As I hope many of you know, Undra Celeste New York is a modern workwear brand. The more I get into the nuances of the brand and what modern workwear is all about, the more I think back to my time in the corporate fashion industry. I spent twelve years doing product development for various corporation fashion brands. I know that my experience as a black woman working in corporate fashion was, well…different. I can go on for pages and pages about how things are different, but I have an awesome friend who's working on an insightful book about this very topic, so you’ll just have to wait to read that. But one thing I know for sure is that during some of the most difficult times in my career CLOTHES WERE MY ARMOR:
the helmet of prayer, the gauntlet of a designer purse and the body armor of a dope outfit.
My last corporate job was for a very corporate sleepwear company. When I was in full swing at this position, I was also starting my side-hustle - this little clothing brand where I designed clothes for myself and friends on the weekend. My boss, who was known in the office and industry for being the ‘Anna Wintour of sleepwear’, was actually cool for the most part. She loved that I dressed well and that I was confident and not afraid to speak up. She would send me to licensing meetings to represent her, she promoted me twice and even on occasion called me her daughter. It was all good until it wasn’t. One faithful market week I got into a disagreement with one of our regional saleswomen. She took her side of the story back to my boss and from that point forward EVERYTHING changed. Meetings that I was leading, I now wasn’t even invited to. Projects I was working on got moved to someone else. Trips that I was essential for got canceled. This mental demotion devastated me. I was just waiting to be fired. The stress and anxiety were destroying me. I tried to have conversations with my boss about what was happening but her replies were just aloof; it appeared that even the conversation, I was not worth. I got very depressed and unsure of everything, even in my personal life. I cried often, not because I was afraid of being fired. I would have preferred it to this emotional slavery. I went from being the right-hand to the HBIC, to no one. She wanted me to live and sulk in that feeling of being dropped into no-one-ness. She didn’t want me gone, just put back in my place. It was a terrible feeling.
One evening while at home wallowing in my sorrows my mom called, this was probably the 100th time I cried to her over the phone about this situation. She listened and then said something simple and profound, “dress up for work tomorrow, you’ll feel better. And don’t let these people get you down”. As I stared into my closet, I thought, “I have really nice clothes”. Most I bought, some I made. The next day I decided to get dressed. No, not just put on clothes, I got DRESSED honey! I wore my single sacred pair of Christian Louboutins, beat my face and walked into work like I was born again from the fashion gawds! From that day forward, despite all that was still going on around me, I felt better about me. I showed up every day as Undra, worked on my brand at night and weekends and 13-months from the initial incident I quit my job to focus on Undra Celeste full-time. Six days after my last day I traveled to South Africa (first time visiting Africa), I needed to see my people lol.
Because of my personal experience Undra Celeste NY cannot just be another brand, it has to be something that empowers women who look like me and have gone through similar experiences. The woman who just needs that special something to pull their confidence up when it’s deliberately being beaten down. As shallow as it may appear, a new hairstyle, a beat face and/or a killer outfit has that power.
As my mother said to me, I say to you, “dress up for work tomorrow, you’ll feel better. And don’t let these people get you down”.
Love, Undra
Every image below was taken at the office during this time
Please comment if you’ve been/going through the fire!
66 comments
https://github.com/youranreus/G/issues/130
https://github.com/Aniverse/A/issues/51
https://github.com/fmtn/a/issues/268
https://github.com/as/a/issues/187
https://github.com/Automattic/_s/issues/1585
https://github.com/ethereumbook/ethereumbook/issues/1239
https://github.com/as/a/issues/188
https://github.com/udlbook/udlbook/issues/282
https://github.com/udlbook/udlbook/issues/283
https://github.com/ethereumbook/ethereumbook/issues/1245
https://github.com/adamhaile/S/issues/66
https://github.com/Aniverse/A/issues/52
https://github.com/Aniverse/A/issues/53
https://github.com/fmtn/a/issues/269
https://github.com/adamhaile/S/issues/67
https://github.com/adamhaile/S/issues/66
https://github.com/Aniverse/A/issues/52
https://github.com/Aniverse/A/issues/53
https://github.com/fmtn/a/issues/269
https://github.com/adamhaile/S/issues/67
https://fullservicelavoro.jimdosite.com/
http://treeads.nation2.com/
https://jumperads.yolasite.com/
http://jumperads.nation2.com/
http://transferefurniture.hatenablog.com
https://atar-almadinah.weebly.com/
https://allmoversinriyadh.wordpress.com/
https://allmoversinriyadh.wordpress.com/2022/04/09/%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b6-%d9%85%d8%ac%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a9/
https://allmoversinriyadh.wordpress.com/2022/04/07/%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b6%d9%84-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b6/
https://allmoversinriyadh.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d9%88%d8%ba%d8%b1%d9%81-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d9%88%d9%85-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b6/
https://companymoversinjeddah.wordpress.com/
https://moversfurniture2018.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%A8-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86/
https://moversriyadhcom.wordpress.com/
https://moversmedina.wordpress.com/
https://moversfurniture2018.wordpress.com/
https://moversmecca.wordpress.com/
https://khairyayman74.wordpress.com/
https://companymoversmecca.home.blog/
https://companymoverstaif.home.blog/
https://companymoverskhamismushit.home.blog/
https://whitear.home.blog/
https://companyhouseservice.wordpress.com/
http://bestmoversfurniture.wordpress.com/
https://companymoversjeddah.wordpress.com/
https://companycleaning307819260.wordpress.com/
https://companymoversriydah.wordpress.com/
https://ataralmadinah662300791.wordpress.com/
https://ataralmadinah662300791.wordpress.com/2022/02/05/%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b6/
https://ataralmadinah662300791.wordpress.com/2022/04/12/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85/
https://groups.google.com/g/moversfurniture/c/wwQFSNvgyAI
https://groups.google.com/g/moversfurniture/c/4L1oHETS4mQ
https://nowewyrazy.uw.edu.pl/profil/khairyayman
https://companyhouseservice.wordpress.com/2022/08/06/%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b6%d9%84-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b6/
https://ataralmadinah662300791.wordpress.com/ شركة الصقر الدولي لنقل العفش والاثاث وخدمات التنظيف المنزلية
Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful info with the how-to’s! It is so appreciated!
https://bit.ly/3o2IBcy
https://bit.ly/3ROv71y
https://bit.ly/3WmrELl
https://bit.ly/4b6aRkc
https://bit.ly/4bqz3xG
https://2u.pw/7p9EBY9
https://2u.pw/yxjqpH4
https://2u.pw/NPKsEsd
https://2u.pw/jVHsVc6
https://2u.pw/FCZK7oT
https://rentry.co/c838re94
https://ko-fi.com/moversintaif
https://moversintaif.edublogs.org
https://rentry.co/c838re94
https://www.reddit.com/r/pnn4230/
https://www.reddit.com/user/PomegranateLife1229/
https://rb.gy/oegdmm
https://rb.gy/8zuqxs
https://rb.gy/tm6krp
https://rb.gy/oegdmm
https://rb.gy/8zuqxs
https://rb.gy/tm6krp
https://justpaste.it/f94vk
https://justpaste.it/f94vk
https://justpaste.it/avn1a
https://justpaste.it/agvkp
https://justpaste.it/c7d5w
https://justpaste.it/a1881
https://justpaste.it/agvkp
https://rentry.co/c838re94
https://ko-fi.com/moversintaif
https://www.pinterest.com/dammam_pmm1
https://medium.com/cleaning-company https://cutt.ly/MwCxTHEc https://medium.com/pnn9299
https://rentry.co/fo3963yc/raw
https://medium.com/pvv9499 https://paste.ee/p/Q0bc3 https://medium.com/pnn6766
https://rentry.co/fo3963yc
https://medium.com/pnn1559 https://rentry.co/c838re94 https://medium.com/jeddahnakl
https://www.behance.net/f7a8a5b3
https://pastebin.com/5cVEFCwd
https://goo.gl/iRWLXB
https://goo.gl/53wgB4
https://goo.gl/fkBcn8
https://goo.gl/W74Wwp
https://goo.gl/MKdvqr
https://www.crokes.com/movinmakkah/info/
https://yamcode.com/dlyl-shrkat-nkl-aafsh-bgd
https://hackmd.io/_Csjh1MqTaum7CUWa8Q3lA?view
https://hackmd.io/moversint/S1uyc369p
https://cutt.ly/4wCjlqaU
https://walling.app/H0nJyJwmmyuK1A2saCBQ/-
https://bitbin.it/lIf4wziu/
https://bitbin.it/BHOujxrS/
https://bitbin.it/v00s5VGQ/
https://commie.io/#NsQEihi9
https://linktr.ee/movinmakkah
https://movinmakkah.livejournal.com/306.html
https://pastebin.com/dVaMZ4Zc
https://paste.ee/p/SFOIM
https://oktob.io/pnn9799
https://oktob.io/posts/81103
https://oktob.io/posts/82001
https://oktob.io/posts/81294
https://oktob.io/posts/81200
https://oktob.io/posts/81107
https://oktob.io/posts/81211
https://taplink.cc/moversintaif
https://www.tumblr.com/movinmakkah
https://paste.myst.rs/cj1uyr2j
https://paste.myst.rs/yaj8vldp
https://pastebin.com/Sm58m4CC
https://rentry.co/movinmakkah
https://www.pastery.net/cmjuct/
https://pastelink.net/2az9iz5u
https://paste.ee/p/rNypS
https://pastelink.net/services%20in%20Taif
https://paste.mozilla.org/m7EM4sUi
https://paste.ee/p/kvMBq
https://paste.rs/Ual13.txt
https://devpost.com/moversintaif
https://www.youtube.com/moversintaif
https://www.pinterest.com/moversintaif/
https://www.pinterest.com/roqaya65/
https://www.wattpad.com/user/jeddahnakl
https://www.wattpad.com/user/linkedmohamed
https://t.co/bEnKpmhOua
https://rentry.co/5qunfauv
https://rentry.co/6szh6378
https://pastelink.net/jv497vbs
https://longbets.org/user/jeddahnakl/
https://rentry.co/v9enh7g6
https://www.instagram.com/mecca_054/
https://paste.ee/p/7nHsj
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/e8c5a8fe
https://rentry.co/owf8z7x6
https://hackmd.io/-HiH-TvPQQG4zUUI0Il3eA
https://hackmd.io/YJc4k7QiRlGBTxSH_ix6Hg
https://hackmd.io/@movinmakk/r1WjXP-jp
https://hackmd.io/_Csjh1MqTaum7CUWa8Q3lA
https://hackmd.io/@movinmakk/HknekCQpa
https://is.gd/zMEJDl
https://is.gd/bdIzKb
https://is.gd/IkUfsB
https://is.gd/nXlMSI
https://is.gd/zfkyFq
https://is.gd/U1BdUe
https://linkr.it/1mFylz
https://linkr.it/4pMGZz
https://linkr.it/297s0K
https://linkr.it/4nuVcO
https://linkr.it/13sKd3
https://simp.ly/p/3ZbFV2
https://tinylink.net/3AQsw
https://tinylink.net/I9O0u
https://tinylink.net/PzN7W
https://tinylink.net/9atci
https://paste.kodi.tv/uginopizob
https://rentry.co/622f8cod
https://hackmd.io/Z0CQDnGeQGGWjwLYPiqHkg
https://bandori.party/user/192402/bbnn7592/
https://dojour.us/u/pnn9299
https://dojour.us/e/24030-/preview
https://www.mixcloud.com/pnn9299/
https://about.me/moversintaif1
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/moversintaif/
https://taplink.cc/moversinqassim
https://rentry.co/moversintaif
https://hackmd.io/@MoversinJeddah/SJlHOO4MA
https://movinmakkah.livejournal.com/
https://hackmd.io/@moversint/rkUC41_yJe
https://mastodon.social/@jazanmovers
https://www.tumblr.com/transferfurniturejeddah
https://rentry.co/6wv78gdb
https://hackmd.io/@moversint/BJ5PIGX70
https://ln.run/y2ztq
https://kagitumbahs.webnode.page/guestbook/
https://pastelink.net/v864u2wf
https://rentry.co/yn62aq7y
https://rentry.co/9gokq9qx
https://rentry.co/e975iq3q
https://bitbin.it/Ufe2Mip4/
https://bitbin.it/9aZeYGuP/
https://rentry.co/ceqb9ea5
https://hackmd.io/LlP4bDsuSyujt0cJ19V8vA
https://taplink.cc/naqel_afsh_taif
https://rentry.co/7r4tqvn9
https://rentry.co/tuwczb25
https://rentry.co/bxm67g24
https://rentry.co/gwpyq7ne
https://heylink.me/pnn6766/
https://lit.link/en/moversintaif
https://rentry.co/vih6yuf2
https://hackmd.io/moversint/SJRE9w2k1e https://hackmd.io/moversint/SyXWIT6J1l
https://rentry.co/v2qb2uqx
https://hackmd.io/movinmakk/SyR0s2-x1x https://rentry.co/5i9guay5 https://hackmd.io/movinmakk/rkwepQQe1x
https://rentry.co/7wodmhgh
https://hackmd.io/wuyXmYbdSxOJ54ZtXeJqAw
https://hackmd.io/movinmakk/SkgU0YA8zJx https://hackmd.io/movinmakk/H17a87_Mkg
https://rentry.co/pox4fy48
https://rentry.co/i9x48uhq
https://paste.rs/dZXqx.txt
https://hackmd.io/movinmakk/HyTusRCf1e https://notes.io/w7WLb https://linktr.ee/furnituretransportationjeddah https://tr.ee/zKrzKY https://hackmd.io/movinmakk/HJXiAdH71l
https://hackmd.io/@moversint/rya3hjKQke
You're viewing 26-30 of 66