Top 18 Moments of 2018 | Society of Harlow Year In Review

Society of Harlow Year In Review|
Top 18 Moments of 2018

Top 18 Moments of 2018

For many people, the New Year may bring on a ton of emotions. Feelings can span from excitement to despair and every emotion in between. At the end 2018, I feel an overwhelming emotion of gratitude and pride. The year 2018, has been the best year for Society of Harlow and for me on a personal level; from national sponsored campaigns with brands such as LOFT, Macy’s, and Just Fab to major exclusive SOHcialite invites and premieres like BET Social Awards, Red Table Talk, and Crazy Rich Asians. Oh and let’s not forget I was invited to speak at HARVARD! Hashtag brains–beauty-booty. This special blog post is all about acknowledging and accepting all of the success 2018 has brought me. I believe, one of the best ways to deepen your level of gratitude is through REFLECTION! At the end of each year I’ve always had a great desire to write a blog post recapping some of my proudest moments from the year, but I never completed one. To be honest, I started 2018 in deep imposture syndrome mode. I filled my head up with narratives of self-doubt and lack of vision. Fast forward to the eve of 2019, I am filled with excitement and clarity of what and where I want Society of Harlow and myself to go. This year, I am starting my newest tradition, A Year in Review, Society of Harlow’s Top Moments. Here are my top 18 moments of 2018!

1. Coachella/ BEYchella

Ok, ok, ok! Is anyone shocked that Beyonce/Coachella is my top moment of 2018? No, right?! First of all, I am a huge Beyonce fan. I’ve been to countless Beyonce/Jay Z concerts. I also binge-listen to their albums until I learn all the words lol. More importantly, attending Coachella was on y bucket list. Every year, I write down my goals and aspirations. For three years Coachella has been on my vision board! It truly was a dream fulfilled to have the opportunity to travel to California and experience Coachella and Beyonce. Furthermore, as a HBCU/Spelman alum, it took my breath away to see Beyonce SLAY her HBCU-inspired performance. I also have a give a shout out to my II Cute sister/friend Alexis for finessing her way to the VIP section so we could see Beyonce from the FRONT ROW! I literally almost passed out three times over the weekend due to the heat and crowds, but it was all worth it.

Additional Coachella highlights include: pregnant Cardi B, SZA, Daniel Caesar, Miguel Migos, ,Eminem, The Weekend, Tyler the Creator, Coachella fashion, festival food, and car-camping for 3 days.

2. LOFT Plus Size Launch/ Partnerships

The iconic fashion brand LOFT launched plus sizes/extended sizes in 2018 and Society of Harlow was asked to be a part of it! Less than a dozen plus size bloggers across the country were selected to host one of LOFT’s Plus Pop Up Parties. Did I mention I co-hosted with plus size blogger icons, Chasity of Garner Style and CeCe of CeCe Olisa?! You can check out this monumental moment in plus size fashion here.

My LOFT partnership marks my proudest moment in 2018. Not only did I have the opportunity to host the Atlanta LOFT Pop Up Party, I worked with LOFT throughout the year on additional campaigns.

3. Speaking At Harvard University

Brains, Beauty, Booty. Crystal Daniels of Society of Harvard was invited to speak at Harvard University! Not only do I have an award-winning blog, but I am the leading HBCU/Diversity recruiter in the nation. My sista/peer Angie Brice Thomas and I spoke about the key aspects to recruit and retain diverse talent.

4. Vacationing In Cabo

I want to see the world. I will take experiences/travel over “things” any day. With Tiana’s hard nudge, I actually took a real vacation for the first time in years. Although, I am a frequent traveler it’s always for work or for the blog. Cabo was everything I needed.The scenery was breathtaking.

I accomplished three important things during my vacation: 1) I ate. We stayed at Breathless, an all-inclusive resort. The resort had 24-Hour room service. Let’s just say I ate a lot of cheesecake. 2) I worked on my tan. I stayed at the beach and pool from sunrise to sunset. I left Cabo looking like a bronzed beauty. 3) Simply put, I relaxed. We were extremely intentional about not having a scheduled agenda. We engaged in some really fun activities including a boat ride where we saw whales and dolphins and a tour of the desert on four-wheelers. I promise to take a real vacation every year as it is needed to restore my mind, body, and soul.

5. Red Table Talk

Repeat after me… Red Table Talk and Jada Pinkett Smith. I’m still in shock. #shooketh Facebook Watch selected 10 people across the world to film their very own Red Table Talk and Society of Harlow was chosen! I am a major fan of Red Table Talk and I still have no idea how I was selected. But that was only the beginning! In addition to being asked to film my own to celebrate Red Table Talk’s season two, I was invited as a top blogger to a media round-table. I had the opportunity to meet and interview Jada Pinkett Smith and “gam” Adrienne. Can you believe I was at the same table with major media outlets like Atlanta Journal Constitution, Bossip, and Rolling Out to name a few? Lastly, given my advocacy and platform on body positivity, I was asked to facilitate a life-changing discussion on body image/self-love during the the Red Table Talk Day activation event. Here’s to the journey of life, authentic conversations, healing, and growth!

6. Top Atlanta Blogger

The impact of Society of Harlow is expanding and with its expansion comes recognition. I was featured in multiple articles across notable media outlets. I was named as a top Atlanta/Georgia blogger/influencer in three separate articles! Check out some of these amazing articles:

7. On The Scene #SOHcialite

Whew chile, the invitations. This year I was invited to some of Atlanta’s most exclusive and hottest premieres. brunches, and events. The #SOHcialite aspect of my brand is my favorite part! I love experiences, meeting new people, and of course the open bars and bubbly. Here are some of my favorite events I attended in 2018:

Grownish Season 2 Kick Off Party
Escape Room Movie Premiere
Crazy Rich Asians Movie Premiere
BET Social Awards
Red Bull Music & Culture Clash Private Dinner
Dark and Lovely Day Party
Bumble ATL Launch: Brunch & Sip
La Fête du Rosé Festival – Atlanta
Black Restaurant Week
Diner En Blanc
Smooth and Shine Texture the Runway
Finding Ashley Stewart Atlanta
AmericasMart Atlanta Spring Fashion Preview

8. Indie Designer Week

Empowered women empower women. In 2018 I spearheaded the inaugural Society of Harlow Indie Designer Week. I found it vital to highlight the talents of independent (indie) designers/brands who are changing the face of inclusive style and fashion. I teamed up with six amazing designers/brands –Sew Savior Faire by Bonita Dudley Scott Parker, Christian Omeshun by A’Shontay Hubbard, Shantress Sadá by Shantress Fleming, The Wendy S , emollection by Wendy Striggles, Smash Shoes by Ashlie Davis, and GloungÉ by Ashley Monique.

9. #SOHcial For A Cause

Serving looks and serving the community will always be my top priority. This year, I wanted to be intentional on how I leveraged my influence. Influencers have a lot of power and we can use our influence for positive change.I partnered with amazing organizations and causes to help bring awareness and/or raise money to Junior League’s Little Black Dress Initiative, Girl Scouts, Forever 21 x Girls Inc., Painted Pink For Breast Cancer, and Doc B Cares.

10. aDesign Beauty Campaign

Let’s talk beauty and representation. As a plus size African American woman, seeing images of myself in beauty ads come few and far in between. I am deeply honored to be a part of aDesign Beauty’s campaign of professional makeup brushes powered by Anisa International Inc.

11. Hosting Mogul Con

The greatest lesson I learned in 2018 was to accept the greatness I have within myself. Pictured is my mentor, Dr. Felicia Phillips founder of Mogul Con, The Pinkpreneur, and countless other successful businesses. In 2016, I attended Mogul Con as a blogger and by 2018 I was hosting the three day Mogul Con with nearly 200 attendees! This is all due to my hard and consistent effort building my brand and most importantly Dr. Felicia Philips believing in me. I am forever grateful for her PUSHES for me to live out my greatness.

12. Pretty Girls Like Trap Cycle

I was in the gym gym. I fell in love with spinning/cycling and remained active throughout the year. When I was most consistent, I was spinning 3-4 times a week. Due to my workout posts I was asked to become an ambassador for Cycle Elan [spin/yoga studio] . Due to our partnership I will be hosting my first SOHFit /Curvy Fit Spin Class in January 2019!

13. Curvy Con, TCFStyle Expo,
Lifestyled Honors

Although Society of Harlow turns three in 2019, I still consider myself to be a rookie/newbie. This year I had the opportunity to attend three of the plus size industry’s top events Curvy Con (New York), TCFStyle Expo (Atlanta), and LifeStyled Honors (Atlanta). I still get star struck when I get to see/meet some of my favorite bloggers and boss babes that I admire so much. Curvy Con was definitely one of the greatest highlights. I traveled to New York City during New York Fashion Week and was featured in a Yahoo! Lifestyle article- The Best Plus Size Street Style Looks at New York Fashion Week.

14. Tall & Dope Weekend

Pool parties, brunches, party buses — oh my! Ramona O founded Tall & Dope as a community for tall women. Ramona planned a non-stop turn-up weekend filled with a lovely brunch, Swim Thick Pool Party, and party bus. We had an amazing time. The Tall & Dope weekend was epic.

15. Lifestyle Content

Society of Harlow is evolving into more than just fashion. This year, I partnered with lifestyle brands such as Big Fig Mattress, Vice Cream, Stay Alfred, and Andiamo Luggage. I loved sharing and creating content around different aspects of my life.

16. Luxury Plus Size At Saks

It’s not often that you hear luxury and plus size fashion in the same sentence. At one point last year I was frolicking around Saks Fifth Avenue in Phipps Plaza on a weekly basis. I was out here living my best blogger life. I was sipping champagne, meeting designers, and covering luxury brands/fashion shows. Most importantly, I loved partnering with Lafayette 48 New York and Elie Tahari as they are both committed to size-inclusive luxury fashion.

17. Fashion Freedom

This year brought on new and exciting brand partnerships. I worked with Macy’s, City Chic, Eloquii, Forever 21, Rue 107, Just Fab and dozen others. Throughout my partnerships I remained true to my personal style. Here are some of my favorite looks from 2018.

18. Lived In Swimsuits

By wearing bikinis and swimsuits I feel like I take full advantage of summer and its amazing weather. As a plus size woman, I’ve always felt that wearing a swimsuit was an act of rebellion. And even hitting my heaviest weight over the summer I felt a sense of pride to still bring the slayage in my swimsuits.