WELCOME TO CHARLOTTE'S CLOSET
This column is designed to celebrate women and all of their curves. We will interview designers, models, and influencers who set trends in curvy fashion and hold contests, makeovers, events, and giveaways. If you would like to be featured in a future column, send your info to Charlotte@IntellectualInk.com
Issue 22
Happy Holidays Closet Crew. It's that time of the year when most of us are out and about, shopping 'til we drop. I mean, can you blame us? Very few can resist the lure of matching P.J.'s and sparkly things....
In the spirit of feeling good this holiday season and beyond I have decided to share with you my top 5 closet clicks of my Feel-Good Finds of all time. There is nothing I love more than feeling good and looking good without breaking the bank. In no particular order you'll know my clothes are like my kids I love them all the same, yes, I do.
Issue 21
FROM PHILLY TO FENTY
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What’s new, Closet Crew? I feel like it’s been forever between issues, and I’ve been missing you guys like crazy! Seriously, Charlotte’s Closet is one of the few places where I feel like I can be myself, flaws and all. And of course, I’m going to keep calling it like I see it.
Issue 20
OLD SCHOOL FOREVER
BACK TO THE 90's
Date: October 17, 2022
Place: At my Desk
Song: BE Happy Mary J Blige circa 1994
Reason Intellectual Ink # 20
Mood: Nostalgic
Video: Real Love Mary J Blige
TV show: Living Single
Movie: King of New York
Outfit: Basketball Jersey
Headscarf
Big Ass Glasses
Issue 18
Hey, Closet Crew, Greetings from your Good Sis. This month's column is dedicated to all the fathers in my Crew and around the globe because here at Charlotte's Closet "FATHERHOOD" is always in style!
Just like that, it's June, and you know Muva loves giving the summer some. June is known for weddings, graduations, and of course cookouts, more recently a celebration of PRIDE and Juneteenth. However, this month I want to highlight one of the most underrated holidays on the calendar, and that's Father's Day.
Issue 19
UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT
ADVENTURES OF A CELEBRITY STYLIST
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Hey, Hey, and Mo Hey, Closet Crew! It's been a minute, but it's all about the reset and the reinvention for me. I'm hoping the summer is being good to you and that you guys are being even better to yourselves because Baby YOU DESERVE, and that is an absolute Snapple fact.
May 2022
Hey, now Closet Crew, Happy May to one and all.
Oh, how I love me some May, the perfect time to put the jackets away, dress up and celebrate one of my favorite holidays, Mother's Day or as I like to call it Muvas Day!!! Before I get into it, I would like to salute all of my ladies that don't have children by either choice or circumstance. This day may hit different for you, and that's okay. This article is for you too, just know that Muva loves you and honors you, not just today but every day.
April 2022
Hey Closet Crew, April is really here, and baby Muva is grateful. There is something magical about those extra hours of daylight that puts me in my bag. In my bag both literally and figuratively.
According to the Urban Dictionary in my bag is "The act of becoming one with whatever task you are trying to achieve. One dimensional. Tunnel vision. Grindin'. One who is "in my bag" has forgotten about all else except for the current moment."
March 2022
It’s the Suit for Me
Hey Closet Crew, as we welcome March I'm also welcoming in a new perspective that the change of the season can bring. They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb and I'm still trying to figure out if that's true or not.
February 2022
Hey Closet Crew, can you guys believe it's already super short cold-ass February? Well, Muva is truly grateful to be here to see it, even though February is one of those hard-ass months. It's the month when life comes at you fast. The temperature is negative 2 degrees, and that makes you want to stay in the house. Being in the house makes you stir crazy, but once you're out you wish you were in … yeah that’s February blowing through.
January 2022
Hey, hey and mo hey! Happy 2022!
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We’re officially in a New Year, and that signals new beginnings. We’ve all made the resolutions: the weight we're going to lose, the people we’re going to cut off, and the vices we were going to give up….etc. Ever since we partied like it was 1999 back when we all thought that Y2K would take us out, we have been repeating those promises. Whether we keep those promises or not, we find that the world is still moving, and we still need to look good in it.
December 2021
HEY CLOSET CREW! THIS MONTH WE ARE FEATURING A FEW EASY BREEZY STYLE IDEAS THAT WILL CARRY YOU THROUGHOUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
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​Glitz and glamour are in full effect this holiday season. Now that we can all gather again and strut our collective stuff, there will be parties, intimate dinners, brunches, and celebrations with the family. If you're seriously dating, you may be meeting your significant other’s family or possibly your future in-laws. On these occasions, the goal is to always step in the room and own it.
November 2021
I was interviewed by our Arts & Entertainment Columnist, Haikeem Stokes in this month's issue. Here is a snipit...
“Do you believe that women are showing and proving nowadays?”
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We absolutely are and always have been. The only difference now is that we aren’t in the background. For many years, our other halves were denied their place in society, and we as women supported them and sometimes ushered them through. Women are natural nurturers, and givers of life. We have always proven our worth and shown the world that we are powerful. There isn’t a thing society can do with us, and they definitely can’t do anything without us.
October 2021
Hey, Closet Crew this month's article is dedicated to you my crew who makes it possible for me to do what I do, and for that I thank you. Thanks to you guys Intellectual ink is expanding into the visual arts with the launch of InkMagTV. Our very first web series is my show #crewlove.
Crew Love is executive produced by me and named after you guys. Now you will be able to get the visuals along with your monthly Charlotte’s Closet Column. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe! Let's raise our visibility and take up more space. It is our time to shine like the light workers we are.
September 2021
Howdy Do Closet Crew, hope all is well with you guys at the start of my absolute favorite month of the year. It's my birth month and Virgo Season. September is a month of change. The nights get colder, the leaves turn colors, and of course the absolutely fabulous Fashion Week in New York. There are so many amazing changes are taking place in Charlotte’s closet, I can barely keep up.
The first being the release of my very own merch line Crew Love by Charlotte's Closet named after my very own Closet Crew. The Crew Love merch contains all components of my uniform which consist of sweatpants a t-shirt and/or a cropped hoodie. As long as I have those I'm prepared for any and everything that comes my way.
August 2021
Hey Hey and Mo hey, How are you, Closet Crew? The Dog days of August are upon us. I'm uber excited about this exclusive edition of Intellectual ink.
For the first time in print, I'm sharing the cover with my husband. He is the man, the myth, the legend, the prolific crime novelist of our 40 novels, and the ghostwriter of so many more that can't be named. He is my potna (no typo) in love and life; K'wan Foye.
In honor of this momentous occasion, I decided that I wanted the layout to tell our story through fashion. Being married for fifteen years, K'wan is overly familiar with Charlotte's Closet
July 2021
Hey, Hey and Mo Hey, July is finally upon us, and you know what that means... Swimsuit Season because you can always find me and my curves in a cute swimsuit or at the beach. The most I do is get my feet wet because I'm that kind of black woman. I do not play about my hair... so stereotypical, but True AF.
I love, love, love being around water, so I truly thank the curvy Goddess that times have changed, and we now have a plethora of sexy swimsuits for every size. We curvy women have to dig deeper than most but trust your good, sis. So put on that bikini and come on out in the sunshine. You know the women of Intellectual Ink are all about body positivity, and we know that swimsuits are a point of contention for curvy and skinny women alike.
If you were looking for a sign to love the skin you're in... THIS IS IT!
June 2021
Hey, hey, and mo hey Closet Crew! Time is flying and standing still at the same damn time! So, let's not waste any more of it and get right into it! It's June, and the category is…. PRIDE!
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride is currently celebrated each year during June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.
"Gay Pride, or LGBTQ pride, is the promotion of self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and Queer people as a social group. As opposed to shame and social stigma, Pride is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBTQ rights movements. I don't know about you guys, but I have long been a firm supporter of the LGBTQ community. I believe that people should love and marry whomever they want without judgment, stigma, or shame. I stand behind free love 1000%, and if you don't then, that's on you. God is love, and love is for all, not just a selective group.
May 2021
Hey, hey and Mo Hey! What it do, Closet crew? Let me hear an "I Slay for May!"
For as long as I can remember, May has always been one of the most fashionable months of the year, especially for women. It's the month right before the official start of summer and far enough removed from winter where you can be pretty sure they'll be no more freak bad weather (depending on which coast you live on). But more important than the good weather and the fact that you're finally able to pack up those frumpy sweaters you were forced to wear all winter, May is the month of Mother's day. Mother's Day... that special day reserved solely for us blessed enough to call ourselves somebody's mama. Whether said child was born to you biologically or one you took into your heart and your home, it's our time.
Like Pac said, "We got our name from a woman and our game from a woman."
April 2021
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Hey, now Closet Crew! What it do? Welcome to the 6th installment of Charlotte's Closet. In addition to talking about and loving all things fashion, Charlotte's Closet is also an extension of my mind. Sometimes we will find ourselves digging deep in the closet and unpacking some things. Buckle up buttercups; we're going in.
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Confidence can make you just as insecurity can break you.
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That being said, I'd like to share one of my biggest insecurities with you. It's been buried in my closet long enough, and I'm ready to bring it to the forefront. As a curvy woman, you would think my biggest insecurity would be my weight, right? Not really. I've learned to be comfortable in the skin that I'm in. The flaw that I find in myself when I look in the mirror is my big lips.
March 2021
Howdy Do Closet Crew? It’s about to be Spring again, and I’m feeling fine, not really, but pass the ice-cold glass of wine anyway. Cheers to us for making it this far. Spring is usually the time for new beginnings, new styles, shedding the heaviness of winter. Spring is the perfect time to start showing off those new outfits. Spring 2020 and 2021 were two totally different seasons. March of 2020 found me in a perpetual state of anxiety, up all day and night living in fear, watching the news in horror as the Covid numbers continued to spike. Getting dressed up was the furthest thing from my mind, let alone going outside. Then a funny thing happened; an Instagram friend turned me on to D-Nice’s “Club Quarantine.” So, for shits and giggles, I decided to get dressed like we were really going to the club.
February 2021
Charlotte: I read the extraordinary and inspirational book Make The World Your Runway. Inside the pages, you let us know you were born to model; what motivated you to write your novel as a self-help guide instead of a memoir?
Liris: Well, coming off of Project Runway and my appearance on the Steve Harvey show, there was an outpouring of people reaching out to me on social media. They loved my confidence and asked for confidence tips. People also asked about my model life or questions about the business. I felt like writing a book was the best way to reach people all over without flying all over the world. Also, books stay with you so you can continually use them. My book, Make The World Your Runway, has stories of my model life mixed with life coaching lessons to give you the secret to my success.
January 2021
Hey, hey and ‘mo hey! Howdy - do Closet Crew? Welcome back to Charlotte’s Closet’s January issue and what a glorious time to be alive! Baby, we have survived one ‘helluva year! As my sister from another mister, Ms. Celie says: “I may be poor ( I don't say that part), I may be black and I may even be ugly… but thank God I’m here.” I'm here and so are you!
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It's 2021, ladies… and the category is SHOES! If you didn’t know, let me take a minute to tell you; I am a bonified Shoe-a-holic. This means that I understand the power of a good shoe. Your shoes can make or break your outfit. Hell, sometimes the shoes are the outfit! Shoes are my favorite addition to any outfit because they can change the whole vibe of the pieces. The right shoe can tell your story the moment you enter a room, without you ever having to have said a word. Shoes, shoes, shoes oh how I love thee! Even when you don’t love me back.
December 2020
Hey, hey… and ‘mo hey!
Welcome back to Charlotte’s Closet. The season is fall, and the category is Comfy & Cute. *Ned Stark voice* “Winter is coming,” but in the meantime, we can still get off some cute, yet comfortable fall looks. Just like everybody can’t fit into a size 6; there are some who really don’t do heels. That’s more than okay and shouldn’t stop you from embracing your fresh. Style is a personal choice, so your looks tend to pop more when you stick to what’s proven to work for you.
November 2020
Hey, hey...and mo hey! Welcome to Charlotte’s Closet; the first of many fashion inspired articles to be featured within the pages of “Intellectual Ink.” I am super excited to share some of my signature style with you. The features and looks will be inspired and geared towards curvy women, such as myself. Let’s be honest, we can’t all be Instagram models, and not every woman was born to wear a size 6. In truth, it’s not easy to find clothes geared towards thickly built women that aren’t fugly as hell. It’s like the thicker you are, the uglier the clothes. This is one of the main reasons I challenge myself to show up and show out with every chance I get. I gladly accept the challenge to be the as fly and un-apologetically me as I can be; even when I find myself bombarded with images that are constantly telling me that I have no right to be.