Simi Iluyomade

Fashion Journalism Student at London College of Fashion

United Kingdom

I am currently a Master's student at London College of Fashion, studying fashion journalism. I have previous work experience as both an office assistant and a writer for various websites and blogs, including Carine Roitfeld's fashion magazine, CR Fashion Book. For the last five years I have explored photography as a hobby, and have experience in both portraiture and fashion photography.

LinkedIn Icon Instagram Icon Resume Icon
Portfolio
CR Fashion Book
02/07/2020
The History Behind Harlem's Fashion Shows

Despite a large history of fashion and sartorial culture within the African American community, blackness did not truly enter the mainstream American fashion industry until the latter half of the 20th century, after the civil rights movement. Prior to this breakthrough, many black designers exhibited their clothing in their communities and held runway shows and pageants in churches and other public venues.

Parachute Media
04/09/2021
Hijabi Fashionistas: How Modest Fashion Took Over Instagram - Parachute Media

When people hear the word "influencer," they are quick to imagine the perfectly filtered feeds of young 20-somethings. Spray-tanned complexions, lip filler, and the universal "Instagram face" make it difficult for anyone on social media to see beyond the surface of style influencing. However, within

CR Fashion Book
04/22/2020
How The Sims Became a Hub for Digital Fashion

The strong digital presence of luxury brands today has engaged millions through stay-at-home initiatives, with designers and fashion houses hosting live performances and offering online classes and workshops. As the industry looks to innovative platforms to stay current during the global pandemic, digital fashion and luxury has found an unlikely home in one popular video game as Sims users bring high fashion into the virtual space.

Bits By Simi
12/09/2020
Black Designers are for Everyone

Originally published in Vis Major Zine, December 2020. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd this past May, and the global Black Lives Matter demonstrations that followed, the lack of support for Black creatives and designers and conversations surrounding the topic have risen in the greater context of systemic racism and the Black...

Parachute Media
04/09/2021
Black Hair vs The Entertainment Industry - Parachute Media

The lack of diversity in the entertainment industry is a topic that has been picked apart and analyzed for decades. Diversity and inclusion initiatives have pushed aspiring black and brown actors, filmmakers, and screenwriters to pursue careers in the industry in an effort to add color to predominan

Bits By Simi
12/13/2020
Black is The New Black: A Photographic Exploration of Black Consumerism, Luxury, and Style

This photo series was inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer, and the push to support Black-owned businesses. With this support came criticism from various angles. One of the opposing viewpoints that caught my attention was one surrounding Black consumerism and the manner in which Black people spend their money when it...

Parachute Media
04/09/2021
Why Black Luxury Brands are Held to a Different Standard - Parachute Media

The recent news of Rihanna's luxury clothing brand, FENTY , stopping all production has sparked a familiar conversation about Black-owned designer brands and their prices. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd this past May, and the global Black Lives Matter demonstrations that followed, c

CR Fashion Book
03/02/2020
Kanye West Returns to the Fashion Circuit With Yeezy Season 8

Kanye West's return to fashion month came as a surprise, as the rapper announced the runway show and Sunday Service just days ago. Known for their convergence of music, performance art, and fashion, West's runway shows are an experience unlike any other.

CR Fashion Book
02/23/2020
Leather Was the Layer of Choice at Milan Fashion Week

Since the '50s, when the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean rocked them on the big screen, leather jackets have possessed an unbreakable cool factor. Often associated with bikers and bad boys, they have been altered and toyed with by designers for decades.

CR Fashion Book
02/25/2020
Milan Fashion Week Focused on Fringe

Fringed clothing has come a long way from its association with 1920s flapper dresses, Western-style leather jackets, or hippie-era suede vests. At Milan Fashion Week, designers took fringe to a new level, incorporating the style into unique garments and accessories in unexpected proportions and colors.

CR Fashion Book
03/04/2020
Itty-Bitty Bras Topped Paris Fashion Week

Underwear and lingerie have evolved greatly since the corsets and girdles of centuries past. From the conical shape of torpedo bras to the game-changing pushup, undergarments, and brassieres in particular, have been an essential aspect of women's dress.

Bits By Simi
11/27/2020
Dysphoria

This semester, I've been fully immersed in art and creation, reveling at my own opus, shocked at what I've been able to create within the final four months of 2020. This year has been a whirlwind for me, full of ups and downs. One thing that's gotten me through it is art.

CR Fashion Book
03/17/2020
Masks Were On The Runways All Fashion Month

The Fall/Winter 2020 fashion month was full of bold accessories, from luxury AirPods cases, to fur fringed handbags. Perhaps the boldest, and in retrospect most foreboding, of these were the various pieces that masked the faces of models as they stormed the runway in the newest fashion.

CR Fashion Book
04/14/2020
Beyond the Trend: Bike Shorts

The iconic 1995 film, known for its fashionable characters as much as its teen-friendly plot, showcased many '90s fashion trends, from micro minis to impeccably styled skirt suits. For gym class, the girls wore a variety of black and white outfits, complete with a stylish pair of bike shorts.

CR Fashion Book
02/04/2020
Black Fashion Icons Throughout History

Zelda Valdes was a fashion designer known for making glittering gowns for socialites and celebrities, including Ella Fitzgerald. Her store on Manhattan's 158th Street attracted black women from all over the city, and at one point it cost nearly $1,000 to have a dress made by her.

CR Fashion Book
05/06/2020
Beyond the Trend: Hotpants

In the 2009 movie starring Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore, the girls in the roller derby league sport short skorts or hotpants in their team's colors. The shorts have been popular among competitive skaters since the 1950s, as they allow for ease of movement.

CR Fashion Book
03/12/2020
Beyond the Trend: Latex

In the 2005 crime thriller, Angelina Jolie wore a series of sultry, black outfits, including this corseted mini dress with fishnet stockings. The popularity of latex and other hallmarks of fetish dress were prevalent in action films from the '90s and early 2000s.

CR Fashion Book
03/28/2020
London and Paris Men's and Haute Couture Fashion Weeks Cancelled

As events worldwide continue to be postponed and cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fashion week appears to be the next event to take a blow. The upcoming summer runways in London, Paris, and Milan have been cancelled or postponed.

CR Fashion Book
04/03/2020
Celebrate the Home with the New Dior Maison Collection

In 1947, Christian Dior opened a boutique dedicated to the art of gifting, from mirrors and letter holders to candles and incense. The designer sought to provide all the pieces for a luxurious home, as he believed "living in a house which doesn't reflect who you are is a bit like wearing someone else's clothes."

CR Fashion Book
01/27/2020
Naomi Campbell Makes Her Vivienne Westwood Campaign Debut

Set in the backstreets of Paris, Naomi Campbell, Vivienne Westwood, and Andreas Kronthaler star in Westwood's latest campaign, unveiled today. It marks Campbell's first campaign with the British designer. The atmospheric images and video were shot by esteemed fashion photographer and Westwood collaborator Juergen Teller in the 18th arrondissement of the fashion capital, where the Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2020 show took place last September.

CR Fashion Book
02/25/2020
Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020 Beauty Trends

Slicked back hair was upgraded on the runway, as multiple designers took the chic hairstyle one step further, resulting in glistening, fresh out of the shower tresses. There was a blast from the past at MSGM, as models came out with 1920s-style finger waves, while hair at Alberta Ferretti looked as if it had just come out of the ocean.

CR Fashion Book
03/30/2020
Burberry Joins Coronavirus Relief Efforts in the UK

As factories around the world close due to global lockdowns and quarantine efforts in light of the coronavirus, Burberry is the latest to announce that it will be donating both surgical and non-surgical masks to healthcare workers and patients in the United Kingdom.

CR Fashion Book
05/12/2020
Beyond the Trend: Flip-Flops

In the 2001 movie, Anne Hathaway's character, Mia Thermopolis, gets ready for a school beach party and explains to her mom that she would like a foot-popping kiss. The flip-flops she wears to the beach end up helping her escape from a paparazzi-riddled situation, though, as she smacks Josh Bryant on the head with one sandal and runs off.

CR Fashion Book
01/31/2020
Christopher Kane Brings 'More Joy' to Valentine's Day

CR Fashion Book may earn money from the products featured on this page. The British brand's London pop-up store relaunches with its first capsule of 2020 Wiktor Malinowski for Christopher Kane Christopher Kane's pop-up, More Joy, reopens today with its first drop of the year.

CR Fashion Book
03/31/2020
Bulgari to Donate Hand Sanitizer to Italian Medical Facilities

Bulgari will donate hand sanitizer to all medical facilities within Italy, one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic and home to the Roman luxury brand. The hand gel will be made in Bulgari's fragrance facilities in collaboration with its longtime manufacturing partner Industrie Cosmetiche Riunite.

CR Fashion Book
04/05/2020
The Best Jewelry of the Spring/Summer 2020 Season

Celine Spring/Summer 2020 Blue jeans and blazers dominated the Celine collection, bringing laidback style to the runways of Paris Fashion Week. Adorning the models were simple tassel necklaces that swung down to the waist, perfect for layering.

EMBODIED
10/17/2018
For Colored Girls - EMBODIED

"This is for all the women that are darker than me, that were told they aren't beautiful because their skin is not light enough. The journey to self-love can be long and gruesome, but it is most definitely worth it."

CR Fashion Book
04/23/2020
A Timeline of Dress Codes

Like many cultures with nobility throughout the East and West, there were specific guidelines to how one was allowed to dress in imperial China based on class and societal rank. While the styles varied dynasty to dynasty, specific cuts, textiles, and colors were reserved for the upper classes, most often comprised of the richest silks and more saturated colors.

CR Fashion Book
02/22/2020
Daniel Lee Was Surprised By the Success of the Bottega Veneta Pouch

Bottega Veneta's woven pouch bag, one of Creative Director Daniel Lee's first designs for the Italian house, is now a highly coveted accessory. Originally from the Spring/Summer 2019 collection, the bag became a sensation amongst fashion lovers, and quickly became Bottega's bestselling bag.

CR Fashion Book
03/23/2020
Kering to Contribute 3 Million Masks to France

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, some of fashion's biggest names are playing a role in tackling medical supply shortages and donating funds needed to combat the virus and protect health workers. Amongst these, French luxury group Kering has bought three million surgical masks from China to provide to the French health service, and has plans to produce more within its brands' factories.

CR Fashion Book
01/24/2020
Louis Vuitton Channels Horror and Sci-Fi in a Star-Studded Pre-Fall 2020 Lookbook

For Louis Vuitton's Pre-Fall 2020 lookbook, Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière looked to literature and film, creating 23 horror and sci-fi-inspired images that evoke movie posters and book covers to present the collection. The lookbook features various brand ambassadors and celebrities, including Emma Roberts, Alicia Vikander, Jaden Smith, and American Horror Story co-stars, Billie Lourd and Cody Fern.

EMBODIED
Divine Flavored - EMBODIED

Positioned right outside the Nigerian embassy in Midtown sits Divine Flavored, a food truck specializing in the unique taste of Nigerian cuisine. It's hard to find an authentic Nigerian or West African food spot in New York, despite the fact that so many people in the city identify with the region.

CR Fashion Book
04/07/2020
Ancient Beauty Secrets That Still Work Today

Ancient beauty practices, though at times unconventional and seemingly odd, included various natural ingredients that have stood the test of time and are found in many skincare and beauty products today. Age-old remedies for clogged pores and dry skin are anything but antiquated, with many antidotes to dull skin sitting on the shelves of the common kitchen cabinet.

CR Fashion Book
01/15/2020
The Royal Family's Best Hats

For National Hat Day, CR looks back at some of the royal family's most memorable hat moments