Autumn/Winter 2019 | #YHMLoveWhatYouDo
I want to be as confident as ZaZa.
You know her name. It’s Zahara “ZaZa” Bean. If you don’t know, you need to check out @redcarpetgirlz on Instagram. A few months ago, the four-year-old bad and boujee—her words, not mine—stumbled across my feed with her full of confidence dance moves and sass. I kept thinking, “she is the coolest person ever, and I hope my future kids are this cool.” ZaZa has picked up magazine features to an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this past summer. She’s busy living her best life with poise.
We talk a lot about confidence at Young Hot & Modern, and ZaZa represents much of that at a young age. While we should all have her level of confidence, ZaZa also stands out because she’s having a ball doing what she loves. That’s what I’d like us to embrace this season. Here’s why.
My first experience in fashion started with a high school talent show. I loved mixing a mini runway presentation in the middle of my school’s annual talent performances. At fifteen-years-old, I had fun acquiring fashion sponsors such as Charlotte Russe and Joyce Leslie, a subsidiary of Rainbow, for the looks. These brands trusted me with their products to style of-the-moment looks and bring in sales somehow. That’s mind-blowing to me, but hey, I was living my best life like ZaZa. It’s crazy and cool that I still get to do all that and more at the magazine today.
As we usher in fall and winter holiday shenanigans, let’s remember to have fun doing what we love, surrounding ourselves with good people (and food), and letting our passions encourage us to do great things.
Until next time,
Yegide Matthews