Is Plastic Surgery Now the Norm?

Plastic surgery is on the rise like never before. With the influx of social media, a traditional media that is unforgiving of regular-looking bodies, and greater training of beauticians in favor of plastic surgery procedures, plastic surgery is easier to access and more normalized than ever.

 Plastic surgery is a difficult topic to talk about. While some condemn it, others believe that, as with most other body-positive issues, a person has the right to choose what to do to their body. If this is something that a person wants, they shouldn’t be shamed for it.

But looking at the statistics – at the growth in numbers of aesthetic plastic surgeries – you have to wonder if this massive change results from anything. Plus, whether the reasons behind more people flocking to plastic surgery are something we should be worried about.  

Are more people getting aesthetic plastic surgery?

This plastic surgery epidemic is felt most keenly in the US, where plastic surgery has become so popular, it has taken over first place from Asian countries. In 2020, the United States saw more plastic surgery procedures than any other country, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. The last survey they conducted in 2016 showed that 4.2 million plastic surgery procedures for aesthetic purposes were performed in 2016. When worldwide numbers are taken into account, the US contributes 17.9% of all plastic surgeries worldwide.

Peers, parents, and the media: what has caused this greater desire for plastic surgery?

Scientists have found that people’s opinion of their own body is influenced by three factors: peers, parents, and the media.

 Social media has been around for fifteen years or so, and in that time, our relationships with our peers and the media have altered drastically. Now, we can see our peers in the best light: at the best angle, with the best filter, edited to perfection. As a result, our conceptions of what people look like – especially when these are people we do not know in real life – are skewed massively.

 So, when we turn to our bodies, we have a completely false and unreachable standard to meet. When we fall short, how do we feel about our bodies?

 Then there’s the media, which has never been forgiving towards imperfect (or normal) bodies. The media overly criticizes imperfection, and now they have the entirety of social media to work with. They create an impossibly trap for people: you will be criticized for imperfection, but you will also be criticized for a poor editing job on an Instagram post. With this paradox made clear, what if left to make yourself immune to criticism, but plastic surgery?

Plastic surgery: confidence booster or unhealthy coping mechanism?

Many argue that plastic surgery is just a way for people to feel more confident in their bodies, just like non-judged procedures, like ear piercing or teeth whitening with a dentist  (http://www.birminghamdentalcenter.com/).

 But the spike in plastic surgeries in recent years shows that the causes behind this need for body confidence are a dark, twisted web. If we took away modern social media, would as many people feel this need for body confidence that inspires more plastic surgery?

Let's Talk Trends: Health Trends

As quarantine shuttered everything throughout the country, people were left with only themselves to rely on for their health needs. No gyms, no restaurants, and grocery store wipeouts, caused people to turn to social media for different, innovative ways to meet their fitness and health needs.

One of the most popular apps used to get this information? TikTok. In short videos of 60 seconds or less users could find fun new workouts, easy recipes, and tips and tricks to staying healthy while in your house. But an excess of information does not mean correct information! TikTok users are not required to have any sort of credentials for the type of content they will be informing users on – so many of the health information is coming from someone unqualified in any form of health education.

TikTok’s platform has a unique set of viewers, as many are in a much younger demographic than other social media. Typical viewers on TikTok can range from 8 years old to 25 years old, making a large portion of their users extremely susceptible to misleading information. “Diet Hacks”, “How to Lose Weight Fast”, and other seemingly easy ways to “promote” a healthy lifestyle, are actually promoting eating disorders to many of our youth. Many of us are already aware of the body image issues that social media can cause. Constantly having a feed of seemingly “perfect” people can make one extremely insecure about themselves. But giving others ideas on unrealistic and impractical ways to “achieve” these goals, are leading many down an unhealthy path.

One of the many promoted is intermittent fasting. The idea of intermittent fasting is to restrict your daily eating to a certain time frame, so you are typically not eating late at night or early in the morning. Many have taken this idea to the extreme and promote only eating once a day. Everyone needs energy and the idea of eating one meal a day or less is unsustainable and irrational. For a developing child especially, nutrient intake and a sustainable diet are so important. However, many on social media platforms idealize this type of fast, encouraging many to use it as the secret to fast weight loss.

Along with eating restrictions, “miracle” foods are a hot topic on social media. Low calorie, tasty snacks and supplements are the top hack for many influencers. When looking at the ingredient breakdown on many of these “miracle” foods however, it seems you are typically trading off calories for chemicals.

Report: Jordyn Kelley

Tik Tok is the Emerging Platform for Beauty & Fashion Influencers

Tik Tok, the video-sharing service that has had millions download its app in recent years, provides an easy way to share creative videos with others. Essentially anyone can make a Tik Tok video, and the algorithm for the app can help garner views in just a few days. With the effect of Coronavirus on society and the quarantining that followed, influencers, specifically in beauty and fashion, had to find a way to engage with their audience while being confined to limited spaces. Since then, Tik Tok has emerged as a place for these influencers to interact with their followers easily and attain an even larger audience.

On Tik Tok, influencers have gotten very creative with the content they produce. For beauty influencers, one trend they have been doing is “draw a makeup look.” This trend has the influencer’s followers submit drawings of random makeup looks for them to recreate. Beauty influencers then select a few of them and create a compilation of first the drawing, then the actual look executed. Another beauty trend happening on Tik Tok is called, “my makeup if I were in different cliques.” To the tune of “Dirty Harry” by Gorillaz, the influencer will go through a series of looks that fit the theme of the video, making sure to change the look at the right beat. Similarly, fashion influencers have used this song for “outfits I’d wear as a cartoon character,” set up with the same music and beat drops, but this time with coordinating outfits. Popular with both beauty and fashion influencers is the “wipe it down challenge,” in which they approach a mirror, begin to wipe and clean it down, then during a certain part of the music a swipe reveals them completely done up head-to-toe, but reverts back to their normal selves after swiping back. The song that normally goes along with this challenge is, “Wipe It Down” by BMW KENNY.

Even though they are a ton of trends on Tik Tok, the platform is still relatively new and will continue to be a database for emerging trends for the next few years. It has already proven to be a ground for some of the creative content-creating people out there, so one should be excited for the trends it produces in years to come.

Photo Credit: License Global, Youtube,

Report: Charlene Piccio

The Cancel Culture At An All Time High

With all that has happened in recent weeks, regarding the killings of unarmed African Americans, protests against police brutality, and racial injustice, “cancel culture” has been in full effect. For those unaware, this is society’s way of holding celebrities and people in power accountable for the things that they say and do, or the lack thereof. For the most part, “cancel culture” is tied to black culture.

Usually, when you hear about celebrities being cancelled oftentimes it is by the black community due to the lack of morality, more specifically, inappropriate, offensive, and/or racist statements, actions or encounters. When you cancel someone you are making the conscious decision to no longer support them.

Recently, society has cancelled Virgil Abloh, Shekinah Jo, Doja Cat, Summer Walker, Desi Banks, Lil Wayne, Drew Brees, and the list goes on. All of these celebrities were cancelled because the black community felt let down by their responses to all that is currently going on. At this time, people want to feel like the support that they give to celebrities is being reciprocated.

Police brutality and racial injustice are topics that people are expecting celebrities to acknowledge because it affects the livelihood of their supporters and in some cases the celebrities themselves. There are people that are unable to understand problems that do not affect them directly, which could be the case for many celebrities.

Some people feel that educating celebrities would be more beneficial than deciding to cancel them. In a sense, “cancel culture” shames diversity of opinion, which can be more of a detriment to society than we may realize. Cancelling someone can be a form of appropriating everyone to think the same way.

Cancel culture also targets businesses, law enforcement, and government officials. Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A, and Pizza Hut are just a few businesses that have been cancelled for their support of Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Some people feel that supporting anything or anybody that endorses Trump means that you agree with his corrupt tactics.

“We need to start NAMING corrupt local government officials and CANCEL THEM”, tweeted @Tinashe on June 3, 2020. This is important because people are immediately affected by the decisions being made by local government officials. The people place these officials in office to serve with the community’s best interests at heart and if they fail to do that, they should be held accountable.

While the cancel culture may rub people the wrong way, it has been useful in humbling people that are held to a higher standard. This has allowed the public to reclaim their power and enforce it where they see fit. Our country is changing right before our eyes. Cancel culture is proof that if you are not on the right side of change, you will be left behind.

Photo Credits:

Cancelled photo- Flickr.com

Trump donors photo- @TaylorTaja (Twitter)

Report: Brionna Thompson

Social Media Activism, Not Social Media Validation

Over the past few days it has been difficult for me to put my thoughts into words. No words seem enough to express the immense anger and sadness I feel over the murder of George Floyd, and too many others, at the hands of those meant to protect us. But in order for there to be change there needs to be words. And so, I write.

This Tuesday there were over 26 million posts on Instagram for Black Out Tuesday, a campaign where one posted an all-black photo on Instagram sending the message that they would spend the day silencing their own content and promoting that of Black Lives Matter activism. The 26 million Instagram posts translated to only 12 million signatures on a petition calling for justice for George Floyd.

While I do not wish to disregard 12 million signatures as anything small, that is less than half of the amount posted to social media. If you want to be an activist, you need to take action.

Social media is a fantastic way to use your platform to reach hundreds, thousands, millions of people. Sharing donation links, statistics, and your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences are just some of the ways to garner attention and encourage action. But if you’re using your words solely and not contributing your own action, whether that be signing a petition, providing a donation, or participating in a protest, then how is your platform really being utilized?

An activist is defined as “a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change.” It’s very easy to post a black square on your Instagram and move on with your day. Doing so does not make you an activist. Seeking personal validation over your social media does not make you an activist. Using your social media to encourage and invoke your own change makes you an activist.

It’s time for all of us to do our part. Our words are powerful, but actions speak louder than words. Whether you choose to share your efforts on social media or not, your participation in efforts to reduce racism and discrimination in our society is all that matters. Signing a petition takes less than a minute, and any donation helps. Let’s be good people – not just look like good people.

Access PR has created a gofundme to support black owned small businesses, consider donating:

• https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-hand-access-pr

Here are some more resources available for other places to donate, petitions to consider signing, and ways to get further involved:

• https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1-0KC83vYfVQ-2freQveH43PWxuab2uWDEGolzrNoIks/mobilebasic#h.ryupozvasqin

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ra1crnSHFzgznux5BBPuFkd-7vCo7YAPCeIWZr3Ryjg/mobilebasic

Photo Credits: Instagram, GoFundMe, @cleowade

Report: Jordyn Kelley

Want to Keep Your Followers Interested? Here's How:

As everyone is spending more and more time on social media it’s important to keep your followers engaged and communicating. Here are a few tips on how to improve your social media presence by connecting with your followers.

Live Streams

Something that people have really loved through their time in quarantine is Instagram lives or live streams on other social media: Twitter, TikTok, Facebook etc. These live streams give followers the opportunity to interact virtually with celebrities and companies, making them more personable and interesting. In these lives you can talk about anything or offer up questions to your viewers, to make it as if you are having a face to face conversation. Miley Cyrus used her platform to host her own kind of talk show named Bright Minded. Each day on Instagram she would go live with a schedule of various other celebrities and interesting people to talk and provide entertainment for hours. Mike Stud and Post Malone hosted a celebrity beer pong tournament via instagram live, with thousands tuning in each day. Founder of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, has capitalized on the livestream movement, hosting various lives each night just on him opening up strange packages that get sent to him. Even the most mundane things can be interesting to any given demographic- try out different ideas and gauge the reaction!

Polls and Q&A’s

Sometimes live streaming can be more challenging as it necessitates an on camera personality to keep your audience interested. Another way to utilize Instagram or Twitter to engage your audience is by asking for their input! Quick polls or more in depth questions allow your followers to have a direct view into how your account operates. You can try the questions featured in a different way by allowing a Q&A with your account, where your followers can ask you anything! This is a great way to see what questions people might have about your product or company, as well as acknowledge areas that are performing greatly and some that may be underperforming.

Contests and Giveaways

There are so many ways to get your followers involved through a giveaway or contest. Consider a design contest, this is an awesome way to get new ideas for your brand and simultaneously head hunt for potential great hires! These giveaways can also serve as a fantastic way to get involved philanthropically. Donations to a certain cause (coronavirus relief for example), can get a follower entered in a chance to win a certain product or discount code. Celebrities, influencers, and athletes have all teamed up on the All-In Challenge to entice the public with various experiences in exchange for donations to organizations that provide coronavirus relief. They have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars so far. In an effort to provide follower engagement, definitely consider any kind of interactive giveaway.

Photo Credits: Ariana Grande / All In Challenge, Miley Cyrus for @wsjmag

Report: Jordyn Kelley

How TikTok Has Changed Music's Path To Success

In the first quarter of 2020 alone, the massive social media app TikTok had 315 million downloads. In total, the platform has upwards of 2 billion downloads. Needless to say, this short-form video app is experiencing impressive growth. And it only seems to be improving as more people are staying home amidst the pandemic and have nothing better to do than scroll through the app and learn the latest dance craze.

A large part of the entertainment on TikTok is its music discovery. TikTok provides a kind of music-listening demo to its audience with its 15-60 second videos, and when a particular sound goes viral, it’s great news for the song’s artist. This is because virality on TikTok leads to a boost in streams on other platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music. Take Arizona Zervas, with a jaw-dropping 2472% increase in Spotify monthly listeners since his breakout hit on TikTok, “Roxanne,” or Doja Cat, with the use of songs like “Say So” and “Cyber Sex” on the platform launching her into stardom. Roddy Rich’s “The Box,” another viral dance song, beat out Justin Bieber’s “Yummy” for the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, despite Bieber’s widely ridiculed instructions to fans on how to boost streams. These are only a few examples of huge success stories as a result of TikTok’s influence.

TikTok's "anybody can get famous, fast" narrative only fuels its trends as millions of people will learn the choreography to a catchy dance or lip sync to an upbeat song in the hopes of getting thousands of views. Many artists have noted this path of success and attempted to curate their songs specifically for TikTok virality. For example, Megan Thee Stallion started the “Captain Hook Challenge” herself by posting a choreographed dance to her page and encouraging others to learn it, while Drake’s “Toosie Slide” features explicit dance instructions within its lyrics and the support of already-famous influencer Toosie, making it an instant TikTok recipe for success.

It is clear that TikTok has had a huge impact on the music industry and the process of reaching fame. It almost seems that for a song to even compete with other current hits, TikTok virality is a crucial component. The answer to what song awaits TikTok fame next lies in the hands of its millions of users, and the creativity or whomever wishes to launch the next viral trend.

Report: Grace Carlos

University Graduation Ceremonies Are Going Virtual During the Pandemic

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of graduates were left without prom. To support students, YouTube video hosting decided to hold the online graduation under the name of Dear Class of 2020, which will be held June 6 live. The cancellation of an actual event will be offset by the stellar host cast. Former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama will be leading the ceremony. Mrs. Obama has been doing quite a lot to spotlight student life since leaving the White House. and has particularly taken advantage of streaming and social media platforms. She teamed up with media company called ATTN: for the series, which follows four college freshmen during their first year at college. The series aims to 'inspire every student in the U.S. to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.'

And that is not all! Singer Lady Gaga, former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai will come to support the alumni and deliver a solemn speech. The organizers of the event did not forget about the after-party as well. Students will spectate the performances by Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, Kerry Washington, Chloe X Halle, Dude Perfect, The Try Guys and other celebrities. The entrance is free, everyone can join this virtual party. “Graduation is a tradition that students and families look forward to and with the current state of the world, YouTube is lending some inspiration in the form of a virtual commencement,” said Susanne Daniels, global head of content for YouTube.

Report: Olha Dzharyha

How Fashion Turned to TikTok

Who would have thought that by posting a 30 second video on an app could get you a ticket to the most popular and exclusive fashion shows? Tiktok, a social media platform, is known as a creative outlet for people who want to express themselves by posting a brief video of anything to music, such as dancing, singing, fitness routines, or baking. One 15-year-old, Charli D’Amelio, was lucky enough to make a career from the app and build a large following base, 41 million followers to be exact. The TikTok star was front row for this seasons Prada fashion show, posting several videos of her dancing in front of the runway’s floral backdrop.

Aside from Charli’s success from the app, TikTok has sent three representatives to this year’s New York Fashion Week: Cosette Rinab, Taylor Hage, and Tyler Gaca, to broadcast scenes from the fashion shows. These shows included Dior’s fall 2020 show, Tory Burch and Rag & Bone. The Tiktok artists also created “get ready with me” videos, which showcased the newest clothes from each fashion show attended. Fashion shows have flocked to the app to cast TikTok artists, such as Neon Eubanks, who was recruited for the Celine fashion show.

Fashion is using the application to showcase their newest lines and perform trending challenges to gain viewers and momentum. Ralph Lauren turned to TikTok to create a hashtag challenge during the US Open resulted in more than 100,000 video submissions, and totaled in over 790 million views. As the pandemic pans out and stores remain closed, TikTok seems like the best platform to sell and promote products, while also having fun with it.

Report: Woo Jong Kim

IG Live Battles and Keeping the Culture Alive

During a time when the world has shut down, social media has been the connection holding the culture together. With Instagram at the forefront, celebrities have banned together to have friendly battles to not only keep us entertained but educated. Instagram live battles between those such Swizz Beatz vs. Timbaland, T-Pain vs. Lil Jon, Babyface vs. Teddy Riley, and many more are putting their catalogs to the test in friendly battles to bring joy and entertainment during a time where there is very little.

These battles are not only connecting friends but are also connecting generations. Younger generations are learning new music from back in the day and the older generation is learning social media and newer aged music. So the biggest gain here is generational bonding. IG live battles are keeping the culture enriched and sane while we are all on lockdown.

Everyone is having friendly competition on which artist will win and who should go next. These battles are keeping our spirits alive and will forever be a part of history. The culture couldn’t thank these artists enough and I don’t know about you guys but I am looking forward to some friendly competitions between some female artists.

Report: Maya Howard

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How To Stay Sane During Quarantine

Very few of us have experienced a pandemic before. There is no rule book to teach us how to cope, how to take care of our parents from afar, or how to prevent any meltdowns or anxiety attacks. But since were staying home, it is important to practice taking care of ourselves and our mental health. The following tips discuss how you can continue being productive and stay sane during isolation.

#1- Get Outside. Social distancing does not mean to force yourself to stay inside at all times. It’s important to get some fresh air to clear your mind. Take small breaks throughout work to “reset” your brain and try meditating. A good app for this is called the Meditation app. It evaluates your mental and emotional state and provides exercises to practice mindfulness.

#2-Keep a routine. Act as if school or work is still in session. Take a shower, get fully dressed in the morning and set wake up and sleep times. This is important because it makes us feel as if there is some normalcy in the world. Use the Streaks app to track and manage your daily habits, including the little things, like eating breakfast!

#3- Pick up a new skill. With all the extra time on our hands, we can use this time to do something we’ve always wanted to do, such as learn a new language or workout. You can even pick up a new book and set a goal for yourself. For language learning, try the free application called Duolingo. There are 35 languages to choose from and endless possibilities!

#4-Phone a friend- FaceTime your grandparents, or use the Nextdoor app to connect with the neighbors living around you. You can also set up a Zoom call with your friends, which has fun features such as customizing your background or reacting with emojis while someone is talking. Whichever form of contact you choose, it’s important to reach out to the people you love and check in on them. You never know whose day you could be making!

Report: Woo Jong Kim

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What Kind Of Detox Do We Really Need?

We live in a toxic world. It seems that humanity has managed to destroy everything that once was valuable: tuna now has more mercury than protein, vegetables are full of pesticides, and you can kill a horse with the air in metropolis. It is believed that all these troubles come from a person’s selfish desire to live in comfort.

For the first time in history, new types of toxicity have arisen. Voila, three modern inventions that poison our lives:

1. Gadgets. Digital dependency is a neurotic need for new information and gadgets. It is promised to be entered in the register of the International Classification of Diseases. First of all, doctors are concerned that smartphones and other members of electronic family have a bad effect on the psyche. Anxiety about having to be in touch 24/7, depressing states that life on Instagram is not like reality are just the most obvious problems that we have while abusing digital world.

2. Information Age. The regime in which billions of people now exist is called information satiety. Like any satiety, it is fraught with health. Too much information causes cognitive overload and strains the nervous system. Anxiety and mental disorders are other symptoms of universal informatization.

3. Confined personal space. According to estimates by the UN Population Fund, by 2024, 8 billion people will simultaneously live on the planet, most of them in capitals and large cities. Unfortunately, living surrounded by millions is not as fun as it might seem. Crowding is associated with a high risk of nervous and mental illness, an increased risk of infection, and problems such as physical inactivity and sleep disorders due to noise and light.

Report: Olha Dzharyha

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The Meme vs The Dater

The days of old school love are gone or at least it flies under the radar. Today, dating is like quantum physics. Everyone has been heartbroken at one time or another if not repeatedly. With this, we develop coping mechanisms to avoid dealing with the trauma or to make light of it. Everyone plays a game whether they realize it or not, with lack of trust, fear of rejection, and commitment issues, among many other factors we use sex as a defense and a weapon.

We use sex to get someone to be around long term and that’s all it becomes and we mask our true emotions secretly waiting for the other person to want more. Instead of relationships, we end up with situationships or a list of people we go to for different needs.

Each experience is made into a joke and becomes a meme on the internet. Meme culture has taken a large toll on the dating game as many people don’t have anyone to talk to about their situations with suitors or potential lovers and turn to social media to air out their troubles. We do this hoping to gain clarity from others beginning deep discussions and debates.

With each situation and moment in society, we get a new meme, it becomes a phenomenon as its something that a large group of people can relate to and laugh about. Currently, we are in a time of the Coronavirus also known as COVID-19. Everyone is to keep their distance from one another as this deadly virus takes its toll on the world as we know it. With that, schools and offices have closed and everyone is now working from home. Some are home with loved ones, parents with children, couples are together, and singles are alone.

Every situation is unique. Right now, we have government and state officials telling the public if they aren’t essential workers to stay indoors. This has left a lot of single people feeling lonely as no one can travel or go out to see friends and family. Thus creating a new meme of one person trying to get another to come over despite the deadly pandemic and another meme that reads “everyone is home quarantined and they have their phone so if they wanted to talk they would.”

This time is challenging people who are interested in the dating world to take a new approach and be virtual with phone calls, texting or having virtual dates. This forces people to rely on personality rather than looks and other physical attributes. It also makes sex a minor factor. Dating has now become a virtual courtship for those who are serious enough about it. To give someone long term consideration without the ability to invite a potential suitor or lover for what the culture calls “Netflix and Chill”.

Report: Josephine Coiscou

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5 Stylist You Need Follow on Instagram

Deep down we all just want to know what’s in everyone else’s closet. In today’s world the inside of your favorite celebrity's closet is one follow away.  Instagram is the best place to get street style inspiration, catch a glimpse of new fashion lines, and have access to all things fashion. We have gathered 5 stylists you should follow.

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Maeve Reilly

Followers - 70K

Instagram - @stylememaeve

Has Styled For - Hailey Baldwin, Lala Anthony, Janelle Mona

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Daniel Buezo/ Debbie Gonzales

Followers - 8,327/6,366

Instagram - @danielbuezo, @iamdebbiegonzales

Has Styled For - Kehlani

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Zoe Costello

Followers - 13.8K

Instagram - @zoecostello

Has Styled For -  Sofia Richie, Priyanka Chopra, Gigi Hadid, Dudley O'Shaughness

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Law Roach

Followers - 185K

Instagram - @luxurylaw

Has Styled For - Celine Dion, Zendaya , Ariana Grande, Skai Jackso

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Style Watch: Zendaya

Zendaya

We all remember that little girl, Zendaya from Disney Channels' hit shows, but she's not so little anymore! This twenty-year-old women is doing big things for women [and men] on a small budget. Being inspired by her older sister and nieces, she created Daya by Zendaya in the Spring of 2016. "The kind of women we're targeting are real women who want a good shoe they can wear to their job interviews, but still be stylish and not break the bank," says the red carpet killer. 

Partnering up with her stylist, Law Roach the duo not only have an affordable shoe line but they are bringing us a classy look clothing line. Zendaya debuting some of her pieces as she guest starred as a judge on Project Runway; posting a picture on IG of her in a velvet suit with a lace body suit with the caption "I gotta admit.....wearing my own stuff feels really good. We've done well @luxurylaw. #DayabyZendaya #clothinglinecomingsoon".

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to her pieces she has dropping soon and more exciting shoes to come. Go Daya!! 

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CREDITS:

Tanisha Brooks
Head Stylist at Access by NKC

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NYFW X ACCESS MEDIA TEAM

New York Fashion Week is almost here! This year we're doing it bigger than ever! We've partnered with Walk Fashion Show as their regional media partner, meaning all of your exclusive fashion week coverage will coming from yours truly. We'll have exclusive designer interviews, behind the scenes footage, live feeds and more. Make sure you follow all of our social media platforms to keep up with the action! We'd like to introduce to our SS17 NYFW media team, who will be making all of this magic possible! Check out the media team's bios below and save some of their contact information for future projects! 

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Harrison, Hart
Age: 22
hhart1@students.towson.edu
Phone: 410.598.1703
www.harrisonhartphotography.com
Instagram: @hhart1

Harrison Hart is a Baltimore native with a passion for photography and filmmaking. Growing up with a camera in hand, he is documenting the world through his lens – capturing people and places with his unique style.

As a photographer, Harrison develops images that tell the story of the kinetic world around us. His photographs are a celebration of the inspirational and beautiful aspects of life. They are also compassionate depictions of people and situations which are more desperate and call out for our attention. Harrison brings a unique artistic style to his photographs of weddings, special events, portraits, and sporting events. His documentary photography tells the stories of issues and human situations with clarity and poignancy.

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Bria Scott
Age: 19
Email: BlackMythPhoto@gmail.com
Phone: (484)350-7407
Website: (Coming in October)
Social Media Handles: Instagram: @BlackMythPhoto 

Bria Scott is a Philadelphian creative who was born and raised in a small section of Germantown known as Dogtown. She is currently enrolled at the University of the Arts to study the advancement of Photography and Film while pursuing her own photography business under Black Myth Photography which was formed in the Winter of 2013. Her work is inspired by geniuses such as Hype Williams, A$AP Rocky, ScHoolboy Q, and Onoe Capone. 

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Tristan Baboolal
Age :  23
Email: StanWayne15@yahoo.com
Phone: 240-752-2183
Web: Iamstanwayne.com
Instagram: _Stanwayne_

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Mariah Rachel Burke
Age: 23
mrburke@wesleyan.edu
267.231.8724
mrburke.wix.com/mariahrachelburke
instagram: mariahrachelburke

My name is Mariah Rachel Burke. I am a born and raised Philadelphian who spent years photographing the city around me before moving up and away. I attended Wesleyan University where I studied English and Film. I have spent over four years in the film industry, during which I have worked on projects for Ira Sachs, Eric Weber, Nike SB, among others. I am currently producing an independent film directed by a Wesleyan alum, set to shoot in September, 2016. My photography has been published by Method Magazine and will appear in Prolific Quarterly and Element Magazine in Fall 2016. I have spent time living in Philadelphia, New York, Madrid, and New Orleans.

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Name: Kyle Avery Adams or Montrekyle
Age: 21
Email: kadams916@gmail.com
Phone number: 2674428509
Website: vimeo.com/montrekyle      Instagram: @montrekyle

Montrekyle is a visual artist who creates short fashion films along with captivating visual artist features throughout DC Philadelphia and NY.

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For more information on the NYFW Media Team, please use the contact information provided or email accessbynkc@gmail.com.

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TWITTER/INSTAGRAM/FACEBOOK/PERISCOPE/TUMBLR/PINTEREST/SNAPCHAT

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Access Exclusive: The Meaning of MaCee

Digging further into Instagram culture lead us straight to MaCee. For our returning readers, you know when we do social media features it's because they've really wowed us; MaCee did just that. She shows us that contributing to the social media culture doesn't mean you have to box your style or mind in. Sharing her thoughts and opinions on social, political and fashion topics; her followers are able to feel her unapologetic spirit. We dove a little deeper into that spirit.

Read MaCee's full interview below. 

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How did you get started designing?

I started stitching by hand at the age of 9. I would sew dresses on my barbie dolls. At that age I realized I loved designing things.

Finish this sentence: Dreamers are necessary because…

they are optimistic and always expect the best! Being a dreamer means your mind is open to all of the possibilities that life offers.

Do you plan on selling your pieces in the future?

I do plan on starting a line as soon as I can. Starting your own line is such a hard process. I hope to start within the next few years. 

How did you develop your personal brand through social media? What's your secret?

I don't really have a media secret lol. I think the best thing I ever did when it comes to social media is to stop caring about it. Let it be something fun...do not ever let it become your life. Don't take it that seriously. At the end of the day.... it's just the internet lol. I also realized that the more you focus on what YOU feel comfortable with the better! Post what you like. Some people may not like it but its YOU that matters the most. When you become comfortable with yourself and the way you present yourself, social media becomes a breeze. When I began expressing myself through my writing on social media, I realized people connected to me better. They realized that I was much more than just a women who likes to "play dress up" lol. It's about connecting with people in a way that you love and most importantly staying connected to yourself. 

Where do you go to write?

I usually write in my bedroom. It's where I feel relaxed.

For you, what’s the best part about living in New York City?

I think the best part is the subway lol. You can go anywhere you want without a car! You don't have to rely on others for transportation lol. I also love that the city is ALWAYS BUSY! You can be in times square at 3am and the streets are still full of people. 

We’ve noticed that you use your social media platform to advocate for the beauty of black women. How important is it for you to continue to denounce the thoughts of what is considered “beautiful”?

I think it is so extremely important to show people that black women are so DIVERSE. Black women can pull off so many different looks and get away with it lol. I think people have placed black women in a box. We have to look and act a certain way because of society. People place us in a specific categories and expect us to act accordingly. I don't think the media represents black beauty correctly so I believe it's important for me and other women to break down these stereotypes and show people that black women come in so many different ways and are ALL beautiful in their own way.

You recently announced that you’ve started writing your book. What can we expect to learn + gain from your book?

I really want to pour all of my feelings into my book. I want people to learn and laugh from my book. I expect people to gain wisdom and see that everything isn't always what it seems. I hope people learn from my book. I don't want to give too much away but I really plan on revealing a lot of things I struggled with as a child and in my adult life.

In your opinion, what can fashion do to avoid mediocrity?

In my opinion, I believe that the more people start realizing that fashion is about what YOU like and what looks great on YOU...the more they will avoid mediocrity. I think people focus on who's wearing the outfit more than the outfit itself. If a certain celebrity wears a certain outfit, it immediately becomes trendy. I don't think people realize that you have to focus more on fashion for yourself, your body type.. and not just fashion. If a celebrity looks good in a certain outfit, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll look great in it lol. My style icon is KIM K. She sometimes wears things that I love on her but when I recreate the look on myself...it doesn't look as great lol.

Platinum Blonde seems to be a signature hair color for you (and you make it look amazing)! Any secrets for others wanting to pull it off.

Thank you!! I really think it's about confidence. I think it takes a bold black women to wear platinum blonde hair not care what people have to say about it lol. I Think its also about style. Finding a platinum blonde style that you love. Some black women look great in a short blonde pixie cut and not long blonde hair. It all depends on what you love.

Have you ever experienced racial discrimination in the industry? If so, how did handle the situation? What did you take away from it?

I think I experience racial discrimination everyday of my life lol, especially on social media. I feel like there are women who attack me more because I am black. I feel as though certain fashion media pages won't support me because of my color. It's one of those things that you can't exactly prove.. but in your heart you know what the issues is. I try not to let it bother me. There are so many other people who support me and do not care what color I AM. The best way I handle that is by shedding light on my experiences and other topics dealing with discrimination and show other people that they aren't alone.

Favorite book at the moment?

Well my favorite book will always be Go ask alice. Right now I am reading a book called "The doctor's wife"

If you had the chance to work along side one designer, who would it be? Why?

I would love to work with Tracy Reese. I feel as though she could teach me so many things about the fashion industry and her experiences.

One piece of advice that has always stuck with you?

My mom's advice always sticks with me. The best piece of advice she has ever given me was "You ain't got no friends" lol. What she meant was, everyone who smiles at you or is nice to you, doesn't always have your best interest at heart. People can be very conniving and its important that you keep your eyes open at all times.

What excites you most about tomorrow?

I think it excites me to know that everyday that passes means I am one step closer to my goals. I have so many hopes and dreams for my future.

Interview by: NKC (@therealnkc), Creative Director

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