Life Update

I recently read a blog and the blogger had the greatest idea.... she said write down all the things that you are AVAILABLE to receive. In the past  I have written down things I want to attract, things I'm grateful for, my goals and wishes etc. BUT I have never actually thought, so you want to attract all these things but are you open and available to receive them when they come? and so I took some time to really look at my life and all the "things" that I am currently committed to and asked myself what are you willing to give up or let go in order to be available for the things you are praying for? The true object of asking yourself this is to make you sit. and. think. and envision the life you want and to line up your surroundings to support it. For example I want a palette that craves nourishing, healthy, clean foods that fuel my mind body and soul... BUT lets be honest I love Chick-fil-A as much as the next person but if I keep eating it I will keep craving it right, so I need to cut it out and introduce new foods to my palette so I start craving the new foods. This is the same thing with friends I had to cut out "friends" that were taking energy away from me and not nourishing me in order to be available for friends that did. You have to open yourself up to be available for the things you are praying for ie. good health, friends that turn into family, new work opportunities, loving relationship and so on. Creating the vision for the life you want is easy, sticking to it proves to be a more difficult task which is why you have to work on it every single day and believe that the changes you make, no matter how small, will free up space so you're available for the things you want to attract.

until next time... SM

Its Officially Fall

 Im from New York and FALL is my favorite time of year, its the jeans + tshirt + chunky sweater weather, while sipping on a Starbucks pumpkin latte and eating a gingerbread, buuuuuuut I now live in California where the sun shines pretty much everyday the constant sunshine can has me craving a more colorful scenic sky and not just when the sun is going down.... (California sunsets are breathtaking) So I had to find my California fall foliage and its just as beautiful as the east coast and i get to wear jeans + tshirt + and chunky sweater (enter jumping for joy GIF)

Hiking at Yosemite 

A nice stroll along Gull Lake is enough to cure any FOMFF (fear of missing fall foliage) yeah i made that up.....  and if that doesn't cure my FOMFF Apple picking at Oak Glenn will surely do the trick

The road to happiness

*HAPPINESS*

http://www.oakglen.net/

I AM A DREAMER

My Birthday is today....... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

I am a dreamer, I dream a lot and most of my dreams come true because along with dreaming I take action, so for the next 364 days I will be working hard toward one of my biggest and most consistent dreams which is to design and develop a successful clothing brand. I know that in writing my dreams down, sending it out to the universe, working hard and being consistent... my dreams will manifest. I tell people constantly that you have to get up, get out and do something, anything, big or small that will lead you to your ultimate dream because every step leads you somewhere the key is to start stepping! Now my dream is not just about designing and developing my clothing brand. I also want a brick and mortar and online store, along with having the brand selling successfully in other stores,  Ive been a hairstylist for 23 years and its a labor of love BUT its labor.... I want all my love and passion to translate into a profitable business that will work for me while I am asleep, so heres to taking the first STEP (writing it down and sharing it with you) I will update my progress along the way and if you have any questions, comments or advice as always send me an email folliclesandfashion@gmail.com or send me a message on instagram @folliclesandfashion

Until next time Xx 

Hello July

July is my birthday month and my Mothers birthday month, however this year is extra special to me because I am turning the age my mother was when she passed away.... its funny how parents seem so old until you become an adult and realize just how young they were when you thought they were old, Ive decided to live this year out loud in a way that Ive never done before, so that means a lot of firsts and some of them scare me but Im going to do them anyway, and I will be sharing them along the way SN: (sharing my personal life on the blog is a first) Happy Birthday to me and my Mommy 

until next time

xo

folliclesandFASHION spotlight

For many years I have listened and then watched Wendy Williams first on radio then everyday on her nationally syndicated talk show bearing her name, and over the years I have watched her experiment with different hairstyles and I have to say that Wendy has really evolved in the Wig department. Wendy’s late “Wig-ologist” or ‘Wig” as she lovingly called Antoine Jackson was amazing at giving Wendy hair that fit her style and personality (Antoine passed away in 2016). The question became who could step up and continue with the evolution of the “Wig”? Enter Robyn Michele or “Wiggy” as Wendy affectionately refers to her. 

folliclesandFASHION had the chance  to talk with Robyn and get the inside scoop on who she is, where she came from and where she is going.. in this Wig Wig world :-)

fF. Hi Robyn, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, lets start with Where are you from?

RM. 
I am from Central Jersey, I’ve moved away, but have since returned to raise my son here and be with my mother she is literally the help of a whole village and one of my best friends.

fF.  When did you know you wanted to be a hairstylist? and are you licensed or just formally trained in wig making?

RM. 
Initially I didn’t I was in Fashion, I started doing hair in or around 2000 after receiving multiple bad weave jobs I would sit and draw out various braid patterns that would help achieve a flat install and I would then go to an African Hair Braiding salon to have them braid according to my design and then I would go home and sew it in. I taught myself how to install extensions and not long after my friends and friends of their friends would come and have me do theirs. I would meet them at the hair braiding salons to have their hair braided before bringing them back to my house to sew their hair in. I learned how to braid years later.

My career in fashion stopped when the economy fell in 2008. I was pregnant at the time with my son Aidan so I did what I knew how to do and started letting people know I was available to do weaves. Later that year I moved to Georgia and placed an ad on Craigslist to do sew-ins and eventually sourced hair from India and started to retail it. Overtime I saw that I was far more invested in hair than I ever expected, I would go to Barnes and Noble to read through International fashion and hair magazines to see what styles, tools and products they were using. I was completely inspired! I moved back to NJ in 2010 and decided to take the leap and enroll at Paul Mitchell and haven’t looked back since. So although initially self trained, I am Licensed and have taken various extension classes as well as classes specializing in wig making by hand and sewing machine.

fF. What would you say has been your "Mama Ive made it moment"

RM. 
My biggest hair moment to date would be the first day Wendy wore one of my custom Luxe Units tm that I created for her.

(Wendy Williams first show wearing a LUXE unit)

I remember being at home depressed, having anxiety attacks about posting my work on Instagram, crying and just praying for God to help me push myself enough to continue to mange the few orders I would get per month. Fast forward to “Here’s Wendy!!!!!!” The doors open and Wendy walks through wearing a custom colored wig that I made, Something I meticulously created on my sewing machine, considering every detail, Something that I was struggling to share on social media for lack of popularity and likes… yet here I am with my work being seen in over 50 countries on a nationally syndicated show and worn by a woman known for her love and daily usage of wigs.

Wendy in a sleek bob  and Textured LUXE unit

My God! I”m still teary eyed thinking of it. I didn’t even pray for this… my prayers weren’t big enough. Grateful that God saw me worthy!

fF. 5 things in your hair/wig kit you cant live without?

RM.

5 things I can’t live without in my hair kit:

Want to know the truth? There’s nothing that I swear by as of yet .

I use babyliss tools and h2pro at the moment. I also like some of IGk products, but I use a mixture of a lot of things. It’s not like I will freak  out if I leave my fave hairspray and have to run and grab another. I make pretty much whatever work.

NAMASTE Wendy in a loose wave LUXE unit

fF. Working for such a big personality like Wendy Williams in a busy city like New York, do you have a morning ritual to help you start your day? or a calming one for the end of the night? 

RM.

My morning ritual is to be silent, or listen to some praise music or a sermon. I like to think and process my day.

I pray with my son before he goes to school and having my coffee is a MUST.

We always end our day with prayer as well. He is really gonna be a prayer warrior when he grows up. I’m pretty proud of that.
fF. Best advice you've ever gotten? and best advice to pass along?

RM.

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to be about what you say you are about. It was from a fashion stylist years ago when, He said one of the worse things you can do is to hype your skill set up to get a job, but when you get the job you can’t live up to it.

Best advice I can give someone is to learn how to see you the way God sees you. Develop an intimate relationship with Him and let him lead you. Balance is so important to me, but having that relationship with God can give you peace and balance in the most disruptive and unsteady situations. Lastly, to not be celeb focused. Worry about being great and innovative and let your character and skill set position you. Celebrity clientele is one part of the equation. There’s so much more to being viewed as successful.

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to be about what you say you are about. It was from a fashion stylist years ago when, He said one of the worse things you can do is to hype your skill set up to get a job, but when you get the job you can’t live up to it.
 fF. What's on the list for you Robyn? Whats next?
RM.

What’s next for me is my wig line with The Wig Haus. I am proud to create a home for my Luxe Units, Also being an Educator, Brand ambassador, Employer, Mental health advocate, Makeup artist, Wardrobe stylist, Home decor and more lol. This year has been about taking the limits off. Whatever I can do and whatever GOD wants me to do.... That is what you will see me doing.

“I love hair in general, whether working with wigs or a clients own hair. However, I do have a deeper love for wigs and hairpieces because I love that I can give my clients exactly what they want, even if that’s not what they have”.

                                                                                                                                          Robyn Michele

You can find out more about Robyn here;  http://www.robynmichelebeauty.com/

and follow her journey on instagram https://www.instagram.com/robynmichelebeauty/?hl=en

Jay Z x PUMA

Congratulations to Jay Z who was appointed creative director of PUMA 

Puma announced that they are re-entering the basketball sneaker market for the first time in 20 years and Jigga (yup Im from NY so I can say that!) will be creative director responsible for the artistic direction of Puma as well as shaping the general concept of the revived basketball division.

            Knicks Legend Walter "Clyde" Frazier and the PUMA                                 CLYDE launched in 1973

And to be released October 1 in time for the 2018-2019 NBA season

                                                     The PUMA CLYDE DISRUPT
                        To be released October 1, right in time for the 2018-2019 NBA season Excited to see what direction my fellow New Yorker takes PUMA.

Hello June

June is the middle marker of the year, its the time to check in and go over the list of goals and new years resolutions that we set for ourselves. Im doing my check in with myself and I will say there are things on my list that have not gotten any attention! even though I set specific dates for them, but on the flip side there are things that Ive accomplished that weren't even on my goal list for 2018 at all. So I will not beat myself up but as I move forward to the second half of the year Im going to be more intentional with my list. This month on folliclesandFashion we have an awesome interview with Celebrity Wig Maker/Stylist Robyn Michele, who stepped into the role of Wendy Williams new "Wiggy" as Wendy calls her hairstylists and we are also slated to interview Camille Friend Hair Department Head for Marvels Black Panther and sooooo much more :-) Those are our two upcoming hair spotlights and we are on hold for a very exciting fashion stylist spotlight, really good stuff coming up! Im also launching an T-shirt and accessories line so stay tuned for that! and if there is anyone you guys would like to hear about please send me an email  folliclesandfashion@gmail.com 

Happy June

Summer Time fine

 Im a summer baby so naturally summer has a special place in my heart, and Ive been working out really hard and eating right so in my mind when I put on my skivvies and hit Venice beach Ill be walking tall and this is somewhat the image I imagine beach goers will see...... again in my mind
hey a girl can dream....

images via pinterest

Why Your Dream Matters

Ive had a lot of stop and go moments, those moments when you are moving full steam ahead and then BAM! you come to a halt.....  something has happened and now you're in your head wondering and re-evaluating, if you're on the right path? should you continue? is this really something you should be doing?. When this happens I take time to sit still and listen to GOD and then I proceed, see Ive learned to go with THE PACE OF GRACE and know that my journey my path is for me and me alone. So I encourage you to stay on the path of that dream you keep having, that vision that you see so clearly but haven't figured out how to obtain, Pray, meditate, make a vision board and work on it every single day, step out of your comfort zone, do things that scare you (sidebar: this message is for you and I) achieving greatness Isn't easy but it's absolutely possible. 
Continue to dream. Xx

Hump Day Pick up

seriously...... JUST. DO. IT