Fresh: Nike Sky High Dunks

I'm not a sneaker head and I don't ball, but these vicious dunks got me trippin'. If you can't already tell from my Instagram pics, I'm in love with my Nikes. As soon as I put them on, I felt fresh to def. My whole perspective went from alright to say word! Like Spike Lee said "It's gotta be the shoes!"

Wedge sneakers are all the rage this season. From Isabel Marant to another fav of mine Ash, any brand who knows what's good for it is getting in on this trend. You can opt for a chunky high top or something a bit more sleek. The good thing is that wedge sneakers give you style and height while still being super comfy.

My girl Taye and I spent a little time trying on various pairs to see which looked the hottest. After lots of hits and misses, we decided to go with the Nikes. I mean you can't go wrong with the swoosh. It reigns supreme. But finding these babies proved to be a challenge. I went from store to store. I asked a few sales dudes who had no clue what I was talking about. But finally the sales chicks said they had one pair left just waiting for me. Call it destiny.

Don't worry, you wont have to go through all that. I've done the leg work for you. At a super sweet price, you better not pass these up! You know what the deal is...

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Drum Roll, Please

Get excited! After just one week of competition, it's time to announce the winner of the #ImaJungleGurl bikini giveaway. Yes, summer is almost over but you can never have enough swimsuits. Am I right or am I crazy? So Without further ado...

Congratulations to Alexis also known as msfabuLEX. She represents New Orleans and rocks big, beautiful natural hair. Among other things, this renaissance woman is also a model. How perfect!

Here's why Alexis won the contest. She says:

This girl is so wild and free that it's intoxicating. I want to be like Alexis when I grow up. Congrats again, hot mama!

Run, Fly, Soar!

On a Sunday morning a couple months ago, I woke up with this sense of clarity. I turned on my tv, flipped though the channels and stopped to watch a sermon. That's normally not my thing, but the message was just perfect for how I was feeling. Not long before this, I had been struggling with some difficult decisions. When I finally took my last stand, I cried like nobody's business. It was a mixture of sadness and relief, but ultimately electric relaxation prevailed.

To be completely honest, I decided to end a very long friendship with someone I love and adore. Details aren't necessary, because we've all felt that emptiness and confusion. But you've got to move forward and not dwell on the loss. Dealing with reality can suck, but forgetting it exists is worse.

So back to the tv evangelist... The sermon was called "Run Your Own Race". How fitting. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm more spiritual than religious. I believe in signs and divine intervention and all that. The preacher's words were definitely meant for me. He started off with a scripture that went a little like this "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." I'm leaving some out, but I am sure you get the gist of it.

We all get caught up in the rat race and keeping up with the Joneses, but for what? We also end up living our lives for other people instead of satisfying our own personal goals. Somehow in my quest to make someone else happy, I'd neglected what I really want and who I am. Maybe not completely, but there was a part of me that was suffering on the inside. But I'm not bitter, because I have grown through my experience.

After watching the sermon, I promised that those past sins I'd committed against myself would never happen again. I can no longer live up to other people's expectations of me, I've got to do me. Because years from now when I look back on my life, I don't want to think about what I could have accomplished. I'd like to say

" Wow! Look at how high I soared."

Post Apocalyptic Goddess

Photography: Emily Sandifer, Make-up: Rita Lonberger, Art Direction/Styling: Andrea Krystine, Designer: Myrrhia Fine Knitwear

After the world has destroyed itself in nuclear warfare. After we have murdered Mother Earth and killed off the machines... Someone has to fight to save our existence. Enter the warrior goddess. A bit dramatic, but that was my fantasized interpretation of the theme for the Myrrhia Fine Knitwear Spring 2013 lookbook shoot. I think it's a little Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome meets The Neverending Story. Am I right?

We created this beautiful imagery when I was in the Bay Area last month. Andrea, the stylist and art director, had this great vision for how the photos should look, and it was brilliant. I mean, who would think tough Zena-like chick would go so well with knitwear.
With only a few hours to knock out all the looks, we got down to business ASAP. After spending a short amount of time getting my face prettified by Rita, it was time to get in front of the camera with Emily. The space was light and airy with rhythms of Femi Kuti playing in the background. I loved shooting on the cozy, furry rug although it's actually quite difficult to keep your balance on the texture.

Every now and then, Myrrhia would have to step in to adjust the clothing. Some of the pieces were so delicate considering she had just completed a few of them hours before. Fashion can be so last minute, but what comes from those last stitches is immaculate.
If the world looks like this after an apocalypse, I'm in. Ok, maybe that's taking it too far. But we worked and created something earthy, strong, and beautiful. Thanks to everyone involved. You made my job way easier.

Xoxo

Just Blaze: Neon Cutout Dress

Have you ever noticed that all the girls in Hollywood wear the same dress? I'm not even kidding. On any given night, you will catch a gang of chicks in identical short, tight black dresses and cheap heels. Ladies, we've got to stop the insanity. There are other options, and this little number is perfect!

I found this dress while window shopping on Nasty Gal and I'm all about the cutout. The style is quite naughty while not showing too much skin. And the color is electrifying! If yellow isn't your thing, the dress also comes in blue. Sometimes, you've got to say bye-bye to the LBD and say hello to bright and bold. Pair it with a clutch and some killer shoes, and you're ready to knock 'em dead. Did I mention it's on sale?! Yeah, you know what to do...

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Are You A Jungle Gurl?

Listen up, hot mamas! The summer may be winding down, but me and my friends at Jungle Gurl think it's always bikini season. So we put our pretty little brains together to give you a deal you just can't resist. Put it this way, if Rihanna is wearing Jungle Gurl you should too. Wink wink!

It's a giveway. You deserve something awesome so here's what we've got for you. I am super big on individuality and inner beauty, and Jungle Gurl promotes those ideas too. So we're doing a contest all about celebrating women who embody this type of freedom. And maybe that's you. Just say yes.


One lucky winner will be selected at random to receive a free Jungle Gurl swimsuit! Sounds good, right?
Here's how to enter:

-Follow @JungleGurl and @NikiaPhoenix on Twitter.
-Send a tweet about what makes you a Jungle Gurl and use the hastag #ImaJungleGurl. You can even include a cute photo if you like.

It's just that easy. The contest ends at 11:59 pm PST Thursday August 23. The winner be announced via Twitter. Good luck, lovelies!

P.S. Make sure you get in on this Jungle Gurl Summer Sale featuring the Mikaela gold leopard print bikini as worn by Rihanna. It's so hot!

Aging Gracefully

Youth doesn't last forever, but some of us want it to. I finally watched the documentary About Face: Supermodels Then and Now, and it was eye opening. Regardless of our aging society, fashion prefers the "beautiful and the damned". But like these former supermodels have discovered, eveything including your relevance fades.

About Face explores the lives of some of the world's most successful models who have mostly retired from the industry. Greats like Isabella Rossellini, Jerry Hall, Christie Brinkley, Pat Cleveland, and Carmen Dell'Orefice are just a few of the extraordinary women featured in this piece. Filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders creates a series of intimate portraits of these legends as they discuss how things were when they were top models, and also the complex relationship between beauty and aging.


When I watched the film, I began to sympathize with these women. They had come from a golden age of fashion where models were free to express themselves and dazzle us. There were no rules, so they created their own standards. The one rule that actually meant anything was that you couldn't appear to be getting older. Former model China Machado explains it best:

"It isn't that women want to stay young, it's that the whole society makes us want to stay young.

As they aged, some of the models tried to keep up with appearances and use plastic surgery to stay youthful, while others decided to accept what mother nature had in store. These models were pioneers and the fashion industry worshipped them. But mixed in with their confidence and vitality was this insecurity. These models all knew they had a shelf date whether it was for better or worse.

Even now, I am feeling what these models have endured. You get older and the camera stops liking you as much, because it's bias and unforgiving. But the life of a model doesn't have to have an expiration date. There is something quite beautiful about aging gracefully and letting the world see.

Chime in: Who do you think is at fault for our love affair with youth? Is it the fashion industry or ourselves?

Glossy Love

Photography by Taye Hansberry

Hey Mom, look at me! I am fortunate enough to be feautured in the debut issue of It's My Hair Magazine. Words cannot the describe my gratitude for this. There's actually a really funny story about how this happened.

My childhood best friend Alisha Cave was working with Selena Milbry, editor and creator of the magazine, on the first edition. This quarterly glossy is all about natural hair, so somehow my name was brought up when they were talking about well-known naturalistas. Anyway, Alisha says "Oh, yeah, I know Nikki". And that's when the plan was hatched. Next thing I know, Alisha is interviewing me for the feature.

It's kind of funny when you sit down for a formal interview with a longtime friend. Alisha and I were chatting for a while before we got to the actual questions for the piece. I had to remind myself to be professional and respond in complete sentences instead of being super relaxed and overly conversational. While many people know me as a model and blogger, to Alisha I'm just the freckle-faced little girl who used to put on at-home talent shows with her. I'm the girl she went to kindergarten and years later went to college with. Even when we've been apart, our lives have always run parellel to one another. It was great to be reunited with Alisha for this feauture.

Thanks to my dear friend Taye Hansberry for taking the awesome photos that accompany the story. We banged these out on Saturday when we both would have rather been lazy by a pool than trying to fight the light to shoot. But the beauty we produced makes it worth it. See what happens when you create with friends. It's epic.

Too Cool: Illesteva Le Steel Sunglasses

The world looks so much better through rose colored glasses. I peeped these Illesteva specs in a store a few months ago, and my mouth started watering. I slipped them on and instantly everything appeared way cooler than before. Then I looked at myself in the mirror and the reflection I saw was quite retro, and I liked it.

Illesteva sunglasses are favs of Hollywood's it crowd. Everyone from Solange and Beyonce to Alexa Chung are fans of this brand. I'm not going to lie. These babies are the kind of piece you save up for, but there's nothing wrong with treating yourself every now and again. So, do it and grab this hot commodity ASAP.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP

Dear Fairy Model Mother: My Agency Is MIA!

Hello lovelies! I received a message via twitter just days ago from a very nervous model named Tahira. She lives in Georgia, but wants to make the move to the Big Apple. Here's what she says:

"Hi Nikia! I was wondering if I could get some modelling advice from you. I signed a contract with this boutique agency in NY that my photographer friend recommended. Although my living arrangements for NY turned wacky they were still keeping in constant contact with me. Setting up test shoots near my location and so forth. Now, it's been almost a month and I have not been able to reach them at all. What should I do?"

Uh oh! Looks like your agents have gone rogue. Fairy Model Mother is on the job.

Can you imagine being in this situation? After months of searching for the right agency, you find one that's totally interested in you. And it's even better that a friend you know and trust referred you. Thinking you're on the right track, you even attempt to relocate yourself for work. Everything seems to be going well, then silence. It's the equivalent of hooking up with a guy, spending days hanging out, and then hearing nothing once you leave his presence. You've just been duped.

Don't feel stupid or anything, because you're not the only one this has happened to. There are a few warning signs that you might have ignored when getting involved with this agency. First of all, does the company have a website? What kind of clients do they work with and what models do they represent? Have you communicated to them by phone or email only? Have you visited the agency office? If these agents have been around for years, there should be a paper trail. Follow it.

When I did my own research on let's call it Agency X, I found very little. But I'd actually heard of it, but not very many good things. According to my sources, Agency X isn't the most reputable. It represents a lot of minority models but doesn't get them good paying jobs. Prepared to do some undercover P.I. work, I tried calling the agency contact number and only got a voicemail greeting. Finally after further investigation, I found that a modeling forum listed the agency as defunct as of late last year. Burn!

Now it's time for you to make your move. If all of a sudden your agents are flaking and not returning your phone calls, maybe you should get out. Look at your original contract for the exit clause. Email them immediately to terminate your agreement. If they still owe you money, pursue payment. Let's just hope they didn't take your money and run. You shouldn't have to do business with an agency that isn't going to keep you in the loop. Don't get hustled. Take you talents elsewhere, baby.

I hope that helps, Tahira. Don't let some bad agency waste your time. As always, if you have any modeling questions, I'm your mama!

And Now Tomorrow...

The future's so bright! A few weeks ago, I was invited by my photographer friend Kawai Matthews to be a special industry guest at a class for teens interested in fashion photography. Boy, did I feel honored. When I arrived at the Julia Dean Photo Workshop, eleven girls were sitting around a table listening intently to every word Kawai was saying. Would they be paying as close attention to my advice? The answer, yes.

My intro to the group included a little Q & A session so they could get to know me. The girls asked what designers I've worked for and what are some of the coolest shoots I've done. Then... a quick show-and-tell of my portfolio. I wanted to show them the importance of creating a solid body of work and the difference between commercial and fashion photography.

Next, Kawai gave the ladies a group project and instructed them to create an inspiration board much like the pros do to prepare for a photo shoot. It was cool to see what each team was putting together. They all had their own unique personalities and creative processes. I nicknamed the groups Team Vogue, Team Nylon, Team Seventeen, and Team W.

What I liked about this workshop is that it was super hands-on. Kawai wanted to make sure these future photographers know not just how to take a great picture, but how to use their equipment. She had them set up their own studio complete with lighting and backdrop. These girls were putting in work!

It was finally time for the students to pick up a camera and start shooting. My job was to tell them exactly what I look for in a good photographer. I like photographers that let me know what they want but allow me to express myself too. You eventually fall into a rhythm and... voila. So the students and I practiced this one by one with each having their own time behind the camera. Most of the time the girls wanted fun, carefree poses to match my bright orange bellbottoms.

We created together and we laughed together. It was so perfect. I hope these young photographers were inspired by me as much I'm inspired by them. If this is the future of fashion, then sunny days are definitely in the forecast. Good luck, ladies.

P.S. - Thanks again to Kawai Matthews and the Julia Dean Photo Workshops for the opportunity and the photos. You rock!

Say What: Rocco Stencil Drop Earrings

The bigger the jewelry, the bigger the statement. Am I right?! So it's no wonder I'm digging these earrings from ASOS. You'll usually see me rocking pieces like this whenever I want to stand out from the crowd. Trust me, it works wonders. Hook, line, and sinker!

I really like that these darlings combine tribal touches with colorful details. You can wear these with a tank top and jeans for a simply chic look or with a cute sheath dress. Absolutely gorgeous. Since it's the end of the season, the earrings are on super duper sale at just under $8. You'd better grab 'em now!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP