Meena Harris, niece of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, has a long list of impressive credentials to her name, including Harvard grad, lawyer, author, producer and, in our opinion: budding style star. Known for a wardrobe full of bright pops of colour, stylish suits and plenty of pussy-bow blouses, we’re finding inspiration in her optimistic style. From her head-to-toe green look at the Inauguration to her bold blazers and slogan tees, Meena Harris is definitely one to watch.
Scroll through some of our favourite style moments from Meena Harris.
Wearing a crisp white suit that we could also see her aunt Kamala borrowing, Meena holds the hands of her two young daughters. The matching lace dresses and Dr. Marten-looking boots worn by the girls have us thinking they may be taking style tips from mom.
Rocking a pink Argent blazer and her Phenomenal Woman tee, we see how Meena mixes things up when she dresses down. The t-shirt is from Harris’ lifestyle brand, Phenomenal, that raises funds and awareness for women’s issues and charities.
It’s no secret that we love Canadian jewellery brands; and whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day solo or partnered up this year, there’s plenty of pieces to take pleasure in wearing and giving.
Have a lover who favours innovative looks? Montreal’s Gament offers pieces created using 3D technology. Or maybe your BFF loves beading? Haudenosaunee creative Niio Perkins’s pieces will delight them. Or maybe you’re craving a new bit of bling? Count on Boyd Court to have something sleek and special.
For accessory fans of all kinds and with all tastes, here are 14 more Canadian jewellery brands to support right now (and always!).
Inspired by the export trade of Chinese ceramics, this vessel-shaped piece can be crafted with accents of either blue spot jasper or amazonite cabochon.
The step-daughter of American Vice President Kamala Harris, Ella Emhoff, has just signed with IMG Models. The 22-year-old New York City-based Parsons student caught the attention of the fashion industry on Inauguration day, where she wore an embellished Miu Miu coat and burgundy dress from American designer Batsheva Hay.
Studying textiles, with a focus on knitwear, Emhoff is an aspiring designer who clearly has a natural knack for fashion. Her Instagram account is filled with her colourful designs, which include striped pants that are perfect for working from home, and crochet checkered bikini tops and pants. Her playful Instagram aesthetic shows her bold fashion sense and creativity. If that wasn’t enough, Emhoff even does her own poke-and-stick tattoos.
Emhoff’s Inauguration Day Miu Miu coat wasn’t her first stand-out look. She arrived in Washington the day before the Inauguration wearing head-to-toe Thom Browne, causing the fashion crowd to buzz.
Emhoff’s Instagram following was hovering around 50,000 prior to the Inauguration earlier this month, and has now climbed well over 300,000 — and counting. As she signs with world-renowned IMG Models, she joins a roster of industry giants like Gigi Hadid, Ashley Graham and Hailey Bieber, as well as fellow Inauguration star, Amanda Gorman, who was also signed to IMG earlier this week. We’ll keep our eyes peels for the much-anticipated modelling debut of both Emhoff and Gorman.
Founded by Toronto-based yoga instructor Candice Mayers last Fall, Orijin – a jewellery brand with pieces that take inspiration from celestial moments to paper clips – just released a new set of pieces that celebrate today’s full moon (the first of the year).
The offering includes a made-to-order 10k gold ring, and a selection of silver items like studs in the shape of a crescent. The collection’s standout, though, is the Luna Mae pendant necklace; handmade in Ireland using an Ancient Egyptian technique called the “lost wax process”, it captures the contours of the moon’s surface and is named in homage of Mae C. Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space.
Mayers plans on launching a new collection with every following full moon, and it’s no surprise she’s as into astrology as the rest of us. But the foundation of her brand comes from a more grounded influence.
Photography courtesy of Orijin.
Recalling a pre-pandemic family trip last year, Mayers says she brought along some beads to make crafts with her kids. “I used lettered beads to make a bracelet with the word ‘Om’,” she says. Adding that she loved the nostalgic vibe of the trinket, Mayers was inspired to cast the bracelet in gold on the advice of her two brothers-in-law, who are both jewellers.
She began wearing the precious piece while she taught her yoga classes, and people quickly took notice. Mayers happily realized she could flex her creative muscles with a new jewellery endeavour, and eventually, Orijin was born.
Mayers notes that the last year’s boom in online shopping has been a boon to her fledgling brand, and she’s thrilled to be able to give her customers a happy-making boost these days. “Where are we getting good feelings from,” she says when asked why she thinks e-commerce has thrived above and beyond necessity. “You’re waiting for your package to come, and that gives you some dopamine.”
Photography courtesy of Orijin.
A purchase from Orijin contributes to communal well-being, too. A portion of proceeds from sales of its Om Collection pieces go toward supporting artists in low-income communities and organizations like The Well Collective, which champions BIPOC wellness entrepreneurs. “I definitely want to give back to the community I’m a part of,” she notes.
From the vastness of the galaxy to the centering of yoga, Orijin’s influences speak to the idea of things that have expansiveness and endurance. And Mayer says that it’s satisfying to consider that what she creates could be passed on to future generations one day. “The things we thought were a luxury before have become unattainable,” she muses, reflecting on the impact of COVID and how it particularly relates to her brand’s future. “It’s the little things that become a luxury.”
With its continuous stay-at-home orders keeping us in a steady holding pattern over the past several months, the pandemic has seen many women of colour with afro-textured hair leave their regular relaxer treatments, weaves and protective hairstyles behind and embrace their natural curls and coils.
If you’re new to the natural hair game, crafting a hair routine that will help your spirals achieve their utmost potential in terms of health and curl definition can feel like a (literal) handful. But don’t fret; we’re here to help. Ahead, we spoke with Toronto-based hairstylist and Maui Moisture brand ambassador Janet Jackson for some of the top natural hair tips she gives her own clients embarking on natural hair journeys so that your mane can thrive this winter and beyond. And for those who are not newly natural, this article is a great reminder and reference.
Hairstylist and JouJou Hair salon owner Janet Jackson.
Reach for deep conditioners, especially right now
Rocking free-flowing curls during the winter means keeping up with regular deep conditioning treatments, which can drastically help strengthen curls. “This time of the year, natural hair is a lot more dry and brittle and can break because of that. I suggest using a hair mask once every two weeks — minimum once a month — especially now,” says Jackson, who recommends picking up Maui Moisture’s Revive & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask for tighter coils. “What’s really nice about this one is that you can also use a little bit as a leave-in treatment if your hair feels like it needs more hydration or slippage for styling,” she adds.
When it comes to washing curls, which are naturally drier, less is definitely more: Many hairstylists recommend only lathering up with a gentle, non-oil stripping hydrating shampoo once a week to every two weeks, especially for thicker spirals, and, if needed, rinsing with conditioner in between instead. But achieving ample curl definition often relies on the layering of different styling products, like leave-in conditioners, gels and curl butters, which over time will inevitably create build-up on the scalp that your regular go-to cleanser likely won’t be able to remove, even with the most diligent shampooing. This product build-up can clog pores and weigh your curls down, says Jackson, adding that after a while curls will become limp and lifeless and unable to hold a style. “Because of that build-up sitting there, your hair won’t respond to treatments and to curling products.” None of us want that, so to properly freshen up your tresses, Jackson recommends implementing a good clarifying shampoo that’s designed to remove the build-up that regular shampoos don’t into your routine at minimum twice a year. If you’re one who layers a ton of different products into your hair on the regular, up that usage to once a month.
Detangling your spirals in the shower while they’re well-coated with a hydrating conditioner is an ideal curly-girl strategy to avoid breakage, and whether you’re using your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to work through knots, “understand the importance of detangling in sections,” says Jackson. “That’s huge for textured hair.” With natural hair tending to be on the thicker side, working in sections (note: always begin detangling at the ends of your hair and working your way up) really allows you to get down to each knot. Sectioning is also a game-changer when it comes to ensuring a thorough product application, especially when applying curl-defining products, notes Jackson. “Sectioning is key when it comes to great definition,” she says.
For the best curl definition, play around with trusted techniques
When you’re blessed with natural hair, you’re often dealing with various curl patterns
on one head of hair, meaning that uniform definition and bounce post-shower — even with the help of styling products — isn’t guaranteed. And the tighter your natural hair is, the less distinct your curls will be, even when the hair is in a wet state. So if you’re seeking an extremely defined and looser curl look, try testing out some tried-and-true curl defining techniques on natural hair that’s been freshly shampooed and conditioned, suggests Jackson. Now, we’re not going to lie: these techniques can be time consuming. But the best part is that the style results can last up to a week with the proper maintenance.
Popular techniques to define and stretch out coils include finger coiling, which, just as it sounds, requires taking small sections of hair, adding some product and twirling the strands around your finger to help form and hold a uniform spiral. Once one spiral is created, move on to the next section.
Courtesy of Imaxtree.
Another fave, especially for elongating the look of kinky coils, are two-strand twists outs. The method requires grabbing a small section of hair, finger combing it, applying a styling product, separating the section into two and twisting those parts around one another like a rope until you’ve reach the ends. Allow the twists to set overnight and unravel them the next day to reveal a wavier pattern throughout your mane.
Jackson also recommends the shingling method, which starts with separating the hair into four sections and applying leave-in conditioner evenly to each by finger-raking it through from root to tip. Next, using your thumb and index finger, a curling cream or gel is applied and smoothed over individual curl strands within each section. Once you’re sure hair is well-saturated with your styling product, move on to the next sections.
For each method above, continuously working on wet hair is key, so keep a spray bottle near by and spritz hair whenever necessary to keep it nice and damp. To help with all that sectioning, opt for plastic clips to keep parts separated and to hold hair out of the way. Most importantly, don’t touch. After completing a technique, leave your hair alone so it can dry thoroughly without any disturbance.
Make the most of your curly hairstyle
After going through all that detangling and styling on wash day, nothing is more frustrating than going to bed with a head of beautifully styled curls, only to wake up to a flat, ruffled head of hair. A trusty hair bonnet, which works to reduce friction and retain moisture while you get your Zzz’s, is an essential for preserving your natural hairstyle or curls, says Jackson, adding that trading in your regular pillowcase for a satin or silk option is also great for avoiding dried out strands and hair snags. If day-two hair is in need of a refresh, Jackson recommends giving it a spritz with a curl refreshing spray. “If you don’t have a refreshing spray, you can put a little bit of your favourite conditioner in a spray bottle with water and shake it up,” she says.
LUS Brands Infinity Spray Bottle, $20.
Most importantly, don’t hate on frizz
When you’re used to sleek hairstyles, frizz has a really bad rap. But when rocking natural hair, stop trying to wrestle with nature. “One thing that is very important and that I’ve been stressing a lot lately is embracing frizz. It’s part of textured hair’s DNA,” says Jackson. “If you’re always trying to get rid of it, you’re not going to get the styling results that you’re looking for.”
