Introductions

Hi guys!

I’m a Pakistani-American girl (raised Muslim) currently living in Boston, Massachusetts. I’ve always grown up in the secluded, very much privileged suburbs, and was constantly surrounded by white people and culture. I was enveloped with a sense of not only being outside the lives and community of my white peers, but also of the few brown people I met as well. Essentially, I lived with one foot in two clashing worlds. That kind of existence, especially for a little girl just trying to find her place in existence, is incredibly difficult to understand. You never fully realize the reason behind your ostracism when you’re immersed in that kind of environment. How can you possibly be aware of something that has simply been that way for the entirety of your life?

When I moved to the city for college two years ago, I found myself surrounded by vibrant, thrilling, and, ultimately, relatable people of color. All of a sudden, people knew what I meant. They knew what it was like trying to be yourself in a place that forced white ideas about beauty and self-worth down your throat. They knew the difficulty of finding just the right shade of foundation, the strain of being called “exotic” by the people you grew up with. It became apparent to me in my new home that white influence dominates every aspect of life - even the fashion-blogging community.

Through this blog, I hope to make things easier for other girls who know what it’s like to never have ethnic fashion or beauty role models. I never want anyone else to feel as though their skin is too dark, that the ethnic outfits they wear are something to be ashamed of. I want to remind people that it is absolutely critical to embrace all aspects of your identity, that you can be fun and silly and real and still go home and speak another language and feel at home in your skin.

Some of my posts will more explicitly address the issue, such as product tutorials for girls with ethnic curly hair (like mine!). Others will be snip-its of my life here in Boston, a beautiful city rich with diverse people and cultures. My identity as a brown girl is fundamental in absolutely anything that happens in my life, and I want to capture every second of it.

I hope you guys enjoy! x

- Z

(P.S. The photo is of my brother’s engagement ceremony, and I’m the girl in red!)