Meet J Wortham

“J moved to New York in 2009 to work for the New York Times as a technology reporter. Before that, they lived in San Francisco and worked as a waitress and fact-checker at Wired Magazine. They’re originally from Virginia, and studied biology and anthropology as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia. Having a background in science really helped them to see that they loved everything about information tech, infrastructure and thinking about how things work and evolve. Initially, J felt alienated from tech culture because they didn’t present as a stereotypical “nerd” but the more they dug into it, the more they became fascinated with the way the Internet, machines and software shape our understanding of ourselves, the world, and each other. And they’ve been doing that ever since. ”

LISTEN TO J's PLAYLIST |  J’s LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

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Outfit Details: Top, Puma ; Pants & Blouse, Vintage ; Choker, ASOS

on their Morning Routine by season

In summer, I wake up naturally. I love warm weather, and I can’t wait to be outside. In winter, it’s the complete opposite. I lie in bed and negotiate until I’m on my way into the day. No matter the season, I like to alkalize as soon as I wake up, with charcoal filtered water with a squeeze of lemon, lime or blood orange, whatever is in the fridge.

on becoming a writer

I’ve been reading since I was 2, the story goes, so it feels natural that I would work in words. My family is very working class, so it took me awhile to realize I could earn a living by writing, and once that happened, there was no going back.

I love having a job that allows me to investigate the human condition, and think about life, and explore alternate ways of being and doing things.

on what they’re working on now

My goal for the rest of the year is to expand my idea of myself as a creator. I am working on an art book with a friend, and teaching myself more about film and moving images. I love working with video. In five years, I hope to be as excited and invigorated as I am today to write and connect with new people.

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“Anything that explores the interiority of black women appeals to me and I was lucky enough to get a copy of the new Zadie Smith and I haven’t been able to put it down since.”

— on writing that appeals to them

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On their personal style

I mostly shop online. Trying on clothes gives me body anxiety and so many places have free online returns, so. In general, I aim for maximum comfort and bright colors, which I get from all over. I am experimenting with more masculine styles right now because that's what is in my heart. I love ASOS and I have a few friends who sell vintage and they occasionally set pieces aside for me, which is dope.

on the perfect skin mask & their skincare routine

Raw honey is a perfect skin mask. I just buy a jar of something raw and organic and spread it on my face a few minutes and then rinse it off. I do it a few times a month, in the morning or before bed . Honey is a natural antibiotic and moisturizer. It keeps my skin clear and looking dewy and moist. It’s THE BEST!

My skin is so temperamental and hyper-reactive, so I can’t use too many things at once or too much makeup, or my face has a meltdown. I just try keep it clean and moisturized to prevent break-outs. I love Orgaid sheet masks because they have probiotics and witch hazel in them, which is incredible. I’ve been using a vitamin C serum too, which is working wonders for my summer complexion.

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Outfit Details: Kimono, Free People

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Outfit Details: Dress, ASOS; Kimono, Free People; Rings, Pamela Love

“Holistic health is very important to me! I’ve become extremely attuned to the foods that make me feel great and the ones that make me feel terrible. And now I’m learning to experiment with teas and things just for health. I bought a block of organic reishi mushrooms at the Union Square Farmer’s Market for $10! I’m going to brew it this winter as a health tonic. I just started a newsletter to document these adventures. TinyLetter.com/FermentationandFormation”

— on the importance of holistic health

J's Favorite Books

The Black Book by Middleton A. Harris, Ernest Smith, Morris Levitt, Roger Furman, & Toni Morrison

This Bridge Called My Back by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa

Swing Time by Zadie Smith

Bluets by Maggie Nelson

J's Favorite Places

Best Coffee: SuperCrown 

Best Paletas: Tulcingo Deli 

Best Juices at AP Cafe

Best Place for  Cool Shows: Trans-Pecos 

Best Discowoman Sets: TheLotRadio and Market Hotel

Best Acupuncture: TigerLily 

Best Spot For A Date & Sushi: Momos 

Best Place for a Movie: Syndicated

Streetstyle Details: Vintage

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Meet Angie Myung

“Angie Myung is the Creative Director at Poketo and oversees all curation of the site and store. It all started as a side project with her husband, but after a life-changing release party, all of their products completely sold out. Their business has grown into what is now two brick and mortar shops in popular spots in Los Angeles, including collaborations with artists and musicians.”

 ♫ LISTEN TO ANGIE'S PLAYLIST |  ⌨ LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

Coffee Table, Eric Trine ; Magazine Holder, Eric Trine ; Couch, Ikea

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Dress, Ace and Jig

on her morning routine

Get up. Make coffee. Drink Coffee. Check email. Jump in the shower. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Put some stuff on face. Walk the dogs, and out the door.

on starting her business

Poketo began with one single product, the artist wallets back in 2003. We had an art show and as part of the show, we made something that everyone could afford, but with art on it. It was our friend's artwork made into a form of a wallet. The wallets completely sold out the night of the art show. We had so much fun that we kept making products with more artists, including apparel, housewares, and stationery.

In our early days, we worked with bands like Postal Service, The Shins, Weezer, and Arcade Fire. We got together some artists, and we designed the wallets that were sold at the bands' concerts. It was so much fun, and the musicians were totally stoked on the wallets too.

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Table, Eric Trine

“Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is a book that I picked up at the Copenhagen airport. It’s very emotional and heartbreaking. It’s about an older couple who started on a journey to look for their son. They come from a village where memories fade away so quickly that they don’t even remember what happened to their son and where they are. It’s about memory, loss of memory, and what’s real or made up. It’s an interesting read.”

— on her favorite book

Magazine Holder, Eric Trine

on her style and aesthetic

I hardly ever go shopping. When I need something to wear, I get it from my own shop, Poketo. I think and breathe design and color for living. Poketo's aesthetic is all about colors that are bright and happy. My aesthetic in my personal life is really minimal. Our house is white with pops of color. I wear a lot of white and black, or the combination of two colors. I also don't own much. When you're surrounded by design all day long, the last thing you want to do is surround yourself with more colors and products when you come home.

Top, Uniqlo

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Dress, Ace and Jig

on her beauty routine and recommendations

My beauty routine is pretty simple. I use what my mom buys for me, which is mostly Korean products. Since I'm Korean, I feel like it matches my skin better. In the morning, I just wash my face once. At night, I wash my face using two different products. First, with oil cleanser that takes off all my make up, and then with regular face wash. At morning and night, I use toner, lotion, and serum with sunblock, and I use Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening Foundation. It's like a sunblock and light foundation, but it's really light and I don't feel like I'm wearing makeup. I recommend IOPE Plant Stem Cell Skin Perfection Softener and Emulsion and IOPE Nutritious Anti-wrinkle Serum. Then I put on Laneige Eyeliner and Laneige Volume Setting Mascara.

on self-care rituals

I'm pretty lazy. I don't get my nails done and my hair is usually in a pony tail. I guess the one thing I do religiously is putting on sunblock even on a rainy day. The sun in Southern California is really strong. You need to wear sunblock even when it's cloudy.

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Dress, Ace and Jig

angie's favorite books

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami, Winkreative Design Stories: A Global View on Branding, Design and Publishing by Camilla Belton, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

angie's favorite movies

When Harry Met Sally, Sweet Bean, Chungking Express, Eat Drink Man Woman

angie's favorite places

Civil Coffee is a new coffee shop and they serve really good coffee with some brunch options

Huarache Azteca in Highland Park is the best Mexican restaurant in this area

For shopping, Poketo Flagship in the Arts District, of course

Dress, ace and jig ; Shoes, Birkenstocks

─ Photography By Claire Donoghue

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Meet Lauren Nostro

“Lauren is the Music News Editor of Genius.com. She’s responsible for mining the internet for the stories behind your favorite songs, lyrics, and artists. Lauren was previously the Managing Editor of Complex Music where she profiled the best rapper alive Nicki Minaj, spent a day with Khloe Kardashian, and wrote Complex’s first digital cover story on Danny Brown. More importantly, she did her master’s thesis on Future and went on a SlutWalk with Amber Rose. She has bylines on VICE, Fader, Paper Magazine, Jezebel, and more. These days, she lives in Brooklyn with her cat, Tunechi.”

♫ LISTEN TO Lauren'S PLAYLIST | ⌨  LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

STREETSTYLE DETAILS: Jersey, joefreshgoods

Photography by Xenia Alexandra

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“I moved to New York to get my master’s in writing at NYU. I ended up getting an internship with Complex and worked under the music editor Insanul Ahmed at the time. We work together at Genius now, too. I really had no idea what I was doing, I knew a lot about music but certainly not enough. I’m pretty sure I learned more in that year of interning at Complex than I did in all of grad school and possibly college. From there I was an editorial assistant, bounced around and worked at VICE’s Noisey for a bit and ended up back at Complex from 2013 to March 2016 as managing editor of the music channel.”

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Lauren's favorite records

“My cat, Tunechi, usually wakes me up around 5:30 a.m. to be fed and then I’m in and out of sleep until 8. I’ve narrowed my morning routine down to 30 minutes so that I can lay around and pretend to meditate/snuggle with my cat all morning. I force myself to drink 4 glasses of lemon water before I leave the house.”

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Top, Banana Repbulic ; Pants, H&M ; Shoes, Vans

“I’d been at Complex for almost five years and I think there was just a breaking point of, “OK, what now?” I ended up leaving to go freelance for a few months and grow up. Then I started talking to Genius and ended up doing some freelance for them before coming on as their music news editor. It helped that a handful of my old editors at Complex moved to Genius, too. What appealed to me was that Genius was solely dedicated to the music—the stories behind the lyrics, the songs, the production, and the artists. These days, artists don’t need media to tell their stories, they have their own sites, their own magazines, their own platforms. We work *with* artists to tell their stories. What Genius does is really just add another layer to that by dissecting and breaking down the meaning behind that.”

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Dress, Topshop ; Shoes, Vans

“My favorite record that I own is Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday—the vinyls are pink, but I have them framed on my wall. The others are all ones I stole from my college’s radio station—they basically had them outside of the studio in crates to give away and I came across them at midnight after a long night in the college newspaper office. I have so many random vinyls at this point—Ma$e, Lil Flip, Black Rob, Faith Evans, a lot of early Bad Boy records. Then Take Care, of course.”

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“I also interviewed Khloe Kardashian and I had a very nice lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel -probably one of the more honest and open interviews I’ve ever done. Then there was the Amber Rose Slutwalk, it was surprisingly one of the most emotional experiences I’ve had while writing a piece. It was a really incredible experience that I feel like opened a lot of people’s eyes to the women’s issues she’s trying to tackle.”

“Anyone that works in music should have a copy of egotrip’s Book Of Rap Lists, it’s like the bible for rap writers. Shea Serrano, one of my favorite writers, commissioned a ton of music writers for The Rap Yearbook, I was able to write about Kanye West and Jay Z’s Watch The Throne in it. As for So Sad Today, Men Explain Things To Me, and Joan Didion, I like to make myself cry.”

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Dress, Topshop

“I interviewed Nicki Minaj for a Complex cover story at 2:30 a.m. after an almost 20 hour shoot. It was rough, we were both out of it, but we ended up really connecting during the interview. I never wanted to interview my idol—she’s my favorite artist of all time—but I lucked out. After it was over, she basically gave me a pep talk on how to navigate the industry, handed me a Myx moscato, hugged me and then I ended up sitting outside in Hollywood crying for 30 minutes after the shoot.”

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Lauren's favorite books

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Lauren's favorite beauty products

“I use a L’oreal day lotion with collagen in it and an Aveeno ultra-calming night cream because I have combination skin. I love Mario Badescu rose water spray to refresh my skin throughout the day—and my hair. I’m also newly obsessed with their drying lotion for any blemishes. A lot of my make-up is Make Up Forever including their HD foundation because it’s easy on my skin and never feels cakey. I use the Anastasia Dipbrow pomeade after my friend put me onto it. Other than that I use a combination of drugstore makeup that’s better than any ultra expensive shit—Maybelline liquid eyeliner has been my go-to for the last decade. As for fragrances, I’ve been wearing Acqui Di Gio, the men’s cologne, since I was in my teens.”

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Top, Banana Republic

“I rotate maybe four to five outfits and usually wear black jeans, white Sk8-Hi Vans, a white, black or gray tank/V-Neck, and some sort of sweater. I love robe sweaters in the winter and occasionally fuck around with spandex plain black dresses in the summer. I have no real aesthetic to my wardrobe I just like plain clothes that fit and then I just stack a lot of my grandfather’s old gold jewelry on.”

RECOMMENDATIONS

✓ I love this old school Italian spot in Carroll Gardens called Red Rose —go on Thursdays for the stuffed artichokes.

✓ Soft Spot for drinks.

✓ Three Kings for tattoos. 

 

FAVORITE MOVIES

Meet Emma Orlow

“Born and raised on the Upper East Side, Emma is a confessional writer, aspiring curator, taurus and an only child. In high school she co-founded a global webseries about telling the stories of teenagers via videos of their bedrooms which garnered a front page NYTimes spread.  She is currently graduating from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in confessional art and contemporary female artist. Emma writes poems and creates text art that focuses on the relationship between female sexuality and food.  Emma is also working on a curating collective and trying to put together her first show which is going to be an entire home for visitors to explore.”

 ♫ LISTEN TO EMMA'S PLAYLIST | ⌨ LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

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Outfit, Vintage

on her morning routine

My morning routine is usually making awkward eye contact with my neighbors across the way who have seen me eat snacks in my underwear, have sex, and cry way too many times because for no reason I refuse to get blinds. After that’s over, I usually put on music and try to remind myself to hydrate.

on her interest in confessional art

Confessional art as a genre intends to reveal a truth that is inherently shameful. I guess I like that because I don’t go to therapy and am an only child, so it’s the way that I deal with things on my own. Plus I like turning gross, rotten memories into the silliest, most colorful looking objects to cherish. Although I suppose you can argue that all art intends to reveal something autobiographical, even a paired down abstract painting. I like making work that most people probably think is embarrassing, like anything about the time my laundry bag opened in the elevator and this guy handed me back my period stained underwear seems like relevant fodder, even though period art for the most part is pretty done at this point.

“I used to work as an editorial assistant at New Distribution, which represents all these amazing independent magazines I love like Buffalo Zine, Food For Fashion, PIN-UP, and Editorial Magazine. I care about spending full price on thoughtful independent print projects because for titles that are actually going back to long-form journalism and using really experimental typography in their layouts I just feel like this is the most functional form of art to indulge. My favorite books of all-time are “The Glass Castle” and “Please Kill Me.” In the photo above though there some other good ones: Frida Kahlo’s diary in particular uses such poetic language to talk about selfhood and colors. I can always go back to it for inspiration. There’s also a hardcover poetry book I self-published called “I Want to Scratch ‘n Sniff You,” as well as a Japanese photo series on pregnant women and the uncanny of the domestic sphere.”

— on her favorite books

on the beginning of her art series

My best friend in high school and I started [The Do Not Enter Diaries]. Part of it came from the fact that we were obsessed with the art direction that went into the bedrooms in some of our favorite films and how it was, in a lot of cases, the crux of the characters’ development. We knew how much we had worked to make our own bedrooms these special havens and how much we hoped it said about us and our friends. We wanted to showcase how something as simple as the way you decorate is a form of storytelling. The other part was we felt like we didn’t have the outlet for all of our weird ideas in our claustrophobic high school atmosphere and wanted a space of our own to work on. It was very low-tech—we only had a crappy camera and didn’t know much about web development but it was such a fun and important learning experience. It was incredible that we got the kind of press we did. The fact that MTV and Amazon’s E-book office invited us to their office at one point was insane. But I am honestly glad none of that came into fruition at that point in my life.

on moving on to other projects

[We didn't continue The Do Not Enter Series because] we were at first limited to our friends and friends of friends and those who emailed us, which didn’t make the project nearly as diverse as we wanted it to be. If we had a bigger network it would’ve been different. But eventually we started getting correspondents from as far as Slovakia and Shanghai, which was great. I think it had a lot of potential, but there are still so many other issues I would’ve loved to touch upon and it was hard to keep the film style consistent when the correspondents were sending us the footage. We realized that having your own bedroom itself was such a privileged concept and we wanted to explore more subjects who were engaging with the teenage bedroom in nonconventional ways. Had we had better resources—funding, even just a better camera-- I would’ve loved to delve in even deeper. But in the end, we both went off to college and got involved in other projects and being obsessed with archiving the teenage bedroom sadly seemed less pertinent all of a sudden.

Dress, Vintage

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Top, American Apparel ; Pants, Bode New York

“I just finished a series called “Packed Lunch” which are humorous silk tapestries that use food metaphors for different erotic situations. I am kind of fixated on the relationship between food and sexuality, mostly because meals are a way that I archive a lot of memories. Someone recently told me that Graham crackers were created by this religious guy to keep boys busy so that they wouldn’t masturbate. I am so into that. I’ve been thinking of what foods would be the equivalent for women. Rewriting a mythology around Cheetos, maybe…where a psychoanalyst was like, women eat Cheetos because they remind them of penis envy, or something? I don’t know. I also just bought a dollhouse off of Craigslist that I am going to recreate, where each room is a different story from my past. I recently got back from this curators intensive program and my friend and I are brainstorming work for a curator collective we want to start.”

— on creating more art projects

on her beauty routine

I don’t wear much makeup, but when I do it's usually a little bit of the Bare Essentials bronzer, Glossier Boy Brow, and maybe some sort of black eyeliner or red lipstick, depending on the occasion. I also recommend Glossier Priming Moisturizer, St. John's Shield Light Regenerative Bath & Body Oils, DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum Spray, and C.O.Bigelow Rose Salve.

My dad is a dermatologist so I think I’ve grown up being really skeptical of most beauty products that say they can rock my world. I am still totally attracted to makeup with really groovy packaging or anything that smells like a Jamba Juice smoothie. I still think simple stuff like Dove soap really gets the job done best. I am wary of complicated ingredients.

on her shopping habits and style

Most of my wardrobe is vintage, junky thrift-shops, and random online places I follow on Instagram. I love 10 Ft. Single Stella Dallas, Amarcord Vintage, 9th Street Haberdashery, Coming Soon, and Georgia Vintage. I just want my wardrobe to look like a lava lamp sort of spilled all over an episode of Lizzie McGuire.

Dress, Vintage

Top, Topshop ; Skirt, Vintage ; Tote, Rube Goldberg

emma's favorite books

How Should A Person Be by Sheila Heti, Chelsea Girls by Eileen Myles, The Diary of Frida Kahlo by Carlos Fuentes, A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, I Want to Scratch 'n Sniff You by Emma Orlow

emma's favorite movies

The Doom Generation, Coffee and Cigarettes, Reality Bites, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion

emma's favorite places in nyc

Lowkey brunch spot: B&H Deli

Favorite sandwich: Cheeky Sandwiches

Best bookstore: Mast Books

Photography by Audrey Cotton 

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Meet Rachael Yaeger

“Born outside of the Adirondacks, upstate NY, Rachael is the creator and editor of The Working Pair—an online editorial that showcases couples; their lives, love, work and the balance of it all. She went to Flagler College for Communication with a minor in Journalism and got her MA in Marketing from Regent’s College in London. She is also the founder of Human NYC, LLC. a front-end focused development shop for thoughtful design and has worked with clients such as Saturdays NYC, Coming Soon, Basic Rights, Tanya Taylor, Sandy Liang, Sight Unseen, Know-Wave radio.”

 ♫ LISTEN TO RACHAEL'S PLAYLIST | ⌨ LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

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Top, Adidas ; Jeans, Zara ; Robe, AYR

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Top, Zara ; Pants, Datura ; Shoes, Nike

on her morning routine

I like to get up around 7:30 AM, Hugh and I snooze the alarm a couple of times. Shower, fight with my closet a bit. The walk through Chinatown and seeing all of the cheap, colorful fruits makes my day. Coffee from Happy Bones. They're family. Human NYC shares a studio space with RoAndCo. We do team morning stand-ups at 10 AM, and then get building websites and working on projects.

on her career path

I grew up with the lucky mentality that the sky's the limit. My parents always did the best that they could do to enable me to fulfill my goals, from playing sports to studying abroad, to going on scuba diving trips, to going to graduate school in London. I knew I wanted to work with people and talk; I also have a certificate in mediation. I graduated in 2009 with my MA and went home to upstate NY, I was substitute teaching and called my friends to see what they were up to, they graciously set me up in the city. I landed with a sublet on E. 7th and Ave. A, a bartending job and an interview at Gin Lane.

on creating her projects

I started The Working Pair as I couldn’t believe there were people in solid relationships in New York. I felt like there was a stigma that if you were in a relationship you were lame and not working hard enough on your own career path. I wanted to prove the opposite. You know when you meet two cool people and you’re inspired by them, and then you realize they're actually a couple and it blows your mind, that’s what I wanted to find. I started with Archie Coates (pluspool.org) and Emily Coates, from there the site has really been an extension of that friend group. I’m super grateful to work mainly with photographer Meredith Jenks, and started out by shooting with Ryan Patterson. The Working Pair is truly a labour of love.

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““Modoc” is the best book ever written! “Plein Air” is designed well and visually beautiful. “Riposte” is the epitome of my zine obsession. I have to limit my trips to McNally Jackson and Bouwerie Iconic.”

— on her favorite books

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Jeans, Zara ; Watch, Timex ; Ring, RILA

on creating opportunities

I left Gin Lane in 2013. I felt a surge of entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to go for it. I started theworkingpair.com and opened a gallery on Meserole and Manhattan Avenues in Greenpoint with my dear friend Jill. We curated female focused shows and printed two zines, one with Akila Berjaoui solely of her work and the other entitled, “The Babe Show” highlighting creative women around us. In 2014 my now technical partner Michael, left Code & Theory where he had been after Gin Lane (where we met originally) and we started working together again on websites. The gallery allowed me to work in a more tangible way, but with both curating shows and building websites I get to work with people by providing a platform to showcase their work and grow their business. I realized at Gin Lane how meaningful it is to work with friends. Once you’ve been in the trenches together, you establish this trust that makes it so easy and fun to do work as a team.

on her favorite job

My favorite job was at an Ace Hardware store called Coakley's. I like working, I started working at a young age babysitting, I also like painting walls and garage doors. I did an internship with my Aunt's company in DC and learned a lot about production! I went into Gin Lane on a Friday and kind of jumped in on a Monday. I had a Blackberry and a PC, and Gin Lane's founder Emmett immediately took me to the Apple store. We built websites for clients so I quickly realized that designers and developers were my keys to success. I enjoyed working with our internal team and managing our external clients. I also got to shoot content and help to build @adidasWomen with social media and digital strategy.

TOP, SANDY LIANG ; PANTS, ZARA ; BAG, Loeffler Randall ; Shoes, Teva ; Sunglasses, crap eyewear

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Pants, Datura ; Shoes, Nike ; Watch, Timex

““Apartmento” is my favorite magazine on this planet. When I left Gin Lane, I wanted to move to Barcelona to work for them, their aesthetic is perfect. Cass Bird is one of my favorite photographers.”

— on her favorite magazines

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Kimono, Vintage ; Bra, Negative Underwear

on her beauty routine

We recently launched theklog.co so I got into Korean skincare. I really like sheet masks! I use Glossier tinted moisturizer for that dewy look end-goal. I like to stay hydrated and listen to my skin. It looks best when I have been outdoors, not showered for a couple of days. As for tips, never wax your eyebrows, wear sunscreen (hi mom, I'm 29 and now realize this), DRINK WATER, smile, try to get rest, a little oil on the ends of your hair. I think confidence is everything, which comes from within.

I also recommend Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Lucas Papaw Ointment, Glossier Priming Moisturizer, MISSHA Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator, MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence, and Glossier Balm Dotcom.

on her shopping habits

I like to rep the brands that we work with! And I want to work with people that have brands we believe in. I wear Negative Underwear, Datura, Sandy Liang + pieces picked up from travels like my long black skirt from Berlin or red Kimono from Toronto, high waisted mom jeans, t-shirts from friends like Laferrera.pizza and acid.camp. I also wear all of my dad's old jackets, a white cable knit soft Woolrich sweater from my mom, a Timex from my brother and my Grandad's Pendleton's. My style is cozy. In an ideal world I am wearing all Rachel Comey, Apiece Apart, Acne Studios, The Row.

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Kimono, Vintage ; Bra, Negative Underwear ; Watch, Timex

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“I like brainstorming, art, reading, interacting with people, conveying messaging, marketing for me was like building a fire for ideas. ”

— what keeps her going

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Top, Sandy Liang

TOP, SANDY LIANG ; PANTS, ZARA ; BAG, Loeffler Randall ; Shoes, Teva ; Sunglasses, crap eyewear

rachael's favorite books and magazines

Riposte Magazine, Apartamento Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Modoc by Ralph Helfer, Cass Bird: Rewilding by Cass Bird

rachael's favorite places in nyc

Happy Bones for coffee

Little Chair Cafe

Mr Fong's for a bar

Rintintin for dinner

Madhufalla Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar

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Meet Yousra Elbagir

“Sudanese-born, British-educated journalist currently working in Khartoum, Sudan as a writer for the Guardian, CNN Africa, Reuters Africa and Content manager for Elephant Media.”

♫ LISTEN TO YOUSRA'S PLAYLIST | ⌨ LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

Yousra’s favorite books

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T-Shirt, & Other Stories ; Top, Misguided ; Jeans, ASOS

on her morning routine

I usually spend quite a bit of time checking my phone with one-eye open for the first 30 minutes I'm awake. Once I drag myself out of bed, I brush my teeth, shower and wash my face with an all-natural Tumeric soap from India. It's amazing - exfoliates and purifies - I also use it as a body wash. Then I use the Pixi Glow tonic and moisturise with Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentré. I usually put on a thin layer of Clinique Moisture surge tinted moisturiser with SPF 15 if I'm heading out for the day. I have a lot of allergies and really sensitive skin so I avoid any other skin make-up or sun protection.

on her family and childhood

My dad is a Sudanese journalist and politician, and my mum is his business partner and publisher. His newspaper - Al-Khartoum - was printing in Khartoum, London, Cairo, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Before I was born, my dad was exiled for being government opposition. He hopped over to the University of Exeter in the UK to get his PHD in political science and that's where I grew up until I was 8. We then moved to Khartoum and I studied high school there for the next 7 years. When I first arrived it was really difficult assimilating, I remember getting teased quite a bit. But by the time I left for London at 16, I had a strong group of close friends and became fluent in Arabic. I did my A Levels (SAT equivalent) in London and read Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews, graduating last summer. I made the big decision to move back home for field experience as a journalist, where I now work at our family production company Elephant Media and have been there ever since.

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Top, Zara

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““Asmarani is the chap-book of an incredible Sudanese-American poet, and very good friend of mine, Safia Elhillo (@safiamafia). This girl plucks poetry from the heavens. She’s got a book coming out called The January Children and I feel like my autographed copy of Asmarani is going to be priceless very, very soon.””

— on her favorite poetry

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T-Shirt, & Other Stories ; Top, Misguided ; Jeans, ASOS ; Shoes, Nike

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Top, Kilimanjaro Fashions

on her love for Sudanese culture

I fell so deeply in love with Sudanese culture as soon as I moved back. Studying anthropology really made me look at things in a different light - things I'd taken for granted before. The music, the food, the perfumed oils and heavenly sandalwood incense (bakhoor). At Elephant Media, we focus a lot on uncovering Sudanese culture. Through those projects, I've been introduced to an incredible community of contemporary artists - people who are constantly producing beautiful work regardless of socio-economic circumstance and lack of exposure. My room in Sudan is full of Sudanese art. I had to physically stop myself from bringing it all with me to NYC for the month.

on her writing

Someone asked me once if we burn newspapers as incense at home. It was one of the most spot-on metaphors I've ever heard. My family is very media-oriented and our newspaper was around long before I even came into existence. My sister Safia is the only one who managed to escape the madness - she's a doctor. My eldest sister Nima is a senior foreign correspondent for CNN and my brother used to run our printing press and has now evolved the family trade into new media by founding Elephant Media. When I first moved to Sudan at the end of last summer, I started writing for the CNN Africa website. My first article was on Nuba wrestling, a thousand year-old tradition hailing from the south of Sudan that had meant displaced and persecuted Nuba were competing in the Khartoum and were being trained by the Japanese embassy for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I'll never forget how I felt when it was published, I was just elated. I had been published by CNN and Reuters News before but never on Sudan or anything Sudanese. That really set the tone for everything I've gone on to write the last year - a blend of culture, human interest and news. I started writing for the Guardian in February, mostly on stories we work on at Elephant Media. I was recently able to combine my two worlds more seamlessly with Elephant Media becoming a partner of the Guardian Africa Network.

Shirt, H&M

““As a black, Muslim, African, Arab woman, Ive always known that I relate to some of the most underrepresented groups in the world. At home in Sudan, I’m the majority and growing up in the UK, I was a minority. Shifting between those binaries has really shaped who I am. I’ve always looked at it as a strength, access to a unique perspective that I can try and share with the world through connecting with people and telling their stories in a compelling way. I still have a long way to go but the aim of my entire body of work is to push the developing world narrative to the forefront of the media.””

— on how her culture shaped her

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Top, H&M ; Pants, Misguided

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T-Shirt, & Other Stories ; Top, Misguided

on her sensitive skin

When I found out I was allergic to fragrances, I started using some of my mums perfumed oils because it's applied without a spray getting it everywhere. Now my mum mixes a special little bottle for me. I've had people stop me in the street and ask me where they can buy it. She's not selling! I think it's really important to monitor how your skin reacts to the elements and different products. My allergies have meant that I pay really close attention to that. There was a period of two years where my skin was breaking out constantly and what I thought was acne turned out to be a rash from my long list of unknown food intolerances. Listen to your skin, it'll always tell you when something shouldn't be in your system.

I also generously lather on moisturizer before I sleep - it's the best time for your skin to rehydrate. Additionally, I would recommend: Clinique Moisture Surge, Embryolisse, Pixi Glow Tonic Toner, and Mixed Chicks conditioner.

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Yousra's favorite beauty products

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All the rings are hand-crafted Sudanese silver - two from an incredible silver-smith called Bul Bul based in the capital's twin city, Omdurman. He comes from a long line of silversmiths that goes back a thousand years. The heavy silver necklace is from Yemen, my sister Nima got it while traveling from work and I inherited it/semi-stole it. The long silver necklace with the blue and red is from Zara UK. Was so surprised to see something like that on the high street - looks very East African. The gold choker is from a Kenyan designer who displays in the Nairobi Norfolk Fairmont hotel gift shop.

Top, Zara ; pants, Missguided ; Shoes, & OTHER STORIES ; Sunglasses, Sincerely Tommy ; Bag, Zara

Yousra’s favorite food in nyc

I tried Senegalese food recently at Africa Kine restaurant in Harlem. It was absolutely incredible - best grilled fish I've ever had. 

Boulevard on Malcolm X boulevard has the most amazing soul food. 

Champs vegan diner in Brooklyn kept me going back there every weekend! Was so great to indulge in some mac & cheese and not worry about my face swelling up. 

yousra’s favorite shops in nyc

As for shops: I love Sincerely Tommy in Brooklyn - fell in love with their Perspex sunglasses.

I'm also obsessed with this Senegalese shop in Harlem called Kilimanjaro fashions. It's on 116th and Malcolm X boulevard and just full to the brim with these colourful African prints. They have an in-store tailor that can alter any purchases and make custom designs using their printed fabric. 

yousra’s favorite books

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

What is the What by Dave Eggars

Asmarani by Safia Elhillo