Stephanie Smith-Strickland

Bio

Stephanie Smith-Strickland is a Brooklyn-based writer currently working as an editor at Highsnobiety. She has always written for the International Business Times, Whitewall Magazine, Schon! Magazine, Valet Magazine, No Tofu Magazine and more.
The wellness industry has an inclusivity problem. This yogi wants to change that
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
As with any good meet-cute, 28-year-old Kajuan Douglas, fell in love with yoga by chance. Almost a decade ago, after watching one too many episodes of So You Think You Can Dance, Douglas was inspired to sign up for a dance class. When he arrived,…
Filmmaker Amarachi Nwosu explores beauty and being black in Tokyo
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
In Japan the concept of bihaku, which translates to beautifully white, is so culturally ubiquitous it has become an accepted standard. Where in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and on the African continent, the conversation about skin…
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Inclusive beauty brands have the chance to lead by example, starting with Munroe Bergdorf
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
Let’s start by playing catch-up: On Aug. 28, DJ, activist and model Munroe Bergdorf made history as the first out trans woman to land her own L’Oréal U.K. campaign. On Sept. 1, L’Oréal U.K. fired Bergdorf after anti-racist comments she made in the…
This Nigerian fashion magazine is dedicated to dismantling gender stereotypes
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
“I was completely different from the other boys around me growing up. Everywhere I went, people pointed out how different I was in the most unpleasant ways,” Richard Akuson, founder and publisher of A Nasty Boy, said in a recent interview with Mic.…
These Are the African Designers You Probably Don't Know About — But Should
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
Last year Nigerian-English grime music pioneer Skepta joined Drake to remix afropop sensation Wizkid's single "Ojuelegba," rapping "When I was in school being African was a diss/ sounds like you need help saying my surname Miss." This unguarded…
What Michelle Obama Taught Me About Loving My Body
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
Throughout childhood, there were many moments I felt ugly or invisible. I was a black girl in a fairly uniform Midwestern town where I attended a school whose perks included being the only person of color in most of my classes along with the…
Ghana's 'Sex and the City' Is Giving African Designers Their Long-Deserved Recognition
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
Carrie Bradshaw and her trio of girlfriends captured the imagination and closet envy of millions long after Sex and the City's run ended in 2004. However, not all fantasies are created equal, and Carrie and her conspicuously caucasian troupe of…
Meet Brichibi Cosplay, the Queer, Plus-Size Diva Taking the Cosplay Scene by Storm
By Stephanie Smith-Strickland
Picture a cosplay convention. Are you picturing a place filled with socially awkward misfits who are more comfortable in the company of gadgets and video games than people? Let us also guess: You're not picturing a queer plus-size woman of color…