The September Issue

One of my favorite Documentaries is The September Issue which follows Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington and all the moving wheels behind making the biggest issue of year. September is Fashion Month and it’s my favorite and most creative time of year. The shows, the fashion, the street style and events always inspire me. I swear after fashion week I’m inspired to actually get dressed, to create looks and put things together I never would have thought of previously. It’s a creative jolt and it comes at a time when I’m scrambling to think of more content or something new to add to Fashion Steele NYC. It’s also the little push I need to buckle down and finish my own magazine, which I hope will be the first print issue. If you haven’t checked out my last digital issue yet, go ahead and catch up so you’re up to speed on the upcoming issue. The September Issues are the biggest fashion issues of the year and it says something that Black Women are dominating all the major covers this month from Beyoncé on Vogue’s American cover with the first ever cover shot by a black photographer Tyler Michelle.

Then there’s Rihanna on British Vogue, Issa Rae on Ebony, Tiffany Haddish on Glamour, Lupita on Porter, Tracee Ellis Ross on ELLE Canada, Zedaya on Marie Claire, Slick Woods on Elle UK, Duckie Thot on Marie Claire Mexico and Naomi Campbell on Essence. More than ever black women are a hot commodity. Our skin, our hair, our bodies, the way we speak, the words we use, the very essence of us. I’m glad the world is finally catching up. It’s beautiful to see all of these women who look like me on the covers during a month when selling issues is the main objective. To me that says that #BlackGirlMagic is alive and well. It also says that Black sells. Magazines know this and are capitalizing on that fact. But how many black women and men are on the staff or con tributing to what’s in the pages of these magazines? The photographers, designers being highlighted, the writers, the hair and makeup artists, the creative directors, assistants and every one that has a hand in what ends up in our hands. That’s where the real inclusion starts. I hope this just isn’t some weird black woman fetish that will quickly pass as soon as it began. Honestly it’s pretty apparent when it’s tokenism versus genuine inclusion.

Photography by Rose Lazard || Edited by Monroe Steele

Featuring Nyja Richardson, Danielle Gray and Tiffany M. Battle

Stine Goya Dress c/o Shopbop || Marco De Vincenzo Mules || The Brooklyn Positano Hat via Tenth Street Hats || Annie Costello Brown Earrings || Staud Clear Bag 

GET MY LOOK

But yes, this is a start. What a time to be alive. I’m excited about what this fashion week will bring. It’s like homecoming for bloggers and those in the fashion industry. We all big up one another on social media all year but we finally get to put a face to that handle (sometimes for the first time) and sometimes after not seeing each other for months at other fashion events. The camaraderie of catching up on fashion news or the exhausting grind of trying to make it to everything and bonding over every nuance is one of the things that keeps me coming back each season. Even with the fashion politics (especially in New York: one season you have a front row seat and the second season you aren’t even invited), I still love it. Today I’m heading to the Christopher John Rogers presentation. I worked with this talented designer back in February for The Black History Month Showcase where for the entire month of February I wore nothing but black designers. He’s super talented and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with. I’m also heading to an event at The Real Real (where I get all my amazing designer shoes for the low) and a cool event with Shopbop (wearing this amazing dress)!

Make sure to check out my Instagram and Instastories for all the Fashion Week behind the scenes! I also have a New York Fashion Week Recap Video coming soon to my YouTube Channel so make sure you’re subscribed.

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xx

Monroe