumps up and down like a true fan girl* Being excited is such an understatement I can’t begin to explain, hahaha. I’ve always talked about how my friends don’t understand my music taste so I will be going alone. #SoloRanger Besides his popular jams, I’ve been listening to “American Money” on repeat (please tell me I’m not the only one, am I) so that’ll have to been my song of January. Any favorites from BØRNS? Tell me! I wore this outfit to brunch with my girlfriends. I’ve been loving living the knee-high life and I’m considering upgrading to the thigh-high life. I put my layering skills into play and wore this black skirt over my ankara dress to give it a different look. What do you think? It’s all about being innovative with your clothing, I’ve had this dress for about 3 years now. It’s not going anywhere. What are some versatile pieces in your wardrobe and what do you use them for? Enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details Ankara dress: LAJA Styles Skirt: old Shoes: Audrey Brooke Jacket: Bongo Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Disco Disco Although I draw my inspiration from basically everywhere, I’ll have to say that the 70s are my favorite period in fashion history. Flared bottoms, a-line skirts, chunky heels, high waists; that era calls to me so much. I love my flared bottoms to sweep the ground if not I find it way too awkward. This ankara blouse is another vintage piece from Mummy LAJA dearest and the cuts are absolutely exquisite. I never knew this day would come but I have been feeling this short hair SO hard. I shied away from short hairstyles because I didn’t think they were flattering for my face type but now, I’m hardcore contemplating staying short (and red) the whole of 2016. T’is really true, you’ll never know if something works or not if you don’t try it. I’ll leave you with that and hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! Outfit details Ankara Blouse: Vintage Jumpsuit: Sunglasses: Nordstrom Rack Always, Miss LAJA
This Christmas Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing day! I went for a relative’s birthday party! Yes, she shares the same birthday as Jesus. It was a great time with food and lovely company. I’ve been visiting many family members and friends and it absolutely blows my mind that they know about Miss LAJA! Hearing the things they say encourage me so much and make me look forward to what 2016 has to offer. It’s officially a countdown! I’m going to keep this short and sweet as I just got back from a visit to my cousins’ place! I hope you enjoyed yours, what did you do? And what are you looking forward to this coming 2016? A little bit on the outfit, I’m wearing a vintage ankara top courtesy Mummy LAJA. The top is about 15 years old! I was like dayummm :O I can imagine myself wearing this outfit if I were spending Christmas or even the New Year in Las Vegas Imagine an evening consisting of food (obviously ), a burlesque show and maybe a party after, hehe; Miss LAJA bringing a touch of ankara to the Sin City 😉 #TheUlitmateVegasOutfit in my dictionary, don’t you think? A girl can dream but I wore this on a day out on Christmas day. There’s nothing I love more than a night out with great food and great company; life is wayy too short to accept any less. Coming home this Christmas to my family and friends redirected my perspective. Where would you wear this outfit to? I would like to know 😀 Don’t forget to check out the latest video I just dropped on how I tie my gele. I want your feedback! Enjoy, the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details Ankara Blouse: Vintage Ankara Skirt: old Shoes: Charlotte Russe Purse: Antonio Melanie Swarovski Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Merry Christmas! 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