Introduce yourself!
S: I am Sarah Nicole François, I’m from Mars and I’m just passing through this planet right now. I’m a writer, artist and a designer of a clothing brand called 000sportwear.us//by Sarah Nicole François: http://000sportwear.us.
What is your style philosophy?
S: Less is always more. If I have to make too much of an effort or think too hard about what I’m wearing, it’s not going to work.
How would you describe your sense of style?
S: It’s all black, all the time. Some days I’m minimalistic and futuristic, some days I’m ridiculous and gaudy, some days I’m really punk and sort of bummed out, and other days I’m a beach bum in a bikini top and shorts. But no matter what way it’s always black. My style is as temperamental as I am. It’s the perfect conglomeration of all my different moods and aesthetics, muted. I love pleather. I wear a lot of pleather and latex… I’m really curvy, so I love to show that off with really fitted clothing.
What is the process of deciding what to wear in the morning?
S: Right now I’m living in Orlando and it’s very hot, so in consequence my Florida wardrobe mostly consists of light fabrics and crop tops. I like to spend a lot of time at the beach or lakefront doing a lot of outdoor activities, so my uniform for a regular day is all about practicality; A safari hat to shade me from the sun, any kind of crop top or tube top, some shorts, combat boots, and my leather jacket because I’m punk and it doesn’t matter if it’s like 2000 degrees Fahrenheit out, I will be in my leather.
What are the three favorite things in your closet?
S: Just three? That’s very limiting! lol
1. My overalls that I got from an 80’s vintage store in NYC. I love them because they’re dingy and old and oversized and soooooo comfortable. It’s one of those things I throw on about 3-4 times a week just so that I don’t have to think about what I’m wearing that day, and I can work or paint in them and not have to be concerned about getting anything on them.
2. My 000sportwear clear PVC crop top. Everything I make for 000sportwear comes from that frustrated shopper part of me who hates having to go into stores and just feeling underwhelmed and bored by my choices. This crop top is a direct result of that part of my mind. It’s so impractical and so awesome, and I can turn any boring outfit into something impressive by throwing that top on top. It’s definitely a showstopper, and I love the looks I get from people in the streets because it’s weird, but it looks fantastic.
3. My 000sportwear Vegan Leather Lab Coat. I really really love a good textured leather or pleather and this jacket is light enough for me to wear in Florida and not pass of a heat stroke. It makes me feel real Matrix-y and next level wearing that thing.
What are some of your favorite shops/websites for clothes, shoes and accessories?
S: I don’t shop often. Especially since I have my own line. If there’s anything I ever want, I just make it for myself. It’s more satisfying that way for me.
How long have you been natural?
S: I never “went natural” I just cut my hair off because I was fed up with having to deal with the laborious task of dealing with hair. I used to change my hair quite often. This is my second time going bald, and I’m going on 2 years now. The first time I did it, I was bald for 2 years then let my hair grow for a bit until I cut it again.
How and why did you transition into natural hair?
S: I don’t actually consider me cutting off my hair a transition. While I appreciate the natural hair movement for what it’s done for a lot of Women of Color globally, I have some reserves about the current state of the natural hair movement and I don’t really associate myself with it.
What is your signature hairstyle?
S: I like to keep it simple: a buzz cut as low as it can go.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
S: I wanted something simple that I didn’t have to think about, and I figured what better way to deal with my hair then having no hair at all? Cutting if for the first time was a bit nerve racking, but I just went into my bathroom, took my dad’s clippers and shaved it all off. When I did it, and I looked in the mirror at myself, I felt so in love and so much like myself that I decided this is the person that I always was meant to be. My hair grows pretty fast, so I cut it myself once a week. I just take the clippers, no taper, and buzz it all off as low as it can go, and that’s as much effort as I put into it.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
S: You can follow my looks @instagram.com/sarahnicolefrancois. I also get a lot of love on Tumblr: foxxxynegrodamus.tumblr.com.
38 Responses
She is so gorgeous . Also she has a nice face I would look horrible if I went bald . She gas a beautiful sense of style and she is right about the natural community . The natural community uplifts 2 and 3 type hair and constantly bring down 4 type hair . They still do that good hair vs bad hair crap and companies are making money off of girls who have so called good hair and many black women buy their products to have ” good hair ” . As a 4a I’m stick in the middle .many people consider my hair good hair many consider it bad hair but Idc I love my hair forget them. This girl is blessed she doesn’t have to deal with that bull crap and her buzz cut is beautiful ! 🙂
First off, let me start by saying I was blown away by how bold you are Sarah ! From head to toe, I am truly in love with your minimal style , you own it girl !
Then as I’ve read your thoughts on the ‘natural hair movement’ my first thoughts were pretty much this : ‘well why would you say you don’t associate yourself with the natural hair movement although you are on a natural hair site’.
With more thoughts on it, I too can look at myself and say the same thing about me. I have deception about this movement from hair typing, to representations in our online communities or media now. Event the titled of this site sometimes upsets me.. All this to say that I know that we are tormented in our own place. We want to be natural and confident in our own mindset and with our head full of hair without having to reach some of these forefront standards that we have created for ourselves as a community.
It bothers me when my own cousin who is now natural keeps looking at my hair and saying, ‘your lucky it is finer and a bit softer than mine’. What much can I say to her if she doesn’t believe her hair is beautiful although she is part of the ‘movement’ (buying product, looking at YT videos etc)..
I get what you are saying Sarah, it is a personal journey before all and I appreciate you being featured on that site and saying your truth on the subject. You are showing that the ‘movement’ didn’t created itself in one day and that it is still growing, evolving and that it can be self-conscious at times.
Thank you
I am not sure when the comment section became this negative but it is definitely sad. This has been the trend in several recent posts. Once again, we as women are failing to see the big picture. We form the majority but our pettiness and cattiness make us the poorer sex. The moment we start uplifting each other and cut out the negativity is the moment we will all be richer and start winning in all aspects of life. There is no need to police Sarah. What she wears, how she wears it, what she says, how she says it… Is her choice, she has that choice just like we all do. Now her hair story, regimen… Her fashion style may not have inspired you but it did inspire someone else. I read the article and didn’t find it cold. Sarah took time to respond to the questions from BGLH. Also if she were merely here to market her clothes and get followers, she would have pretended and said what most people here like to hear. She seems honest and spunky to me. I found the Martian comment very funny.
She is beautiful and her body is sick.
I love her curves!
I’m afraid I have to be honest, while this particular feature does nothing for me in terms of inspiration or solidarity in the natural community, I still wish Miss Sarah well. I don’t see the logic in featuring people who are not here to uplift and share their tips and regimes and generally encourage black women (and men) in their hair journey.
Peace
She’s not a spokesperson. She was asked for an opinion and she gave it. It seems that to be natural with some, means to embrace the natural community and view it through rose tinted spectacles. I’m glad Sara passed through here to remind us that there is a good and bad side to the natural community. I’m afraid some commenters are showing her the bad side in response to a rather innocuous comment.
While I understand that she is not, nor is anyone, a spokesperson for the natural community I hold true to my personal opinion that this should be a site to encourage and share tips amongst one another, an opinion which I stated without malice. I also agree with you that some commenters are showing her the bad side of the community with the negative comments particularly about her style of dress etc.
However, as someone who has been natural all my life so not necessarily a part of the recent “movement”, I can still appreciate all the good that it has done for so many women of colour including myself i.e. more information, hair care advice, forums, support and solidarity in the face of naysayers and critics both within and outside of the black community, all of which I believe outweigh the problems with the “natural movement” that we are and have always been aware of.
I love that she includes vegan leather in her line. Vegan leather is always a kinder alternative to real leather. 🙂
i hate the comments on here that talk about how “little” she has on.
It’s so disgusting and ugly.
All it does is perpetuate rape culture and the idea that a womens body is not her own to do whatever the fuck she wants with it. Fuck all this “leave it to the imagination” bullshit, how about if she loves the way she looks thats LITERALLY ALL THAT MATTERS. I wish I could look half as good as she does lol
She’s very pretty (she reminds me a little bit of Kellis)and uber sexy. I love her “grown woman” curves.
Fuck ‘em. When I was featured, the commentary got disabled due to the amount of negativity coming in stating that I was ‘just a pretty face’ and that I didn’t give any ‘hair care advice’. Bear in mind that I stated that I just don’t care for my hair the way that some do. It’s all fucking bullshit. Set aside my boo Sarah’s explanation on why she excludes herself from the ‘naturalista’ click, it’s bloody ridiculous that people can so readily jump down her throat because she’s beautiful AND clearly, strongly opinionated. It’s a hair blog. And it addressed her hair. Period. The fact that an explanation had to follow her statements to put readers at ease is farty bird crap. The fact that people addressed her body and her looks is an even bigger pile of warm shit. People like that can go suck on each others’ natural poof until it’s nice and moist. *takes last drag from cigarette, throws on ground, snuffs out with shoe and walks away*
“Fuck ’em,” I agree.
not saying that i think that she doesnt like the natural hair movement as a whole btw, just that it needs to be more representative and accepting of how different black hair types are.
but obv im not her so i cant say that she thinks exactly what i say but this is the impression that i got.
hey, i follow her on tumblr and she’s spoken about this before.
she wasnt able to elaborate but (i hope im explaining it right) but she’s seen that most natural hair blogs arent about accepting or loving nappy hair but stretching it, but making it grow longer or be more neatly curled. The aesthetic people like are light skinned/mixed ethnicity girls with 3b/3c huge hair and that’s mainly the type of hair people aspire to get.
i have natural 4c hair myself and i totally agree, blogs are rarely about girls with short 4c hair but rather huge shoulder length big curly.
If you check out her tumblr, she explains why she feels that way.
Don’t know if I can post links but here it is: http://foxxxynegrodamus.tumblr.com/post/81223689697
I like her a lot more after reading that link. I wish her words there could have somehow been incorporated into this interview, because it may have sparked truly meaningful discussion. Nevertheless, I love how bold this fashion icon is, and that body is amazing! Why cover it up? Modesty doesn’t have to be for everyone.
I also went and read her perspective and now I see why she said what she did. I think she should have added a few snippets of her opinion when answering her questions because she brings up a few valid points regarding the movement. Some I have also noted in passing. Nonetheless, she is beautiful.
I love what she said on her tumblr. I agree with it and yes I wish she would have included it because a ton of girls on this site in particular can relate to this perspective. I know I for one can! I like her and her tumblr is interesting, I can tell she is very intelligent.
you can have a bold fashion sense and still leave a little to the imagination. . .sheesh
or you can stop perpetuating misogynistic viewpoints by policing what a women chooses to wear? did you consider that?
wow. . . .chillax people jeeze u mad bro?
*snaps*
Thank you for posting this. I totally get what she’s saying and I agree with it for the most part.
Pretty sure BGLH has addressed this in the past but I don’t have time to find the link(s)…
Someone can submit that link to BGLH and she might post it on it’s own to spark much needed discussion. I had a feeling that’s what she was referring to.
She needs to cover up. . . . .jeez does fashion mean showing off your body too?
This feature did read a bit cold and standoffish. Maybe she just wants some shine for her clothing line? I think being natural is both mental and physical and if she doesn’t consider herself to be then she shouldn’t have been featured.
As soon as I finished reading I went straight to the comments because I wanted to see what the streets were saying haha cuz I know what I’m saying!
Pretty lady!!
She said:
“While I appreciate the natural hair movement for what it’s done for a lot of Women of Color globally, I have some reserves about the current state of the natural hair movement and I don’t really associate myself with it.”
Not sure how that translates to her being overly negative. She definitely has a viewpoint which some of us might share. She chose not to elaborate which is pretty respectful considering that there are lots of natural women who strongly feel that they are part of a secret society or global movement when it comes to natural hair. It may be as simple as her not liking the hair typing or caveats that some place upon being a true natural. Who knows but I’d like her to get the chance to elaborate. I found her pov refreshing and didn’t see her as seeking instagram followers but more as a strongly opinionated person.
I am Sarah Nicole François, I’m from Mars and I’m just passing through this planet right now
If I was a Martian, I would not associate with the natural hair movement either. Now I get it.
I love how she is wearing her hair and I love her style!
Okay, first off: WOW. She looks amazing!
Secondly, I too would appreciate hearing more of her opinions about the “movement.” No judgement; I’m just curious. Don’t just leave us hanging, BGLH!
Her responses read as if someone forced her to be on this blog.
Worst feature I have read thus far on this site, albeit pretty girl. It is a site about natural hair after all, I mean was she forced? Or is one looking for instagram followers?
“I have some reserves about the current state of the natural hair movement and I don’t really associate myself with it.”
OK, I like your style and the clothes you design, but I have some reserve about the quality, and don’t want to go to the website.
Why is she on this blog if she disassociates herself with the natural hair movement?
I am interested in why she isn’t 100% with the natural hair movement. For me personally, it depends on the day. Some days I see people with natural hair who are saying everyone else is crap if their hair isn’t natural and some days I see people who don’t care what your hair like as long as you keep it respectful with them. I fall into the latter category myself.
Haiti represents…. (Can tell by the name)
Love her style