The University of Florida encompasses waves of black girl excellence—each girl emits an effortless cool and the joy of being young and carefree. For many, fashion is a salient tool used to affirm both self-love and identity.
For this Fashionista, her aesthetic is finely honed: echoes of her African heritage and a testament to its powerful cultural heritage. She is dressed in a sleeveless, black upper piece paired with artisan-crafted bracelets. Her staple piece is her boldly printed skirt she purchased in Tanzania. The skirt’s contrast of vibrant yellow and midnight black attunes to the Fashionista’s eye for African design. Her look displays a cultural narrative that showcases the talent being generated by contemporary African artists. Her box braids glistening underneath the sun rays of the Sunshine State represents an empowering hair style that stems directly from her heritage. She finished her look with handcrafted sandals from Tanzania.
This Fashionista shines light on the rich and diverse culture of her native land. Though she incorporates traditional influences, she contemporizes it, creating her own brand of individuality and self-expression. I adore her usage of vibrant colors, which creates added intensity and reflects radiantly against her dark chocolate skin. There is so much beauty in embracing one’s own cultural identity through fashion, and she does so impeccably.
Black girl magic, in essence, is the celebration of the multidimensional beings of black women. This Fashionista’s look is an ode to the Nigerian black girl, the bold black girl, the fashion enthusiast black girl. She, like many others, continues to sprinkle a little bit of her magic throughout campus with style.
