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W H AT W E ’ R E I N S P I R E D B Y T H I S S E A S O N
S P R I N G ‘ 18
M E ET
MEET
I N TR ODU CI N G
E XP LO RE
erica
nikia
margherita
los angeles
Inside the beautiful Loom facilities, the
A conversation with Model and Founder
The designer and granddaughter of the
There’s a new reason to love LA
LA-based Doula and Health Educator
of Black Girl Beautiful on the power
Missoni fashion house founders, takes the
around every corner. Discover our
shares what keeps her inspired.
of self love through affirmations.
lead on our exclusive spring collaboration.
current springtime favorites to visit.
#myinspiredlife
TH E P OS T
“finding moments to embrace new things” LETTER FROM THE EDITOR When we kicked off talks for our 2018 campaign one common thread reigned over the rest, “we want to help people feel more inspired,” so we set out on a journey to meet really interesting, exciting people and learn about what motivates, inspires, and generally keeps them going in this crazy world. We set out with the idea that living an inspired life is about self-care, finding moments to embrace new things, and allowing ourselves to look at our existing surroundings with fresh eyes. With daily commutes and hectic routines, it’s easy to check into autopilot. But when we take a moment to truly be present, we allow ourselves the space to make new discoveries in places that once seemed so familiar. That feeling of discovery is what living an inspired life is all about.
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TH E P OS T
margherita missoni FA S H I O N ’ S E F F O R T L E S S I C O N Margherita first came to know Splendid on a visit to America at age 18, when she wandered into our shop with her mother. She quickly fell in love with our laid-back, California style because it reminded her of the effortless spirit of her home country. Since then, the granddaughter to the founders of Missoni fashion house has gone on to establish a name for herself as a designer – becoming the creative eye behind womenswear and home collections, and even her very own children’s label. Today, we’re so happy to have collaborated with Margherita on an exclusive collection that perfectly blends her love of bright color and vibrant patterns with the easy-going vibe of Splendid. Her signature flower adds a personal touch throughout the collection. “Margherita means Daisy, so that’s my symbol in everything I do.” When asked what inspired her collection with Splendid, she said “Splendid is the ultimate in wardrobe essentials, which is what I like about it. When I was working on this collection I added little details and special elements to make it different without taking away from the simplicity of it, which is actually its strength.” Margherita sprinkled a few statement-making silhouettes into the mix, each with their own unique story. “The pinafore jumpsuit is a special style inspired by my childrenswear brand and all my friends have been asking to have one in adult sizes, so we decided to make one in this collection as well.” When it came to choosing favorites, Margherita’s heart was set on one piece. “I’ve been dreaming of owning a terrycloth caftan for my summer evenings for quite some time now and I never found one. When this collaboration came about, I immediately thought of making one with Splendid because it felt like a really good fit.” Banda Maxi Dress Find Margherita on Instagram at @mmmargherita
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Banda Tank and Amore Jean Short
“When I think of California, I think of Splendid.”
– M A R G H E R I TA M I S S O N I
Fiore Sweatshirt and short
Capri Caftan
Docle Jumpsuit
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TH E P OS T
A L
M EET
nikia Nikia Phoenix welcomed us into her light and airy apartment with open arms and good vibes – the Southern-raised, Los Angeles-based model and founder of Black Girl Beautiful was keen to share her passion for community and diligent practice of self-love.
FA L S E S TA RT S A N D AB R UP T S T O P S
A COLLA B OR ATI VE EF F ORT
NP: “Modeling had been something that I’d wanted to do since I was a teenager. It finally happened, after false starts and abrupt stops, life, and college. It’s funny how that works, once you let something go, it actually comes back to you and it sticks. That’s what happened with modeling.”
NP: “Every few days it evolves into something else. Today it’s ‘let’s take over the world’. Let’s not allow anyone to hold us back. Whether that is doing more events or supporting more women, I keep telling my friends, Black Girl Beautiful is a collaborative effort. Black Girl Beautiful is not about me. It’s about everybody.”
RE PR ES EN TAT I O N MAT T E R S
NP: “I noticed the underrepresentation of black women in fashion and beauty, and it was frustrating because I see these girls everyday and they’re gorgeous, meanwhile they can’t get work. That doesn’t make sense to me. If I’m in a position to bring somebody up, I’m damn sure going to bring them up with me. That’s part of the reason I started Black Girl Beautiful, because I needed other women of African descent to understand ‘You’re beautiful, you’re gorgeous, you deserve all the light in the world and the fact that this place isn’t supporting you is so heartbreaking’.”
B E Y OU R OWN B EST F R I EN D
NP: “It took me a while to get in this habit of sharing, before I go to sleep, one thing I love about myself. I realized that I needed to be my own best friend. That was it. As long as I begin and end the day on a high note, all the in between doesn’t matter.” Find Nikia on Instagram at @nikiaphoenix
Nikia wears: Scoop Neck Tee in Dusk Blue ST11932, Cropped Wide Leg in Off White SB11850 | Long Sleeve Crew in Black | Dolman Style Linen Jacket in Military Olive SO12003, Painter’s Blouse in Paper ST11935, Bassett Knotted Suede Mule in Light Taupe SFLL1227
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erica We visited the Doula/Health Educator at her Loom facility, where she and her co-founder hold space for birth education, parenting classes, and so much more. A truly selfless career path to take, Erica Chidi Cohen tells us why giving to others is her calling.
B R I DGI N G THE GA P
ECC: “Myself and my co-founder really felt like there was a big gap in terms of how people navigate reproductive awareness, pregnancy, and parenting. It felt like there wasn’t a brand that was having a more inclusive and moderate conversation that made people feel excited about health education.” TEA CHI N G SELF CA R E
ECC: “I really love getting people feeling more comfortable about taking care of themselves, making that process easier and not very complicated. I like to keep whatever protocols or suggestions I’m making really simplistic so that people can make really take the next step.”
sometimes, like ‘Why am I doing this thing? What is this thing going to do two years from now?’. But sometimes your path is building in front of you and you can’t see it.” N U RTU R I N G YOUR PASSIO N
ECC: “Obviously we have financial constraints. You’ve got to make sure you can pay the rent and eat, but try and find ways to feed your passion and make sure you’re touching base with that. As long as you stay doing the things that you really love, eventually that purpose will turn into financial gain. Eventually it does, if that’s really what you want to make your career out of. Stay focused and don’t lose sight of it.” Find Erica on Instagram at @ericachidicohen
F U LF I LLI N G Y OU R PU R POSE
ECC: “Sometimes I don’t even believe it. It feels like I’ve taken all the little pieces and figured out how to make them work. But it took some time and it wasn’t always very comfortable. Now being in my thirties, it all makes more sense. Getting there, it felt hard Erica wears: 2x1 Halter Top ST12178 | Cropped Wide Leg in Military Olive SB11850, Mesh Top in Off White ST12005 | Waistless Jumpsuit SR12001DK
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EAT. DRINK. S HO P.
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EXPLORE
los angeles
OU R FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT, D R I N K, AN D SH O P I N L O S AN G EL ES RI G HT N OW
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1 . A I R + D AY ( D E L I V ERY ) Ve ga n d e s s er t s d el ivered t o your door. ai r an dday. x yz
4. BURGERLORDS (CH INAT OWN) De lic ious gr a ss-fe d be e f, ve ga n burge r s a nd loa de d frie s. bur ger lo r d s. co m
7. POK ET O (L ITTL E TO K YO ) Ar tfully de si g n ed o ff ice s t ap les an d h o me goods. p o keto.c om
2 . ME L R O S E P L A C E FARME R’S MARKE T (WEHO ) Fr e s h p ro d u ce, h a ndmade goods, and l ot s of s u n s h in e. ccf m .co m
5. BLOCK PART Y (H IGH LAND PARK) T he cutest beer garden and brewery in H ighl and Park! blo ckp ar ty hp . co m
8. ZINC CAFÉ (DTL A A RT’S DISTRIC T) Be a utiful ve get ar ian eat s an d co ck t ails. zinccaf e. co m
3 . T H E C A C T U S S T ORE (ECHO PAR K) Yo u r o n e-s t o p s u c cul ent shop. hot c a c t u s .l a
6. T HE GROVE (MID-CIT Y) The bigge st Sple ndid se le c tion in town. thegr o vela. co m
9. HOUS E OF I NTUI TI O N (SILVE RL A K E ) A mystic a l sh o p o f h ealin g cr y s t als an d a pothe c a ry. h ouse ofi n t ui t i on la .c om
FIND A STORE: splendid.com/store-locator
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@SPLENDIDLA
#MYINSPIREDLIFE