REVIVE July 2020
Sporty and Rich How Emily Oberg started her brand
Five-Minute Hairstyles Interview with Aimee Song
Best Organic Makeup Essentials Iris Apfel on how
to develop your personal style
The Simple Things in Life:
Emily Oberg and her brand “Sporty & Rich” Emily Oberg has quickly become one of the strongest female voices in the world when it comes to living a minimalist, fashionable, and “rich” lifestyle. Oberg was born in Calgary, Alberta and spent most of her early life there. Her mother is from Oregon, and her Dad from the Philippines. Oberg credits her Mom with giving her the work ethic she has today, as she said in her interview with MISSBISH, “ My mom was also the best, she worked super hard for us and made sure we had a very nice life, that’s probably where I get my work ethic from.” Oberg moved from Calgary to New York at the age of 21 and got a job as “Editorial Producer” at Complex Magazine in 2015, and ever since her start there she has skyrocketed her career. Oberg has created her own fashion and lifestyle magazine called “Sporty & Rich” and later a fashion label under the same name. Oberg spent time as Creative Lead at Kith Women, now she works for herself, something she said in 2016 that she always wanted, “ I definitely want to work for myself and be my own boss one day, like anyone else out there.” Oberg is living her dream and were only at the beginning of her story and her mark in the world. Oberg left Complex in early 2017 to be the Creative Lead of Kith Women. Kith is one of the biggest fashion houses in the world, they sell everything from sneakers to jackets and they even have a cereal shop inside their stores!!! Kith has done collaborations with luxury fashion brands like Bergdorf Goodman, and Versace all the way to cartoon shows like The Rugrats and SpongeBob. Kith is known for taking giant leaps and coming out with some very interesting ideas in their menswear collections, but Ronnie Fieg (The founder and owner of Kith) wanted to expand on their womenswear, so he appointed Oberg to lead the whole operation and have creative control on what Kith Women would look like. She ran Kith Women from February 2017 until she announced her departure from the company in February 2018. She left Kith to focus on her own brand, “Sporty
& Rich”. Being “rich” usually means that you have a lot of money, but to Oberg it means something different, “when I say ‘rich,’ I don’t mean money. I mean rich in quality — I’m really into well-made things. And rich in your life, in happiness and health.” Oberg uses this motto in every facet of her “Sporty & Rich” brand. As I said earlier, Oberg started making a fashion and lifestyle magazine called “Sporty & Rich” and she began releasing one every six months and it started garnering a cult following. Oberg then branched out for the magazine and designed a capsule collection of sweatshirts with the now classic “Sporty & Rich” logo. Oberg prides herself on taking inspiration from 80”s and 90’s sportswear and vintage Nike sweaters, she also pulls inspiration from guys like Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, which I admire, because those are two of the funniest men of all time, and they dress the way they want to, and that is usually in a pair of plain blue jeans that cover their shoes along with a baggy sweater and some Nike sneakers. Oberg is slated to drop her latest Sporty & Rich collection on February 21st. Oberg recently announced her latest project called “Sporty & Rich Wellness Club”. Oberg has always wanted for her brand to grow, and not to just be a clothing company, “ The goal of Sporty & Rich has always been to become much more than a clothing brand”, Oberg said when discussing her newest business venture. Oberg is using her knowledge on skincare, cooking, and exercising to help others learn things that they might have never known. Did you know that it takes 1,600 Gallons of Water to make one litre of Almond milk ? Well until I read Oberg’s article on it, I didn’t. Oberg is making big leaps in the fashion world and watching her grow as a designer and as an entrepreneur is very inspiring. Oberg has always worked harder thanher counterparts
“I never want to look back on my life and wish I did more, so for now I’m trying to do it all.”
Hair How-To: Five-Minute Hairstyles
Ever have those moments when you need to be out the door in five minutes, but you are stuck staring in the mirror wondering what you should do with your hair? These looks will be perfect for those kinds of days!! Bad hair days and a busy schedule can be stressful enough, and the holiday season just adds to that‌ which is why I put together the following looks to help you stay stylish on a time crunch.
1.Three Strand Braid
Whenever I am in a rush this is my go-to! All I do is insert the BFB Up for some quick length and volume, and braid in equal sections and then tie it off with an elastic. I also like to cover the elastic to make it look more polished. To add a unique detail, add a barrette like I did here to secure the braid. You can pull out the braid to make it fuller and have a looser look. Then pull out some pieces around your face and you are good to go.
2. Modern French Twist
This is a style that looks like it took a long time to do, but honestly it takes just a few minutes. Again, I used the BFB Up to add some more thickness in the twist. Gather all of your hair in the back of your head, and with your pointer finger twist all of your hair around itself 2-3 times while moving your hand up. This will create the twist. Then bobby pin the twist to secure it. You can also bobby pin the hair at the top downward to make it more stable. As you can see in the pic I like to leave the tail of my hair out to create a fun, modern element. This look is perfect to wear to work or a night out.
3. Bobby Pins
I think hair accessories are something that we often forget to use, but they can make it really easy to elevate a look quickly. Put a headband on, add a scarf around your ponytail or stack some bobby pins. It takes just a couple seconds and you will have the perfect look that complements your outfit.
4. Top Knot
So, this one is kind of a no brainer, but I love a good top knot! When I am running to the gym or trying to get out the door, this one is so fast. There are various ways to do a top knot and I feel like a lot of it is personal preference. But I love to gather my hair into a high pony with my BFB Up, and then twist my ends back and forth. Then I put an elastic around the whole thing. I love when my top knots don’t look perfect with the ends poking out or it looking a little messier. Make it yours and rock it!
5. No Heat Waves
If you know you will have a busy morning, one thing I love to do is wash my hair the night before and braid it before I go to sleep. After showering, I let my hair air dry halfway. Then I braid it before I go to bed. I personally like to do dutch pigtail braids. Then I wake up and undo the braids and I am ready to go. Your hair will have a nice, beachy wave that looks effortless. For more volume and thickness, I will also braid my fill-ins and leave them overnight so they also have some waves, and insert them in the morning.
AIMEE SONG TURNED HER ‘SONG OF STYLE’ P PROJECT INTO A MEGA-INFLUENCER PLATFOR When did you know that blogging could become a full-time career for you? It was only three and a half, four years ago, when I decided to no longer do interior design and focus solely on blogging and create a business out of it. I could have became a full-time blogger six or seven years ago, but I continued to treat it more as a passion project because I love doing interior design, as well. Having [the blog] as a passion project helped me leverage it in a way where I was a little bit more authentic because I didn’t have to take on jobs I didn’t want to or didn’t speak to me or my brand or who I was. My audience trusted my expertise and they knew I wouldn’t sacrifice my integrity for a quick paycheck.
How has the day-to-day of your job changed over time the past four years? I now have a team, whereas before I didn’t have one. It was just me, and either I’ll have a random person take my photo, or my boyfriend or my sister. But now I actually have a team, so I have somebody on the blog side — writing, posting the photos, linking the images. Then I have a photographer who I work with for bigger shoots. For Instagram photos, most of them are just taken on the whim, so it could be my friend Jared, my sister, my boyfriend or somebody who I’m with. I’ve had a manager for the past seven years, but my management team has grown because the social media industry is changing all the time and there’s such a huge demand in it. And then I also have somebody who helps with my strategy.
You’ve been vocal about anxiety and mental health. How do you cope as an influencer? I cope with it on a daily basis. How we take care of our health and body — it’s not something where you’re like, “Today, I’ll just eat vegetables and for the next week, eat french fries every single day,” and pretend that you’re healthy. It doesn’t work that way. Mental health is exactly the same way where you have to nurture it on a daily basis constantly. I try to do that because with my industry, it’s hard not to compare myself to other people. I have to remember that I, myself, have to be happy and good and in a stable place because when I’m insecure, that’s when I start comparing myself to other people and start judging people or judging myself. I try to be kind to myself first and try to maintain a healthy mind, and then it all becomes so much easier.
PASSION RM
What were and are your major challenges in creating fashion and beauty content, then and now? The biggest challenge was trying to break social norms and what traditional media said was beautiful because I didn’t fit into that box. Now everybody sees more representation, body positivity or racial inclusiveness. It’s just become more diverse and people are more honest. The challenge now is this market is saturated, so a lot of people are creating similar content — trying to be a little different is the biggest challenge. Trying to remain raw and true and authentic is a constant challenge because if you see something more glamorous and pretty, you kind of innately think, “Oh, do I have to do that?” And I realize that there are people who are going to chase trends and do the things that are popular. I think there are enough people doing that and I don’t need to be one of those people.
What is your ultimate goal for Song of Style? My ultimate goal is trying to use my platform to do better for the greater good. I love doing what I do now and how I get to take charity trips. It’s such an honor. Sharing that with my audience — I love being able to do that and I want to do it at a bigger scale. I want to change lives. I want to change this world and make it a happier and brighter place — that’s not just for myself.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start today? If you want to blog or try to be an influencer, there’s nothing wrong with it. You can do it. There’s still room for more. The biggest challenge is you have to find your own voice and try to not see what everybody else is doing and try to follow what everybody else is doing. Because then you’re only going to be second or third best.
The Best Organic Makeup Essentials You Need on Your Radar
We now know what to look out for (controversial ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and PEGs) as well as what to look for (namely, sustainable packaging and cruelty-free certifications). And just like in the non-natural-beauty world, some brands just do it better than others. Below, we’re shouting out the 7 best clean and organic makeup that don’t compromise their quality payoff for a natural ingredients list.
Vapour Blush Powder Credo Beauty $32
Ilia Polka Dots & Moonbeams Illuminator Sephora $34
RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer RMS Beauty $36
W3ll People Expressionist Pro Mascara W3ll People $20
Vapour Elixir Gloss Vapour $26
100% Pure Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder 100% Pure $23
Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation Bite Beauty $40
PRETTY PRINTED PANTS with Emili
Sindlev
If there is something that makes me crazy, then it’s printed pants. Yes, today I want you to have a look at ways how to wear patterned trousers. Look at these awesome designs, textures, colors and details. Just think of florals, geometrics, animal spots, graphics, etc. Of course, there are several things you should know about before buying a new pair of these bright trousers. Make sure all colors look great together and keep your outfit balanced.
Speaking on how to develope your own personal style, she says the key is to put in effort. “First of all it’s work. You have to know who you are. You have to know yourself,” she says. “You have to know what you can pull off, what you feel comfortable with, what you can afford; all of that and work accordingly,” adding that doing your research is crucial. “Look at a lot of magazines, shops, other people, hone your eye and decide what you like.” The 2005 subject of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art titled Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel, advises not to worry about what people think when dressing. “Some people don’t like to stand out, or feel upset if people stare at them, or [if] people do not approve. If you’re worried about everybody’s approval then you’re never going to get very far.” The aesthetician who worked for WWD, and was once assistant to illustrator Robert Goodman, said she put work into her own unique style. “I studied myself and the world around me. And I guess it paid off.” With a wealth of experience, today she maintains a healthy perspective. “I think being happy is much more important. I mean, if you’re plump and you like willowy-looking clothes then… starving yourself is not pleasant. Just forget about those clothes. Clothes are not the most important thing in the world,” Apfel says. “Dressing up should be a joyful, fun experience for yourself… for some people it’s an easy job and for other people it’s a chore. And if you look up-tight and you’re unhappy with it then I think it’s better to look like everybody else than be unhappy.”