If you aren’t familiar with SSENSE, it’s the online epicenter for buying luxury brands and high-end streetwear. Founded by the three Atallah brothers, the goal was to take away the obstacles and headaches that could arise from purchasing high-end fashion and democratize the latest, coolest brands.
More than any other platform right now, SSENSE does curation right. They’re painfully aware of which pieces from new collections are a fit for their audience. They show you what’s relevant and hot right now — prioritizing pieces you’ll genuinely like rather than what’s just being pushed by the brand. Now, SSENSE carries brands of all price points from Adidas to Versace.
Another highlight: SSENSE is known for its brand diversity. They often highlight Black-owned brands and showcase collections from people of color and lesser-known designers. To close out Black History Month 2024, SSENSE is teaming up with none other than ESSENCE: a pairing that makes perfect sense.
ESSENCE, the lifestyle publication geared towards Black women, is helping feature three designers and artists: Bianca Saunders, Mowalola, and Stanley Raffington. The series will showcase their designs and tell their story.
According to SSENSE’s site,
“The two brands are turning ESSENCE’s “In The Studio” print franchise into a video series hosted by Lynette Nylander. The series will spotlight the achievements and creativity of Black designers who have significantly impacted the menswear realm. With three episodes, each featuring a distinguished designer, the series offers exclusive insights into their creative processes and journey,”
Meet The SSENSE X ESSENCE Feature Designers
Bianca Saunders
Bianca Saunders
British GQ
Bianca Saunders’ clothing embraces masculinity in womenswear. Her jackets will always be a bit oversized, or the style will mimic a classic streetwear bomber that could have been borrowed from boys like Jeremy Allen-White and Jacob Elordi — a girl can dream.
“The essence of Saunders' clothing lives in the details, which point to how she subverts ideals often associated with menswear.”
Finding the intersectionality between workwear and streetwear, Saunders clothing is genderless and trendy. Some of her signatures include layered shirts, tucked waists, and somewhat minimalist designs.
@babyboyflame Buying Black: @Bianca Saunders #streetwear #menswear #blackownedbusiness #fashion #fashiontok #fashiontiktok ♬ Oldschool - Cookin Soul
Mowalola
Mowalola
Joyce NG
Mowalola, a highly sought after designer whose pieces have been worn by the likes of Rihanna and Naomi Campbell, is a bit of an icon in the fashion world. Her mantra for fashion is “do what you want to do” and that’s exactly the kind of energy Mowalola’s clothes give off.
Much like Bianca Saunders, Mowalola is known for her gender bending designs. Inspired by cinema, many of her collections revolve around movies. And this is on full display at her cinematic runway shows.
She brings an edge to her designs through textures like leather and intentionally placed cutouts. She’s not afraid to make public commentary on race and gender, making her runway shows incredibly popular.
“The British designer has shifted the cultural zeitgeist with her boundary-pushing collections inspired by the world around her.”
@i_d Replying to @JAC So are we! #ferragamo #maximiliandavis #tiktokfashion #mfw #mowalola ♬ original sound - i-D
Stanley Raffington
Stanley Raffington
ESSENCE
In a world where the Chanel black-and-white aesthetic hails ever-popular, especially amongst those emulating Old Money Style and Sofia Richie’s closet, it’s hard to find designers who aren’t afraid of a bit of color…enter Stanley Raffington.
Often incorporating Rastafarian colors of red, yellow, and black as an ode to his Jamaican roots, Raffington isn’t going to shy away from any hue. He quickly rose into fashion prominency when Madonna and FKA Twigs attended his show, which included 3D printed accessories.
Constantly inspired by his Jamaican roots and the nostalgia of past trends, you will see lots of Y2K nods in Stanley Raffington’s clothing. He’s embraced tech in the fashion world by utilizing 3D printing in many of his designs and runway shows, and he’s not slowing down now.
@yungstanz Process behind my 3d printed curve bag. Taking inspiration from the architecture of Zaha Hadid, mixing new technology with natural materials and craft. Available now exclusively at @SSENSE ♬ Never Lose Me - Flo Milli
How to Fight a Traffic Ticket
We believe you: That speeding ticket really wasn't your fault.
Maybe you were driving two miles over the speed limit when an overzealous state trooper pulled you over. Maybe you were texting your grandma at a stop sign when the bright lights of the law appeared in your rearview mirror. Either way, we believe you, and we're on your side. Don't panic if you're hit with a traffic citation that charges you fees comparable to those of a monthly car payment on a luxury automobile. If you think your ticket is unjust, there are plenty of steps you can take to combat it. You might even save some cash. :
First: How Do You Want to Plead?
When the steam heat of frustration finally clears, turn your ticket over and check the paper for information on court dates and location. During your arraignment, the judge will ask whether or not you want to plead guilty or not guilty. It's worth mentioning that some judges will lower the fine immediately if you plead guilty, but certain states prohibit this practice. Be sure to look up your state's laws before you make a decision. The other option, is to plead not guilty. Even though you have a chance of lowering the fine by pleading guilty, the smart bet is to say you didn't do it. This is because, in most states, if the officer doesn't show up to defend his citation at the court proceeding, the judge will throw the ticket out. Police officers have busy schedules and busy lives. There's always a chance they don't have time to meet you in court. Unless you live in a state in which judges lower fines for guilty pleas, always plead not guilty. The odds are in your favor, and even if the officer shows up, you've managed to inconvenience him in the same way he inconvenienced you with an unfair ticket.
Pleading usually won't help
Second: Call a Lawyer
Now, assuming you've decided to plead not-guilty and the officer who issued the ticket actually shows up, it might be time to call in a lawyer. At this point, you have to ask yourself (and probably your lawyer) what kind of penalty am I facing? Is it just money? Could my license get suspended? The answers to these questions, as well as the severity of the punishment you could face should determine whether or not you should hire an attorney. If it's only a couple hundred dollar fine, you may have to just cut your losses, as any legal fees you have to pay will cut into the money you would have saved.
Third: Have Proof
If you've decided to go Perry Mason on your traffic ticket, question number three is: do you have the necessary legal proof to combat it? Now, the answer to this question doesn't have to be yes right off the bat. As in all criminal cases, the burden of proof falls upon the claimant. I.e. it's the state's responsibility to prove that you made a traffic violation, not your responsibility to prove you didn't. The degree to which officers must support their traffic citation varies from state to state, but make no mistake, even after getting a ticket, you are innocent until proven guilty. That said, you probably won't have any proof right away. You'll have to gather counter-evidence via discovery, i.e. using the government's evidence against them. Cross examining the police officer who ticketed you is also a useful way to get information and build your case. Another means of bolstering your defense is to claim your actions were justified in some way. Some examples of this are matter of fact conduct (proving to the judge you made an honest mistake), legally justified conduct (i.e. speeding to get to a hospital), and conduct to avoid harm (i.e. swerving to prevent a collision). Any of these defenses, when properly employed, can help you escape your fines. Talking to your lawyer can help you determine which route you want to take and whether or not your claim is defensible.
If you got pulled over for not following this sign, you'd be able to claim "matter of fact" conduct, as the sign makes no sense.
All that said, there is a litany of different ways in which a police officer can prove your guilt nowadays. Most have dash cams, and if they have videographic evidence of you breaking the law, your goose is probably cooked. With this in mind, it's good to take a second to think about whether or not you were really innocent or if you were just upset that you got caught. If the case is unwinnable, going to court can be a huge waste of time and money. On top of this, a disgruntled judge may even issue additional fines or penalties if you're proven guilty in court. This makes fighting a traffic citation a high risk, high reward type of scenario. If you're strapped for cash and can't afford to pay the ticket, it might be worth rolling the dice to see whether or not you can get it waived. If you're fighting the ticket out of a matter of principle, maybe take a second and do some quick tabulations to find out how much your pride is worth. No one talks about losing the trial when they take a traffic ticket to court, but it happens. If none of the defense information above can be applied to your specific situation, it's safe to assume you should probably just pay the fine and avoid court altogether.