The story of Marrakech begins in the year 475 AH (1062 AD), as two men walked together in the Sahara desert. Cousins by blood, brothers in arms and ideology, they had spent years at war and were touring the desert in search of a future.

It’s Hip Hop and street style. It’s Juneteenth in Harlem, the Caribbean Day Parade in Brooklyn and Carnevale everywhere. It’s all over Beyonce’s latest video. But what is the African Diaspora? It’s a common term for referring to the collection of cultures across the world that trace their roots back to the African continent.

There are some days that are magic. Days when it all goes right - the perfect setting, the perfect weather, and the perfect group of friends gathered to mark an important occasion. For Donnell and Courtney Baldwin, New York fashion stylists known for their brand, Mr. Baldwin Style, that moment came on a sunny day at Havens Beach in Sag Harbor. The idyllic location, set among bright white sands, long blades of grass, and even a few deer roaming by the ocean, was perfect for the couple’s celebration of their six-year wedding anniversary.

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason sit down with friend, and filmmaker, Adepero Oduye to discuss radical creativity and her groundbreaking film, To Be Free, where Oduye transforms into the legendary Nina Simone. 

A home is more than just a house; it holds our memories - the feeling of the way things were and the hope of what they might become. So when North Carolina couple, TaLaya Brown and Kerrick Faulkner inherited the house that once belonged to Faulkner’s grandparents, it was a chance to touch the past while looking ahead to the future. With rescue dog Honey in tow for good luck (she had been rescued, after all), the two set out to make a new home out of an old house.

New York is a busy place. For those who don’t plan ahead, the hustle and bustle can run them right over. Fortunately, for Kalyn Chandler, the founder and creative director of the lifestyle brand, Effie’s Paper, the solution to the constant run between work and life was to put the two together in one amazing space. Living and working in the same place might seem confining at first thought, but for this creative the answer laid in making sure that there was enough room to fit both sides of a full life.

Kingston born and Brooklyn-based, artist Paul Suepat is a student of contrasts. Focused constantly on the nebulous space between ambiguity and definition, his art moves between sculpture and painting, whimsical figures and strong abstract shapes, specific emotions and imaginative contexts. His home too is a class in the power of opposites. Here, trend-forward rooms defined by bright splashes of color sit beside (or beneath) spaces where restrained motifs speak more of the past than the future. And everywhere there is art. Art that Paul creates and art that he admires; pieces gifted from fellow creatives and pieces left from his massive installations for public works and private galleries. The effect is magical, and each room, no matter how different, feels like somewhere that deserves further exploration.

In past lives she has been a home decor editor eyeing the latest design trends, a fashion editor perusing the scene at New York Fashion Week, and even at the helm of assisting Oprah in curating her favorite things. There is no doubt that stylist, editor and creative director, Kelley Carter, knows style, and she brings an abundance of it to her home in Brooklyn, New York. Her small railroad style apartment has benefited from ingenuity born from Kelley’s creative mind. A mix of vibrant textiles, customized pieces and rare art make this Brooklyn apartment a stunning space full of well-curated design ideas.  

The understated centerpiece of every successful gathering and the cornerstone of a modern trend of cool and sophisticated interior style, bar carts have been growing in importance over the past few years. And with the trend, comes questions: how to get the look that you want while optimizing your cart for smooth and easy use during your next soirée? Camille Simmons of Planning Pretty has answers. An entertainer extraordinaire, she shares her tips on how to style a bar cart that’s fit for entertaining.

Author and designer Justina Blakeney knows all about decorating with feeling. As the founder of  Jungalow and author of the New York Times bestseller, The New Bohemians, Blakeney is a go-to resource for decorating advice of all kinds. Her latest release, TheNewBohemiansHandbook inspires us to look past the nuts and bolts of design to create spaces filled with positive energy. Visiting the author’s home in the scenic Silver Lake area of Los Angeles is like walking through the pages of her book - full of breathtaking moments, daring design, and good feelings straight from the designer herself.

New York City is often touted as one of the nation’s great melting pots - a place where people of all nations come together to create a culture and a city that is like no place else on earth. And while that is undoubtedly true, New York is also a nesting doll, made of cities within cities, all constantly in the act of being built, with more popping up all the time. One of the newest places to explore is Long Island City. Not to be confused with Long Island itself, the city sits on the western edge of Queens, right at the point where the Queensboro bridge ends its trip from Manhattan. There, in a luxurious twenty-third floor apartment with commanding views of both Brooklyn and Manhattan, interior designer Tanika Goudeau Hochhauser makes her home with her husband, Brian, using all of her styling ability to ensure that the view inside her space is every bit as breathtaking as the one outside her window.  

Reuben Reuel’s womenswear brand, DEMESTIK, is making waves in the fashion world. The designer has a celebrity clientele that includes Beyonce, Jill Scott, Tamron Hall and Andra Day, and is dedicated to creating culturally-inspired pieces that truly make women shine.

The smell of eucalyptus, roast chicken and citrus creates a fragrant mix in the kitchen as Chef Rashad Frazier puts together the perfect holiday meal. As the setting for this feast, the chef’s table is set with a mix of golden flatware, painted goblets and taper candles.  For some, creating a magical holiday meal starts days or even weeks in advance, but Chef Frazier has the process down to a science. As he describes it, “a dazzling roast, spectacular sides and amazing cocktails,” are all anyone needs to make a big impact during the holidays. It’s a simple menu, focused on classic dishes with a few moments of culinary style added in for good measure. But as the room fills with the scent of roast chicken and its supporting cast of side dishes, it’s getting hard to argue with the virtues of the chef’s minimalist approach. 

Nicholle Kobi, who is originally from France,  is one of them. A fashion illustrator with an eye for detail and a love of Black women, Black bodies and Black hair, Kobi produces illustrations of black women enjoying life, spending time together in chic locations and being generally comfortable in their own skin. Splitting her time between Paris and New York, it’s easy to see that the artist’s choice of neighborhood is hardly coincidental.

Designer Dani Arps remembers her move-in day like it was yesterday. “When I first moved into my space I had very little,” she recalls. “Just the few pieces that I'd permanently 'borrowed' from my parents, a couple of pieces of artwork from my love, Billy Ruiz - an extraordinary artist - and some artwork I'd created myself.” But even without an abundance of furniture, Dani, a former art and music major, looked at the space that would be her home and saw nothing but opportunity. “I like to think of my home, and spaces in general, as artwork we live in,” says Arps. “I can look around the room and tell the story of how each item came to my home. It's important to appreciate each piece and let it tell it's story. I think that the feeling I have about the pieces in my home is what gives my apartment life.”