This is not meant as advice. It’s really just a list of things I’ve learned, some of which I wish I learned sooner, some of which I’ve invested a lot of time and money in therapy trying to figure out, and some of which has been passed down to me as advice from other, much, much smarter people. So on the occasion of my 33rd birthday (which was this Monday), I’m going to use this space to reflect a bit on some of those lessons. Literally none of this is groundbreaking, and much of it is totaaaally obvious (especially in retrospect), but maybe it will be helpful, and maybe not. In any case, here ..read more

Photos by Lydia Hudgens If you're well versed in astrology, feel free to skip this paragraph, but if not: I want to start this post by explaining a little bit about the Saturn return, a totally cosmic, transformative period in one's life where Saturn returns to the sign it was in when you were born. It's sometimes a gentle (and sometimes a very aggressive) push into the next chapter of your adult life, one usually marked by a period of challenge, of chaos, of deep personal exploration and confrontation of all your deepest insecurities, fears, and of letting go. Saturn is kind of like a really ..read more

A little over a year ago, my friend Julie introduced me to a man named Patrick who had an amazing idea: to launch the first luxury marketplace dedicated to the size 12+ woman. We got to talking quickly and developed an automatic bond over our passion for the space, the evolving size-inclusive conversation in fashion, and both being founders of new businesses. Over the last year, we've gotten even closer and shared our visions for growing our brands, and I've become a major fan and customer of his (procuring so many of my non-Premme wardrobe workhorses from 11Honoré). One of the brands that I'v ..read more

I sometimes feel at odds with the idea that the image I project through social media and through photos is not completely consistent with how I'm feeling or what I'm going through. I want to be totally transparent, but there's something about sharing your vulnerabilities that is completely overwhelming at times, even for a person with a history of oversharing. I think a lot about the responsibility I bear when social media is blamed for making people feel inadequate at times, how it can be such an easy tool for comparison, when I often appear like I've Got Everything Together (and sometimes, I ..read more

This might sound a little strange... but growing up, Bloomingdale's was honestly one of the places I dreamed of shopping at one day. The NYC import made its way to LA when I was a tween, and when I'd visit the mall with friends on weekends, I started noticing their iconic Little Brown Bags swaying from the hands of chic older-than-me women, the ones who had a little je ne sais quoi that eluded and captivated me at that age. I'd take my allowance to explore Bloomingdale's beauty counters, swatching eyeshadows from MAC on the back of my palm, spritzing delicate fragrances from Chanel onto my w ..read more

This post was developed in collaboration with P&G as part of their Love Over Bias campaign.All content and opinions are my own. Even with all the privilege I have in navigating the world (my middle eastern heritage is hidden behind my pale skin, my queer identity is often invisible, and I'm of able body), I've been challenged by the external limitations imposed onto me. Whether it was in my pursuit of sports as a child and teenager, when I really excelled at swimming and water polo but was discouraged from "bulking up" because it wasn't "ladylike," or in wanting to pursue the art ..read more

There's not a day that goes by that I don't acknowledge, even if it's just to myself, that I'm really, really lucky. I'm constantly pinching myself to see if I'm going to wake up from a life that feels so surreal, particularly on days when I get to witness my friends achieving such monumentally amazing things and developing their talents. ModCloth asked me to share some of those moments (while wearing this gorgeous yellow dress of theirs, natch) and I couldn't resist the opportunity to get reflective and celebrate a bit.  In business, and life in general, I draw so much inspiration from ..read more

You may have heard the news, but yesterday Gabi and I announced that we were launching our own, new plus-size brand, PREMME, and by 8AM this morning, our site had already crashed from overwhelming traffic! OMG. This has been a passion project that we've been working on for a long time, and we are so excited to finally unveil. I'll be revisiting this soon with a little more about our process and how we landed here, but for now, I'd love to share our video look book! Thank you all SO much for your support and love!!!  ..read more

BC (before COVID19, obvi) I was accustomed to traveling up to a few times a month - for work, to visit family, for pleasure. I virtually always had a suitcase half packed and ready-to-go at a moments notice. Then came 2020, which undoubtedly changed the idea of travel for the indefinite future for me. My perceptions around safety and personal responsibility came into much sharper focus, and it wasn't until I was fully vaccinated this spring that I even entertained the idea of getting on a plane again. On a summer road trip, my partner, best friend and I were chatting about all the places withi ..read more

Thanks to Pantene for sponsoring this post.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. My hair is no stranger to a major makeover. Ever since my early teen years, I’ve done drastic changes to my hair looks - some just to shake things up and experiment with my style, and others to symbolize and reflect major moments of personal change and growth (and, let’s be honest - serious break ups!) It all started with my tween adventures with "Sun In," followed by my first time getting salon color when I was 13, to many, many variations of at-home manic panic -- all before I left LA for college in NYC ..read more