Smoke Break with Ife: Fire Escape Edition
This week we took a smoke break with our beloved team member, Ife, during a fitting for something special that we have in the works. Eloise and Ife sat on Sydney’s fire escape and gabbed over their substance of choice…for Ife, a Marlboro Gold, and for Eloise, a handful of rips from Sydney’s stunning vase-turned-bong.
Ife: Omg Hi Eloise. I owe you 30 mochi donuts and whatever else your favorite thing is.
Eloise: Girl you crack me up.
Ife: I’m so serious.
Eloise: I love your eyebrows.
Ife: Why thank you…I was today years old when I figured out you are supposed to put vaseline on your eyebrows before you bleach them…
Eloise: Bye. Okay, let's get to it. Where did you grow up?
Ife: I grew up in…okay, LA county is big, I always say this spiel…I’m from LA but I’m from a small town by the beach called Palos Verdes.
Eloise: What was that like?
Ife: I am so grateful for where I grew up because it was so beautiful, the ocean being so close and accessible, it was such a blessing and a privilege. But…you know, I was one of very few black people in my area and school so it wasn't the easiest. Identity wise, trying to figure out how u fit into a place that doesn't necessarily cater to you, you don't necessarily feel as safe to be yourself. It was like trying to navigate what it looks like to be a black woman and grow into your womanhood. And also, loving yourself. That was a big thing for me. It was hard to understand that it was okay to love myself even though I didn’t receive outward appreciation for my blackness or didn't feel as comfortable within it. When you're surrounded by whiteness, you try to conform and especially at a young age. It was definitely character building for me. I appreciate that.
Eloise: What is your favorite thing to do when you are back home?
Ife: I love hanging out with my best friend and my son…Kenzo. My toy poodle. He is my pride and joy. The one good thing about the many terrifying apple updates is the multiple screensaver thing where you can slide between them…he has quite a few slides in there. We go on walks, we take him with us to lunch. I also just love hanging out with my family, we try to do something every week during the weekend because everyone works during the week and I’m just the unemployed child on the couch. I love it. We do really mundane things but it’s just so fun because I am with them. Making dinner, going to church…they go to the gym and they try to make me work out Eloise. I don’t do it.
Eloise: Wait whenever I go back home to Chicago, my mom and sister try and get me to work out and I’m like, “You guys? Wait. I don’t do this stuff. I don't think I can even”. Stretching makes me sore the day after.
Ife: Right, so like why would I do it? I don’t get it. It’s not my lane, so I go to the gym and get a smoothie and I’ll hang out in the car.
Eloise: Fierce.
Eloise: When did you move to New York?
Ife: I moved to New York in 2021, for school. But I’ve been coming since I was small. I have family on my mom’s side and family friends here as well.
Eloise: What has been the highlight of your time in New York City so far?
Ife: That’s a big one. What comes to mind is my girls. The people I have around me. I am so blessed with my community. In high school, I definitely did have community and I am so grateful for all the people I became friends with and the people I met growing up. But I feel like here I have found a group who truly understand me and I feel like I can be completely myself around them. They encourage me and fuel my love for life, my creativity, and my love for myself. That’s been the biggest blessing.
Eloise: Where do you like to go out to have fun?
Ife: My fucking room.
Eloise: Bitch me. That's the most fun spot in the city.
Ife: Also, my kitchen. We always have so many people over, like you’ve seen it at meetings.
Eloise: It’s amazing. A revolving door and a room full of beautiful people.
Ife: Exactly, yourself included.
Eloise: Stop it…
Ife: I also love my roof, and the 10 mile radius around my house. I love the block I live on. I also love Mccarren Park. Especially during the summer, it’s the best place to be.
Eloise: Where do you shop?
Ife: I am the worst person to ask this question to right now. But, I find a lot of cool pieces from like Instagram closet sales when awesome people post stuff on their stories for sale. Recently, I had a little spark on Depop. That app usually hates me but, I bought a few things and I was happy with them. There’s a store near me called Kalimera Vintage, they have a sale rack outside and I love that. Also, I love to shop at World of My Own…you should try it out.
Eloise: I second that. Tap in. When and how did you start working for WOMO and how did you and Sydney meet?
Ife: Sydney and I met on Instagram DM’s.
Eloise: So you went to Instagram together.
Ife: Something like that. I ended up styling a shoot for World of My Own in LA, and then I moved to New York. I worked on a few more shoots with them and then in 2023 I styled their show. I was mid finals writing papers the day of, but it still came out beautifully.
Eloise: It was stunning. I remember seeing it on Instagram and freaking out.
Ife: Last year, I did PR and styled the SS24 show. I started doing one thing and then kept grabbing onto others. Sydney and I got to know each other a lot better. She calls me head of PR / creative consultant. I think I lean into being the creative consultant a bit more, especially this year. It’s been so much fun.
Eloise: Do you have any advice for people in the fashion industry just starting out?
Ife: Girl, I need advice. But, I would say, figure out the things you won’t compromise on and how they align with what you want and where you want to be. It is very easy to get caught up in this industry. As corny as it sounds, stay true to yourself. Nobody has the ideas, the thought process, or the creative output that you have, simply because you are the one that is doing it. Do everything with meaning. Always go back to your intention before you start anything. What do you intend for others to gain from your work? Its hard, it can feel superficial, but its only superficial if you make it superficial. Comparison is the thief of joy. You are unique. In this age of social media and all of that, it is so easy to see what other people are doing and feel pressured to be aligned with that. What's meant for you won’t pass you, I try to remember that. And talk to people!! Not with the intention of gaining something from them, but just to know more. It is always good to collect knowledge and pick peoples brains.
Eloise: What is one of your goals for the future?
Ife: What are those indoor garden things called?
Eloise: A greenhouse?
Ife: I want a greenhouse. My mother gardens. I want her to have a huge greenhouse connected to her home where she can grow her passion fruits and her tomatoes and all of her other things. And so that I can have some banana slugs. This might sound gross, they do their thing and it’s kind of intense, but I think they are very beautiful. The yellow color of their skins. They are just so funny to me. I dont like insects, but I love something that gives ‘earth insect’. Slugs. Snails are pretty cool. Ladybugs. I love butterflies. Caterpillars are sick. Moral of the story: I want a greenhouse for myself, my mom and my family. So, if anyone has any advice on how to get there quickly…
Eloise: Drop it below in the comments
Ife: Comment below if you have any leads on a greenhouse.
Eloise: And banana slugs.
Ife: Exactly, thank you.
Eloise: What’s your dream day off in NYC?
Ife: Waking up at like 8. I would have gone to bed around 7 the night before. I’d make myself some breakfast and go out on my balcony or sit on the roof, maybe watch the sunrise if I could get up earlier. Then I would grab some deli coffee and grab an onigiri from Brooklyn Ball Factory…and maybe a custard toast from Win-Son Bakery. This is also a dream day if I had a million dollars. I would go to the park, and then walk across the Williamsburg bridge. I want to get back into reading. I would do some collaging and organize my room, I love doing that. Ugh, I would get a massage. Then I would go to North Dumpling in the Lower East Side. Then I would come back home and pick up some Dominican food at El Gran Canario. I love the walk from my place to there. Then I would watch a movie with my friends. With a joint or two…
Eloise: Crucial. The best activity.
Ife: I would probably call my friends throughout the day and listen to music. Anyone who knows me knows I kind of lose my mind if I dont have my headphones. Even if I don't have anything playing, it's like a safety blanket. If all else fails, I have these with me, so it'll be okay.
Eloise: I got noise cancelling headphones for Christmas in 2023 and they changed my life. I see you.
Ife: You get me.
Eloise: Well thank you for answering my questions Miss Ife.
Ife: Anytime boo…
Xoxo,
World of My Own