Bits By Simi

Black is The New Black: A Photographic Exploration of Black Consumerism, Luxury, and Style

December 13, 2020March 30, 2021

This photo series was inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer, and the push to support Black-owned businesses. With this support came criticism from various angles. One of the opposing viewpoints that caught my attention was one surrounding Black consumerism and the manner in which Black people spend their money when it […]

Black Designers are for Everyone

December 9, 2020

Originally published in Vis Major Zine, December 2020. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd this past May, and the global Black Lives Matter demonstrations that followed, the lack of support for Black creatives and designers and conversations surrounding the topic have risen in the greater context of systemic racism and the Black […]

Sounds of my Birthday

December 3, 2020December 9, 2020

I’m 22 now. I’ve done things that I could only dream of as a restless teenager waiting for the day she could escape her suburban hellscape. I made it to New York. Instead of suffering through hours of calculus and ecology, I’m studying the subjects I love the most. I’ve learned so much in these […]

Dysphoria

November 27, 2020December 9, 2020

This semester, I’ve been fully immersed in art and creation, reveling at my own opus, shocked at what I’ve been able to create within the final four months of 2020. This year has been a whirlwind for me, full of ups and downs. One thing that’s gotten me through it is art. I’ve used all […]

Simi’s Guide to Self-Portraits

June 29, 2020

The past few months have been anything but “Instagram-worthy.” Social distancing has seen me settle into bike shorts and sweatshirts on a daily basis, working and learning from home (or more specifically, my bed), and sitting confidently on the couch with overgrown eyebrows and permanent bedhead. Although I’ve let go a bit since mid-March, every […]

Where are all the Black People in Fashion?

June 7, 2020

Where are all the Black people in fashion? I ask myself that a lot. I sit in my fashion classes, surrounded by white people, constantly overlooked. Within weeks, they all become incredibly close. I sit lonely, waiting for class to end. I question my belonging. Is this the right industry for me? Of course it […]

Sounds of December

December 10, 2019

Here’s what I’m listening to while studying for finals, preparing for the holidays, and trying my best to enjoy my youth as full adulthood looms ahead.

Self-Portraits

September 1, 2019

Contemplating Blackness in White America

July 12, 2019

The first time I contemplated my blackness, I was filling out the personal information section on a standardized test, one of those yearly exams every elementary school student is forced to take. I came across the race and ethnicity section and perused my limited options. The only viable option was to fill in the bubble […]

Satin and Chains

July 11, 2019July 11, 2019

Dress: ASOS midi column dress in chartreuse Chain belt: The Real Real Bag: Gucci Dionysus mini in monogram and black