I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE, BUT THE BROCHURE LOOKS NICE

Bank holiday music playlist:



{Title: Lyrics from "Every Day is a Winding Road" by Sheryl Crow}

I AM WHAT TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE HAVE MADE ME

I'm just now hearing this Schoolboy Q song from the mixtape "Habits and Contradictions", and it's a doozie. You can imagine riding out to war, praying to stay safe but also to be forgiven, and the video just adds another layer to that. A man sitting alone waiting for something external to happen, but also standing at an moral crossroads in an inner world - where has complete control over the choices he makes. Scorcese-esque.

{Title: quote from Jimmy Darmody in Boardwalk Empire - a wounded soldier who left university to fight in WWI. Emotionally scarred from what he's experienced and with only combat skills to fall back on, he falls into the world of organized crime when he returns home}

IM SORRY DOODLE

Spanner in the works, guys - no selfies. I know :( What would be eminently more interesting however, are some of my spring style in spirations. I'm doing a bit of a closet edit at the moment and, lucky for me, so is Barbara of ThePersianBabe. Check out the streamlined basics:



I also love this dual video from clothesencounters and soothingsista. Please note the joie de vivre and the California sun:

YOU TOO, BIG GUY

{Music: ScHoolboy Q - Blessed Feat Kendrick Lamar}
{Title: Quote from Brad Pitt in Fight Club, after Lou beats him up for brawling in his basement}

SEE, I AM DOING A NEW THING!

I'm transitioning between two jobs and have a week off in between next week. Just the time to do all the things you put aside when you're workin' hard, right? So lots of errands and jobs around the house. I'm also going to work out loads (promise...), all three of which I WON'T bore you with. No selfies with my lunch either. Dignity.

The good news for Lola Re is I am also randomly quite busy OUTside my house - my dance card is full, y'all! Today marks the 1 week countdown to Diapsora Hair's first hair show - Curlvolution - on Saturday 24th May in Canary Wharf, and before that I've got the Chelsea Flower Show, an alumni event, a handful of lunches, an afternoon of vintage shopping and a brave attempt to kit out my balcony with plantlife.

This array of personal, social and business engagements says to ME that I should do a spring lookbook over the week including all my outfits. So maybe SOME selfies, but of my clothes not randomness. Here we go!

And just because I'm obsessed with the choreography of Marty Kudelka lately, here's clip of some incredibly inventive kid figuring out a way to shoot his choreography in the suburbs and still keep his street cred:

ELECTRIC CANDYLAND

Status: Watching sailboats float down the Thames into the sunset, listening to Aphex Twin. #lovely

THEATRE FASHION EDITORIAL

MEN'S STYLE

JEANS, LEATHER JACKETS, TSHIRTS, BUTTON DOWNS, SUITS, LAYERING, WALLETS, CUFFLINKS, SHOES 4 TRAINER AND WORK

TEETH WHITENING

SKINCARE ROUTINE

THRIFT STORE SHOPPING IN BOND STREET

STYLESPO: DREW BARRYMORE

SPRING EDIT: USC

STYLESPO: KATE MOSS

STYLESPO: ASHLEY O

TURN THE LIGHTS ON: DIASPORA HAIR SITE LAUNCH

We've been gone for a minute - now we're BACK. Well really, it's just me who has been gone - and I am very excited to announce what I've been working on in the meantime... I've started a business! It's called Diaspora Hair and here's the idea behind it:

'When it comes to afro, textured and curly hair, women from different parts of the Diaspora are coming together. I grew up in the USA, where Atlanta salons are on every corner, and black hair knowledge is second to none. In recent years, as the USA's Latino/a population grows, these two cultures have begun to cross over.

'Like the USA, the island nation of the Dominican Republic has a legacy of multiculturalism. Since 1492 Spaniards, Frenchmen, African Slaves and indigenous islanders have lived side by side. Fast forward a few hundred years, and you get a a vibrant, mostly mixed race nation. And thanks to Africa, the women boast a whole spectrum of hair - curly, afro-textured and everything in between.

'Dominicanas focus on hair growth and health. African American women have found that Dominican products work like a dream on their textured hair, really growing African American hair out and keeping it healthy. Women are helping women on both sides of the water, and everyone looks good as a result!

'But, when I moved to London, I couldn't find the same quality of products, though all around me I saw so many black and brown faces. Europe is full of African, Caribbean and mixed race women, with heads of hair that reminded me of my family and friends back home.

'I see absolutely no reason why women in the UK and Europe should miss out on the best hair products, just because they happen to be made across the pond. So, I set about using my luxury eCommerce experience, Spanish language and black hair knowledge (read: obsession) to all our advantage. Diaspora's first line - Baba de Caracol - is finally available in the UK direct from the Dominican Republic.

'As a black woman myself, I felt it was important to to create this bridge, and a space for women of colour to come together. The crazy thing is, we women might live in the UK, America, France or the Caribbean, but we all have something in common - we all want luxuriously healthy, drop-dead gorgeous hair. Diaspora focuses not on a particular hair style or texture, but on its overall HEALTH and WELLBEING. As I like to say, "our hair brings us together".'

I'm so excited about what this company can do and what it means for the Afropean community. And now that we've launched, I have time to rededicate to LolaRe - the hiatus and experiences I've had building Diaspora so far have really given me a refreshed perspective on blogging. All good things - do stay tuned. :)

Visit Diaspora Hair