I love diversity because, without it, there would be no beauty: only mundane, the monotony of everyday life, and eternity. Without diversity, we would all be living life to exist. Without diversity, there would be no "you" or "me". As a believer that we each have a higher purpose in life, with each of us destined to impact the world in unique and powerful ways, I can't imagine living without the concept of diversity.

A life with us all having the same body type, the same hair, the same house, and clothes would be unbearable; and with most of our closets black, navy blue, grey and void of prints or patterns, YIKES, that would be a pretty basic and colorLESS world we would have to endure. We would all make the same mistakes with no one to guide us through, we would all have the same strengths and weaknesses, and all love the same things work the same jobs and not being unique or special in any way.

I don't believe that we exist to endure but to LIVE life, and the very best life that we should all have equal access to. If we could all live and experience and appreciate the uniqueness that we all have within one another, our conversations today would be much different. The fact that we live in a solar system that has multiple planets, with different attributes, and the inhabitants of the earth have different characteristics, on each of the various parts of the land, with unique food, culture, thoughts, and beliefs implores me to believe that we each have something so beautiful to us that even if it's not the same as the next person, others should be able to see the beauty in the diversity of who I am and without judgment or a feeling of superiority.

We should be able to travel across the ocean and explore foreign land and experience cultures different from our own, learn about their history and tradition, and be in awe of their beauty and unique value to civilization.

Our brand continually delivers fashion, philanthropy, and culture to you in unique ways, purposefully. We are a retail and lifestyle brand with a passion for making positive, long-lasting change in you and the community. Over the next 3 months, we will focus on "The Beauty in Diversity." Whether it's the beauty of diversity in ethnicity, culture, fashion, body shape, body sizes, or businesses, whatever aspect that we think is important to you, we will aim to highlight the unique value in it for us all.

As a black woman and business owner, living amidst the civil unrest of our time and experiencing overt racism and prejudice because I am not like the majority is a story that just doesn't belong to me but to many, but it impacts us all. That's why we will continue to empower women to show up how they want to be seen, and when you get there, in your Queen Anna ensemble, make a difference.

We opened the week with a peek behind the brand, on our Youtube channel with a fun and vigorous 50 impromptu questions that I asked my husband Greg to get a glimpse behind behind the scenes. 😂

This week we will highlight the beauty in diverse cultures using film, like "A Wrinkle in Time" and the music from its soundtrack. We will also be highlighting one of my favorite people in the movie, Mindy Kaling, who plays "Mrs. Who," who also adds diversity to the world being an Indian American Actress.

Philanthropically we will be using our voice to highlight the unjust killing of Breonna Taylor and will be donating a portion of our proceeds to her cause the entire month of July. We will also be sharing resources on ways to create positive change within yourself as well as the world around us.

Last but not least, in-store and online, if you spend over $150, you will receive a free two week trial for personal styling from our luxury concierge service, One Posh Closet.

Be empowered in your uniqueness and beauty, knowing that an unmentionable amount of events had to occur, both small and large, for you to be created, just as you are. Like my Great Grandmother (Anna) told me, and now I am telling you, you are a rarity, a hot commodity, a vintage piece, and you deserve to be treated as such. Anyone that dares to tell you anything different doesn't deserve your time, energy, or space.

Being told that every day and now have the chance to repeat it to my children and infuse it in my brand empowers me to now share those same sentiments with you. I hope you, too, feel inspired to share it with someone else so that the light of love and the embrace of individuality and appreciation of diversity can overcome the fear of differences and the unknown.

Stay inspired and empowered. Until next time!

Bye-Bye!

❤️Nicole

It has indeed been too long and too much going on since you last heard from me.
I am sure many of you follow us on social (and if you don't, this is your chance to catch up @queenannaliving on every platform). You know that we were closed for two entire months only being able to serve you through our virtual experiences, curbside pick-ups from the website, and app purchases (Queen Anna Fashion iOS and Queen Anna Living in the Google Play Store).

We undoubtedly tripled our digital content to stay connected with you and deliver the Queen Anna Experience that so many of you are used to with your in-store experiences. I hope that you all enjoyed the virtual masterclasses that we created for you so that while you were at home cleaning closets and drawers, you were also to take advantage of maximizing your closets and wardrobes as well as honing in on your style.

We finally got a chance to open after the pandemic, and then another tragedy happened right in our back doors and from it spawned protests and destructive vandalism and then for the safety of my team and our clients we closed, yet again.
As I sit writing this blog today, I have to have a transparent moment and say that I am not ok. I feel like I am living in a horrific episode of The Twilight Zone, and all I want to do is wake up and go back to my peaceful and semi-worry free, and organized life.

The recent injustices occurring to George Floyd and put on display for the world to see has been traumatic; not just for me but for anyone who has seen the video of the police brutality that he experienced that ended his life. If you have seen it, I think it is safe to assume that you were affected and are working through your sentiments around it, but it has sparked something in me that I am excited to recreate for you, Queen Anna style.

We have always focused our social media content and our brand partnerships around Fashion, Philanthropy Culture, Health, and Wellness. Now, when we focus on the philanthropy pillar, we will undoubtedly be zeroing in on the social justice space because I see the need to spend a lot more of my time giving back in that sector, and it would hold to the ethos of who we are.

Being raised by my great grandmother, who was born in 1911, she experienced and endured The Civil Rights Movement and peacefully protested her entire adult life. Being a part of those experiences, one takeaway I gathered from it was that if I didn't stand for something, I would fall for anything. And even if you have to go the unchartered path alone, if it is moving the needle towards the results you are advocating for, then it makes the ups and downs, highs and lows worth it.

Queen Anna House of Fashion, without question or hesitation, is taking a stance to advocate for the equality of black and brown people in America. Through the end of June, we will donate a portion of our sales to the George Floyd Fund for the benefit of his 6-year-old daughter Gianna.

We also will be facilitating several virtual experiences for you to take part in because I genuinely believe that silence on injustice on any level, only perpetuates the systemic problem.
As the owner of QA, I refuse to go back to business as usual. Instead, we plan to facilitate a series of discussions that will be somewhat uncomfortable (for some) but well overdue and necessary.

I have had the honor of standing by my great grandmother's side to stand on matters that not only impact us but the world we live in, and if she is the muse behind the brand, it only fits that Queen Anna House of Fashion follows suit. We aspire to empower you to uncover, define, and own your style, but we will also be encouraging you to share your truths, stories, and experiences with the injustices that they have experienced or been witness to because stories lead to conversation and conversation lead to knowledge and change.

At this very moment, we will be focusing on empowering people (specifically women) in the black and brown communities on using their voice as their weapon. We want you to share stories about social prejudices and inequalities that many don't know or experience. We to shake up the status quo of out of sight out of mind because a positive change in our communities and our nation must happen.

Don't worry. We will still be showing you how to style the unique designer brands that we carry in the store and be on the lookout for the new brands we bring into QA to keep you looking and feeling unique, luxurious, and beautiful. This week we will be focusing on sharing the philanthropic work and inspired looks of Beyonce Knowles Carter. Who runs the world? Girls!

So get ready to be empowered and inspired to not only level up your look but also your ability to take action in something bigger than you that impacts the world.

Until next time, bye-bye!

As a mother of four, a wife and a business owner, I can understand the pressures of the holiday season. It's that time of the year when you have children's activities at school, work obligations, deadlines, and the list continues on from there. With the holiday season officially here, I wanted to share a simple solution to your holiday shopping needs. 

Philanthropy, sustainability, and women empowerment are at the core of our brand and it is with great joy that this year, we're making it easy for you to shop purposefully and with ease as we highlight the brands housed within Queen Anna that align with our brand philosophy. 

You will find each of them listed here within our exclusive 2019 Holiday Gift Guide.

I know that I am not the only one that gets excited when I find out that Oprah has released her list of “favorite things” - it’s like she has taken the stress out of thinking of holiday gifting for you. Queen Anna has also done that for you but taken it a step further... and added access to expert personal shoppers who can give you first access to what we have at Queen Anna but can also take your holiday gift list and personally shop for you. 

Understanding how deeply important your time is, we wanted to assist our clients by making their holiday season less stressful. Our Luxury Concierge Service is made available to you and is something you won’t want to miss out on. We want to assist you in keeping your holiday jolly and bright!

Lastly, don’t forget to download the Queen Anna android and iOS app so you can take advantage of all of our holiday festivities sales and promotions this holiday season.

Happy holidays and happy shopping!

Sincerely,

Nicole