Solange Knowles by Ellen von Unwerth for Lurve Magazine. Styling by Lyna V Ahanda. Hair by David Wadlow. Make Up by Laure Dansou.
An excerpt:
On her sense of humor and fashion risks
That sense of humor is really just the key to keeping my sanity, not taking myself or others too seriously. I’m the first one to make fun of myself because, quite frankly, I do some dumb sh-t all of the time. I don’t get embarrassed too easily, either. That’s a trait that has served me well, and made a fool of me sometimes.
I mean, look at some of my fashion choices back in the day. You know how people say, ‘Who let her walk out of the house that way?” or “She needs more people!”… Oh believe me, I had the people, and they tried, but I resisted the arrest! Life is suppose to be about experimenting and going for it, especially in your twenties. So I have to just go for it, and laugh later.
On growing up with less boundaries than Beyonce
I think your parents set so much structure in the first child because it’s so new and fresh, and you are trying to do everything right, and by the second one you’re like, ‘Eh, they’ll be okay.”
In one way, I think that my parents’ leniency really allowed me the freedom and experiences to be a very independent thinker. In a lot of ways, I had the freedom to really explore the world. They trusted me and I really tried to hold value in that. That is, until I got pregnant. [laughs]
On so much attention being focused on her Hair
I’m actually really trying to navigate my feelings on the entire hair issue and it’s tough doing that publicly. On one hand, I can’t ignore the fact that I have done things that have put attention on my hair with going on Oprah and being apart of Carol’s Daughter.
I was asked to go on Oprah on an episode that was dedicated to Black Hair, and to speak about why I cut my hair. I honestly thought, “Number one, it’s Oprah, and who wouldn’t want to go on Oprah and meet her?!?! She’s amazing! But also, I thought if I addressed it then, then maybe I wouldn’t have to on that level again.
I spoke about how I felt like my hair was holding me back in some ways from fully utilizing my life, in terms of the time, energy and money I was spending. I also remember very clearly saying that this was the phase I am in at the time and that if I wanted to wear a weave down to my calves–when and if that time came–I very much so would. I still feel that way now. I realize for some people that this was a big turning point in terms of how they saw me.
I’m actually no longer a part of Carol’s Daughter, but throughout my entire time working with them, I was constantly fighting for the right message to be heard. The message that, the way we wear our hair is a personal choice, there’s no right or wrong way; one way doesn’t make us more intelligent, or more superficial, and every one makes that choice for very different reasons.
On the time she vented on twitter after reading an article about her hair:
I made some comments on Twitter recently about an article someone sent me that a young writer wrote about how much energy we are putting into other people’s natural hair. I thought it was really interesting, and in a lot of ways true. That is until I came across the part of the article that mentioned how certain commenters were debating on the texture of my hair in its natural state.
I really, truly was not even aware that there was a natural hair system in place to measure the texture of your hair. At that point I thought to myself, “This is really kind of crazy…that these people know more about my hair than the human that even carries it!” I went to my Twitter and sort of impulsively expressed that. I don’t regret it one bit but sometimes trying to put how you feel in an one-hundred forty character structure is not very successful. It sometimes comes off as ranty and aggressive, and that was not my stance at all.
Spied @NecoleBitchie
September 19, 2012 11:01 am
Ooo..I wish I could have smeared the lipstick all over her face and her sister’s too… Nice pictures : )
September 19, 2012 11:02 am
i love how articulate she is! this photo shoot is priceless! i am getting a jourdan dunn vibe from the photos and she looks stunning :-)
September 19, 2012 11:57 am
Love that excerpt.
September 19, 2012 11:58 am
Very nice pictures. Still don’t understand why she is the media so much.
September 19, 2012 1:34 pm
Hot, Chic, Lovely! All that! I love me some Solo, idk abt that top picture though *sideeye*
September 19, 2012 1:43 pm
Love her!!!! Love her style and how articulate she is………
September 19, 2012 2:10 pm
I really love you Solo but, what in the heck is with the lipstick smear photo.?! Anywho overall great photoshots
September 20, 2012 11:15 am
I love her growth and the beautiful that she just is.
September 20, 2012 11:16 am
woman*