1. Introduce yourself.
My name is Ayana aka. Yana B. I was born, bred, and raised in New York, and now I reside in the Washington, D.C. area. Besides God and my daughter, fashion and style gives me life. I worked in the fashion industry for years and now I have a blog titled “StyleStamped” that features style, artists, and fashion events. I am a lupus and kidney transplant survivor and live to tell my story in the most fashionable way possible! In addition, I am a freelance wardrobe stylist which is one of my most favorite things to do besides fashion writing and editing.
2. How would you describe your style?
My style is confident and original – I don’t necessarily follow trends, I pride myself in creating my own look. My style fluctuates often – I make sure that my closet is diverse enough to go from street style to boardroom style (or anything in between) at any given time while maintaining an edgy, classic, sexy look.
3. How do you decide what to wear in the morning?
I decide what to wear in the morning depending upon my mood. When I am really in a great mood I like to put on a little makeup and heels, especially when the weather is nice. On other days, I like a more chill look with flats and cute accessories. My hair also helps me decide what to wear; I like for my hair to go with my look and since I’m natural, my hair has a lot of say in how it chooses to look on its own. lol.
4. What are your favorite wardrobe pieces?
My favorite wardrobe pieces are my parachute skirts from All Saints – I love a dramatic piece that is street-wear ready hence why one of my favorite designers is McQueen. I also have a vintage coat that I love with a fur collar, its in impeccable condition from the 1960’s. My other wardrobe piece is not typical, but I did wear it in a fashion shoot and I loooove it, my mother’s wedding dress from 1974 when she married my dad. It’s so big and poofy and perfect!
5. Where do you typically shop for clothes and accessories?
I have no “typical” place to shop – I can find pieces just about anywhere. One of my go-to spots is actually eBay. I get a lot of my shoes from there because I love good quality finds without paying department store prices. I also love thrift stores and consignment stores. I never pay full price – so Marshall’s and TJ Maxx also get my attention. I’m a “hunt and find” type of shopper, I’m willing to take the time to search for an original piece at a great price! It’s worth it to me, and it’s also fun.
6. Let’s talk hair. How long have you been natural? What is your normal regimen.
I’ve been natural for 3 years. I don’t necessarily have a normal regimen, I’m still working on that. I wore a weave during my transition before and after my “big chop” for the first two years on and off. I actually went natural by accident; the left side of my hair stopped growing and was thinning out while the right side continued to grow and flourish. I’ve cut all of my hair off before due to Lupus, but I never chose to stay natural during those times. I didn’t expect to stay natural during this time either, it just kind of happened and now I love it.
7. Do you have a signature hairstyle?
I love to rock my afro! I like it big and ridiculous. I do twist outs and bantu knots, but my hair always ends up going back into the afro position because like I said earlier, my hair has a mind of its own. 🙂
8. How does your natural hair work with your style?
I feel that my natural hair compliments my style. When I first started going natural I was not comfortable with it – I didn’t want the stereotype of being a “natural chick” and I didn’t feel that it would go with my style. But now it is like an accessory, I like how it makes me stand out and I love the color and my 4-c texture that allows me to do many different hair styles. I’m looking forward to it growing longer so I can have an even bigger afro!
9. Are you working on any ventures that we should know about?
Currently I’m working on blogging and creating a personal shopping/informational avenue for moms of tween girls. The tween age (10-14) can be a tricky transition from child to teen, and being the mother of a 10 year old I understand the struggle, but I am also good at it. I would like to share my ideas and lend a hand to other moms who want their girls to be happy and stylish while not looking too grown for their age. I also just styled and directed a photo shoot for an accessory line called Twisted Aristocrat and the final product will be a Fall/Winter 14/15 Look Book. So, look for that to come out soon!
10. How can we stay connected with you?
Please stay connected with me by going to www.StyleStamped.com and enter your email address to stay up on the latest! You can also follow me on Instagram : @StyleStamp, Twitter: @StyleStamped, Facebook: www.facebook.com/StyleStamped, Tumblr: http://stylestamped.tumblr.com/
