First Times Can Be Charms, Too

You've probably been wondering where I've been. Well, I've been grinding, day in and day out. Trying to pave a way--on foot--for the fat, black Muslim girl and every other underrepresented individual that's been deemed unworthy by society's standards. 

Posted by Lvernon2000 (June 22, 2017): I'm emotional (tears + snot nose). So, I'm the winner of the 2017 Gilda Award for my work in creative nonfiction by @kresgeartsdet 🎉🎉🎉
I started writing when I was 6. Reading Rainbow was my shit. I entered my first contest then lost, but Levar Burton sent a cool rejection letter so I wasn't going to stop. In my teen years, my father was never there. Mom was juggling 5 kids from different fathers and no help from family. I sought refuge in stories and other worlds. I was homeschooled, weird and thoughtful, more advanced than the kids my age. My friends were librarians. I'd sit in the library nook for hours and just read and dream of a life different from my own broken home. 
I started entering contests. Won a few. I loved Sci-Fi but noticed the lack of black heroines and writers. I set out to be the first and wrote my first novel in college at 17. It was rejected. I wrote 2 more novels and they were also rejected. I blamed it on my color and socioeconomic status. All the successful writers were white and female. There was no room for my fat, black ass. So I stopped and never wrote again...
It was the toughest five years. Can you imagine not fulfilling your purpose? Then one day, when I almost admitted myself to a psych ward, I thought about my life. Like really dug into my core. My passions and talents. I asked myself, "who the fuck are you? Without your ex-husband? Your family? Your friends? Who are YOU?" The response: YOU are words. Stories. After that day, I've never tried to get rich or popular from writing. I was going to write for me. To uplift and to make change. If I had to write for free for ever and ever then that was what I was prepared to do. 
Now, here we are. Making waves 🙏🏾This white photo represents purity, an awakening, a new beginning for me in my career to change the narrative.

Last week, it was announced that I was the recipient of the 2017 Gilda Award for my works of creative nonfiction. 

I beat out 750 artists who applied in Michigan.

With my stories. Stories about my life. That's nuts!!!  

If that doesn't blow your mind, then I'm not sure what can. 

There's so much I'd like to say about this. This huge honor. I'll probably end up writing an essay about it at a later date. I just wanted to be a good friend, pop in, and tell you that I'm not dead. LOL. That I'm okay. And, that I'll be back to regular blog posts in August when my schedule is less hectic.   

Thank you for rocking with meeeeeeeee. 

Leah V. 

How Well Do You Know Your Muslim Friend? (Pt. 1)

Leah V. pulled four of her random friends to have a seat on the orange couch for part one of the "How Well Do You Know Your Muslim friend?" segment..

Prior to the recording, none of them were told what they were being filmed for.

Big thanks to Lala Trips, Brian Peck, RV Mendoza, and Remus Roman far chatting with me. 

Don't forget to follow me @ LVernon2000

Why I Decided to Become a Plus-Size Model

In this day and age, everybody and their mamas are ‘models’. Thanks social media! Everyone is a CEO of their own one-man company. Everyone is a fashion blogger. Everyone is a comedian or an actor. Or an influencer. And in no way am I throwing shade, but it’s real. And I tell it like it is. This is what I see, every day, all the time.

I am so grateful for social media, because it gave the thriving artist—who wouldn’t ever be considered by mainstream companies—the channel to build a following and show their value in a completely different way.

Frankly, without social media I’d have never made it this far in my blogging career or met the amazing people I’ve met. So, big-ups to Instagram and Facebook!  

So when I started blogging in 2013, I was very, very reluctant to call myself a plus-size model (and sometimes, I still am). Because I wasn’t. I wasn’t signed to an agency nor was I a professional in any way, shape, or form. Then there’s the dreaded stigmas attached to being a model…

Photo: Remy Roman

At shows, people would be like: Oh, you model?

I’d reply: No, no, no. I’m just a blogger who happens to take decent photos. *Laughs nervously*

Even on my worst days, I’d always get the compliment: You are so photogenic.

I’d grimace and be like, umm, do you see my jacked up teeth and round, fat body! I’d think in my head, what are they talking about and that they were probably just trying to be nice.

Fast forward. I went through eating disorders, self-loathing, negative, nasty thoughts about myself and my worth. The people around me started to flee. I hit rock bottom and had no support. The last straw was pulled and I got some mental therapy. Five years’ worth to be exact! Best five years of my life. Therapy allows you to look within and to stop covering shit with icing. The layers started to unravel. And a new-ish me emerged. I mean, she wasn’t perfect but she was a lot better than the old version.

I began to see the beauty in others and within myself. I know, I know. This sounds corny. But I literally hated everyone. And I hated myself. No one knew. But it’s the truth. I was uncomfortable in my very own skin. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

Photo: Brad Ziegler

I set up two photoshoots for myself. Funding the whole thing from makeup to wardrobe. Planning them was stressful yet exhilarating. Then I had my face on, my ensemble was snatched, my turban was on decent. I was nervous. Very nervous. And the camera started to flash and I just gave in. The photographer was like yassssssss. I was like ayeeeeeee.

Then other photographers and businesses started to approach me and ask me to model their clothes, makeup, and accessories.

Now I claim with proudness that I’m an indie plus-size, African-American, Muslim model. And with that said, modeling is about expression and story-telling. A lot of bloggers and models are about that paycheck and popularity. Not all. Some. In the beginning, I did like the exposure and being ‘known’ was cool, but then I started getting these sincere messages from men and women and I paused.

So every time, I do a shoot or a campaign it’s gotta have something the viewer can take from it. That’s why I’m very heavy on the content that I mix with my photos. If you, as a reader, don’t take anything from my words, then I’ve failed. If you look at my photo and don’t feel some kind of emotion, then I’ve failed.

And failing aint ever an option.

xoxo

Leah V.

BTS: Brad doing the dang thing!

More BTS. And it was a scorcher that day!

Detroit's Style Butteryfly: Lala Trips

In life the cosmos arranges themselves that at the right moment in time you meet someone who is phenomenal in more than one way. When I first met Lala, I didn’t say much. It was a group setting and I was ‘feeling’ everyone out. What I got was that she was about her business. A few days later, she texted and asked if I wanted to take some pics with her. Yes, cuz that’s what bloggers do. Lol. Anyway, we chatted after. Lala shares a lot more with me than I thought. Our upbringings pretty similar. She’s a girl from Detroit whose been through some things, who has strong aspirations, and possesses a work ethic like no other. Lala is a grinder and she does it so gracefully:

LV: Let’s talk about your self-perception as an adolescent. How did you see yourself as far as beauty and self-esteem?

LT: In middle and high-school, I was bullied and disliked by other girls for whatever reason. I kept to myself and wasn’t into gossiping and the typical high-school bull. I was into the arts and academics. The bullying definitely played a role in my self-perception. I felt misunderstood because I was into art rather than whatever everyone else was into at that time. When I think back on it all, it’s hilarious! It gets to a point in life where you shrug off the fact that people actually take time out of their lives to judge and belittle others.

Photo: Robyn Maria

LV: How’d you get into blogging?

LT: I started blogging in 2009 when I was in college. At that time, I blogged about local Detroit shops and was into profiling Detroit's street style. I was the girl behind the lens. One of my first articles was about the then newly opened Somerset City Loft downtown. I’ve always had a deep love for fashion and style. I mean my first job was at a clothing boutique, and I ended up changing my major in college to Fashion Design.

LV: Explain what the body positive movement means to you?

LT: To me the body positive movement is an empowerment movement about embracing and respecting our bodies and differences. Be beautiful, be courageous, be bold! It’s about remaining true to our individual spirited selves with respect. I think this movement is geared more so towards girls and women.

Photo: Nicole Muster

LV: Are you apart of the body positive movement?

LT: I am not really active in the movement. Though my styling work has allowed me to help my clients with self-image and building a better perception of themselves through fashion. I would like to become more active by being a positive role model for young girls. This is definitely one of my goals in life.

LV: Describe your style/attitude. 

LT: My style is a mix of contemporary street-style, streamlined classics, bold statements, and attention to detail with an edge. Fashion is an emotional experience. If I love it, I wear it. I want my audience to be inspired by my style and perspective. Also, I love rocking my short hair and my tattoos; it’s my signature.

Photo: Robyn Maria

LV: Share a part of yourself that you may not be so confident about but working on.

LT: I am confident in the woman I’ve grown to become. Nevertheless, whenever I have a day that I am not feeling myself: I get up, take a shower, remind myself of my accomplishments, listen to my favorite tunes, and just go! Each day I work on remaining positive and productive.

LV: What is the biggest difference in your life post-blogging?

LT: Now, I’m in front of the camera! For the longest time when I started blogging, I didn’t want to be.

LV: What would you say to someone who said that they hated themselves or how they looked?

LT: Focus on what inspires you and work on shifting your perspective to one of acceptance. Love all over yourself and be your own cheerleader. And go to your favorite store and buy yourself something that makes you feel fabulous. There is a power and fierceness in facing yourself in the mirror and smiling! There is also a power in buying yourself something new that you love :)

Photo: Robyn Maria

LV: What are some of your top fashion influencers?

LT: I love Maja Wyh from Germany. She’s my favorite! Her style is effortless, chic, and eclectic. I’m such a fan. I also love @Kyrzanda, @NotJessFashion, and @SongOfStyle, amongst others. I love all of their perspectives and individual approaches to style.

LV: What's the climate of fashion bloggers in Detroit?

LT: I think Detroit bloggers have a way to go to make Detroit a standout fashion city. I’d like to see some of us bloggers that have style to push our brands to be just as explosive as bloggers in New York or Cali. To contribute to the Detroit fashion movement, I’m focused on fine tuning my own brand to be a force and prominent voice in the movement.

LV: Last thoughts.

LT: I'm also a singer-songwriter. Check me out and follow my Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/lalatrips.

And you can see more of the glam Lala on her social media feeds:

Website: www.lalatrips.com

Instagram: @LALATRIPS

Twitter: @LALATRIPS

Tumblr: lalatrips.tumblr.com