Mickalene Thomas Quotes

As a writer, I was shaped by a desire to write for black people. That things were not being represented. That was my motivating force. That it has become what it has become is shocking to me. I just wanted to be able to take care of my kids.

When my hair is picked out, my whole aura is picked out, like, 'See this, see me.'

Essence has been home for so many of us for so many years. I always say that Essence was the first place that I felt I was a pretty black girl.

Black women, dark skin women are the original beautiful people to me.

I like being done up! I love going to events and wearing fabulous gowns. I like hitting that spot of doing what feels good for me. If it makes other people happy, great; if it doesn't, then that's great, too!

I think of many people and no one as a muse. I love the way Sofia looks always, and I love the way Kim looks always. Fashion may be part of their world, but it's not their whole life. It's not everything.

I fell in love with dressing myself up.

I thought, 'It doesn't matter what that woman is wearing,' but then I realised actually it's our job as designers to make women smile; to bring them the chocolate without the calories.

Dressing up is like therapy; I feel better in myself when I've made an effort.

I love dressing up. It's the best part of being a girl, I think.

My beauty icons are women whose images are self-created.

When I dress in a certain way and do my hair and makeup in a certain way, it's not to get attention.

With L'Oreal, I get to be Aimee Mullins, model. No qualifier. And that means everything to me.

I'm going to look the way God intends me to look... with a little help from Manolo Blahnik.

I just want to continue to break barriers and to show the industry and the world that beauty is diverse, and you don't have to be a certain stereotype to be beautiful.

I'm a big woman. I need big hair.

I like when a girl knows what she looks like and dresses to accentuate those features.

It's different for different people, and for a woman it's important to look as good she wants to look. But you don't need to do it for someone else or to impress some male out there. You do it for your own sake. You wear what makes you feel good, you put make-up and jewellery - whatever gives you self-confidence.

Women inspire me. Women in the airports, around the country in different cities, destinations around the world, inspire me with the way they express their individuality. I love watching women and discovering all the ways each person uses a color, pattern, a style, even a lipstick color. I'm a people watcher.

I wear what I feel and what makes me feel happy.

Looking good is a commitment to yourself and to others. Wigs, killer heels, Pilates, even fillers - whatever works for you, honey.

I think it's huge that I'm wearing my natural hair texture on ABC in prime time. As Dr. Rainbow Johnson on 'Black-ish,' I think my hair is part of the reality of this woman's life. She has four children and is an anesthesiologist and a wife. She doesn't have a lot of time to fuss with beauty, so her look is pretty simple.

I do want to be a representative of the African community, and I want to hold myself and dress myself in a way that reflects that. I want black kids to see me and think, 'Okay, he's carrying himself as a black man, and that's how a black man should carry himself.'

I'm learning that you can be comfortable and still look beautiful.

Being in the space that I am as a writer, and just as a black dude in America, there's this push to be cool or be what you're expected to be. There's a need for a song that puts that in perspective. I think that's an important thing for young children to hear growing up.