A Night With The Ladies of The Ubran Class Boutique

Whoa!! Can’t believe I landed this interview but I glad that I got to share my love for such an amazing woman and blogger who I admire so much! Miss T. Monet and the ladies from Urban Class Boutique.  These ladies are nothing short of being the bomb.com!! They are mothers, friends, sisters, and students. And the best part it of it all they are beautiful women that know how to mix both urban street style with haute couture runway looks to creative a unique style to envy!

Take a look at Ms. Monet’s partners in crime, her sisters, her business partners, and nothing short of fabulous themselves Mimi and Dawneshia!

Miss Mimi

Miss Dawneshia

So read on and learn about these lovely ladies and  don’t forget to go check out there site at The Urban Class Boutique!

The Interviews:

Tell me about yourself, what made you start blogging?

T. Monet: I was laid off from my job after refusing to comply with behavior I found unethical. I sat down to talk with my parents who are both entrepreneurs. They told me it was time to truly find what it was I wanted to do. I had been working for corporate America right after high graduation and although I landed great paying jobs with major companies my heart was never in it. I was looking for something to wear to an event but I couldn’t find anything in the mall. I always try to find the baddest, boldest, rarest statement pieces when I style looks. I went to four or five stores in the mall I kept seeing the same thing I became annoyed and was like okay back to shopping with the indie designers and labels. Then I thought wait a minute what if there a place where all the indie labels, designers could be in one place. Thereafter, The Urban Class Boutique was born.

I saw that you attend the Art Academy what are you studying and how does this influence your blog?

T. Monet :I’m studying Fashion Merchandising. I haven’t pursued fashion design because I want to know the in’s and outs of my craft. I’m in the process of learning how to draw. I still need to learn how to drape, sew and cut before I would dare add fashion designer to my resume.  However, I love fashion journalism, marketing, styling and merchandising.  Those are the areas in fashion in which I’m concentrated in. My school influences my blog because the opportunities that are presented to us. We’re the only fashion school that has a show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week of New York every year. We travel to Paris, Italy, Rome, Spain and Turkey every year. Also, we get to interview and meet the movers and shakers of the industry Jeal Paul Gaultier, Cathyrn Horn, Sarah Burton, etc.

Mimi:  I am working on obtaining my BFA in Fashion Merchandising.

How did your blog get its name?

I wanted to incorporate my love for the urban community and the unique way our swag influence fashion but yet maintain a stature of sophistication and class within the name.  It had to be something different. The Urban Class Boutique just had a certain something to it.

Can you explain a little bit about how you got your start in blogging and how did you build your blog from just a solo act to the team that you currently have today?

When I started out I didn’t know what I was doing. However, I always maintained that I would stay true to myself at all times. The Urban Class Boutique is a reflection of me. I began posting and gaining support then realized I needed help as my popularity increased. I had a team for five in the past who each bought a different element to the blog whether it was make up, hair etc. But I started getting a lot other fashion business ventures, neglecting both my staff and my blog. There was no leadership and eventually everybody faded away. I was again blogging by myself and my best friend Dawneshia has a natural gravitation to all things beauty related: hair, skin, make up etc. Mimi and I have so much in common it’s crazy. Both our nicknames are Mimi, spelled the same, I found she’s was going to attend the Academy and I already was enrolled. So, we built a friendship she began picking my brain about various aspects of fashion, while I was learning from her about how to be sterner and more serious about whom I allow into my business projects. And I asked her to join our staff and she did. We’re great group us three. I normally don’t make any decisions career wise without consulting the two of them.

This month for my blog is accessories month, what is your favorite accessory and why?

T Monet : I can tell you now I live and breathe for accessories.  I pick my accessories first and outfit second. My two most have accessories would be a haute shoe(wedge, platform pump, espadrille, or bootie) and statement jewelry (bold, chunky, unusual shapes, funky prints) etc.

Dawneshia: My favorite accessory would be earrings, they are awesome and its usually the first piece of accessory someone see’s on you.

Mimi: I just can’t pick one so I have 2. A good handbag or clutch OR a nice pair of shoes (wedges, platforms, pumps, or flats). That’s all!!

If you could have a wish list of any top five-fashion/beauty products what would they be?

T. Monet: 1) Spring color Charlotte Olympia platform heels, 2) 80%20 Spring wedge heels 3)OPI Betsey Johnson Sephora Nail Polish 4) Miss Dior Spring/Summer 2012 Scent 5) Norma Kamali Headwraps & Turbans from her Fall 2012 collection

Dawneshia: Top five wow umm, I would have to choose MAC eye shadowwith the bold bright colors, I love to be bold and bright. Lol. That’s prettymuch it I don’t have any other beauty products I don’t wear much.

Image Via

Mimi: Classic Chanel Bag, YSL Platforms, distressed jeans, Lipgloss (MAC), and  some big DITA aviators.

Image Via Tumblr

What/Who inspires you?

T Monet : God, conversing with people: strangers, friends, family, etc., traveling, writing, everyday people.

Dawneshia: My mother, grandmother, and a few musicians like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and the newest musician/celebrity Elle Varner

Mimi: My son inspires me to keep striving for better..fashion wise, everyday people.

 Do you have any advice you would like to give to any new up and coming bloggers?

T Monet : Maintain true to you, yourself and your readers.  It’s always fun to experiment with different ideas and technique but your readers should never come to your blog and confused it with a different blog. Stay away from nudity, drugs and post that contain curse words. You want to attract advertisers.  Lastly, purchase Angels Laws of Blogging by Angel Law the owner of ConcreteLoop. It teaches you how to gain a blog identity, get paid to blog, etc. It’s like a bloggers bible.

Dawneshia: My advice would be to blog about anything interesting, give your honest opinion but don’t be harsh like some bloggers are where they are no longer opinionated but more negative and whiney lol. Be real, but keep it
professional.

 

How do you envision yourself in five years? Please describe this in five words or less.

T. Monet: Accomplished, settled, wealthy, pioneer and the ultimate woman of Christ.

Dawneshia: Successful hairstylist/makeup artist

Mimi : Successful. Humble. Entrepreneur.  Innovator.  Happy

What are your future plans for your blog?

T: Monet : I have a few ideas that are completely unique to The Urban Class Boutique. I can’t reveal them yet but you won’t find these type of post on any other fashion blog. Also shying away from quick post and display my writing skills on the blog.

Enjoy !!

oxoxox