Rashida Renée

Rashida Renée Ward is an American fashion archivist and writer. She maintained the Tumblr "Fuck Rashida" that was dedicated to fashion worn primarily by Black women in the 1990s and early aughts. Ward is known for her fashion critiques posted to her Twitter and Instagram.

Early life

Ward was raised in San Francisco, California.[1] Her mother co-owned a beauty salon with her aunt and there Rashida began reading magazines like Jet, Ebony and Essence.[2] She was particularly drawn to Naomi Campbell and credits the model as one of her earliest fashion muses.[2]

Ward understood that she was trans from a young age, and has connected her interest in fashion to her gender.[3] During her adolescence she was active in LGBTQ Black communities on MySpace and was introduced to ballroom, which she referred to as "a possibility model."[3]

Career

Ward's digital fashion archiving began when she joined a closed fashion group on LiveJournal. She continued to learn about different designers, as each post was credited.[1] Ward gained prominence in the late 2000s for her Tumblr blog "Fuck Rashida" that focused on the intersection of fashion and Black culture.[4][1] Her blog functioned as an archive for both well-known and lesser known fashion looks worn by celebrities from the 1990s through present day.[1] She was as comprehensive as possible with the photos and images she posted, and included information about hair dressers, set designers, and make up artists to the extent possible.[1] Ward also maintains her own personal archive of fashion items, and she collects Barbie dolls.[2] She provided commentary on the costuming in Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023).[5]

In October 2016 Ward was the subject of Elizabeth De La Piedra's solo exhibition Rashida at 151 Gallery in New York.[6] Her day-to-day activities were photographed over a four day period, with Ward wearing clothing provided by ASOS.[7]

She is active on Twitter and frequently goes viral for her posts related to fashion.[4] As of 2020 she maintains the fashion archive How To Be a Fucking Lady on Instagram.[3] She has been noted for her "no holds barred" approach to critique and has provided commentary to New York, Interview, and others.[4][1][2][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f MEFeater, Nyanka (2019-07-06). "F**K Rashida Talks The Impact of Black Girls on Fashion and The Internet". MEFeater. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rashida Renée on Killing Nostalgia in 2022". Interview Magazine. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  3. ^ a b c "The Fashion Archivist Who Doesn't Waste Makeup On Boys". Into The Gloss. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  4. ^ a b c Betancourt, Bianca (2021-04-08). "The New Frontier of Fashion Criticism Lives on Black Twitter". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  5. ^ Rajagopal, Mekala (2023-07-31). "Doll Enthusiast Rashida Renée Breaks Down the Fashions of Barbie". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  6. ^ Silveria, Paige (2016-10-25). "four days in the life of trans tumblr star rashida". i-D. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  7. ^ Gore, Sydney (26 October 2016). "A Day In The Life Of Rashida Renée Through The Lens Of Elizabeth De La Piedra". Nylon. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  8. ^ Bansinath, Bindu (2022-04-27). "The Best Met Gala Looks, According to Fashion Experts". The Cut. Retrieved 2022-06-10.